In the final quarter, Oakley sat on the bench.
He is not because of fouls, but because of physical fitness. Physical fitness is his shortcoming. He has never averaged more than 37 minutes per game in a season in his career, and his career average playing time is less than 32 minutes per game.
Mason didn't come up either. The Knicks' inside line consisted of the starting pair of Ewing and Smith, and the outside lines were John Starks, Doc Rivers, and Blackman.
The Pistons are composed of Rodman, Seikaly, Mark Aguirre, Joe Dumars, and Zhou Quan.
And it was Rodman who defended Ewing. Ewing made 11 of 20 shots in the first three quarters, with a shooting percentage of 55%. In addition, he made 4 of 6 free throws and scored 26 points. The threat was too great, if it weren't for the excellent center. performance, the Pistons should be ahead by more.
At the beginning of the final quarter, the Knicks attacked.
The three outside lines were still wide open, not giving Zhou Quan and Joe Dumars a chance to flank, and then launch an attack from the flanks.
Moreover, the offense is usually carried out by the other two, with John Starks playing without the ball, so that he can avoid Zhou Quan's defense as much as possible.
"After the second half of the first quarter, the Knicks learned their lesson. No matter who faced off against Zhou Quan on the offensive end, they just didn't hold the ball and didn't give him a chance to steal. The effect was really good," Zhang Liang said.
"boom!"
Ewing caught the ball and hit Rodman with his back. He actually found it difficult to push the little man behind him, so he jumped up and then took a jumper, but unfortunately he missed.
Seikali protected the backcourt rebound and the Pistons attacked.
Zhou Quan did not ask for the ball, and Joe Dumars held the ball to attack.
He has played three quarters and only rested for three minutes. The key is to hold the ball in the second and third quarters to break through and attack, so he needs to adjust his physical fitness.
Now Chuck Daly's tactics of causing damage in the middle two quarters had negative consequences. When Zhou Quan took a break, the Knicks began a round of onslaught.
Halfway through the final quarter, the Knicks chased four points, 88:88, and the two teams were tied. This was the first time the two teams were tied, and the Pistons called a timeout.
"The Pistons should be careful. The Knicks chased for three and a half quarters and finally caught up. Now the pressure is on the Pistons." Robert Guida reminded.
"At the critical moment, it's time for the team boss to stand up, and Iron Fist should use his strength." Ringo Wilson said.
After the timeout, the Pistons attacked.
The Knicks have replaced Oakley, along with Ewing, Mason, John Starks, and Doc Rivers.
For the Pistons, Seikaly, Rodman, Joe Dumars, Zhou Quan, Isiah Thomas.
Chuck Daly still arranged for Rodman to guard Ewing, but Seikali would never be able to guard Ewing.
On the left three-point line, Zhou Quan attacked with the ball.
The Knicks' nerves were tense, especially John Starks, who did not dare to have any distractions.
Starting, Zhou Quan broke through from the right, and John Starks chased with his left hand, but the next moment, he slowed down and distanced himself from the defender.
"not good!"
John Starks knew Zhou Quan was about to make a pull-up jumper and immediately braked.
But at this moment, Zhou Quan stepped forward quickly and passed by in one step.
"Bang!"
There was a chaos under his feet, and John Starks was knocked directly to the ground.
"It's a clean and tidy life!" Zhang Lili exclaimed.
Zhou Quan entered the penalty area from the left elbow area. Doc Rivers, who was defending the assassin from a high position, immediately came down to defend. Zhou Quan was brave. When Rivers rushed to his side, he suddenly passed the ball and the ball flew to the top of the arc. .
The Assassin caught the ball, and Rivers was two steps away from him. He didn't even have time to start the defense. There was an absolutely wide open space. He calmly made a jump shot, and the basketball flew towards the basket.
"brush!"
The water splashed and the three-pointer hit.
"Beautiful breakthrough goal!" Zhang Lili said excitedly.
"The Assassin's open three-pointers are also very accurate." Sun Zhenping smiled happily.
Zhang Liyi smiled and said: "The Assassin can now shoot open shots, but he can't hold the ball. If he still has the ability to attack with the ball, and still has the strength of 1989 and 1990, then the Pistons will be incredible. The top three outsiders A top-notch master, no one can stop him."
Next, John Starks moved without the ball, used the pick-and-roll to get rid of Zhou Quan, and hit a jumper after catching the ball.
91:90, Pistons attack.
Zhou Quan still broke through with the ball and once again broke through John Starks. This time Doc Rivers did not dare to let go of the assassin. He drove into the penalty area from the left elbow area, forcing Ewing to come up to cover. He passed the ball To the open Rodman, Rodman stepped up to layup. He didn't dare to do anything weird at the critical moment and hit a goal.
The game continued, with three minutes left in the final quarter, 97:92, the Pistons led by 5 points, the Knicks attacked, and Pat Riley called a timeout.
Zhou Quan broke through and scored 5 times in three minutes, and sent out three assists and one indirect assist. Rodman and Sekali each scored one goal. The Assassin made one of two three-pointers, and the Assassin assisted Joe Dumars for a goal. The Pistons made 4 of 5 shots and led the team in a 9:4 attack wave.
Zhang Lili said: "The Knicks' offense is actually pretty good, making 2 of 4 shots, but their efficiency cannot keep up with the Pistons' pace, so they fall behind. But the Pistons can't be careless. The Knicks have the ball and score a goal. It’s just one goal difference.”
Pat Riley laid out an offensive tactic, and then focused on the defensive tactics. The focus was on defending Zhou Quan's breakthrough with the ball.
This is actually a problem he has been emphasizing. Unfortunately, no matter how he defended today, Zhou Quan got 38 points and 11 assists. The defense has failed.
This made him realize that Zhou Quan's threat with the ball was indeed, as ABC TV commentators Lewis Williams and Bill Walton said, almost equal to Jordan's and at the top of the league.
Jordan's offense was unsolvable. Although Zhou Quan's offense did not reach that level and even had a long distance to go, coupled with his extremely sharp passing, his threat with the ball was almost unsolvable.
The timeout ends and the Knicks attack.
John Starks moved without the ball, and Ewing came up from the low post on the left wing to set up a pick-and-roll. He wanted to bypass Rodman and cut inside to the basket, but he underestimated Rodman's defense.
Rodman doesn't plan to switch defenses. He can defend from position one to position five, but Zhou Quan can't. If Zhou Quan switches to defend Ewing, he will have a huge height disadvantage.
But just when John Starks was about to go around him, he blocked it in time, which gave Zhou Quan a chance to pursue the defense.
At this time, Doc Rivers' ball was passed down, and Zhou Quan chased him from the top. He just caught up with his hand and instantly intercepted the pass to Starks.
"Oh, the ball was stolen, Zhou Quan stole the ball for the sixth time!" Sun Zhenping shouted excitedly.
"The Assassin is on the fast break, and so is Joe Dumars. The Pistons are on the fast break again." Zhang Lili said excitedly.
The assassin who was about to come down from the center rushed to the top of the arc and stopped immediately. Doc Rivers rushed two meters past and also stopped. At this time, he received a pass from Zhou Quan, and Rivers rushed to him. Instead of forcing a shot, he passed the ball.
On the left wing, Joe Dumars had already gotten rid of Oakley and Mason who were returning to defense, crossed into the paint area, received the pass from the assassin, drove into the paint area from the left elbow, made a layup in three steps, and hit a goal.
"Look, Zhou Quan, Joe Dumars, Assassin, three-back tactic, including two passing masters, it is precisely because of the three of them that the Pistons' fast break tactics were really good today, with few turnovers and high success rates. ." Zhang Lili praised.
"It's 99:92 now, and the Pistons have regained the lead to 7 points. Come on, win an away game and take the initiative." Sun Zhenping said excitedly.
When the Knicks attacked, Doc Rivers didn't dare to pass the ball to John Starks for the time being. He lobbed it to Ewing in the low post on the left wing.
Ewing caught the ball and beat Rodman in isolation, jumped away from the defender, and then made a mid-range jumper.
"Snapped!"
Just when he took off, Zhou Quan jumped down and hit the ball with a slap.
"Oh, Big Hat! Iron Fist Big Hat Ewing!" Robert Guida shouted excitedly in the TNT commentary box.
Because of the advantage of precise strikes, Zhou Quan has the ability to control the landing point when blocking shots. He did not directly hit the bottom line, but accurately touched the bottom of the ball with his finger. The ball was thrown upward and flew past Rhodes. Man immediately fell down and was caught by him.
At this time, the assassins on the outside and Joe Dumars had already begun to attack quickly. Joe Dumars was already one step ahead of Oakley on the left wing. Oakley, who was guarding him, was not fast enough to keep up with him, and he did not have enough physical strength to run anymore. It moved, and the distance continued to grow.
Rodman handed the ball to Zhou Quan, who dribbled past John Starks and passed the ball to the Assassin.
Pat Riley, who was staring at the court from the sidelines, turned around at this moment and shook his head helplessly.
"brush!"
The Assassins once again assisted Joe Dumars for a layup.
Knicks ball, Pat Riley called the second timeout of this quarter.
"This is the advantage of the small back three. Neither Mason nor Oakley can keep up with Joe Dumars." Ringo Wilson said.
"101:92, the Knicks are already 9 points behind. There are still two minutes left. It should be said that there is still a chance." Robert Guida said.
"Tekken's defense was really strong today, with 6 steals and 3 blocks. This was the most blocks he had in a single game. His defensive performance was no worse than the last time he had 10 steals in a single game." Ringo Wilson said with a smile.
Robert Guida laughed: "If he doesn't work hard on the defensive end, how can the Pistons beat the Knicks, who have the best defense in the league?"
Ringo Wilson said: "From an offensive point of view, his ball-handling offense has destroyed the Knicks' iron-blooded defense. He made 17 of 18 free throws in three quarters. This kind of lethality, this kind of breakthrough ability with the ball, If it weren't for the Knicks' strong willpower, the average team would have been defeated long ago."
"Coach Pat Riley has really created a tough defensive team with strong willpower. If the Bulls are not eliminated and the Knicks meet the Bulls, I think it will be a close series." Robert Guida said.
On the Knicks bench, John Starks was scolded by Pat Riley, who told him to pull Zhou Quan away when he next moved, and not to get too close to Ewing, so that Zhou Quan could double-team him. Chance.
The timeout ends and Ewing attacks again.
This time Zhou Quan had no chance to double-team, and was led everywhere by John Starks. Ewing caught the ball and singled out Rodman.
He only rested for four minutes today. His physical strength reached the limit and his feet were heavy. He couldn't fight anymore, so he hooked Rodman on the head.
"boom!"
It's a pity that the key moment was missed and it was short.
"mine."
Rodman was still full of energy and turned around to grab the rebound.
"Ewing couldn't stand up at the critical moment!" Robert Guida said, shaking his head.
At this time, the three Pistons defenders all came down quickly. Rodman passed to Zhou Quan on the right wing. The assassin rushed to the top of the arc and stopped. Zhou Quan passed directly to Joe Dumars who was diagonally entering the paint area from the left wing. Joe Dumas caught the ball and drove to the basket for an easy layup.
"103:92, the Pistons are already leading by 11 points, and the Knicks should be unable to come back. Oakley can't keep up with Joe Dumars, and his physical fitness is not good. Joe Dumars has already played three fast breaks in a row." Lin G Wilson shook his head.
Robert Guida said: "In order to defend, the Knicks let Mason, Oakley, and Ewing stay on the court together, which slowed down their speed, but the Pistons used fast breaks to give their defense no chance to play. Taking the initiative tactically, Pat Riley’s tactics were problematic.”
"brush!"
Mason received the ball in the low post on the right wing and singled out the soft Seikali under the basket. His extremely strong body arched several times and easily reached the basket. Then he turned around for a layup and hit a goal.
Ringo Wilson laughed: "Coach Pat Riley put Mason at the fourth position not just for defense, but to increase offense. Mason is the Knicks' most efficient offensive player.
But today the Pistons' fast break is really powerful. The three guards are extremely powerful together. They can all pass, shoot and break, and use fast to beat slow, haha! That is to say, the Assassin can no longer break out, but his open shots today are also good. "
Robert Guida said at this time: "Speaking of offense, the Knicks, alas, according to my observation, Patrick Ewing's ability at critical moments does need to be improved, and his psychological quality at critical moments does not seem to be up to par. "
Ringo Wilson nodded and said: "Some people are born with big hearts. Maybe Ewing is not that kind of big heart."
Robert Guida said: "Now Ewing can't stand up, John Starks is being stared at by an iron fist, and the Knicks' first and second scoring points are no longer available. It depends on Mason's offense. If he can't stand up anymore, then The Knicks are doomed."
"boom!"
Zhou Quan missed a pull-up jump shot and Mason grabbed the rebound.
"103:94, there are 56 seconds left on the clock, and the Knicks basically have no chance." Zhang Lili said.
"With a 9-point gap, the chance is slim." Sun Zhenping shook his head.
John Starks was running hard in the frontcourt, but his speed was his weakness and he couldn't get rid of Zhou Quan. Ewing came up to do the pick-and-roll, and then he ran into an open space.
"Snapped!"
Doc Rivers passed the ball quickly, but his awareness of passing the ball to John Starks was too obvious. The extremely experienced assassin rushed up at the right time and intercepted the ball.
"Shet!"
When a fan saw this, he cursed angrily, stood up and left his seat.
Like him, many fans stood up and prepared to leave.
"boom!"
Zhou Quan came down quickly, received the pass from the assassin, and dunked the ball, widening the point difference to double digits again.
Pat Riley tried his best to call a timeout, but he couldn't change the outcome. In the end, the Pistons defeated the iron-blooded Knicks on the road.
The score was 107:96, a win of 11 points.
At the end of the game, the Pistons received applause from many Knicks fans.
"Madman, you asked me to blow you up, so did I do it?" After the game, Zhou Quan said to John Starks with a smile.
John Starks' little face was as dark as carbon. He snorted coldly and walked around Zhou Quan towards the players' tunnel.
He was severely guarded by Zhou Quan, making 6 of 18 shots from the field, with a shooting percentage of only 33.3% and only 14 points. His key efficiency was too low.
But Zhou Quan scored 40 points on his head. The key is that his shooting rate is much higher.
"Remember, don't challenge my major with your hobbies in the future." Zhou Quan warned sincerely from behind.
"damn it!"
The hot-tempered John Starks cursed secretly, quickened his pace and rushed into the tunnel.
"In this game, Zhou Quan played 45 minutes, 11 of 19 shots, 57.9% field goal percentage, 1 of 2 three-pointers, 17 of 18 free throws, 40 points, 5 rebounds, 12 assists, 6 steals, 3 blocks, 2 turnovers and 4 fouls. . He outplayed John Starks on both ends of the floor against him," Robert Guida said.
Ringo Wilson took the statistics table and said: "Joe Dumars made 9 of 14 shots tonight, with a shooting percentage of 64.3%, including 2 of 5 three-pointers, 2 of 2 free throws, and scored 22 points, 3 assists and 1 steal.
Assassin Isiah Thomas made 4 of 8 shots and 2 of 4 three-pointers. He scored 10 points, 7 assists and 2 steals.
The three major guards jointly contributed 72 points, 22 assists and 9 steals, plus Rodman's 12 rebounds and Sekali's 11 points and 9 rebounds, a near-double-double. The five of them are the guarantee for the Pistons to win. "
Robert Guida picked up the Knicks data sheet again and said: "Ewing made 11 of 20 shots in the first three quarters, 4 of 6 free throws, and scored 26 points. His performance was very good.
However, he only made 3 of 8 shots in the final quarter and 0 of 3 shots in the critical last three minutes. This is where he deserves criticism. His ability at critical moments is not good.
Ewing made 14 of 28 shots in 44 minutes, with a shooting percentage of 50%. In addition, he made 7 of 9 free throws and scored 35 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 3 blocks, 4 turnovers and 3 fouls. "
Ringo Wilson continued: “Mason played 36 minutes and made 9 of 14 shots, a shooting percentage of 64.3%, plus 3 of 5 free throws, 21 points and 7 rebounds.
His offensive efficiency still met Pat Riley's expectations of him. Whether it was Seikali, Polynis, or even Rodman, his defensive effect was not good. "
Robert Guida laughed: "The Knicks, like the Bulls, the most important reason for losing is that they can't guard the Iron Fist, and John Starks was guarded to death by the Iron Fist."
"The process and results of this game seem to make me feel that the Knicks may not be able to drag the Pistons to the tiebreaker like the Bulls did." Ringo Wilson said.
At this time, Zhou Quan accepted a post-match interview with TNT TV station on the sidelines.
"Iron Fist, as a point guard, how does it feel to block a super center?" the reporter asked with a smile.
"I want to try that taste again." Zhou Quan smiled.
"So what does winning the first away game mean to the Pistons?" the reporter asked again.
"It means that the way we dealt with the Knicks worked very well. We beat them twice in the regular season. In fact, we have always had a way to beat them." He replied.
"Is this method to enhance your own personal offensive and defensive intensity?" the reporter asked.
Zhou Quan laughed, but nodded: "The Knicks do not have top defenders. They are different from the Bulls. The Bulls have two top defenders, and the Knicks' strongest defense is the inside. They even have three. Insider.
But the speed inside will be slower, so we have to use different methods to deal with the Bulls and the Knicks, that is, use fast breaks and constant defensive counterattacks to give them no chance to build their defense line, thereby draining the bottom of the cauldron and disintegrating them. defense. "
"Having won the first away game, do you have stronger expectations for the finals?" the reporter asked again.
"Of course, I haven't tasted the finals yet, that's my dream." He nodded.
After the interview, while Joe Dumas and the others were still being interviewed, he went to say goodbye to his friends and once again made an appointment with the Roberts and his wife for lunch tomorrow.
After saying a few words to some Chinese people who came over to greet him, taking a few photos, and signing some autographs, he returned to the locker room with his teammates.
Chuck Daly summarized the game and said: "Today, except for Zhou, Joe, and Isiah, everyone else's shooting percentage is average. We must pay attention to this and increase our running. Only in this way can we get open spaces.
We must not underestimate the Knicks' defense. In the middle two quarters, Iron Fist broke through with the ball and was extremely lethal. However, the Knicks still prevented the rest of you from making repeated shots. This deserves our vigilance. Once Iron Fist and Joe's touch declines, , or there is a problem with Tekken's physical fitness and he can't break out, and we can only wait to lose. "
His words made the Pistons players calm down as their excitement about winning dropped.
(End of chapter)
