"Dameng was fooled."
In the NBC commentary box, Big O laughed and said: "Compared to offense, Tekken's strongest point is probably his passing ability, which is his direct assist ability.
The ability to directly assist is the most deadly pass. He can always pass the ball to the most threatening open teammate, making it impossible for the opponent to guard against him. "
Elgin Baylor nodded and said: "Iron Fist is a point guard. Although his offensive ability is very strong now and he is also the team's scoring leader, he is still considered a traditional point guard."
Big O agreed and said: "So this is where he is most threatening. You can guard against his offense, but you cannot guard against his passing."
"Just like you," Elgin Baylor laughed.
Big O laughed and did not deny that he did have the qualifications and strength to deserve Lord Baylor's words.
Mosaic attack.
The ball still did not stay in front of Zhou Quan, and Kenny Smith did not miss the ball. After receiving the ball, he immediately moved the ball and did not give Zhou Quan any chance to steal him.
Dameng still had to go deep and get close to the basket to catch the ball, but the three Sonics perimeter players tried their best to block the downward passing channel. He failed to catch the ball, so he had to withdraw to the left low post again to ask for the ball.
Horry caught the ball, and Schrempf waved his arms. He dribbled the ball and took a step to the left, avoiding the opponent, and then passed to Da Meng in the low post on the left wing.
Zhou Quan observed Horry's movements very keenly. When he moved to the left, he saw that Schrempf's body had completely blocked Horry. Horry could never see the high position, so he immediately lost his will. Nismith pounced on Dameng.
Sure enough, when Horry passed the ball, he didn't see Zhou Quan's attack and the ball flew towards Dameng.
As soon as Dameng caught the ball, he felt a blur in the corner of his left eye, and a person had already rushed to his side.
"Snapped!"
The nerve reaction was too fast, and Zhou Quan's movements were very fast. With a precise strike, he knocked away the ball that Dameng had just received with a slap.
"Oh, the ball is stolen!" Zhang Lili shouted excitedly.
"Did you see that, you stupid pig! Iron Fist is right, last year was the only finals in your life, and you will never want to play in the finals again in the future."
Behind the SuperSonics bench, in the front row, a middle-aged male fan wearing No. 1 turned back and roared at Barkley.
This fan is the sales director of Microsoft's Asia region and a confidant of Ballmer, who is in charge of Microsoft's sales. He has played golf with Zhou Quan several times. Barkley is sitting here, but he always cheers for the SuperSonics. I have long been unhappy with Barkley.
On the SuperSonics bench in front, a group of substitute players also turned their heads. They had long been unhappy with Barkley.
"you?"
Buckley was so angry that he clenched his fists and wanted to punch the idiot in front of him in the nose, but he still didn't dare to do it.
"Do you dare to take action? Touch me and I won't even give you a chance to get bail." The supervisor glanced at Buckley's fist and said disdainfully.
"I don't sit with idiots." Buckley got up angrily and walked away cursing.
"Oh ho!"
Seeing Barkley leaving, the fans around him cheered and applauded.
"What's going on, Barkley isn't watching?" Elgin Baylor said in surprise.
Big O smiled and said: "I guess he is not satisfied with the location."
Baylor was startled, then laughed and said: "The free second row is already pretty good. He and Iron Fist are mortal enemies. The SuperSonics management is not stingy."
Halfway through the first quarter, at 13:15, the SuperSonics led by 2 points at home, and Mosaic called a timeout after serving.
Zhang Lili analyzed: “The two sides played very fiercely and anxiously in the first half of the quarter, and no one had a huge advantage.
Mosaic did a very good job transferring the ball from the outside today and did not give Zhou Quan and others a chance to steal the ball, so their offense played well.
And in terms of rebounds, Mosaic has one more rebound than the Sonics, and the more is the offensive rebound, which is the one where Dameng dunked.
Dameng took a lot of shots, 3 of 5 shots, 1 of 2 free throws, and scored 7 points. He played very aggressively and hit the basket whenever he had the opportunity. Fortunately, the SuperSonics perimeter blocked the passing angle to the basket. "
Sun Zhenping nodded and said: "Zhou Quan also played very well in the first half of the quarter. He made 2 of 3 shots and 2 of 2 free throws, and scored 6 points. However, he sent three assists in six minutes. His ability to directly assist is really strong. He can always see his teammates' open spaces and pass them to them.
But the Sonics were able to lead by two points, mainly due to his steal and a block. If it weren't for his defense, the Sonics would have fallen behind. "
Zhang Lili said: "As I said before, if Zhou Quan can only play one side of the Mosaic team, he has little chance. He must play both offense and defense."
At this time, the timeout ended and Mosaic served from the frontline.
The reason why Tomjanovich called a timeout was not because he was two points behind, but because of a substitution, Kenny Smith was replaced and Sam Cassell was replaced.
In the crucial tie-break of the second round series, the rookie left a deep impression on him. Just now, Kenny Smith had no performance under the defense of Iron Fist, so he decided to let Cassell go up and try.
Zhou Quan looked at Cassel in front of him, and his first impression was that he had a distinctive appearance.
Information about Cassel flashed through his mind. He was the No. 24 pick in the first round of 1993. He was 191 centimeters tall and 84 kilograms. He had three-pointers, but his shooting percentage did not exceed 30%, and his overall shooting percentage did not exceed 40%. Mainly shooting from distance, the pace is slow, but often explosive. Single defense is not good, but assist defense is better.
On the left wing, outside the three-point line, Cassel received the ball.
He has height and broad vision. He is good at playing singles on the wing and passing the ball to teammates who have moved out of position on the weak side. Therefore, after receiving the ball, he starts to rely on the ball.
The so-called newborn calves are not afraid of tigers. He has this mentality now. Facing the famous Iron Fist, a super point guard who has been compared with Magic by the media, his mentality is, I am a rookie, there is no shame in not being able to beat you. But if I take advantage of you, I'll make a fortune.
His purpose of playing is of course to get into the three-point line, get close to the paint area, attract the defense, and create open opportunities for his teammates on the flanks.
But after only leaning on it for a moment, he knew it was not possible. The reaction force was too great. The Iron Fist's confrontation was indeed worthy of its reputation. The 92 kilogram tonnage was 8 kilograms heavier than him, so he could not rely on the Iron Fist.
Very smart, he immediately took a step back with the dribble, trying to call a pick-and-roll, and then took the opportunity to get to the three-point line.
But at this moment, Zhou Quan reacted too quickly. He suddenly seized the opportunity to grab the ball in one step, reached out and poked his ball away.
"Steal the ball!"
On-site commentator Henem Krisman shouted sharply.
"What?"
In shock, Cassel quickly turned around to look for the ball, but Zhou Quan once again stepped forward to grab the ball. The two collided with each other, and the confrontation happened instantly. He was squeezed away and lost the chance to regain control of the ball. The ball was passed by Zhou Quan. The right is obtained.
"Oh ho!"
Seeing Zhou Quan complete the steal, the 13,000 home fans cheered, and as Zhou Quan started to play quickly, the cheers became higher and higher.
Cassel fell behind Zhou Quan from the beginning. Only Maxwell, the crazy man who returned from the top of the key to defend, returned to the basket first. Zhou Quan rushed into the paint area from the right waist, and then without any scruples Flying towards the madman.
"This madman!"
Maxwell is not really crazy. This kind of ferocious dunk must have a very powerful impact. Wherever he can block it, he immediately ducks to the side.
"boom!"
The next moment, when the explosive sound of the basket exploded, thousands of people stood up, and the shouts of the entire Central Gymnasium suddenly reached the peak.
Kenny Smith, who was replaced, turned to look at Tomjanovich standing in front and felt that it was a mistake for the head coach to replace Sam Cassell.
Cassel must hold the ball, and this gives Tekken the opportunity to steal. This is in conflict with Tomjanovich's original strategy tonight. The original strategy was that the outside ball should not stay too much in front of Tekken.
13:17, Mosaic attack.
Cassel is very smart. This time he plans to directly call the pick-and-roll to get rid of Tekken's defense.
He cautiously held the ball to the frontcourt, and then pulled it outside the three-point line on the left wing. Zhou Quan blocked the ball in front and stopped retreating. He immediately called a pick-and-roll.
Robert Horry came out to act as a wall. Schrempf first blocked Cassel and then followed Horry. Zhou Quan took the opportunity to catch up with Cassel at the three-point line.
Cassel was not willing to fail to break through, so he changed hands to control the ball, held up Zhou Quan with his right elbow, and continued to press downward.
Zhou Quan squeezed his opponent with his chest, and his strong confrontation ability immediately made Cassel a little unstable, and he couldn't move. Then, under his pressure, he was forced to close the ball, and the ball died on the spot. Schrempf took the opportunity to pounce again and completed the double-team on Cassel.
Cassel held the ball in his arms and half-crouched, but Zhou Quan still stretched his hands to rest on the ball, and then the two started fighting for it.
"Beep!"
The referee's whistle sounded and it was time for the ball.
"Great defense!" Big O laughed.
"When Cassell failed to break through, he shouldn't have forced a breakthrough. He should have pulled back to the three-point line. He underestimated the iron fist's defense." Elgin Baylor said.
"Snapped!"
In the jump ball, Zhou Quan used his stronger jumping ability to put the ball over Rodman's head, and the SuperSonics got the ball.
At the top of the arc, Zhou Quan broke through and Cassel retreated, but then he suddenly stepped back and shot a jumper, and Cassel could no longer defend him.
"brush!"
The water splashed and the three-pointer was scored.
"Oh, beautiful! A three-pointer from the top of the arc with a small opening. Cassel's single defense ability is average. He can't guard Zhou Quan." Zhang Lili said excitedly.
"13:20, SuperSonics lead by 7 points." Sun Zhenping said happily.
"Rookie, welcome to the NBA."
On the court, Zhou Quan smiled and said to Cassell after he succeeded.
Cassel swallowed his throat and did not dare to reply.
The person in front of him was a professional heavyweight boxer, not an ordinary person. As a rookie, it was safer to be honest.
A minute later, he was replaced.
There were two minutes left in the first quarter, and the Sonics led by 8 points. Mosaic called a second timeout, and then Zhou Quan was replaced. Dameng played a lot there, and also consumed a lot of physical energy on both offense and defense. Was also replaced.
After Zhou Quan went down, Tomjanovich was replaced by rookie Cassel.
However, SuperSonics veteran McMillan played well in the last two minutes, and together with Kendall Gill, he was able to withstand Mosaic's substitute lineup.
At the end of the first quarter, at 25:32, the SuperSonics led by 7 points at home.
"The SuperSonics can take the lead because of Zhou Quan's several defenses. Zhou Quan made 4 of 6 shots and 4 of 4 free throws in the first quarter. He scored 12 points, 1 rebound, 5 assists, 2 steals, 1 block and 1 turnover." Sun Zhenping said.
Zhang Liyi nodded and said: "That's right, one in and one out, SuperSonics took two more shots in the first quarter than Mosaic. This was despite having two fewer rebounds, otherwise the lead would have been even greater.
The main problem with Mosaic is that it cannot prevent Zhou Quan's offense, nor can it suppress and destroy the Sonics' organizational functions.
In the first quarter, the Sonics had 9 assists and a shooting percentage of 54%. Mosaic had only 5 assists and a shooting percentage of 44%. Mosaic's offense was still more isolation, and his organizational ability was far inferior to that of the Sonics.
That is to say, Dameng made 5 of 9 shots and 2 of 3 free throws in the first quarter, scoring 12 points. His performance was very strong. If his condition deteriorates, Mosaic will lose. "
Sun Zhenping said: "Perkins can't guard against Dameng at all. If it weren't for Rodman's several assists in defense, Dameng would be more efficient."
"Rodman's strongest point is assisting and switching defenses, rather than defending alone." Zhang Li said with a smile.
The second quarter started quickly. Kendall Gill, who played the entire first quarter, sat on the bench. Zhou Quan came on to lead the bench.
Big Dream didn't come up immediately, Thorpe came on and Kenny Smith came on.
Without a big dream, Zhou Quan strengthened his breakthrough with the ball, attacked three times, scored one goal, and caused one foul each to Smith and Thorpe. He made 4 of 4 free throws and launched a 6-2 attack wave in two minutes. In one fell swoop, the score difference widened to double digits, forcing Mosaic to call a timeout.
"27:38, 11 points difference, if we keep playing like this, the SuperSonics will win." Sun Zhenping said excitedly.
Zhang Liji smiled and said: "Mosaic is a little passive. The defensive end cannot prevent Zhou Quan's offense, let alone his pass.
On the offensive end, Zhou Quan's defense is also a headache for them, and is even the key to their lagging behind. "
Sun Zhenping nodded and said: "Supersonics' outside defense can block and destroy Mosaic's offensive organization, but Mosaic's strong inside defense is somewhat inadequate.
The Sonics do not rely on low-post offense. The center is pulled out to shoot. The low-post offense relies on ball-holding breakthroughs from the outside. Dameng defends the basket alone and is somewhat unable to prevent Zhou Quan's breakthrough. "
Zhang Liji nodded and smiled: "That's right, that's it. SuperSonics' outside defense has a chance to perform, but Mosaic's inside defense did not achieve their goal.
To put it simply, the Sonics have played to their advantage, but Mosaic has not, so they are now behind. "
After the timeout, the two teams replaced all their main players.
Olajuwon took over the offense and pressed Perkins to play. Even if Rodman frequently assisted in defense, he could not stop his offense.
On the defensive end, he blocked Zhou Quan once, and then blocked Rodman's second attack. He did not block a shot in the first quarter, but sent two big blocks in this quarter.
Mosaic also strengthened the transfer of the ball on the outside, trying its best to provide cannonballs for Dameng and not giving Zhou Quan a chance to show off his defense.
At the end of the second quarter, 53:58, the SuperSonics still led by 5 points.
"Dameng made another 5 of 8 shots and 2 of 2 free throws in the 10 minutes of the second quarter. In the 20 minutes of the half, he made 10 of 17 shots, a shooting percentage of 58.8%, and 4 of 5 free throws. He had 24 points, 7 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 blocks, and 2 shots in the half. Turnovers and two fouls, the performance was too strong,” Elgin Baylor laughed.
"Tekken 22 minutes, 8 of 14 shots, 57.1% shooting, 1 of 1 three-pointers, 7 of 8 free throws, also got 24 points, 2 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, 2 turnovers and 1 foul. The performance was the same. Powerful." Big O said.
"Big O, can you analyze the situation in the second half?" Elgin Baylor said.
Big O said: "Under Rodman's defense today, Thorpe's performance was average, with 5 points and 3 rebounds. He should step up and provide more help for Dream.
Mosaic's advantage lies in the interior. If the interior cannot have a huge advantage, then the situation will slowly tilt toward the SuperSonics when the outside is controlled by the Iron Fist. "
Speaking of this, he said with admiration: "Tie Fist's ability to break through with the ball is so strong, even if Da Meng is under the basket, he can't stop his breakthrough.
Today he only had one three-pointer and made many breakthroughs with the ball. Dameng could not guard him by himself, and his passing was very deadly. He had 8 assists in the half. Haha, this gave Mosaic a headache. "
(End of chapter)
