Uh-huh.
Uh-huh.
Two consecutive free throws were made easily, and Zhao Feiyang also successfully helped the team get the first two points of the first quarter.
It was the Cleveland Cavaliers' turn to fight back.
Kyrie Irving advanced with the ball, and after halftime, he looked for opportunities at the top of the arc. JR Smith on the side took the initiative to cover the ball, but was rejected by Irving with a wave of his hand.
He also did not pass it to LeBron James on the wing, but held the ball and played singles at the top of the key.
Facing Zach LaVine's guard, Irving shook continuously and then suddenly raised the basketball and shot a three-pointer.
boom.
His three-point shooting touch was not very good, and this time the shot bounced out of the basket.
Tristan Thompson and Dwight Howard jumped up at the same time under the basket, both of them wanted to grab the rebound.
Tristan touched the basketball first and tried to put the ball directly into the basket with a tip-in. Unfortunately, he failed. Howard slapped the ball away from his hand.
The basketball rolled out and Kevin Love flew to save the ball at the critical moment. Unfortunately, he was intercepted by Adrian Ennis who suddenly rushed out halfway.
Snapped.
He didn't hesitate to steal the basketball and threw the ball into Zhao Feiyang's hands with a long pass. After Zhao Feiyang got the ball, he accelerated and sprinted towards the half court.
A group of players on the field started to move.
Seeing Zhao Feiyang rushing to the basket and about to take a shot, LeBron rushed forward like a tank with oil on the floor. The moment Zhao Feiyang was about to take a shot, LeBron's big hand greeted the ball in his hand.
Sensing the danger, Zhao Feiyang could only make adjustments in mid-air, using his ability to stay in the air to forcefully pull the lever, and finally threw the ball the moment it landed.
Snapped.
The basketball hit the backboard and fell into the basket.
The ball went in.
The Cavaliers continued to fight back.
This time after the ball passed half-court, Irving directly dribbled the ball through. He is extremely fast, and he is not afraid at all even when facing LaVine's marking. The two of them met each other, and after passing JR's pick-and-roll, he quickly reached the two zones.
Adrian, who was on the inside, had to step up to defend. When he reached out to interfere with Irving, Irving made a lever move towards him.
Snapped.
The basketball hit the basket steadily.
There was a burst of applause from the sidelines. Although it was not enthusiastic enough, it could be seen that those applauding were Irving fans.
As a top defender in the league, Irving's ball-handling and finishing abilities are extremely strong. He is not only highly practical, but also entertaining to watch. It can be said that his style of play is the key factor that attracts the admiration of many fans.
Otherwise, just based on Irving's record of leading the team and his subsequent "playing well but not playing" style, it may be difficult to explain why so many fans are obsessed with his offensive performance.
After the Cavaliers scored, the Timberwolves were not to be outdone.
The ball was given quickly, and LaVine passed the ball to Zhao Feiyang after halftime. Facing JR's defense, Zhao Feiyang directly shook the former away.
After passing JR, Zhao Feiyang quickly approached the basket. His surprise attack forced Tristan, who was closest, to come out to cover. His cover immediately left room for Howard inside.
Zhao Feiyang seized the opportunity and made a wonderful pass and threw the ball near the basket. Upon seeing this, Howard jumped high and caught the ball in mid-air for a dunk.
boom.
The ball went in.
The wonderful cooperation between the two attracted bursts of cheers from the audience.
For the remainder of the first quarter, the game was back-and-forth between both sides. Whether it is the Cavaliers or the Timberwolves, their offense is very oppressive, and the stars' respective performances are also very good, and no one has fallen behind.
Soon, the second quarter came.
Players from both sides have temporarily replaced some of their core players, with substitutes and some main players coming on the scene.
For the Timberwolves, Howard and Zhao Feiyang went to rest. Wiggins also temporarily returned to the team bench. Martin and Zach continued to lead the second team on the court.
For the Cavaliers, LeBron and Love both went down to rest, while Irving temporarily led the team on the court.
Different from the first quarter, during this quarter, both Martin and Zach were in good condition.
Martin, in particular, was in great form as soon as he came off the bench, and he directly threw a long three-pointer under the defense of the Cavaliers' substitute players.
After scoring this goal, Martin kept up his efforts and scored another three-pointer within two minutes after taking the assist from Zach's breakthrough ball.
Uh-huh.
The ball went in.
His shot is sharp and accurate.
For the Cavaliers, without LeBron on the court, Irving's shots will naturally increase a lot.
As soon as halftime passed, Irving dribbled the ball into the basket. His breakthroughs always had unexpected effects.
Although Martin's three-pointer helped the Timberwolves open the score during this quarter, because Irving kept scoring on his breakthroughs, the difference between the two sides did not widen much by the end of the first half.
Beep.
56 to 50.
The Timberwolves lead the Cavaliers by 6 points.
At halftime, both teams returned to the locker room.
Regarding the performance of the two teams, whether they are in the United States or across the ocean, they have specially launched a voting session on the live broadcast channel.
In the United States, 49% of fans support the Timberwolves and 51% of fans support the Cavaliers.
In China, more fans support the Timberwolves, reaching 60%, while only 40% support the Cavaliers.
The fans' response was also enthusiastic.
"Judging from the situation in the first half, I think the Timberwolves are not inferior to the Cavaliers at all... The Big Three are indeed very strong, but the Cavaliers also rely too much on them... The Timberwolves are currently It seems that the playing is more even, even Zhao Feiyang does not occupy too much of other people's ball rights..."
"The Timberwolves did not play badly in the first half! Originally, I thought the Cavaliers would crush them. I thought they were just lucky to beat the Warriors. Now it seems that I was overthinking...The Timberwolves do have A few brushes…”
"The real deciding point will be in the second half. Then we will see whether the Big Three are stronger or the Timberwolves are stronger..."
"I think the second half will be a little difficult for the Timberwolves... LeBron hasn't played much yet. If he decides to play alone, can the Timberwolves withstand it? There may still be some gaps in Wiggins' defense. of......"
Soon, the second half began in the stadium.
After the start of the third quarter, LeBron, who had not taken many shots before, suddenly took more shots. Not only did he try various three-pointers, he also continued to attack the Timberwolves' basket from the wings.
At the same time, Irving tacitly chose to reduce the number of shots, constantly feeding the ball to LeBron's hands, or constantly giving it to JR for breakthroughs.
Although the Big Three's style of play is somewhat independent, it also allows others to get more rest time.
