Pick Westbrook

Chapter 169 The Treasured Championship Poster

Curry held the ball in a high position, and Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo double-teamed ahead of time, forcing Curry to play the ball.

Curry still remembers what the coach told him after the game: Believe in your teammates. A great shooter doesn't have to make shots, but helps his teammates score easily under the great constraints of the outside line. This is the top shooter.

"Russell!"

With a loud cry, Curry retreated and passed the ball to Westbrook on the opposite side.

Tony Allen's defensive experience is very rich, and he even switched to Westbrook in advance.

It's just that Artest is completely open at this time, and Garnett, the Celtics' best defender, can only be restrained from guarding the inside.

Yi Jianlian has a wide open area in the penalty area, and Ray Allen still wants to jump in to help defend, but the height difference between the two is bound to turn this round of offense into a huge dislocation.

Yi Jianlian catches the ball steadily, grabs the basket with one hand and dunks successfully at the basket!

"Good job!"

This was the first time Li Lai raised his arms and shouted in this round of the series. The tactic he always wanted the Bucks to play was finally completed!
This is the real tactic of the Bucks that he has been telling the other two assistant coaches of the Bucks. Curry is the last piece of the puzzle!
Off the court, Rivers spread his hands helplessly. He really wanted to say that the Bucks' ability to seize offensive opportunities is too strong.

The purpose of those consecutive passes was to draw Garnett out of the paint.

It seems that the Bucks seem to be playing three-pointers on the court. In fact, every ball transfer they make on the outside is to make it easier for the ball to hit the penalty area.

"That's the difference between the Bucks and the Suns!"

"A team plays three-pointers, and a team relies on extremely strong three-pointers to play more tactics."

"It's hard for you to tell the difference between the two tactics, because they have both performed extremely well in the regular season and playoffs."

"But judging from the picture on the court now, the Bucks' style of play seems to be more dominant."

Barkley was completely overwhelmed by the Bucks' dazzling offense, and more importantly, the Bucks are now facing a team with the best defense in the league.

Can play such a team look like a weak defensive team, the only one in the league that can do it is the Bucks.

Kenny Smith has prepared a 200-word compliment and is blowing nonsense to the arena.

In his mouth, Curry became Jordan, Westbrook became Pippen, and the other players of the Bucks became the famous Bulls dynasty fighters. As for Li Lai, he was completely ignored.

Boston fans are naturally extremely dissatisfied with Kenny Smith's talk.

Most of them have witnessed the 72-win Bulls dynasty with their own eyes. This Bucks team is not as good as that team, even compared with the OK dynasty.

More importantly, now that the Boston team is being beaten, how can the fans here agree.

So the fans at the scene saw that their home team had fallen behind at a great disadvantage, they waved the towels in their hands, opened their mouths, and cheered and encouraged the Celtics players on the court.

"Fuck the Bucks!"

Garnett beat his chest, Pierce looked at the court with his hands on his hips, Ray Allen became more and more afraid of the player named Curry, Rajon Rondo rubbed the braces in his mouth, and he didn't know what he was thinking, Rivers still slumped Started yelling on the sidelines.

Even a person who knows nothing about basketball can easily find out at this time that the Celtics are very powerless in the face of this never-before-seen style of play.

They can't find any way to solve this problem at all.

The first quarter is over.

The Bucks led by a big score of 40:24.

Curry made 6 of 5 three-pointers in a single quarter, Yi Jianlian made 4 of 3 shots from the basket and all dunks, Westbrook sent 5 assists in a single quarter, and all Bucks players on the court scored.

The second game.

Rivers looked at all the players very seriously and said: "Listen, we fell behind by a lot of points in the first quarter, and there is only one way in front of us now."

"Curry is off the field, and we finally don't have to double-team him desperately. This is the best time for us to take out our defense and regain the lead."

Celtics: Rajon Rondo, Michael Finley, Paul Pierce, Glenn Davis and Kendrick Perkins.

Players on the Bucks: Dragic, Andre Ingram, George Hill, Villanueva and O'Neal.

"Wait, the Bucks got Andre Ingram?"

Barkley first discovered the details on the court. Andre Ingram averaged less than 10 minutes per game in the regular season, but he contributed 46% of his three-pointers in the limited time. A rare three-point shooter for the Bucks.

Of course, his shooting is obviously much like a normal person compared to Curry, and every one of his shots is a textbook-like three-point shot, and it is extremely stable.

Kenny Smith was very worried on the side and said: "Andre Ingram didn't have much playing time in the last round of the series. In 4 games, he made a total of 10 three-pointers and hit 5 of them."

"Judging from the data of the regular season, Andre Ingram is indeed a rare role player, and his shooting is extremely stable."

"But this is the playoffs! It's still the Eastern Conference semifinals! Isn't it too childish for the Bucks to arrange such a role player to play such a crucial game?"

Barkley also has such concerns.

Because the Celtics are bound to launch a crazy counterattack during the period when Curry is off the court, the Bucks not only did not take the defensive lineup to help Curry and Westbrook rest for a longer time, but instead took a play A substitute who has little time and can only attack, isn't this deliberately giving the Celtics a chance?

"Or is it that the Bucks with a 16-point lead are a little drifting?"

"This is the Eastern Conference semifinals, what are you doing!"

The game continues.

Rajon Rondo held the ball and signaled Pierce to go low, and the Celtics players immediately ran a low singles tactic for the opponent.

Pierce singles George Hill.

No matter in terms of height or size, it is difficult for George Hill to defend the opponent, so Dragic immediately contracted and double-teamed to limit the opponent.

The Celtics are not a team that is good at offense. When it comes to their second team, such an offense will be even more difficult, so Rivers will take Pierce to lead the team at this time.

It's just that the Bucks are very determined to attack Pierce at this time, and now they have to test whether the rest of the Celtics can stand up and end the attack.

Pierce's offensive space was limited by strict defenses on the left and right sides. Barkley wanted to praise that the Bucks performed better than most teams in the league.

Rajon Rondo decisively moved to the same side to respond at this time.

Paul Pierce did not pass the ball in the first place, because Rajon Rondo is not good at offense. If it is passed, it means that the Celtics' offensive tactics failed this time.

So he chose to take a step sideways to dribble the ball against Dragic, and then pass the ball to Kendrick Perkins inside.

Perkins' chance is not good, O'Neal is always in front of him, so he can only pass the ball again.

In this way, Pierce's double-team opportunity is completely wasted.

In the end, the basketball returned to Rajon Rondo's hands.

Seeing that the attack time is running out, the latter can only forcefully choose a three-point shot.

Swish!
"I actually hit it!"

"Not to mention, Rajon Rondo is really a player with a big heart. The more the Bucks let him go, the more he can score at this time."

"In the last game, the Bucks' defense against Rajon Rondo was also broken by the opponent, so don't look at him as a player with almost no outside shooting ability. In addition to his super passing ability , his drive and occasional three-pointers are just as reliable."

However, Li Lai was very happy to accept such a result.

He naturally understands Rondo's big heart ability. Don't look at this type of player, he usually doesn't do well in three-pointers, the more critical he is, the more he can stand up in areas that he is not good at.

"However, Rondo's three-pointer can't kill anyone."

"The more he shoots, the closer his percentage will be to his true level."

"This season, Rondo's three-point shooting percentage is 22%. Of course, it has improved in the playoffs, but it's only 30%."

The Bucks attack.

Dragic dribbled the ball to O'Neal on the inside after halftime, and the latter was already stuck near the paint.

Perkins:
O'Neill sat down low, this time pushing his back against the man was very powerful, and Perkins was almost thrown into the air.

Then O'Neal turned violently inside and scored with one hand.

Kenny Smith looked at the extremely bloody scene on the court and shook his head again and again.

The state of this big shark is indeed better than last season!

Barkley said: "O'Neal has lost a full 14kg of weight this season, and his body is definitely better than last season!"

"And the Bucks are very cautious in using O'Neal. They only give him about 15 minutes of playing time per game, and divide the time into two parts, playing in the second and third quarters."

"In this way, O'Neal has always maintained a strong state on the court. Even if his strength is far from his peak, he still has the level of a top center in the league."

The Celtics are once again in trouble.

Rivers still decided to use the double fat combination of Glenn Davis and Kendrick Perkins to limit O'Neal as in the previous two games.

What he didn't expect was that the Bucks caught him with the same tactics this time.

In addition to O'Neal, the Bucks have four gunners ambushing outside, each of which has a very accurate three-point shooting ability.

Andre Ingram was very dazzling in this quarter, making 6 of 3 three-pointers and helping the Bucks take the lead again in the second quarter.

Halftime is over.

72: 50.

"This is the Bucks game!"

"When you can't limit the opponent in scoring, you can only play desperately offensively, but obviously, no team in the league can compete with the Bucks offensively."

The third quarter of the game.

Li Lai did not give the Celtics any hope of a comeback, and once again used Curry's ball-holding offense to attract countless double-teams, and finally allowed other Bucks players to get easy scoring opportunities one after another.

When the basketball game turns into open shots or dunks, it is really too easy for NBA-level players to score.

In the end, the Eastern Conference semifinals also evolved into a regular season game. The score difference of more than 30 points was opened early, and the game has completely lost suspense.

128:105, the Bucks beat the Celtics by 23 points!

During the post-match interview.

A reporter asked curiously: "The Celtics were able to play against the Bucks in the first two games, but judging from the pictures on the court, this game is completely bloody."

"Have the Bucks figured out how to beat the Celtics?"

Faced with such a problem, Rivers is very helpless, because it is indeed the case.

If the Celtics can't find a way to crack Curry's point, their defense will be completely broken and they will be led by the nose by the Bucks.

Just as Rivers was about to say some official harsh words at this time, Garnett grabbed the microphone and said.

"We are the Big Three in Boston. Our goal is to win the championship. This year's playoffs are to make up for my injury in the playoffs last season."

"I cost the Celtics the chance to defend their title last season."

"I've been trying to stay healthy this season, so I will never allow the team to stop here."

The reporters who heard Garnett's fierce remarks didn't think of it until this time.

Garnett is 34 years old, Pierce is 33 years old, and Ray Allen is the oldest at 35 years old.

It is said that the three carriages of the Spurs are very old. In fact, the Celtics' Big Three combined at the end of their peak years are even older.

The three of them combined are 102 years old.

So it's hard to imagine what it will mean for the trio if the Celtics don't win the championship this season.

It's hard for you to ask Ray Allen to remain an All-Star at the age of 36. In fact, after joining the Celtics, he almost lost his offensive role with the ball. He is now a shooter and a tactician on the court. Players who run.

Although Pierce is a skilled player, it is obvious that he has become a little old this season, and his state next season is even more difficult to predict.

As for Garnett, how much strength can he show at the age of 35 after flying into the sky?

Therefore, this season may be the last time the Celtics Big Three can hit the championship, and it is also their last chance to compete for the championship.

Garnett cherishes such an opportunity immensely.

The news that the Bucks beat the Celtics has spread, especially Curry's sudden play with the ball has inspired fans all over the world.

It turns out that three-pointers can still be shot like this?
This also made other players in the league call the Bucks to pick up the treasure, and the Warriors' management has been crying in the toilet at this moment.

Li Lai remained calm at this time.

He is well aware of the strength of the Celtics, and he knows never to underestimate the heart of a championship.

Bucks locker room.

O'Neal has already worshiped Curry's three-pointer.

"There's a Shark in the paint and a Human Torch in the arc!"

Later, O'Neal, who likes to give nicknames to others, also gave Curry many nicknames one after another, Ku Hao, Ku Jingtian, Ku Changtian, Kuzfu, Ku Ritian
In the end, Curry twisted his butt at O'Neill and chose the most explosive one.

Kuotian.

Under the cheers of his teammates, Curry also took the pieces from Li Lai again and embedded them in the championship box.

"6 pieces!"

"Bucks! Championship!"

After the game, Barkley hosted a special debate on three-pointers, and the invited guests included Reggie Miller, Kenny Smith, Amy Johnson, and Erwin Johnson.

Kenny Smith said: "Since the NBA entered the 21st century, three-pointers have become more and more important."

"Robert Horry, the sharp shooter during the OK period, still holds the record for the most three-pointers in the history of the Finals with 56."

"And behind Manu Ginobili and Bruce Bowen of the Spurs, Tyshawn Prince and Chauncey Billups of the Pistons, including Derek Fei of the Lakers in the yellow-green game the year before last. Scheer and Ray Allen with the Celtics."

"Every team with the strength to compete for the championship will have one or two players with excellent three-point shooting."

Amy Johnson nodded again and again, agreeing with Kenny Smith's point of view.

Now the players in the league are not as skilled as they were in the last century. At that time, there were even many people who had no professional basketball training at all. They could enter the NBA just by virtue of their physical talent, and there were many famous players among them. .

Strictly speaking, this should not be, and it is abnormal.

And counting carefully, most of the talents of many superstars before the 21st century were extremely inflated and exaggerated, and they could easily rely on such talents to flourish in the league.

Therefore, few team managements cared about technology at that time. Instead, they believed that technology could be acquired, but talent could not be changed.

It's just about Curry's shooting skills and ability, what kind of physical player do you find that can shoot it?
"So technology is also a talent."

With the popularity of basketball, many techniques and tactics have come into being, such as low singles, mid-range footsteps, floor flow retreat, and breakthrough techniques. There are also more and more small players who can rely on these techniques to survive in the league. And become a great player.

Jordan, Magic Johnson, forced Wang Bird, to the league's four major shooting guards.
"Judging from the scoring champions and the players on the court in recent years, more and more non-center players can dominate the game, which also shows that the game of basketball is improving, and it will indeed allow the former giants to rule everything on the court. become something else.”

Barkley still remembers that when he played in his era, you would find that at least half of the teams in the league were playing twin tower lineups, and the remaining teams would definitely have a big center on the court no matter what.

If there is no such configuration, it will be difficult for this team to win the game on the court, so at that time the four major centers will emerge as the times require.

Comparing the high-ranking Lin Li back then with the current four major shooting guards, we can clearly see the progress of the sport of basketball.

"Small players are getting easier to survive in the league, and even have the same status as big players."

More importantly, it has become increasingly difficult for players with no basketball skills to enter the NBA. Even if they do, they will sit on the bench for a long time before they are eligible to play. play ball.

This is also more proof that playing in this era with only the body is completely unfeasible.

At this time, everyone turned their attention to Magic Johnson.

The views of a great player like him at this time must be of great reference value.

The magician smiled, and then said with a serious face: "In the past, people used to put the ball in the basket when they played. The most that the coach can tolerate is probably the half-block near the paint."

"If there was a player who was going to hit a three-pointer from 7 meters away like the current player, he would be pushed directly on the bench by all the coaches."

"Before 1961, there wasn't even a three-point line."

"So everyone is attacking the basket, and of course the center will be very important."

"But it's different now."

Speaking of this, the magician is extremely sincere, and he is different from those celebrities who have always lived in his own era.

Those people only think about their own glory and fame, and then say carelessly that these young players can't even survive in our era, and their confrontation is like a child fighting.

But in fact, the current basketball is indeed improved!

And with the improvement of technology, the era when everyone only knew about punching and fighting has been annihilated.

The strength of the players is obviously stronger than that of that era, which can be clearly seen from the game screen.

So as the players' skills improve, they can hit more difficult shots, and even single-play fadeaway shots without needing to go to the basket at all.

This is why Jordan was able to destroy countless teams in that era, and it is also the reason why Kobe was able to defeat super center Howard in last year's Finals.

Strictly speaking, Jordan's dominance in mid-range singles was the first to weaken the role of the center.

So if there is another player who can increase the singles dominance beyond the three-point line and further weaken the role of the center, his advancement and progress in basketball will be at the same level as Jordan.

"of course."

The magician continued: "Basketball is a sport with a clear division of labor. Today's basketball perimeter players are of course important, but the center forward also plays a role that cannot be ignored."

"If O'Neal of the Bucks is still at his peak, you will understand how meaningful the Twin Towers lineup is."

"So the three-pointer is the progress of the times, but it doesn't mean that the center is useless from now on, but the center player can no longer just need talent as before. If they want to survive in this era, they must have certain skills, at least with the defender. Only with equal skills can you have dominance on the court.”

"It seems fair to me that to be a superstar you have to be a big guy or a small guy with great skills."

This is the first time a three-pointer has been recognized by so many people.

Reggie Miller never spoke. He listened curiously, and then naturally thought of what Li Lai said when he recruited him.

"He's come close to showing people that the [-]-point shot really can dominate the game."

Game [-] of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Bucks VS Celtics.

The discussion on The Barkley Show has sparked national debate.

Ray Allen naturally knows how important a three-pointer is to a team, and the other Celtics players and coach Rivers on the court must have also experienced the explosion of a three-pointer in the last game. power.

This is the most explosive offensive method on the basketball court.

"Tonight's game, the Celtics' defense is extremely important."

"Of course, they can also pray that the Bucks' three-pointers will not be so accurate tonight, so that they can greatly relieve their defensive pressure, and at the same time they can avoid using double-team tactics."

"That way their defense can function properly."

Game start.

As soon as Garnett came up, he played Yi Jianlian in singles, hit the basket and scored a layup.

It was a tough shot.

Immediately afterwards, Rajon Rondo also reached the basket with a pick-and-roll, and Curry scored a layup with an easy heads-up.

"The Celtics are hitting the Bucks' basket!"

In fact, the Bucks' inside defense problem has long been an open secret.

Even though they added Rasheed Wallace and Shaquille O'Neal this season, the defensive problem still exists.

Especially the two points of Yi Jianlian and Villanueva. It is true that they are good at offense, but defense is also a big problem.

But if the two are also very good defensively, then I'm afraid they will become a league super giant like Garnett.

Tyronn Lue is habitually very nervous when encountering problems, so at this time he looked at Li Lai and said: "The Celtics continue to attack our basket so crazily, maybe they can really bring us great results. Big trouble."

Marshall flipped through the data and said: "The Celtics are not a strong team that is good at hitting the basket, and they only rank No. 13 in the league in scoring at the basket in the regular season."

"However, Garnett is a master at hitting the basket. If he fights like he did in his peak period, I'm afraid it will really bring us some trouble."

Li Lai clasped his hands, still looking at the field calmly. He didn't think the Celtics could really beat him to death with a breakthrough.

on the field.

The Bucks responded with color.

After Curry swayed Tony Allen's center of gravity from beyond the three-point line, he scored a three-pointer.

Coach Rivers covered his head while watching off the court.

He did not arrange the tactics of double-teaming Curry before the game. Originally, he also wanted to see how Curry felt after the opening, and then decide whether to double-team.

But judging from the current results, it's really not good for the player Curry not to double-team.

"Teaming! The pick and roll delays the smaller player!"

As Rivers determined that the Celtics would continue to double-team, the Bucks' offense was revitalized again.

However, compared to the previous game, the Celtics were at a loss after facing the Bucks Curry with the ball. This time their defense appeared to be more tacit and cooperative.

Curry double-teamed the pass to Yi Jianlian who was in the high position, Pierce immediately followed up, and the Bucks made a wide-ranging cross pass.

After receiving the ball, Westbrook went straight to the basket, and the Turtle Tomahawk dunked and scored.

Westbrook, who was restricted for an entire series, was finally liberated at this time, and he could also hit the basket continuously to score points for the team.

The first game is over.

The Bucks maintained the lead with 33:25.

The second game.

The Celtics have shown a posture of looking at death. Except for Garnett and Tony Allen who have consumed a lot of energy on the defensive end, Rondo, Pierce, and Ray Allen are still on the court.

Iverson was entangled enough by Rondo tonight and only surrendered 6 of 2 shots.

Because outside players have been unable to score for a long time, O'Neal's defensive pressure in the interior has suddenly increased. It is difficult for this big shark to be able to destroy the interior in the face of several double-teams like it did in its peak period.

So the Bucks were restricted by the Celtics in the bench lineup stage.

60: 54.

The game continued in the second half.

As soon as Curry came up, he scored a three-pointer with the elevator door tactics. He has become more comfortable switching between off the ball and with the ball.

Rivers had to call an emergency timeout less than 2 minutes into the third quarter.

It's just that such a timeout did not greatly restrict the Bucks' offense, but it made Westbrook play more efficiently in this game.

"But the Celtics are still desperately attacking our basket. Yi Jianlian has 4 fouls on his body, and Rasheed Wallace has 3 fouls."

Li Lai looked serious.

For the team, it is of course more meaningful to leave Yi Jianlian and Rashid on the court at this time, but from the perspective of the head coach, Li Lai has to replace them at this time to rest.

"Because if the two commit 6 fouls, then the Bucks will have many tactics that will never be used in this game, and Rivers can also focus more on limiting the Bucks' other tactics."

"So from a tactical point of view, replacing the two can retain such a tactical strategy, and it will be more difficult to lose the two."

This is why most coaches know that this player is more useful, but they must be replaced when the opponent faces a foul crisis.

The battle of wits and courage at the coaching level is never as simple as the stadium effect and ending that the fans have seen. They need to consider more.

"Fortunately, we still have Villanueva and O'Neal, who can take on such important responsibilities."

Game four.

After O'Neal came on the court, Garnett changed his offensive strategy and shot the opponent continuously in the middle distance.

The Celtics took the opportunity to blow a counterattack horn.

It's just that as Li Lai predicted, the Celtics, who are not good at hitting the basket except Garnett, can't kill the Bucks by breaking through.

115:104, the Bucks won two consecutive playoffs and won the fourth game.

The big score came to 1:3.

Barkley was extremely moved when he saw such a result. When he saw the Celtics' Big Three leaving the court lonely, he felt even more helpless for this team.

Last season, they missed the championship due to Garnett's injury. This season, their team worked hard to stay healthy, but they encountered the rise of the Bucks.

"If it weren't for Curry's sudden outbreak that made it difficult for the Celtics to defend, it is still unclear who will win this round of the series."

"At least in the eyes of most people, the Celtics should be a team with a better chance of winning."

Kenny Smith, who was standing on the Bucks, couldn't help sighing at this time and said: "Garnett scored a super data of 38 points and 14 rebounds in this game. It's like dreaming back to the peak of the Timberwolves."

"But even so, the Celtics still can't keep up with the Bucks' offense. It can only be said that their offense is only ranked No. 12 in the league. They are really not suitable for playing against the Bucks."

"I'm afraid that after this round of the series, all the teams in the league can get such a result. Without offense, they really can't beat this Bucks team."

Post-match interview.

For the first time, Rivers remained silent. He didn't know what to do next when the Celtics couldn't win the game after Garnett had played such a dominant performance.

And now 1:3 behind, the Bucks have already achieved the match point, and the next game will still be in Milwaukee. The Celtics have really fallen into a point of no return.

He recalled the efforts of the entire team in the regular season and when they won the championship in 08.

Unexpectedly, at that time, it was already the team's last glory.

"But we haven't lost the series yet, we still have a chance!"

Garnett took the microphone and his eyes remained firm.

He doesn't know if he will be able to play next year or if he will be plagued by injuries.

He doesn't know how many layers of strength he will have to play on the court next year, and whether it is even possible to only play as a substitute like O'Neal now, he doesn't know.

But what he knows is that he is still at his peak. Except that his body is not as strong as when he was young, his court awareness, experience and technical movements are the best in his career.

So Garnett cherishes this moment very much, and he hopes to play every game well.

Milwaukee.

Bucks fans have been waiting outside Bradley Arena.

On the big screen outside the arena, they saw the Bucks, who were playing away from home, win another game.

The whole of Milwaukee cheered.

"It's 3:1!"

"We're about to beat the championship favorite Celtics."

"Who said the Bucks are only number one in the regular season."

"We're also a championship-caliber team."

"Curry! Great job!"

"From now on, I am willing to call you Mengshen!"

West Shore of Lake Michigan.

Accompanied by his son, an old man was always looking in the direction of Bradley Arena not far away.

Although they couldn't see, they all heard the cheers of the Milwaukee people clearly.

Such cheers had not been heard for decades.

"Old man, do you want to take you to see the next home game?"

"If you can't speak, you can hesitate."

"By the way, why didn't you show me that treasured poster of the championship all the time, and now you gave it back to that little girl."

"I thought that poster was as important as me."

The old man kept looking into the distance with a smile on his face, until the wind on the lake became a little cold, then he slapped his son on the face, and then motioned for him to take him into the house.

"Milwaukee, tonight is another sleepless night, and there have been too many nights in the past two years."

(End of this chapter)