NBA restricted area bulldozer

Chapter 211

On May 5, the second game of the Utah Jazz VS Houston Rockets officially started.

There were not many changes in the lineups of the two sides, but in view of the experience of the previous game, Li Shengli's suppression of Olajuwon, all the audience and fans watching the live broadcast turned their attention to the inside line of this game.

……

beep!

With a whistle, Li Shengli won the jump ball again, and it was the Jazz who launched the first round of offense.

In today's Jazz, the offense basically revolves around the three of Lee Mars. Stockton advances with the ball, Malone supports the high pick-and-roll, and Li Shengli stands on the edge of the penalty area and waits.

Speaking of it, Li Shengli's height is the best for picking and rolling, but Jerry Sloan considers that Li Shengli still needs to protect the team's offensive rebounds. If he misses shots from other positions, the Rockets get defensive rebounds. The Jazz's offense is tantamount to returning without success, after all...no one can underestimate Olajuwon, a top center.

After the pick-and-roll cooperation, Stockton broke into the inside, Thorpe made up the defense, and he passed the ball back to Malone, who ran back after the pick-and-roll, at a tricky angle.

Boom!

Malone's first shot hit the iron.

Although Malone has a top mid-range shooting percentage, no one can hit every shot and the ball bounces out of the basket. Thorpe, as the defender, naturally rushes to the basket to grab rebounds before Malone.

With the collision in the previous game, Olajuwon didn't dare to make a big deal, and used all his strength on the card position, because the timing of the rebound was in an instant, Li Shengli was blocked, and the rebound was claimed. Commonly in the bag.

Offensive and defensive easy side.

Facing the Jazz's impenetrable defense, it was difficult for the Rockets to find an open shot, so this ball was handed over to Olajuwon. This is the role of the core players. They must become the sharp knife of the team when they cannot open the situation. , Forcefully tear open the opponent's line of defense.

"Boy, you can't guard against me today!" Olajuwon lowered his focus and singled Li Shengli with his back. Although he couldn't see the expression on his face, he could feel his confidence.

Can't help?

Why can't I prevent it?

Li Shengli does not believe in evil. You must know that Olajuwon and him are facing each other. It is difficult to squeeze a step into the penalty area. The only thing you need to pay attention to is his tricky back turn. But at this point, Li Shengli has also found a way to deal with it .

It’s still the same sentence, under normal circumstances, he will push up and not retreat at all. As long as Olajuwon has a change in his footsteps, he will take a small half step back to leave enough space to deal with it. Anyway, there is height suppression, blocking the impact of the shot can still be done of.

However... To become a superstar, everyone's golf quotient is amazing. As a center forward, Olajuwon's offensive comprehensiveness is terrible. The last game may be due to his poor hand feeling, but this one is different.

Turning his back and seeing Li Shengli retreating, Olajuwon decisively chose a jumper. While taking off, he chose to stretch forward with one leg to make a foul. This is the best way to deal with close defense.

Olajuwon made a shot, Li Shengli took off to block it, and the referee's whistle came in response.

2+1!

Less than 1 minute into the game, Li Shengli got a foul.

Olajuwon's free throw percentage is not high, but it is the highest among several top centers.This season, Admiral Robinson scored 73.2%, Gorilla Ewing scored 71.9%, but Olajuwon reached 77.9%, which is enough to be called the strongest center this season, and Li Shengli’s free throws are lower than Ewing’s. 71.2%.

With the additional penalty hit, the Jazz's unfavorable start continued until the end of the first quarter, and even had a tendency to extend to the back.

……

A trick to eat all over the world?

This is definitely a wrong perception.

Everything is in a process of development, and the so-called experience is not static, and the defensive experience Li Shengli explored in the first game was obviously broken by Olajuwon in this game.

With a good touch and offensive fouls, Olajuwon abandoned the famous dream dance and used hard power mid-range shots to lead the team to a wave of offensive climax in the first quarter.

He alone... 7 shots, 5 hits, and 2 fouls, 1+2, 3 free throws, 13 free throws, [-] points in the first quarter.

The Rockets played bravely. On the other hand, the Jazz Corps did not have a sluggish state, but it can only be regarded as a normal performance. Malone scored 8 points, and Li Shengli also scored 4 points against the cunning Olajuwon. The score was also suppressed by Olajuwon alone.

Throughout the first quarter, the Jazz could only suppress the Rockets on the rebounds, and this is why the point difference was not widened too much.

As for rebounding?

Olajuwon also wanted to fight, but unlike the offense, he didn't have too many tricks except for the prediction of the landing point and the positioning skills. What he was fighting for was his physical fitness, and Li Shengli took the lead in this.

It is worth mentioning that Rodman, the rebounding king in the regular season, is not outstanding in height, but he is desperate for rebounds, and he is not at the same level as Li Shengli and Olajuwon when he abandons offense. Compare.

……

Trailing by 5 points in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, the Rockets still handed over most of the offense to Olajuwon. After all, Rockets coach Rudy is not stupid. It makes no sense to let such an efficient offensive firepower go unused.

Defense?

Li Shengli really felt that it was tricky, so he simply gave up the method of retreating to save space, and went straight up, refusing to give up an inch of ground on the edge of the penalty area, and Olajuwon also responded on the spot...

Malone stepped forward to help, Olajuwon didn't push too hard, and directly split the ball, and if he played one-on-one with Li Shengli, his footsteps could open Li Shengli's center of gravity and rush into the basket to cause damage.

Li Shengli encountered a crushing blow for the first time.

The Jazz's playoff journey also encountered the first hard battle.

Until the end of the second quarter and entering the intermission, the Jazz's point difference widened. They trailed by 5 points in the first quarter, 8 points in the second quarter, and were beaten by 13 points in the first half.

……

Jazz locker room.

Jerry Sloan arranged the offensive and defensive tasks for the second half in a serious manner. The Rockets' Olajuwon seemed to be unable to defend the limit. If the Jazz wanted to make a comeback, they had to hit a climax on offense.

Of course, this means completely giving up on defense. It is still necessary to defend, but the offense must bloom, and one point of blooming is easy to be restricted. Obviously not, so what Jerry Sloan wants is Li Ma's two blooms...

"Li, don't be too anxious, just play steadily." Malone has rich experience in the arena, and it is common to beat others or be blown by others.

After all, in this acre of three-point land in the NBA, no one will be a regular victor, but in his opinion... Li Shengli, a rookie with no experience in major competitions, would benefit from a bit of a loss.

"I'm fine!" Li Shengli frowned, "I promise, he will never be so relaxed in the second half!"

The confrontation with Olajuwon, in Li Shengli's view, is more like a duel between masters, a battle of wits and courage, and a trick.

For the first time, he pushed Olajuwon into a trough, but in the second game Olajuwon regained the dignity of a top center and exploded him offensively, and then...it was his turn to unravel.

"What? Have you figured out a way to deal with him?" Ma Long glanced at Li Shengli suspiciously, "To be honest, he has already played well in this game. It doesn't matter who defends him. No one can beat him alone. .”

It's not that Ma Long boosts the ambition of others and destroys his own prestige, but that Olajuwon is in full condition, just like Malone himself, as a top power forward, it's useless to play well.

If you are in a state, you can make a blind throw with your eyes closed, and if you are not in a state, you can hit the iron with an open shot.

"It doesn't matter, if you can't defend well, then attack. I can't stop him, and he can't stop me! No matter what, I still want to win this game!" After finishing speaking, Li Shengli stopped talking.

……

Until the third quarter, Malone and Stockton hung behind, staring at Li Shengli.

"What's the matter with this kid?" Stockton asked.

"Ghost knows what's going on. It's a good thing to have the desire to win, but... I still don't think he can fight against Olajuwon!"

"It doesn't matter. I'll give you the ball. In the second half, it depends on you and Li's performance!"

"Being trailing by 13 points at halftime and with Olajuwon at full strength, it's a tough game to win."

"Don't talk nonsense, this is our championship season, we can't lose every game, and your idea is very bad." Stockton frowned, "You played too much in the playoffs, right? Look, Carl, we need passion, unyielding passion like Lee, or... you're going to be our weakest link."

Lao Tzu is the weakest link?

Are you sure the fuck isn't... farting?

"Shut up, you!" Malone gave his partner a blank look, "Who says I don't have passion anymore, just watch, I'll let you take a good look at the second half, Li and I are invincible inside, it's useless for anyone to come, Ola Neither can Zhu Wang."

……

To be honest, if the Jazz continue at the current pace, if the Jazz remain unchanged, their defeat is already a certainty, and the coffin board prepared by the Rockets has already hit their heads, and the second half will be the battle of sealing the coffin.

The combination of Li Shengli and Ma Long is the only chance, and it depends on Stockton's organization. After all, the field is not all singles, and the cooperation of teammates is more important.

And Limas linkage, perfect enough to make the coffin board sent by the rocket... play sit-ups, regardless of whether it is a slide or a clamshell.

(End of this chapter)