basketball player

Chapter 647 645: 30 minutes is too little
Antetokounmpo's pass was intercepted by Rudy Gay, the Greek's second mistake of the day.

The Spurs' strategy is very correct. As long as the 2-meter point guard is restricted, the Pacers' offense will no longer be unstoppable.

It's just a pity that the Spurs' own offense did not play well today.Or, the Pacers' defense was too strong for the Spurs.

Their resolute 1-on-1 defense prevents the Spurs from playing the team basketball they like, and the individual offenses of DeRozan and Aldridge are mediocre.

Therefore, although the steal was completed, the Spurs did not take advantage of this opportunity to score.In the end, DeRozan still lost in the heads-up with George. The 7-point difference remained, and after Lopez got the rebound, Henson stopped the game.

"Paul George has forced DeRozan to make 3-for-0 shots today. To be honest, George is worth 1.37 million just for this defense." Reggie Miller applauded George. It can be seen that his attitude on the defensive end is very correct today.Although DeRozan is not the league's top superstar, he was once the Raptors' top scorer anyway.

However, in front of George, DeRozan was at a loss.

"I'm sorry, boss, their defense today is very good." Antetokounmpo walked off the court panting, and the Greek felt very sorry for his two turnovers in 5 minutes.

"It doesn't matter, you have been targeted by others, which means they are afraid of you. This is a good thing, Giannis. Next, I will change my strategy. Rajon Rondo, you go on the field to organize the offense. Victor, you take a break for a while. I will replace you on the field during the rotation time."

When Henson decided to replace Oladipo, everyone actually knew what he was going to do.Yesterday, he already explained this strategy to everyone.

"Then, Giannis, you go back to the [-]. Siakam, I need you to play like a [-]. Rondo controls the rhythm of the game, and then George, you play the main attack! The Spurs like to shrink the defense today, so you punish them in the mid-range and outside the three-point line, understand!?"

"Yes!" George nodded vigorously. His long-awaited opportunity finally came!

"Coach Henson, as the leader, actually took the initiative to call a timeout. Not surprisingly, he should have solved the continuous turnover of Antetokounmpo. Eh? Coach Henson replaced Rajon Rondo! He really made a change. He replaced it with a pure point guard. Antetokounmpo will no longer be a point guard!"

On the commentary stage, Reggie Miller looked at the lineup with great anticipation, not knowing what trick Henson was going to change.

But on the sidelines, Popovich was very distressed.Because Henson had never sent such a lineup before, he didn't know what Henson planned to do.Without knowing what Henson is going to do, Popovich can't effectively prevent it in advance.

"Continue to block the penalty area!" Popovich yelled before the players went on the court. Henson replaced Oladipo with Rondo, which undoubtedly made the Pacers' space worse.

So, no matter what Henson wants to do, Popovich thinks it's safest to keep shrinking the defense.

You see, even Popovich started getting duped by Henson time and time again.

The game resumed, and Henson stood on the sidelines with his arms crossed.George knew that the head coach was watching him from the sidelines.At this moment, what he can't live up to most is the head coach's trust in him!
Rondo pushes the ball steadily, and he and Antetokounmpo stop the offense in a completely different way.

He waved his hand and motioned for Antetokounmpo to step forward and cover.A screen between two of the Pacers' worst [-]-point shooters, and the Spurs figure out what to do with their asses.

After Rondo used the cover to enter the penalty area, the Spurs' defense shrank as a whole.After all, whether it's Rondo attacking the rim himself or Antetokounmpo cutting to the rim, their only option is at the rim!
But in a corner where no one noticed, Siakam made an off-ball screen for George!That's why Henson needs Siakam on the floor.As a small forward stepping back from the [-], his cover quality is even better!
Rondo caught a glimpse of George running out of space, and then he stared at Antetokounmpo, but actually flicked his wrist!
"Director Long"'s eye fakes deceived the defensive players. When the basketball finally flew into George's hands without warning, the Spurs' defense was in a daze.

DeRozan was delayed by Siakam and had no time to block it.In the face of an almost open shot, George did not hesitate.

He raised the knife and scored 3 points lightly.Popovich feels something is wrong, the Pacers' offensive focus seems to be no longer on Antetokounmpo!
"Good shot, that's why Henson needs Rajon Rondo. When Antetokounmpo is restricted, Rondo can definitely change the pace of the game. I have to say that the depth of the Pacers' lineup is as terrible as ever."

Most people interpret this ball as the result of Henson changing the master control.But in fact, this is the beginning of Paul George's solo performance.

With a 9-point difference on top of Popovich's head, Henson really won't be soft on his friends.

While Popovich didn't care about the boring record that prevented the Pacers from going five straight, he did need the win.

This year, the Spurs lost Leonard, and if they want to survive in the West, they are bound to play very hard, so Popovich needs to fight for every victory.

He made a few gestures to signal the players to continue to pass the ball more.The more Henson forced him to play singles, the less he could be fooled.

Therefore, although the Spurs almost used up 24 seconds for the next attack, Aldridge finally found an open space.

Aldridge made a steady mid-range shot, helping the Spurs narrow the point difference slightly.Although the goal was scored, Popovich was not happy.The Spurs' offense played too hard, and the Pacers' offense was easy every time.

Rondo, or Rondo.When this guy has the ball on the court, the Spurs have no idea who the basketball will appear in the next second.

Rondo can't score, but he can become one of the most well-known point guards in the league.In addition to defense, it depends on basketball IQ and passing ability.

But this time, the Spurs players overcomplicated the Pacers' offense.Because just after halftime, Rondo handed the ball to George.Antetokounmpo then consciously sets up a screen for George.Henson had already arranged all of this.

The dunk and catch-and-shoot just now have allowed George to completely find his offensive feel.So now, let the Spurs' defense taste the power of the league's top three scorers!
Just now, the Spurs barely managed to score with almost 24 seconds of complex conduction.But this time, George just took a step aside under the cover of Antetokounmpo, and then shot directly!

DeRozan didn't expect George's shot to be so decisive, so he blocked it immediately.But because he was half a beat slow, George still found a little space.

This sliver of space may not be enough for other players, but it is more than enough for a top-three scorer in the league.

"A direct shot after using the cover! George's offense was very simple, but he went in and the basketball went into the net! Haha, Paul George's offense is such an understatement! 7 points, George only took 3 shots, but he has already scored 7 points. It can be seen that Coach Henson replaced Rondo not to liberate Antetokounmpo, but to liberate Paul George!"

Popovich fell into deep despair. If Leonard was still there, then George would naturally not be able to score so easily.

But in the world of professional basketball, there are no ifs.

George was completely open, and his ability was fully enough to support his desire.And when he wants to score, the Spurs' defensive system is simply not enough.

Two minutes later, George made a comeback.This time he didn't shoot directly, but broke through through the screen.

George's screen drive is very special, he likes to go through the gap between two defenders.Such a breakthrough method is impossible without skilled ball handling skills.

But Henson said before that George's dribbling ability was the worst at the time, but now he has an A grade!
After breaking through the double blocks of Gay and DeRozan, facing your Aldridge's supplementary defense, George made a throw.

Shots, drives to the rim, throws. George's versatility allows him to score in a variety of ways.

Aldridge watched in desperation as the ball passed between his gaps and into the net. Paul George was unstoppable!

So far, George has scored 9 points just over halfway through the first quarter.Moreover, his momentum has no intention of stopping.

"Before the game, George was questioned by many media. Because in the first four games, George's highest score was only 20 points!"

"Yeah, but today, I don't think George should have any problem trying to score 30 points."

If Henson could have listened to the commentator, he would not have agreed.

Because in Henson's view, George's score today may exceed 40.
(End of this chapter)