The strongest champion puzzle

Chapter 117
Popovich loves and hates Zhang Xiaotian, always giving him surprises, but making him feel uneasy.

When he changed players, he was still thinking, anyway, there is Ginobili, if Zhang Xiaotian can't do it, let this favorite general play.

In order for the Grizzlies to chase points, the third position is now Quincy Pondexett. Both of their current lineups are substitutes, and it is also because Tony Allen and Tayshaun Prince are not catch-and-shoot types.

Zhang Xiaotian was facing Jerry Bayless. Zhang Xiaotian fought against the opponent in defense and did not give him an open chance, but he used pick-and-roll tactics in offense.

Switching defenses means playing small and big, and Zhang Xiaotian's ball-handling skills are no problem at all.

Of course, Zhang Xiaotian can beat the opponent forcefully if the forward plays the defender, but why not do it if he can mobilize the two bears to consume.

In terms of rebound protection, the Spurs also rely on tactics. If the two insiders can't win, they don't grab. They specialize in blocking people, and Leonard and Zhang Xiaotian protect the backcourt rebounds.

Without Duncan on the court, the ability of the ball-handler in this style of attack is more important, such as Parker and Ginobili, and now Zhang Xiaotian is added.

Parker's game organization is very good, and the number of assists has reached a new high in the playoffs, but the corresponding thing is that his touch is not very good, which is also a rare situation for an attacking guard like Parker.

So the Grizzlies would have had a chance, if not for Zhang Xiaotian.

Although Zhang Xiaotian can't hit every shot, but when the team is leading, two can hit one, which makes the Grizzlies very uncomfortable.

The Grizzlies had to focus on marking Zhang Xiaotian, not changing defenses after the pick-and-roll, and directly flanking him.

Zhang Xiaotian passed the ball to the Grizzlies and then rotated. In fact, the Spurs must have an offensive opportunity. Unfortunately, Matt Bonner missed both shots.

Parker also hit the iron. Seeing that the Grizzlies chased the score to 5 points, Zhang Xiaotian didn't pick and roll. Since Jerry Bayless couldn't handle him, he just played.

Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins went crazy after he hit a 2-pointer off Jerry Bayless.

Letting Tony Allen play like this will definitely not happen, but now the team is chasing points. Jerry Bayless feels good in this game.

The Grizzlies hesitated, and Zhang Xiaotian interfered with Jerry Bayless's shot and then forced the opponent to cause a foul.

The score gap changed from 5 points to 9 points. Seeing that the time entered the last 3 minutes, in order to limit Zhang Xiaotian, the Grizzlies had to replace Tony Allen.

The Spurs also took the opportunity to replace Duncan, and everyone made a last-ditch effort.

Duncan came up but didn't defend Randolph, and Matt Bonner and Splitter blocked the gun respectively.

With Duncan up there, the Grizzlies' defense will be hampered.

After Tony Allen came up, Zhang Xiaotian did have some troubles. The Spurs did not score in two rounds, but neither did the opponent. The situation became more and more unfavorable for the Grizzlies.

Randolph continued to play singles, but the Spurs were not afraid. Matt Bonner quickly got three fouls, but Randolph made two free throws and the Spurs made a profit.

As the time entered the last minute, the Grizzlies replaced all the shooters again, but obviously they were not this kind of team. The Spurs finally won the second home game at 1:90.

The Grizzlies won the rebounds, but they were useless.

In the game, the coaches of both sides made their own unique moves. Popovich won the duel, but the opponent was not convinced.

The Grizzlies definitely did not lose confidence. After falling behind 0:2 and then coming back, they did not play once or twice. The characteristic of their team is tenacity and wear resistance.

If the Spurs can't figure out their home court, the outcome of the Western Conference Finals is still unknown.

However, the games between the two teams often did not score for a few minutes, and some fans disliked it very much.

It's not like the Eastern Pacers and the Heat had an earth-shattering fight, taking the lead alternately, and it was not until the last moment that life and death were separated.

As the defending champions, the Heat sit on the Big Three, but their lineup is also flawed, that is, a strong inside line, and Bosh still can't sit on the defensive end like Garnett and Duncan.

So Roy Hibbert, who had only occasionally eaten dumplings before, broke out in the East Finals.

This situation is similar to Zhang Xiaotian using cards.

And Paul George still scored 20+ steadily, without the strength of James, but he is not afraid.

So James played almost the whole game, scored 36+8 and failed to keep the home court, especially at the last moment, he made two mistakes, which made the Heat lose 93:97.

The game was exciting, the audience was happy, and the Spurs were also happy, but the premise of being happy is that they can really handle the Grizzlies.

There are a few days of rest before the away game, but Zhang Xiaotian still keeps himself in a relatively tight state and maintains a competitive state.

One step closer to the championship, there can be no carelessness.

Not only because of the system's tasks, but also because of his own obsession with the championship.

Yang Feiyu also bothered him for a few days, and made...bought nutritious snacks for him.

After only losing two games, the Grizzlies are still stubborn. The players also talked about their confidence in interviews with reporters. They think the team will play better and better.

In fact, the game to break the Spurs is also very simple, don't let the Spurs shoot that wave from outside.

If the lead cannot be quickly determined, the Grizzlies are really not afraid.

In Game [-] of the Western Conference Finals, at FedEx Arena, the Grizzlies finally got off to a different start at home.

Offense? No, more aggressive defense.

Back at home, the Grizzlies no longer have any scruples. Their strong team is a combination of twin towers, but to drive the entire team, they need Mike Conley, a guard who can fight tough battles.

Mike Conley steals Parker at the beginning and contributes 5 steals in a single quarter.

The ball in Parker's hands is not that easy to break, but Mike Conley did it.

If Ginobili hadn't come up and scored 6 points in a row, the Spurs would have fallen behind by 20 points. That's it, they fell behind by 16 points in the first quarter.

Is the Spurs going to collapse like the first game of the Grizzlies? It is obviously impossible, because they are the Spurs. In the regular season, Popovich can still make the bench feel better and give up a few games. They will only face difficulties in the playoffs And up.

No matter how good the Grizzlies start, it can't change their lack of players and weak offense.

After adjustments during the rotation period, Parker quickly returned to normal and teamed up with Duncan to score 15 points, narrowing the gap between the two sides to 4 points.

The Spurs' scoring explosiveness will never be matched by the Grizzlies.

This is also the difference between Parker and Mike Conley. Conley is stable on both ends of the offense and defense, but he does not have the ability to concentrate on the offensive end of Parker.

In the first half, the first team won a quarter, and there were accidents and tactical contests.

But in the second half, the two teams who are more adapted to the rhythm must use their bayonets, and there will be no more surprise attacks.

(End of this chapter)