The strongest champion puzzle

Chapter 418 Complete Victory in December

On December 12, the Spurs faced the challenge of the Suns at home.

At this point in the game, it's already clear who the teams are, such as the Suns.

There is generally a small characteristic of fishy teams, that is, the defense is poor.

Leonard did not play in this game because of gastroenteritis. It was not a rotation, but he was really uncomfortable.

With Danny Green starting, the team will not lose much on the defensive end. On the offensive end, a team like the Suns can't force the Spurs' cards.

The Spurs played from the inside this time, but neither Aldridge nor Gasol was the type to indulge in shooting. Zhang Xiaotian soon became the absolute main attack point.

There is an advantage when he leads the team alone, that is, he collects assists faster.

Zhang Xiaotian had seven assists in the first half, but the team was behind.

I really don't blame him. The team's rotation period was overwhelmed by the Suns. The third and fourth scorers of the Suns' lineup were on the bench.

TJ-Warren, Brandon Knight and Dragan Bender occasionally played well. The fans at home miss Leonard a bit. Go down and rest, the rotation period will never be too miserable.

After being criticized by Popovich for a while at halftime, the Spurs played a suffocating defense in the second half.

It was already difficult for the main force of the Suns to score points, and now it is even more difficult to find a chance to make a shot. It only takes a few minutes to overtake.

Moreover, the Spurs' substitutes have also grown up. Ginobili's 10 points in half a quarter directly made the opponent lose their fighting spirit.

After Zhang Xiaotian came up in the fourth quarter, the Spurs took the sun away in a wave.

Zhang Xiaotian regretted looking at the statistics after the main team took a break. He had 25 points, 8 rebounds, 15 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks, which is very good, but this time Leonard is not here.

In fact, assists are also addictive. After Zhang Xiaotian reacted, the good opportunity to score points had already been lost.

Of course, Aldridge, Gasol, and Parker all played well at the beginning, so he didn't feel embarrassed not to pass.

Score scoring is also a kind of technical work. It can't be fast or slow. If it's fast, it's time to clock in and leave work early. If it's slow, it's a cancer. Zhang Xiaotian still needs to exercise more in this regard.

Leonard has another game off, and the Spurs have just one game left in December.

If they win another game, they will be undefeated in December, and Zhang Xiaotian probably can also win the best of the month.

The game at the end of the month is against the Trail Blazers at home, and Lillard will not play yet.

It is not difficult to take down the Blazers who are not in the momentum at all, Zhang Xiaotian also has some ideas in his mind.

Leonard is not here, he is playing the third position, and CJ McCrum is also handed over to Danny Green.

Danny Green's defense is also very reliable, preventing the opponent from making a mistake at the beginning.

But the Blazers' backcourt immediately entered the scoring mode, and Lillard's absence did not affect their style of play.

They got off to a better start than the previous two.

The Spurs are a little bit unsatisfactory, and Aldridge has never been energetic when playing against his old club.

Seeing that the score was about to fall behind to double digits, Zhang Xiaotian simply stopped passing the ball, and all kinds of singles became stronger.

The Blazers' defense is not the worst in the league, but it is also a relatively bad type.

After Zhang Xiaotian stopped passing the ball, the Spurs' offense improved a lot.

On the other side, CJ McCrum also had a good time throwing it. Lillard is not there, so he has unlimited firepower.

Popovich was not used to seeing that the game had almost become a heads-up contest, but he didn't say much.

The Spurs do not reject singles, as long as it is good for the team.

Besides, Zhang Xiaotian was also coaxed back, and it's nothing to be self-willed occasionally. Now the players in the league are much more expensive than the coaches.

Zhang Xiaotian scored 15 points in the first quarter, and scored another 12 points in the second quarter.

However, he still felt that it was not enough, the nights were long and the dreams were many, and it would be unrealistic not to score more points earlier.

The Blazers are also in full bloom, just like the Spurs, one person scores more, and others score sporadically.

So the things to do on both sides of this game are very simple. The Spurs only need to restrict CJ McCrum, while the Blazers need to lock Zhang Xiaotian.

Of course, the task of the Blazers is heavier, because Zhang Xiaotian still passes the three-pointer.

The Spurs benefited from Danny Green. As Tielin in the mouth of the fans, Danny Green especially likes to play with Zhang Xiaotian now. He always feels very comfortable receiving Zhang Xiaotian's pass and shooting.

He didn't feel wrong, Zhang Xiaotian's skills were very friendly to this guy.

Danny Green ranks first on the team with his quick shots after catching the ball from outside the three-point line.

The other two big three-point players, Mills and Ginobili, sometimes like to dribble twice more to find the touch, which is the second level of benefit.

In the third quarter, CJ McCrum still made all kinds of outside shots, and Danny Green didn't seal him up.

It's the same with Zhang Xiaotian, isn't it just shooting, he's shooting well.

No matter how many shots CJ McCrum takes, he has to hold the opponent down.

From the outside, Zhang Xiaotian is fighting against the core of the opponent, which is very common on the court.

Zhang Xiaotian didn't care about other people's opinions. Before he was replaced, he had already scored 15 points, and the team took the lead steadily.

In the fourth quarter, Popovich didn't change his routine and let Zhang Xiaotian play first with a substitute.

The goal is about to be achieved, Zhang Xiaotian is extremely excited.

He went up with three three-pointers and scored 51 points. Zhang Xiaotian signaled to the fans on the sidelines, and the fans responded by shouting MVP.

Popovich also smiled. No one would reject players with strong offensive power. He always scoffed at those rumors similar to jokes.

Zhang Xiaotian didn't deliberately score in the next one. He played more than half a quarter to help the team extend the lead to 20+ points. By the end of the game, he had scored 55 points, another new scoring record.

55+8+7, completely surpassing the data of ordinary All-Stars.

[Task: Champion's Pride 2, 2/3 completion. 】

After getting the reminder, Zhang Xiaotian smiled knowingly, and he was able to complete it twice before the All-Stars, so he had a lot of confidence in his heart.

"This is our game, playing better defense and reducing turnovers." Popovich was very happy after the game.

"Zhang is a super player. I suggested that the team bring him back. It is very worthwhile."

"Why did you give up on him at the beginning... Please, do you think you can drive us apart by doing this? I'm good at breakfast, snacks, coffee... nothing can stop me."

Under Popovich's humor, the Spurs have won 26 consecutive victories, which is the worst game from the second longest winning streak.

In training, Popovich’s attitude is the same as when facing the reporters. He doesn’t let the players think about things like records. Maintaining health, improving strength, and being able to defeat all enemies in the playoffs is the pursuit of the Spurs. .

Zhang Xiaotian also pays more and more attention to passing ability in training. Once the offensive organization and defense are grasped, the core of the team's tactics cannot escape.

(End of this chapter)