NBA: I am the card dealer

Chapter 231 A wave of flow

Next round.

Xue Liancheng still waved Gasol to pick and roll.

Gasol Jr. brought it up, and the two sides quickly completed the split.

Xue Liancheng once again faced Noah.

but.

This time, Noah learned the lesson and retreated half a step, keeping a certain distance from Xue Liancheng, mainly preparing for an unexpected surprise.

Xue Liancheng rode on the three-point line and was lucky for three seconds.

then.

Pull back suddenly.

Korfball.

Raise your hands.

Noah was frightened and flew over without hesitation, leaning his whole body forward.

Because he had always kept a distance from Xue Liancheng, and as soon as Xue Liancheng retreated, the distance would become even further. If he didn't fly over with all his strength, he wouldn't be able to interfere with Xue Liancheng at all.

But as soon as he jumped up, his eyes almost bulged out.

Just because Xue Liancheng didn't take off at all.

He tried to dodge in the air, but unfortunately it had little effect.

Xue Liancheng had already jumped up and bumped into his shoulder. At the moment of the collision, he glanced at the basket and then threw the ball.

Beep!

The whistle blows.

The ball drew a sharp arc.

Finally, it hit the backboard and bounced into the frame...

3 + 1

This time.

Noah's head was buzzing, and he stood there, his face turned pale for a moment, and he was in a daze.

For three consecutive rounds, he was teased by Xue Liancheng and scored. Like a grandson, he was trained by Xue Liancheng on the spot.

That kind of feeling is unbearable.

Xue Liancheng, on the other hand, looked much plainer.

Shi Shiran stepped to the free throw line.

This ball was originally intended for Pingci, and it was completely blind if he could make it. It was pure luck, and he didn't think it was worth celebrating.

Additional penalties.

A steady penalty.

Then the next round.

Thibodeau on the sidelines finally realized that the way of infinite switching defenses would not work, he yelled at the court, and then made a gesture.

This time.

Butler followed Xue Liancheng at halftime, and the Bulls once again adopted the marking mode.

In other words, the unlimited defense changes envisioned by Thibodeau were officially declared bankrupt.

It only took three rounds...

A generation of defensive masters racked their brains to come up with a defensive strategy to deal with Xue Liancheng, but it was gone.

wrong……

It was a failure to deal with Xue Liancheng at this stage.

If it were Xue Liancheng before he evolved, the tactics of unlimited defense changes and shrinking the defense line would still be very exciting.

Because Xue Liancheng's breakthrough speed is not very fast, or more accurately, it is because his speed is not fast enough, which reduces his breakthrough skills and ability, and it is generally difficult to get rid of defensive players.

Even when facing a big man, Xue Liancheng cannot get past him in one go and get rid of him absolutely.

at this point.

From the beginning of the season to the end of the season.

This is Xue Liancheng's weakness.

Noah, a big man with a relatively light body, has flexible steps, can run and jump, and has relatively good coordination. He is an inside player who can quickly adjust his center of gravity. It is even more difficult for Xue Liancheng to break through.

and so.

Thibodeau's idea is to let Noah delay Xue Liancheng's breakthrough under unlimited defense changes.

Once the delay has an effect, then their tightening of the defensive line will have an effect, they can double-team on the spot, forcing Xue Liancheng to play the ball, and their supplementary defense can also quickly operate.

in this way.

This can effectively minimize Xue Liancheng's breakthrough threats and passing threats.

The idea is indeed beautiful and well founded.

But Thibodeau never expected that Xue Liancheng would complete his evolution here.

Not only has his breakthrough ability greatly improved, but his open shooting ability has also become more stable.

For three consecutive rounds, Noah was trained to doubt his life.

This resulted in him being hit in the head, leaving him stunned.

If Xue Liancheng hadn't evolved those two skills, Thibodeau's defensive strategy might really be successful.

At least it can make Xue Liancheng feel less comfortable.

But now, all assumptions are back to zero.

Butler once again marked Xue Liancheng and returned to the original zone.

The result can be imagined.

During the regular season, Butler failed to restrain Xue Liancheng. How much better can Butler's marking effect be now?

Even as Xue Liancheng's abilities evolve, Butler's defensive interference with Xue Liancheng becomes less and less and less and less powerful.

wrong……

It should be said that Xue Liancheng dealt with Butler more easily.

The entire first quarter.

Xue Liancheng played a full game, scoring 17 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds, which made the Bulls breathless.

The final score was 37:24, a full 13 points behind.

Fortunately, Xue Liancheng is not an iron man.

In the second quarter, without Xue Liancheng, the Bulls also launched a crazy counterattack. At 7 minutes and 45 seconds, with Rose's fast break layup, the point difference was restored to 7 points.

Spoelstra finally sent Xue Liancheng to play.

only.

I don’t know if it was because of sitting on the bench for a long time, but Xue Liancheng’s hand felt frozen. He made 6 of 2 shots in a single quarter and only scored 6 points.

Although the offensive end suffered a setback, his passing power was still there. He sent 3 direct assists and 2 indirect assists in a single quarter, helping the team stabilize the situation.

On the other hand, the Bulls have them all.

They did not rely on individual performance. Rose broke through, Butler connected, Gasol provided support, Dunleavy served as a fort, and even Noah could eat two pieces of cake.

Everyone found their own position, played their role, and formed a whole, scoring 31 points in a single quarter.

Especially Gasol, who started to defend his younger brother in this quarter. Perhaps because he knew it too well, he actually overwhelmed Gasol.

At halftime, the Heat temporarily led by 61 points at 55:6.

It can be seen that the Bulls' toughness is really good.

of course.

The most important thing is to defend well.

Section 3.

The Bulls adopt a flanking strategy. As long as Xue Liancheng tries to break through, they will attack immediately.

The speed of defense and defense is also very fast.

As a result, the feel of other members of the Heat has also declined to varying degrees.

Gasol, in particular, made 3 of 0 shots and once again had zero goals.

In the end, Wade stood up and scored 12 points in a single quarter, supporting the team's offensive backbone alone.

In this section, the Heat took full advantage of the two superstars.

As the saying goes, if the east is not bright, the west is bright.

When Xue Liancheng encounters obstacles, someone can step forward and prevent the team from losing power.

If Xue Liancheng leads the team alone, then in this quarter, the Heat are likely to be suppressed by the Bulls and complete the lead.

In this case, it is a different situation.

After three quarters.

The Heat still have a slim lead. The score between the two sides is 89:85, with the Heat leading by 4 points.

Although we are leading, the situation is not optimistic...

The entire bench had a dull atmosphere.

After leading by 13 points in the first quarter, after two quarters of fierce fighting, they were actually eroded to only a 4-point advantage.

The point is, the outside world is generally optimistic that their strength is a level higher than that of the Bulls.

result.

After three quarters of fighting, they didn't take much advantage, which is obviously unacceptable.

Spoelstra glanced at Gasol, who was wiping his sweat, and then at Xue Liancheng, who was breathing heavily, and finally fixed his gaze on Batum, "Nicholas, you will come on the court later, I need to see your offense." Firepower.”

After a pause, Spoelstra looked at Xue Liancheng again and said, "Xue, you will also come on the court later. Work hard and make sure to open up the score."

Xue Liancheng was a little surprised. He played a full third quarter, but he was not allowed to rest? However, he pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "Understood."

In this situation, he really is not allowed to rest.

If you lose this game, it will be really embarrassing and embarrassing to your grandma's house.

The most important thing is that the Bulls' morale will be boosted, which will have a profound impact on the entire series.

If you're not careful, it could really capsize.

after all……

Butler, this kid, has this gene.

If they upset the series, it would be huge news and all of them would be in the middle of a storm, getting whipped around by the world.

just now.

They must stabilize the situation.

And the Five Little Deaths are the only good medicine they have left.

but.

The small lineup actually tried it at the beginning of the second quarter, but the effect was not very good. The iron was banging, which led to them being chased by the opponent.

Five little deaths, only death remains...

of course.

The most important thing is that Xue Liancheng was not present at the time.

The simple and small lineup composed of Chalmers, Wade, Batum, PJ Tucker, and Marcus Morris naturally cannot be compared with the regular one.

To know.

The reason why the Death Five is able to exert terrifying attack power lies in him, not because the lineup is small enough.

At this point, Spoelstra seems not to understand deeply enough.

The commentator was also worried about the Heat at this time: "The Bulls' collaborative spirit is really eye-catching for being able to fight like this. If the Heat can't get back to the state they had in the last series, it's going to be a disaster. "

The commentator also said: "It is indeed unexpected. In my expectation, the Heat would have absolute control of this game, but they led by double digits in the first quarter, and they were chased back to just one in the final quarter. Four points left is just unacceptable."

The noise of the fans at the scene was gone.

Obviously very disappointed with the Heat's performance in the second and third quarters.

The game quickly resumed.

Thibodeau frowned slightly after seeing the Heat's lineup adjustment.

But it soon stretched out.

The Heat's death squad is well-known, but at the beginning of the second quarter, they did not exert their offensive firepower at all, and instead they seized the opportunity to chase points crazily.

So now that the Heat are sending the Death Five again, he is not so worried.

Xue Liancheng received Ibaka's serve.

Walk along the three-point line.

Suddenly shoulders slumped.

At the moment Butler's center of gravity shifted.

Xue Liancheng suddenly turned back and passed by Butler.

And at the same time.

Wade suddenly initiates the cut.

But the Bulls have obviously studied this for a long time. Rose specially kept Wade one step away, ensuring that Wade could keep up with him at any time when he suddenly reached the basket.

But you have a good plan, and I also have a ladder to cross the bridge.

Ibaka had already mentioned it and blocked Rose.

This allowed Wade to enter smoothly.

Noah, who was defending Ibaka, ignored one thing and the other.

Switch to guard Wade, and Xue Liancheng will be flat.

But if he defends against Xue Liancheng, then Wade will come in.

This has become a dead end.

And in such a moment of hesitation, Xue Liancheng had already slipped in and leaned forward to pick the basket.

There are 2 points.

The Heat finally stabilized.

Look back.

Butler played singles, but Batum is not a lamb. He forced Butler against him, making it impossible for Butler to perform more coherent moves.

Butler is not that strong now. He tossed and turned, and finally turned over and shot a jumper to complete the game.

pity.

No.

The Heat's fast break started, and everyone ran fast.

Gasol is big and old, so he can't outrun these young guys. He is obviously two positions behind everyone.

By the time he reached the top of the key, the Heat had already finished.

Xue Liancheng slammed all the way to the basket, and when the rest of the Bulls were about to form a siege, he gave the ball to Batum who was in the open.

The latter made three points without mercy.

Hit again.

The score difference suddenly stretched to 9 points.

Thibodeau's eyelids jumped wildly on the sidelines, and he realized the problem.

But thinking about the poor defensive situation of the Heat's small lineup in the second quarter, I couldn't help but take another breath and insisted on not calling a timeout.

He walked to the sidelines and yelled to the court, "Focus on the inside."

This round.

The Bulls were not impatient and waited for Gasol to take his place.

Then near the baseline, Rose gave the ball.

Gasol leaned on PJ Tucker, preparing for a low single.

Although PJ Tucker can guard DeAndre Jordan, that's because Jordan's skills are rough, he doesn't have much of a low-post threat, and he doesn't have such a soft touch.

Gasol is different. His low post ability is still very strong. He is among the best in terms of strength, footwork, and skills.

Even small hooks and turn-over jump shots have certain attainments.

It's just that as he grows older, his low-post deterrence is no longer as great as when he won the championship.

But it's more than enough to deal with PJ Tucker.

at this point.

The Heat are well prepared.

When Wade saw Gasol sitting and fighting, he immediately rushed over to attack.

Gasol can only play the ball.

Unfortunately, Rose's three-point threat is really limited, and he doesn't dare to shoot even if he is in a semi-open position.

Finally passed to Butler.

Interaction between Butler and Gasol.

This time.

It stands to reason that the Heat will be in a dilemma.

But their determination to flank Gasol is still very determined.

PJ Tucker, Batum, and Wade formed a tripod. When Gasol tried a low single again, Wade rushed over to help defend.

At this moment.

Gasol can only pass to Rose who is near the top of the key.

result.

This passing route was discovered by Xue Liancheng.

Xue Liancheng came close in advance and pounced on Gasol the moment he released the ball.

Successfully completed the steal.

The Heat pushed the pace again.

Do not……

It should be said that only Xue Liancheng and Ross pushed up the speed.

As for the others, they all fall near the bottom corners on both sides. How can they run as fast as Xue Liancheng and Rose at the top of the arc.

The two fought and entangled in this way, fighting all the way to the three-point line.

Xue Liancheng suddenly stopped for a moment, then suddenly accelerated and hit Rose's shoulder, as if he was about to sprint into the penalty area.

After Rose was knocked back, he didn't immediately move forward to continue to defend. He took another big step back with the intention of retreating and defending.

result.

Xue Liancheng suddenly pulled back.

Raise your hand to shoot.

Ross was so frightened that he immediately jumped up and tried to defend himself.

But just after he jumped up, he suddenly realized something and quickly braked without jumping forward...

really.

Xue Liancheng didn't take off at all.

Ross was very happy in his heart.

But the next second, he couldn't be thankful anymore.

Xue Liancheng did not force the collision, because Rose took off vertically, so he had no chance to hit him. It was okay to forcefully tilt his body and hit Rose, but for such an obvious collision, could the referee give him a whistle?

There is a high probability that it will not be given...

There's no point in hitting it.

Therefore, he took advantage of the gap between Rose's landing and made a time difference.

This time he really took off.

After Rose landed, he wanted to defend again, but it was too late and he could only watch as Xue Liancheng took action.

The ball streaked through the sky.

Swish!

Go in again.

The score difference came to 12 points.

This time.

The scene finally boiled.

The shouts of MVP were deafening, and everyone stood up excitedly, forming wave after wave.

The commentator was also excited, "Xue Liancheng stepped forward to save the world. This is an MVP-level performance. It's amazing."

The commentator was also delighted: "In just a few rounds, Xue Liancheng led the team to an 8:0 score, instantly opening the score. This kind of explosive scoring power is the Heat that people are familiar with, and it is back." ...Everything is back..."

Thibodeau didn't seem to give up, shouting to Gasol who was returning to defense, "Be firm..."

In fact, Thibodeau's thinking is not wrong.

What's the magic weapon to overcome small lineups?

He is a strong inside man with low post skills.

And Gasol is such a top insider with strong low-position skills, and he is a natural dimensionality reduction blow to small lineups.

As long as you go hard or attract a lot of double-teams, you can perfectly restrain the small lineup.

At the beginning of the second quarter, the reason why the Bulls were able to recover the points was due to Gasol.

Thibodeau has tasted the sweetness and undoubtedly wants to copy the style of play during that period.

However, the disadvantages of big men playing in small lineups are also obvious, and they can easily fail to keep up with the rhythm of small lineups.

at this point.

In these two or three rounds, it has been reflected.

And Thibodeau also ignored the most important point, that is, a small lineup with Xue Liancheng and a small lineup without Xue Liancheng are completely different.

Xue Liancheng's meticulous insight, invincible ability to read the game, super passing vision, precise timing of shots, etc., can be combined to maximize the mobility advantage of a small lineup.

And without Xue Liancheng's small lineup, it would be just shooting at random, just piled on speed, and there would be no efficiency at all.

This is the essence of the Heat's Death Five.

Just like the five essences of Courageous Death are the super three-point abilities of the splash brothers Curry and Thompson.

Without the three-point influence and deterrence of the Splash Brothers, there is not much difference between those five little guys and suicide.

Once the Heat do not have Xue Liancheng, they will be dead for five games, and they will also be dead.

Maybe in the first half of the second quarter, Spoelstra wanted to try a way to maintain the firepower of the five small lineups without Xue Liancheng.

pity.

This problem may never be solved.