NBA: I am the card dealer

But time waits for no one.

The Nets continue to fight on the road.

After a day of rest, they challenge the Hornets away.

I don’t know if Sabonis was affected by the impact of public opinion. He had a poor performance of 15 of 4 shots and only got 11 points and 7 rebounds.

This directly affected the Nets' offensive firepower.

In the end, it was thanks to Xue Liancheng's last-minute outburst that the team barely defeated the Hornets 114:111.

of course.

It may also be that the loss to the Warriors in the last game has greatly damaged their overall morale, causing their combat effectiveness to drop significantly.

The only thing that is certain is that Sabonis Jr. has indeed been greatly affected.

Back to New York and rest for two days.

They are faced with the challenge of digital humans.

After the All-Star Weekend, each team officially entered the sprint stage, among which the digital people's performance was the most eye-catching, with more wins than losses, and recently they achieved a wave of five consecutive victories.

The team currently has a record of 36 wins and 28 losses, and has once again returned to the sixth place in the Eastern Conference. It even has a tendency to threaten the Pacers. The momentum is very strong.

In this case, the Nets encountering the digital man will undoubtedly be a huge test.

only.

Unexpectedly, the result of the game was beyond everyone's expectations.

The Nets easily defeated Digital Man 120:97 at home and continued their winning streak.

The biggest contributor to this victory was Anunoby, who made 21 of 13 shots, 13 of 7 three-pointers, and 8 of 8 free throws. He scored 41 points and also had 12 rebounds, performing extremely well.

This is also the second Nets player to score 40+ points this season.

wrong!

It should be said that this is the second player of the Nets to score 30+40+ this season.

That's right!

Before this game, Xue Liancheng was the only one who achieved 30+ and 40+ in a single game. Now Anunoby is the second player to do this. This shows how few helpers there are around Xue Liancheng.

There are indeed many people who can fight, but there are almost no people who are trustworthy or able to stand up and fight in desperate situations.

This is the Nets' biggest problem right now.

And now that Anunoby has scored 41 points, people finally have some hope.

but.

Anunoby's positioning in this game did not change. He was still the finishing point of fast breaks and open cuts. In particular, he did a very good job in fast break follow-up and vanguard.

Coupled with his three-point shooting, he found a balance after confronting his opponents and got a lot of free throws.

This is why Anunoby had such a wonderful game.

So in essence, the Nets haven't changed much.

The only person they can count on for change may be Sabonis Jr.

As long as Sabonis can cause some damage in the interior and his scoring ability in the restricted area is formidable, the Nets can truly become stronger.

But in this game, Sabonis Jr. was still lost, making 11 of 4 shots and only getting 8 points and 8 rebounds. His performance was hard to describe and he was beaten by Embiid.

Maybe his confidence was damaged.

Xue Liancheng felt it was time to have a chat with Sabonis Jr.

After the drill that day, when Sabonis was about to go back to the locker room, Xue Liancheng called him: "Hey! Domantas, wait~~"

Sabonis was stunned for a moment: "What's wrong? Xue."

Xue Liancheng: "I want to talk to you."

Sabonis was obviously a little surprised, but he nodded: "Okay."

Xue Liancheng: "Go wash up first, I'll find you later."

ten minutes later.

After they were dressed, they came to the players' lounge.

After sitting down.

Xue Liancheng looked at Sabonis and asked, "Domantas, we are number one in the league, but I still want to hear your opinion. What do you think we are missing to win the championship?"

In fact, generally speaking, communicating with players is the job of the coaching staff. He also saw Atkinson talking to Sabonis Jr., and that was after they lost the game against the Warriors.

result.

After the conversation, Sabonis Jr.'s condition did not improve in the two games, so he decided to have a talk with Sabonis Jr. in person.

Sabonis frowned and thought for a while, then slowly shook his head: "I think we are very strong and don't need too much change."

Xue Liancheng looked helpless: "Really?"

Sabonis said firmly: "The record has given the answer, hasn't it?"

Xue Liancheng no longer tried to hide his feelings and said straight to the point: "I think we are lacking a top scorer."

Sabonis: “Ah?”

After the surprise, he stared at Xue Liancheng steadily.

It seems to mean: Aren’t you the top scorer?

Xue Liancheng: "It is far from enough to rely on me alone."

Last season, he successfully reached the top with Randle and Clarkson, which was indeed the peak of his performance.

But he felt that luck played a large role.

If he hadn't had a crazy outburst in the seventh game against the Warriors, there would have been no follow-up.

What does it mean to have 69 points and a triple-double in the playoffs?

No one in history has been able to do this. He really tried his best. Coincidentally, his condition was right and his teammates cooperated well, which led to this classic battle.

In the series against the Spurs, Clarkson and Randle took turns to explode, giving them the capital to turn the tables.

Even though Randle and Clarkson played so poorly, their role was actually not small. In addition, the Spurs themselves were defeated and had no confidence, which gave them the opportunity to step into the finals.

And the big battle with the Knicks?

It was because he knew his old club and old rival well enough that he was able to win the seventh game and reach the final summit.

There are many factors involved.

For example, when no one is optimistic about them, their victory will stimulate dopamine, and after entering an excited state, everyone will fight well.

For example, in the games they won, everyone played very well, and Mike Brown made timely adjustments and brought Courtney Lee back to the starting lineup, which also had a big impact.

In short.

It would be extremely difficult to replicate the miracle of a single core player leading the team to win the championship last season.

He really needs some help, help that can take on responsibilities.

In this way, they can support each other and form a certain restraining force, allowing him to gain more space. Otherwise, he will be unable to move forward.

And Sabonis Jr. is the one most likely to take charge in their current lineup.

First of all, he has the ability to hold the ball, is a low-post threat, can shoot mid-range shots, and has a wealth of offensive skills.

Secondly, as an inside player, he is fully capable of protecting the ball, has good ball handling skills, excellent vision and steady passing.

Finally, he has a very high basketball IQ and knows how to seek offensive space and bring out his offensive abilities.

Another candidate, Anunoby, needs more solid basic skills, such as practicing dribbling first. Not to mention the integration of man and ball, at least when you break through with the ball, you can get to the basket and cause good damage. This is a qualified breakthrough with the ball.

If you just dribble forward and you're not ready to finish, it's useless even if you dribble like crazy.

At present, Anunoby does not have the ability to break through with the ball. He can only develop it slowly and master the basic skills before he can talk about other things.

Sabonis: What do you mean?

Xue Liancheng: "I want you to take on more responsibilities and become another reliable scoring point for our team."

Sabonis was stunned again: "Haven't I always been playing this role?"

Xue Liancheng: "I mean, to become an all-star level."

Hear this.

Little Sabonis was finally slightly moved.

The Nets have the best record in the league this season, and Anunoby was selected to the All-Star team in his rookie season as the second scoring point.

To say that he wasn't envious would be a lie.

Now hearing Xue Liancheng say that he would continue to expand his tactical position, he was undoubtedly extremely excited in his heart.

But as one of the recognized core points in the team, he is very clear about how far he has grown. He is a little worried that he can't do it: "Xue! I am honored to be chosen by you, but to be honest, I am not ready yet."

Xue Liancheng's eyes were firm: "When I first entered the league, I was not ready to become an All-Star, let alone compete for the MVP. The championship was even more unthinkable, but in the end I did it all. Why?"

He clearly sensed Sabonis' lack of confidence.

Since the loss to the Spurs, Sabonis Jr. may have planted the seeds in his heart, and he exploded after losing to the Warriors.

This is why Sabonis Jr. had such a slump in the past two games.

Sabonis raised his head, his eyes finally sparkling: "Why?"

Xue Liancheng: "Because I have a brave heart."

The words fell.

Sabonis' body shook slightly and his pupils suddenly dilated.

Obviously.

These words shocked him.

Xue Liancheng continued, "In sports competitions, skills are not the most important thing. The most important thing is that you have to be brave and strong. Only these wills will drive you to become stronger and eventually achieve great things."

Sabonis nodded heavily: "I understand!"

Xue Liancheng: "In the next game, I hope to see you take action on the court. I have always believed that only actual actions can prove oneself."

Sabonis Jr.: "Don't worry, Xue, I will stay on the right path."

The answer was full of power.

Obviously.

He had already understood the implicit meaning of Xue Liancheng's words.

the next day.

The Nets will face the Raptors at home.

This is their third meeting this season, with the Nets winning the first two times.

But the Raptors are no longer the same after the All-Star Game, and they won consecutive games in the sprint stage. As of before the game, their record had reached 48 wins and 18 losses, firmly sitting in the second spot in the Eastern Conference.

The duo of Lowry and DeRozan are still stable, and Jeremy Lin has also recovered from his injury. He has performed well during this period. His average points per game has gradually increased from 13+ to 15+, becoming the Raptors' third scoring point.

This greatly improved their overall offensive firepower, allowing them to repeatedly demonstrate amazing combat effectiveness, and their record naturally soared.

Simultaneously.

As the Raptors' record improves and Jeremy Lin's immediate combat effectiveness is realized, the deal they made during the offseason doesn't seem so stupid.

The battle between the two teams is still worth watching.

At least for the Raptors, this game is very important. They have lost two games in a row to the Nets. This is the third game. They must win the game to overcome the psychological barrier.

After all, although they are the second in the Eastern Conference, if they want to break out of the Eastern Conference, the first big mountain standing in their way is the Nets.

Only by defeating the Nets can they prove that they have the strength to break through.

If you still lose, it means you have been triple-killed, which is a huge blow to your confidence.

But the course of the game is not up to you.

In this game, Sabonis finally listened and kept fighting with the big center Valanciunas. Even if he was squeezed to the ground, he did not back down.

Facing your opponent head-on and not fearing confrontation is the first firm step.

The fierce confrontation between the two centers immediately increased the intensity of the game.

The two sides fought fragmentedly in the first half.

It was not until the start of the second half that the pick-and-roll between Xue Liancheng and Sabonis Jr. became effective.

Relying on his relatively light body and one-step-faster movement speed, Sabonis Jr. almost crushed Valanciunas to complete the pass.

Valanciunas doesn't have a good solution. His height and weight are both advantages and disadvantages.

At least on the defensive end, he failed to limit Sabonis Jr.

But on the offensive end, he was also very good at bullying Sabonis Jr.

The two sides continued the game into the fourth quarter in this confrontation.

The Nets did not fall behind.

Xue Liancheng's chance to perform soon came.

With five minutes left in the fourth quarter, Xue Liancheng passed the ball to Sabonis Jr. after a pick-and-roll. He suddenly jumped out and took a three-point shot.

middle!

With three minutes left in the fourth quarter, Xue Liancheng once again set a pick-and-roll with Sabonis Jr., made two handoffs, then ran around the human wall. When he got the ball, Sabonis Jr. helped block it.

He stepped back and shot directly, making another three-pointer!

This kind of tactical cooperation reflects Sabonis's basketball IQ. It is not achieved by how good your skills are. You must have a certain basketball IQ, know your teammates' intentions, and cooperate effectively.

After this three-pointer was scored.

There will be no future.

Xue Liancheng launched three consecutive attacks with great force, which stunned the Raptors.

finally.

The Nets defeated the Raptors 116:102 and completed the third kill.

Xue Liancheng scored 5 points, 35 assists and 19 rebounds with 5 three-pointers in the final quarter.

Sabonis' efficiency was still average, with only 14 of 6 shots, but his tough confrontation and hard-working spirit on the court, and most importantly, his courage to take the ball and work alone in the low post, made him a completely different person compared to his previous playing style. He scored 16 points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists, and performed very well.

Although the low-post efficiency is not very good, but at least it has changed, right?

Anunoby returned to his normal level, shooting 15 of 7 and scoring 17 points and 6 rebounds.

Covington exploded, making 14 of 8 shots, 10 of 7 three-pointers, and scored 23 points, bringing out the 3D effect to the fullest.

As for the Raptors.

Valanciunas made 19 of 9 shots and scored 21 points and 12 rebounds.

DeRozan scored 15 points and Lowry scored 11 points and 11 assists. The performance of the duo was average, but the Raptors also had many capable players.

Jeremy Lin scored 10 points with 5 of 15 shots, VanVleet scored 12 points, and Myers scored 10 points. Their outstanding performance is also the reason why the Raptors were able to fight with the Nets.