The Legend of the Hungry Wolf in Basketball

Chapter 516 [Chasing points in adversity]

It is not uncommon for the Clippers to be suppressed by their opponents in the opening game, but it is rare for defense and offense to go wrong at the same time.

Pau Gasol ate two big caps at the beginning, and the offensive rhythm was completely disrupted.Mavericks resolutely double-teamed, which also made Ye Feng very uncomfortable.It wasn't until 3 minutes and 06 seconds that Ye Feng made a breakthrough and made a foul. He made two free throws to help the team score.

At 4 minutes and 51 seconds, the Clippers finally scored their first sports goal. Marc Gasol made a successful shot after receiving a pass from Ye Feng.
Mavericks' offensive tactics are also unexpected, Carter and Marion main attack, Deron go-between, Nowitzki is responsible for support.The main point is to attack Harrison Barnes.

首节快船22比34落后12分。叶锋单节拿下了11分，如果不是他多次突破造犯规，7罚7中，快船会落后更多。

Marcus Thornton, Kirk Hinrich, Perry Jones, Marc Gasol, and Robert Thackeray played in the second quarter.Gasol rested for 4 minutes, and now he was replaced in a hurry to ensure the strength of the inside defense. The third position was missing, and Jones also made a guest appearance to let Matt Barnes rest.

The Clippers currently have only 10 actual rotations. It is difficult for Yi Jianlian and Lamb to play a role, and the starting players have to bear more responsibilities.

The Mavericks sent a full bench lineup, Darren Collison, Dengtai Jones, Jai Crowder, Elton Brand, Chris Kaman.

This season, because Marion was injured and missed, the Mavericks' second-round rookie Crowder got a lot of playing time and became a key rotation player, averaging 5.3 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game.His style of play is very similar to Faried of the Nuggets, and his hairstyle is even more similar. He is a phenomenal defensive player with rough skills but full of momentum.He's good defensively, and he's strong against tall post players when he's strong and misplaced.The offensive end can also shoot mid-range and long-range shots.

Crowder is a good fit for the Mavericks' team and needs to be the defensive leader on the bench.He played power forward in college, but his height can only play on the wing in the NBA, so he fell to the second round.Crowder has a phenomenal steal rate among restricted players and is always fired up, making him a valuable backup, albeit with limited potential.

Compared with the veteran Kleiza, the Mavericks prefer to train Crowder, mainly on defense. As long as he can hit open shots on the offensive end, he is qualified.

Collison also had the upper hand against Hinrich, who is a good attacking guard with the ball. The use of veteran Deng Tai Jones in the 2nd position is to strengthen the defense against Thornton. If Rodrigue Beaubois is used, the offensive method overlaps with Collison, which is not very useful.This season Beaubois has completely become a marginal man in the Mavericks.

The Clippers' offense was still not smooth, and Hinrich's attack power was limited, so Thornton was treated by Ye Feng, and the attack with the ball was double-teamed.Hinrich, who was emptied, did not disappoint the Mavericks. He missed three good shots.The Clippers uniform has decided to give up Hinrich after the end of the season. His 34% shooting this season proved the failure of the Clippers' signings last summer.

After 5 minutes in the second quarter, Claude hit a three-pointer, and the difference between the two sides widened to 15 points. The Clippers requested a timeout.

Playing like this at home, the Clippers players are under a lot of psychological pressure. The greater the pressure, the harder it is to perform at a normal level.The mentality of veterans is often mature and stable, and will not be disturbed by external factors. This is why it is easier for veterans to display their strengths in the playoffs.The Mavericks' Kaman and Brand played very well, but unfortunately there are veterans who are worse than rookies, such as Hinrich.

After finishing his tactics, Thibodeau said: "Everyone should calm down. As long as you can play at the level of training, you won't be so far behind. Pay attention to the defense and keep up!"

The Clippers coaching staff has fully studied the Mavericks' offensive routines before the game, and the defense is still tight.In this series, we can't just use a compressed defensive lineup like the Grizzlies. The Mavericks have the ability to shoot from the outside. Except for DeAndre Jordan, they all shoot well. Kaman and Nowitzki alone evacuated the inside. , is enough for the Clippers.The Clippers can only switch between 32-zone defense and 23-zone defense, and Ye Feng must go inside to protect the basket at any time.

The Clippers arranged a triangle offense on the offensive end, and Ye Feng was in charge of the low post.The other four players are Paul Gasol, Perry Jones, Harrison, Ye Feng and Thornton.What Jones and Gasol have to do is to pull to the outside and wait for the opportunity to shoot a three-pointer, and evacuate the inside.Today, Gasol is not efficient against Jordan, and Thibodeau does not intend to let him attack in the low position again.

Playing against the Grizzlies, the Gasol brothers can score in singles in the low post and share the pressure of Ye Feng. Now Jordan's defense is really good.It's not good if you can't open the low post, and it's hard to win the game only by outside shooting.No matter which player Ye Feng is playing against the Mavericks, he is very sure of one-on-one.Attracting double-teams, several players on the field have good three-point capabilities, and Thornton can also use off-ball screens to make a second breakthrough.

After the game started, the Mavericks really continued to double-team Ye Feng.Nowitzki goes with Marion and shorts Perry Jones.When it comes to Nowitzki's defense, people's first impression is very bad. In fact, Nowitzki's defense is not too bad. At least he has a height advantage that can interfere with shooting. Marion is good at defending against breakthroughs. Ye Feng was on the baseline, his only options were to shoot from the baseline or pass the ball.Forced shooting is not a good way. Ye Feng passed the ball, but Jones missed two open three-pointers.

The Clippers' role players are collectively out of order again.In the past two years, Ye Feng's teammates have always played very well and shared a lot of his pressure, especially last season when the Clippers lineup reached its peak.Now the Clippers lineup is really not as good as the Mavericks, and they were a bit overwhelmed when they were traded last summer. If Lamb, Yi Jianlian, and Roy were replaced by Ray Allen, Crawford, and Kaman, the situation would be completely different.

Ye Feng started the main attack in the second half of the second quarter. Through double-screen breakthroughs, the Mavericks' defensive strength was very high and fouls were resolute, which prevented him from making easy shots, but his breakthrough was very lethal.The Mavericks are not afraid of fouls on the inside. Brandon Wright, the fifth insider, is not weak, especially on the defensive end. Veteran Kleiza can also play at the 4th position.

这相当于4、5个人和叶锋玩车轮战。上半场结束时，快船45比61落后多达16分。叶锋半场得到17分6篮板4助攻。他的传球很多，可是转化不成助攻。

In the second half, Thibodeau shifted the focus of offense to the perimeter, and Ye Feng was responsible for grabbing offensive rebounds and serving as a blue collar for his teammates.This is the result of the coaching staff's discussion. If the Clippers can't open the whole game, no matter how strong Ye Feng is, the Clippers will be in danger. It's better to gamble in the third quarter. If the efficiency is still not high, in the fourth quarter Then let Ye Feng attack.

Isiah Thomas got the chance to play, how to use this specialty player is a problem.Thomas played well in the regular season and became the team's starter for a while. He also won the MVP in the All-Star Weekend Rookie Challenge.The offensive ability is beyond doubt, but the defense has always been problematic.In order to strengthen the offense, Thibodeau decided to take the risk of letting Thomas face Deron and use the method of compressing the defense. Deron's shooting is not as threatening as a breakthrough.The Clippers have a mixed defense, Ye Feng is responsible for defending Nowitzki, and Nowitzki's three-pointers are the most accurate for the Mavericks.

Gasol brothers, Harrison. Barnes occupy the other three places.Perry Jones, who has a height advantage, sits on the bench, and his condition is really bad.

As soon as Thomas came on the court, he immediately brought vitality to the Clippers' offense. The Gasol brothers pulled out to make a double screen for Thomas. Similarly, such a flexible player is really difficult to guard against.Ye Feng catches the ball in the low post. If he is double-teamed, he can pass the ball out to Thomas. Thomas' sudden or throwing puts pressure on the Mavericks' defense.The Clippers played a wave of 8-0, approaching the score.

In this quarter, it was the Mavericks' outside shooting inaccurate.Not only did Marion and Carter fail to make a three-pointer, but Nowitzki also became a blacksmith.After being targeted by Ye Feng, his efficiency dropped significantly, and Ye Feng could always stand in front of him and interfere with his shots.

80 to 88, the Clippers fell behind by 8 points and entered the crucial fourth quarter.

Thomas scored 11 points in a single quarter, is the key hero, the number one surprise player.Ye Feng scored 6 points and grabbed 6 rebounds.

The Mavericks began to feel the pressure. After all, this is the home court of the Clippers, and the momentum at home is very strong.Carlisle was very troubled by Ye Feng's defensive performance during this period, and it was equally terrifying for him not to be the main attacker. 8 points is nothing to a team like the Clippers, as long as they play smoothly for a few minutes, they can catch up.

After looking at the player data, Barkley said: "If it weren't for his teammates being too disappointing and missing a lot of open shots, Ye Feng must have got a triple-double now, and the Clippers should also lead. He scored 23 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists and 1 in three quarters. Steals and one block, this kind of data is worthy of the title of MVP."

Kenny Smith said: "The Mavericks' defense was very tight today. As soon as Ye Feng received the ball, someone double-teamed him. He had to pass more balls to support the offense and tear apart the Mavericks' defense. I don't know if he will stand out in the fourth quarter." Score."

In the fourth quarter, Thibodeau continued to keep Thomas on the court. He also had poor defense. His offense could help the team. Thornton played against Carter at the 2nd position, Matt Barnes served as the small forward, and Ye Feng Continue to play the 4th position to deal with Nowitzki, and Gasol Jr. sits on the inside.

Gasol was sitting on the bench, his speed was getting slower and slower, and his defensive strength was not as good as that of Gasol.Ye Feng served as a power forward, enhancing his mobility.The overall speed of the Mavericks is not fast. Ye Feng, Thornton, and Thomas are on the court together, so it is easy to play fast breaks.

However, with Thomas on the court, the Mavericks are prone to misplaced offenses. Nowitzki finally started to show off, hitting jumpers in front of Thomas again and again.

With 4 minutes left in the game, the Clippers trailed 99 to 105. The Mavericks requested a timeout, and it was time for the decisive battle.

(End of this chapter)