Forward to the basket

It's not easy to play away games, especially against opponents who are close to their own strength. In terms of competing for the initiative in the playoffs, even if the Celtics are now the top player in the league, if they really collide, this game will not be easy to play.

It's just that Rivers didn't expect that the game would be so difficult from the beginning, which was indeed a bit unexpected.

The current tactics and personnel adjustment of the Celtics are very mature, but they are still a little caught off guard by the Cavaliers. Such a crazy attack makes the defense of the Celtics look a little precarious.

Even Smith and Miller are saying, "Cleveland's offense is crazy, and now the Celtics are in trouble. Maybe they should stop the game for a while. I hope Rivers can find a good way."

It's just that the two of them are just commentators and cannot replace the players on the field. Some things cannot be replaced by just anyone. The Celtics' offensive efficiency is still troubled by the still cold feel.

Ray Allen was very annoyed, and so was Pierce, including Garnett who also failed to succeed in the offense.

But in this game at Quicken Loans Arena, in the first few minutes of the opening stage, the Celtics had nothing to do with the feel. What they can contribute to the fans is only frequent misses and bouncing out of the basket again and again.

In such a situation, no one can do anything, even these guys who have experienced many battles can only spread their hands.

But the Cavaliers seem to be possessed by God, no matter how they attack, they can pose a strong threat.

Crazy!Completely crazy!The Cavaliers' offensive firepower network started from the little emperor and extended beyond the three-point line. Then, the shooting of these guys made the Celtics look like they were defenseless.

The 9:0 start did not make Rivers call a timeout immediately. He didn't think that West's shots would appear again and again. After all, he would throw you a 3+1 if nothing happened. Quite unreliable.

But the Cavaliers' offensive firepower network seemed to be ignited suddenly, burning blazingly, and it was difficult to be extinguished.

Even Rivers and Thibodeau didn't expect that the opponent could make 3 of 15 shots in a row within 3 minutes, instantly expanding the score to [-]:[-], which made Rivers really a little restless.

The main reason is that after West hit 3+1, the little emperor also speculated on a three-pointer at the top of the arc.

And this shot was made a meter away from the three-point line, but the ball still hit the basket accurately, just like a cruise missile fired with full precision.

Even Miller exclaimed from the sidelines, "My God, the Cavaliers' three-pointers are crazy!"

Three-pointers, three of three shots, and without exception, they are all difficult goals, the little emperor's long-range fire, Szczerbiak's turn shot, plus West's weird 3+1 .

Damn it, it seems that suddenly, the Cavaliers' offense has improved a few notches, completely unstoppable.

It is not news that the little emperor scored a three-pointer. After all, this guy's offensive ability has been obvious to all in the past two seasons. , Rivers really can't calm down, because the Cavaliers' lead has expanded to double digits!

In fact, when Pierce made a three-pointer for the Celtics after the little emperor made a three-pointer, this can be regarded as smoothing out the embarrassment of not scoring. I thought this was the beginning of getting on the right track.

But who would have thought that when the Cavaliers were attacking, West suddenly made a feint from outside the three-point line and killed near the three-second zone. Rondo didn't follow, and Garnett was also tripped by Varejao. one time.

Then as soon as Rondo posted it, West made a shot. He seemed to be waiting deliberately. As soon as Rondo waved his hand, he raised his hand and shot, and the ball scored!Additional penalty! 2+1 is just like that!

"Reggie, should I say something? Did that guy really do it on purpose? 3+1 followed by 2+1, this..., I think, now I can understand why Rivers just pulled off his tie gone."

Kenny Smith's commentary style is just a little bit teasing, but the few words he said now can't make Rivers smile and say something. Now Rivers feels extremely depressed!

Just as Smith said, when the referee called Rondo for a foul, Rivers tore off his tie, and he even got angry in front of the TV camera on a rare occasion.

In fact, Rivers did not rarely perform like this last season. This guy's temper is not as calm as his appearance. If he really gets angry, he will not deliberately suppress his emotions.

As it is now, it's easy to pull off the tie, and he may have almost shouted at the referee.

If Rivers was at peace, he might not have been so angry, but the referee's whistle just now completely angered him. Rondo's hand didn't go to block the shot, but West was looking for him with the ball .

Rondo had already reacted at that time, so when he couldn't interfere, he didn't really slap the ball in West's hand, and he didn't even wave his hands deliberately after opening his hands.

But West has been in the league for so long anyway, and he is more familiar with some small tricks than Rondo.

It's like how to make the opponent's foul, especially when Rondo loses his defensive position, a kind of mental calculation and unintentional trick, when you can't deny that it really works, and the referee thinks so.

This is the most critical issue, you can make trouble, as long as he is within the rules, that's fine.

The referee really whistled the penalty, and West's shot was accurately hit. Free throws are not difficult for him, not to mention that this guy feels really good today.

The 3+1 time was a coincidence, so this time it was intentional. West's offense did cause a lot of trouble. This made Rondo very passive, and it also made Rivers vent his anger at the referee. .

But he still doesn't want to suffer a technical foul, or be sent back to the locker room by those referees, so even if he is angry, he can only endure it. This feeling is really very bad.

However, Rivers does not want the players to lose him as the helm, so roaring and dissatisfaction can only be compared with themselves, especially in such a noisy environment, it is really difficult for you to maintain a calm mind.

This is a foul in a passive situation, not only to send points, but Rondo has now fouled twice!This is the question that annoys Rivers the most!Damn, the game only lasted a few minutes!

Less than 5 minutes before and after, the main point guard of the Celtics had already fouled twice, and during the matchup, West just scored 7 points on top of his head!What's wrong with him!

I'm afraid Rivers wants to ask God, does the old guy like to see a scuffle in the East?

Otherwise, he wouldn't make his players feel cold and make the game so awkward!

You know, that guy West scored almost half of the points scored by the Cavaliers alone!And his two attacks were all completed under Rondo's close pressure!This is your sister, is he possessed by Gang Leader Qiao?Or is that old God guy free, and put on West's clothes and come here to join in the fun?

"Rhythm! Rhythm! Damn, it's all messed up! What is Rajon kid thinking! He shouldn't be moving!"

Apart from swearing angrily on the sidelines, it was difficult for Rivers to calm down his emotions. This was not only because of the referee's whistle, but also because of Rondo's foul, which made the Celtics very passive now.

There are still more than 40 minutes in the game, who knows what will happen later, but now Rivers has to replace his main point guard, otherwise, he can't guarantee whether this guy will continue to make mistakes!

Such passive substitutions, and the need for Rondo to compress his playing time, is bad news for the Celtics' offensive system, and it's no wonder Rivers is so annoyed.

The progress of the game that was explained before the game was disrupted by the opponent, and the Celtics had to change passively. This is a very bad situation for anyone.

This may not be blamed on Rondo, after all, he wanted to defend a little more fiercely, so as to contain the opponent's offensive momentum, but he did not expect that West's luck would be so good today.

Don't say it's not luck, if you let that guy West copy the attack just now, he will definitely not be able to hit it. After two consecutive attacks, he will be fined, which is really scary.

He scored seven points with just two shots. Even if Kobe came, I'm afraid he wouldn't have such an offensive efficiency! ?

It is impossible for West to maintain such a state and feel all the time, but it is undeniable that his offense did cause a lot of trouble for the Celtics, especially after the score gap on the spot widened to double digits.

The score had already been scored like this before 5 minutes into the first quarter. Originally, Rivers wanted to wait a bit, hoping that his players could stabilize themselves, and then slowly regain the disadvantage.

As a result, before the Celtics could recover, West used his continuous offense to embarrass Rondo, and now Rivers had to replace Rondo in advance to rest.

Judging from this situation, Rondo has no hope of going up in the first quarter. Otherwise, who knows if this kid made himself three or four fouls because of a moment of anxiety!

If that's the case, then this game really doesn't need to be played, anyway, he is also the main point guard!

And not only because Rondo is going to be replaced, but mainly because the Celtics were a little depressed by the Cavaliers' charge in the opening stage. In terms of offensive efficiency, they have been passive.

You can say this is luck, but even if it is luck, the fact that the Celtics are passive is an unchangeable fact. In terms of momentum, they were indeed suppressed by the Cavaliers.

The main point guard was calculated by the opponent. If Rivers can continue to be so calm, then he has really practiced well, and the team's passiveness in the situation made him take the lead in calling a timeout.

Such a choice is helpless. At least in Rivers' view, the Celtics are playing a bit difficult. If the opponent's feel is not allowed to cool down, then this damn score does not know what variables will appear.

Rivers doesn't care much about winning streaks. If he loses, that's it. After all, no one can guarantee his own province, but losing to the Cavaliers, and losing like this, he will definitely not accept it.

After all, in addition to being a regular season, this is also related to the issue of the playoffs. Even if it is at the door of the opponent, the Celtics have to win. This is not a task, but a psychological advantage.

In the playoffs, everything has to be fought, the head coach's tactical arrangements, home and away games, including the psychological confrontation between the two sides.

If any place is not taken care of, it may be a hidden danger. Rivers doesn't want the team to have any shortcomings.

The Celtics took the lead in calling a timeout. Regardless of the reason, at least in the eyes of those Cavaliers supporters, their strongest opponent is now in a big trouble.

The troubles encountered by the opponent are good news for him. As soon as Rivers signaled here, the fans of the Cavaliers over there began to clamor non-stop on the sidelines. Come.

The little emperor seemed to be cooperating with the shouting, and even waved his hand deliberately, followed by even more crazy roars, and applause like a tide, including roars!

If the applause of more than 1 people erupted at the same time, the feeling would be quite scary. For the Cavaliers, this is an encouragement, but for the Celtics, it is an invisible pressure.

Although the game has just started and there are still more than 40 minutes left, it is not good news if the opponent rushes down like this. Therefore, what Rivers has to do now is to adjust as soon as possible.

After all, the Celtics are the league leader, and it is not one or two who want to bring them down. Now, it is just to let the guys under them calm down and calm down a little bit.

Rondo had to be replaced because of two consecutive fouls. This was not because Rivers was angry, but to calm down Rondo. The game had to continue, and he had to use this kid to play to control the rhythm.

But now, Rondo can only return to the bench helplessly, watching his teammates take his place unwillingly.

This kind of annoyance is probably the first time that Rondo has been troubled. Damn, who would have caught up with West's outburst today? Who would have thought?Maybe only God the old guy could have foreseen all this.

"Sam, you are ready to play, and you are going to hold West later, you can't let him continue to fight like this, you don't need to worry too much, just let me stare at this point, and the task will be completed, card Keep his offensive line, I believe you have enough ways, don't let him continue to score! Remember, you must stare at him!"

Rivers pointed at Cassell, and gave the task without turning back, and his tone was unquestionable. If Cassell couldn't handle it, he would probably choose to let someone else do the job.

It can be seen that if West continues the performance just now, it is estimated that Rivers may really throw the tactical board on the ground to vent his anger, even if doing so is likely to get him sent off.

For his former subordinates, Rivers has never held any hostility, including West, but let a former subordinate fight so frantically, no one can lose face.

Rivers is not the kind of person who insists on face, but such a peak confrontation is lost to a person who has just transferred to the opponent's account. It is estimated that those reporters will definitely use this thing to make a fuss after the game.

Even now, Murphy and Xie Miaomiao on the sidelines also heard a lot of people talking about why Angie and Rivers would let a guy like West go. Is this guy not as sophisticated as Rondo?

Although there is a little gap in statistics, West is not useless in terms of the confrontation between the two.

Don't forget, his two attacks just now were all completed under Rondo's marking, which is almost equivalent to directly hitting Angie in the face. This kind of counterattack, in the eyes of the reporter, is too promising Head up!

There is never a shortage of people watching the excitement, but Rivers has not planned to let others treat himself and Angie as idiots. It is inevitable to stare at that guy West and try to make him feel as cold as possible. .

And if it makes West really go crazy, then this game will not be easy to continue. After all, the Cavaliers' big killer is the little emperor. If he has one more helper, then the Celtics will have one more helper. Dangerous.

The honest Rivers didn't want to continue to tear his tie, so West had to be watched by Cassell. He believed that the old guy had enough means to do this.

"Kevin, come down and take a rest. Now, we need to change the focus of our attack. Steve, you should get ready to go up immediately. When the game starts again, I ask everyone to run!"

"The opponent's defense is very serious. They obviously put their defensive focus on the inside. Kevin and Chen Feng have not had a good offensive opportunity since the opening. Since those Cleveland people think so , then we must completely spread out the offensive firepower net! We must fight them out!"

"At the point of attack, I need enough offensive firepower! Outside, mid-range, as many as possible!"

"Aren't they going to shrink back, then show your own touch, so that the other party dare not shrink back!"

Replacing Rondo should be an inevitable choice, but no one thought that Rivers' next substitution would be to take Garnett together, and the person who replaced him was quite unexpected. He would choose Nova gram.

But then Rivers' tactical adjustments were also tough enough. This guy turned out to stretch his main attack points to the periphery. Ray Allen, Novak, and Pierce, the three artillery pieces, opened their postures at the same time.

These guys can all fire near the three-point line. Similarly, Cassel's shooting skills can also cause damage, and the old guy's offensive efficiency in recent games is also [-]%.

Don't forget, when the Rockets won the championship, Cassell relied on breakthroughs and stable shooting skills to gain a foothold. When he led the Clippers in and out of the West, his shooting was still sharp .

Don't look at him as a bench player in Boston now, but such a bandit-like guy has never slackened in his shooting skills, and his shooting is even more sophisticated and slippery than before.

It's just that Rivers' arrangement left only Chen Feng on the inside of the Celtics. This is a bit unsafe no matter how you look at it. After all, if the kid wants to carry Wallace alone, he has to beware of Wallace. Qiao's pincer attack, even if Chen Feng is fierce enough, but one-on-two, no matter how you look at this situation, there is no advantage at all.

If Chen Feng and Wallace were really put together, one-on-one, maybe that kid would still be able to survive.

But if Varejao, who was ready to fight Chen Feng at any time, was watching, the pressure would definitely not be small. After all, the Brazilian was considered a good player among the power forwards in the Eastern Conference.

The offense may be very average, but Varejao's defense is indeed very strong, mainly because this kid's attack is black and ruthless enough, and he can give the opponent a blow. Facing the pinch defense, whether Chen Feng can resist is the key.

No wonder Thibodeau frowned when Rivers decided to replace Garnett. In fact, he was also worried about whether Chen Feng could play the leading role alone. After all, this kind of confrontation is not so easy to fight, it is two against one.

"You boy, you must pay attention to protecting rebounds, not only offensive ones, but the most important thing is defensive rebounds. I want you to hold them! You can foul, and I will give you this freedom, but you must let your opponent understand that the rebound Come on, that's your territory, and others will have to pay a price if they want to come in, don't let those guys get close to the basket easily! Now, you have to create an absolute restricted area for me to come out of the basket!"

"Only you are a big man. Not only do I require you to be guaranteed in rebounding, but also this lineup of seniors and juniors is flexible. Don't bite the bullet and rush, you must know how to mobilize your opponent! No Stop interspersing, I need each of you to run and use your cooperation to tear apart the opponent's defense!"

In the first few minutes of the game, the Celtics' offense was not impatient, but Rivers obviously lacked a sharp feeling, just like training, and executed every step step by step.

It was too stylized, and there was no fierce momentum contained in it. As a result, the Cavaliers rushed too hard, interrupting the Celtics' offense in one fell swoop.

In the recent games, the Celtics played very smoothly. The main reason is that the personal abilities of these guys determine that there will not be too many ups and downs on the scene. When they meet the Magic, it is only a short-term adjustment.

Then the Orlando people lost. It can be said that the recent wins have been so smooth that both the Celtics and Rivers have lost a bit of the sharp feeling of last season. They can win, but they can win and play. fierce.

This kind of process will not make people vigilant, but once you meet an opponent who is posing for your life, you are not sharp enough, but if the opponent puts on an appearance of wanting to die together, you will definitely suffer.

The intense atmosphere before the game originally made the players on both sides very excited, but the Celtics have played too comfortably recently, so they lacked a sense of tension. As a result, they were countercharged by the Cavaliers and immediately fell into a passive position.

Rivers, who had been watching from the sidelines for a long time, knew what the problem was, so he needed to use his brains on it, even if it was a little risky, he had to let the wildness of the Celtics come out!

There is no need to regard yourself as the number one in the league in a stern battle with competitors. If you have to fight and risk your life, you have to be willing. Rivers has no intention of continuing to follow the steps. He is now going to take a gamble .

Replacing Garnett was a risk. After all, Chen Feng couldn't fill the gap in the defense by himself.

Therefore, if the inside line is empty, it is very likely that the opponent will seize the opportunity, but what Rivers has to do is to make the Celtics' entire tactics move, and it is best to confuse the guys from the Cavaliers!

Your opening charge caught me off guard, so I will hit you head-on with my change of move!

Anyway, they are behind now, and Rivers doesn't mind playing the game to the limit. The Celtics can survive from the ruins, relying on a lot of hard work.

Now, it is necessary to show this ruthlessness to those Cavaliers fans who are booing themselves.

Shout out louder!Maybe after a few minutes, you yourself will very actively shut your mouth!

Rivers is completely desperate. Thibodeau may feel a little unsafe, but he also understands Rivers' thoughts. In this passive situation, the Celtics must fight back!

After all, this is the home court of the Cavaliers. If the game continues like this, it will be difficult to contain the opponent's momentum, unless you can quickly chase points in a short period of time and completely dispel the atmosphere for him!

However, the Cavaliers consciously shrank the inside line, crazily cutting off the receiving route of Chen Feng and Garnett, preventing these two guys from easily holding the ball near the three-second zone, and naturally the usual offense would not be able to play.

Then the Cavaliers took advantage of their hot hands and started to score points frantically, which made the Celtics very passive.

I have to say that Mike Brown was very lucky. The players who caught up with him felt hot, and their defensive coverage was really hard, so Chen Feng and Garnett never found a good offensive opportunity in the paint.

Therefore, the Celtics' several offenses were completed on the periphery. When the hand feels cold, the offensive efficiency will be poor.

Chen Feng and Garnett pulled to the perimeter twice, both of which were pick-and-rolls for their teammates. In fact, this was more because they were blocked inside, so they could only choose this way, but now Rivers needs to change this situation.

Rivers set up four guys who can shoot from mid to long distances, in order to break through the Cavaliers' defense and prevent these guys from continuing to shrink like this, and Chen Feng must move to draw the opponent out!

Can't you vote?Well, I'm not short of pitchers, since you guys want to play like this, then come together!Let's see if your knight's heavy spear is fierce enough, or Lao Tzu's green shirt army is more sturdy!

Others said that Rivers was a very stable coach, but no one thought about how a person who grew up under Auerbach's guidance could not have a bit of the cardinal's bandit temperament.

Maybe Rivers still can't reach Auerbach's aura of overlooking his opponent, but if he plays hard, he will also be like a sharp knife out of its sheath, which can cut his opponent's body with bruises.

If you want to push such a guy over the edge of a cliff, then you really give it a shot, he may drag you down with him, like now, Mike Brown may think he has an advantage.

But who knows what will happen next second?When Rivers also starts to be generous, that's the real horror.Want to suppress him?How do you know he won't think about turning the situation around?

As for Chen Feng's pressure, Rivers has also considered it, but he believes that this kid has that kind of wildness. Although he is taking risks, if he wants to completely suppress the opponent's aura, he can only take a bit of a slant now.

Don't look at the media saying that the Cavaliers are now in the chaser position, but Rivers knows very well that if you can't suppress their offense at the opponent's home court, then this game will be completely impossible to play.

After all, things like home court advantage are obvious even in the NBA. Sometimes, the tendency is subconscious, unless those referees want to deliberately show their fairness and strictness.

But in Cleveland, Rivers didn't believe that such a good thing would happen to him, especially Rondo's second foul had already sounded the bell for him, and his opponents were not a group of rookies in terms of experience.

If he really fights to the final stage, the loser is likely to be the Celtics, and he dare not bet on this.

If we don't reverse the situation in the first quarter, then the next confrontation will definitely be more difficult. I only hope that Chen Feng can continue to maintain his strong control over the rebounds under the attack of the two people.

"Boss, if you don't get three fouls, you don't need to replace me. I have the final say on the basket. Believe me, I can do it. Don't worry so much. I think you will see the results you want. .”

Chen Feng held back for almost 5 minutes, but when Rivers put the burden on him, there was only excitement in his heart, not the kind of suffocation. He just wanted to give it a go immediately.

Just now the Cavaliers' shrinking defense really made him feel awkward. The main reason is that Wallace and Varejao have been pushing Garnett and him out with all their might. Coupled with the entanglement on the outside, it is difficult to send the ball comfortably. Insider.

He already knew that the confrontation in this match would be difficult, but Chen Feng didn't expect the problem to be so outrageous.

When he was off, Chen Feng still patted Rondo on the shoulder, hoping that his partner could stabilize his mood.

After all, Rondo rarely encounters such a boring thing as two fouls in a row, and the opponent still made two weird consecutive penalties, which directly confused the Celtics' tactical arrangement.

Rondo's fate also forced Rivers to start changing tactics ahead of time, but the risk of changing formation still bet on Chen Feng. A 1v2 battle, whether he can win or not will determine a lot of things.

Carrying two big guys?There are really challenging troubles, but this is not an impossible task, isn't it...