the great gatsby

Chapter 445 Pacers!
On May 5, the game between the Knicks and the Pacers kicked off. The Pacers challenged the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

The Pacers are a team model team, which is different from the superstars in the league. They are unwilling to adopt this extremely costly model and have no way to support this model. After all, they are just a small market team. .

At the beginning of this season, at the beginning of the season, Granger was sidelined indefinitely due to knee problems. When people thought that the Pacers would be difficult to achieve results this season, Paul George stood up and joined forces with Hibbert and West. , played the third record in the Eastern Conference.

In fact, looking back and forth at the Pacers lineup now, they are actually not weak at all. Apart from West, Paul George, Hibbert, George Hill, Augustine, and Hansbrough and other strongmen, this is also The reason why they were able to score third in the Eastern Conference.

Madison Square Garden is already packed with fans, and there are many reporters in the media area preparing to broadcast live. ESPN will not let go of the Knicks game. Mike Breen and Jeff Van Gundy are also broadcasting the game live.

Ceremonies such as singing the national anthem are indispensable. After a warm-up, players from both sides entered the field and the game began.

The starting lineup of the Pacers is George Hill, Paul George, David West, Sam Young and Roy Hibbert. Originally Stephenson should be in the Pacers, but due to the appearance of Gatsby, Stephenson did not Didn't come to the Pacers.

The starters for the Knicks are: Gatsby, Thompson, Leonard, Gallinari and Bogut.Green will not be able to participate in the two home games because of the suspension.

Bogut and Hibbert jumped the ball in the middle circle. Hibbert beat Bogut with a height of 218cm and passed the ball to Hill.This season, Hibbert has officially reached his peak. He averaged 11.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game in the regular season. Assists, the Pacers were able to fight the Heat in seven games, which is inseparable from Hibbert's excellence.

Hill received the ball after halftime. Hill is a typical Spurs player. He received excellent basic training in the Spurs. He played unpretentiously, but he was extremely calm. The data has risen from 11.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.5 assists to 14.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists. He is already a better point guard in the league.

Hill didn't dare to relax when facing Gatsby's defense. Gatsby's footsteps were fast and he could be intercepted. Fortunately, the Pacers play the game as a whole and can pass the ball when the matchup is not dominant. Leave it to other people to handle it. West is a very good supporter. He relied on support and CIC to play until he was 38 years old. He knew that he also helped the Golden State Warriors win a championship in the 17-18 season.

West held the ball with his back to Gallinari, George cut out from the baseline and circled West with a hand to break through the middle, Leonard was hung up, only Bogut was left inside to protect the frame, George's pace was very fast Rhythm, a European step passed Bogut for a layup.

The Pacers scored 2 points first.

Gatsby shook his head slightly. Gallinari is indeed tough defensively, but toughness cannot replace anticipation and footwork. If the ball is Green, he will definitely be able to directly switch to George, and will not easily let Paul George layup.

Gatsby dribbled the ball for half the court, and it was Hill who defended Gatsby. Hill actually played a shooting guard in college. His height was a disadvantage in the position of shooting guard. Playing point guard is perfect. He has a strong body and exaggerated wingspan. He is a very good defender at the first position.

Hill relies on his feet and long hands to interfere with Gatsby, but Gatsby doesn't care who the opponent is. Unless he is facing a defender that is too weak, his first choice is the bottom. If Green is not there, he will find Bogut to pick and roll. , Bogut blocked Hill, and Gatsby bypassed the breakthrough.

The coach of the Pacers is Frank Vogel. Coach Vogel's coaching is quite good. In the past two seasons, the team's winning percentage has reached more than 60%. His main contribution is to adjust and teach the Pacers' defense. The Pacers are not a very good offensive team, and their shooting ability is not outstanding, but they still scored third in the Eastern Conference, relying on their defense.

Coach Vogel's defensive system has three basic principles:
——Do not switch defenses; this principle has proved unfeasible when the Golden State Warriors swept the league in the future, because all teams used three-pointers in a wide range at that time, but they can still rely on this strategy today Break into the top three.

——Close to the three-point line and chase the opponent madly;

——Try to let the opponent walk in the middle.

All the statistics show that Vogel is one of the best defensive coaches in the league today, but his defensive system is extremely demanding on players. In order for the defensive system to work, he needs two types of players: Tall Wings and a big center guard the rim.

Today's Pacers are such a team, with Paul George on the wing and Hibbert on the inside, so they have created such a solid defense.

but……

The Knicks' style of play is actually the style of the Golden State Warriors in the later mature period, with the perimeter as the core. Gatsby is a more aggressive point guard than Curry. He not only has Curry's shooting and slightly better He has a good organization, and he has a physical fitness that Curry can't match. With a height of 198cm and a weight of 105kg, he can make too many choices.

Hill wanted to bypass the defense, while Hibbert took a step back and prepared to follow Bogut who was going down. There was not much problem with this choice. They followed the coach's tactics, and this was also the key to their victory.

It's just that they are facing Gatsby now!
Hibbert retreated, it took time for Hill to bypass the defense, Gatsby's shot speed was so fast, he just pulled up and shot, Hill bypassed and jumped up to interfere, but he couldn't reach it, the basketball was so fast in the air Spin, and then plunge into the basket!

And Gatsby turned his head and walked away when the ball was still spinning in the air when the shot landed. The audience in Madison Square Garden jumped up in unison. The moment the basketball went into the basket, the audience was boiling Come on, and this is just Gatsby's regular season operation. Gatsby has played this kind of ball countless times in the regular season.

Also in the Eastern Conference, the Pacers have played countless games against the Knicks. Coach Vogel and Gatsby are old acquaintances, but Coach Vogel is still reluctant to change his tactics because the tactical system of a team is not It changes at any time. Vogel would rather let Gatsby shoot than let him drive the whole team in a Gatsby-style way. That is fatal!
(End of this chapter)