Basketball Dragon

Chapter 239 Choking Defense
Just after entering the third quarter, Marbury and Li Hai directly hit a three-pointer after a pick-and-roll to overtake the score.

They are strong outside, and this ball also shows their determination to win.

The Cavaliers still scored on the inside, and Ilgauskas' half-block was very threatening.

After Li Hai and James returned to the court, it was as if they hadn't been consumed at all, and they directly staged the strongest confrontation.

At this time, Li Hai finally felt that something was wrong with James. That's right, the opponent had reached the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time, and they were probably more nervous than them, so they tried their best to defend and left some offense behind.

Then just pay the tuition honestly, Li Hai laughed and became more confident.

He has long lost the awe of the stars, and now he has a sense of superiority. He has won the championship and has become an object of awe for others.

He made fake moves, ran backwards, and shot as soon as he caught the ball. This shot was a steady hit, and the momentum exuded from him was amazing.

It wasn't a single hit, and then Li Hai made two consecutive hits, leading the Knicks to a 9:0 offensive climax.

In the third quarter of the game, the defending champion finally bared his fangs and took the situation into his own hands.

The hard work in the first half brought the physical strength of both sides to a critical point in the third quarter, and the two sides fell into a scoring shortage. Li Hai's first burst led the Knicks to overtake and lead by 7 points in the third quarter, 63:56.

In the fourth quarter, both James and Larry Hughes chose not to rest, but their shooting percentages were not high. The Cavaliers' most stable offense was Ilgauskas, but Big Z's physical strength could not support him. He stayed on the court as much time as James and the others.

Varejao, who came off the bench, was not as amazing as in the first half. Crawford hit a three-pointer to help the team extend the lead to 10 points.

It wasn't until Ilgauskas came on the field and succeeded in the interior attack that the Cavaliers regained the score within ten points.

At this time, Channing Frye, who had never had a sense of presence before, finally hit a three-pointer, and then Francis also hit a three-pointer, and the Knicks pulled the score away in an instant.

The Cavaliers are still very resilient, and James also actively adjusted himself, playing a 2+1 against Li Hai.

But this outstanding performance of James was only a flash in the pan in this game. In the last 2 minutes, Ilgauskas couldn't run anymore. The Cavaliers' offense completely stagnated, and the Knicks took the opportunity to win the game in one fell swoop.

88:77, in this high-intensity defensive battle, the Knicks had the last laugh at home.

James scored a triple-double with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, but without his points, the Cavaliers could not win the victory. Li Hai scored 20 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Compared with other games, the data has also declined, but the key moment is that he achieved won.

After the game, James also said: "I forgot the aggressiveness of this game. The loss made me completely awake. The Knicks are a very strong opponent, and so is Li Hai. We can't make mistakes. The Cavaliers can beat any opponent. Believe in that."

"We are the defending champions. We know how to win the game. I am very happy that my teammates can maintain their concentration and tenacity in the game. Next, we will do better, such as rebounding, and we will grab more."

When Li Hai spoke in front of the public, he also had the temperament of a leader.

In the training on the second day of the game, Larry Brown's requirements were even stricter, and his pursuit of details was to the point of maddening, and sometimes Li Hai felt that he couldn't stand it.

But they all know that the closer to the critical moment, the more serious they must be. To defeat their opponents, they must do better than their opponents.

The second game between the two sides was three days later. The Knicks' home court atmosphere was still enthusiastic, and Li Hai's fans holding signs of support in Chinese were also very conspicuous.

James's game is different from the last game. It is all kinds of strong attacks.

Players who have reached their level will definitely be able to find offensive opportunities as long as they think about it.

This time, he hit the first ball right in front of Li Hai, and James also roared to show his determination.

Li Hai immediately became more focused, but he didn't choose to fight back immediately. When they got a big lead, they had the capital to calm down.

They started in the paint, and Eddie Curry didn't miss the offense and put the ball in.

Turning around, the Cavaliers also passed the ball inside. Gooden and Ilgauskas cooperated with each other, and Ilgauskas made a shot.

The Knicks can't let the situation on the field repeat in this game. They have strengthened their defense on the inside and used pincers without hesitation. question.

Their strategy was successful, or Ilgauskas' consumption in the first game has not recovered, and the next few inside attacks of the Cavaliers are not bad.

So James started to make a big deal, but his second shot was blocked by Li Hai.

The Cavaliers' defensive tactics against James can't be cracked casually. It's not so easy for James to get to the basket, but if he shoots from the outside, it's already a very high hit rate.

Although James is powerful, it is impossible to beat the Knicks with a jumper.

So in the first quarter, he hit three mid-range shots and caused Li Hai to foul once, but the Cavaliers trailed by 4 points.

At 20:16, the Knicks led the end of the first quarter. The offense of the two teams fluctuated, but the defense remained strong.

However, when the bench lineup came up, the Cavaliers' offense broke out.

One is the old problem. Varejao played very well in the paint. He has enough height and is very flexible, and unexpectedly hits frequently.

There is also the Cavaliers rookie Daniel Gibson, who hit two three-pointers when he came up.

Although Crawford also hit a three-pointer, he did not have the opponent's scoring efficiency.

In just a few minutes, the Cavaliers not only pulled back the score, but also took a two-point lead. The rebounds that the Knicks emphasized several times lost again.

Before Li Hai rested for 3 minutes, he entered the game early.

James was staring at him, with an expression of never wanting to score in front of him.

"It's another duel between Li Hai and James. Li Hai's change of direction is really wonderful. Even James' reaction was a bit slow. Varejao stood in front of him. Li Hai rushed over and fell down immediately, but the referee signaled that this was a blocking foul. Raccoon immediately jumped up and argued with the referee..."

"Li Hai fouled again, today's James made Li Hai a little bit hard."

"He shot the three-pointer without hesitation. Li Hai is really big-hearted. He missed two goals before, and he hit it. This time he made a hit against James' defense."

(End of this chapter)