God's hand behind the scenes

Chapter 428
For the Pistons, losing Game [-] of the series was a big blow, meaning they lost their home court advantage.They also have to admit that their opponents are indeed very difficult, and it is quite difficult to win the series.

While the players were still brooding over the loss, the coaching staff had already set their sights on the second game.In the tactical analysis meeting, Brown once again emphasized the importance of defense and the rhythm of the game. In the first game, the Pistons were obviously dragged into the rhythm of the Raptors. adapt.

So in the next game, no matter how fast the opponent speeds up, the Pistons will slowly grind their positions against them, which is what they are best at.At the same time, Brown also resolutely let the team give up the competition for offensive rebounds. After a missed shot, at least four people must return to the defense in time. Of course, this also puts forward higher requirements for the players' shooting skills.

However, Brown still praised the players. After all, it is not easy to drag the game to the final decisive moment under the fast-paced offense and defense.Although Hamilton missed the final three-pointer, Brown still affirmed his performance throughout the game. If he hadn't confronted McGrady in the first quarter, the Pistons might have surrendered their guns long ago.

The schedule of the playoffs is relatively tight, and there is no more time for the players to rest. This also requires the head coaches of both sides to come up with a solution to the opponent's tactics as soon as possible.After only one day's rest, the second game of this round of the series is about to start again. This time, all the Pistons are gearing up for a try. They don't allow their opponents to win two games in a row on their own territory.

The goal of the Pistons was quite clear at the beginning of the game. They wanted to guard against Tracy McGrady and Carter, and the others would do their best to score.Although McDyess made a few mid-range shots, it can only be regarded as a small game for the Pistons. They only need to cut off the connection between McGrady, Carter and others. Score it!
In fact, after the first game, many fans questioned the defensive strength of the Pistons. They believed that this was the reputation of the Pistons on weak teams, and once they encountered a strong team, they would be a little unhappy.And this time the Pistons players undoubtedly proved themselves. McGrady and Carter only scored 9 points under their defense in the first quarter. The two made only 13 of 3 shots. Stress is a piece of cake for them.

After entering the semifinals, Brown decisively replaced the node of the substitute lineup.Before that, he usually let the main players play the first 9 to 10 minutes in the first quarter, and let the substitutes share the rest of the time.But facing the Raptors, he didn't dare to make a big deal. If there is no accident, the main players will finish the first quarter, and then let the substitutes go up to the top at the beginning of the second quarter.

The performance of the Pistons' substitutes in the last game was mediocre, but Brown had to send them on the field. It is absolutely impossible for all the main players to play for 48 minutes.However, perhaps because of the suffocation in their hearts, the Pistons' substitutes showed a completely different mental outlook from the previous game as soon as they came on the court, and their offensive and defensive performances have improved to varying degrees.

Crawford, who was nominated as the best sixth man, showed his style of chaotic master, and the backup point guard Atkins basically became a display, only responsible for dribbling the ball across the half.But he doesn't care, Crawford is obviously trained by the head coach as a sixth man, and his strength is indeed very good. As a veteran, he naturally knows what he should do when.

Under the leadership of Crawford, the Pistons' substitutes not only did not fall behind, but steadily suppressed their opponents.Crawford himself played well, and even scored a four-pointer, which also made the Pistons fans in the audience stand up and applaud him.Chang Wei sat in his seat and clapped his hands lightly. For him, Crawford, the king of quarters, did not need to be too excited, but these 3 points are a great boost to morale. Very huge, and it also mobilized the emotions of the fans.

By the time the main players of the two sides re-appeared, the point difference had been widened to 13 points, and Crawford scored 10 points alone. It can be said that his outstanding performance is the key for the Pistons to continue to lead.Of course, the performance of other substitute players is also very good. Crawford alone must not be able to defeat the opponent's five players, which surprised Brown.

After gaining a double-digit lead, the Pistons became more and more courageous, but they did not rush to fight the Raptors again. Instead, they resolutely implemented Brown's arrangement before the game, and each round lasted for about 24 seconds. He can shoot, and when defending, he resolutely double-teams, and always ensures that there are one or two people around the ball holder to put pressure on him.In this way, although the Pistons' scores rose slowly, they could at least ensure that the Raptors' scoring was even more difficult, and the scores between the two sides were further widened.

The impatient Raptors also tried to chase points through a fast-paced offense, but after being successfully defended by the Pistons and counterattacked, they did not dare to be so reckless. They could only watch helplessly as they struggled in the Pistons' defense.At the end of the half, the Pistons led by 58 points 44 to 14, which also caused prolonged applause from the scene.

Although the Raptors once played a wave of scoring spurts after the start of the third quarter and narrowed the point difference to single digits, the rock-solid Pistons still expanded the point difference little by little.Their style of play made the Raptors feel very painful. The feeling of not being able to exert energy made everyone want to vomit blood for three liters, but they could not point to the noses of the Pistons players to make them play faster. After all, this is their style. , they want to play slowly, so what can you do?
Facing a grind like the Pistons, the Raptors completely lost their temper. Since then, they have never been able to catch the score within 10 points. Wilkens withdrew with 5 minutes and 27 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Most of the starting players only let Carter and the substitutes spend the last time, obviously planning to throw in the towel.For Wilkens, it is not unacceptable to return to the home court with a big score of 1 to 1, and the Raptors have no chance in this game, so it is better to let the main players rest for a while.

The final score of the two sides was 101 to 89, and the Pistons easily won their first victory in the series.It wasn't until the final whistle that the Pistons players smiled. For them, this victory was an atonement for the first game.

(End of this chapter)