NBA's strongest prince

Chapter 360 The Future
The Suns seem to have encountered some problems in the first game of the playoffs. The new players may be a little nervous, but Russell is not panicked at all.

The Mavericks this season are really not a big problem.

During the intermission, he smiled and discussed the situation in the first half with his teammates, and gave everyone suggestions.

Every suggestion he made was on point, and he had a thorough analysis of everyone's performance in the first half.

There is no doubt that after many virtual games, the Mavericks' current lineup has no secrets for Russell.

At the beginning of the second half of the game, the Suns did not attack Nowitzki comprehensively as they had faced the Mavericks before, but at most they were just assisting defense.

Because Howard felt good in the first half, the Suns couldn't immediately gamble on defense.

What's more, Kidd's offensive power is really average. His shooting percentage is maintained by taking fewer shots. He is a typical point guard and can't play hard.

So Russell can limit him, unlike Harris, the Suns can defend normally.

The Mavericks starting Kidd and Dampier are both poor in attack power, and Stackhouse is the same now. He can limit opponents without giving role players a chance.

Of course, pinching is also possible, but there is no need to start taking risks when the team is behind.

If Nowitzki continues to lead the team in the lead, the Suns will definitely attack.

However, after the sun restricted Howard, the situation changed immediately.

In fact, Howard is also unstable himself. He is afraid of halftime when he wins the game. There is a problem with his touch.

Durant's defense is not much good now, his height and arm length are still full of interference when the opponent is playing singles.

When Howard had problems with the Mavericks and the threat on the offensive end declined, the Suns were attacking harder and harder.

Because Dampier couldn't help Stoudemire again, Russell and Dampier assisted, the sun bloomed more, and they overtook the score all at once.

The Suns are so powerful because the team's third and fourth options are so strong. All-stars like Ray Allen are used as a foil, and talented young people like Durant are used as ordinary endpoints. They don't think they are strong. Disaster.

The Suns' scoring in the third quarter was a bit too simple, and the Mavericks who finally took the lead were overtaken, so they were a little anxious.

They immediately started playing more giant planets, trying to make Nowitzki turn the tide.

But at this time, the Suns began to flank. The Mavericks did not have a second star to bear the pressure at the critical moment. The Suns would be foolish not to flank.

Moreover, the Suns still maintained a good output during the rotation period, and the Mavericks had a hard time playing all at once.

Apart from Nowitzki, it is really difficult for them to stand up.

Their second point is Howard, but Howard didn't feel good in the second half.

For a comprehensive player like Howard, his singles ability is not that strong, and he is not very reliable at critical moments.

The current Terry is just a nerve knife. He is still the second strongest point of the Mavericks. The key is that his current touch is also average.

In fact, it is still a problem with the configuration of the team after the change. After the Mavericks get Kidd, they should prepare more attackers. Kidd can help distribute the ball and reduce the pressure on Nowitzki.

The Mavericks made preparations in the middle of the season, and the lineup was more in line with the previous player configuration.

At that time, Harris was his first choice for offense, and other teams had more blue-collar teams, so when it comes to attacking power now, the Mavericks are somewhat powerless.

The Mavericks, who had excellent offensive power at the beginning, have become a bit nondescript now.

They have actually failed early this season, not to mention they met the Suns, even if they met the other top four in the Western Conference, they would not have a chance to survive.

The Suns' flanking made the Mavericks very uncomfortable, and it was difficult for them to make too many changes in a short period of time. This is the benefit of flanking at critical moments.

Of course, they will not be unresponsive. The Mavericks first let Nowitzki rest for a while, and then let him go up to attract defensive attention, and let the rest of the Mavericks try to attack.

But both Kidd and Terry's attempts failed, and they didn't have the kind of work that Nowitzki had in their hands.

At this time, the Suns had already led by 10 points, and Russell also returned to the court. The Mavericks had no choice but to try three-pointers with all their strength.

The Mavericks don't pay special attention to three-pointers now, but they are not opposed to using three-pointers.

But when it comes to insisting on three-pointers, in fact, few teams can make a comeback.

But there are still plenty of teams that make that choice because they have no other options.

When the Mavericks were about to make a three-pointer, the Suns began to play steadily, and the double-digit gap was stable enough.

The more this mentality, the more guaranteed the player's shooting rate.

Even Durant, who was just average before, hit two goals in a row.

There is no way around this. Although both Terry and Stackhouse hit a three-pointer at the last moment, it has no effect on the outcome of the game.

In the first game of the playoffs, the Suns still took the Mavericks lightly despite the relatively mediocre start of the first half.

The team had no resistance at all in the second half, and Mavericks coach Johnson was also very upset. After the game, he told reporters: "We played in a mess. We had a chance, but we didn't grasp it."

"In the game, we should have shown more aggression. I have to re-intensify with the players. This is already the playoffs. When it comes to not winning, you can't move on."

Nowitzki also regretted: "I don't feel that the Suns are invincible, but we didn't do well."

D'Antoni also said after the game: "We made various predictions before the game. We have already planned for the situation of falling behind in the first half, so we can face it calmly."

"And, I can say it again, we can trust Russell at any time."

Russell scored 50+ this time, with 13 assists and 5 steals. It can be said that he is omnipotent.

He smiled happily after the game. He said: "This season, the team lineup has changed. To be honest, I was a little worried at the beginning of the season, but now, I am very convinced that we are still the best team. "

It is not surprising to win the Mavericks, but the growth of the young team is a big profit.

In this game, Durant was very strong in front of him, but his shooting percentage in the final quarter came back a lot.

Russell doesn't ask Durant to do well now, but as long as he is a good end point on the front line, it will be very useful for the Suns.

Before the second game, Russell also communicated with him a lot during training.

"How? The playoffs are actually not too different from the regular season."

Hearing Russell's words, Durant touched his head and said, "It's not too much."

In fact, he still felt that there was a difference, but for the sake of face, he definitely couldn't admit it.

"I'll tell you how to defeat your opponent more neatly now. We will win many championships together in the future."

Russell taught Adu enthusiastically, and the team's alternation really took place in the playoffs.

(End of this chapter)