Versatile Point Forward

Chapter 293 There is nothing to do
It's hard to crack the Celtics' defense, at least for McMillan.Although there are two full days between the two games for him to think about the countermeasures, he still can't solve this problem with his coaching level, and the Blazers don't have the manpower to let him do his best.

The Trail Blazers have always been known for their sharp offense. Although the average points per game failed to rank first in the league, their 113.5 points still put them in the top five in the league.But the Celtics are different. During the regular season, they were able to control their average conceded points to 101.2 points per game, which is already among the top ten in the league. The score has further dropped to 97.5 points, which can be said to be the strongest defensive team in the league.

In terms of defense, the Celtics have tradition, experience, and players who can fully implement the coach's intentions. With the combination of the three, McMillan really has no choice.He can indeed count on the players to shoot a sky-high three-pointer from the outside, but he also knows that the Celtics will never allow such a thing to happen. What cards do the Blazers have in their hands?
In the second game, the Blazers still had nothing to do. Unlike the previous game, they fell into a passive position in the first quarter.Rivers took the initiative to choose a change, starting with Tony Allen instead of Ray Allen, in order to limit the Blazers' outside firepower.Although the Blazers' outside players felt cold in the first game, Rivers didn't want to make the game too many variables, so it was logical to send Tony Allen and Rondo to restrict the outside line in advance.And there is another advantage of putting Ray Allen on the bench. When the two sides switch to the rotation at the same time, he can get enough shots from the outside, which can be regarded as liberating Ray Allen's firepower in disguise.

After all, under normal circumstances, most of the Celtics' shooting rights are concentrated on Pierce. Although he can also score, Ray Allen hopes that he can get more shots. Rivers' adjustment is undoubtedly smooth. In his mind, as a veteran, the championship is the most important thing, and there is no difference between starting and subs for them.In fact, as long as they are not used to pretending to be aggressive, the old players can do anything in the team for the championship.

With Tony Allen, Garnett is obviously more focused on various single defenses and complementary defenses inside, weaving a net within the Celtics' three-point line.His defensive range often makes the Blazers' offensive tactics come back in vain. In desperation, the offensive players headed by Ye Feng can only frequently play singles with the ball in the elbow area. This can be regarded as avoiding Garnett's interference to the greatest extent. Being blocked is much scarier.But singles with the ball has an obvious disadvantage, that is, the scoring efficiency is too low. In fact, there is no way to do it. With the Celtics' defensive strength and physical confrontation, how can it give you an easy chance to score?
On the Celtics side, Rondo and Pierce's pick-and-roll was in full swing.This is also what Rivers specifically explained before the game. Garnett put more energy on the defensive end, and the "wall" of the pick-and-roll is best served by Pierce.First of all, Pierce does not consume as much defensively as Garnett, and secondly, he is also a qualified screener. Although Pierce is only 2.01 meters tall, his weight has reached 107 kg, which is only about 8 kg lighter than Garnett. A strong body is really suitable for being a cover man.After Rondo and him pick and roll, he can pull beyond the three-point line, forcing the opponent to give up the idea of ​​double-teaming Rondo.

The Blazers suffered from not having a comprehensive defensive player like Garnett. They were at a loss in front of the Celtics' extremely simple offensive routines, and were continuously scored by opponents at the basket or outside the three-point line.You must know that Pierce made 41.4% of his three-pointers in the regular season. When Rondo's breakthrough created space for him, how could he not shoot directly outside the three-point line?There is no hesitation at all, okay?
Although the Blazers scored 23 points in a single quarter, the Celtics scored 35 points under their low-intensity defense. This is a more tragic situation than the first game.In fact, the competition between the two sides for the starters was evenly matched. When the coach replaced the Blazers, the Trail Blazers were only 4 points behind. However, in the last 3 minutes of the first quarter, the Celtics played a 13-5 climax. , Ray Allen hit three three-pointers alone, which directly stopped the Blazers' counterattack momentum.I have to admit that Rivers still has a hand, and the decision to remove Ray Allen from the starting lineup has now had an effect.

In the second quarter, under Ye Feng's deliberate guidance, the Blazers increased the frequency of outside shooting. The hit rate was not very good, but it also relieved the pressure on the inside to a certain extent, making the Celtics dare not shrink their troops recklessly. .Ye Feng hit two three-pointers from outside alone, and Miller and Batum also hit one goal each. The Blazers once narrowed the point difference to 6 points.However, Rivers replaced Wallace in time and let him guard the inside, thus liberating Garnett.

If Garnett originally only moved in the low post and mid-range, now his range of movement is more in the high post or even outside the three-point line, and with his agility, it is not very difficult to defend outside players.Under his interference, the slightly improving Blazers misfired again. The Celtics took the opportunity to open the score again and entered the second half with a 12-point lead.

In the last 24 minutes, the Blazers' offensive burden completely fell on Ye Feng. He supported the Blazers' offense alone, but he couldn't recover the disadvantage.I have to admit that Ye Feng's strength is indeed very strong. He can still score continuously under such a high-intensity defense of the Celtics, but his teammates basically can't provide him with any help. It's a good end, he knew this truth in the Western Conference Finals.

The drums in the North Shore Garden Arena are getting louder and louder, and the Celtics' offense is getting sharper. What is admirable is that they still did not relax on the defensive end, and they still tried their best to strangle the Blazers players. From their performance on the court, it is completely impossible to tell that this is a group of old guys over 30 years old.Although the team still has a new generation like Rondo, there is nothing wrong with calling them an old team.

96 to 80, the Celtics made another victory, and the Blazers will be home next.

(End of this chapter)