Versatile Point Forward

Chapter 295
After the start of the second quarter, the Celtics tried to use defense to limit the Blazers' offense. However, under the leadership of Ye Feng, the Blazers did not throw around outside. Take the initiative to find the body to fight.Because the Trail Blazers are at home, the referee gave a little more care. This is also an unspoken rule of the NBA. The so-called "home whistle" and "superstar whistle" are like this.

After being fouled consecutively in the interior, the Celtics were honest. They finally understood that today's Blazers are not easy to mess with, but this does not mean that they have to hand in their guns and surrender.They have already seen that the Blazers are a team with a fast offensive and defensive rhythm. Only quick ball transfers can help them stretch the space. Then what the Celtics have to do is to reduce the rhythm of the game and force the opponent to use a slow rhythm. and grind yourself.

This shows how rich their experience is.If you play against the Blazers with a hot head, let alone the shooting percentage, at least with their player configuration, it is unrealistic to play a fast-paced game. You can't ask a group of veterans to follow the boys on the court. Doing back and forth runs without delay, this is undoubtedly using one's own shortcomings to defeat the other's strengths.But after lowering the rhythm, it will be different. The Celtics have more experience in this regard, and the slow rhythm is also conducive to wearing down the spirit of the Blazers. It's easy to win the game.

But how could the Blazers give up control of the rhythm of the game?Their idea is very simple, you play your slow tempo, we play our fast tempo, and see who can beat who.As the tactical core on the field, Ye Feng still has some small calculations in his mind. He is not afraid of the Celtics playing positional battles. Although the Blazers are not known for their defense, they still have basic defensive tactics and defensive desires. It is impossible for the Walters to get easy scoring opportunities casually, and the slow-paced defense can allow the Blazers players to take a break from their busy schedule. After all, no one wants to be led by the nose and run around.

The Blazers continued to insist on their fast-paced offense, which made the Celtics players miserable, and they were a little out of breath within half a quarter.In desperation, Rivers had to replace a few substitute players and play mixed with the starters.After all, strictly speaking, Rondo and Perkins didn't consume much. They can continue to play, and the Big Three need more rest. After they are replaced, they can rest for a while off the court.

I have to say that Tony Allen is indeed the top perimeter defender in the league. The backcourt combination formed by him and Rondo put a lot of pressure on the Blazers on the perimeter, but the Blazers quickly shifted their offensive focus to the interior, because the replacement Garnett's Wallace simply can't reach the previous defensive intensity.Indeed, Wallace is an important figure in the "Pistons Five Tigers", but the defense of the Pistons inside largely relied on "Big Ben", and he was much better than "Roaring God" in terms of defense.Although Wallace was nurtured in Detroit, he still failed to reach the top level as an offensive player.

For a while, the Trail Blazers succeeded in the inside. Although Wallace could use his long arms to interfere with shots, but his inside partner Perkins was a meat shield player, and it was extremely difficult for him to help defend. Ye Feng and the others also saw this weakness, so they rushed to the basket unscrupulously.In case Perkins supplements the defense, he can pass the ball to Camby under the basket, which will undoubtedly make the offense easier.

The Celtics' current lineup has a shortcoming, that is, the firepower is too weak, and Rondo and Wallace alone cannot compete with the Blazers.As a result, when the Big Three reappeared, the Blazers once again played a 10-3 climax, opening the point difference to 12 points in one fell swoop.The Big Three were unable to lead the team to counterattack for the time being, so they could only try to ensure that they played back and forth with each other, and finally entered the second half with a 12-point disadvantage.

In the third quarter, Ray Allen seemed to be showing signs of recovery, largely because he saw through Batum's defense and continuously called inside players to the high post to do off-ball screens, and then he could quickly run to the gap Position catch and shoot.Batum obviously didn't expect Ray Allen to come up with this move, and what's even more embarrassing is that he still has no way to break it. He can only use offense to offense, and use his own scoring to offset the weakness of the defense.

In fact, Batum still has an advantage in facing Ray Allen's defense. Although he is the shooting guard of the Trail Blazers, his height is still the height of a small forward. It takes more energy to stop his shot.Ye Feng, who was in charge of organizing the offense, was not stingy with his shot rights. As long as Batum had a chance on the outside, he would throw the ball without hesitation.Batum also lived up to expectations. I don’t know if it’s because he was already hot or stimulated by Ray Allen. After only 1.96 minutes in the third quarter, he made 4 of 3 three-pointers and made up for his defense. End of the loss.

Originally, the Celtics hoped that Ray Allen could drive the team's offense, but soon his scoring momentum was interrupted by the Blazers. Seeing that the score was approaching, it was pulled away again, and Rivers stood Scratching his head on the sidelines.It's not easy for him to roar at the players, but his gloomy expression shows that he is in a very bad mood at the moment. Even if the Blazers win the game, the Celtics still have the advantage, but in Rivers' view this is intolerable.

But his mood was not enough to stop the Blazers from bombarding indiscriminately. In the second half of the third quarter, the outside firepower once again showed its power. The idea of ​​​​the Celtics' tenacious resistance.In the fourth quarter, the helpless Rivers simply replaced all the starters and let the substitutes finish the last quarter.This is the sadness of the head coach of the veteran team. If the players on the list are younger, Rivers will let the starters spend an extra quarter on the court to see if there is any hope of equalizing the score in the fourth quarter. Even overtake.

But it is also good to let the Big Three rest for a while, so that they can reserve enough energy for the next game.In Rivers' view, the state of the Blazers in this game is abnormal. Of course, their morale is understandable, and the unbelievably high shooting rate is very unscientific.Watching the Blazers players still running tirelessly on the field, Rivers' heart has gradually flown to the fourth game.

(End of this chapter)