Basketball Legends: Strikers Are King

At the end of the first half, the Pacers entered the second half with a score of 43-39, leading their opponents by 4 points.

In the visiting team's locker room, the Pacers coaching team was summarizing the first half of the game and revising the key points of the second half.

"It feels like...the players seem to have adapted to the opponent's defense."

Looking at the technical statistics of the first half, Brian Shaw had this idea inexplicably.

In the first half of the game, they made 15 of 30 shots, with a field goal percentage as high as 50%. They even made 5 of 9 three-pointers, with a field goal percentage of over 50%.

The defense couldn't be more demanding. Gay was blocked by George and scored 4 points on 2 of 11 shots. Randolph also only scored 3 points on 1 of 6 shots.

“Keep it up!”

Vogel did not change his offensive and defensive strategy in the first half.

On the other side, the Grizzlies are planning to change their formation.

The downturn of Gay and Randolph, the main offensive players on the front line, forced Hollins to seek a breakthrough offensively.

"The defense still focuses on taking care of their forwards, especially George..."

"We need to strengthen our offense, especially mid-range and outside shots!"

There really isn't much the Grizzlies can do. After all, with Marc Gasol and Randolph under the basket, it's not easy to break through.

"Do more pick-and-rolls, and the forwards should also do more pick-and-rolls!"

He looked at Guy and said to the team members who would no longer be his team members, but were still his team members,

"On offense, Rudy has the ball!"

Conley frowned, but still agreed to the coach's arrangement.

Rudy Gay came to the Grizzlies a year earlier than him, and he is also one year older than him. Although everyone knows that Gay is about to be traded, the current strength of the team, especially the strongest offensive perimeter, is really Gay.

Man, he can only be a functional point guard.

"Blow them up!"

At the end of the half, the two teams returned to the field through the tunnel. The Grizzlies immediately cheered for the home team and cheered them on.

"Another physical duel!"

Tony Allen looked at Qi Tian who appeared on the stage and laughed ferociously.

He is not Bowen of the Spurs. Although he is short in stature, his defense has always relied on his physical strength that he is proud of. It is also his superior physical strength that allows Tony Allen to be good at running without the ball.

As a shooting guard, he was as comfortable as Hamilton of the Pistons.

Paul George broke through with the ball, and as expected, he got the attention of Gay and Randolph. He made a layup, but Marc Gasol collected the rebound.

"Nitrogen Tomb!"

Hibbert only feels that he has been distracted recently. There are few big centers he faces who cannot restrain himself.

The Rockets' Asik is like this, and the Grizzlies' Gasol is like this.

Conley took the basketball and was about to pass it to Gay across the half court, but Hill anticipated his opponent's movements and took action early to complete the steal!

"Quick attack!"

Hill didn't wait for Conley to counterattack, and threw the ball to Qi Tian who had already ran out. George quickly rushed towards the Grizzlies half from the other side.

"I'm here!"

Tony Allen signaled to his teammates and rushed out alone, followed closely by Qi Tian.

Even if Qi Tian breaks through with the ball, even if Tony Allen retreats to defend, he still blocks Qi Tian tightly and does not give his opponent a chance to make a fast break.

"hateful!"

Qi Tian gritted his teeth and rushed toward the basket. After confronting Tony Allen, he failed to squeeze away his opponent and instead rushed toward the baseline.

"Going out of bounds!"

George quickly waved his right hand and asked Qi Tian for the ball, but Gay stood firmly next to him. If Qi Tian passed the ball, Gay would have enough time to react and complete the steal.

Qi Tian jumped up, and Tony Allen also jumped up to interfere, trying his best to block his shooting space and passing route.

"No chance!"

Qi Tian saw that the routes leading to the basket and George were blocked by Allen, and he had an idea and threw the basketball backwards!

"What?"

Tony Allen was caught off guard by Qi Tian's move. He turned around and saw a figure rushing towards him in the direction of the basketball. It was Hill!

Hill caught the ball and broke through quickly, jumped up and squeezed Conley away, then made a layup.

"Dangdang, swish!"

"Dudu!"

The moment the basketball fell into the basket, the referee blew the whistle and called Conley a shooting foul.

2+1!

"Whoosh!"

Hill steadily hit the extra free throw, and then Hibbert blocked Randolph's shot. Hill assisted West for a layup, widening the point difference in one fell swoop.

"You really don't know how to take action yourself?"

Tony Allen muttered to himself. He discovered Qi Tian's weakness, but he didn't expect Qi Tian to have the ability to pass the ball.

"But I won't be defeated by the same move twice in a row."

"48-39."

The score difference had reached a dangerous 9 points, and Hollins quickly requested a substitution and replaced Ellington, who had offensive ability.

Tony Allen's defense is indeed strong, but his offense really has no other means besides catching the ball and shooting from mid-range. Now he is 9 points behind, and Hollins can only treat the dead horse as a living horse doctor.

Facts have proved that this move is indeed effective. Marc Gasol and Randolph made consecutive hits, Ellington received the pass and hit two points, and Conley also made a contribution. The Grizzlies went on a 10-0 run and overtook the score in one fell swoop.

"48-49."

But he didn't expect that this move would free Qi Tian.

Tony Allen, who was stalking him, finally came to an end, and Qi Tian decisively started attacking mode.

He caught the ball at the top of the arc and was about to break through, but was dodged by Conley and completed the steal.

"Give me!"

Gay quickly followed up and asked for the ball to hit a jump shot.

"48-51."

"Tsk!"

Qi Tian reluctantly came to the outside line and asked to pass the basketball to prepare for singles.

"Dong dong dong..."

Qi Tian dribbled the ball outside the three-point line at the top of the arc, quickly moved sideways and pretended to break through. After getting rid of Ellington, he shot from outside the three-point line.

"Whoosh!"

Basketball hollow hit.

"51-51."

"Nice!!!"

The Pacers' bench waved their towels to cheer for Qi Tian.

Randolph and Gasol succeeded in succession, and the Pacers relied on Hibbert's two free throws to stabilize the situation. However, Vogel off the court could see that Hibbert's physical strength had reached its limit and he needed to rest.

"We have to believe them!"

In the fourth quarter, Hibbert still had to rely on the game, so Vogel had no choice but to replace Mahinmi.

The Pacers, who had lost all their inside advantage, relied on Mahinmi and West to score consecutively, but still failed to catch up with the score.

"57-63."

Ellington received a pass from Arthur under the basket and made a layup to widen the point difference again.

"Give me!"

Mahinmi asked for the ball inside, turned towards Arthur and scored a layup.

"59-63."

"It seems that the outcome depends on the fourth quarter!"

The Grizzlies' substitutes seemed to stabilize the situation, and the fans felt a little reassured.

Bayless was about to break through with the ball, but Qi Tian passed by, stole the basketball, and decisively passed the ball to George. George broke through and attracted the defense, and moved the ball in a wide range to Qi Tian on the outside. Qi Tian caught the ball and shot.

"Whoosh!"

"62-63."

Just when Grizzlies fans thought they still had at least a 1-point lead, Qi Tian took another shot from outside at the buzzer.

"Whoosh!"

"65-63."

With two consecutive three-pointers, the Pacers regained the lead again!

“I bought it!!”

The Pacers fans looked at Qi Tian and shouted in disbelief.