Basketball's most talented forward is on the left

No one expected such a script in the first half. When Dragic broke through the Celtics' well-prepared zone defense strategy with his first three-pointer, the entire game changed.

Throughout the first half, except for the sleepwalking Perkins, the rest of the Green Army played very hard. The 44 points in the half were basically at the level of the Green Army this season.

You must know that the Celtics' average points per game in away games this season is only 93.7 points. 44 points at halftime is close to the Celtics' normal level, so the problem is not on the offensive end. Their offensive firepower has always been like this.

point, so the problem can only be on the defensive end.

But is there something wrong with the Celtics' defense?

It seems that this cannot be said.

After all, their defense was still very serious. Except for occasional mistakes, they did not give the Knicks any more opportunities for a second attack. The score on the second attack was tied 7-7 and they only lost 1 rebound.

At the same time, their personal marking of Zuo Li was also very successful. The Knicks' leading scorer only had 12 points and 7 rebounds at halftime, including 3 offensive rebounds. Compared with the previous round, Zuo Li's statistics were like underperformance.

So what exactly went wrong?

Of course it’s the hit rate!

The Knicks' abnormal three-pointers were nothing after 2015. At that time, not throwing 20 three-pointers in a game was considered a bad mood, but in this era, hitting 13 goals in 17 shots in the half is an incredible record.

Already.

You must know that the Celtics have Ray Allen, the player who ranks second in three-pointers (not surpassing Reggie Miller), but they only average about 11 three-pointers per game and hit about 4 times.

This is the truth about three points in this era.

Therefore, the Knicks' crazy shooting is an anomaly in this era. The Celtics were not prepared at all and were directly shot by the Knicks!

Just look at Zuoli's 8 assists in the half and you will know that this teammate can easily get them with just one throw.

What's even more outrageous is that highlights were played on the big screen at halftime, which included all kinds of three-pointers or long two-pointers that were thrown in unreasonably or under defensive conditions.

This is why the Celtics were so beaten that they had no power to fight back from the scene.

The Celtics obviously also know that losing like this is not their own fault, the main reason is that the opponent is too accurate!

Rivers just wanted to shout; "MD, there is something wrong!"

But other than venting your anger, it has no use.

"There are always nights in the NBA when the basket is as vast as the ocean to all the players on a certain team. At that time, all you have to do is accept it and enjoy it."

Based on this theory, the Celtics began to rotate substitutes in the third quarter. After all, the first game was an away game. There was no need to fight to the death. This was not a life-or-death moment.

And the crazy Knicks are ready to pursue the victory.

Zuo Li and Dragic led Harrington, and David Lee and Novak went up.

At this point, Zuo Li completed his first steal of the series, cutting off the ball from Big Baby, and then started a three-line fast break.

"Zuo Li passed to Dragic, and Dragic passed back to Zuo Li! Zuo Li, who was close to the basket, made a fake layup! Zuo Li passed to Dragic again, outside the three-point line.

Dragic made a shot! What a great shot! Another three-pointer, Dragic's fifth three-pointer of the game!" Yu Jia was so wet on the sidelines that the Knicks were completely high and couldn't stop it.

, playing with the Green Army in the palm of your hand.

This transition between offense and defense deceived Pierce. From behind the three-point line, Zuo Li and Dragic, a senior and a junior, did not dribble the ball at all. They passed the ball forward. There was Novak waiting in the bottom corner.

, this tactic just doesn’t give you a way to survive.

Subsequently, Dragic ushered in a big explosion and hit two three-pointers again to help the Knicks continue to increase the score.

The Thunder's two big men, Perkins and Big Baby, finally came into their own. They hit two mid-range jump shots that they were not good at. However, Zuo Li immediately responded. Zuo Li pulled out from the top of the arc and hit a three-pointer, and then shook Perkins away.

Successful one-handed chop!

With Novak actually scoring another 2 points on a fake shot, the Knicks extended their lead to 30 points in 6 minutes in the third quarter.

"Gudeng."

By this time, the fans had already begun to swallow their saliva.

Is this the Celtics? Being beaten like this? If I remember correctly, this is the first time the Celtics have been so embarrassed this season!

Indeed.

Off the court, Pierce and Rondo looked at each other and saw the dissatisfaction in each other's eyes, so they took the initiative to come on the court for the final bloody battle with the Knicks.

The two of them scored consecutively from the start, especially Rondo, who forced a breakthrough even after being left one meter short, and even fooled Zuo Li with his iconic one-arm giant loop.

Then Pierce hit Novak continuously, causing the latter to commit consecutive fouls and was replaced. Unfortunately, Pierce, who was feeling better, made one of two free throws twice.

But the three and a half minutes were still effective. The two stepped up and scored 8 points together, and the Celtics once launched an 8-0 attack wave.

However, the Knicks did not show mercy at all. Zuo Li scored 3 consecutive singles in the paint, and then assisted Chandler who just came on the court to score a long two-pointer.

90-60!

In this quarter, the Knicks continued to expand the score, winning by 9 points in a single quarter, and entered the final quarter with a full 30-point difference.

"It's completely over now." The commentators all sentenced the Celtics to death. After chasing 30 points in one quarter, even if the Knicks couldn't score a single point, it would be difficult for the Celtics to overtake.

In the fourth quarter, both sides started to get up to speed, but the Knicks naturally relaxed and made two consecutive mistakes due to lack of concentration.

But the Celtics failed to seize the opportunity. They missed two three-pointers and missed the final opportunity to chase points.

"We have been defeated like a mountain. Until now, no matter how tough the Celtic players are and how resilient the team is, they no longer have the energy to chase points." Yu Jia commented on the mood of the Celtic players on the court now.

, that means I feel so tired and want to get off work.

In the end, the game lasted 4 minutes, and the score difference was still 30 points. The Celtics took the lead in substituting their main players, and the Knicks immediately replaced Zuo Li and Dragic, and the game entered garbage time.

Zuo Li watched the final seconds on the bench. The Celtics seized opportunities continuously, but the Knicks did not play seriously. In the end, the game time ran out, 118-100. The Knicks finally won by 18 points and took the lead in the semifinals by 1.

-0 lead!

Zuo Li got his second triple-double in the playoffs. He scored 19 points, 14 rebounds, 11 assists, 3 blocks and 1 steal. He shot 70% from the field, 1 of 1 three-pointers, and even 7 of 8 free throws.

, the performance is perfect.

In the last round, Zuo Li became the fifth rookie player in NBA history to get a triple-double in the playoffs. The first four were Tom Gola (1956) and Jerry Lucas (1964).

, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1970) and "Magic" Johnson (1980).

This time, Zuo Li became the second player to get more than 2 triple-doubles in the playoffs during his rookie season. The first was Magic's 5 times.

Not only Zuo Li, Dragic also had the best playoff career data of 28 points and 6 assists, and 6 of 8 three-pointers was also the best record.

The Knicks had 7 players score in double figures and made 16 of 23 three-pointers, setting the best record in team history!

"This is a perfect victory!" Barkley said.