Bulldozer of the NBA’s Restricted Area

There's basically nothing to say about the Jazz's starting lineup.

It is worth mentioning that Tyrone and Bond did not appear in this game, and their starting positions were replaced by David Benoit and Jane Ferhenris. The reason for this arrangement is because Jerry Si Long was dissatisfied with the defensive performance of Tyrone and Bond in several games.

There is a saying, in the NBA, offense depends on talent and defense depends on attitude.

Although this statement is not absolute, as long as you have an attitude and are willing to fight, your defense will never be bad. Crotty is the best example. The Jazz's current main offensive position is on the inside, and the only thing they can perform on the outside is defense. However, Tyrone and Bond's defense was not strong enough.

On the contrary, Benoit has found his position correctly. He does not have much desire to attack, but his desire to defend is overwhelming. His trash talk alone is enough to give his opponent a drink.

As for Jan Verhenris, he is eager for the opportunity to play, and as long as he has the desire and desire, his performance will not be too bad. In Sloan's view, as a former backup shooting guard, this guy can also make up for the outside to a certain extent. Take action.

…

Return to the Sonics starting lineup.

Center Earvin Johnson, power forward Shawn Kemp, small forward Detrev Schrempf, point guard Gary Payton, and shooting guard Kendall Gill.

There's not much else to say. The only surprising thing about this lineup is... the center position is actually Earvin Johnson, this season's rookie and Magician's namesake?

You must know that this guy averaged less than 10 minutes per game in the regular season. It can be seen that the SuperSonics did not take him seriously. And this time he became the starter in the crucial playoffs. No one really understands why coach George Karl gave him Li Shengli delivers food.

If you want to use Erwin to restrict Li Shengli, are you thinking nonsense?

Even if George Karl asked Kemp to play the fifth position, everyone would understand, but it is really unbelievable for a first-year rookie to directly pull him out to fight against the rising Li Shengli.

…

The gap between the two centers was reflected in the jump ball in the midfield.

Li Shengli's big hand had already touched the ball, but Erwin's head was just level with his creaking pit. Whether it was his reaction, timing, or the instant burst of power in his lower limbs, everything was completely blown away.

Jazz offense in the first round.

Crotty held the ball past half-court, ran into the penalty area under Malone's pick-and-roll, and then handed it over to Malone, who jumped off the ground to complete a dunk.

Seems easy?

Stockton and Malone's pick-and-roll tactics have always been a classic signature of the Jazz, and Li Shengli watched Malone easily dunk without any obstacles. He felt that there was no pressure in this game or at least this quarter.

The offense and defense change sides, and the Supersonics attack.

Gary Payton is nicknamed "The Glove" because of his deep defensive skills, but his other abilities as a point guard cannot be ignored. He faced Jan Fernris with the ball at the top of the key and easily changed direction and swayed. past.

"Crotty, help!"

"Leave it to me and look at me!"

Verhenris and Crotty completed the communication instantly and exchanged defensive targets. In this short period of time, Gary Payton, who was rushing inside, seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. Without looking back, he directly backhand the ball to Throw back.

"Jill!"

"receive!"

Crotty ran towards Gary Payton, and Ferhenris had not yet reached the defensive position. Gill had a very good chance to shoot this time, and because his position was only one step away from the three-point line, the shooting distance was not exaggerated. In this situation, taking a step back and shooting a three-pointer is the wisest choice.

Uh-huh!

Hollow brush net!

He only scored one goal, so he can't even talk about his touch, but it can be seen from Gil's face... that he is still quite confident.

…

"Keep an eye on your own people and make up for them quickly!"

"Ignore the people near the restricted area, leave it to Lee and Carl!"

"Run, run quickly, show some momentum!"

The Jazz hit the first ball very easily, and the Sonics also hit a backhand, which was equally easy, but the former was two points and the latter was three points, which doesn't sound like much, but I'm afraid that this small advantage will accumulate. So Jerry Sloan was yelling at players on the sidelines to remind the defense.

…

Back to the Jazz offense.

The Sonics' defensive arrangement may have made a little sense, because after Li Shengli received the ball, the opposing center Irvin showed an unusually excited state, and Detrev at the small forward position also came up and added another Kemp was watching eagerly and slowly approaching. The two cooperated with Erwin and double-teamed Li Shengli.

Irvine is 2.11 meters tall, Detrev is also 2.06 meters tall, plus Kemp who is 2.08 meters tall, the average height of the SuperSonics penalty area defense is quite good, and George Karl probably saw that the Jazz except No. 4 or 5 Position, the attack power of other positions is insufficient, so the tactical idea is probably...two people double-team, and Kemp is ready to join the team at any time?

It is estimated that George Karl used Ervin as a human shield and rebounder. Instead, Detrev, who originally played the fourth and fifth positions, made him play small forward, and his range of motion was within the three-point line. , outside the penalty area, the defense can cooperate with the center, and the offense can avoid Li Shengli, ensuring the shot efficiency to the greatest extent.

Can double-teaming be useful?

Li Shengli doesn’t believe in evil!

Although Irvine used all his strength to fight against Li Shengli, Li Shengli still resisted him. After Detrev was in place, Li Shengli directly gave the ball to Benoit who was waiting on the other side.

This ball is not impossible to hit, but it is the most economical and reasonable to distribute the ball to an open teammate. Jerry Sloan on the sidelines looked at Li Shengli and nodded secretly, but then he started to curse... because Ban Knott took the shot in an open position, and when Detlef, who was returning to defense, had no time to defend, this guy still hit the iron!

Although the rebound was picked off by Li Shengli and a make-up dunk came along the way, this still could not cover up Benoit's mistake. Even if the shot was not counted as a turnover data, hitting the ball in the open... This would make Sloan even more angry than the turnover data.

…

The game continues.

After playing back and forth for several rounds, the SuperSonics double-teamed Li Shengli as usual. Li Shengli almost cursed after giving the ball to Bennott three times and hitting the ball three times, because the most reasonable distribution of the ball came from Bennott's knocking. Seems very unreasonable.

Fight hard!

Facing a double-team, Li Shengli could only choose to fight hard!

However, problems also arise, because Supersonics center Irvin is not only a human shield and a part-time rebounder, but also a big player in foul statistics. He is completely a victim of George Karl. He committed 4 fouls in one quarter. It was all placed on Li Shengli.

Fortunately, Li Shengli maintained a stable performance in free throws, making 6 of 8 free throws which was pretty good. On the other side, Malone was 50-50 against Kemp, and Ferenris also made a few shots. The Jazz scored 26 points in the first quarter.

On the other hand, the supersonic speed.

George Karl is undoubtedly an old fox. He created a sacrificial human shield and paired it with Detreff to double-team Li Shengli. Although Li Shengli's free throws were stable, their defensive effect was not very good, but the performance of the old fox's arrangement on the offensive end was not good. is good.

Because Detlef's range of activities is outside the penalty area, he avoids Li Shengli's defense. He also has a height advantage in the matchup, and the shooting attack with the basket goes smoothly, and this is coupled with Gill, a shooter with a hot touch, plus Camp is 50-50 with Malone.

So, the Jazz had 26 points, but the SuperSonics had 30 points.