I’m Really Playing Basketball

Because the first round of the playoffs against the Cavaliers was just finished on May 6, and the second round of the playoffs against the Bobcats will be played on May 8, the Raptors at home must be physically stronger than the Bobcats. Much, much different.

In particular, many people know that D'Antoni, the head coach of the Raptors, is a head coach who likes eight-man rotations and loves to control the main force to death.

In the first round of the playoffs against the Cavaliers, the main players of the Raptors averaged more than 40 minutes per game, including Nash, Milicic, Josh Smith and Lagabel. Pettersson, who did not reach 40 minutes, also played 38 minutes.

The ruthlessness of this employer is second to none in the entire league.

However, although the Raptors players must have some physical problems now, they are definitely in excellent shape in the game.

After all, the game had just been played two days ago, and it was at home, so there was no need for a long journey.

Therefore, relatively speaking, although there is less rest time, the advantages should outweigh the disadvantages.

On May 8, 2006, the first game of the second round of the playoffs between the Raptors and Bobcats took place at the Air Canada Center in Toronto.

Because the Raptors entered the second round of the playoffs again after many years after Carter left, Toronto fans are quite enthusiastic about this round of the series.

Although experts all over the United States think that the Raptors may be eliminated by the Bobcats, but if the experts' words are so credible, then the Bucks are now playing the second round with the Raptors.

The Bobcats can slap these experts and celebrities in the face, why can't they Raptors.

With Nash leading the Raptors to the Eastern Conference semifinals once again, the Canadian superstar's reputation in Toronto is simply incredible.

Therefore, when looking at the original super deal again now, many people have discovered that the Raptors, which were considered to be the worst at the beginning, did not actually lose money.

The Raptors definitely made a profit by trading Carter for Nash.

After getting a superstar of the same strength, you don't have to worry about this superstar running away, and you can build a lineup for Nash with peace of mind.

Otherwise, the team boss would suddenly run away, which would be so uncomfortable.

Before the start of the game between the Raptors and the Bobcats at home, the Raptors fans, under the leadership of the live DJ, first congratulated their head player Steve Nash for being selected to the second team of this year's best team.

Looking at Nash, who was a little shy as the fans cheered and congratulated him, Chen Xiao and the Bobcats players were also applauding him on the sidelines.

Nash's performance with the Raptors in the past three seasons is indeed respectable.

When the Raptors traded Carter for Nash, many people said that the Raptors had given up on treatment.

But from now on, Nash, like Ray Allen, has also done things that others have not imagined.

It's just that Ray Allen's is even more amazing. According to MVP standards, Nash is definitely worthy of the regular season MVP in these two seasons.

After the Raptors fans congratulated their son of Canada, the game was about to begin, and the starting players from both sides also appeared on the court.

The starting players of the Bobcats in this game have changed from the previous round. The starting center is Bynum, the starting power forward is Zach Randolph, the starting small forward is Granger, and the starting shooting guard is Chen Xiao. The starting point guard is Chris Paul.

The Bobcats want to use Bynum's athleticism and height to match Milicic.

Milicic has been very accurate in mid-range shooting this season, and Chen Xiao's height disadvantage is too big to defend him.

As for the Raptors playing at home, the Raptors' starting lineup has also changed.

The center Milicic has not changed, power forward Josh Smith has not changed, but the small forward has entered the league with Chen Xiao, who used to be a competitor in college, and was once the most talented student among Chen Xiao's college students. Player, a combination of Kobe and Iverson, Wagner.

DaJuan Wagner was sent from the Cavaliers to the Raptors in the big trade of Chen Xiao and Carter Nash.

He has been a substitute for the Raptors for the past three seasons.

During his rookie season with the Cavaliers, Wagner's statistics were excellent, averaging more than 13 points per game.

Although his draft pick was knocked down by Chen Xiao.

But his strength and talent were also recognized in his rookie season.

However, just when he was about to take off with the Cavaliers, he was traded by the Cavaliers and used as a bargaining chip in exchange for Chen Xiao.

This caused a major setback in Wagner's life.

This also made Wagner very uncomfortable.

After all, the 2002 rookies, Chen Xiao, Wade, Yao Ming, Boozer, Jay Williams, Stoudemire, and even this season's Caron Butler, Mike Dunleavy, etc., all of them have played at least quasi-star level. Performance.

And as the proud man of heaven, even the most proud man, he is now playing as a substitute for Nash in the Raptors.

This made Wagner very unwilling.

However, what Wagner didn't know was that historically, not only did he not make any further progress when he stayed with the Cavaliers, he even suffered from large intestinal ulcers and long-term diarrhea, and was unable to withstand high-intensity competitions. He eventually underwent surgery to remove and reconstruct the large intestinal ulcers. Finally, he no longer had the strength to play in the NBA.

After arriving in Canada, perhaps due to changes in the soil and water, he did not contract intestinal ulcers, at least not yet.

Therefore, although he has always been a substitute in the Raptors, on the bright side, his combination of Kobe and Iverson has not fallen, and his strength is still rising steadily. Although Nash is the starter, he does not have a stage to express himself. But the improvement in strength is real.

After being unable to play as a rookie and leaving the Raptors after four years, he chose his future opportunities again this summer.

As long as the strength is there, you can still soar into the sky in the rookie team, such as O'Neal and others.

Therefore, Wagner also prepared in this way.

However, what I didn't expect was that when they played against the Bobcats in the playoffs, he would actually be reused by the team's head coach D'Antoni.

Make him the starter.

Wagner appeared in the starting position. This was of course to deal with Chris Paul's pressing of Nash.

In the last game between the two teams in the regular season, Xiao Pao knocked Nash unconscious.

Many people say that Nash has not performed so poorly in the past three seasons.

Nash is the only engine of the Raptors. If Nash is defeated by Paul, it means that the Raptors' offense will also collapse.

In this case, D'Antoni of course has to use second-hand preparation.

Wagner is Nash's candidate.

Wagner replaced Pippen Pettersson's starting position. Although his defense is not as good as Pettersson, he is much better than Alston.

And as a combination of Kobe and Iverson, Wagner's offense and passing ability are no problem at all. As a freshman, he averaged close to 22 points per game.

At the same time, he is also very strong in confrontation. He is 1.88 meters tall and weighed 91 kilograms in college.

Xiao Pao now weighs just over 80 kilograms.

As for his general defensive skills.

To be honest, after four years of training in the NBA, no matter how average I am, I won't be far behind. The talent is there.

Therefore, after playing the Bobcats in the final game of the regular season, D'Antoni dug deep internally and unearthed a surprise like Wagner.

This young player who had been ignored by him for three years has not given up on himself in the past three years, and he has been "motivated (stimulated)" by Chen Xiao, Yao Ming, Wade, Stoudemire and other "opponents" who were at the same level as him. He has been working hard to improve himself.

In the last round of the game against the Cavaliers, Wagner was reused by D'Antoni in the rotation instead of Alston, and he also showed very good strength.

He is the player who plays the most minutes besides the other five starters of the Raptors. He can average 20 minutes per game and contribute 11 points per game. He can shoot suddenly on the offensive end, which is quite distinctive. Speaking of which, as Iverson and Kobe, It's nothing to be able to shoot and shoot, right?

It's just that the three-point shooting rate is a little bit worse. However, as a combination of Iverson and Kobe, it seems normal that the three-point shooting rate is slightly worse, right?

In the last round against the Cavaliers, he shot 50% from the field and 35% from three-point range.

His speed, breakthrough shooting and quick shooting made it difficult for the Cavaliers' lineup of one star, three shots and one punch. He was the cavalry that the Raptors defeated the Cavaliers in the last round.

Why is there such a focus on introducing Chen Xiao’s old rival in college?

Because, he is indeed the X factor of the Raptors.

Without Wagner, let's put it this way, Nash and the Raptors, who can be well restricted by small guns, would hardly be able to defeat the Bobcats in two games, and the battle can be resolved within six games.

And Wagner is the key to whether the Raptors can protect Nash from being harassed by Paul.

Back on the court, the Bobcats and the Raptors jumped the ball. Milicic successfully won the washout and the non-mainstream battle, winning the first attack of the game for the Raptors.

As a run-and-gun team determined to resolve battles in seven seconds.

The Raptors' first attack quickly pushed the ball past half court. It still had the same familiar taste, but the only difference was that it was no longer Nash who pushed the ball past half court, but Wagner.

After Wagner quickly pushed the ball across half court, he crossed with Nash at the top of the three-point line and ran a pick-and-roll. After helping Paul block Nash, he hit the ball into Nash's hands.

Facing Granger's defense, Nash turned around with a light dribble, almost knocking Granger down.

To be honest, let alone Granger, even if Chen Xiao and James met Nash, they would be stunned by Nash's rhythm.

Nash is not afraid of being big, but he is afraid of being harassed by a small man like Cannon who has good strength, strong confrontation, good defense and fast speed.

Now with Wagner's protection, Nash once again showed his calmness as a son of the wind.

I have to say that Wagner's strength and confrontation are really good, and small cannons are not so easy to block.

But he can block the small cannon to death.

After Nash successfully bypassed Granger's defense, it was simple and easy to face Bynum who came out to help defend.

A mere rookie center, can't he just play however he wants?

The moment Bynum came out, Nash threw the basketball in his hand into the air.

Milicic came out from the side and overpowered Randolph to grab the alley-oop pass and dunk successfully with both hands!

2 to 0!

"sharp!

Quite awesome! "

Jordan on the sidelines silently praised the Raptors' cooperation.

Wagner's appearance activated the running and gunning of the Raptors and Nash.

There is no problem with Wagner on the offensive end, now it depends on the defensive end.

With a small man like Wagner playing small forward to defend Granger, the Bobcats' offense will of course focus on Granger.

Granger received Paul's pass and faced Wagner's close defense. He did not choose to directly pull out. Instead, he turned around and wanted to sit inside and play.

However, after two pushes, Granger was somewhat hindered.

To be fair, even though Granger is almost 20 centimeters taller than Wagner, Granger weighs 104 kilograms, while Wagner now weighs about 95 kilograms.

It's really difficult for Granger to hit Wagner with his back, just like a small stone. And as a small stone with the same style as Paul, Wagner's defensive skills are of course far inferior to Paul, but his athletic talent is also good. After all, Kobe A combination with Iverson, so he is very fast in both lateral movement and speed, and his agility is also very good. It is not easy for Granger to turn his back.

Originally, the Bobcats' offense was going to use Granger to punish the Raptors for Wagner's height.

However, Granger's post-up play for stability encountered setbacks. Finally, with 5 seconds left on the clock, Granger, who was almost out of singles, passed the blame to Chen Xiao outside the three-point line.

Chen Xiao faced Laga Bell's personal defense and caught the ball and made a hit!

3 to 2!

"Can such a ball be scored?!"

Like Jordan just now, D'Antoni on the sidelines was also shocked.

Of course, what shocked me was Chen Xiao's ability to take over.

All I can say is that the best pot is extraordinary.

However, this three-pointer this time was a lucky shot even for Chen Xiao.

The Raptors' defense was very successful this time.

After this offense, the Bobcats basically tested that Wagner is not the Raptors' defensive vulnerability.

Therefore, the Bobcats should not think about opening a gap from Wagner, but should continue to exploit Nash's time-tested defensive loophole.

Therefore, soon, the rhythm of the game between the Bobcats and the Raptors turned into a battle of offense.

As long as Nash can organize the offense, the Raptors are basically unstoppable.

Even because Milicic was too tall and Chen Xiao didn't play center, the Bobcats couldn't even control the rhythm.

Chen Xiao can beat Braxson's rhythm, and Paul can beat Ray Allen's rhythm.

But Chen Xiao really can't suppress Milicic's rhythm, and this is also the reason why Chen Xiao plays the Raptors instead of playing center, so it doesn't make much sense.

And with Wagner around, it was difficult for Paul to keep up with Nash's pace.

Of course, the Bobcats can't guard the Raptors, and the Raptors can't guard the Bobcats.

As long as Nash is there and Chen Xiao is not prepared to beat Nash, even if Chen Xiao double-teams as soon as he holds the ball, Paul and Granger can continue to play.

The Bobcats' persecution of Nash was much stronger than the Cavaliers'.

Although the Cavaliers' Barry and Korver can shoot accurately, their singles ability is really not as good as the small guns and Granger, who has grown a lot after going through a round of playoff baptism.

After all, the Bobcats head coach's training this season is singles training.

Let's put it this way, the Bobcats can grab Nash and play with any outside player.

Nash's defense is not very good to begin with. In addition, Nash is the core of the team's tactics and does not dare to commit too many fouls, so he does not dare to defend hard. Do you think, how uncomfortable is Nash when he is defending?

Many times, Nash opened his eyes and watched the Bobcats players bet on their hands, and he was powerless.

However, the consolation for Nash and the Raptors is that, except for Chen Xiao and Granger, the other Bobcats players have very good singles skills, but their shooting percentages are really not flattering, so their operations are as fierce as a tiger's. , the last look is still iron.

So after the first quarter of the game, the Bobcats, who were playing like Nash, played like a tiger, and finally fell behind 26 to 30 by 4 points.

Chen Xiao on the court and Jordan on the sidelines were both dumbfounded.

In the second quarter of the game, the tactics of the Bobcats changed from dead Gan Nash to dead Gan Nash and Alstom.

Alston in the rotation time and Nash in the starting time.

When I saw Alston, the street ball king, and Bobcats substitute players Lou Williams, Monta Alice, Jack, Blatche and other ‘singles kings’, my eyes really glowed green.

The Bobcats' rotation is actually not that strong. Everyone is a rookie, and most teams in the league are at a disadvantage.

But only when playing against the Raptors, these singles kings of the Bobcats feel that they are all dragons and phoenixes.

The Raptors already have defensive loopholes, and their head coach doesn't care. Isn't this a stage for the Bobcats' young people to play?

This group of young Bobcats likes to play teams like the Raptors the most.

So after the second quarter, the Bobcats fought back against the Raptors 36-27 in a single quarter. At the end of the first half, the Bobcats led by 5 points.

The Bobcats played so well in the second quarter, and it really wasn't Chen Xiao's fault. Chen Xiao played 7 minutes in the second quarter, making 4 of 6 three-pointers, 1 of 2 three-pointers, and 2 of 3 free throws, scoring 11 points.

Chen Xiao's score in the second quarter was not as high as that of Lou Williams, who scored 6 of 7 in the second quarter and scored 12 points in a single quarter.

The first half ended without a game, and the Bobcats entered the second half with a 5-point advantage 62-57.

In the second half and third quarter of the game, the Bobcats and Raptors were still attacking each other.

No one can guard anyone, but the Raptors still double-teamed Chen Xiao against the Bobcats and released other Bobcat players. This move cannot be said to be successful because Chen Xiao can pass the ball and the Bobcats can also score. In the third quarter, the Bobcats scored 30 minutes.

But this trick can not be said to fail, because the Bobcats only scored 30 points, while the Raptors were able to get 37 points.

I can't guard you, I just need to limit you a little bit and score more points than you.

I have to say that the Raptors are really a team that attacks to death!

Even the Bucks, in fact, the Bucks still pay more attention to defense.

As for the Raptors, it is true that everything is aimed at offense.

After the third quarter, the Raptors led 94 to 92 by 2 points.

In the fourth quarter, the Bobcats' offense still had no problem. When the Raptors frantically attacked Chen Xiao, Chen Xiao hit the ball and his teammates also made many shots.

However, the Raptors' offensive state was too good in this game.

It can only be said that the game against the Cavaliers has just been played, and everyone has not fully recovered from the tiebreaker against the Cavaliers.

Therefore, in the fourth quarter, the Raptors actually scored another 37 points. This offense was simply unbelievable!

74 points in the second half!

What kind of teams are these?

Originally, the Bobcats wanted to win the game against the Raptors.

But in the end, the Bobcats lost G1 of this series on the road.

124 to 131!

The Bobcats performed very well in this game.

The reason why this game was lost was that the Bobcats' offensive limit was not as good as the Raptors' offensive limit.

124 points is the Bobcats' limit.

131 points is not the Raptors' limit.

So there is no way around this.

Chen Xiao, who was frantically attacked by the Suns in this game, made 12 of 19 in the game, 3 of 8 three-pointers, and 4 of 5 free throws. He scored 31 points and 8 rebounds in the game and also sent 14 assists.

It can be seen from Chen Xiao's data in this game that there was no problem with Chen Xiao's performance in this game.

Except for Chen Xiao, the Bobcats' team's statistics are 36 of 62 shots, 1 of 12 three-pointers, and 19 of 24 free throws. From this data, there is actually no problem. The shooting rate is very high, but this three-pointer ah!

The Bobcats' three-point shooting is really not very strong this season, especially in this game.

In this game, Bynum and Zach Randolph's double inside starts definitely made the Bobcats' three-point and outside offense even worse, which was not very strong.

Of course, the two players also had the same positive performance. The two made a total of 16 free throws in this game.

The inside offense of the two is still very strong.

One is an inside attack and the other is an outside attack.

It's really hard to have both, especially since Bynum and Randolph don't have the ability to attack from a distance, Jordan needs to make a choice in the Bobcats' next game.

Because Chen Xiao and other Bobcat players performed well in this game, and they all played the best they could.

But the team lost in the end.

The reason of course lies with the head coach.

After all, who allowed the Bobcats' offensive limit in this game to be only 124 points?

Why can't the Bobcats score 132 points against the Raptors?

In this game, the players' performance was fine but they lost, that is, the head coach restricted the performance of the players and the team.

Therefore, at the press conference after the game, Jordan also took the initiative to take full responsibility.

"I was too conservative and took it for granted in this game.

I will make adjustments for the next game. "

After Qiao Dan finished speaking, he looked at Chen Xiao beside him for help.

That look seemed to say, Chen, save O'Neill's grandma!

Seeing Jordan's look, Chen Xiao sighed.

I just played shooting guard for one game!

well.

It is also wrong to be too omnipotent.

It's time to fight inside again...

ps: Historically, the Suns led by Nash had two tiebreakers in the 2006 playoffs. After winning each tiebreaker, they played very well offensively in the first game of the next round. After a tiebreaker with the Lakers, they defeated the Clippers. 130 points, tied with the Clippers and scored 121 points against the Mavericks.

However, after being enlightened, he immediately became very sluggish again.

After all, staying in shape requires physical strength.

In the first game, the state is more important than physical strength, and in the second game, physical strength is more important than state.