One Guard

The Mavericks arrived in New York in the early morning. When they took the team bus and arrived at their hotel, it was already past three o'clock.

Since he rested very late, it was naturally impossible for Carlisle to train the next morning. Therefore, the players' training time is set at 4 p.m. After simple training, they will jump directly into the competition.

This intensive schedule gave Yiyang no chance to meet with Terry and Kidd in advance. When they wanted to meet again, both sides were already ready for a real battle on the court.

Kidd, Terry, Yiyang, Marion, Nowitzki and Carlisle, the core members who helped the Mavericks win their first championship, may not have imagined that today in 2014, they would gather at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Moreover, as an opponent.

"Yi, why do I feel that you are getting stronger now? It seems that Vignali has nourished you well, hahahahaha." As soon as Terry came up, he directly used Yiyang to start brushing. Although he has left the Mavericks for two seasons, Terry's locker has also changed its owners two more times. But this guy's reaction after seeing Yiyang didn't change at all.

"You'll have to endure it later, Jett. I haven't forgotten when you asked me to carry my luggage during my rookie season." Yiyang deliberately bulged his muscles, but Terry's eyes fell on Yiyang. O'Brien Cup tattoo on Yang's inner arm.

"Hey man, remember? I have one exactly like this," Terry said, revealing his own tattoo.

Now, Yiyang and Terry are wearing the jerseys of two teams respectively. But the O'Brien Cup they carry is the same one.

"Let's get another one when we return to Dallas." Yiyang patted Terry on the shoulder, although Terry didn't teach Yiyang as many things as Kidd. But he is also an indispensable part of Yiyang's growth. It is he who makes Yiyang understand how to survive in this alliance. Every time Yiyang was bullied, he always rushed to the front. Even though Terry was not as tall as Yiyang, he was not at all afraid of those strong men like Griffin and Cousins ​​who wanted to take advantage of Yiyang.

Although Terry always makes jokes in the locker room that embarrass Yiyang, this is Terry, and this is his way of expressing friendship.

"Go back to Dallas? No, no, no, being your teammate is far less interesting than being your opponent!" Terry showed his scornful smile. This answer was in line with Terry's character.

In fact, of course he wants to go back to Dallas. From beginning to end, Terry always considered Dallas his home. The best years of this guy's career were spent in Dallas. But don't expect Terry to say this. If so, he wouldn't be Terry.

"Hey, kid. I hope you won't make any mistakes today. I have prepared many challenges for you." After Terry passed by, Kidd also came up and hugged his first student tightly.

"If you were on the court, would you be afraid of the challenges?"

Kidd didn't answer Yiyang's rhetorical question, but just smiled. This kid is really becoming more and more like himself.

"I know you are here today for the 17th consecutive victory, but this is Brooklyn, guys. In Brooklyn, victory never comes to your door!" Kidd looked at Yiyang expectantly, really hoping you can Defeating me just proves my success as a teacher. But at the same time, Kidd doesn't want Yiyang to defeat him, because if he loses, it will be his failure as a coach.

Kidd, burdened with a dual identity, was very anxious. He couldn't wait and wanted the game to start as soon as possible!

After a few people chatted happily, it was only a few minutes before the game started. They had no choice but to say goodbye reluctantly in the center circle, and then each returned to their own half.

From now on, their identities change from best friends to worst enemies. The Mavericks want to achieve a 17-game winning streak to tie the best record in team history, while the Nets want to win the game so that they will not be blocked from the playoffs.

What Kidd just said is right, in Brooklyn, victory will never come to you. Every team that wants to win over the Nets must pay a huge price.

Although the Nets' record of 18 wins and 22 losses so far this season is very poor, there are two things that are beyond people's expectations. The first point is that the Nets have defeated the Heat twice this season and maintain a record of undefeated victories against the defending champions. This is something that the Mavericks, the league's No. 1 team, have never done.

The second point is that in most games the Nets have lost this season, the point difference is actually around 5 points, which is not too big. Although they lost, the game was not very ugly. The Nets actually had a chance to win many games.

These two points fully illustrate the actual strength of the Nets, which is stronger than the strength revealed by the record. And this is why the New York media and commentators are still confident in the game.

"I also threatened that the Mavericks' winning streak will not be limited to 17 games. It's such a big statement. Let's get out of New York alive first!" Before the game started, the local basketball commentators in New York were worried about Yiyang's remarks. dissatisfied.

"That guy is very swollen now. If he thinks the Nets and Magic are the same level of teams, then he is totally wrong!"

"Although I scored 42 points against the Magic in the last game, I can't even hope to win easily in Brooklyn. This is the Barclays Center, not Madison Square Garden, which is often bloodbathed!"

It can be seen that the commentators in Brooklyn have great prejudices against Yiyang. During the players' appearance ceremony, when the DJ called out Yiyang's name, the loudest boos in the stadium were heard.

It seems that Yiyang is really unpopular at the Barclays Center. But Yiyang doesn't care, he is here to win 17 consecutive games, not to please the fans!

Players from both sides stood in designated positions, and the game that everyone from players to fans had been waiting for was finally about to begin.

Before the jump ball even started, Kidd was already standing on the sidelines with his hands folded. He really couldn't sit on the bench comfortably in this kind of game. On the court, it was not easy for the players to compete with Yiyang. Off the court, it was also not easy for Kidd and Carlisle to fight each other. You know, Carlisle was the one who directed Kidd to play.

The referee blew the whistle, and Dalembert easily won the basketball from Garnett's head. Kidd arranged a small lineup with Garnett playing five and Pierce playing four. Therefore, there is no advantage in height.

The moment Yiyang held the ball, the Brooklyn fans erupted into another wave of boos. But Yiyang didn't seem to be affected at all. He raised his right hand and shouted to direct his teammates to move.

Kidd smiled, as if he saw himself ten years ago.

Deron Williams didn't want Yiyang to score an easy goal from the start. The strong Deron pushed Yiyang to death, and it seemed that he wanted to fight to the death from the start.

Yiyang looked at this strong defender who almost became his teammate last year. Three years ago, Deron was still an insurmountable mountain for Yiyang. But now, Yiyang is not afraid of "De Pang"'s pressing defense at all.

Taking a step back, Yiyang earned himself space to sprint. Deron still wanted to press forward, but Yiyang turned around very quickly, using Deron as his axis, and passed the Nets' leading guard in one fell swoop!

"It's so fast!" Kidd couldn't help but widen his eyes. Yiyang's speed must be faster now than in his rookie season. The moment he turned around and passed Deron, it happened in the blink of an eye.

After passing Delong, Yiyang held the ball and went straight to the inside. The Nets' lineup began to shrink unconsciously. Yiyang stared at the basket and made a secret pass with his hand.

Without giving any look, Yiyang passed the ball to Iguodala. Joe Johnson still wants to make up for it, but Iguodala will not give him this opportunity.

The mid-range shot was hit steadily. As soon as the game started, Yiyang gave the Nets a powerful start. Iguodala succeeded in "eating the cake", and Yiyang's no-look pass made many older generation Nets fans sigh.

Kidd, that is simply a yellow-skinned version of Kidd!

Although the Mavericks scored the first goal, the Nets soon showed their strong side.

Deron, the "rhythm master", still has excellent control over the game. He called Garnett to pick and roll for him in the high post. He actually hoped to fish out Dalembert, who was guarding the basket.

Taking advantage of the pick-and-roll, Deron pushed inside. Although Yiyang quickly defended the ball again, he was still unable to catch Deron's pass.

The ball was passed directly to the right corner, where Pierce had been waiting for a long time. At this time, Dalembert had been pulled high, and the Mavericks' basket was unprotected. Pierce holds the ball and breaks through Nowitzki, who is slightly slow. Isn't this easy?

Rushing along the baseline to the basket, Pierce looked back and made a layup. It not only avoided Nowitzki's block, but also allowed the basketball to successfully enter the net.

Facts have proved that Kidd's small lineup is still very successful. After Lopez was reimbursed for the season, without this magical small lineup, the Nets' record would probably be even worse.

Although he sacrificed some height, Pierce still played well offensively in the fourth position.

Carlisle admires Kidd's courage very much. After all, he thinks a small lineup is a very dangerous attempt. Especially on the defensive end, short height is likely to become a liability.

Carlisle didn't yell or gesture. He believed that Yiyang knew what to do next. With a good point guard on the court, the head coach's job can sometimes be much easier.

Yiyang does know what to do, since Pierce can use his speed to beat Nowitzki. In the same way, Nowitzki can also use his height to beat Pierce.

This time, Yiyang's advancement speed was still not fast. Deron was still pressing hard, so Yiyang had to hold Deron up with one hand and control the ball steadily with the other.

When Nowitzki leaned on Pierce to ask for the ball at the edge of the three-second zone, Yiyang did not hesitate and threw the ball directly into the penalty area.

The ball was passed quickly and accurately, so there would be no surprises. But Garnett seemed to be able to predict the future. He took a big step in advance and stretched out his long arms, and stunned Yiyang's pass!

"Wow, Kevin actually intercepted Yi's pass!" Mike Brin's eyes widened in surprise. Yiyang rarely made passing mistakes.

Kidd smiled, he had expected Carlisle and Yiyang to do this. Therefore, he specifically told Garnett to pay attention to Yiyang's pass to Nowitzki! And this is also the reason why Garnett can judge Yiyang's passing route in advance.

Unexpectedly, Kidd's arrangement showed results so quickly. Don't underestimate Garnett, who only averages 6 points per game. Although his abilities are deteriorating, the consciousness engraved in his bones will not change. This old No. 2 of the Nets was a ruthless character who almost made Gasol cry.

After stealing the basketball, Garnett made a long pass to Deron. Deron advanced quickly and led the fast break.

In terms of speed, Delong, who has experienced too many injuries in the past few years, is naturally unable to compare with Yiyang. But looking at the overall situation, Deron is not bad at all.

Running in front, he used a behind-the-back pass to leave the opportunity to Joe Johnson who was following closely behind. "Single Joe" took off directly for a layup. Iguodala followed closely and jumped high to prepare to block the shot.

But Joe Johnson didn't let Iguodala succeed. He stabilized his center of gravity and pushed the basketball forward despite suffering a huge impact. At the same time, the referee blew the whistle, Iguodala committed a defensive foul, and Joe Johnson got a chance to hit a three-pointer!

"Foul!?" Iguodala opened his hands at the referee. Each referee in this league has different standards for calling penalties.

Joe Johnson high-fived Deron and other teammates and stood at the free throw line.

The final result was naturally that "Singles Joe" succeeded in hitting a three-pointer. From the current point of view, the Nets are really a tough nut to crack!

Pierce, Garnett, Deron and Joe Johnson, these four guys seem to have expired, but he can still play an role on the court. The current situation is the result of the joint efforts of the four people.

Just as Yiyang thought before, the battle in Brooklyn is destined to not be easy.

It seems that it will take a lot of effort to defeat these veterans and tie the best record in team history of 17 consecutive wins...