One Guard

April 3rd is the third to last day before the end of the NBA regular season. Today, the NBA has scheduled two duels, and many of the teams have to work hard for their final rankings today.

The Dallas Mavericks are one of the few teams in the West that don't have to worry about ranking, but today, they still cannot take it lightly.

"Hello, audience friends, I am now at the North Shore Garden Arena in Boston. I believe everyone knows the highlight of today's game. Yes, that is whether the record of 72 wins can be broken!" An ESPN reporter stood at the camera. In front of him, behind him, and outside the North Shore Garden Arena, there were already overcrowded people.

Don't get me wrong, Celtics fans are not interested in the Mavericks' 72 wins. They came today just to see if the team can successfully rush to sixth place in the Eastern Conference and avoid the Cavaliers.

At this time, in the visiting team's locker room at the North Shore Garden Arena, the Mavericks players were changing equipment. This is probably their most important game of the regular season this year, so no one is thinking anything wrong.

Carlisle has also been writing and drawing in his little notebook. Carlisle's improvement in on-the-spot command ability in recent years is inseparable from this small notebook he carries with him. He doesn't want the players to perform well but he is defeated by Stevens and loses the game.

With 73 wins, they have worked hard for a season, and now it is time to reap the rewards!

On the other side, everyone on the Celtics team is also ready. This season, it is quite remarkable that they can reach the playoffs. But there is never such a thing as "satisfaction" with the Celtics. They not only want to enter the playoffs, but also want to go further in the playoffs!

To achieve this goal, the Dallas Mavericks are an opponent they must overturn. After winning 72 games in the last game, the Mavericks are already a historically strong team. But the Celtics players are not discouraged by this. No matter how strong a team is, they will lose sometimes. So far this season, haven't the Mavericks also lost 8 games? Why do the Celtics definitely have no chance?

"After playing, the Mavericks will definitely attack very hard. We must stabilize our position! The playoffs, guys. The playoffs that belong to us have begun!" Stevens looked at everyone with a serious expression. He said he would prevent Yiyang from winning 73 games, which was no joke!

When the Celtics players walked out of the tunnel, they found that the Mavericks had also started to warm up. It can be seen that they also attach great importance to this game.

Although one is for a possibility in the playoffs and the other is to break history, these two purposes are different and the impact is also very different.

But there is one thing that the two teams are absolutely the same about.

That's how determined they are to win!

"The enthusiastic atmosphere of the game has already made me breathless. This game is a preview of the fierce playoffs!" In the stands, Mike Breen can't wait to see the game start.

Although the Celtics have not beaten the Mavericks once this season, that was before the trade in the middle of the season.

After the mid-term trade, the Celtics have greatly strengthened. Although they lost Jeff Green, the team's scoring leader, and Rondo, the only star, the Celtics seem to be more suitable for Stevens' tactics.

At least, there won't be a guard who can be a coach and still likes to grab rebounds and quarrel with Stevens every day. "This tactic of yours is fucking bullshit!"

Before the game started, Yiyang glanced at Stevens. Stevens felt that the Mavericks were a bad opponent, and Yiyang also felt that the Celtics were a bad opponent. If they can fight against teams such as the Timberwolves today, 73 wins will be within reach. Even if they meet the Eagles, who are number one in the Eastern Conference, Yiyang will be more confident.

But unfortunately, they ran into the Celtics, who were seventh in the Eastern Conference. Being seventh in the Eastern Conference is sometimes more difficult than being No. 1 in the Eastern Conference!

After the warm-up, the game officially begins. Players from both sides stand in designated positions and prepare to kick off. At this time, in the stands, countless fans were holding a sign. On the sign, they put a slash through the number 73.

The meaning is simple, the Dallas Mavericks can't even think about taking away 73 wins in the North Shore Garden!

Yiyang didn't think the Celtics fans were trying to comfort themselves. His eyes couldn't help but fall on the round-headed point guard opposite. The arrival of this guy is the most important reason why the Celtics' strength has greatly increased!

The referee blew the whistle, and the most critical regular season game of the season officially began. Gobert easily snatched the ball away from white center Tyler Zeller, and Yiyang launched its first attack!

Isaiah Thomas was not afraid. As soon as he passed halftime, the little guard who was only 75 meters tall got up to him. Stevens' favorite disciple? Little Thomas really wants to see how powerful it can be!

Although both Yiyang and Thomas have been working hard in the league for many years, due to Thomas' role positioning issues in the past, he rarely faced off against Yiyang.

Normally, when Thomas comes on the court, Yiyang goes to rest. When Yiyang comes back, Thomas will be replaced again.

In the previous seasons combined, the time between Yiyang and Thomas didn't even exceed 5 minutes, so neither side was very impressed with each other.

Therefore, today is the first official confrontation between Yiyang and Thomas!

Yiyang knows that Stevens is good at coaching point guards, and also knows that he knows how to formulate tactics for point guards. Although Thomas is short in stature, as long as he breaks through, Stevens will definitely arrange for someone to "wipe his butt" for Thomas.

Just when Yiyang was about to squeeze past Thomas Jr., Yiyang discovered that the strength of this short guard was far beyond his imagination!

Thomas's lower body was very stable, and his upper body strength was also not weak, which put a lot of pressure on Yiyang. Seeing that the opportunity was delayed, Yiyang passed the ball directly to Iguodala who came to the mid-range position.

Iguodala quickly hoisted the ball into the paint after holding the ball. Nowitzki easily turned over and hit a jumper facing Brandon Bass, and the Mavericks took the lead!

Although the Mavericks still scored successfully, although Yiyang still organized the offense in an orderly manner. But Thomas's strength far exceeded Yiyang's expectations. This guy is not simple!

That kind of power shouldn't be restricted to Mi 75's body!

Yiyang is ready for the Celtics' next attack. This is Thomas's specialty!

As early as last season, Thomas's scoring average had reached 20. For a player who is only 75 meters tall, averaging 20 points per game is definitely an incredible result.

But precisely because of his height, Thomas is still not trusted by the Kings even if he plays excellent statistics. Therefore, he was thrown into the sun. After playing half a season with the Suns, he was thrown to the Eastern Conference.

Limited by his height, Thomas's singles ability may not be that exciting. But don't forget, Stevens is a tactician who can make point guards shine!

Tyler Zeller picked and rolled, Thomas didn't hesitate and took the opportunity to break through!

Gobert covered up the defense, but Thomas paused, and then hit the ground and passed without giving any look!

Gobert felt a chill in his heart, knowing that something bad was going on! When he turned around, Tyler Zeller was already sprinting toward the basket with the ball.

Passing the ball without looking after the delay is not Yiyang's unique patent.

Although Tyler Zeller is a white inside man, his jumping speed is very fast. In fact, the Zellers are all pretty good at jumping. His younger brother, Cody Zeller, who currently plays for the Charlotte Hornets, is also a bona fide jump boy.

Zeller dunked with one hand, ending the Celtics' first offense. Although Zeller obviously lacked power when dunking, he also ignited the North Shore Garden. At least in this offense, he proved that the Mavericks are not indestructible!

After that, Yiyang made a mid-range jump shot under the cover of Nowitzki. Mid-range shooting after the pick-and-roll is one of Yiyang's most commonly used offensive methods. He knows how to use jump shots to threaten his opponents. Although Thomas tried hard to catch up, he still couldn't stop Yiyang from hitting the shot.

In the second attack, the Mavericks are still strong! The game was very intense from the beginning and made people excited.

Despite his second consecutive defensive failure, Thomas was not discouraged. This game has just begun!

The Celtics attacked again. This time, everyone on the Mavericks was ready to lock down the opponent's offense!

But Thomas was not frightened by such a formation. This guy hesitated outside the three-point line, raised his right hand, and continued to play the pick-and-roll!

Brandon Bass came to Yiyang's right side and covered his crotch with his hands. Thomas began to move to the side with the pick-and-roll, and at the same time, Yiyang went around the screen in advance, trying to squeeze out a favorable defensive position.

But at this moment, Thomas changed hands very quickly and headed towards the side where there was no pick-and-roll!

"Damn it!" Yiyang didn't expect Thomas to do this, but he couldn't go back after being delayed by Bass.

Thomas successfully broke into the mid-range, and Gobert had to take a step ahead to prevent the opponent from making a mid-range shot.

Thomas paused behind the free throw line, as if he was really preparing to shoot. But just when Gobert hesitated, Thomas suddenly accelerated! He seized the opponent's few tenths of a second of hesitation and won a chance for himself.

Carlisle couldn't help but shake his head. That guy was as smart as Yiyang, and he also knew how to use his jump shot threat to tease the opponent.

After passing Gobert in one step, Thomas ended the offense with a spoon layup.

Gobert tried to stretch his arm, but he could only watch the basketball grazing his fingertips and falling into the basket. Thomas's layup, like Paul, Curry and others, has just the right arc.

"Continuous scoring, incredible Isaiah Thomas. I have never seen any defender play so calmly in front of Yi! However, he did it at only 75 meters tall!"

Seeing Thomas scoring another goal, Yiyang couldn't help but shake his head. Is it because Thomas Jr.’s personal ability is too strong? It's indeed strong, but it's not an exaggeration. At least compared to Wall, Irving and others, Thomas is not that strong.

how to say? Little Thomas is like a matsutake mushroom. In the past, he could only be served "fried meat with mushrooms" at "roadside stands" in Sacramento and Phoenix. But in the hands of Stevens, a "Michelin chef", Little Thomas can be made quite dreamy.

The partnership between Stevens and Thomas is the reason why the Celtics can develop from the back. Between the two of them, one is indispensable!

After all, these are all offensive tactics set up by Stevens based on Yiyang. He had always wanted to find a Yiyang-style point guard, but to his surprise, he actually found one.

Sure enough, with Stevens playing, it can never be easy.