One Guard

If anyone now says that the Spurs want to give up before the game even starts, that must be unrealistic nonsense. The Spurs players are no less committed than the Mavericks players when warming up on the court. In a courtside interview before the game, Popovich also said: We came to Dallas just to win.

The old man still had a straight face, and what came out of his mouth was definitely not "nice". Look at this 69-year-old guy, does he look like he wants to give up the game?

Basketball is his life creed. Giving up the game and basketball is equivalent to letting Popovich give up life.

"The Texas Civil War seems to have become an inevitable theme in the playoffs in recent years. It used to be the Rockets and the Mavericks, and this season it has become the Spurs and the Mavericks. Of course, we all know that the San Antonio Spurs have not had a good year this year. It’s not fair. Their leading forward Leonard only played 9 games in total. And whether we can see him in the Spurs’ roster next season is still unknown. If Aldridge doesn’t regain his glory, It's really possible that the Spurs won't even make the playoffs."

"This team that was considered to never wither is now on the verge of withering. But we all know that the San Antonio Spurs have always had their own methods. In this series, the Mavericks better not take it lightly. Even if the Spurs can't be big If you win completely, you will also find a way to bite off a piece of the calf’s meat!”

In the commentary box, Mike Breen and Kevin Harlan know Popovich very well. The Spurs' roster has never been that bright on paper, but haven't they also won so many championship trophies?

Later, the live camera footage was given to Aldridge. I saw this reborn No. 12 forward practicing mid-range turnaround jump shots from various positions under the interference of the trainer, and his hit rate was frighteningly high.

Aldridge knows very well that he is the sharp knife in Popovich's hand. Whether he can remove the Mavericks' head is up to him!

"It's very tricky, man. Aldridge seems to be in good shape today. He can do whatever he wants in the low post." Armstrong sat on the bench, but his eyes were all on Aldridge.

"It's okay, our tactics will work. No matter how strong he is, it's just Aldridge. That guy has his limits." Carlisle also looked serious. He was really unlucky to run into this tough guy in the first round. !

Gradually, the shouts in the stadium became louder and louder, and there were more and more fans. The atmosphere of the war filled every ounce of air in Dallas and entered everyone's blood.

It was not until 8:30 pm that the players from both sides were finally ready to kick off! Popovich sat on the bench, expressionless.

Erin, my game is on. You must also win the game of your life!

"Beep, beep, beep!" The referee blew his whistle, and the 2017-2018 playoffs officially began. Although Pau Gasol lost to Majori in the fight for the ball, people still found it very refreshing to see Popovich send out the ancient twin-tower partnership of Gasol and Aldridge.

Popovich was very targeted. He sent two long men just to carry out a comprehensive attack on the Mavericks' penalty area!

The Mavericks' first offense fell into position with the Spurs. Although a group of people have changed, and Leonard, the gatekeeper, is no longer there. But the Spurs' defense is still excellent in Yiyang's opinion. This is the huge difference between systematic defense and unsystematic defense.

In a suitable system, even if a player's individual defense ability is not top-notch, it can still play a huge role.

Yiyang organized the team to pass the ball a few times, and finally it fell into the hands of Mitchell, an aggressive little defender, to finish. Mitchell received the basketball and took three steps directly to the basket, but what greeted him was not a goal, but Gasol's terrifying height and a sudden attack!

The aging Spaniard now has little athletic ability left, but his timing and skills in blocking shots are already perfect.

"The Spurs' height is a great advantage. This is Mitchell's first time playing in the playoffs. He may not know that the playoffs and the regular season are two completely different games!"

"Mitchell is still too young. There is no way he will have such an easy scoring opportunity in the playoffs!"

Amid the complaints from Mike Breen and Kevin Harlan, the Spurs slowly brought the ball across the half court through Mills. Now the whole league is trying to play fast and play high rounds. But Popovich walked in the opposite direction, and the two tall men took up positions slowly.

However, even so, no one will question Popovich's choice. This gray-haired old man's understanding of basketball is something that many people are simply not qualified to interpret.

As soon as they came up, the Spurs showed their ambition. Everyone spread out, Aldridge received the basketball with his back at the waist and started playing singles!

Rudy Gay stuck to Aldridge, but Aldridge did not pass the ball without trying when he was in a bad position like he did in the previous two seasons. He bravely sat back hard, but Guy couldn't resist Aldridge's impact!

When Aldridge hit the second shot, he was very close to the basket. Mejri had to cover to the basket, and the Tunisian was the only height in the Mavericks' lineup now.

However, as soon as Majori double-teamed over, Aldridge decisively passed the ball to Gasol, who was unmarked beyond the three-point line!

In this era, a big man with a soft touch who can shoot three-pointers is definitely a weapon on the offensive end. Among them, the smart Gasol brothers are the most active in adapting to this era. Both brothers developed three-point shooting skills early on. I don't say how accurate they are, but at least their open shooting percentage is stable.

Gasol fired a three-pointer from the top of the arc. Seven years ago, when Yiyang and Kobe were fighting at Staples, he would never have imagined that the Spanish tower next to Kobe would one day be pulled outside the three-point line to work.

But in today's league, any weird things are no longer surprising.

The arc of the basketball thrown by Gasol was very high, and Majory blocked Aldridge, preventing him from getting close to the basket. Even if you can't grab the ball, you still have to create opportunities for your teammates to grab rebounds.

However, Gasol's three-pointer hit the net without giving the Mavericks any chance to breathe. Double team Aldridge? This is the result of double-teaming!

"The Spurs' tactics are very clear, which is to build momentum in the Mavericks' weak low post! If they dare to double-team, Aldridge also has the ability to pass the ball out! The game has become interesting. Mr. Popovich caught Dallas' The handle of a super team!”

The Mavericks attacked for the second time, and Yiyang continued to guide the team with passing passes. Now Yiyang's playing style is somewhat similar to that of James and others. At the beginning, he plays back first and mainly brings his teammates into the state first. Once everyone around you is in the zone, the game will be very easy to play.

However, under the active defense change of the Spurs, Hayward ran out of the open space through an off-ball screen to receive the basketball's three-point shot, but was interfered by Aldridge who arrived.

Hayward didn't expect Aldridge to defend him. His enthusiasm on both ends of the offense and defense was not at the same level as in the regular season.

Aldridge didn't think too much. He only knew that he was Popovich's sharp knife. It's a sharp knife, so let your opponent see blood!

Hayward's long-range shot from the bottom corner hit the frame. The Spurs used a limited lineup to successfully contain the 75-win Mavericks' offense twice in a row!

The Spurs in the playoffs and the Spurs in the regular season are completely different teams. Those Mavericks fans who were prepared to witness a massacre at the beginning are now very upset.

For the second goal, as always, Aldridge asked for the ball from the waist. This time, no one dared to double-team this guy, and the Mavericks decided to let Gay defend him. If Gay can prevent it, the Mavericks won't have to go to war.

The Mavericks gave Aldridge a real chance. He advanced to a close position and then turned over and shot a jumper. Although Gay defended well, he was not a pure inside player after all. Facing a player like Aldridge, whose low-post offensive skills rank among the top five in the league, Gay is simply helpless.

Aldridge's turnaround jump shot was chillingly stable, and the basketball passed through the net. The low post has completely become a disaster area for the Mavericks on the defensive end, because this is the second consecutive time that the Spurs took advantage of the low post to score.

"Coach Carlisle must miss Rudy Gobert very much now. Unfortunately, according to the latest news, the Frenchman will not be able to return until at least the Western Conference Finals. Of course, that is assuming the Mavericks can successfully reach the Western Conference Finals."

Fortunately, Yiyang immediately stopped the bleeding for the Mavericks with a mid-range jumper. The situation is not good for the Mavericks now, and he can't continue to play.

But soon, another Spurs forward, "Human Creeping Essence" Kyle Anderson, also used his change of rhythm to successfully break through Hayward and easily get a layup in the paint.

Majori's protection of the rim is still too limited, especially in a playoff game. Now it's not just Aldridge, but the rest of the Spurs are also starting to attack the Mavericks' penalty area.

The Spurs' tactics were implemented very resolutely. Carlisle had already stood up with some worry, while Popovich was still sitting firmly on the Diaoyutai, with a serious face, as if everything was under control.

Three and a half minutes into the first quarter, Aldridge used a beautiful step to shake Gay away from the basket, and then easily put the ball into the frame. At this point, the Spurs lead the Mavericks by 6 points 10-4. Carlisle finally couldn't hold it any longer and called a timeout for the first time in this game.

"It's unbelievable. Before the game started, who would have thought that the Dallas Mavericks would be stopped first! In three minutes, the Mavericks only relied on Yiyang's two singles to score 4 points. On the defensive end, they took the Spurs' There is nothing we can do!”

"Aldridge's threat in the low post leaves the Mavericks helpless! Coach Carlisle may replace him, but who will be replaced? Who can build a defense in the low post? Rudy is the core of the Mavericks' interior defense. They lack a core, those The inside players who were performing well will definitely be affected!"

The camera shows Popovich, that guy is basically a white-haired devil.

"It seems that Popovich is going to beat us to death as soon as he comes up! Everyone, get ready! Also, let's run!" Carlisle picked up the tactical board and wrote and drew, the rhythm of the game , it seems that it must be accelerated in advance.