The rest is just noise

After the Knicks tied the game 36-31, K.C. Jones sensed the fans' dissatisfaction from the boos in the Garden.

He requested a timeout, replaced Thomas, asked Ainge to play the one position, and changed the frontcourt configuration to Bird, Sampson and Bill Walton.

When Louis decided to play N.UCLA's offense, he also approached the Clippers for Walton. However, he could not provide a better offer than the Celtics, so he failed.

Looking at it now, it was right not to trade. Although Walton has had a second spring with the Celtics, he has declined too much in all aspects.

When the Celtics play Bird, Sampson and Walton, and pair up with Ainge and John Long on the outside, that's when the entire team's offensive ceiling is at its highest.

In order to cope with this intensity, Louis is also very particular when choosing his lineup.

Stockton vs. Ainge, dirty vs. dirty;

Alex Stevens swings to the second position, struggling to compete with the complacent Buddhist players;

A.C. Green versus Bird, abstinence versus megalomania;

Ewing vs. Sampson, success is considered a success if not completely destroyed;

Oakley versus Walton, Chainsaw Massacre versus the Crippled Savage.

From a matchup perspective, the Knicks are inferior in all aspects, and certain points can only be targeted rather than suppressed.

Looking back at the Celtics, Bird and Sampson both have obvious matchup advantages.

Sure enough, as soon as this lineup came up, Bird and Walton's low post handoff was completed.

Walton got the ball in the low post and Bird cut in. The former passed the ball from behind his head to Bird without even looking.

Bird would never miss this opportunity.

33 to 36

Ewing went at full speed. The Greens, who didn't realize that the Knicks would force the positional battle into a fast break like Show Time, still retreated slowly.

By the time Stockton threw an alley-oop from beyond the three-point line, it was already too late to think about this quarter.

38 to 33

"The Celtics were really a little slack tonight. They gave their opponents too many easy scoring opportunities." Heinsohn said dissatisfied.

Next, it's Bird again.

A.C. Green's speed is not enough to guard against him.

Bird followed the inside confrontation and suddenly withdrew from the outside line. Walton's off-ball screen was perfect. Oakley's defense awareness was poor and he did not follow Bird out.

So from outside the left three-point line, Bird caught the ball and made a three-pointer.

36 to 38

In the frontcourt, Sampson intercepted Knicks' serve and distributed it to the outside.

Anji made a three-pointer.

Hit again!

39 to 38

The Celtics actually took the lead in the blink of an eye, and the atmosphere in the garden was like a steamer.

Suddenly being pressed by their opponents, the Knicks were overwhelmed.

Tomjanovich and Phil Jackson both suggested Louis pause, but Louis wanted to see how the group responded to this unexpected situation.

Suddenly, the person serving the ball became Stockton.

He threw the ball forward hard and it was a long pass.

In the midfield position, Ewing received the ball and shot an open three-pointer to Stevens.

Stevens, who was useless on the offensive end, missed a three-pointer, but Ewing grabbed the offensive rebound.

Sampson's help arrived and prevented Ewing's second attack, but Oakley still grabbed the offensive rebound.

The Knicks' two starting inside players took turns collecting offensive rebounds. Sampson blocked two shots in one round, but could not prevent the penalty area from being penetrated.

40 to 39

Where's Bill Walton? The old man just ran outside the three-point line in the backcourt.

This is a problem he has to face now. Game awareness, skills, and position defense are all no problem.

However, the athletic ability he had when he was young has completely disappeared.

He is now like a smaller version of Sabonis in his twilight years who still can't shoot from distance.

"Don't be impatient, use your brain in defense!" Louis shouted, "Pay attention to how to arrange your pockets!"

Louis will not deliberately fail to say some tactical instructions when setting up on the spot, because if he does say it, the opponent will not know what he is referring to, and it will also make the opponent hesitate when attacking.

The Celtics passed the ball to Walton.

Bird cut inside again, but A.C still couldn't catch up.

Stevens immediately switched defenses with him, and he chased him from a further position. A.C hurriedly rotated in front of John Long.

Walton passed the ball to Long before that happened.

Long rushed to score the ball again before the defense arrived.

The ball returned to Ainge's hands, and the Celtics' first-round tactics failed, with less than 8 seconds left in the attack time.

"The defense in this round was incredibly good!" Zhao Yuanzheng said in surprise, "Their opponent is the defending champion!"

Ainge did not dare to take the risk of shooting a three-pointer, because if the three-pointer was missed, there would be a long rebound. If the long rebound was obtained by the Knicks, it would be an opportunity to counterattack.

Stockton's ability to push counterattacks has already been concluded within the Celtics.

He is a person who absolutely cannot be underestimated.

Anji chose to break through. Judging from the results, it was a worse decision.

Ewing judged that he would choose to break through, and even predicted where he would stop. Therefore, he lurked on the wing, made a sudden attack, and gave Anji a volleyball cap.

The blocked ball allowed Stevens to catch up and pass it to Stockton.

Stockton promoted the counterattack, with Stevens behind him and Ewing participating in the fast break on the left. His actions made the opponent suspect that he was going to give Ewing an alley-oop, and they couldn't help but focus on Ewing's side.

One side.

Finally, Stockton scored an easy layup.

42 to 42

"These young people played really well!" Zhao Yuanzheng really didn't expect to be able to maintain a stalemate with the Celtics' lineup with the highest offensive ceiling.

Louis smiled and said: "Don't be too happy too early."

Ralph Sampson's three-pointer from the top of the arc calmed the Knicks off the court.

45 to 42

Sampson, who is 25 years and 9 months old, increasingly feels like a big boss in the Celtics.

He is a little more than half a year older than Thomas, and Bird is 4 years old, but overall, he is the person who has the greatest impact on the Celtics. Because he not only averages 24 points per game, but also has DPOY-level defense.

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A non-pie-eating DPOY post player who averages 24 points per game, if he is given more ball rights, can't he become the scoring champion and the Defensive Player of the Year at the same time like Olajuwon in 94-95?

And this kind of potential with no upper limit is the most terrifying thing.

Bird tried his best in every game, but Sampson rarely tried his best. It wasn't because he didn't want to, but because he didn't need to.

The Celtics' opponents always fell before Sampson could exert his strength.

Although the Celtics often lose to weak teams, there has never been a second team other than the Lakers that forced Bird and Sampson to play at their best.

Considering how terrible the upper limit of these two people's full strength is, think about what it would be like if Isiah Thomas, who has a thin presence in the Celtics and is often marginalized, also used his full strength.

Louis didn't dare to be careless. He couldn't relax until the game was over and the Knicks won.

Fortunately, the players on the court were not frightened. In the next round after Sampson hit a three-pointer, Oakley also completed an Empty Lob tactic under Stockton's command.

Stockton's airside lob is much more sophisticated than Webb's, which has something to do with the people he coordinates with. Stockton directs Ewing on the weak side to cover Oakley on the strong side.

The Celtics firstly didn't expect the inside to cover the inside, and secondly, the quality of Ewing's screen was too high.

The Celtics seemed to be doing it intentionally. The Knicks played tactics, and they also played tactics.

Walton's off-ball screen once again blocked Bird an opportunity.

From the high post on the right, Bird catches the ball and shoots a jumper.

47 to 44

"It seems A.C really can't keep up." Louis shook his head.

Tomjanovich asked: "Substitution?"

"Hmm." Louis looked at the people off the court. Wilkins and Campbell had all been beaten by Bird one by one. Now that an ascetic man like Iceman was made red in the face by him, who else could he turn to?

Woolen cloth?

At this time, Louis saw how Stevens used his body and entanglement ability to make John Long disappear on the court.

The basic configuration to defend against a player like Bird must be long hands and long legs + physical strength + glue defense.

Looking at it this way, Stevens is really the only one on the Knicks who currently meets the requirements.

"Tony." Louis called to Campbell, "You go and replace A.C. Then, tell Alex that he will guard Bird from now on."

The Knicks' tactics didn't work this time. Walton saw through the coordination and made a passing error.

But the Celtics' counterattack also failed, and the Knicks committed a timely tactical foul.

Just in time, Louis was about to make a substitution, and A.C. Green was replaced.

Stevens was called for a defensive foul on his first possession against Bird for being too aggressive.

"Don't touch me with your dirty hands!" Bird shouted.

Louis watched the excitement and was not afraid of causing trouble, and shouted loudly: "Alex, keep touching him, do you know how to touch him? How you usually touch your girlfriend, you can touch him later, Larry is my most intimate

My friend, you have to let him experience the fun of the game!"

"QNMD!" Bird cursed from a distance.

Stevens' defense still lacks a lot of skills, but the effect he brings is obvious. It is difficult for Bird to find opportunities by just running around. But the Celtics have other ways to score, and Bird is just a point.

.

Louis was amazed by the inside cooperation between Walton and Sampson.

Walton raised the ball with both hands, and Sampson actually used Oakley as a cerebral palsy at the free throw line to play a clumsy reverse run, and he succeeded.

Oakley was shaken away by him, and Sampson caught the ball in the middle and smashed it with both hands.

49 to 44

The Celtics' defensive IQ is gradually being reflected. The Knicks have used tactics several times, and they can find a way to crack it.

All attacks leading to the inside end are likely to be blocked by Sampson.

In this round, Stockton wanted to use the same counter-running tactic to help Stevens score.

As a result, Sampson noticed him, jumped up and slapped him with a nail board.

Walton picked up the ball, and the godly hand from the 1970s threw an incredible long pass to the owner of the godly hand from the 1980s.

Bird caught the ball with one hand and then scored from behind. The time he held the ball may not have been 0.5 seconds.

The sweltering, foul-smelling garden exuded religious fanaticism, and a basketball game more exciting than Show Time in Los Angeles was being staged.

The two passing masters of the 1970s and 1980s teamed up to create a beautiful match, and then Danny Ainge made a layup.

51 to 44

"Let's Go Cel-tics!!!"

Everyone in the audience roared and shouted "Let's Go Celtics". Bird and Sampson's efforts allowed the Celtics to instantly take the initiative and widen the point difference to 7 points.

Louis walked to the technical desk and asked for a timeout.

If it were 1 minute later, the 7-point difference might become 10 points, 12 points, or even 15 points.

One minute late, and the whole game might have been lost, and the Celtics, who were going crazy, had to be stopped.