The Whip of the God of Basketball

From the first quarter to the second quarter, the two sides entered a stalemate stage, and neither side could open the score. After Leon used the strange card of Wang Zhizhi, he helped the Celtics reverse the situation. From being four points behind at the beginning, they gradually overtook the Pistons and always suppressed the Pistons. However, Wang Zhizhi's role was limited and partial. Leon replaced him a few minutes into the second quarter and never sent him on the field again in the first half.

He scored two baskets and hit a free throw in only about 6 minutes. Wang Zhizhi delivered a half-time answer of 5 points and 2 rebounds in his first playoff appearance. Overall, it was pretty good. However, he did not hit a three-pointer, which is also a problem that worries Leon. The team still cannot make more gains outside the three-point line. At the end of halftime, the score between the two sides was 49:48, with the Celtics leading by 1 point. This score was quite close to the halftime score of the previous game.

"Three-pointers, we must shoot more three-pointers to avoid getting into physical combat with our opponents. Although we will not be afraid of getting into difficult positional battles with the opponents, we are always ready. But use three-pointers to tear apart the opponent's defense. , will be the most effective and obvious way to defeat them. You can try to shoot some three-pointers in the counterattack, instead of necessarily making layups, although the success rate of layups is high enough. Remember, don’t forget The feeling of shooting, find them, find them in the game." At halftime, Leon reminded the players in the locker room to increase their three-point shots and find the feeling of three-pointers as much as possible.

But Leon himself was not sure. The Pistons' defense was very targeted. After Carlisle suffered the loss of Wallace guarding Walker in the last game, he was determined not to let Wallace play against Walker again. Even if Wang Zhizhi continued to To score, Carlisle did not allow Wallace to be distracted. He asked Wallace to return to his familiar defensive position and roam around in a wide range outside the three-second zone.

The existence of Ben Wallace allows the Pistons' outside players to safely defend themselves and boldly expand the defensive circle without being beaten by the Celtics in the mid-range position. As early as the first game, Leon thought about how to let the short center No. 3 sit on the bench. In the second game, he almost did it, but Carlisle adjusted so quickly, and he had to play his next card. .

At the beginning of the second half of the game, Leon returned to the sidelines and sat on the bench. He took a sip of water and began to wait patiently.

During the halftime break, Leon thought about replacing Chris Anderson to deal with Ben Wallace, just like Dennis Rodman did in last year's semifinals. He tried his best to grab offensive rebounds and used trash talk and passion. To influence Wallace and the Pistons. Leon even considered whether to use an off-board move.

However, such thoughts were quickly suppressed by Leon. Like Auerbach, Leon could do anything to win, but he also knew the importance. In the regular season against the Lakers, with a pure substitute lineup, this move can be said to be a strong counterattack with the weak defeating the strong. Although it has been criticized, it will also be a good story in the future; now, the Celtics have the upper hand. If they still use outside moves, they will not only lose face. It's ugly, and even worse, it may arouse the anger of the entire Pistons team, but put the team at a disadvantage.

So Leon decided to wait, waiting for the best time, which will be the time to determine the trend of the game.

Although Leon emphasized the three-pointer in the midfield, the Celtics did not fundamentally change their offensive formation. After Arenas tried two counterattacks and missed a quick three-pointer, the team returned. It's back to the old path of positional offense relying on Pierce's singles. The second quick attack is very handy in the regular season, because the opposing teams rarely make targeted arrangements for each other. You play yours and I play mine. The feeling of the game is very important.

As the defensive intensity increases in the playoffs, especially since Arenas himself expends a lot of energy on defense, it is difficult to be at ease in offense. At this time, it is natural to rely on the singles ability of core players.

"Gilbert needs to make a good adjustment. It seems that the burden on him is still too heavy for him to shoulder too many defensive tasks." Leon looked annoyed after missing two three-pointers, and had to Arenas, who returned to defense, thought to himself. Before the series, he hoped that Arenas could make more contributions on the defensive end. His defense against Iverson in the first round was really not good enough. However, it seems that it is really not that easy to maintain a high level and high intensity on both offense and defense like Kobe, Jordan or Stockton.

Leon also knows that point guard is the position with the lowest return on defensive investment. However, in these two rounds, he has faced teams with strong point guards, and the opponent he is most likely to face in the Eastern Conference finals has the strongest point guard in the league. , Leon had to put forward high demands on Arenas' defense.

Just as Leon was thinking about it, Arenas suddenly made a move to steal Billups while on defense. It was a wonderful pass that relied not on speed but on judgment. Even though he was as steady as Billups in controlling the ball, his dribbling There are still rules to follow, and there are still flaws to be found.

After stealing the ball, Arenas advanced quickly with the ball. There was no one in front of him, no teammates or opponents. Michael Reed was running at the same level as him. Reed did not move forward, but spread to the side like wings. When Reed reached 45 degrees on the left, Arenas, who had rushed into the three-second zone, turned around and passed the ball. Reed almost started to jump before the ball touched his hands, then caught the ball, shook his arm, and started the trebuchet. .

"Whoa!" Three points into the net! The Celtics finally made a three-pointer, a three-pointer that chased life like a flying knife! The stalemate between the two sides in the third quarter was broken by this three-pointer. At 55:50, the Celtics opened the point difference to 5 points. This was a gap that Carlisle had to respond and adjust. A brief pause was immediately called.

Leon knew that the time should come, if his judgment about Carlisle was not wrong.

……………………

Carlisle saw Billups being intercepted by Arenas, and then the Celtics hit a three-pointer. He was cautious and immediately called a timeout. Before the entire series, Carlisle formulated his primary goal against the Celtics - to contain the Celtics' three-pointers.

The Celtics' terrible three-pointers in the regular season often become the key to their victory. The same successful attack will lead to one point more than the opponent several times. In the end, it is reflected in the total score, which is the difference that leads to victory. If the Celtics have a powerful low-post monster, the Pistons will be overwhelmed by their weakness at the power forward position. Carlisle was very worried that Walker would become this role. In the last game, he showed strong offensive power and firm offensive will. Carlisle also started with Prince with the mentality of giving it a try. Unexpectedly, it played a very good role. Effect.

It's not that Prince's defense is so strong, but Walker's unstable performance and inability to be determined to the end make him lose his prestige in front of the defense line composed of Prince and Wallace.

Now looking at Arenas increasing his three-point shots, the Celtics are trying to improve their three-point shooting percentage as a whole, while the Pistons' own offense has stagnated due to the continuous expansion of defense and consumption of energy. Although Billups has been suppressing Arenas, he is also very tired.

Carlisle pointed to backup point guard Atkins sitting off the court and signaled him to get ready to play. But he didn't replace Billups, but Hamilton.

Carlisle was conflicted. On the one hand, Atkins played in a normal rotation. Although Atkins was a point guard like Billups, Hamilton, Prince or Robinson lacked offensive organizational skills. Therefore, replacing Atkins and Billups as double point guards can greatly alleviate the team's problem of passing the ball from the outside. Now that the team's offense is weak, replacing Atkins in normal time would be a good adjustment.

On the other hand, the Celtics' three-pointers are showing signs of gaining momentum, and Atkins' defense is not good. No matter if he is played against Arenas or Reid, Atkins' height and speed will suffer.

The hesitation lasted only 0.1 seconds, but Carlisle still did not change his mind. Atkins had already taken off his sportswear and was ready to play. For a coach, changing the established rotation rhythm is a big risk. After a season of running-in rotation time points and personnel, the players already have a good feeling for each other on the court. Easy replacement requires players to have a good understanding of the game. The ability to adjust and make special arrangements before the game.

Carlisle was still conservative.

When Leon saw Atkins stand up from the bench, he knew that it was time to take action! In the third quarter, he strives to decide the outcome in this quarter!