The Whip of the God of Basketball

Tim Duncan is stuck in the low post, and his blocking skills are extremely good. This is due to his four years of solid basic skills training in college and his excellent physical fitness. Although Duncan looks inferior to Kevin Garnett in terms of jumping and speed, his static strength, shoulder width, and lower body strength are at a historical level. This is also closely related to his learning to swim since childhood.

In the league, even when facing the super monster Shaquille O'Neal, Duncan can still use his back to forcefully attack, not to mention Garnett, who suffers comprehensive losses in terms of shoulder width and foot plate. Leon once thought that using PJ Brown to defend Duncan would be more effective, but after thinking about it, he still felt that Garnett should be allowed to face Duncan's attack. Since the knot in his heart is here, let him use his own efforts to untie it.

Duncan easily received Parker's pass. After observing, the Celtics did not double-team. He decisively used his best and most threatening dribbling to turn into the three-second zone, and then Taking advantage of his weight and strength to hold down Garnett, he hit a hook with his right hand.

A mediocre hook, neither as graceful as a sky hook nor as suspended in the air as a big dream. It was just a small hook, but the ball went in, very simply and easily.

Obviously Garnett was unable to cope with this kind of power attack. After the ball went in, he picked up the basketball and slammed it on the floor, and then walked to the sideline to serve the sideline ball.

However, Leon still has confidence in Garnett. He knows that it will be better if PJ is used to defend Garnett as the main defense, but he must let Garnett face Duncan. Maybe Garnett is better in terms of overall strength. He cannot reach Duncan's level, but mentally, Leon hopes that he can be on an equal footing with Duncan, and even have the confidence to defeat Duncan.

Sure enough, in the next attack, Garnett began to actively ask for the ball, but unlike the blind attack in the first half, Garnett would first make a single block for Arenas, and then move down to the low post. You can get into position more easily and launch attacks more quickly.

Arenas lobbed the ball to Garnett knowingly. Garnett received the ball without hitting the ball. The first half proved that there is no future for hitting the ball with Duncan.

After Garnett received the ball, the Celtics ran a folding zone attack. Garnett passed the ball to Brown on the outside, and then made a cross-change with Laga Bell on the other side, reaching the low post on the right. . While changing positions, Arenas made a fake cut, pretending to run in from the right side at a 45-degree angle, then turned and ran back to the three-point line, staggering Tony Parker.

At this time, Brown passed the ball to Arenas. Arenas used the gap created by Garnett and Bell's crossover to pass the ball to Garnett. After receiving the ball, Garnett did not have any physical contact with Duncan. Directly turn over and shoot a fadeaway jumper when in contact.

No matter how high Duncan jumps, there is nothing he can do to interfere with Garnett's wingspan, high shooting point, and back.

"Whoa!!" The ball hit the net, a Garnett-style goal. Taking advantage of the suddenness of tactics and combining his own advantages, he successfully completed an attack.

"What a beautiful tactic... What the hell is this new thing?" Popovich curled his lips when he saw Garnett's goal on the sidelines.

Although the Celtics' attack was a folding zone attack, the starting point was nothing like it. It looked like four people pulling away from Garnett in a singles, but two simple moves immediately became different. . Popovich was a little confused for a while, but after thinking about it carefully, he realized that this is a variation of the third offensive option of the folding zone attack. It uses false low singles to attract the defender's attention and provide a greater opportunity to move the ball. space.

But Popovich didn't look very worried. He stood on the sidelines, shook his head, and sat back on his bench.

At this time, the Spurs' counterattack wave has been pushed to the frontcourt. Duncan bulldozed it from the center to the three-second zone. Ginobili made a coquettish pass to the ground. The ball passed through Arenas' crotch and flew directly to Duncan. hands. Duncan bent down to get the ball, then leaned directly on PJ Brown and slid up like a loach, while the ball in his hand flew towards the basket.

"Beep!" Crawford's whistle sounded, PJ Brown fouled, and the ball went in after bouncing on the basket twice, making it a three-pointer.

Then Duncan hit an extra free throw. This is his unique skill. He does not force himself or fight hard under the basket, but uses his strength close to the opponent's body, which can suppress the opponent and prevent him from using his strength. , and at the same time, he can also draw fouls. Coupled with his excellent touch and balance, he can often rely on this move to hit three-pointers under the basket.

When Duncan starts to exert force, that's when Popovich feels most at ease.

In the next few minutes, Duncan scored continuously under the basket. He scored 11 points in more than five minutes. Garnett had no way to defend Duncan in a one-on-one situation. However, Garnett also succeeded in the offense, including fadeaway jumpers and long-range jumpers. He also scored 6 points, and Arenas continued to maintain his good touch, so although Duncan performed like a killer, by the end of the fourth In the middle of the third quarter, the Celtics still led the Spurs by one point.

The two sides are about to enter the rotation stage of the second team. At this time, Leon can finally reveal the trump card that has been covered for a while-Michael Reid.

After a timeout, Reid replaced Bell, and Leon also let Garnett and PJ Brown come off the court and replaced Dalembert and Boris Diaw. This is obviously a lineup that focuses more on fast offense. This is also a difference between Leon and other coaches in the third quarter rotation strategy - he likes to put on a firepower lineup in the middle of the third quarter to attack for 3 minutes, and then start again at the end. Put on the main defensive lineup to finish.

This often ensures that the Celtics will launch a wave of attacks in the middle of the third quarter to establish a decisive advantage. However, sometimes due to defensive or offensive deficiencies, the team has to fill holes in the fourth quarter.

Popovich did not dare to replace Duncan on the Spurs side. Replacing Duncan in the middle of the critical third quarter would be fatal for the Spurs. It would be difficult for anyone other than Duncan to have a good scoring opportunity in the third quarter. Ginobili can provide some support, but Kevin Garnett's timely defense and delay destroyed many Spurs offenses.

Popovich saw Leon replacing Garnett and felt he had made a mistake.

Sure enough, after the timeout, Ginobili used a beautiful snake-shaped breakthrough to tear open the Celtics defense without Kevin Garnett, and succeeded in a layup, helping the Spurs successfully overtake the score in the third quarter.

The fans at the North Shore Garden Arena are worried. So far in the Christmas game, the Spurs have been as hard as a rock. No matter how hard the Celtics beat or how the fans cheer, there seems to be no way to crack a crack in this rock. .

However, the fans' nervousness only lasted 10 seconds. The Celtics attacked and Diaw passed the ball to Reid who was following behind the three-point line. Reid received the ball and took a step outside the three-point line and shot directly.

The scimitar was unsheathed. Reed, who had rested for half a quarter, had plenty of physical strength and well-rested muscles. His touch in the first half seemed not to be lost, and the ball passed through the net with a swishing sound. The Celtics once again took a two-point lead!

Then, Duncan easily succeeded in a single against Dalembert under the basket, but looking back, Reed lurked in the bottom corner to receive Arenas' breakthrough pass. He made another three-pointer, and the ball ruthlessly passed through the basket again. center. The gap became three points.

Popovich began to feel a little uneasy. He stood up and shouted at Ginobili, asking him to pay more attention to defense. But Ginobili, who has played for more than six minutes, cannot compare with Reed in terms of physical strength.

He broke through again in the offense, but missed a layup, but Duncan made a tip-in and scored two points.

But the Celtics' counterattack came very quickly. Without Brown and Garnett, they were even faster. Arenas surged forward and once again passed the ball to Reid, who was spread out to 45 degrees on the right side. But this time Ginobili caught up.

At this time, Diaw stepped forward to set a screen for Reid. Reid dribbled to the side with his right hand. The moment Diaw blocked Ginobili, the trebuchet suddenly fired, and it was outside the three-point line again. One step, a three-pointer as bright as a shooting star. The ball seemed to carry flames, passing through the basket and setting the net on fire. The score difference became four points!

They are both goals, but I have one more point than you, and the point difference is widening!

Popovich couldn't sit still, so he called a timeout again. The North Shore Garden Arena was filled with cheers, but Reid just lowered his head, pinched his nose and walked back to the bench.

"This feeling seems pretty good." Reed thought.