naaapseattle Chapter 161 Physical confrontation, defense is king!
Chapter 161 Physical confrontation, defense is king!
Chapter 161 Physical confrontation, defense is king!
"I really didn't expect that the Spurs would be hacked!"
"Who said it wasn't? Under normal circumstances, the Spurs won anyway, but things like injuries are unpredictable."
"Health wins the championship. This year's Western Conference has changed too much. We must also pay attention to avoid injuries."
"The inside combination of black and white duo should not be underestimated. The Spurs not only lost to injuries, but also lost to configuration."
On April 4, the series between the Spurs and the Grizzlies was finally decided.
The healthier and younger Grizzlies, as the eighth in the Western Conference, counterattacked the No. [-] Spurs in the Western Conference and completed the feat of the Black Eight.
You know, this is the No. 60 in the Western Conference with [-]+ wins, and the Grizzlies Black Eight has a very high gold content.
But sometimes I have to say that the Spurs are too pursuing the regular season record, which affects the health of Ginobili and Duncan.
The three cores of GDP, and two of them brought up to play in the playoffs.
Played okay at the beginning, but as the playoffs deepened, the injuries of the two intensified.
In the end, the Spurs also became a paper tiger that was slick but useless. Thousands of people beat the drums, and they were eliminated by the Grizzlies before they reached the tiebreaker.
The Grizzlies advanced to the Western Conference semifinals and competed with the Clippers.
This shocked most people in the Clippers.
Lu Yi knew about this in advance, so naturally he wouldn't be surprised.
However, other Clippers players, as well as the coaching staff and management, expressed disbelief.
This is the Spurs who established an odd-numbered dynasty!How could he be defeated by the little-known Grizzlies?
Thinking of the rise of the Grizzlies, it also stems from the deal with their Clippers.
The Clippers management is also particularly nervous and concerned about the next battle.
As the general manager and head coach of the team, Dunleavy has mixed feelings.
Needless to say, playing the Grizzlies is definitely easier than playing the Spurs.
The worry is that if you are not afraid of [-], you are afraid of just in case.What if the Clippers lose to the Grizzlies in the series?
The Clippers sent out an All-Star inside overlord, but what they got in the deal was an old All-Star guard who gradually became less competitive.
Not to mention, the Clippers were led by Randolph to revenge, and finally bowed down again in the Western Conference semifinals.
Another year less for Lui's rookie bonus!
So when will the Clippers reach the Western Conference finals, and when will they reach the finals!
These are issues that management needs to consider in advance.
Of course, the best solution is to solve the opponent in the series and completely relieve the worries.
However, Dunleavy's previous preparations were mainly aimed at the Spurs.
Can the Grizzlies black the Spurs?I really didn't think of it that way beforehand.
And after the results of the two-team series, there are only two days before the start of the Western Conference semifinals between the Clippers and the Grizzlies.
Two days is not long. The Clippers want to adjust the lineup in time, practice tactics and cooperate so that they can better deal with opponents. This is very compact.
To put it short is not short, because the Clippers had already taken a break for half a week because they swept their opponents ahead of time, and now with two more days, the break is a bit long.
The players warmed up at the Staples Center all day long, but their playing state has not been able to quickly adjust back.
Therefore, for the next battle, the Clippers will inevitably encounter a slow heat.
The time finally came to the night of May 5, when the Clippers and Grizzlies played in G1 of the Western Conference semifinals at the Staples Center.
For today's game, the Clippers made adjustments early on when the players came out.
Today's Clippers' starting list is Lu Yi, Korver, Ariza, Boozer, and Jordan.
Lu Yi directly mentioned the No. [-] position. He is not very good at playing point guards. The main reason is that the team needs Lu Yi to strangle Conley.
And the overall height is raised, the perimeter defense is strengthened, and the Grizzlies' internal and external connections are cut off.
Through the Clippers' study of the Grizzlies and Spurs series, it is not difficult to see that the Grizzlies are a team that focuses on defense and inside.
The Spurs, who play team basketball, cannot compete with the Grizzlies on offense and defense. It may be difficult for the Clippers to kill the Grizzlies with offense alone.
That being the case, the Clippers had to find another way to temporarily strengthen their defense and compete with the Grizzlies in areas where the Grizzlies are good at.
Regardless of the fact that the Grizzlies are good at defense, this is mainly because Gay is injured, and the Grizzlies have to rely on defense to win.
Without Gay, a small forward with outstanding physical talent, the Grizzlies also have some problems in the distribution of the ball.
Although Tony Allen at the second position is the gate of perimeter defense, he is a little weaker in offense.
Conley, the No. [-] position, is limited by his short stature and thin body, and his offense is not stable enough at critical moments.
The third position, Sam Young, is not tall enough and not strong enough in the current striker.
As a second-round pick, his physical talent is also limited.
It can only be said that the taller is taller than the shortest, and there is no general in Sichuan, Liao Hua, as the vanguard.
If the Grizzlies want to win, they have to rely on the black and white bears inside, but the problem is that the ball has to be transmitted from the outside to the inside.
Lu Yi's single defense ability is still very good, especially defending small guards.
And Lu Yi plays the first position. On the offensive end, he doesn't need a pick-and-roll, and can directly attack Conley and Tony Allen.
Playing Conley is a misplacement, and playing Tony Allen is also a singles, and it is a singles that is easier to handle than Lou.
If Lu Yi is double-teamed by the Grizzlies outside, he can also pass the ball.
It's just that Lu Yi consumes a lot more energy on offense and defense than before.
But for the victory of the game, Lu Yi, as the head of the team, is not incapable of sacrificing.
In fact, with Iverson as a substitute for Lu Yi, Dunleavy also designed some opportunities for Lu Yi to rest.
As for how to reasonably let Lu Yi get the rest time, it depends on Dunleavy's ability as the head coach.
Closer to home, after the players on both sides entered the field, the game began quickly.
Gasol was very excited when he came up, and beat Jordan in the jump ball stage to help the Grizzlies get the ball.
Conley held the ball and was ready to pass halftime, but Lu Yi was waiting in the middle circle early, pressing the defense.
Conley has the ability to dribble, but the best way to defend the ball holder is to fight with the body.
Conley's level of physical confrontation was comparable to Lu Yi's level of physical confrontation, even if he was not crushed.
Conley had some difficulty dribbling the ball, so he quickly turned his back to protect the ball and handed the ball to his teammate.
Tony Allen came over to make a response, but it was a little obvious that Korver slapped the ball directly from behind.
Korver dribbles the ball and passes it to Lui.
After receiving the ball, Lu Yi walked directly to the basket in three big steps, stepped on the inner circle of the free throw circle and jumped up, directly blasting the basket and dunking.
This easy score made Lu Yi dream of returning to the NCAA.
The more intense the game, the more effective the pressing defense will be.
The Clippers used the tight defense to complete the transition and score, which also shows that Dunleavy's initial adjustments are effective.
However, although the Grizzlies played in the playoffs for the first time in recent years and lacked experience in the playoffs, after the Black Eight beat the Spurs in the first round, all players have evolved.
Conley dribbles across half court again, this time much more steadily.
Seeing Lu Yi approaching closely, he didn't panic, and immediately moved his hips, changing the rhythm and pulling away from Lu Yi.
I couldn't pull it away, so I passed the ball to a nearby teammate.
It was still Tony Allen who came to meet him, but this time Sam Young was not far away.
Tony Allen paid attention to the condition of his back this time, and did not make the mistake just now.
It's just that Lu Yi stuck to Conley's defense and didn't give Conley a chance to get the ball again and organize an offense.
If the Grizzlies really have the ability to connect, Conley will be the guard. Letting the poor offensive Tony Allen get the ball is exactly what the Clippers want to see.
Facing Korver's defense, Tony Allen didn't dare to shoot from the outside, so he could only go sideways and hoist the ball into the inside.
Korver simply shrank within the free throw line, ready to double-team Randolph with Boozer.
However, Randolph is still fierce.
Facing the possibility of double-teaming by the Clippers, Randolph was not at all stage-frightened, he just got into position and reached out to ask for it.
Boozer was pressed by Randolph, unable to circle forward, and unable to take off to break the pass.
When Randolph got the ball, he countered Boozer with a back hit, and Korver assisted in the defense. Randolph still turned around and made a small hook, which made Boozer lose his temper at all.
Back, the Clippers organized an offense.
Without a real point guard, Lu Yilai can only handle the ball.
In response to this situation, the Grizzlies also chose to press the defense, but it was not Conley, but Tony Allen.
Encountered in this situation, instead of feeling stressed, Lu Yifei showed a relaxed look.
Tony Allen holds the ball in defense, full of physical confrontation, full of aggression, and has small moves, the defense is really extraordinary.
However, Lu Yi's dribbling level is fine, and he has a back hit, and his strength is already above Tony Allen.
There was no need to play as hard as a bulldozer. Lu Yi relied on dribbling, continuously changing his rhythm, and speeding up. Tony Allen could only retreat.
By the time it was one step away from the three-point line, the Grizzlies hadn't double-teamed.
Lu Yi directly pulled out his hand.
Tony Allen tried his best to block the shot, but it was too late.
Lu Yi not only has a high shot height, but also a fast shot speed.
The playoffs are the stage for players to showcase their talents. The more they have an absolute advantage in talent, the more they can play exaggerated matchup performances.
Before Tony Allen affected Lu Yi's normal physical exertion, he couldn't prevent Lu Yi's attack at all.
As for why the Grizzlies didn't choose to double-team Lu Yi.
Lu Yi probably also understood that even if Sam Young came to double-team, Lu Yi could pass the ball to Korver.
Korver's height, facing Conley, is also an opportunity for a misplaced shot.
If Conley comes to double-team Lui, then Korver will have an opportunity to make a wide-open shot.
When the Clippers had more shooters on the court, the Grizzlies allowed Luigi to shoot from the perimeter.
Lu Yi's offensive and defensive pressure is not small today, and physical exertion will be a problem.
But in the series, the physical strength of the leading star will even affect the direction of the entire series.
The Grizzlies naturally allow Lu Yi to play singles on the outside. After all, offense requires energy.
But then again, if the Grizzlies really don't target Lu Yi's outside firepower, today's game will be for nothing.
第一节才打了8分钟，卢易已经7投4中，三分4投2中，罚球1投1中，砍下11分了。
This kind of scoring efficiency may not be high for Lu Yi, but it is not bad for the offensive core of other teams.
If Lu Yi can maintain this offensive efficiency, there is no doubt that the Grizzlies will lose a big game tonight.
Because a team that relies on defense to win can't defend against the opponent's attack, it is doomed to end in failure.
It is also worth mentioning that Lu Yi is not the core of the Clippers playmaker, Lu Yi is just the core of the offense with the ball.
After Lu Yi was replaced after more than 8 minutes of playing, Iverson came on the court to connect the team and played brilliantly.
The Grizzlies rely on Conley to connect the team. Conley played more time than Randolph and Gasol.
Iverson recharged his batteries and played after resting.
In the first 8 minutes of the first quarter, Conley not only did not rest at all, but was pressed and defended by Lu Yi for a long time.
After Iverson came on the court, facing Conley's defense, it was really easy.
Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins also discovered the problem. If Tony Allen went to lock Iverson, Iverson would decisively hand the ball to Gordon.
Gordon's offense with the ball is not bad, and Conley is basically the weakest link in the Grizzlies' defensive system.
Two energetic offensive points with the ball, constantly looking for weak points in the defense to launch attacks.
Conley was originally able to play 40 minutes of physical strength, but because of the exhaustion on the defensive end, it became more and more difficult.
After this happened, Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins had to bring in backup point guard Greivis Vasquez for a while.
The problem is, Greivis Vasquez is a rookie at the end of the first round this year, not to mention the experience of the playoffs, and he doesn't have much experience in the regular season.
Meeting an old fritter like Iverson, it is really not enough to pay the tuition.
Iverson didn't want to play this way, but for the team's victory, he let Greivis Vasquez receive two fouls early on.
Iverson's basket is not bad, relying on free throws to get 4 points steadily.
After the first quarter, the Clippers were 24 to 29, and the Clippers were able to lead by 5 points, thanks to Iverson.
The game entered the second quarter, and Lu Yi and Korver continued to play together.
The Grizzlies are strong on the inside, and the Clippers are strong on the outside.
Now that the first quarter proved that Lu Yi's guest role as a point guard can give him an advantage, why not continue?
Lu Yi played, and Tony Allen had to follow, otherwise there would be no one on the defensive end.
The inexperienced Greivis Vasquez faced Korver and had little chance to perform.
Ever since, Conley had to return to the court early.
Relying on the adjustment of the lineup, the Clippers firmly grasped the rhythm of the game.
Slowly dragging, dragging the Grizzlies main lineup to death.
Randolph once wanted to recover the point difference, but the Clippers were very resolute in double-teaming inside. In the first half, Randolph was allowed to have a good offensive efficiency, but he couldn't think about it in the second half.
The veteran Camby played, and he is also much more experienced than Jordan.
If it is impossible to foul again, it is not a big problem. Anyway, Camby will be a substitute.
Faced with such a sophisticated style of play by the Clippers, the Grizzlies can only sigh.
88 to 96, the Clippers played steadily and won their first victory in the Western Conference semifinals.
(End of this chapter)