After losing the game, the Spurs did not waste time and rushed back to San Antonio overnight.
The nightlife in Los Angeles is a well-known temptation for any NBA team. Although the average age of the Spurs headed by Duncan is a bit older, the Spurs veterans also headed by Duncan are all a group of boring men. Really If you play, you will be crazier than young people.
Popovich doesn't want the Spurs to become a team of soft-footed shrimps. If this game is won and the team sweeps the Lakers 4-0, Popovich would not mind the Spurs staying in Los Angeles for a night and enjoying the nightlife of Los Angeles. But now that the game is lost, the Spurs will immediately return to San Antonio.
On the plane, many players were already drowsy, but Spurs coach Popovich looked very energetic. He was holding a tablet and watching the replay of the game.
"It's so fast!" Popovich looked at Zhang Guan's breakthrough and sighed involuntarily.
"It's really fast. It reminds me of Allen Iverson back then." Another voice sounded from the side. Popovich turned around and saw Duncan approaching.
Popovich began to officially coach the Spurs in 1996, and Duncan entered the Spurs as the No. 1 pick in 1997. The two have worked together for 17 years, and naturally they have a tacit understanding. For Popovich, Duncan is not only a disciple, but also a partner and a friend.
"At first glance, I also think of Iverson, but if you look closely, Zhang Guan and Iverson are still different. Their breakthroughs are equally fast, making it difficult to guard against. But the goal of Iverson's breakthrough He scores directly, he often shakes his opponent away and then chooses open shots, while Zhang Guan's breakthrough is obviously aimed at free throws, in this regard he is more like Harden." Popovich said.
Looking back at Iverson's outstanding highlights, many of them were after knocking his opponent down and then choosing a jump shot, either a three-pointer or a mid-range shot. In fact, Iverson's shooting percentage is not very high. At most, it is only at a qualified level. His three-point shooting percentage is still relatively low by current standards.
Of course, in that era, most players played like this. Mid-range shooting was the main scoring method, and three-pointers were the patent of those specialized three-point shooters. Even the great Jordan takes very few three-pointers, and his three-point shooting percentage is often below 30%.
After all, that era was an era where big centers were rampant. Which team didn't have a seven-foot-long man in charge? In that era, a guard holding the ball and rushing to the basket was an act seeking death. Not to mention it was a ploy. A traditional big center's shot blocking could make you a better person every minute. It's just that in today's league, small-ball style is prevalent and traditional centers are declining, giving players with a breakthrough style more room to survive.
Popovich then asked: "Do you have any good defensive strategies against Zhang Guan?"
Duncan shook his head: "Some players, once they have unlimited firing rights, are simply unable to guard against them. They can easily score three, forty or even fifty points."
"But a certain star scoring high points doesn't mean the team can win, right?" Popovich laughed.
"That's true, and the Lakers have always had this tradition." Duncan said with the same smile.
There are many bad teams in the NBA with average performance, but the individual statistics of the stars in these teams are very good. Most of the stars in the NBA are really difficult to guard if they are given unlimited power to fire. It's just that although some people have more ball rights and take more shots, the team cannot win the ball.
"If this is the case, we only need to do one thing well, and that is to score more points than the Lakers!" Popovich took a deep breath and then said: "In the next game, we will return to tradition and focus on attacking inside! "
Duncan was a little surprised. Popovich's decision was to ask Duncan to serve as the team's offensive core.
If it were the Spurs five or six years ago, this might be normal. At that time, Duncan was still young and still the strongest insider in the league. Sometimes he could defeat the entire team by himself, but now Duncan is 38 years old. Now, can a 38-year-old Duncan still be able to shoulder the important task of being the core of the team's offense? Moreover, the Spurs' style of play also relies more and more on the team, unlike other teams that rely more and more on big-name stars.
"What? It's been so long since you've played like this that you don't have confidence in yourself anymore?" Popovich asked with a smile.
"I just feel a little surprised." Duncan shook his head.
Popovich put down the tablet in his hand and continued: "The next game is up to you. Win the game in the way we are best at! Just grit your teeth and persevere. Anyway, we are now leading 3-1. If we win this One game will give you a day or two of rest!"
…
In the 1987 NBA draft, the Spurs selected David Robinson with the No. 1 pick. Since then, the Spurs have become a team with an inside tradition. Ten years later, the Spurs once again held the No. 1 pick, and they selected Duncan, which began the Spurs' more than ten years of glory. In the future, the Spurs signed Aldridge to continue their inside tradition.
In comparison, the Lakers and Rockets talked about the center tradition all day long, but in the end they didn't all play small ball.
On April 30, the Spurs welcomed the Lakers at home. This was the fourth or fifth game in the series between the two teams.
Back at home, the Spurs are full of confidence. They only need to win this game to advance to the next round.
The Lakers obviously still have to continue to fight hard. There is no difference between being behind 0-3 and falling behind 1-3. From the perspective of the history of the playoffs, it is still a must-lose situation.
After the game started, the Spurs' tactics changed. The inside line became their main offensive point. The ball was frequently passed to Duncan, and the forwards and defenders also increased the frequency of breakthroughs, constantly attacking the Lakers inside line. pressure. The Lakers immediately took on huge pressure inside.
Kaman's defense is indeed a big problem. Kaman was also teased by Dayao in various ways during his peak period. The twin inside towers organized by him and Gasol were indeed very good offensively, but on the defensive end, facing the real top The inside line is about to suffer. Even Kaman himself admitted this in an interview. When he was with the Clippers, Brand's first-class waterproofing ability could make up for Kaman's deficiencies. However, in the Los Angeles Lakers, Gasol could not help Kaman with defense like Brand did. Because of this, Kaman seems to be bullying this season. When the opponent's inside is weak, Kaman easily gets a 20+10 double-double. When the opponent's inside is strong, Kaman also easily gets four or five turnovers and four or five fouls.
At this time, Kaman's defense frequently showed loopholes, and the Spurs also deliberately targeted Kaman's attack. Duncan's strong play on the inside always used Kaman as a breakthrough point, and Parker, Ginobili and Leonard on the outside. The breakthrough is always directed at Kaman. Kaman received two fouls in the first quarter.
At the same time, Zhang Guan's offense was also hindered, and his quick breakthrough was far less smooth than in the previous game.
Different from the last game, this is San Antonio after all, the home court of the Spurs. In the playoffs, home and away are two completely different experiences, not to mention that the Spurs were last year's championship.
In San Antonio, the morale of the Spurs players is higher, the defense is working harder, and the referee's penalty is also more in favor of the Spurs as allowed by the rules. Although Zhang Guan's breakthrough can still reap results, he will also have to put in more effort and take greater risks.
The Spurs' defense also subconsciously shrank inward. They used the same tactics they used against the Thunder's second young master to thwart Zhang Guan's offense and cause him as much trouble as possible.
In the first quarter of the game, the Lakers were temporarily 1 point behind the Spurs 26-27, but who could see that the Spurs' offense was very smooth, while the Lakers looked more like Zhang Guan was holding on alone.
At the beginning of the second quarter, Nick Young suddenly popped out and scored 9 points in a short period of time, which kept the Lakers from falling behind the Spurs. However, the Lakers knew that this was not a long-term strategy. Nick Yang's Neurosword is like Duan Yu's Six Meridians Divine Sword. Sometimes it works well and sometimes it doesn't work well. It's okay to use it as a surprise weapon occasionally, but it's definitely useless as a main force.
"Coach, it's not an option to continue playing like this. It's getting more and more difficult to break through and score points. We still have to rely on three-pointers." Zhang Guan said.
"For three-pointers, you must have a certain ability to protect rebounds. Besides, Kaman's movements may not be able to keep up with the rhythm." D'Antoni said.
"If you want to protect the rebound, why don't you let Hassan go up and try it?" Zhang Guan suggested.
"Hassan?" D'Antoni glanced at Whiteside.
D'Antoni really likes players like Whiteside. "Whiteside" has much better athletic ability than Kaman. Although his offensive ability is indeed lacking, he is flexible and can run and jump. These two points are very good. Suitable for bombardment. The bombardment tactic does not require all five players to be good at attacking and scoring, but it must be able to run. From this point of view, Whiteside should be able to take away a rotation spot on the bench.
It's just that Whiteside has been with the Lakers for a relatively short time. He has been adapting to D'Antoni's tactical system and has not yet entered the rotation. Moreover, recent games have been relatively important, with less garbage time and no chance for Whiteside to play. Therefore, since Whiteside joined the Lakers, he has only had two playing opportunities, and each playing time was only four or five minutes. The rest of the time he has been on the bench. He has not really shown his talent.
D'Antoni thought for a few seconds and then called Whiteside to his side.
"Hassan, warm up and get ready to play!" D'Antoni said.
"Play!" Whiteside was pleasantly surprised. He was originally the water fountain keeper sitting at the end of the bench. His main job was to wave towels. He never expected that the coach would let him compete in a "life and death battle" in this playoff game. Midfield.
"Do you know your mission?" D'Antoni asked suddenly.
Whiteside was stunned for a moment and immediately said: "I know, protect the rebound!"
"Very good, next dead ball, let's play!" D'Antoni patted Whiteside on the shoulder.
…
"The Lakers made a substitution. They replaced Wesley Johnson and replaced him with, um..." The ESPN commentator paused, obviously not recognizing Bai Bian. He looked down at the information in his hand before continuing. : "The Lakers replaced Hassan Whiteside."
"Who is this person? With all due respect, this is a new face. This is the first time I heard this name." The commentator next to him said.
But ESPN is a professional sports media after all. In just two or three seconds, the commentator found Whiteside's information on the tablet.
"Whiteside was drafted by the Kings with the 33rd overall pick in 2010. He played for the Kings for two years, playing 19 offensive games, averaging 1.5 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. He was waived by the Kings last season and then went to play in the NBL. ." The commentator said immediately.
"NBL? You play in Canada's NBL league! There is a big gap between the level of that league and the Development League." The commentator said.
"No, no, no, it's not Canada's NBL, it's China's NBL. It seems to be China's Development League, which is one level lower than China's CBA league." The commentator said immediately.
"Can we only play in the Development League in China? Hahaha, how could the Lakers sign such a player? I guess this year's undrafted rookies are not even good enough to play in the Development League in China. D'Antoni must have been ill and sought medical treatment." The commentator said with a smile.
On the other side, the Spurs also noticed Whiteside, who had just come on.
"This guy is a seven-foot-long man with long arms. He looks a little thin and may not have enough confrontation ability. He averages 1.5 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. He must be a blue-collar worker who does dirty work. This kind of player is one of the best in the league. Grab a handful and don’t pay special attention to it.” Popovich didn’t care about Whiteside’s appearance at all.
On the court, the Spurs are led by Ginobili and led by Diaw, Mills, Belinelli and Bonner. This is considered a normal rotation system for the Spurs. The Lakers mainly rely on Nick Young to score, in addition to Bazemore, Jordan Hill, Farmar and the newly-introduced Whiteside. Zhang Guan, Gasol and Nash were not present.
Ginobili walked across half court, carefully observing the movements of the opposing Lakers players.
"Who is that black man who just came on the field? By the way, now that I think about it, it seems that he was a second-round pick a few years ago. He couldn't make it in the NBA and went to play abroad. A passerby, this is just a breakthrough!" Ji Nobili thought of this and signaled Mills to pass the ball to him.
Bonner stepped forward and played a pick-and-roll, and Ginobili took advantage of the opportunity to break through, and he went in the direction of Whiteside. Ginobili is also a seasoned player. He realized that Whiteside was a new face and felt that the newcomer was easy to bully, so he came directly to Whiteside. And Ginobili is bad enough, deliberately looking for physical contact and trying to get a foul. If he's lucky, he can get a two plus one.
Whiteside's steps were very flexible. He stepped back slightly and swerved out of the way, preventing Ginobili from finding physical contact.
"This big man is quite agile, but if you give me such a big space, I'm going to go for a layup!" Ginobili jumped for a layup without hesitation.
"We have the ball!" The basketball was shot, and Ginobili was overjoyed.
At this moment, a big hand suddenly appeared from the sky.
"Bang!" Whiteside gave Ginobili a big hit!
"What? It's that passerby!" Ginobili was shocked.
At this time, Nick Young had already controlled the ball and then made a layup, successfully scoring two points for the Lakers.
…
"The effect looks very good." D'Antoni nodded with satisfaction. He turned his head and said to Zhang Guan and Nash: "It's time for you to go on the field and let the Spurs have a taste of what real running and gunning is!"
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(End of chapter)