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Chapter 73 Steady Don't Panic



Chapter 73 Steady Don't Panic
The short pause ended in a blink of an eye, and the game continued.

The effect of the Spurs changing the starting lineup on the spot was poor. Popovich honestly replaced Oberto, allowing Duncan to return to the power forward position. At the same time, Ginobili was arranged to make an early debut to replace Michael Finley.

Seeing Ginobili's appearance, Su Yang was sure that the Spurs were going to solve the problem of Duncan being double-teamed.

Because Finley is the kind of player with excellent physical fitness, soft shooting touch and strong first-step explosive power, it is said that he will be very strong when he is open to the ball, but Finley is not good at attacking the ball, and he is old, so he can shoot at him unscrupulously .

Amidst the cheers of the audience, the referee whistled to start timing, and Popovich stood on the sidelines and personally directed the attack.

After some conduct, the Spurs still played the ball for Duncan at the waist, and the Blazers still double-teamed.

Duncan split the ball, and Ginobili shot without hesitation, much more decisively than Finley.

But the basketball still smashed the basket and hit the iron. Blake grabbed the rebound and led the team to launch a fast break.

Su Yang observed the defensive position in the half court and reminded that he could use STS (screening the screener and creating opportunities to catch the ball) alley-oop tactics. Frye immediately rushed up to make a fake screen for Blake, and then disassembled and used Webster to cover the air. Cut and attack the basket.

Blake passed the ball at the first time, but unfortunately, Frye's jumping power was a bit weak, and he dunked the ball.

The Spurs grabbed the rebound and launched a fast break, Oberto made a long pass quickly, and Parker took the ball and rushed like a sports car.

Blake couldn't catch up and chose a tactical foul. Parker made two free throws steadily and broke the scoring shortage for the Spurs.

Turning to the Blazers to play the most basic FLOPPY (the bottom line uses the cover to catch the ball) tactics, Roy ran fast with his youth, abruptly threw away Ginobili, caught the ball in the right elbow area and made an emergency stop jumper, He boldly hit two points.

Changing the Spurs' offense, they did not go directly to Duncan. Su Yang directed the Blazers to defend a 32-zone defense.

Blake and others rushed to execute, Parker beckoned when he saw this, and the Spurs cooperated with RAM at 45 degrees.

Bowen blocked the man on the left, used the cover to cross the paint area, and quietly reached the bottom corner on the right.It didn't have any effect at first, but Parker suddenly hit the ground and passed the ball vigorously. The basketball passed through the middle of the Blazers and flew to the right corner with precision.

The bottom corner of the 32-zone defense is a weakness, and Parker made an unconventional pass suddenly, and the Blazers couldn't defend against it.

The basketball slammed into the net hollowly.Su Yang sighed in his heart that Parker is arrogant, so he dares to pass the risk, which is exactly what Riley said: most of the tactics will be seen through, and you often need an elite player to deal with difficult situations.

In the transition between offense and defense, Roy received the ball from the right wing and pretended to play a double screen with Frye and Alder, but actually played a Flare tactic. Alder easily got an open shot from the short corner on the right, but it was a pity that he smashed the basket and hit the iron.

Ginobili grabbed the rebound and launched a fast break. He went directly to Duncan for cover at the top of the arc and succeeded in a three-step high toss.

In this way, the Spurs successfully stabilized the situation with the help of Bowen's three-pointer and Ginobili's two-pointer.

In the next few rounds, Duncan mainly defended Aldridge, causing Aldridge to either make a mistake or hit the iron, while Oberto stayed close to Frye throughout the entire process to prevent him from shooting a three-pointer. When Roy or Blake hit a pick-and-roll, the Spurs shrank. Pinching, the effect is excellent.

The Blazers continued to double-team Duncan, and Duncan passed the ball every time.

However, compared with Finley, Ginobili can shoot open shots and attack with the ball, making Roy's quick rotation back to the defense useless, forcing Webster and Blue Lake to defend from the top of the arc, resulting in Bob Wen and Parker scored consecutively.

With three and a half minutes left in the first quarter of the game, the Spurs led the Blazers by 16 point with a 7-1 offensive.

McMillan requested a timeout based on experience, and several assistant coaches and players were a little flustered.

Su Yang calmly emphasized not to panic: "The Spurs arranged for Ginobili to play in advance in order to chase points and stabilize the situation. Duncan also played more time in the first quarter than usual. They are ahead of consumption. We just stick to the established strategy."

After listening to him, the coaching staff and players felt a little relieved, and he reminded Ade alone to not worry.

Putting aside doubts, the Trail Blazers players re-appeared to fight, and Adelaide finally played at a normal level.

But for the Spurs, Ginobili has mid-range shots, three-pointers, steals and fouls.The key Blazers do a good job of defending every time, but they are always scored by Ginobili.

After the first quarter, the Blazers trailed 23 to 27, and the Spurs scored 6 three-pointers in a single quarter.

Seeing the statistics, Monty was quite embarrassed, and tentatively said: "How about we give up double-teaming Duncan..."

Hearing those words, Su Yang felt happy: Monty proposed by himself, but denied by himself, his confidence is too low.

Su Yang patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile: "Duncan only rested for 48 seconds in this quarter, with 3 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist. Our double-teaming effect is very good. They lead because Ginobili played better than Finley. Well, better luck."

The same meaning, Su Yang said it in different words and different angles, and once again comforted the whole team not to panic.

The second quarter started immediately, Duncan continued to play, and Parker and Ginobili were also there.

Duncan and Ginobili obviously didn't get enough rest. Su Yang didn't know what Popovich was thinking, so he chose to sit still and let the Blazers' absolute main force Roy stay on the court to rest, and arranged for Adelaide and Outlaw to lead the team beat.

As expected, Ginobili's physical strength declined, and the defense became a big hole, allowing Weaver to catch two, and the offensive end also made consecutive strikes and turnovers, while Duncan took double-team shots and made a total of three shots. The Spurs relied on Parker gets points.

However, Duncan's defense was still online, Parker also contributed two steals, and the Blazers only played a 10-4 attack wave.

Popovich still called a timeout for substitutions, and the Spurs then defended with all their strength, trying to press the rhythm and pinch three-pointers.

The game turned into a dogfight, and the Spurs used their years of experience in the playoffs to grind points little by little.

Seeing that the Blazers group of young people were made frizzy, Su Yang was not in a hurry to make adjustments. He was going to let the team members deeply understand the situation where they couldn't draw points, cultivate their patience in waiting for opportunities, and at the same time continue to consume Duncan's physical strength.

During the official timeout, Outlaw and the others gasped for breath, but Su Yang remained silent, asking McMillan to encourage him.

He is not trying to be lazy, but as a former NBA player, McMillan has played the same game, and he can better understand the mental state of the players. At that time, his words are more convincing, and it is easier for the players to maintain their fighting spirit.

Just like that, after halftime, the Blazers trailed the Spurs 45 to 49, only in rebounds.

Su Yang checked the statistics and found that Duncan only rested for 3 minutes in the half game. He made 6 of 1 shots in total. He only scored 3 points, 2 assists and 3 rebounds. He scored 0 points in the second quarter. Bright.

The Blazers team returned to the locker room. Su Yang continued to emphasize that don't panic, the dawn of victory is coming.

But Mike Dunleavy, an on-site commentator on TNT, felt that the veteran Spurs were about to crush the young Blazers, and directly criticized Su Yang for not making timely adjustments. Double-teaming Duncan was also a ridiculous defensive strategy.

(End of this chapter)


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