I am so Accurate

Chapter 460 “Notorious”

No one understood this substitution.

You must know that so far in the playoffs, Zhu Fangyu has only averaged 5 minutes of playing time per game.

It looks okay, but in fact he only played 5 games. This is because he played against the Warriors and almost every game had garbage time.

His situation is somewhat similar to that of Lou Williams. At the end of the season, he was given the opportunity to perform well and stay on the playoff roster, but due to defensive problems, he did not get a chance to play in the playoffs.

"Maybe the Lakers want to try his three-point shot?"

Kenny Smith gave a reasonable explanation in the commentary box.

Zhu Fangyu can stay in the league because he has a pretty good three-point shot.

In the last two minutes of the first quarter, Thomas on the Suns threw two and three-pointers in a row, but Horry and Walker on the Lakers missed shots one after another.

There's nothing wrong with finding someone who can shoot three-pointers to respond.

Back in the second quarter, the Lakers took the lead.

Finley and Mourning drove to the basket after a pick-and-roll, and after splitting, they passed Tim Thomas for a layup.

But on the Suns' side, Barbosa immediately broke through the pick-and-roll and drew a foul, and retaliated by making two free throws.

In this year's selection of the best sixth man, Barbosa lost to Mike Miller.

But that has something to do with the fact that the Suns have too many players and the ball is dispersed. In terms of sixth man attributes, he is obviously stronger.

Finley continued to play pick-and-roll with Mourning in the frontcourt.

This time the Suns tightened their defense, leaving Zhu Fangyu free in the corner.

However, Finley did not pass the ball, but pushed Thomas for a layup, causing the latter's player to foul.

Thomas' offense is good, but his defense is also really bad.

But after these two rounds, Confucius couldn't understand, Mencius couldn't understand, and Laozi couldn't understand either.

Zhu Fangyu seemed to have no effect when he was replaced. He was just practicing turning back and running?

And soon, the fans discovered something very interesting on the court.

Thomas, who was very active on the offensive end in the second half of the first quarter, ran twice without getting rid of Zhu Fangyu and squatted on the outside without moving.

This time it became even more incomprehensible.

Thomas is a power forward and Zhu Fangyu is a small forward. If the two of them face off, they will absolutely crush their bodies.

Thomas can do more than just throw two three-pointers from the outside!

Barbosa's breakthrough was blocked and the Lakers counterattacked. Christie assisted Finley and scored another 2 points.

34 to 30!

Finley performed well in this period, and the Lakers successfully narrowed the point difference.

In the next round, a more interesting scene happened on the court.

Barbosa signaled Tim Thomas to post up, but Thomas was reluctant at first.

After Barbosa signaled a second time, he reluctantly went to the basket.

And after he caught the ball and started playing from the back, others discovered that his back playing was a little... gentle.

That's right, it's gentle.

Zhu Fangyu, who was defending behind him, lowered his focus to hit the ball, but Thomas just chose to turn around and hook outside.

"Dang!"

The basketball hit the rim and Zhu Fangyu actually defended it!

There was a commotion in the place.

But at this moment, Phil Jackson on the sidelines showed a smile like a KFC grandpa.

If Artest is notorious for punching fans in the "Auburn Hills Palace Brawl", then Zhu Fangyu's punching Bogut made him notorious among players.

The combination punch with a strong shadow of "kung fu" is to some extent more fearful than Ma Long's iron elbow.

Especially for a player like Thomas who likes to "get high".

Because you will really get beaten.

And there will be a surprise next round.

Finley broke through again and was double-teamed. This time he chose to distribute the ball.

The ball was sent to Zhu Fangyu in the bottom corner.

Zhu Fangyu took action as soon as he caught the ball.

Thomas was obviously too late to return to defense, so he watched Zhu Fangyu take action.

"Uh-huh!"

There was a crisp sound, and the three-pointer hit the net!

Zhu Fangyu scored his first career playoff point!

34 to 33!

And this three-pointer is very crucial. The Lakers chased the score to only 1 point!

D'Antoni was also dissatisfied with Thomas' performance in the second quarter and directly replaced him with Stoudemire.

This scene amused both Barkley and Kenny Smith in the commentary box.

Because in a sense, Jackson replaced Zhu Fangyu and directly defeated Thomas, who was in excellent condition!

You have Hua Xiong, and I have General Pan Feng!

And I really killed you!

Or it can also be understood as killing a chicken with a bull's-eye. Why use Sun Hao to beat Thomas!

Zhu Fangyu, that’s enough!

Jackson's adjustment was very eye-catching. The Suns had a chance to open the score, but once again they got into a tug of war with the Lakers.

This seesaw continued into the third quarter.

This time it was the Lakers' turn to break out. They launched a 13-3 attack at the beginning of the third quarter.

Unlike the Suns, the Lakers didn't let this opportunity slip away.

They played steadily and eventually defeated the Suns 117-104 to win the game.

For the Suns, Stoudemire had 22 points and 10 rebounds, Marion had 13 points and 11 rebounds, Nash had 9 points and 13 assists, Barbosa had 14 points, and Diaw had 8 points and 4 rebounds.

For the Lakers, Sun Hao had 32 points and 7 assists, O'Neal had 21 points and 13 rebounds, Finley had 16 points, Walker had 11 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists, and Zhu Fangyu had 3 points and 1 rebound.

At the post-game press conference, Sun Hao and O'Neal attended together.

"The Suns were a good opponent and they gave us some problems, but like in the past, we won."

O'Neal is in a good mood.

Although the Suns' double-teaming made him not as comfortable as when he played against the Warriors, he still scored easily after playing pick-and-roll with Sun Hao.

After all, there is this thing about double-teaming. Everything takes time.

The reporter asked Sun Hao the same question, but Sun Hao was more cautious.

"The Suns are very strong. We were lucky to win this game. The next game will be even more intense."

Sun Hao's answer caused O'Neal to poke his head around. The big guy obviously felt that Sun Hao was a little too cautious.

One day later, the second game of the Eastern Conference Finals continued.

The Pistons' lineup is relatively fixed and there is not much room for adjustment, but they showed higher defensive intensity than in the first game.

The game turned into a defensive battle.

This time the Pistons took the game to the end.

Anthony hit the key ball, and McGrady's buzzer-beating three-pointer missed the basket.

The Pistons finally won a thrilling 87-85 game, tying the score at 1-1.

The next day, the second game between the Suns and the Lakers continued in Phoenix.

D'Antoni made tactical adjustments and replaced Kurt Thomas with Diaw.

Diaw is still the swingman at this time.

This adjustment means that Stoudemire will go to the center, and the Suns have a center-less lineup!

Although their tactical concepts are different, in the final analysis, D'Antoni and Nelson are both run-and-gun coaches.

When you encounter a problem that cannot be solved, the first thing that comes to mind is to use offense to solve the problem.

Facts have proved that D'Antoni's adjustment is effective.

Because whether it's Stoudemire or Thomas, single defense can't guard O'Neal, and they still have to rely more on help defense.

Or more accurately, it relies on Marion's help defense.

Stoudemire plays center, which means Marion plays power forward. His defense efficiency inside is obviously higher.

Of course, more importantly, the defensive counterattack ability of this lineup is much stronger than before.

Diaw, like Walker, is a fast-break propeller.

122 to 115, the Suns finally regained a victory at home, rewriting the big score to a 1-1 tie!

"You are right to worry, we all underestimate the enemy a little too much."

O'Neal said to Sun Hao in the locker room after the game.

Sun Hao didn't say anything.

Although the playoffs are not as long as the regular season, the intensity of the games is higher. Round after round, it is a double test for players mentally and physically.

The opponents they played last season went from weak to strong, and there was a gradual process, and the players adapted smoothly.

Looking back at the championship year in Dallas three years ago, the same is true.

But there's something special about the Lakers this season.

After the Mavericks were unexpectedly beaten by the Warriors, they played the Warriors in the semifinals, and the intensity of the game dropped significantly.

Now that he is suddenly facing a high-intensity opponent like the Sun, it is normal for his body and mind to not be able to adjust at once.

However, they still won the first game, which shows that their hard power is still stronger than the Suns.

"Shaq, have you noticed that this series is a battle of pace?"

Sun Hao did not continue the previous topic, but suddenly asked.

O'Neill thought for a moment and nodded.

The Lakers' triangle offense is a positional battle, while the Suns are a run and gun.

When two teams with different styles collide, it depends on whether the Lakers can slow down the pace, or whether the Suns can speed up the pace.

"I'll set the pace."

At this moment, Payton, who was listening on the sidelines, suddenly interrupted.

"I play in the low post and slow down the pace."

Payton went on to explain.

That's his specialty.

"If you have the chance, you can hit Steve a few more times. They have less space to help defend in the low post, and you can also use up Steve's energy more."

Sun Hao nodded, Peyton's suggestion was very useful.

"I know."

Payton has obviously thought of it.

Two days later, the Lakers and Suns moved to Los Angeles for Game 3.

The Suns still arrange Diaw to start, but the Lakers still have no lineup adjustments.

D'Antoni looked happy when he saw it.

As long as they win an away game, the Suns can regain the home court advantage from the Lakers.

But when the game started, he found that the Lakers' playing style had changed a lot.

In the first two games, the ball was in Sun Hao's hands most of the time, and Sun Hao and O'Neal launched pick-and-roll attacks.

But in this game, the ball was in Payton's hands most of the time, and Payton was receiving the ball in the low post to provide support.

Because of Nash's poor defense, Payton, in addition to organizing, even frequently beat Nash in low singles in that position!

The Suns had to double attack from time to time, but they were often mobilized by Payton's passes, and they were somewhat concerned about one thing and not the other.

More importantly, the rhythm on the field was obviously slowed down!

Even after tasting some sweetness, after Payton came off the court, Jackson asked Sun Hao to continue to play from behind in that position!

The current Sun Hao is no longer the Sun Hao of last season. Although his passing is worse than Payton, his post-up threat is greater than that of Payton.

The Suns seemed even more confused.

D'Antoni was also helpless off the court.

The Suns' overall defense is strong, but he is not a coach who is good at defense!

Most of the time, the Suns' defense is adequate. Now if you ask him to adjust his defensive tactics on the spot, it will be a rush.

The assistant coach on the side had no good solution and watched helplessly as the Lakers went from the opening advantage to the end of the game.

In the end, the Lakers defeated the Suns 104-86 at home, rewriting the score to 2-1.

Such changes also caused fans to sigh after the game, feeling that this was a return to the game between Popovich and Nelson three years ago.

You move, I move, every move is fatal.

Suns fans are also looking forward to D'Antoni's new killer moves off the court.

But in the fourth game of the series, D'Antoni didn't make any major adjustments.

It's not that he didn't want to, but... he didn't.

Compared to those two, D'Antoni still has less ink in his stomach.

He and Adelman should be the same type of coach.

When the most relied-upon tactical system does not work, what is left is more of a passive beating.

This is also a big reason why he failed to lead the team to win the championship throughout his career.

Players can win all over the world with one move, but coaches can't.

The Lakers also continued their efforts and scored another victory with 107-96, changing the score to 3-1!

At this time, the fans and the media are all in the same direction: the Lakers' promotion to the Finals is certain!

It's just that stories are often attractive because their processes are always twists and turns.

In the fifth game, the two sides came to Phoenix, and the Suns suddenly "rised" again.

But this time the rise has nothing to do with D'Antoni, but... the players of the Suns.

After playing two consecutive games to determine that they could not play their best defensive counterattack, the Suns focused on fighting the Lakers in a positional battle!

It was in this game that this Suns team refreshed many people's understanding of them.

Although, I already know that if I know Sun Hao.

This Suns team can also play positional warfare, and they do it very well!

You must know that in the history of the 2006~2007 season, this complete Suns team had to win the game against Popovich by Horry hitting Nash.

That season, the Spurs returned to a defensive style of play, focusing on positional warfare.

The fact that the Suns can push Popovich to that point speaks volumes.

Now that Stoudemire is not injured, this sun and that sun are actually the same.

Of course, no one is vain in the Lakers position battle.

The two teams entered into the same tug-of-war as in the first game, and this tug-of-war lasted the entire game.

At home in Phoenix, luck was on the Suns' side.

At the last moment, Sun Hao hit three consecutive three-pointers before taking the last shot, but the last ball went in and bounced out.

The Suns also came back in a more exciting way than the Eastern Conference finals team, chasing the score to 2-3.

This time, the series between the two sides also came to G6, which fans are familiar with.

For Lakers fans, this year is a little different from last year.

Because there is no home court advantage, losing G6 means going to Phoenix for the tiebreaker.

In other words, they cannot afford to lose this G6.

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