NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 723 Burnt Out! (Daily Chapter)
In Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Cavaliers, who faced a "life-and-death battle", played their best defense of the season, but on the offensive end, the duo that was given high hopes tended to fail.

This is indeed related to the standards of the referees in the third quarter. After not having as many free throws as in the first half, forced turnovers and missed shots became the main theme of the game.

The Cavaliers fans who were still cheering for the home team in the first half were worried, and by the end of the third quarter, the noise in the Quicken Loans Arena had died down a lot.

80:74, with only 20 points in a single quarter, the score gap was widened again.

In the crucial third quarter, James made 3 of 5 shots and 2 of 5 free throws, scoring 3 points, while Howard made 9 of 4 shots and 2 of 2 free throws, scoring 0 points and also had 4 turnovers.

The Cavaliers' number of possessions dropped significantly, with only 16 shots in a single quarter, and there seemed to be signs of collapse. In order to narrow the gap, head coach Mike Brown directly fought against the main players in the fourth quarter.

"Shh!"

Amid boos, the Cavaliers, who took the lead in attacking, missed another shot. Channing Frye failed to hit a three-pointer from the top of the arc, and the long rebound was picked up by Matthews who came on as a substitute.

On the ESPN commentary booth, Mike Breen was commenting on the home team interview that had just ended. When talking about the rotation in the second half, he couldn't help but express a puzzled tone:

"Howard received his fourth foul too early and failed to continue his performance in the third quarter. His outside shooting percentage dropped. Should the Cavaliers consider replacing Rasheed Wallace?"

The veteran did not get much playing time tonight and had big problems defending against pick-and-rolls. Brown finally chose to trust Channing Frye, who had better stats.

"I think in such a crucial game, the coaching staff can take the initiative to try to change the formation."

Seeing the Knicks passing the ball continuously outside the three-point line, Jeff Van Gundy quickly added:
"Delonte West and Afflalo are both in poor form. Anthony Parker has played amazingly, but lacks continuity. At this time, the veterans with a better mentality are likely to perform better."

"It's a shame that the Cavaliers were a bit confused and now it seems that they have lost some defense."

The Knicks were forced to rotate early due to foul problems, which had little impact on them. Although Ben Wallace received a technical foul, the coaching staff still made substitutions as planned.

Mike Brown of the Cavaliers was so angry that he almost slapped his thigh. He was planning to play the full time with the main lineup, but he started rotating in the last 4 minutes, causing the offense to suddenly go silent.

If there is a choice, Black Bread will not replace several players, especially West, who has problems with ball control
"Defense!."

Amid the cheers from the defense, Dio at the top of the arc immediately found Matthews who was cross-screening with Li You.

On the left wing, the Cavaliers chose to double-team Li You again, watching Matthews, who was left open, take a jump shot from outside the three-point line.

The three-pointer hit the rim and bounced out. Thaddeus Young accelerated from the right corner and tried to pick up the long rebound. James also chased the ball. The two of them pulled each other, and the referee blew the whistle again, and the basketball was also touched out of the sideline.

After falling to the ground, James covered his left elbow. The chosen one looked a little painful as he had suffered quite a heavy fall.

"Oh!"

Ilgauskas, who came on as a substitute, saw the referee give the ball to the Cavaliers and couldn't help but cheer along with the fans. Gazuric next to him pouted his lips. The ball was 50-50, and most of the time it belonged to the opponent.

Mark Jackson saw James control the ball and direct the backcourt combination to the bottom corner, calling on the two big men to go up to the line to set a screen, and immediately commented:

"The Cavaliers have an absolute height advantage in the paint! This is a good opportunity for them before Howard returns."

Holding the ball in his right hand, he tried to use the screen to go straight to the basket, but Dio, who switched defense, controlled the defensive distance well. When he broke through to the right elbow area, James tried to force acceleration and completely get rid of the defense.

Also shrinking towards the basket, although Gazuric left his opponent open, James did not choose to pass the ball. When he rushed to the lower right side of the basket, Li You in the right corner followed suit to shrink and assist in defense, and the Chosen One was surrounded by three people again.

In a flash, James, who was trying to fold the pull-up rod in the air, fell to the ground but still couldn't get rid of the block, and the ball was pressed down by Li You who was assisting in defense.

"Oh"

Li You jumped high and blocked the ball, causing it to bounce hard on the floor. Channing Frye failed to grab the ball from Thaddeus Young in front of him, who took control of the ball immediately.

"Shet!"

With a low curse, James turned his head to complain to the referee. For a moment, boos started again. When Li You received the ball, Raja Bell took the lead again and the game entered the positional attack again.

On the bench, Howard also stood up. The "Happy Beast" loudly directed his big brother. After the pick-and-roll, Gazuric again received the ball at the free throw line, and facing Channing Frye who was assisting in defending the basket, he decisively passed the ball.

At the right corner, Dio received the ball and faked a move. When Channing Frye came out to defend, he decisively released the ball with his left hand and accelerated the breakthrough.

Completely out of position, Channing Frye had no choice but to foul. Hearing the referee's whistle, the big man put his hands on his hips and began to take deep breaths.

Channing Frye also did not get much rest time and was already a little overwhelmed. Facing the forward attack, it was difficult for him to limit the opponent. At this time, his physical strength declined and he could only send out pull shots.

Head coach Mike Brown didn't care about Howard's fouls and physical problems. He took this opportunity to replace Ilgauskas and kept shouting:
"There's still time! Stay focused!"

In the left corner, James, who was sweating profusely, saw Li You calling on Dio to initiate a pick-and-roll, and immediately felt that the game was over. Channing Frye decisively double-teamed him, and after a simple defensive pull by Li You, he made a ground pass from behind.

Starting early, James tried to disrupt the Knicks' offensive rhythm, but Dio's "fake shot" successfully fooled the Chosen One's defense.

James lost his balance and was broken through by Dio who held the ball in his left hand before he could even chase him. Although the Chosen One returned to defense very quickly, after getting past the defense, Dio still calmly found Thaddeus Young.

The latter received the ball near the left corner. James, who was unable to return to defense, could only watch the rookie succeed in making a difficult shot!

85:74, Thaddeus Young hit an open three-pointer and smiled happily, shouting and celebrating wildly.

As soon as the score difference reached double digits, the Cavaliers immediately requested a timeout. James clapped his hands in annoyance. During the transition period, Li You was double-teamed and beaten by these role players. The opponents were tough and accurate!

Li You, who was being double-teamed, smiled and high-fived everyone to celebrate. The forwards on the bench did not perform efficiently in the first three quarters, but they were just slightly better than their opponents.

The more critical the round, the more hesitant Channing Frye and his teammates were. Their height advantage failed to turn into points. Seeing this, Jeff Van Gundy was also a little helpless. The defensive system he built for the Cavaliers was not like this:
"Obviously the Cavaliers have a rotation problem. I won't blame Ilgauskas. When it's his position, it's hard for the veteran to chase him."

"How do you think the Cavaliers should adjust?"

Mike Breen smiled and looked at the champion coach, but Mark Jackson took the initiative to take over the conversation and responded seriously:
"The big problem is on the offensive end. LeBron James no longer seems to trust his teammates. Most of their points come from personal offense. Someone must step up and tell everyone what to do."

"."

James, who hadn't rested, was sweating profusely after playing just a few rounds. He wiped the sweat off his head with a towel. The Chosen One gestured on the tactical board, "We have to fill in the position quickly! As long as Lee passes the ball, we should restrict them to the sideline. On the other side, no matter who it is, pay attention to the basketball route."

Since Dio came on the court, the Knicks lost some rebounds, but on the offensive end, the ball was moved very quickly, which made the Cavaliers "running around" and chasing the ball for multiple rounds.

James, who loudly reminded his teammates, no longer cared about his personality in front of the camera. Howard felt a little overwhelmed after hearing this. Excessive consumption on the defensive end would definitely affect his offensive performance.

The Cavaliers gathered in a circle on the sidelines. After James finished his instructions, head coach Mike Brown pushed his glasses, showing a look of approval, and then clapped his hands and shouted:
"Let's go!!"

Gasol, who returned to the court, slapped himself twice, patted his chest, squeezed next to Howard, and encouraged loudly:

"You can keep catching the ball in the post! Don't go for the pick-and-roll, man. You can't even shoot a jump shot."

"Get him, motherfucker! Hey, I know you're trying to provoke me."

Howard, who was constantly competing with Gasol, tried to push away the defense. Channing Frye made a cross screen and wanted to switch Dio over, but when he received the ball in the low post on the left side, the "Happy Beast" was directly double-teamed.

If the Cavaliers could successfully pass the ball to their teammates at the bottom right side of the basket, they would be able to stop the bleeding in time, but Howard was surrounded and failed to break free from the blockade, and ultimately could only throw the ball back outside the three-point line.

By the time James received the ball at the top of the arc again, most of the offensive time had passed. The low-post tactics failed again. The Chosen One blew the ball on the spot, then immediately stepped back and shot a cold arrow from outside the three-point line!
"what!!"

The basketball went into the net, and James, roaring loudly, excitedly punched the air in celebration. The score was 85:77, and the gap was narrowed to within 10 points again.

The Quicken Loans Arena was also boiling. In the defensive round, facing the pick-and-roll, Howard directly cooperated with his teammates to double-team Li You.

When Gasol received the ball near the free throw line, the Cavaliers quickly rotated again, with Channing Frye jumping to defend, defending two players on the wing, ready to slide at any time.

Watching the Knicks continuously passing the ball and the receivers constantly passing the ball, the exclamations in the arena could not stop. Until Li You received the ball again on the left wing and broke through the defense, the Cavaliers' rotation was still messed up.

Howard tried to defend at the last moment under the basket, but he moved his feet and Li You, who was close to the basket, threw the ball calmly.

As the two men surrounded him, the basketball flew to the front of the basket. Gasol, who was unguarded, scooped the ball in the air again and slammed it down with both hands!
"Shhh!!"

Amid the boos, Gasol and Li You, who were retreating, high-fived to celebrate. After the Spanish big man got into position, he high-fived repeatedly and continued to chat with Howard.

This round is not the first time. Since Chandler was injured, Gasol has continued to show his toughness and made outstanding contributions on both offense and defense. Mike Breen couldn't help but admire him:

"A lot of fans seem to have forgotten what Gasol was like before Tyson Chandler came to New York!"

"Many people call Dwight Howard the best big man in the league, but Gasol has more comprehensive skills. After this series, I believe many fans will change their views."

Still setting screens and positioning with his back to the basket, it was a rare switch to Dio. As soon as Howard asked for the ball, Thaddeus Young immediately followed the ball and squeezed into the inside.

The two men surrounded him and still turned towards the baseline, trying to force through the defense, but Howard was blocked by Gasol again.

Faced with the three-man siege, the "Happy Beast" still did not pass the ball, and insisted on defending, and the referee blew the whistle.

James, who had been asking for the ball continuously outside the three-point line, breathed a sigh of relief. This situation has happened in several rounds since Howard was provoked. He was lucky that he didn't lose the ball this time.

"You can only foul! I see fear"

Walking to the free throw line, Howard with a sullen face was still responding loudly. The Knicks made another substitution. Marion replaced Thaddeus Young who had 4 fouls, and the veteran came on the court with a smile on his face.

No one paid any attention to the "Happy Beast". In anger, Howard missed two free throws again, and then rushed to grab the rebound. The referee did not call a foul during the tug of war, and D'Antoni on the sidelines also began to complain loudly:
"Hey, he should have received 5 fouls!"

The mustache didn't play tonight as he got into foul trouble, so the Knicks started rotating multiple players. Maybe the internal rotation was really effective, and several players who came on the court all contributed, successfully demonstrating the style of a championship coach.

It was another quick rotation after the double-team. James and Howard continued to participate in the defense. Most of the offensive time had passed. Amid the cheers of the defense, Dio suddenly broke through Channing Frye on the right wing.

Although he did not have the advantage of height, the Frenchman managed to turn around and squeeze to the basket, attracting Howard's help defense and passing the ball.

At the bottom left of the basket, Gasol received the ball and shot the ball against Howard's defense. His tough performance caused the Knicks bench to cheer!
"what!!"

Gasol pounded his chest again, glared and yelled, looking particularly excited. The attack lasted nearly 24 seconds, which made James feel a tightness in his chest. The role players of the Knicks stood up again!
After the pick-and-roll, he shot a three-pointer from the top of the arc, and the basketball went into the net. James also glared at the veteran;

Looking back, Li You once again attracted double-teaming outside the three-point line to launch an offense, and passed the ball continuously. The Cavaliers paid the price for constantly switching defenses, and Marion forced his way through Channing Frye and stood at the free throw line.

As time went by, both sides responded with consecutive hits, but the score difference did not narrow. Although head coach Mike Brown called a timeout in time, he paid a huge price for insisting on using Channing Frye.

With 2 minutes and 21 seconds left in the game, James broke through the left corner and found his teammate, but Channing Frye, who was left open, still missed the three-pointer.

In the transition offense, Li You made a long pass to find JR Smith who was running fast. The championship guard, who had not scored since he came on the court, faced his old teammate and made a gyroscope layup in the air to score the ball!
"shush"

The score difference reached 12 points, and the boos became less frequent. JR Smith jumped up and down, and even interacted passionately with the audience while retreating.

When James stood on the free throw line again, the Chosen One's mentality collapsed. Li You "smoked in the corner" in the fourth quarter, and the Knicks suppressed them throughout the whole process.

The Quicken Loans Arena became increasingly noisy. In the commentary booth, Jeff Van Gundy saw James miss a free throw and subconsciously glanced at the technical statistics. Then the championship coach sighed:
"The defending champions once again showed their dominance. Although Lee did not take over the game, they made 19 of 11 shots in this quarter, with a hit rate of 63.2%!"

"When the role players collectively explode, no one can beat them."

The second free throw was made. In the defensive round, James and his teammates still maintained a quick rotation. Dio finally missed the shot under the basket, and the frontcourt rebound was grabbed by Gasol.

"squeak!!"

When Howard threw the Spanish big man out of the baseline, the referee blew the whistle, the basketball bounced twice, and then fell into the net.

Sitting on the floor, beating his chest with his hands, Gasol roared passionately at the camera. The depressed Howard simply spread his hands. James put his hands on his hips. The Chosen One knew that the game was completely over:
"Shit game!"

"."

(End of this chapter)