basketball player

Chapter 488 Chapter 486: The Spurs did not disappoint

Thiago Splitter, Tim Duncan, Marco Belinelli, Corey Joseph, Tony Parker, plus Boris Diaw on the bench and the sixth man Ginobili, these seven are the most important rotation players under Popovich.

In the past, Popovich also tried Danny Green and Leonard's idea, but Henson took the lead.If Danny Green and Leonard join the Spurs, Henson believes they will be more competitive.But there are no ifs in the real world. Once something happens, it is irreversible.

It seems that these 7 main rotations of the Spurs do not seem to be very strong.After all, Parker and Ginobili are well past their primes.Although Duncan has been stable for decades, he is almost 40 years old after all.As for other role players, they are even more mediocre.

But this is the San Antonio Spurs, and this is Popovich's team.The most amazing thing about Popovich is that he can use the power of the team to make every player better.He can use the strength of the team to make up for the lack of personal ability.

For example, on the first goal of the game, Corey Joseph scored a three-pointer in front of the excellent defensive George.

"Beautiful off-ball screens and back runs, the San Antonio Spurs are like a precision instrument. Once the offense starts, every player becomes a part. And all the parts work together to make the Spurs play like water."

Mike Breen applauds the Spurs' first possession, and it would be suicide if Corey Joseph and George were to be singled out.But with the help of Duncan and Splitter's off-ball screens, and the restraint of his teammates running empty-handed, Joseph got a chance to shoot a wide open shot.

You know, even Wade in the last round of the series can hardly take advantage of George.And Joseph, a small guard, hit the shot on George's head with ease.

The Spurs succeeded in the first attack, and the Pacers counterattacked.Paul George, as the FMVP of last season and the best player of the Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals, undoubtedly won the first offensive shot.

After receiving the pass from CP3, he relied on his body and greater strides to force Joseph. Joseph's defensive ability is actually quite good. With a height of 1 meters and a strong physique, he can defend the first and second positions at the same time.

It's just a pity that the No. 2 position of the Pacers is a terrifying 06 meters tall
After shaking off Joseph, George raised the basketball and prepared for a layup. Although Joseph was very tight, but after all, the height gap was there, and it seemed that he could no longer interfere with George's layup.

However, just when everyone thought that George would score the first point in the finals for the Pacers, a man with an expressionless face suddenly stood in front of him, stretched his long arms, and swung hard.

"Snapped!"

The basketball made a crisp sound, George's eyes widened in surprise, he was actually blocked!And the one who blocked him was none other than Tim Duncan, who is nearly 40 years old and whose vertical jump height may not be one third of George's!

"Tim, a beautiful block! His prediction of the offensive player was perfect, and he almost didn't take off, and he easily completed the block. This is Tim Duncan. Never underestimate this No. 21 with a gray beard!"

Duncan did not celebrate after completing the block, but silently dragged his less flexible body to participate in the counterattack.Duncan still remembers the one-on-one conversation between Popovich and him in the Western Conference Finals.

Things that haven't happened yet are still full of infinite possibilities.Is the Pacers winning?Duncan doesn't think so!
Parker pushed the counterattack unexpectedly quickly, and it turns out that Popovich is not a traditional coach.While the Spurs are playing more traditionally, that doesn't mean Popovich isn't willing to try new things.

For example, now, Henson can see that Popovich deliberately speeds up the Spurs' offensive speed, rather than obsessed with dragging the rhythm of the game into positional offense like last season.

Although Duncan and Split couldn't keep up with the speed of the counterattack, the three perimeters could meet Popovich's requirements for playing fast.

Parker quickly hit the ball just after halftime and passed the ball to Joseph who was going inside.Joseph dribbled two steps after getting the ball, but suddenly split the ball.By the time Leonard, who was chasing inside, realized that something was wrong, it was already too late.

"Marco Belinelli, he got an open three-point shot!" Mike Breen stood up from his seat, and at the same time, countless commentators from different countries and regions also shouted.

The Italian Belinelli entered the league in 07 and played for four teams.San Antonio Spurs, is his fifth stop.The Italian marksman's performance in the previous few years was quite satisfactory, but after coming to the Spurs, Popovich's system created room for the shooter to play.

The season's three-point shooting percentage was 43%, a career high.The three-point shooting percentage in the playoffs was 42.1%, which is still a career high.It is not difficult to see from Belinelli that Popovich's magic lies.

Shooters with more than 40% three-point shooting percentage, their stability is usually very scary.What's more, it is in the case of open shots.

"brush!"

The basketball hit the net, and Henson's mouth trembled.When the Spurs started to play fast, their offensive power was not the same as last season.

"6 to 0, the Spurs firmly controlled the initiative from the beginning! It seems that Popovich and his Spurs do not intend to fulfill the fantasies of Pacers fans' becoming a legend. Look, this is the San Antonio Spurs. No matter what strong opponent they face, they always have a way to deal with it!"

The two smooth opening rounds laid the foundation for the Spurs' confidence and advantage.Subsequently, the Spurs continued to maintain their lead with their gritty defense and solid offense.

On the bench, Boris Diaw and Ginobili, two old monsters left behind by Popovich, also stabilized the situation for the Spurs during the rotation time.

I am used to watching the Pacers play the Heat in the first quarter of the game. The Spurs and the Pacers played so anxiously, but the Pacers fans were not used to it.

After the first quarter, the San Antonio Spurs entered the break with a 3-point lead.Countless commentators are shouting: "The Spurs have made the Pacers lose their absolute dominance!"

But is this really the case?Mike Brin couldn't help but look down at the detailed data of both sides on the tablet.

In the first quarter, the Spurs shot 52.6% from the field.They took almost every chance they had and only missed shots that weren't opportunities.

If the Pacers were replaced by another team, the Spurs would probably have a double-digit lead.However, they are only 4 points ahead of the Pacers.

The Spurs are still only 4 points ahead of the Pacers when they are playing their best.As if the Pacers were just understating it, they followed the pace of the Spurs.

In the next three quarters, it is impossible for the Spurs to maintain a shooting percentage of more than 55% in each quarter.The Pacers, on the other hand, can easily perform as they did in the first quarter.

Has the Pacers really lost their dominance?Mike Breen shook his head. In the next three quarters, they would find out how wrong they were.

Sure enough, after the players left the field, Henson did not lose his temper, nor was he in a hurry.He just clapped his hands, indicating that everyone was doing well.

"Although they are leading by 4 points now, it doesn't mean anything. We still have time, and the important thing is that our performance is not bad. In the second quarter, I want you to contain the speed of the Spurs and force them to enter the offensive. Don't give them an easy chance to hit a three-pointer on the fast break. Don't worry, the opponent is just dying."

After Henson finished speaking, he clenched his hands into fists.Popovich really kept his promise and put so much pressure on himself at the beginning.The Spurs did not disappoint Henson either. Defeating them and winning the championship must have very high gold content.

And now, it's time to keep your promise.The pace of becoming a legend has already started, and it is impossible to stop at the last step.

(End of this chapter)