Basketball Dragon

Chapter 176 Substitute Advantage
Seeing that the Knicks were leading, the Mavericks stepped up their breakthrough after the timeout. Devin Harris and Jerry Stackhouse got free throws one after another, but the Knicks simply hit a few mid-range shots.

Realizing that time was running out, the Mavericks began to try three-pointers, but with Nowitzki and Howard hitting three-pointers, the Mavericks' hopes became less and less.

At 1 minute and 25 seconds, Francis hit two points, and the Knicks led by 10 points.

Then Stackhouse missed a shot, and the Mavericks' final struggle failed.

97:89，尼克斯总决赛1:0领先，李海砍下26分7篮板7助攻外加4次抢断，表现依然全面而强势。

Unlike the previous Eastern Conference finals, the Mavericks didn't make any noise after losing a home game. Avery Johnson instead praised Li Hai's performance and threw a big smoke bomb.

However, in the second game, Nowitzki's state returned to normal, scoring 31 points and 16 rebounds. The Knicks lost 12 rebounds alone.

In this game, in addition to Nowitzki's changes, the Mavericks reduced the playing time of the hot-headed Josh Howard against Lehi, and Nowitzki's small lineup with four outside players also played a miraculous effect. , Let Li Hai's 30+10 come to naught, and the Knicks lost the second game 95:103.

Stackhouse's excellent performance also made Crawford feel very uncomfortable. After losing this game, all the Knicks held their breath and just waited to return to the home court to fight back.

Regarding Nowitzki's defensive problems, the Knicks also discussed again.

After Channing Frye made five fouls in the second game, the Knicks originally planned to use Li Hai to defend Nowitzki, but at that time, the Mavericks put Nowitzki at the center position, which made the Knicks plan fail. With Hai's height, it is still feasible to play power forward with his teammates, but the center position is still unbearable.

If Nowitzki entered the inside line, he would definitely have to attack, but if he went to the outside line, it would be better for Li Hai, who was faster and stronger, to defend.

Of course, you can't mark the whole game, you still have to judge according to the progress of the game.

Li Hai's role in the team is different now. He is not only defensive, but the team also hopes that he can have surprise performances in offense.

His physical fitness and technical characteristics have also proved that he has great potential in offense.

After returning to New York, although Li Hai didn't have as much physical training as usual, he spent a lot of time watching Nowitzki's video and figured out the defense, and he was always mentally exhausted.

But when he got home, Xia Weiliang would be with him, so he wouldn't be too nervous.

In order to prepare for the battle with all his strength, he didn't even pay attention to the news. When facing the interview, he was simple and clear, showing his determination to win. He must seize this opportunity.

On June 6th, the sound of cheering at Madison Square Garden was extremely enthusiastic. The fans should use their voices to show that the strength of the Knicks at home is even stronger.

Under the watchful eyes of the home fans, Li Hai took the lead in hitting the shot.

As for Nowitzki's defense, the Knicks paid great attention to it. As long as the opponent enters the three-point line, they are ready to flank at any time and push Nowitzki as far as possible.

Their goal is very firm, and they would rather let the rest of the Mavericks play out than make Nowitzki comfortable.

During the regular season, such tactics may not be very effective.

But in the playoffs, especially the stage of the finals, being able to limit the opponent's ace is the best tactic. On the stage of the finals, it is impossible for the team to ignore him tactically because the first core is targeted.

The Knicks' defense suffered some results. Nowitzki hadn't adapted to it in the first quarter and only scored points through free throws.

Once Dirk Nowitzki is in trouble, it is impossible for the Mavericks to perform normally. The Knicks showed a kind of momentum at the beginning of the game. In their territory, they just want to win.

When the situation cannot be opened, the Mavericks also use the old method to rotate players.

They deliberately put some offensive players on the bench, that's the consideration.

After Stackhouse and Dampier came up, they also proved their value. Stackhouse hit the shot when he came up, and Dampier also grabbed the offensive rebound.

At this time, the Knicks also replaced Crawford.

If the primary tactical goal of the Knicks is to limit Nowitzki, Crawford has a different mind. After he won the best sixth man, he agreed with the team's tactics. Under the guidance of Li Hai and others , and even had the idea of ​​becoming the strongest sixth man.

But now Stackhouse stole the limelight, and in a similar way to him, that kind of unreasonable shooting is obviously what makes him amazing.

So after Crawford played, even the fans in front of the TV discovered his defensive concentration, and the fans who were familiar with him were surprised by this rare scene.

Crawford's physical fitness is the type that can practice defense. He has been training with Li Hai for so long and he is very familiar with defensive methods. It's just that his playing style is relatively free, and he can't be patient to do those things that may not see the effect. detail.

But in this game, he focused all his attention on dealing with Stackhouse, not only on the offensive end, but also on the defensive end. At this time, he agreed with what Li Hai often said, that both offensive and defensive ends To win against Stackhouse.

If he was defended in this way, Stackhouse also felt uncomfortable. After Crawford came on the court, he never made a shot again, and several shots were interfered and caused iron strikes.

Crawford, on the offensive end, scored 7 points quite well.

When Li Hai played in the second quarter, the Knicks had already led by 10 points.

He passed Crawford and applauded loudly, and Crawford realized that before he knew it, he suppressed the opponent and helped the team suppress the Mavericks.

This kind of pleasure is the same as being invincible in offense. No, it is more sour than that. He is happy to see Stackhouse's unlucky appearance. He is just an old guy and wants to compete with him. , he will completely kill the opponent in this game, and let everyone see who is No. 1 in the team's rotation time.

Nowitzki has been adjusted and played differently again. The Knicks don’t want him to go to the inside, so he will go to the inside to play more, just like he will go to the outside more when playing against teams that cannot be defended. It is the wisdom on the basketball court to attack the opponent's weakness with one's own strengths.

He also caused fouls by the Knicks players several times in double-team situations, which caused a headache for the Knicks.

It's just that even if Nowitzki does not hesitate to fight hand-to-hand, he can't fill the pit of the substitute players. The Knicks played the game they wanted, leading by 52 points at 42:10 and ending the first half.

(End of this chapter)