Basketball Dragon

Chapter 197 First in the East
In the Eastern Conference this season, the Heat were affected by injuries. After the Pistons lost Ben Wallace, it always made people feel that something was missing. Now the Knicks and Cavaliers are the most popular.

On November 11, the two teams met in Cleveland for the first time this season.

This battle not only determines the number one in the East, but also the battle for the strongest forward in the East that fans talk about.

Like the Knicks, the Cavaliers' lineup has not changed much from last season. It is the continuous growth of young players that makes the team stronger and stronger.

But in comparison, the Knicks' offensive power is stronger. The biggest change for the Cavaliers is their defense. The stronger defense allowed them to get off to a good start.

Before the game, James took the initiative to greet Li Hai, indicating that he would personally restrict Li Hai from the first minute of this game.

"I'm looking forward to it." Li Hai had a completely different mentality when he first entered the league. No matter how good James is, he is still just a challenger now.

After the game started, James was not in a hurry, but organized the offense first.

Seeing James' calm look, Li Hai directly asked for the ball and a screen, and took the lead in scoring two points.

Then Eddie Curry made a strong attack on the inside. Although the Cavaliers performed well this season, Ilgauskas's strength showed signs of decline. Come more and more.

The weakening of the big Z also reduced Eddie Curry's defensive pressure and gave him more energy to play on the offensive end.

And David - on the other side, he also performed well on the offensive end, but with the Cavaliers' Drew Gooden, basically no one can prevent anyone.

Seeing Drew Gooden hit a jumper, James was relieved and planned to observe for a while.

When Li Hai faces James, many offensive methods will not be as easy as facing others, such as low-post singles and breakthroughs will be restricted. James' defensive awareness may not have evolved to the best state, but his single defense ability is absolutely is excellent.

But James' current defense also has a big problem, that is, he can't defend against pick-and-rolls. After all, he is the core of the team's offense, and his research on defense has not been as good as it will be a few years later.

So Li Hai specialized in pick-and-rolls in offense. This was originally the Knicks’ more conventional tactic. Once the pick-and-rolls came, Li Hai would shoot a jumper. If two players from the Cavaliers came to surround him, he would definitely be able to take the ball out or pass the ball. to the weak side.

James also often does this, and he has such an advantage in height and arm length.

James put in a lot of effort to keep Li Hai from getting inside the Cavaliers basically. It was just a few simple pick-and-roll screens. Li Hai hit a three-pointer and two two-pointers, and scored 7 points in half a quarter. , Helping the Knicks always maintain the lead.

Now James couldn't hold back anymore, and began to attack with the ball.

Li Hai's defense against James is actually the same as the opponent's defense against him. They try to prevent the opponent from rushing in. The difference is that Li Hai's shooting ability is better than James'.

If James rushes in, the Knicks will immediately attack, and there is nothing to say.

Unlike when he first entered the league, he could only use his muscles. Now Li Hai's defense will not only rely on the team, but also improve his judgment on defensive timing. This will allow him to limit James as much as possible when his physical fitness is at a disadvantage. .

This is also because the Knicks' offense is relatively strong, and the team needs his defense to motivate him to improve his defense step by step.

Under Le Hai's defense, James missed two attempts including a three-pointer.

The plan of using shots to influence Li Hai's defense failed, and James also quickly adjusted. The Knicks didn't want him to go in, so he insisted on going in.

Holding the ball and playing directly, James relied on his physical advantage to speed up one step and directly knocked Li Hai away, rushing to a place closer to the basket to make a mid-range shot.

This move was obviously better. After hitting two consecutive goals, it caused a foul by Li Hai. However, the confrontation might be more intense, and James only made one of two free throws.

Seeing that Li Hai was about to be overwhelmed by the force of the attack, Li Hai took advantage of a cover and easily hit a three-pointer.

James suddenly felt like vomiting blood. He played so hard to score, and it felt too easy for Li Hai to score like this.

In the first quarter, James scored 9 points, and Li Hai scored 12 points. The gap between the two teams was also 3 points, and the Knicks led 28:25.

Now it's just the regular season, and when it's time for rotation, the two should rest as soon as possible.

When the substitute is on the court, the difference between the two teams is also obvious. The Knicks attack on the outside, while the Cavaliers attack on the inside.

After the main players of both sides played, the situation changed again. After Eddie Curry played a few beautiful inside offenses, he committed an old problem again, and had to leave the game early to rest twice in a row.

The inside line of the Cavaliers took advantage of the opportunity, and both Gooden and Ilgauskas made consecutive hits to overtake the score.

At the critical moment, Li Hai hit another three-pointer, and then Marbury and Francis both hit three-pointers. The Knicks not only overtook the score, but also led more than before.

The gap between the Cavaliers and the Knicks was also revealed. Even if James and Li Hai could offset each other, the rest of the Knicks were more Li Hai than the Cavaliers, making them a bit hard to resist.

Seeing that the gap was about to reach double digits, James also showed his strength as a top player. After making a mid-range shot, he sent assists to his teammates twice in a row. 1.2 seconds before the end of the first half, James broke through Li Hai's defense, Wei-Lee hit 2+1, chasing the score gap to only 5 points.

"James can let him score, but he must be separated from the other players of the Cavaliers, and their insiders cannot continue to score." During the intermission, Li Hai solemnly said.

"You can handle James, we can handle the inside." Eddie Curry whispered.

Marbury expressed solidarity with Li Hai, "I believe Li Hai will be fine, Eddie, you must do what you say."

Eddie Curry stopped talking immediately. Li Hai had a very good relationship with Marbury, Francis and others, which was why he was able to maintain his right to speak in the team.

And the basis of all this is that the team can continue to win.

"Of course I'm fine. In terms of defense, I hope everyone pays the same attention as I do." Li Hai said indifferently.

In the second half, when Li Hai saw James with a serious face, he started talking trash immediately, "LeBron, you have to make me hit a few three-pointers, otherwise the Cavaliers will lose this game."

James knew that Li Hai was interfering with him, but after Li Hai hit another three-pointer, he couldn't help it anymore.

(End of this chapter)