Chapter 157: Zhang Yu VS Popovich

Not only did Curry perform well for the Warriors, but everyone else also made their own contributions - Azubuike scored 13 points, Biedrins still had a stable double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds, and Anthony Toliver made 11 of 6 points. 18. Scoring [-] points is an important contributor to the team's victory.

On the bench, Big Z dreamed back to the top, scored a quasi-double-double of 19 points and 8 rebounds, complemented Lowry's 5 points and 7 assists, and became a surprise player on the Warriors' bench.

But apart from him, only Terry and Drew on the Mavericks scored 18 points and 14 points respectively, and no one else scored in double figures. Kidd scored 3 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 steals and 1 block. Double-double data, just don't score, just play.

As Jeff Van Gundy said, a three-pointer is one point more than a two-pointer, and Nowitzki can't support it alone, unable to match the firepower of the Warriors. This is the primary reason for the Mavericks' hatred.

Carlisle comforted the players who were leaving the field, and his desire to promote the transaction became stronger and stronger.

He can dominate the regular season with this lineup, but it is difficult to go far in the playoffs.

"Offense wins the game, defense wins the championship." This sentence is not casual. The Mavericks are invincible in the regular season relying on Nowitzki, but if they want to make a breakthrough in the playoffs, they must improve the team's defense .

His mind was no longer on the game in front of him, but on the future of the Mavericks.

Since being blacked out by the Warriors, Cuban dismissed the young general Johnson, invited him from the Pacers to take charge of the coach, and drastically transformed the lineup.

The Mavericks, after falling to the fringe of the playoffs for two consecutive years, finally got rid of the painful period this year. The regular season made great strides and ushered in the dawn of revival. Carlisle would never allow the team to fall halfway because of defensive problems.

He looked at Dirk Nowitzki, who had fought for the whole game, out of breath, with a strand of wet hair sticking to his forehead, and made up his mind that he must promote the deal, and he could not waste the peak period of the German chariot!

He found Cuban, who was watching the game from the sidelines, and said:

"Mark, the distance between us and the championship is still short of a good enough defensive insider."

Cuban was depressed because of the loss of this game. When he heard Carlisle's words, he nodded immediately:

"Tell me, whoever you want, I will definitely bring it to you."

He is a very fanatical Mavericks fan, and his biggest wish is to win a championship trophy. As long as the Mavericks have home games, he will definitely be there, and he often travels with the team on away games. One is naturally Zhang Yu.

As long as the Mavericks have any hope of winning a championship, he will do anything.

Carlisle said in a deep voice:

"I need Tyson Chandler!"

...

Zhang Yu has to admit that the world is so strange sometimes, the losers can go home and sleep peacefully, while the winners can only hurry on their way in embarrassment.

Both the Mavericks and the Warriors need to play back to back, but the Mavericks will challenge the Rockets away tomorrow, and the players can go home and sleep, and then rush to Houston calmly.

The Warriors will play an away game against the Spurs the next day. They have already checked out the hotel in Dallas and flew to San Antonio overnight by special plane.

The devil's schedule is still going on, and the Warriors players have to suppress the joy of victory, make good use of every minute and every second of rest time, drag their tired bodies, and barely fall asleep on the plane.

But Zhang Yu didn't rest like the players. He seized the time and studied the Spurs' game video to prepare for tomorrow's game.

The Spurs started this season unfavorably, winning or losing. They are currently ranked eighth in the Western Conference with a record of 6 wins and 6 losses.

The Warriors seem to be superior in strength and in better condition, but this is the second game of back-to-back games, and who knows if Popovich will make any surprises, Zhang Yu is not very sure about this game.

He carefully studied the tapes of the Spurs' last two consecutive victories against the Bucks and Wizards before he was relieved and came up with a countermeasure.

...

The next night, AT&T Center.

Two years ago, the Bulldogs defeated UCLA in this arena to enter the finals, and then defeated the University of Memphis at the Alamo Dome, winning the first NCAA championship trophy in team history, which was also the beginning of the Bulldogs dominating the NCAA .

It was also after that March Madness that Zhang Yu became a real champion coach, and San Antonio can be called his blessed land.

But tonight, the arena was not friendly to him.

Fanatical Spurs fans filled the AT&T Center, booing the Warriors when they got the ball, trying to disrupt their every play.

This is actually nothing. Every NBA player has experienced the Devil's away game and will basically not be affected.

What made Zhang Yu frown frequently on the sidelines was the crazy double-teaming of Curry by the Spurs.

Curry finally ushered in his first major challenge, but what Zhang Yu didn't expect was that it was Popovich who turned down the face first.

The other opponents before the Warriors all adopted a single-defense strategy against Curry. No head coach would double-team a rookie outside the three-point line.

Curry is not Kobe, he is just a shooter who can only shoot three-pointers, and he is valued when he switches defenses. Double-teaming is the treatment only for superstars, Curry?Wait a little longer, I don't know if his three-pointers can be maintained.

This is the general opinion of the outside world. Curry's statistics are so gorgeous that they are comparable to superstars in the league. The Warriors' record is also at the forefront of the league, but no one thinks that the Warriors are a strong team, and no one thinks that Curry is a star.

Those experts and celebrities don't believe that a team that relies on three-pointers and a point guard who shoots three-pointers can do anything. The Warriors' opponents choose to defend Curry alone. People are waiting to see the Warriors' record slip. Missed three points.

In their view, the Suns are deviant enough, but Nash is still a serious point guard headed by passing the ball. Curry, a player who only knows how to shoot three-pointers and his assists are "simple" fast-break mid-pointers, then Is it a serious point guard?

Curry's style of play is heresy, a challenge to basketball tradition!

The true meaning of basketball is to win the world by winning insiders. Three-pointers are just crooked ways. In history, there has never been a superstar who has relied on three-pointers, nor has there been a team that has won the championship by three-pointers. true colors.

For so many years, only the Suns have been able to reach the Western Conference Finals by running and bombing, but the upper limit is there. They have never stood on the stage of the finals, the Warriors?The Oakland Suns are nothing but nothing to worry about.

But Popovich didn't think about the face of any strong team at all, and he didn't have a famous coach to insist on tradition. Since Curry has superstar data, he is not polite at all, and directly treats Curry as a superstar. .

Throughout the game, the Spurs focused all their attention on Curry and provided him with personal services for 48 minutes without a break.

As long as Curry hits a pick-and-roll, McDyess immediately goes up to the three-point line, cooperates with Parker to double-team Curry, and blocks his shooting space and and breakthrough route. He handles four-on-three.

Curry doesn't have the ability to play one against two, even if Jordan comes, he can only pass the ball to Biedrins.

But Popovich had already prepared the second line of defense. The other two Spurs forwards turned to the remaining two shooters of the Warriors. It can take into account Biedrins's down.

In this way, the Spurs' defense has become a test of Biedrins' ability to handle the ball, forcing him to attack Duncan's defense, or to distribute the ball to open teammates.

However, the Warriors players' positional battle without the ball movement is only the initial effect. Facing the highly disciplined rotation defense of the Spurs, it is difficult to run out of space. Difficult to get the ball out in time.

In desperation, the Latvian could only try to dribble and hit the inside line, but he is a very pure blue-collar, and his dribbling ability is as good as his coping ability. When he stumbled into the penalty area, the Spurs' defense also successfully returned. , Duncan stopped in front of him expressionless, forcing Biedrins to stop the ball or make a mistake.

Halfway through the first quarter, the Warriors' offense was almost completely contained. Fortunately, the Spurs' offensive firepower was not strong, leading the Warriors by only 6 points.

Zhang Yu quickly made adjustments, allowing Curry and Varejao to play a pick-and-roll, and Biedrins, as a finisher ambushing between the penalty area and the baseline, waited for an opportunity.

But Duncan quickly told Zhang Yu with practical actions why he is the number one power forward in history.

Although Varejao has one-handed dribbling and support, it is only commonplace. Duncan perfectly took care of the first defense and two defenses under the basket, repeatedly destroying Varejao's layup and his pass to Biedrins, making the penalty area The guarding is as solid as gold soup, and it is worthy of the name of Stone Buddha.

Zhang Yu made another adjustment and asked Curry to single out Parker.

But Popovich obviously expected this long ago, let Parker stick to Curry, and did not give him the space to shoot a three-pointer. After Curry broke through Parker's first line of defense, Richard Jefferson immediately stepped from the Came over from the side to pinch, forced Curry to play the ball, and let Azubuike attack.

With Azubuike's unscrupulous temperament, of course he would not refuse the opportunity that came to his door, and took over the offensive banner of the Warriors when Curry was strictly guarded.

But in his season with the highest scoring output, he averaged only 14.4 points per game. This season, the Warriors' lineup changed drastically. Azubuike was promoted to the starting shooting guard position by Zhang Yu. The ball possession increased, and the number of shots reached a career high of 14.3. The second time, the scoring also rose to 16.7 points, but the production is still limited, which is why the Spurs are relieved to let him attack.

Moreover, Popovich didn't let him go completely. The Spurs' forward line rotates quickly and is very disciplined. They just give him a momentary gap. Azubuike must seize the short opportunity to choose a breakthrough or a three-pointer.

This is in line with his offensive style, but he just experienced a fierce battle last night. His physical fitness and touch are not in the best condition. The offensive end is quite satisfactory, and his efficiency is only slightly higher than normal. He cannot beat the Spurs at all.

After the first half, Azubuike scored 13 points, and the Spurs led the Warriors by 62 points 50:12.

During the intermission, Zhang Yu made another adjustment. He replaced Lowry and Ronnie Turiaf, replaced Butler and Varejao, added an organization point and screener, and let Curry run without the ball.

With the help of his teammates, Curry hit two consecutive three-point catches to help the Warriors approach the score.

Popovich responded immediately. He replaced two shooters, Bonner and Roger Mason, and launched tactics against Ronny Turiaf. He also ran off the ball, and Ronny Turiaf was bulky. Unable to defend, the two succeeded one after another outside the three-point line.

Parker also played the advantage of playing small and big, targeting Ronnie Turiaf and Biedrins, playing pick-and-roll with Duncan, and attacking the inside.

The French sports car stepped on the accelerator to the limit, elusive, frequently causing damage.

On the defensive end, Popovich completely emptied Lowry, and the Spurs players focused on chasing and defending Curry.

At this time, Curry's running skills without the ball have not yet matured. Facing the chasing and interception of the Spurs team, it became very difficult. He just barely made two catch-and-shoot three-pointers, but his efficiency dropped sharply.

At this time, Lowry's three-point shooting rate was only 27%, and he hadn't practiced a precise long-range shot, and he seemed hesitant to face the big open.

But there was no one around him three meters away, and it was really unreasonable not to shoot. He could only try to shoot a few three-pointers, but only hit one, which made Lowry dare not shoot again.

Zhang Yu replaced Watson again, but his 31% shooting rate was not much better than Lowry, and the Warriors' offense still had to rely on Azubuike.

And his output is not at the same level as Curry. After three quarters, the Spurs' lead has expanded to 16 points.

After the start of the fourth quarter, Zhang Yu gave it a go and sent Curry, Butler, Azubuike, Matthews, and Biedrins a large and four small lineups. He completely abandoned the inside defense and wanted to fight against the Spurs. Play against attack.

But the Spurs are not the Mavericks, and Duncan is not Nowitzki. He does not have Nowitzki's unsolvable mid-range shot, but he has a tough defense that the German tanks do not have.

With Duncan guarding the penalty area, supplemented by a well-disciplined peripheral rotation, the Spurs continued to adhere to the defensive strategy of double-teaming Curry, which received excellent results.

Under Popovich's arrangement, Curry has Parker close to the defense outside, Richard Jefferson in the center is ready to swipe his card to help defend at any time, and Duncan is inside as the last line of defense, ready to block his layup.

The Spurs' defense is like a net, wrapping Curry layer by layer, blocking his shot space, slowing down his footsteps, making every shot of him extraordinarily difficult, forcing him to call the ball out, allowing him to The rest of the Warriors came to handle the ball and extinguished the engine of the Warriors' running and bombing.

In the end, Zhang Yu's Jedi counterattack did not work, and the Spurs maintained their lead until the end of the game, and finally beat the Warriors with a score of 91:75, winning three consecutive victories.

Duncan played well and steadily scored a double-double of 20 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists. Parker taught Biedrins a good lesson. He made 17 of 12 free throws and scored 32 points and 7 assists. Playing the offensive and defensive ends of the Spurs, Bonner and Roger Mason scored 9 points and 12 points respectively, making a total of 7 three-pointers, which were important contributors to the team's victory.

For the Warriors, Curry was double-teamed to death and didn't have many shots. He only made 13 of 5 shots, 9 of 3 three-pointers, and 1 of 1 free throws. He scored 14 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds. Played the worst production and efficiency battle since entering the NBA.

It's not just Curry's poor performance. The Warriors showed physical and mental fatigue in the second game of back-to-back games. When the Spurs focused all their defensive attention on Curry, their performance was not very good. outstanding.

Azubuike took 25 shots in this game, setting a career record, but only hit 10 goals, including 18 of 6 three-pointers, 4 of 2 free throws, and scored 28 points, which was extremely inefficient.

With Curry locked up, the Warriors didn't run and shoot at all, and the ability of others to develop offense was extremely limited. Only Big Z scored 11 points by relying on mid-range shots, and Biedrins was suppressed by Duncan. Only scored 4 points and 8 rebounds. Apart from that, no one else scored in double figures.

After the game, Zhang Yu came to the technical stage and shook hands with Popovich.

Popovich sized Zhang Yu up and showed a gentle smile:

"Young man, would you like to have a drink?"

Zhang Yu smiled bitterly and said:

"My team lost badly. I'm not in the mood to drink anymore. You can just call me Ronan... I have to say, Mr. Popovich, you caused me a lot of trouble. Other teams know how to deal with it." Deal with us."

Popovich laughed:

"Ronan, don't look preoccupied. You should thank me. This is a threshold that the Warriors must go through to become a strong team."

He showed a very open-minded and kind gesture, and patted Zhang Yu's arm lightly.

But Zhang Yu knew that it was because the Spurs won that Popovich was so friendly to him. If the Warriors won, he would have put on a bad face.

The old man would never hide his emotions, and he didn't need to hide his emotions. His happiness and anger were all on his face.

Zhang Yu looked directly into Popovich's eyes and said:

"Although I lost, the Spurs are not much better than the Warriors. Hope to see you in the playoffs this year, Greg."

Popovich's smile restrained. He knew what Zhang Yu was talking about. Duncan was still Duncan, but it wasn't that Duncan anymore.

He can't show the performance of the number one power forward in history every night, which is the root cause of the ups and downs in the Spurs' record.

But then he said in a strong tone:

"But I am the winner tonight, I can drink a glass of wine, then sleep peacefully, and think about how to win tomorrow... At least I don't have to worry about the team's lack of a second starting point."

Zhang Yu was silent, and Popovich pointedly pointed out the biggest weakness of the Warriors-the lack of a second ball-holding point besides Curry.

Facts have proved that Azubuike is obviously unable to take on this responsibility, and Lowry still needs to be tempered, and his height is destined to not be able to coexist with Curry for a long time. The most suitable role for him is the role of a backup point guard.

The Warriors need an inside player who can handle four-on-three after Curry is double-teamed, and the passing and cutting system also needs an organization point other than Curry.

A name emerged in Zhang Yu's heart, people, as expected, you only know how to cherish it when you lose it.