In the backcourt, Wang Zelin didn't have time to serve. He signaled Lillard not to rush forward and to control the rhythm first and play a positional battle.
Slowing down the offense may cause the Blazers to lose some surprise opportunities, but it will also reduce their chances of making mistakes.
The team is still lagging behind. Wang Zelin must keep the ball as much as possible and seize every offensive opportunity as much as possible.
Facts have proved that the Golden State Warriors, who were as powerful as the later dynasty and started the craze of the small ball era, did not simply play faster and faster on the court. Sometimes slowing down is not a bad thing.
.
Lillard dribbled the ball past half-court without hesitation, and Wang Zelin had already run to the inside and was in position.
In this game, Lillard was limited by his playing time, and his personal statistics were mediocre. He currently only scored 8 points and 6 assists. Just when he was considering whether to attack or organize this time, Wang Zelin raised his hand to ask for the ball.
"Wang's desire to attack is very strong now. As soon as he was in position, he took the initiative to ask for the ball! I hope he can give Mosaic No. 13 a strong response!"
While the home commentator was talking, Lillard passed the ball to the ground, allowing Wang Zelin to control the ball as he wished.
"let"sgo!let"sgo!"
In an instant, the entire Rose Garden resounded with the voices of fans cheering for Wang Zelin, and in front of the TV, a larger number of fans kept shouting the same slogan.
The overwhelming cheers and shouts made Wang Zelin's blood boil, but he did not get carried away and lose his mind.
"Bah bang bang!"
During continuous dribbling, Wang Zelin carried Capela to the basket. Brewer suddenly turned around and rushed towards the penalty area, trying to force the ball.
But Wang Zelin seemed to have an eye in the back of his head and passed it to Yi Jianlian outside the three-point line. Then he turned around and pushed Capela behind him, preparing to grab the rebound.
The unmarked Yi Jianlian took the shot calmly. Although this position is not in the corners on both sides and is not his favorite three-point shooting, but...
"Shua——!"
The water splashed and he hit a three-pointer.
Yi Jianlian lived up to expectations and hit a three-pointer with his good touch.
At 88:92, the Trail Blazers regained 3 points and were only 4 points behind.
"Yi~Jian~Lian!!!forthree!!!"
The home DJ roared excitedly.
"This is the second three-pointer scored by the Arab League today, and the score is in double figures!" Yang Yi said excitedly.
Wang Meng also added at this time: "After the baptism of two championship seasons, not only has the defense become better, but his offensive performance has also become more stable.
Especially the outside three-pointers, this season the United Arab Emirates averaged 3.2 three-pointers per game, hitting 1.3 goals, with a shooting rate of 40.6%! This is already a very high-quality space-based fourth position!"
Mosaic offense, Harden asks for the ball at a 45-degree angle outside the left three-point line.
Seeing Harden asking for the ball, the Rose Garden was shocked.
"You must put it down! Be careful of Harden's three-pointers!" Yang Yi shouted.
Harden caught the ball, took the ball with both hands and put it under his right ribs, and instantly made a tentative step to prepare.
Batum, the Trail Blazers' top perimeter defense expert, took the initiative to switch defenses with his good brother Barton. One step away, he covered Harden's face with one hand.
Suddenly, Harden made a fake shot and stood up.
Batum stepped forward to grab the ball and made preparations to take off and block the shot.
But his defensive actions are very rational. He would rather let Harden take the shot than jump randomly. Because he knows very well how terrifying the foul-making ability of the guy in front of him is!
Sure enough, when the ball reached his head, he didn't see that Harden's feet had not left the floor.
At this moment, Batum forcibly suppressed the urge to take off.
Then, he saw Harden suddenly squatting down from his standing position, and he immediately understood that the opponent was about to break through.
At this moment, he suddenly took a step back.
At the same time, Harden stepped out with his left foot, holding the ball with his left hand, and broke through from Batum's left side.
The position of the two did not change between retreat and advance, but the difference from before is that the ball is not in Harden's hands, but on the floor. (This chapter is not over yet!)
Chapter 801
Fatal tackle
At this time, Batum reached out with his left arm and caught the ball that bounced off the backboard.
"Steal! Fatal steal! Nicholas stole James Harden!" the home DJ roared excitedly.
"Damn it! My physical ability..."
Harden was anxious and regretful. He should have given the ball to his teammates.
Of course, Harden was in very brave form tonight and was omnipotent on the offensive end. He also acted as the brains of the team, organizing the offense.
And this also means that Harden's physical energy consumption is much faster than in previous games.
At the same time, in order to defeat the Trail Blazers, Harden also played an role model on the defensive end tonight. Whether he was defending the inside or switching defenses and assisting defense, he did his best.
As a result, Harden's physical exertion will naturally be further aggravated.
Batum is just the opposite. He has only played 28 minutes so far and has had plenty of rest time. His physical fitness is much better than Harden, who has never played.
After being intercepted, Harden was shocked and angry, and immediately rushed to grab it.
But Batum made a quick turn and relied on his extraordinary turning speed to avoid Harden's tenacity and rush through the frontcourt.
Mosaic retreated at full speed. Apart from Harden, only Ariza on the wing and outside could keep up with Batum's speed.
Batum advanced to the right wing, and Harden went around from behind him to the left. At this time, Ariza rushed to the basket, gritting his teeth and looking at Batum's side, always ready to block.
However, Batum suddenly stopped and chose to cross the ball to Lillard outside the three-point line on the other side.
After Lillard, who struggled to follow up, received the ball, he faced Ariza's flying dive from three meters away and took a decisive shot from the outside.
Lillard's scoring was average today, and his three-point shooting percentage was only 1 of 3, so the Mosaic players had a certain amount of luck.
It's just a pity that the basketball shot by Lillard went hollow into the net, breaking the beautiful illusion of the Mosaic players.
91:92, the score difference is only one point.
"A steal! An assist! A three-pointer! The Trail Blazers played a perfect round. This is how the defending champion should perform! Compared with the Trail Blazers, the Mosaic team is still far behind in handling details.
Woolen cloth!"
The commentator kept talking on the sidelines. Although the Mosaic team was still leading, their momentum on the court at this moment was not as good as the opposite Trail Blazers team.
Are you going to call a timeout?
Harden subconsciously glanced at coach D'Antoni on the sidelines.
But it was this glance that made D'Antoni feel a little disappointed.
It's a time like this. As a leader, don't you know that the top priority is to counterattack your opponent? If they really want to call a timeout, they will completely lose to their opponent in terms of momentum.
Fortunately, D'Antoni did not reveal his feelings. Maybe in his opinion, Harden is still relatively young and there is still room for growth in the future.
Young people always have to experience some mistakes before they grow up.