Chapter 400 Watching the opponent, the Mavericks vs the Heat!
A week later, McGrady returned from injury.
After a game, he was asked by a reporter: "T-Mac, do you think the Heat have the ability to challenge the Rockets after Ray Allen joins?"
McGrady smiled slightly when he heard this: "Of course. LeBron and Dwayne are the top players in the league. Now that they are properly configured, they naturally have the ability to challenge any team."
"Then do you think, if the Rockets and Heat really meet in the finals, who will be the final winner?"
The reporter continued to ask.
"Rocket. It's definitely us."
Maddie smiled and answered confidently.
"Oh? Are you so sure? Yesterday, ESPN made a top 10 list of stars, and the Heat's Big Three were all ranked in the top five."
The reporter said meaningfully.
"First of all, I don't care about individual rankings, basketball is a team sport of five people."
"Secondly, I don't think my teammates are worse than anyone else. I took a week off and they only lost one game. Is there any better teammate than this?"
Maddie asked with a smile.
"You are right, I agree with your statement!"
"But, are you really not going to make some preparations for the current Heat? Everyone thinks you will meet in the finals."
The reporter asked reluctantly.
Obviously, he came with a mission today, just to stir up a topic and pave the way for the "big decisive battle" in the future.
"There will definitely be in-depth research and preparation. Maybe Mark will take us to watch a Heat game tomorrow."
Maddie replied with a smile.
"Okay, thank you for accepting my interview. Tracy, congratulations on a great game!"
The reporter got the answer he wanted and left with satisfaction.
The next day, McGrady's words came true.
Mark Jackson gathered the players together to watch the Heat play against the Mavericks.
At the same time, Shen Fei was also in his office and turned on the TV.
This is the second game between the Heat and the Mavericks this season.
In the last game, although the Heat finally won the game, the process was very difficult and they only got through the danger at the last moment.
In this rematch, the Heat's lineup has been upgraded again, from the "Big Three" to the "F4"!
The Mavericks have also won consecutive games recently and are now ranked second in the Western Conference.
Strong dialogue - this game naturally received a lot of attention!
At this moment, in Miami, inside the American Airlines Center Arena, the starting lineups of both teams have begun to take the stage.
The Heat's starters are: Chalmers, Wade, Ray Allen, James, Howard.
The Mavericks are: Kidd, Terry, Marion, Nowitzki and Tyson Chandler.
Seeing the Heat's configuration, Curry, who was far away in Houston, couldn't help but sigh: "The Heat's starting lineup is ridiculously strong..."
Yao Ming held his chin with his right hand and said calmly: "They are very strong. But we also know the strength of the Mavericks. It will not be easy for the Heat to defeat them."
.............
As the referee throws the ball high, the battle is about to begin!
Howard just jumped up and slapped the ball back to his own half.
The Heat attack first!
After Chalmers passed half court with the ball, he handed the ball to James, who organized it.
At the same time, Howard quickly dropped to the low position, stepped forward, and opened his hand for the ball.
James flicked his wrist and passed the ball.
"Snapped!"
After Howard caught the ball, he turned directly to face the frame and smacked the ball hard with his right hand.
Chandler, on the other hand, opened his hands and concentrated on preparing to defend.
Soon, Howard moved!
I saw him stepping out with his right foot, stepping lightly, and then immediately crossed over and stepped to the left...
Chandler reacted quickly and caught up immediately without losing his position.
But the next moment, Howard stood up straight from the ground...
"bang!"
A swift and violent dunk stunned the defending Chandler.
He has been following Howard from beginning to end, and he didn't lose any position just now, but just allowed the latter to reach a relatively deep position.
But...Howard dunked now?
Chandler felt slighted.
For a long time, with his ability to block shots, few centers dared to dunk him head-on, and it was this kind of dunk on dry land!
Shen Fei, who was in front of the TV, couldn't help but shook his head when he saw this scene.
If Howard can maintain this strong performance when facing Chandler... it will be difficult for the Mavericks to defeat the Heat.
In the original time and space, the Mavericks could defeat the Heat in the finals. In addition to the superb performance of King Notre Dame, Chandler guarding the penalty area was also crucial.
Among the Heat's Big Three, only Wade can attack the inside as usual.
James and Bosh were both more or less affected.
It is not difficult to understand why the Heat, who are known for their breakthroughs, had their most cutting-edge weapons restricted and were eventually overturned.
But the emergence of Howard seems to be able to easily change this situation.
[If he can beat Chandler one-on-one, the Mavericks' defensive system will collapse...]
Shen Fei thought to himself.
Sometimes, the answer to a seemingly difficult problem is often very simple.
Howard uses his personal ability to defeat Chandler, or make the latter suffer foul trouble and end the game. James and Wade can attack the inside without hesitation!
"If Howard keeps the inside tight, it will be really hard for the Mavericks to beat him."
Shen Fei muttered to himself.
In his view, although the Mavericks are a so-called "shooting team," interior offense is equally important to them.
The most typical example is Nowitzki.
The reason why the German tank is difficult to guard is not only his accurate shooting, excellent post-up ability, but also his ability to attack the inside.
He can be both inside and outside, and his offense has depth, which makes him difficult to stop.
If Howard locked up the inside and relied only on the outside and mid-range Nowitzki, he wouldn't be so "killing"!
Thinking of this, Shen Fei became very interested in how the Mavericks would deal with Howard.
............
The game continues and the Mavericks attack.
Kidd made a lob and passed the ball to Nowitzki.
The one guarding him was James, who was in the fourth position.
Today, LeBron is at the heaviest weight of his career.
Coupled with his natural strength, it is not a problem for him to defend some power forwards.
Of course, meeting Nowitzki is another story.
The German tank hit the back a few times and successfully reached the elbow area.
In this position, he can both shoot and use his footsteps to break through.
In the past, Nowitzki would have most likely chosen to break through.
Because as long as he takes one more step in, he can take three steps directly.
With the German tank's height of 2.13 meters, few centers can start at the same speed as him!
But the situation was different now. Nowitzki saw Howard eager to try in the three-second zone with his peripheral vision and immediately gave up the idea.
The next moment, Nowitzki suddenly took half a step back with his left foot and raised his right knee. The next moment, he would stage a "Golden Rooster Independence".
At this moment, Wade, who was originally outside the three-point line, suddenly started and rushed behind Nowitzki in one stride.
"Careful, Dirk!"
Terry shouted quickly.
But it's too late...
Wade jumped high and swung his hat, almost knocking Nowitzki's hat to the ground.
The latter stumbled back two or three meters before barely able to stabilize his center of gravity.
But the ball was now in Wade's hands.
The Flash lowered his head and accelerated towards the Mavericks' hinterland.
Marion reacted the fastest and pursued the defense with all his strength.
But he was the fastest and couldn't keep up with Wade's pace.
"bang!"
The Flash made a stunning move and performed a one-handed chop.
4:0!
One minute later, Janeway teamed up to press on the outside and jointly grabbed the basketball from Terry's hand.
Then, comes the familiar "Janeway Connection" session.
Wade threw the ball high while walking, and the next moment, James emerged from the sky and dominated the world!
6:0, the Heat got a perfect start.
Such a strong opening also made the Rockets generals watching the game frown slightly.
"Stephen, they will definitely hit you physically when the time comes, especially LeBron and Dwayne. If they both pounce on you..."
Tony Allen said to Curry with a smirk on his face.
The cute god smiled and shook his head.
It's just that as a second grader, his confrontation ability cannot be compared with that of James and Wei.
After Terry had the ball stolen just now, Curry thought about it. If he was put in Terry's situation, could he do better?
Curry has confidence in himself, but he is not absolutely sure.
"It depends on the referee's standards."
"The Heat's perimeter attacks are very aggressive and full of physical confrontations. Some of their moves are even on the verge of fouls."
"A technical player like Stephen will definitely feel uncomfortable when encountering this kind of defense."
"But if the referee's standards are stricter, the Heat will not dare to make too big moves, and the problem will not be big."
Maddie opened her mouth and analyzed.
"But if the standards are loose, Stephen may be in a highly tense state throughout the game."
Yao Ming added.
Curry nodded when he heard this, but secretly made up his mind to increase strength training next.
"But you don't have to be too nervous. I, Brandon (Roy), and Paul (George) can all help you share the organizational work."
"Don't blindly gain weight in order to enhance competition. By then you will lose more flexibility and shooting stability than you have gained."
McGrady saw Curry's thoughtful look and roughly guessed what the latter was thinking, and quickly reminded him.
Curry nodded quickly.
McGrady has been playing the role of the team's arrow since the Magic days. After so many years of playing, he has seen all kinds of defenses.
Moreover, he also had a relatively lean figure in the early stage, and did not gradually gain weight until the Rockets period.
Therefore, McGrady's suggestion is of great reference value, and Curry knows this very well.
While several people were talking, the Mavericks finally broke the deadlock.
Kidd held the ball at the top of the key and made a wonderful pass to Marion who was cutting through the air.
After the hacker got the ball, he went straight to the basket and met James who was defending.
Meanwhile, Wade and Chalmers quickly rotate...
A second later, there were Heat players in front of five Mavericks players.
However, such an excellent defensive rotation still failed to stop the Mavericks' offense.
Marion broke through one step inside and distributed the ball again, passing the ball to Nowitzki.
The latter didn't stop and immediately passed the ball to Terry...
After several passes, the ball returned to Kidd's hands again.
At this time, Chalmers did not rush to Kidd immediately because he was delayed by Chandler's pick-and-roll.
Old Kidd didn't hesitate, raised his hand and shot...
"Shua~"
Basketball goes hollow into the net.
6:3!
But before the Mavericks players could be happy, the Heat already had a baseline kick and began to counterattack.
With a wave of his hand, Howard made a long pass across the half court and found James who had stolen it.
LeBron James carried Marion into the penalty area and hit a layup.
8:3, the Heat continue to lead.
After the goal, James showed his hands to the bottom line referee.
It can be seen from the shape of his mouth that he is accusing Marion of a defensive foul.
A minute later, Nowitzki hit James with his back and passed him with a turn.
This time, King Nuo Tian rushed towards Howard who was guarding the penalty area without fear!
However, Warcraft is a three-time Defensive Player of the Year.
I saw him leaping high and slapping the ball toward the stands with one palm...
After completing the block, the excited Howard raised his right hand and placed it on his forehead, as if he didn't know where the ball had gone.
But before World of Warcraft could finish celebrating, Wade, who was equally excited, rushed in front of him and pushed him out of pretense-B mode.
Nowitzki, who was blocked, stabilized his center of gravity, turned around and saw the Heat's Big Three high-fiving in celebration.
"Click~"
On the sidelines, a Chinese photographer pressed the shutter and recorded this scene.
He has already thought of the name of this painting - Three Heroes Fighting Lu Bu!
............
Howard played well, and another new addition to the Heat, Ray Allen, also started his performance.
In the middle of the first quarter, he received breakthrough passes from James and Wade and hit three-pointers from the two bottom corners.
On the defensive end, Ray Allen kept an eye on Terry, making the latter very uncomfortable.
After the first quarter, the Jets made 1 of 4 shots and only scored two points.
You know, in the first match between the two teams, Terry made all 5 shots in the first quarter and scored 12 points. He was the best player on the Mavericks!
"The Heat haven't designed special tactics for Ray Allen yet, but his shooting ability has brought the Heat's offense to a higher level! A good shooter is really important."
Mark Jackson commented.
"Ray Allen is indeed stable. However, Stephen on our team is no worse than him."
Yao Ming turned to look at Curry and said with a smile.
When Curry was about to be humble, Dayao raised his hand and interrupted him:
"Don't refute me, the boss has said more than once that you will become the top scorer in history."
"How could the top scorer in history be worse than others?"
"However, Ray Allen's value on the defensive end may be underestimated by many people."
Everyone nodded after hearing this.
Ray Allen has speed, endurance, and a very good size. He is fully capable of defending ordinary guards and wings.
"In this game, the Mavericks may be in trouble..."
Mark Jackson sighed.
Shen Fei also held the same view as him.
After seeing the performance of the Heat's two new players, the young Asians have determined in their hearts that the Rockets' biggest opponents this season must be them.
[The Heat's only weak link in the starting lineup is point guard Chalmers. But his defense is good and his physical fitness should not be weaker than Curry.]
[Wade, if McGrady is asked to defend him, it will be a big drain on T-Mac, and it is not a long-term solution. But if McGrady is asked to chase Ray Allen, it will not be easy either.]
[At the power forward position, if Griffin and James face off, there is basically no advantage...]
[Even for Yao Ming, the advantage is not as great as before.]
Shen Fei thought about the matchup of the starting lineup and found that the Rockets seemed to have no advantage.
"You can't rely solely on the substitutes to gain points..."
Shen Fei muttered to himself.
But he quickly came back to his senses and realized that he had just overlooked a point - Chalmers' physical fitness and defensive ability may be good, but he is facing Curry!
He has a chance to become one of the top ten players in history in the future!
Not to mention, because of the existence of the [Spiritual Time Room], Curry may have this ability in two or three seasons.
And now there are still about three months until the finals.
With the buff of [Spiritual Time Room], this is equivalent to 3 seasons!
With Curry's talent and learning ability, there will definitely be a qualitative leap in strength by June.
If Curry was at his peak, not only would Chalmers be unable to guard him, but Ray Allen, Wade, and even James would also find it difficult to do so.
A similar situation exists for potential rookies like George and Griffin.
Thinking of this, Shen Fei felt relaxed and turned his attention to the TV again.
............
In the subsequent games, the Heat maintained their hot state in the first quarter.
The new "Big Four" performed very well.
James and Way performed steadily.
The two newcomers, Howard and Ray Allen, have only been in the team for a short time and are still a little unfamiliar with their teammates. However, with their outstanding strength, they also performed well in line with their value.
The Heat led all the way and ended the third quarter with a 15-point lead.
During the break, the Heat's bench had turned into a sea of joy.
On the big screen, they laughed heartily, and some seemed to have begun to celebrate their victory.
At this time, the on-site director suddenly cut the camera to the Mavericks bench.
In sharp contrast to the Heat players, all the Mavericks generals looked serious, but there was no sign of decadence.
Head coach Carlisle is motivating his players.
At the end of the timeout, Nowitzki stood in the center of the team and gave his teammates another wave of blood.
So, after the final quarter started, the situation on the court suddenly changed...
The Mavericks seemed to have changed into a different team and started a crazy counterattack!
The one who fired the first shot was naturally the German tank - Nowitzki!
In the first three quarters, he was made uncomfortable by the joint defense of James and Howard.
But in the fourth quarter, Nowitzki adjusted his offensive approach.
He is no longer obsessed with singles with the ball, but has increased his movement without the ball.
The Mavericks' passing master, Jason Kidd, also demonstrated his passing skills.
He first made a no-look-pass pass, helping Nowitzki get an open shot from beyond the three-point line.
The latter raised the knife and hit a three-pointer!
Then, Kidd received Terry's breakthrough ball in the fast break.
Kidd immediately passed the ball out and accurately found Nowitzki who was following up.
King Nuotian drew his bow and drew an arrow, and took action again.
The basketball left his fingertips and spun at high speed, drawing a rainbow-like arc in the air...
"Shua~"
Another three-pointer!
Throughout the process, Kidd was like a wall, "bounce" Terry's pass to Nowitzki.
But it was this seemingly simple pass that caused the Heat's defense to collapse!
After a 6:0 offensive, the Mavericks successfully narrowed the point difference to single digits.
Heat coach Spoelstra saw that the situation was not good and quickly called a timeout!
Seeing this scene, the Rockets generals far away in Houston all looked like they had "guessed it a long time ago".
They had long known how powerful Mavericks was from Shen Fei.
They have also experienced the Mavericks' resilience in several duels.
"We should indeed be wary of the Heat, but we must never forget the Mavericks."
Yao Ming said seriously.
Everyone nodded after hearing this.
............
Inside the American Airlines Center.
The timeout is over and the game continues!
Although the fourth quarter lasted less than two minutes, both sides invariably replaced all starters on the field.