Chapter 436 The Red and Green War! The Heat fight the Celtics again!
In the last meeting between the two teams, the Heat won the game without a fight.
At that time, the Rockets generals asserted that even if the Celtics still failed in the next game, they would not be defeated so easily again.
And tonight's game indeed verified the predictions of the Rockets players.
Before the game, Celtics head coach Doc Rivers made a lineup change.
He removed the big baby Davis and replaced him with Jeff Green, who plays more outside.
Therefore, the Green Army's starting lineup for this game becomes: Rondo, Delonte West, Pierce, Jeff Green, and Jermaine O'Neal.
The Heat continued their previous starting lineup: Chalmers, Wade, Ray Allen, James and Howard.
But judging from paper strength, the Heat undoubtedly have an absolute advantage.
Among the five positions, only Rondo is the dominant opponent for the Celtics.
However, Rondo is not the kind of star who is good at scoring, and it is difficult for him to change the direction of the game on his own.
Before the game, ESPN invited 26 professional football commentators to predict the outcome of the game in a program.
As a result, 26 ball commentators unanimously predicted that the Heat would win.
The Celtics, who reached the Finals last season and played 7 fierce games with the Lakers, didn't even get a single vote.
In this regard, the core of the team, Paul Pierce, said on his personal social media:
"The truth is often in the hands of a few people. No one believes it? Then wait for me to prove it!"
Pierce's tweet received likes from many players, but at the same time, many fans also mocked him in the comment area.
"Paul, you have indeed played well in the past two years, but you have never been a star of the level of Kobe and LeBron. You cannot create miracles."
"Garnett is the soul of this Celtics team! Without him, your proud defensive system will collapse. You can't guard James, you can't guard Wade, you can't guard Howard, and you can't even guard Ray Allen.
There’s no limit!”
"I've racked my brains, but I still can't think of any way to help the Celtics win. Although Rondo has grown rapidly, there is only one "three-headed monster" left, and the Celtics are really helpless.
..."
............
With the media and fans looking down on it, the Green Army generals stepped onto the field.
As the referee throws the ball high, the game officially begins!
O'Neal Jr. jumped up hard, but still lost in the fight for the ball.
The Heat attack first!
Chalmers carried the ball through half the court and came to the top of the arc to organize.
Wade used the cover to get out.
The moment he received the ball, he made a cross step and passed West's defense.
After arriving in the penalty area, Wade turned around at high speed with his right foot as the axis and passed O'Neal Jr. who was assisting on defense...
"bang!"
The Flash made a powerful two-handed dunk, opening the scoring for the Heat!
After the ball was scored, Xiao Ao immediately raised his hand to indicate that the ball was his problem.
"It's not a big problem, don't take it to heart."
Pierce said with relief.
The expressions of other Green Army players were also very calm, and they did not seem to be affected by this dunk.
Offense and defense transition.
Rondo organized his teammates to move outside the three-point line.
Chalmers did not defend closely, but stood about two meters away from Rondo, looking at West who was running on the wing from time to time.
His defensive strategy is clear, which is to let Rondo shoot and cut him off from other Celtics players.
Rondo watched at the top of the arc for a long time and found no opportunity to pass the ball.
He gritted his teeth, collected the ball on the spot, bent his knees and shot...
"Shua~"
The basketball hits the net!
2:3.
Celtic take the lead!
After the goal, Rondo smiled and spread his hands towards Chalmers with a playful expression.
But James walked up to the latter and whispered: "Continue to implement the tactics, you will have no problem defending."
Chalmers nodded.
Heat offense.
This time, James passed the ball to Howard in the low post.
Warcraft immediately prepared to launch a back attack.
But the moment he dropped the ball, Jeff Green, who was responsible for guarding James, suddenly returned to the inside and flanked Howard with O'Neal Jr.
Warcraft reacted quickly and immediately lifted the ball while observing the position of his teammates.
James suddenly started and cut in from the middle.
Howard flicked his wrist and passed the ball.
After James received the ball, he took three steps directly and headed straight to the hinterland of the Green Army!
Just when the fans at the scene thought they could enjoy another dunk of "Domination of the World", Pierce came out of the diagonal stab and pushed James away from the path of travel.
Both of them lost their center of gravity, hugging each other and flying out of bounds.
This is definitely a vicious foul!
However, Pierce's protective action after the foul seemed to remind the referee - I didn't mean any harm, this was a tactical foul.
"Beep!"
The whistle sounded and the referee cautiously stopped the game.
At the same time, boos erupted from American Airlines Arena.
Many fans stood up anxiously, wanting to see if James was injured.
Fortunately, James and Pierce quickly stood up with the help of their teammates.
After getting up, Pierce took the initiative to walk to James and patted the latter's butt.
"Are you okay?"
Pierce asked.
"It's okay...but the game has just begun, so there's no need to be so fierce, right?"
James has a good attitude and can still joke with him after being violated like this.
Pierce smiled awkwardly.
Soon, after watching the video replay at the technical desk, the referee announced the penalty for Pierce——
"Celtics No. 34, 1 technical foul, one free throw from the Heat!"
After hearing this penalty, the boos at the scene gradually subsided.
James walked to the free throw line, took two dribbles, and took the shot confidently...
"Duang!"
The ball hit the front edge of the basket and bounced out.
Lao Zhan shook his head, walked outside the three-point line, blocked his position, and opened his hand for the ball.
However, Chalmers' sideline serve was seen through by Rondo.
Director Long jumped up, stretched his arms lightly, stopped the ball in the air, and launched a counterattack.
Wade reacted the fastest and immediately started chasing Rondo.
Instructor Long pushed forward while observing the situation behind him with his peripheral vision.
[If this ball is hit hard, it may be blocked...]
Rondo thought to himself.
The next moment, a bold plan emerged in his mind.
Rondo took three steps and prepared for a layup.
His first two steps are very normal, just like a normal three-step layup.
But on the final layup, Rondo suddenly changed his tactics, passed the ball behind his back, and handed the ball to West who was following up behind him.
Wade never thought that Rondo would choose to pass the ball when faced with an empty basket.
Wade, who originally planned to give the latter a chasing shot, flew out of bounds due to inertia and almost knocked down Rondo.
Behind the two of them, West arrived belatedly.
After receiving the ball, he jumped high and dunked easily.
2:5.
Celtics lead by three points!
After scoring the goal, West seemed extremely excited.
He beat his chest hard twice, and then pointed his right index finger at Rondo to thank him for the assist just now.
The Rockets generals who were far away in Houston saw the opening situation and couldn't help but discuss a few words.
"Not bad, the Celtics are very motivated today!"
Lori's tone was a little surprised.
"I told you a long time ago that the Green Army may lose, but they will never lose on their knees."
Tony Allen said with a smile.
He was a member of the Celtics last year and has a very deep understanding of the toughness of this team.
"But if the Celtics want to win, their current performance is not enough. They also need Pierce to step up."
"He is the soul of this team. If he can compete with James, the Green Army will have hope of winning."
McGrady held his chin with one hand, and the old god analyzed on the ground.
Curry and others all nodded after hearing this.
While several people were talking, the Heat quickly responded.
James used the screen to get to the basket and hit O'Neal for a tank layup!
4:5.
During the defensive round, James and Wade were suddenly in the high position again, flanking West who was holding the ball.
West was unable to react in time and was forced to the sideline.
Seeing the big hands from James and Way coming, he gritted his teeth, jumped up hard, and threw the ball in the air towards his teammates at the opposite corner.
But West's passing intention was seen through by Howard, the three-time Defensive Player of the Year!
Warcraft jumped high, blocked the ball, and then passed the ball to Wade beside him.
The Flash immediately started up and ran towards the hinterland of the Green Army at high speed.
The Celtics will retreat quickly.
Pierce sticks to James.
West is chasing after Wade.
And Jeff Green, who has the most physical talent on the team, also returned to the defensive position immediately, ready to defend his teammates at any time.
While Wade advanced, he observed the distribution of defensive players.
The Flash suddenly discovered that the opponent had only sent West to defend him alone.
This is simply an insult to his fast break ability!
As a result, Wade accelerated to get rid of West and rushed towards the penalty area.
Facing Jeff Green, who was on defense, he once again used his signature European step.
From left to right, Green was indeed shaken, and his center of gravity shifted to the other side.
Wade relaxed his arms and completed a layup.
6:5.
The Heat quickly overtook the score.
This goal started with James' high post press, then Howard's steal, and finally Wade's one-stop layup.
From defense to offense, the entire process is completed by the three giants...
The dominance of the three is evident!
After this goal was scored, the Heat's morale increased significantly.
Pierce saw it and was anxious in his heart.
In the next round, he decisively came to the elbow area and got the ball.
Defending Pierce was Wade.
Although the Flash is only 1.93 meters tall, he has a terrifying wingspan of 2.10 meters.
With these long arms and excellent jumping ability, even center players do not dare to underestimate Wade.
If you're not careful, The Flash will use hot pot to tell you whose horse it is!
Pierce and Wade have played against each other many times in recent years, so they naturally know this.
Therefore, he adopted the safest offensive method-post-up singles.
Pierce's back-up play is very distinctive.
His tonnage and strength are among the best in his position, but he rarely wins with brute force.
More often than not, Pierce relies on rhythm and fake moves to attack.
For example, right now, after two close hits, he suddenly turned towards the baseline and easily passed Wade.
The Flash quickly retreated to defend.
But the next moment, Pierce took a step back, bounced back to his original position, and then shot...
The ball hit the backboard and bounced into the net.
6:7!
This goal was very crucial and directly interrupted the Heat's momentum.
Easy side to fight again.
Howard received a pass from James in the low post and hit O'Neal with his back.
West once again left his defender and returned to the inside to help defend.
But Howard didn't rush to pass the ball this time.
I saw his left foot suddenly kicking the ground with force, instantly getting rid of Xiaoao's defense, and then flicking his wrist, he sent the ball into the basket.
8:7!
A minute later, Howard caught the ball in the low post again.
This time, after attracting help from the defense, he used a long pass across the half court to find Ray Allen ambushing in the bottom corner.
Junzi Lei takes action decisively...
The basketball left his fingertips and spun at high speed, drawing a beautiful arc in the air...
"Shua~"
Hollow into the net!
10:7.
Looking back, Pierce once again hit Wade in the low post.
But this time, the Flash always maintained a defensive position and was not deceived by Pierce's fake moves.
Under his defense, Truth could only pass the ball back to his teammates.
After some conduction, the ball finally came to West's hands.
Facing James' defense, he first dribbled the ball continuously with his hips, and then made a large crossover!
However, this series of actions had no effect.
James remained unmoved and waited for West to take action before he leaped high and slapped the ball away.
As the basketball flew towards the outbound ear, the red light on the timer came on...
Celtics offensive violation in 24 seconds!
After successfully defending, James silently clenched his fists in celebration.
This season, his defensive performance is at the peak of his career!
Relying on his unparalleled physical talent, James can not only keep up with the small guards, but also compete with the opponent's fourth and fifth positions in the paint.
In the view of traveler Shen Fei, LeBron's defense this season is fully worthy of the title of "Little Green in the East"!
The game continues.
Heat offense.
After Chalmers passed the half court with the ball, he passed the ball to James, and he played the role of running without the ball.
He and Ray Allen set intersecting screens in the corner.
Then, Ray Allen suddenly made a reverse run and successfully got rid of West's defense.
James immediately caught the opportunity, flicked his wrist, and passed the ball to Ray Allen who came out of his pocket.
Everyone in the Green Army knows very well what the consequences will be if Ray Allen takes an open shot!
Ever since, Jeff Green decisively dropped James and rushed towards Junzi Lei.
Unexpectedly, Ray Allen was not greedy for credit and immediately passed the ball back to James.
During the whole process, he was like a wall, bouncing the ball back!
After James caught the ball, there was no one around him.
At this time, he had two choices before him.
One is to shoot an open three-pointer on the spot, and the other is to rush inside and attack the basket.
Both methods have their own pros and cons.
From a rational perspective alone, the first method is obviously better.
James hesitated for a moment, took a big step, and rushed towards the basket at full speed.
Obviously, at this period, he was not confident enough in his projection.