In the subsequent games, Warriors players intentionally targeted Wang Zelin. It was difficult to get the ball in the low post. They would rather Wang Zelin shoot from mid-range in the high post than give Wang Zelin a chance to kill under the basket.
After Curry missed another three-pointer, he did not continue to shoot wildly, and instead looked for teammates to cooperate.
Klay Thompson, who is in his rookie contract year, has gradually entered the peak period of his career after three seasons of growth.
This season, his scoring average suddenly reached 24 points, ranking second among active shooting guards, second only to Mosaic star James Harden.
Thompson's explosion this season has greatly increased the Warriors' outside offensive threat. The pairing of him and Curry has evolved from the "splash brothers" to the current "tsunami brothers"!
When Curry was not feeling good, Thompson stepped forward in time to take over the offensive banner. In addition to a large number of three-pointers without the ball from the outside, he also occasionally mixed in a few low-post catch-and-turn jumpers, giving Patton, who was guarding him, a headache.
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In the first quarter of the game, the Warriors players felt quite good. Wang Zelin made a huge start in the paint, but still failed to take the lead.
At the end of the first quarter, the Warriors were at home, 32:28, temporarily leading the Trail Blazers by 4 points.
Wang Zelin was frequently targeted by the Warriors. As soon as he got to the basket, at least two players would double-team him. Wang Zelin passed the ball to an open teammate, but due to the Warriors' quick release, they failed to hit a shot.
In terms of overall strength, the Trail Blazers and Warriors are still super strong teams in the same echelon, but the Trail Blazers' advantage lies in the inside, while the Warriors' advantage lies in the outside.
Everyone, please go and try it soon.]
From the performance point of view, the advantages of both sides exploded today. Wang Zelin was unstoppable in the interior, forcing the Warriors to shrink their defense. It was just a pity that the Trail Blazers failed to seize the opportunity on the outside.
Now, Wang Zelin can no longer rely on his teammates.
At the beginning of the second quarter, Wang Zelin rested off the court. On the Warriors' side, the bench led by Barbosa made waves on the court.
The aging Brazilian Lightning was obviously in good condition today. Facing Beverley's defense, he actually shot 2 of 3 from the field, which was quite surprising.
At the same time, there was "Coffin Mamba" Yingodala, who relied on his rich experience to constantly find opportunities to attack the basket within three minutes, quickly causing Jokic's two fouls.
The young Jokic was still a little inexperienced in front of this kind of veteran, and suffered a slight loss.
With an 11:5 spurt, the score changed to 43:33, and the Warriors quickly accumulated a double-digit lead.
Seeing that the situation was getting out of control, coach Terry took advantage of the dead ball and sent on Wang Zelin.
Warriors coach Kerr also made a big move and replaced Green to target Wang Zelin.
In this game, Green's most important task is to restrict Wang Zelin on the defensive end. Whether he is going forward to defend or asking others to help defend, Wang Zelin's physical energy must be consumed at all times.
"Boy, you know how good I am at defense! I don't know why the league gives you the best defensive player? That's right, they probably only look at the data. Do you know that my influence on the court is far greater than
you!"
Once he got up, Green couldn't control his big mouth and kept forcing Lai Lai to do it.
But Wang Zelin has long been immune to his trash talk.
Compared to this kind of empty and boring provocation, Wang Zelin prefers to make a follow-up shot after scoring the ball.
That is the real damage!
Trail Blazers offense.
On the court, Wang Zelin and Beverley completed the pick-and-roll cooperation. After Beverley broke through, Wang Zelin quickly followed suit.
The slow-footed substitute center Valaiqiao was knocked away as soon as he was hit, and his only chance was to stay behind Wang Zelin.
Wang Zelin received Beverley's pass, and seeing that Varaijo had not caught up with him, Wang Zelin used his legs to jump up high.
Unexpectedly, Green, who was originally guarding Yi Jianlian, suddenly rushed over. This guy may have felt that he had to do something.
Then, Green overestimated his shot-blocking ability and underestimated Wang Zelin's jumping height. His brave interception only earned him a foul.
In the TNT live broadcast booth, Barkley analyzed this foul: "Facing Wang's strong attack at the basket, it seems that the Warriors are well prepared. Unfortunately, the gap in ability makes Drummond's block
Not only did Guy return without success, he also got a foul."
Kenny Smith nodded and said: "This is the difference between superstars and ordinary All-Stars, and it cannot be smoothed out by positivity."
In the live broadcast of Chaoting Channel, Zhang Lili said: "This season, Zelin's free throw shooting rate is 90.5%, ranking first among all active centers. If you use the current Internet hot words to describe it, it can be said to be as stable as an old dog.
!”
"I have to say that the king's basic skills are indeed solid! This is worth learning. Many young domestic players now learn from it." Yu Jia said with a smile.
In front of the Warriors bench, Cole looked dissatisfied with Green's foul, but he also knew that Green had tried his best on this ball, and the real responsibility should be placed on Varaijo.
If Valaijo can block it a little bit, Green might be able to succeed this time.
However, it is indeed a bit embarrassing to expect a 34-year-old veteran to defend Wang Zelin.
So, Cole immediately made a substitution and pointed at Ezeli: "Feltus, go up and replace Anderson."
Ezeli nodded and walked excitedly to the technical stage, not feeling the slightest fear about facing Wang Zelin.
On the first free throw, Wang Zelin faced the boos of the fans and made the free throw steadily.
At this time, the ball is dead in the game and players on both sides have begun to rotate.
Ezeli high-fived Varaijo, then looked at the basketball court, drew a cross on his chest, and then jumped into the court!
Because he knows that his family must be watching him in front of the TV, so no matter what, he will give everything he has in the game, not only for himself, but also for his family members who have been silently supporting him behind the scenes.
Seeing this scene, Cole felt a little bit of anticipation in his heart.
This is also the reason why Cole chose Ezeli. Not only is the latter younger than Varachio, but the latter is also more passionate and confident.
Even though Ezeli's effectiveness in defending Wang Zelin may not be any better than Valaiqiao's, at least he won't lose to everyone in terms of attitude and momentum.
What's more, sometimes the sudden burst of light from such a small character can even overshadow the stars that have attracted much attention.
Among the many head coaches in the NBA, few are actually like Cole who are willing to give small players like Barbosa and Ezeli enough playing time to train themselves.
To a certain extent, there is actually a reason why the original Warriors were able to achieve brilliant results.