In an interview, Popovich once said that he hated three-pointers, but he also had to let the team try to take more three-pointers.
"I hate three-pointers. I always have. I've hated three-pointers for 20 years. That's why I often joke that we should add 4-pointers, because if everyone likes three-pointers, they will also like 4-pointers.
Point ball, if there was a 5-point ball people would jump out of their seats, but then basketball would cease to exist because it would no longer have the aesthetics and the game would become very boring, but that's the reality, you
Corresponding work must be carried out.”
In the face of the general trend, Popovich also had to make compromises.
After introducing several reliable shooters, the Spurs' offensive firepower is quite strong.
Coupled with the tacit understanding of the GDP combination and the defense that the Spurs have always emphasized, the Spurs' strength is quite terrifying.
In this game, the two teams fought until the end before the winner was decided.
Under the targeted defense of the Spurs, the Splash Brothers' off-ball tactics lost their effect. Yao Ming's low-post singles against Duncan were not very effective. Curry had to take over the ball and either pick-and-roll with Yao Ming or one-on-one.
It’s rare for Curry to show 100% effort like this game!
Even so, the Spurs can tie with the Warriors with their strong outside firepower.
There is no way, the Splash Brothers have only cooperated for a few games in total, and they still cannot reach a complete tacit understanding.
After Yao Ming lost weight, it became a little difficult to play singles in the paint, especially when facing a defensive master like Duncan.
As he gets older, Duncan plays less and less roles on the offensive end, but on the defensive end, he is still the most reliable barrier for the Spurs inside.
At least compared to Griffin, Duncan is still much better.
The starting lineup was indistinguishable, and the substitutes were equally indifferent.
The Warriors' bench strength is the best in the league, but the Spurs' bench has always been very strong.
If it were just a comparison of personal strength, the Warriors would definitely have the upper hand.
But the Spurs have a monster like Popovich, and he trains the substitutes very well.
Many times the Spurs win games by relying on the performance of their substitutes.
The Warriors bench is feeling the pressure for the first time this season.
At halftime, the two teams were tied.
In the third quarter of the game, the Splash Brothers finally found their sense and scored four three-pointers in two minutes, immediately stopping the game.
After the timeout, the Spurs stabilized their position, and it was difficult for Curry and Clay to find open shots.
The Spurs are indeed very disciplined on the defensive end.
If you say restrict the Splash Brothers, then restrict the Splash Brothers. You can let go of other things, but Curry and Clay can't take action!
It's easy to say, there are not many teams that can do this!
But there is a price to pay for this. The Splash Brothers were restricted, and the rest of the Warriors also got a lot of open shots.
Fortunately, with their strong offensive firepower, the Spurs did not let the point difference continue to widen.
In the end, at the end of the third quarter, the Warriors led by 8 points in a single quarter.
However, in the fourth quarter, the Spurs came off the bench, felt hot from the outside, and overtook the score with several consecutive three-pointers.
The Warriors called a timeout. After the timeout, Deng Fang replaced the starting player.
As soon as the Splash Brothers and Yao Ming came on the court, the situation immediately reversed, and the Warriors overtook the score.
This time it was the Spurs' turn to call timeout.
After the timeout, the two teams started a tug-of-war, with the scores rising alternately.
The game quickly entered the countdown period. After some cooperation, Ginobili scored a three-pointer to overtake the score. The Warriors fell behind by 2 points.
There are 48 seconds left in the game!
This is the first time the Warriors have been tested this season.
The five players on the Spurs court are Parker, Danny Green, Ginobili, Leonard and Duncan. This is the Spurs' strongest lineup.
The five players on the Warriors' field are Curry, Klay, Prince, Tucker, and Yao Ming. This is also the Warriors' strongest lineup.
Curry dribbled the ball to the frontcourt, and Danny Green followed Curry closely, not daring to relax for a moment.
It is still difficult to use the Splash Brothers' off-the-ball tactics at critical moments, because at this time the opponent's defense is very strong and the referee's calls are relatively loose, so it is difficult to get out of the open space.
The best way is Yao Ku's pick-and-roll!
Yes, the pick-and-roll makes opponents cry!
After his teammates got into position, Yao Ming came up to block Danny Green.
Curry immediately dribbled to the side, and Duncan quickly stepped forward to cover Curry.
I would rather let Curry break through than give Curry a chance to make a three-pointer!
This is Popovich’s death order!
Curry didn't force himself. When he saw Yao Ming passing down the ball, he immediately threw the ball into the penalty area.
Yao Ming received the basketball near the free throw line and immediately rushed to the penalty area.
Leonard stood in front of the penalty area one step ahead.
If it were Yao Ming before he lost weight, he would probably have been able to pass the ball or hit him.
But now Yao Ming has lost dozens of pounds, is much faster, and is more flexible.
Yao Ming changed direction to avoid Leonard, collected the ball and dunked, all in one go!
With Yao Ming's height, as long as he reaches the basket, it doesn't matter whether there is anyone in front of him or not.
At the same time, Leonard also fell to the ground.
The referee's whistle sounded: Leonard blocked the foul!
There was no way, Yao Ming and Leonard collided physically, but the two were not in a head-on collision!
Just being a little faster will make a big difference!
Logically speaking, with Yao Ming's height and weight, it would be very difficult to make such a change.
This is also the reason why Leonard wanted to commit an offensive foul against Yao Ming.
Popovich roared on the sidelines as usual, constantly criticizing the referee, saying that the referee made a mistake and the ball should have been an offensive foul.
The referee ignored it.
Just do whatever you want, everyone still knows Popovich’s acting skills.
It’s all part of your job!
Yao Ming stood on the free throw line and made the free throw steadily.
The Warriors go ahead by one point!
There are 31 seconds left in the game.
In the Spurs' offensive round, Parker and Duncan picked and rolled, and the Warriors chose to help defend. Duncan, who was following the ball, did not act recklessly and passed the ball directly to Danny Green after receiving the ball.
Danny Green didn't show any mercy and hit a three-pointer with his open hand!
The Spurs overtook the score again!
The offensive routines of the two teams are similar. Although Parker does not have an emergency three-pointer, his breakthrough ability is very strong and he cooperates well with Duncan. It is impossible to prevent the cooperation of the two without assisting in defense.
There are 9 seconds left in the game and the Warriors are 2 points behind!
Deng Fang did not call a timeout, but let the players resolve the battle on their own.
Popovich is very knowledgeable about defense, and calling a timeout is not necessarily a good thing.
The last moment of the game was about the strength of the superstars, and Deng Fang was very confident in this aspect.
Curry did not hesitate and dribbled the ball quickly to the frontcourt. Yao Ming immediately came up to pick and roll with Curry.
Danny Green glanced at Yao Ming coming up and immediately wanted to go around from the other side.
Curry didn't hesitate, raised his hand and shot!
Danny Green jumped up suddenly!
Although he glanced at Yao Ming, Danny Green kept his eyes on Curry.
Never give Curry a chance to shoot a three-pointer, especially at this time!
This is a dead order!
Danny Green is still very obedient.
But Curry was already prepared. This was just a fake move, just an ordinary prayer to Buddha!
It’s okay for ordinary people to worship Buddha, but Curry’s worship is different!
Curry really dares to shoot, and he can really score if he shoots!
The defender has to jump!
Seeing Danny Green jump up, Curry immediately dribbled the ball and took a step to the side, raising his hand to shoot again.
Ginobili immediately swooped over!
Don't let the opponent's star take action at critical moments. This is the defensive principle that Popovich has emphasized many times!
For the Warriors, they just can’t let Curry take the shot!
Especially not letting Curry throw a three-pointer!
So Curry attracts most of the Spurs' attention.
Ginobili rushed over, and Klay he was defending was empty!
Curry was waiting for this moment, and he immediately passed the ball to the open Klay!
Klay had a good touch before, and the Spurs defended him very well. However, the Spurs' first principle is not to let Curry shoot at critical moments.
Klay is a rookie after all, and his three-pointers are very accurate, but whether he can hit the ball at critical moments remains to be confirmed.
So Ginobili's first choice is to defend Curry.
There was no one in front of Klay when he caught the basketball, but Leonard, who was not far next to him, immediately pounced on him.
Leonard is two steps away from Clay, whether it's far or close.
The Spurs' defense worked very well, and Leonard pounced on Clay the moment he received the ball.
Leonard has great physical fitness, and his giant hands cover a large area. It is for this reason that Ginobili dared to give up his defender to defend Curry.
If there was a different player, the ball would have been passed.
A person is waving his giant hands and rushing towards you. Even if you can take action, you will be disturbed. If you take action slower, you may be missed. In this case, few people dare to take action.
Clay is the one who dares to take action!
Why?
Because Klay is quite confident in his shooting!
I just can shoot!
I just can get in!
It’s useless for anyone to come!
No matter if he is a rookie!
No matter who it is that pounces on him!
Clay was very decisive and prepared before catching the ball. He raised his hand and threw the ball without hesitation.
As soon as the basketball was released, Leonard rushed over!
Leonard didn't expect Clay to be so decisive. He used too much force in a hurry and threw himself directly on Clay!
The basketball drew a beautiful arc in the air and hit the net!
At the same time, the light on the timer also turned on, and the referee's whistle also sounded.
The goal is valid, three points, plus a free throw!
Leonard, who fell to the ground, stared blankly at the red light, with confusion on his face!
How is this going?
Why did I make a stupid mistake!
Let Klay hit a three plus one?
The Warriors were trailing by two points, but Klay hit a three-pointer to take the lead by one point.
Because time has expired, the Spurs have no chance to make a comeback!
What's more, Clay has to pay an additional penalty!
Of course, since there are penalties, it means the game is not over yet.
The referee went to the technical table to watch the replays repeatedly and finally confirmed that there was 0.1 seconds left in the game!
It is impossible to complete an attack at this time!
Not even an alley-oop dunk!
Clay came to the free throw line and threw the ball to the basket with great force. The basketball bounced high!
The moment the basketball hits the rim, the red light on the timer lights up, and the game is over!
The Warriors narrowly won by one point!
Seven consecutive victories achieved!
This is the most thrilling game the Warriors have won since the start of the season!
Winning this game also made the Warriors' first place in the Western Conference more secure.
In addition, with this buzzer-beater, Klay's shooting ability has also been recognized, and his position in the team has become more and more important.
Not only must we guard against Curry at the critical moment, Klay must not be released either!
Splash Brothers’ three points are equally terrifying!
…
The narrow victory over the Spurs was like opening up the heart of Ren and Du, and the Warriors have become more unstoppable since then!
Klay slowly adapted to the rhythm of the NBA, and Yao Ming also took to the Warriors like a duck to water. Coupled with a strong bench lineup, the Warriors once again started a violent mode!
A 43-point victory over the Clippers, Klay made 7 three-pointers and Curry made 5 three-pointers!
In a 35-point victory over the Grizzlies, Yao Ming felt hot and threw in 5 three-pointers. He also wreaked havoc in the penalty area and scored 33 points!
A 55-point victory over the Jazz. Under the control of Clay and Yao Ming, Curry got enough space and showed off his power, throwing in 11 three-pointers and scoring 47 points in a single game!
A "small victory" over the Pistons with 32 points. The starter only played one quarter and then rested. The bench showed off his strength. Lowry scored 31 points in a single game!
In the blink of an eye, the Warriors won 11 consecutive victories!
Started with 11 consecutive victories, ranking first in the league!
The second-ranked team in the Western Conference is the Spurs. They have only lost two games, one of which was to the Warriors.
The Thunder also performed well, losing 3 games in 12 games and ranking third in the Western Conference.
The best performer in the Eastern Conference is the Bulls. They played 12 games and only lost one.
Rose's performance is still outstanding, and the Bulls' defense is as good as last season.
Followed by the Heat, they played 12 games and lost 4 games, ranking second in the Eastern Conference.
With the Bulls' performance, it seems that it will be difficult for the Heat to get first place in the Eastern Conference.
…
On January 15, 2012, the Warriors visited Cleveland to challenge the Cavaliers.
The Cavaliers are very lucky this summer. They have the No. 1 pick in the draft.
For a rebuilding team, draft picks are the greatest asset.
In the end, the Cavaliers chose Kyrie Irving, a very talented guard.
Irving is 1.91 meters tall and has extremely high offensive talent. His ability to control movement is excellent and his shooting is also quite good.
Although Irving is very good, he faces a lot of trouble after James left. Coupled with Irving's own problems, the Cavaliers' record this season is still very bad.
Irving is a general, not a handsome man. He is suitable for charging and scoring, but not suitable for leading his teammates forward.
So far, the Cavaliers have played 11 games and have only won 2 games in total, ranking third from the bottom in the Eastern Conference.
The Warriors will not show mercy to such a team.
The exception is knights.
As long as he meets a knight, Deng Fang will show mercy!
The premise is that there is no James.
Deng Fang took turns resting Curry, Yao Ming, Lopez, and Lowry, allowing a group of substitutes to fight on the court.
Deng Fang also made special arrangements for defense, one-on-one defense without any assisting defense.
Give you a chance to see if you are useful or not!