Leading by 4 points at halftime, the Eagles still felt a lot of pressure even though they had the home court advantage.

If we had played against the Timberwolves in the previous two seasons, especially against the Timberwolves last season, and withstood the Timberwolves' offense under Garnett's system in the first half, the Timberwolves would have collapsed in the critical third and fourth quarters.

Garnett is not a particularly good clutch player. He is the kind of player who keeps the team at a lower limit. But this season is different. Sprewell and Cassell are both famous clutch players.

After halftime, Liu Mang returned to the locker room and proposed to Coach Kruger his key offensive direction for the second half.

Liu Mang's personal offense has always had a high degree of freedom. Coach Kruger is similar to most college coaches. He trusts young players and is more willing to take advantage of their advantages. Liu Mang's advantage is that he can do everything and gives Liu Mang various opportunities.

Corresponding tactics are prepared for each offensive style.

Coach Kruger was busy calling the players for the second half to arrange tactics for Liu Mang. Liu Mang found a deserted place to sit down and quietly simulated the characteristics of Joe Johnson's playing style in his mind.

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After the first half, the Eagles only scored 43 points. The Timberwolves' defense did a good job. Liu Mang made only 3 of 5 shots in the first half and only 2 of 8 shots in the second half. The Timberwolves' outside pressure and the coordination under the basket

The defense was very well done.

Fortunately, when Liu Mang was guarded for a few minutes, coach Kruger replaced him in time, allowing Stockton to play for eight or nine minutes and score 3 points and 4 assists, helping the Eagles stabilize the situation.

However, although the Timberwolves played well overall in the first half, there was a five-minute scoring drought, which caused the Eagles to widen the point difference in one fell swoop, and then grinded away the Timberwolves until they only scored 39 points at halftime.

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Liu Mang reviewed the details of the first half of the game in his mind, especially the details of the game when Stockton led the team while sitting on the sidelines. The bystanders knew clearly.

Soon, the ten-minute locker room break ended, and Liu Mang followed his teammates on the field.

Back on the court, the shooting challenge in the midfield was over, the staff were removing props, the ball boys were mopping the floor, and the rosters of the two teams for the third quarter were displayed on the big screen.

The Eagles sent a combination of Liu Mang, Jason Terry, Prince, Boozer, and Kwame Brown.

Coach Sanders can only describe this lineup as jealous. The core combinations are one after another. The Timberwolves' three-headed monster played the entire first half, and they had to continue in the third quarter, sending out Cassell, Si

Prewell, Gary Trent, Mark Madsen, Garnett's lineup.

Mark Madsen performed well in the first half, scoring 3 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steals, mainly due to his enthusiasm on the defensive end. Playing with Garnett, his enthusiasm was completely mobilized.

Although Garnett deserves to be criticized in many aspects, if his teammates are mentally strong enough, they can often perform beyond their own level next to him. The characteristics of Wolf Roar are comparable to Kidd's genius and Duncan's natural talent.

The king is just that he does not have a very critical scoring ability, and there is nothing he can do at the critical moment. The comprehensive offensive evaluation of 92 is a collection of all his offensive performance evaluations, including supporting passes and pick-and-roll receptions.

Gary Trent also performed very well when he came on as a substitute in the first half. Although he is now 30 years old, he has collapsed, but 5 years ago, he asked rookie Nowitzki to come on the bench for him. That year

At his peak, he averaged 16 points and 8 rebounds per game, which was very strong. To a certain extent, it "hindered" Nowitzki's development. At that time, Nowitzki was playing shooting guard and small forward.

But Gary Trent is like most ordinary stars. After passing his physical peak between the ages of 25 and 28, his condition declines at the same speed as a jumping machine, and the decline can be as severe as it is.

Although Garnett is worthy of criticism in all aspects, one characteristic is that if you have a good relationship with him, you will be very good. For example, Joe Smith and Gary Trent, the No. 1 picks in the same class as him, have a bad relationship with him.

, they have not interacted with each other since old age.

This lineup is the best lineup of the Timberwolves except for Olowokandi when he is in good condition. It is also very cohesive and they are all very competitive players. Therefore, driven by Garnett's weird personality, he plays very well.

outstanding.

This lineup did put a lot of pressure on the Eagles, but when the Eagles took the field, the effect of the Devils' home court continued. The fans at the scene gave the highest cheers to the players of their own team, and the pressure on the Eagles players became

Endless motivation.

Even if it is not for the possible psychological advantage in the finals, even if it is not for Liu Mang's MVP battle, for the sake of the fans, the Eagles players' belief in winning has become more urgent.

This is the biggest role of the Devil’s home court!

In the last two minutes of preparation time, Liu Mang said to the system while practicing shooting: "System boss, use the Joe Johnson peak star card!"

"Ding... Joe Johnson 06-07 version, ability evaluation 89, offense 92, defense 80, 79 three-pointers, 97 mid-range shots, 82 layups, 88 speed, 83 strength... half-time game, 100% fit

Eighty of them, bonus matching is in progress.”

"Ding... After using the Joe Johnson 06-07 version of the star card, the host's ability evaluation is: ability evaluation 90, the bonus attribute is mid-range shooting, close low singles, and the mid-range shooting ability is increased to 93. Temporarily obtained characteristics:

The king of mid-range frames.”

"Characteristics: King of Mid-range Face Frame Level 5: When facing the rim in mid-range singles, if you have a height advantage and no one double-teams you, there is a 50% chance of ignoring interference."

93 mid-range shot!

Garnett's mid-range shot is only 92!

And he is worthy of being the strongest mid-range shooter after Jordan! Even though it was just one season and his bounce declined after being injured, he no longer had this strength. But that year, Joe Johnson, who shot 49% from mid-range,

He is worthy of being called the man of modern Jordan!

Liu Mang's tiger body trembled and he was about to explode the Iron-Blooded Wolf!

The final preparation time was over and the game was about to start. Liu Mang suddenly thought of something and called Kwame Brown and said a few words.

Seeing that Kwame Brown was a little weak, Liu Mang really wanted to kick this champion to death: "Don't be as soft as a wet tissue, fuck him!"

"I'm not soft! Fuck him!" Kwame Brown hates to hear others call him soft now. He wants to be a tough man!

At the end of the intermission, the third quarter began, with the Eagles taking the lead in the third quarter.

Liu Mang received Jason Terry's serve, advanced to the frontcourt, and then handed the ball to Jason Terry.

The Timberwolves were not surprised when the Eagles changed players to hold the ball. Most of the time in the third quarter, the Eagles had Jason Terry, the sixth man, leading the offense.

The Timberwolves continued to use the height advantage of Sprewell to defend Liu Mang, Cassel to defend Jason Terry, Trent to defend Prince's open shot, and Mark Madsen and Kwame Brown were both alive in the basket.

Yes, Mark Madsen is very good on defense. Garnett is said to be a center, but he still plays his best power forward position. While he is criticized by others, he is also praised by more people because he is obviously a

He is a superstar, but he is willing to do the most tiring work like blue-collar workers.

After Liu Mang handed the ball over, he first went to the left corner and watched Jason Terry play Cassell in the top arc. He also saw Sprewell looking in the direction of the ball from time to time.

The moment Prewell turned his head, he suddenly accelerated and rushed towards the basket along the baseline. Sprewell was caught off guard by Liu Mang's air cut. Liu Mang got rid of Sprewell and rushed to the vicinity of the three-second zone.

The Timberwolves' defense change was really fast. As soon as Liu Mang got rid of Sprewell, Garnett came over to defend. Jason Terry passed the ball to Boozer, and Sprewell blocked Boozer immediately.

in front of me.

Liu Mang continued to run with Garnett, running towards where Boozer was. Boozer stuck his butt out and pushed against Sprewell to prevent Sprewell from stealing the ball. At the moment when he and Liu Mang crossed paths, they passed hand to hand.

Give it to Liu Mang, and then turn around to block Garnett.

Boozer's pick-and-roll was no worse than Garnett's pick-and-roll. While passing the ball, he also predicted Garnett's course of action and occupied the perfect blocking position. Liu Mang blocked Garnett with Boozer.

In a special moment, the pick-and-roll master level 5 was triggered, and his speed skyrocketed. He suddenly jumped from the left side of the basket to the middle distance on the right side of the basket. When Liu Mang and Boozer were picking and rolling, Jason Terry suddenly accelerated.

On an air cut, Cassell chased Jason Terry and passed by Liu Mang. Sprewell could not catch up with Liu Mang. Garnett was blocked again, and Sprewell could only block it.

Jason Terry and Cassel switched defense to Liu Mang. Liu Mang singled out Cassel from the middle distance on the right side!

Strategy accomplished!

Boozer went to the 45-degree angle on the left to open up space from a distance, Jason Terry went to the left corner to open up space, Prince defended the right corner, Kwame Brown occupied the basket, and the Eagles tried their best to

Open up the space and let Liu Mang play in singles!

Cassel clung closely to Liu Mang. He was not at a disadvantage in terms of speed and was not afraid of Liu Mang retreating. Liu Mang held up his left arm and squeezed Cassel with his iron elbow. He constantly adjusted the rhythm and felt that the rhythm was right.

, suddenly exerted force to push Cassel into a small space, and took a mid-range shot!

"Ding... The mid-range face-up king is triggered at level 5. This shot ignores shooting interference."

Cassell tried his best to interfere with Liu Mang's shooting with his hands, but he was helpless because of his height and wingspan. Liu Mang's mid-range shot was very stable and hit!

The reason why the Timberwolves don't use the faster Cassel to defend Liu Mang is because his height and wingspan are limited. Cassel's height of 1.91 meters and wingspan of 2.03 meters is already very defensive among point guards.

He has an advantage. He is tall and has a long wingspan, but Liu Mang is not to mention 1.93 meters tall. His wingspan is an extremely exaggerated 2.08 meters. In addition, he has an advantage in jumping. If he wants to force the shot, Cassel can only do it.

The effect of interfering with the line of sight. Whether Liu Mang can make a forced shot mainly depends on his personal shooting ability. Liu Mang's pull-up three-pointer is the famous point guard version of Tracy McGrady. The Timberwolves only dare to use Sprewell to defend.

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It is true that when Liu Mang was playing Sprewell in singles from the outside, if Sprewell was determined to only defend three-pointers, Liu Mang would have no chance. When he got to the basket, Garnett's defense was everywhere and terrifying, so the first

The Eagles' tactics in the third quarter were to create opportunities for Liu Mang to beat Cassell in mid-range singles!

However, Cassel can switch to defend Liu Mang in the mid-range, because although Liu Mang has a first-class level in the mid-range, his shooting rate is only about 35%, so Cassel actively switches to defend, but the stuck

Serge didn't expect Liu Mang to make such a decisive mid-range shot, and he even scored!

After scoring the goal, Liu Mang shouted at Garnett while returning to defense: "The mid-range shot is quite easy. I learned from you, it's so easy!"

Garnett feels that Liu Mang is his nemesis! In the first half, he made 5 of 9 mid-range shots and scored 11 points. He only had two free throws and no points at the basket. Garnett's ability to score at the basket is not to say that he is not good, but

It was really tough when he met Ratliff and Rasheed Wallace, and his lethality was insufficient. He only caused one foul under the basket in the half, which was completely ineffective. He is at his peak this year, averaging only 5.7 free throws per game.

This is probably the performance of Duncan in his rookie year at the same level, and it is also the point where he is ridiculed the most. That is why the Eagles were able to limit the Timberwolves to only 39 points at halftime. Ratliff was competing with Kwame Brown and Rasheed.

-When the three Wallaces rotated to play center, the defensive advantage at the basket was too great.

After sweeping away the Timberwolves' offense, the Timberwolves turned to Cassel, who performed better in the second half, to lead the offense. Garnett led the offense in regular time, and the key third quarter was left to Cassel.

Cassel and Garnett's pick-and-roll is indeed powerful. Cassel used the pick-and-roll to defend Garnett's Kwame Brown and Prince. Both Kwame Brown and Prince were taken away by Cassel. Cassel's breakthrough in the pick-and-roll attracted two people.

After defending, he passed the ball to Garnett, and Garnett hit a big jumper.

When it came to the Eagles' offense again, it was still the same tactic, similar to the triangle offense, which helped Liu Mang create a perfect one-on-one opportunity in the mid-range.

The Timberwolves' defense did not change because of this. Liu Mang's mid-range shot was his weakest offensive method. They were willing to let Liu Mang play singles in the mid-range without any flanking attacks. This was the key point for the Eagles to seize!
To be continued...