During this timeout, Jiang Hao was taken off the court to rest, and Popovich had to do this. Although from the situation point of view, the Spurs were in a slightly lagging position, this was not the time to withdraw their main force.
However, he had no choice. He had also seen the situation Jiang Hao faced in the previous game. To be honest, he was worried about Jiang Hao.
Although Jiang Hao withstood this pressure, Popovich was also sure that Jiang Hao must rest now, otherwise a complete collapse will be waiting for him next.
When Jiang Hao was replaced and rested, Lillard also sat on the bench for the Trail Blazers.
His eyes narrowed at Jiang Hao, and Lillard's eyes revealed perseverance, because he felt that he had to be tougher. A rookie could withstand such a lot of pressure. As the leader of the Trail Blazers, he should even do better.
Lillard is such a person, he likes to compete with tough opponents, and he also likes to compete with himself. He always feels that he will improve in this way.
The Blazers' starting lineup with two guns is not worse than the Spurs' starting lineup, but their substitute lineup is almost incomparable to the Spurs. It is not at the same level at all. As many people have said, the only thing that can be done this season is
Compared with the Spurs, only the defending champions and Celtics have substitute lineups. As for other teams, their substitute lineups are far behind.
From this perspective, it makes sense for many people to expect the Spurs to defeat the Trail Blazers and meet the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals.
When the time comes, the duel between these two teams will be as turbulent as Mars hitting the earth.
Led by Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker, the Spurs' bench helped the team create an 8:2 offensive spurt in the remainder of the first quarter.
And with this wave of offensive climax, the Spurs also successfully took the lead in the score.
28:22!
It's strange to come with a 6-point lead. The Spurs' bench is really a magical place. Take Tony Parker for example. In recent seasons, Parker's condition has declined obviously, and he has become the weakest starting lineup of the Spurs.
And his statistics don't lie. His game statistics are often the worst among the starting point guards of the other 29 teams in the league.
Under such circumstances, it was natural for him to take the initiative to come to the bench.
But many people did not expect that Parker, who became a substitute player, played better and better, played more and more efficiently, and played better than he did in the starting position.
For example, in the 2 minutes he just came off the bench, he scored 5 points with sudden shots. The Spurs were able to create a wave of offensive climax, and his role was obvious.
In this case, Popovich breathed a sigh of relief. Over the years, he has become accustomed to relying on the gd combination to lead the team to victory.
Although Parker and Ginobili are now substitutes, as long as they are in good condition, he will have peace of mind.
"We can't say there is anything wrong with the tactics adopted by Trail Blazers head coach Stotts against Jiang Hao, but it is obvious that Jiang Hao's reaction went beyond everyone's expectations. He proved to everyone that Chinese players do not arrive with one hit.
soft egg”
In the Tencent Sports Studio on the other side of the ocean, Yang Yi said eloquently. As a professional basketball commentator, he could certainly see that the Trail Blazers were targeting Jiang Hao from the beginning of the game. At that time, to be honest, he also felt from the bottom of his heart.
I was worried about Jiang Hao, but Jiang Hao was good and he withstood the pressure.
This made Yang Yi completely impressed by Jiang Hao, so at this time, he directly spoke in support of Jiang Hao.
The domestic fans who are paying attention to this game at the moment are all similar to Jiang Hao. If Yao Ming has shown the NBA the humility of Chinese players, then Jiang Hao has undoubtedly made everyone see the toughness of Chinese players.
Such a Chinese player instantly left a deep impression on everyone, that no one should take advantage of him.
"Jiang Hao's toughness is what many NBA teams need. If possible, I think Jiang Hao can consider the Celtics. As we all know, they are an iron-blooded army."
Some Chinese fans gave this advice.
"Forget it about the Celtics. Jiang Hao can definitely stay with the Spurs. Of course, he can also go to the Rockets. After all, judging from the first round of the playoffs, the Rockets lack a strong playing temperament."
Some fans expressed opposition. On the contrary, he suggested that Jiang Hao go to the Rockets.
Obviously, this fan's suggestion was recognized by many people. If Jiang Hao joins the Rockets, he can play the small forward position. With him, James Harden can focus on offense wholeheartedly.
In short, everyone is talking about the situation. On the Chinese Internet, everyone no longer pays much attention to the outcome of this game, but they are all talking about Jiang Hao's stay during the offseason.
In fact, what the fans did not expect was that whether it was the Celtics, the Houston Rockets, or the San Antonio Spurs, they had all contacted Rich Paul privately before this, and they were all interested in Jiang Hao.
One of the interested teams.
…………
At the beginning of the second quarter, Jiang Hao returned to the court after a short rest, and Lillard from the Trail Blazers also returned to the starting lineup.
At first, Jiang Hao and Lillard stayed at both ends of the offense and defense to form a formal confrontation.
The one holding the ball is Jiang Hao, and the one defending is Stotts.
Trail Blazers head coach Stotts took Lillard's suggestion and stopped sending heavy troops to Hao.
In turn, Lillard took the initiative to defend Jiang Hao. Lillard's defensive ability is not very good, but his defensive attitude is very correct, at least better than James Harden.
Therefore, when facing Lillard's defense, Jiang Hao was very cautious. He knew that Lillard was short and flexible, so after holding the ball and advancing to the frontcourt, he directly lowered his body center of gravity to dribble, and
The frequency of dribbling is very balanced, giving Lillard no chance to step forward and get the ball.
On the defensive end, Lillard was not discouraged. If Jiang Hao was really as immature as imagined, he would not be able to lead the Spurs to the semifinals.
For the fans, they are more interested in knowing what Jiang Hao will do with the ball next, whether it will be a pass or a shot?
It seems that this is not a difficult choice for the Spurs No. 35, because on the other side, Leonard has already extended his hand, indicating to Jiang Hao that he can share the pressure.
At this time, in the eyes of many people, Jiang Hao will definitely pass the ball to Leonard. After all, the latter is already asking for the ball...
Chapter completed!