The next day, the media evaluated the game based on the performance of last night's game.
Jordan was the biggest target of media praise for his extraordinary performance, but some media revealed that Jordan never forgot to gamble with his teammates on the plane, which earned him some criticism.
In addition, Wang Tiejun, who efficiently scored on David Robinson in 2010, was also praised by some media.
The local media, in particular, has publicly positioned him as the future core of the Suns.
This is of great significance. The core of the inside line now is the super giant Buckley. This positioning by the media shows that Barkley is not the future of the Suns inside line.
In the evening, two second-round games will begin.
As a result, the Mosaic team led by Dameng lost again to the SuperSonics in an away game with a score of 100:111, losing by 11 points.
Super center Olajuwon reversed the low efficiency in the G1 game and shot 13 of 24 shots with a high efficiency of 54.2%. However, on the contrary, he was extremely lethal in the G1 game and got 11 free throw opportunities.
There were only 3 free throws in this h2 game.
On the contrary, the SuperSonics played a lethal role. The team combined for 36 free throws, while the Spurs only made 17.
Comparing the statistics of the two teams, the shooting percentage was similar at 46.5%. The Mosaic team had 8 more rebounds. However, the Sonics played a strong defense and had 10 steals in the game. The Mosaic team had only 5, but there were more
There were 15 turnovers, while the Sonics had only 9.
To sum up, it was still a defensive problem. The SuperSonics restricted Dameng outside the paint area, only allowed him to shoot jumpers from outside, and forced the Mosaic team to make too many mistakes, and finally won the game.
In addition, the SuperSonics made 9 of 12 three-pointers in this game, with a shooting percentage as high as a terrifying 75%, while the Mosaics made 6 of 15, and their 40% three-point shooting percentage is very high in a normal game.
, but tonight it was too far behind.
In contrast, the Knicks led by Ewing won again, leading the Hornets by a score of 2-0.
The super center performed well. In the G1 game, he shot 50% from the field and scored 33 points. In this G2 game, he even scored 34 points, making 16 of 28 shots. The shooting rate was as high as 57.1%, but the situation was the same as the big dream.
, without any lethality, and only got 3 free throw opportunities.
The Knicks only won this game by 4 points, 101:105, which was quite difficult.
The Hornets' overall shooting percentage is 6 percentage points higher, but they lag behind the Knicks in rebounds, steals, assists, etc., and they also made three more turnovers.
However, rookie Mourning still performed well. After scoring 27 points and 13 rebounds in the second round of G1, he once again scored 24 points, 6 rebounds and 3 blocks in the G2 game. His shooting rate was as high as 58.8%, which was much higher than the 47% in the G1 game.
, but the free throw shooting was a little worse, 4 out of 10 free throws, and the rebounding was not good enough.
On the 13th, game day, the second round G2 game between the Bulls and the Cavaliers and the Suns and the Spurs.
In the afternoon, the team conducted recovery training.
After half an hour of activity, Barkley came to Wang Tiejun with the ball and wanted to teach him how to use his body to defend, saying:
"Old K, you have large tonnage and sufficient strength, but you have not fully utilized these advantages in low-post defense."
He asked: "How to use it?"
Barkley said: "When defending against fast-moving opponents like David Robinson, you have to make full use of your advantages."
He asked again: "I told you, how to use it?"
Barkley yelled: "I'm going to say right away, why are you in a hurry? Okay, for example, when he faces the basket and breaks through with a probing step, this is his signature skill. It's very difficult to guard against. If you can't keep up with his movements, you'll be beaten when he breaks out.
Like a fool."
He said angrily: "Brother, I feel humiliated by you."
Barkley smiled and said: "No, haha, okay, I'm just kidding. Come on, let's try it. I'll teach you how to prevent his breakthrough from the basket, so that you don't have to be like a fool and get jumped by him."
go.
Remember, when he breaks through, you have to use your body to squeeze his center of gravity reasonably, which can slow down his speed.
I'm sure that as long as you learn this trick, you won't look like a fool watching him rush you, and he will be blocked from the paint area by you."
After practicing defense with Barkley, chief trainer Aaron Nelson came to him and said, "Old K, I'll give you a suggestion about free throws."
"Tell me." he asked.
At the end of the regular season, after he improved his shooting level, his free throw percentage reached 63% in April, but it dropped again after entering the playoffs, only a little over 50%. This is indeed too bad, even if
He is very thick-skinned and a little ashamed.
Nelson said: "You can try it out and develop your own free throw habits and rhythm."
"Be specific." He asked quickly.
Nelson continued: "Including how many times you dribble the ball and a certain habitual action before shooting, you need to fix it, so that you can form your own rhythm and habits."
Then he suggested that Lao Wang dribble the ball six times before taking a free throw, no more and no less, and then pause when the ball was put together, exhale, and then hold his breath before throwing the ball.
"Is that possible?"
He said doubtfully.
"Try it. Shooting requires muscle memory, and free throws also require a fixed rhythm." Nelson laughed.
"Okay, just give it a try."
Next, Wang Tiejun began to shoot free throws according to Nelson's method.
At first, it seemed useless, with a hit rate of less than 60%.
But after making more than a hundred free throws, his habits began to develop and his shooting percentage began to improve.
A total of 300 free throws were made, and in the last 100 shots, his shooting percentage reached 65%, which exceeded his April data.
As for the reason for improvement, whether it is due to the formation of one's own rhythm and habits, or psychological effects, this is not important, as long as it can be improved.
"Aaron, that's good, it's very effective." He shouted happily.
"Hope it's useful to you." Aaron Nelson smiled.
After training, the Suns held another tactical meeting and emphasized the importance of defense.
In terms of offensive tactics, Barkley is still the team's first offensive point, but the other three main players also have heavy offensive tasks.
Head coach Paul Westphal finally said: "We have already won a home game. As long as we win this home game again, we will have an advantage. If we win another of the next two away games, we will have an advantage."
With the match point, we can basically say that the Western Conference Finals are within sight, so we must win the G2 game."
At about the same time, the Spurs also held a tactical meeting.
"Old K is very efficient. We cannot let him go and must impose sufficient restrictions on him."
Head coach John Lucas consulted the coaching staff and decided to double-team Wang Tiejun. He said to Robinson: "David, what do you think?"
Robinson's face doesn't look very good. As a super center, he can't defend a rookie alone and needs the team to double-team him. This is a disguised humiliation for him and means that the team does not trust his defense.
At the same time, it also illustrates that the team attributed the loss in the G1 game to his disadvantage to Lao K's defense, which he could not bear.
"If you do that, you have to face the consequences." He stared at Lucas and said.
The newly appointed head coach is a rookie. It is his first time as the head coach of an NBA team. He does not have much status in the Spurs. He does not recognize the other party's coaching ability, so he has little respect.
"You mean?" Lucas asked with a frown.
"Double-teaming that rookie means relaxing control on Barkley and relaxing the pressure on the Suns' perimeter. What do you think will be the consequences?" David Robinson said coldly.
"But if we let Old K go, we won't win," John Lucas said.
"But I don't see it that way." Robinson said expressionlessly.
A dispute broke out between the head coach and the team's signature core, which immediately made the atmosphere tense.
The Spurs players looked at each other, but they knew who they should support. Of course it was David Robinson, not a rookie head coach. You must know that Larry Brown was fired by the boss. Once there was a falling out, it would not be very easy to fire another rookie head coach.
Disaster.
At six o'clock, the team entered the American West Arena.
After Wang Tiejun entered the locker room, he lay down on the massage table and asked the masseur to massage his lower back and leg muscles.
Chief trainer Aaron Nelson came over to take a look, squeezed his calf muscles and lower back muscles, and said:
"Old K, your physical condition is still okay, and your muscles are not very tight. From now on, I will arrange ice baths for you twice a day, which will be more beneficial to your physical recovery."
"Ice bath?"
Lao Wang has a headache, and what he hates most is ice baths and ice compresses.
Growing up, whether it was practicing martial arts or playing basketball, the way to deal with injuries in China was to use hot compresses, but here it was all ice, and even the water you drank had to be mixed with ice.
However, ice baths are said to be very beneficial to the body's recovery. It can quickly lower the body's core temperature and relieve stress.
He also couldn't refuse cardiovascular stress and faster removal of decomposed products from muscles after exercise.
At 7:30, the starting lineups for both teams were announced.
Spurs: David Robinson, Antoine Kyle, Sean Elliott, Darle Ellis, Avery Johnson
Suns: Wang Tiejun, Barkley, Ceballos, Dan Maley, Kevin Johnson and Gu Wan
"The big dog is back, the Spurs have regained their strength, and this game should be more difficult for the Suns." Winston Rollin laughed in the ESPN live broadcast booth.
Carter Oldman said: "If the Spurs want to win, Robinson must play with high efficiency. Old K performed very efficiently on the court. If Robinson only performs inefficiently, then the Spurs have no hope of winning."
Luo Lin said: "Carter, regarding the lineups of both sides, I still think that the Suns have the advantage in the inside. The strength comparison on paper is not comprehensive."
Oldman nodded and said: "The result of the G1 battle shows that you are your opponent, and the combination of Barkley and Old K is more efficient."
Luo Lindao: "Actually, we can look at the recent games of the three super centers. Under the strong playoff defense, they have increasingly lost their lethality, and their shots are increasingly focused on mid-range shots.
.
For example, in the last game between Ewing and Dameng, they both only got three free throw opportunities, which is too few for a super center."
"Yes, I also think they should play more offense at the basket instead of just shooting jump shots from outside. Of course, this is their style. Jump shots make them easier to play and have a wider attack range, but in terms of efficiency
, we should also consider it." Oldman said.
At eight o'clock sharp, the game starts.
Jump ball, Spurs attack.
"Crack!"
Young general Johnson broke through with the ball, and Barkley made a cover. He suddenly pressed and stole Johnson's ball. The Suns immediately launched a defensive counterattack.
"Whoa!"
Dan Marley made a layup and scored one goal.
"Be careful! Concentrate your energy and don't make any more unnecessary mistakes." Spurs coach John Lucas roared.
The Spurs attacked and looked for David Robinson for the first ball.
Wang Tiejun defended very actively, pushing forward and pushing forward. From time to time, he would hit a tough Tieshan hit, pushing Robinson to a position two steps away from the paint area, and continued to apply pressure for a while.
Robinson received the ball, but Wang Tiejun always defended him closely. He was unable to stand and could not turn around to face the basket, so he could only pass the ball back first.
Young player Johnson received the return ball and passed it to Antoine Kyle on the right wing.
The ball was passed too obviously, and Barkley reacted quickly, took a quick step, and with a bang, the second steal of the game occurred.
"Pa bang bang..."
The home fans gave Barkley a warm ovation.
The Spurs quickly returned to defense, but the Suns failed to break quickly and switched to a positional battle.
Barkley takes the ball in the low post on the right wing and attacks.
Wang Tiejun did not enter the basket in the low post on the left wing. His hook shooting rate here is very good, even ten percentage points higher than David Robinson. Therefore, Robinson did not dare to let him go. He was restrained here and did not dare to implement it.
Weak side assists in defense.
At this time, Barkley easily reached the paint area with ease. Not far from the basket, he turned over and hit a jumper.
At 0:4, Barkley sent two steals in a row to help the team lead the Spurs.
"David, go in."
On the sidelines, Spurs coach John Lucas shouted to David Robinson.
In the tactical meeting in the afternoon, David Robinson won in the end, but he lost. In this game, Lao K's defense was still a one-on-one defense.
But he also achieved something. David Robinson will strengthen the offense at the basket, increase lethality and improve offensive efficiency.
In the low post on the left wing, Wang Tiejun pushed Robinson away from the paint area. The latter could only take one step outside to catch the ball. The position was nearly four meters away from the basket, which was a two-point position.
When he gets the ball here, it's impossible to hit him from behind, so he can only use his best probing jump shot while facing the basket.
The opponent took one step forward, and Wang Tiejun immediately retreated half a step.
In this position, even if Robinson is allowed to take a shot, the hit rate will not be too high, so he mainly defends Robinson's breakthroughs, not breakthroughs, but not shots.
He made the right bet. Robinson's mission today is to go in and attack more at the basket.
Robinson took a step forward and broke through the baseline. At this time, he retreated and immediately turned around and followed him. He used his body from above to squeeze the former toward the baseline.
His tonnage is at least 15 kilograms greater than Robinson's, and his strength is also greater. With this squeeze, the latter's center of gravity was immediately destroyed, and he could only force a jump shot.
Under Wang Tiejun's block, Robinson intentionally deviated the angle of his shot outward. His position was already close to the baseline. This time, he shot from a negative angle. After the ball escaped the former's hand, it directly hit the edge of the backboard and rebounded.
Later, Wang Tiejun took the ball.
"Beautiful! Old K made a wonderful defense." Winston Rollin laughed in the ESPN live broadcast booth.
"The Spurs failed to complete their three attacks. There was a problem with the offensive tactics. They should call a timeout and make adjustments in time." Carter Oldman said.
At this time, the Suns advanced to the frontcourt and gave Wang Tiejun the ball.
Robinson still plays defense in a wraparound style.
First use a close-fitting iron mountain to break the opponent's entanglement, then start the bear step and move inward from the top to force the opponent back.
His movement is not fast, and his opponent's retreat is easy.
But at this moment, he suddenly retracted his outstretched right foot, took off from the front, and threw a front-side hook.
His jumping speed is not very fast, but the rhythm of getting up is very fast. The high-frequency vibration of Xiongbu ensures this. As soon as he retracts his right foot, he jumps up in an instant.
Robinson quickly took off to block the shot. Even though the bounce was much faster, he was still a little too slow and the ball slipped past his fingertips.
"brush!"
Seeing the ball go hollow into the net, Comrade Lao Wang smiled, the 95-level hook was still pretty good.
"Mr. Admiral, you almost guarded me just now." He spat trash talk at Robinson.
"..."
David Robinson turned pale with anger.
He immediately started running crazily and rushed towards the frontcourt.
"It's going to be bad!"
When Lao Wang saw it, he quickly chased after him, but fell further and further away.
Fortunately, Barkley reacted quickly, lost his man, followed Robinson, and switched defenses, preventing the Spurs from launching a fast break.
Avery Johnson broke through with the ball very quickly. As he broke through, the Suns immediately shrank their defense. At this time, he reached the paint area, suddenly turned around, blocked Wang Tiejun, and passed the ball to David Robinson.
"Bang!"
After receiving the ball two meters away from the basket, Robinson took a step forward and smashed the Suns' basket with a one-handed dunk.
2:6, Suns attack.
Kevin Johnson missed a jump shot, Robinson protected the backcourt rebound, and the Spurs attacked.
It was Avery Johnson who broke through with the ball, compressed the opponent's defense, and passed the ball to Dale Ellis on the outside. However, the latter failed to hit the ball under the defense of Dan Malley.
Wang Tiejun protected the backcourt rebound and the Suns attacked.
The two sides went back and forth, and in the fifth minute of the game, Robinson took the ball and attacked.
He still insisted on scoring, but this time Wang Tiejun still retreated and caught up with his breakthrough in time, using his body to squeeze his center of gravity, forcing him to force the shot.
"Bang!"
The ball bounced off the basket and was caught by Wang Tiejun.
"Old K's defense was good today. This was Robinson's second goal under his single defense." Carter Oldman said with a smile in the ESPN live broadcast booth.
"David Robinson is obsessed with breaking through with the ball and wants to increase the offense at the basket, which gives Old K a chance. Old K can prevent breakthroughs but not shots, so the defense has an advantage. I think Robinson can make some appropriate jump shots. He must use them
My own offensive diversification will make it more difficult for Old K's defense to choose." Winston Rollin laughed.
The Suns finally had a fast break, and Wang Tiejun passed a long pass and assisted Dan Marley.
At 6:13, less than half a quarter later, the Suns led by 7 points, and the Spurs finally called a timeout.
Wang Tiejun only attacked once and got 2 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist.
David Robinson, who faced him, made 1 of 3 shots and only scored 2 points and 2 rebounds.
