On the morning of the 13th, Wang Tiejun woke up. It was already past ten in the morning.
Those extreme Jazz fans didn't bother them anymore last night, allowing them to have a good sleep.
"Comfortable!"
I slept until I woke up naturally. After I got up, I opened the curtains behind me and stretched myself in front of the rising sun. I felt infinite energy.
He slept in a single room, which was specially arranged by the Suns management during the playoffs, fearing that one more person in the room would affect his rest.
While he was stretching his muscles, there was a knock on the door. He went over to open it and saw that it was cousin Changfeng who had brought him breakfast.
After breakfast, with nowhere to go, Lao Wang took Liu Changfeng to find the hotel gym, where he planned to spend the rest of the morning.
"Robert? Just in time, let's go to the gym together."
Just as he was entering the elevator, he met Robert Horry and was about to come out, so he pushed him in again.
"All right."
Horry, who originally wanted to go have a drink with two teammates, said helplessly.
"Robert, are you having a hard time with the Suns?" he asked casually after walking into the elevator.
Horry shrugged his shoulders and said with a wry smile: "Old K, I will practice more during the offseason."
Lao Wang rolled his eyes. I hear you say this every year. Your shooting percentage has not improved. This season has dropped another percentage point from last season. Who the hell still believes you?
He thought for a while and said: "You also know that Glider will leave next season. We can't keep him. You can think about it yourself."
Robert Horry is also very troubled. He started high and went low. He became a starter for the Mosaic team in his rookie season, but he did not expect that he could only play as a substitute for the Suns.
"By the way, how many years do you have left on your rookie contract?" Lao Wang asked.
"Two years," Horry said.
"You signed for five years?" Lao Wang said.
"Yes, 41, the last year is a team option," Horry said.
Lao Wang nodded and finally warned: "The main position only depends on your performance, you can make up your own mind."
Horry nodded, feeling very stressed.
Starting from next season, after Old K renews his contract, people like Danny Ainge and Glider will leave, and others will retire. The team will officially enter the reconstruction phase. There will be rookies coming in. Will he still have a chance to compete for the main position?
I'm afraid that if his performance doesn't satisfy the team, they won't give him another chance. Most young people are waiting for opportunities, and the team will choose to train newcomers with more potential.
That night, the Bulls defeated the Pacers and got the second round match point with a big score of 3 to 1.
At the same time, the Magic defeated the Knicks and got the second-round match point with a big score of 3 to 1.
After watching the game, the entire Suns team gathered and quietly moved to another hotel, which was arranged by Colangelo to avoid being disturbed by some Jazz fans.
He really did the right thing. In order to prevent the team from being swept, some extreme Jazz fans started harassment again.
On the 14th, the second round of the Western Conference G4 game day.
At 8 o'clock, the Suns play against the Jazz away from home.
Suns: Wang Tiejun, AC Green, Drexler, Dan Marley, Kevin Johnson
Jazz: Karl Malone, Tom Chambers, David Benoit, Jeff Hornacek, John Stockton
"Shh!"
When the Suns started the game, there were loud boos from the Delta Center.
"Sweep! Sweep! Sweep..."
But among the boos, there were the shouts of more than a thousand Suns fans. They were scattered throughout the stadium and were not large-scale. Although they were suppressed and could not stand out, they kept shouting and persisted until they were hoarse.
As far away as Phoenix, Arizona, countless people were also shouting.
After the jump ball, the Suns attack.
From the low post on the left wing, Wang Tiejun began to position himself and get the ball.
On the sideline of the paint area, the postman began to defend, his right arm deliberately clamped Lao Wang's left arm, entangled them together, pressed his chest against it, and interfered with the opponent's ball with his left hand.
From the beginning, he took the strongest possible approach.
After three games, he has the strongest physique in the league. He also suffered a lot in the fierce confrontation with Wang Tiejun. His chest and back were covered with layers of bruises and bruises from elbow injuries.
But in the G4 battle, he still took the initiative to fight hard, just because he didn't want to be swept.
"The Jazz all retreated on defense." Zhang Liyi shouted.
"Old K, be careful." Su Qun also shouted.
John Stockton's defense was tight and Kevin Johnson lobbed the ball down.
At this time, before the ball was actually released, David Bennot, who was inside the three-point line on the left wing, and Tom Chambers, who was pulled out by AC Green on the right wing, had already begun to pounce on Wang Tiejun. Before the ball could reach his hands,
By the time, Benoit had already completed the double-team, and Chambers was behind the postman and was about to complete the three-man double-team.
"Illegal defense, this is a violation!" Zhang Lili shouted immediately.
But there was no whistle on the field and the game continued.
"Crack!"
Under the full force of the postman, Wang Tiejun was unable to jump to catch the ball in time. Benoit jumped in front of him and intercepted the ball.
"yeah!"
Jazz fans immediately cheered.
"What the hell!"
Lao Wang was so angry that he cursed, are you allowed to double-team people without the ball now? Why didn’t I know?
"Illegal defense! Didn't you all see it? This is illegal defense, illegal defense..."
On the sidelines, Westphal was furious and roared at the court. Several referees ignored him, and he roared at the official technical stage again.
At this time, the Jazz counterattacked and Jeff Hornacek hit a two-pointer.
"Mr. Coach, if you don't calm down, I don't mind asking you to leave the field." At this time, the referee ran over and said to Westphal with a cold face.
"Okay, you can end the game now and declare the Jazz the winner," Westphal said angrily.
"snort!"
The referee snorted coldly.
"Okay, Paul, calm down." Assistant coach Lewis came over and persuaded Westphal to leave.
Westphal also made the appropriate gesture to prevent the referee from being too biased towards the opponent. This rule of double-teaming people without the ball is actually very practical, including the Suns themselves who did this to Jordan.
Generally, it is a side kick based on the rules. For example, a strong-side double-team player stands an arm away from the person being double-teamed. This is in compliance with the rules that do not allow double-teaming of a person without the ball, but the effect is the same as double-teaming a person without the ball.
It hasn't arrived yet, the double team has been completed, whether it is called or not depends on the referee.
Bennot's double team just now was better than the off-ball double team that was just a side kick. At least his initial position was at least two meters away from Wang Tiejun.
The game continues and the Suns attack.
Wang Tiejun still positioned himself low on the left wing, with the postman defending.
Above, David Benoit placed Drexler two meters away from the low post on the left wing just like before.
Although Tom Chambers on the right wing was pulled out, Green did not have a three-pointer and was placed more than two meters away. He stood just outside the paint area and could return to the basket and assist on the weak side at any time.
At the top of the arc, John Stockton kept harassing Kevin Johnson's dribbling with his left hand and raised his right hand high, trying to block the passing line between the top of the arc and the low left wing.
It was because of his blockade that he forced Kevin Johnson to drop the ball, which allowed David Benoit to complete the off-ball double team in time.
However, this time Kevin Johnson did not pass the ball directly to the low post. Instead, he gave the ball to Drexler and ran to the right wing.
At this time, Tom Chambers on the weak side reacted quickly and immediately started running towards the paint area.
The glider caught the ball, forcing David Benoit to immediately return to defense, and lost the opportunity to double-team Wang Tiejun.
And just when he was returning to defense, Drexler passed the ball. He didn't see Green's open space in the right corner and passed it to the low left wing.
"Crack!"
Wang Tiejun caught the ball and immediately started hitting the postman.
"careful!"
In the CCTV commentary box, Zhang Lili shouted sharply.
The next moment, Tom Chambers suddenly appeared from the right side near the baseline and knocked the ball away with a bang.
"yeah!"
The Delta Center cheered again.
"I x!"
Lao Wang jumped up and threw himself at the basketball.
As he rushed forward, he collided with Chambers who was also grabbing the ball. The latter was knocked away by him, and the basketball was again under his control.
"Alas!" Jazz fans sighed.
But at this time Wang Tiejun also fell to the floor, and the postman rushed up.
"Old K!"
At this time, Drexler rushed past Wang Tiejun and made a quick cut to the paint area. Wang, who was lying on the floor, quickly passed the ball. The former caught the ball and took a step into the paint area before taking off directly.
"Bang!"
After the tomahawk dunk, the basket roared instantly.
"What a risk! After Tie Jun made a mistake, he was still very active in fighting, but be careful not to get injured." Zhang Lili reminded.
Su Qun nodded and said: "Yes, such a big man is easily injured when he grabs the ball on the floor."
2:2, Jazz attack.
On the left wing, the postman took two steps up from the low post and started a pick-and-roll with Benoit.
Wang Tiejun adopted the most arrogant way to break the pick-and-roll and used his strength to defeat the enemy. He directly used his body to push Benoit away and chased the postman.
The postman got rid of Wang Tiejun and received a pass from John Stockton when he cut into the paint. At this time, AC Green was returning to defend the basket. He did not pass the ball or dunk, but made a small floater.
.
Little did he know that Wang Tiejun had already caught up with him, suddenly appeared from behind, slapped the ball towards the Suns' frontcourt with a slap.
Kevin Johnson and John Stockton turned around quickly. Although the former's speed dropped, the latter's speed itself was not very fast, and he was four years older. In the end, the Lightning got the ball first and rushed into the paint area with the ball.
Suddenly a back pass came and the ball flew to the right wing.
"Bang!"
Drexler, who was coming down from the right wing, caught the ball and ran in from the right waist with the ball. He jumped up and hit another gliding dunk, which smashed the Jazz's basket.
"The Jazz are double-teaming Old K. There will be many opportunities for gliding. Two deductions have already been made." Oldman said with a smile in the ESPN commentary box.
Luo Lin analyzed: "The postman shouldn't have gone in at all. He took action immediately after getting the ball. At this time, Old K hasn't caught up yet. It's more stable this way."
Oldman nodded and said: "Yes, the postman's mid-range shot is very stable, and the open mid-range shot without a defender is even more stable. His moving speed is slower than that of Old K. He really shouldn't rush in, but rushing in gives the old man
k’s chance to catch up with him.”
4:2, Jazz attack.
Through continuous pick-and-rolls, Jeff Hornacek found an open space one step inside the right-wing three-point line and received the pass, but the shot was missed.
"It's a pity that I missed the opening." Zhang Li said with a smile.
"Two shots and one hit." Su Qun followed.
When Hornacek took the shot, Wang Tiejun quickly returned to the basket to protect the backcourt rebound, and the Suns attacked.
Still low on the left wing, or through the transition of the glider, attracting David Benoit behind the three-point line before passing to him.
This time, when the ball came in, he paid special attention to the weak side and found that Tom Chambers once again implemented weak side help defense and pounced against the baseline.
When Tom Chambers could no longer look back, he suddenly jumped up on one foot, jumped over the postman's head, and threw the ball with his right hand toward AC Green, who was left open on the weak side.
"The ball is distributed!" Zhang Lili shouted immediately.
"Crack!"
In the right bottom corner, Green received the ball and took two steps forward with the dribble before taking off and shooting.
Tom Chambers stopped suddenly and turned around to defend, but it was already too late. He could only watch Green take a calm shot a few meters away.
"brush!"
The water splashed and the two-pointer hit.
"You will definitely pay the price for double-teaming Mr. K." Luo Lin said with a smile in the ESPN commentary box.
"Old K is very calm and the timing of passing the ball is very good, giving Chambers no chance to defend Green." Oldman nodded.
"Green made this shot, and then Chambers can no longer let him go unscrupulously. Old K should be able to get a chance to play the postman in isolation." Rollin said.
6:2, Jazz attack.
"brush!"
The Postman used a pick-and-roll to get rid of Lao Wang, forced Drexler away with his elbow, and hit a mid-range shot.
6:4, Suns attack.
Lao Wang actively took position and asked for the ball, but the postman got mad. He hasn't done that yet today.
The ball was passed in through the glider, and he was also observing the weak side with his peripheral vision. This time, Tom Chambers actually implemented the weak side help defense without hesitation.
"Crack!"
Under the full push of the postman, he grabbed the ball with his right hand, then used his left foot as an axis and supported the postman with his left elbow, suddenly turned up, and forced his right foot into the paint area.
At this time, the Jazz did not shrink their defense, but began to quickly cover up the defense.
Jeff Hornacek inside the right-wing three-point line missed Dan Marley and pounced on AC Green below.
Stockton pounced on Dan Mulley in the high post.
Bennot, who was inside the left wing three-point line, pounced down.
Drexler was free, but Wang Tiejun was turning around at this time, and his vacancy could not be seen in his sight. He moved downwards, increasing the distance between him and Benoit, and shouted loudly: "Here."
"Whoosh!"
Wang Tiejun looked back and quickly threw out with one hand, and the ball flew towards Drexler.
The latter received the ball at 50 degrees from the three-point line on the left wing. There were no defenders within five meters around him. He took off calmly and shot a three-pointer.
"Three out of three shots. This is Glider's first jump shot. The first two were dunks." Su Qun laughed.
8:4, Jazz attack.
The postman took advantage of the pick-and-roll to take another shot. This time Wang Tiejun pushed past Benoit and chased after him, almost knocking off the ball again.
However, the ball missed the target and was caught by the iron man Green who returned to defend the basket, and the Suns attacked.
In the ESPN commentary box, Luo Lin laughed and said: "Are the Jazz determined not to let Old K take a shot tonight? Now Old K's statistics are 1 rebound, 3 assists, 1 block, and 1 turnover, and he did not take a single shot."
Oldman smiled and said: "The Suns scored four times, Old K sent three assists, and one was a counterattack directly initiated by his block. All four attacks were related to him. His tactical status in the Suns has been completely
More than Kevin Johnson."
"Yes, his ability to attract double-teams in the low post is too strong. If the ball does not pass through his hands, it is the biggest waste of resources." Luo Lin said with a smile.
On the left wing, the ball passed through the hands of the glider and passed to Wang Tiejun in the low post on the left wing.
This time, the Jazz's weak-side help defense continued as usual, and Chambers pounced again.
However, this time David Benoit was a little hesitant to defend Kevin Johnson at the top of the arc. The glider had already scored 6 points. Such a super scorer, he did not dare to let go.
So, Kevin Johnson came in from the top of the arc, received a pass from Wang at the free throw line, made an open jump shot, and hit a goal.
"Beautiful! 10:4, the Suns feel great from the outside today!" Su Qun said excitedly.
"There are all open spaces. If you want to double-team the Tiejun, this is the price you must pay. As long as there is a basket on the outside, the Jazz will definitely relax their double-teaming of the Tiejun." Zhang Lili said with a smile.
At this time, the Jazz attacked and called a timeout. Jerry Sloan wanted to rearrange his defensive tactics.
In the ESPN commentary box, Luo Lin analyzed: "The Jazz used two weak-side defenses to catch the Suns off guard at the beginning, but Old K did not mess up the position, and then used three assists to resolve the Jazz's double-teaming tactics. Now
The tactical initiative has been in the hands of the Suns."
Oldman smiled and said: "Although the Jazz can proactively adjust their tactics, with Old K in the low post, the tactics they can actually adjust are very limited. As long as the Postman can't defend Old K alone, they must double-team or sit down at this point.
Watch the postman get beaten up."
Luo Lin added: "The Jazz's defensive tactics failed, and their offense was not successful. The postman made one of three shots and suffered a hat-trick from Old K. The efficiency was not very good.
