Chapter 146 [The Western Union is going to change the sky]
SuperSonics vs. Spurs is a nationally broadcast game, with the No. 1 team in the Western Conference facing off against the No. 3 team.
Before the game, the media predicted the outcome of the game and were optimistic that the SuperSonics would continue their winning streak. The Spurs' strength had declined compared to last season.
Last season, the Spurs had the league's best record of 62 wins and 10 losses. "Admiral" David Robinson averaged 27.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.7 steals and 3.2 blocks per game, winning the regular season MVP.
However, in the Western Conference finals, the Spurs were eliminated by the Rockets 2-4 and missed the finals. David Robinson was even beaten by Olajuwon, and the loss was a bit embarrassing.
An MVP-level player, in a key series, completely destroyed stars of the same level and position as himself on both offense and defense and led the team to victory. What an amazing achievement!
Olajuwon did this last season. Facing David Robinson, who had just been crowned regular season MVP, he put on a super personal performance that is difficult to replicate. You must know that the Spurs had two great players, Robinson and Rodman, inside at that time.
Unable to guard against Dameng, he scored 35.3 points, 12.5 rebounds, 5 assists, 1.3 steals and 4.2 blocks in the series.
David Robinson was covered in doubts. The reason why he couldn't beat Olajuwon was not because of his own technical problems, but because of his physical and psychological defects.
Physically, Robinson's relatively thin lower limbs and narrow hips made it impossible for him to gain an upper hand against Dameng. Psychologically, Robinson lacked the bloodiness and murderousness necessary for a king.
To put it bluntly, Robinson is a softie.
In a parallel world, Popovich once told a story: In the mid-1990s, he was an assistant coach for the Spurs. One day he was explaining a technical move under the basket to Robinson. Robinson said to him: "I will be finished in two months."
." He thought Robinson was talking about some basketball stunt, but it turned out to be a piano piece.
Robinson is still thinking about music when practicing. How can he be tough at critical moments?
A more striking example is that in the 1997-1998 season, Karl Malone sent Robinson to the hospital with an elbow. This vicious elbow made Robinson lie on the ground for five minutes before he became conscious. It is said that for two minutes, his heart and pulse
Almost disappeared.
Robinson never thought about retaliating against Malone afterwards, and it just passed away. If it were people with the personalities of Mourning and Oakley, would they have to fight Malone again and again and chase him until they get revenge?
This season, Rodman switched to the Bulls, and the Spurs lost one of their generals, and they lost three points inside.
The Spurs do not lack stars. Small forward Sean Elliott has played the best data of his career this season, currently averaging 20.5 points, 5 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game.
Point guard Avery Johnson, known as the "Little General," is also considered a star. He averaged 13 points and 9 assists per game this season, a career high.
Comparing the lineups of both sides, no matter how you look at it, this is a battle between dragons and tigers. However, since the start of the game, the SuperSonics have been firmly in the initiative, integrating internal and external factors and leading the Spurs by 11 points in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, the Spurs' substitute small forward Chuck Person and power forward Jr. Reed led the second team to recover a little bit of the score. However, after both starters came on stage, the SuperSonics overpowered the Spurs again, leading by 16 points at halftime.
In the third quarter, the Spurs players still could not organize a decent counterattack and fell behind by 27 points at most, which shocked the viewers who watched the game on live TV.
How can such a Spurs go further in the playoffs this season? The Spurs' record is third in the Western Conference. Are there any teams in the Western Conference that can compete with the SuperSonics?
The main reason for the Spurs' poor performance was that core David Robinson stretched his hips again. Against Sean Kemp, he was completely at a disadvantage and was beaten.
To be precise, David Robinson was defeated by the combined efforts of Kemp and Yang Jian. On the defensive end, he was beaten by Yang Jian and he no longer looked like an "Admiral", but like the "Big Dog" Robinson of the Bucks.
Yang Jian kept looking for cover and running positions on Robinson's side. He held the ball in pick-and-rolls and also deliberately launched attacks from his side, forcing him to help defend and switch to pick-and-rolls.
If Robinson ignores Yang Jian and defends Kemp alone, Kemp will definitely not be able to take advantage. But can Robinson ignore Yang Jian? The answer is definitely no. The Spurs' starting shooting guard cannot keep up with Yang Jian's speed and must be assisted by teammates.
Defend.
The Spurs' white shooting guard Vinnie DeNagro is 193cm tall and weighs 84kg. He was selected by the Kings with the fourth overall pick in the second round in 1988. He played for two seasons and was traded to the Spurs, where he has been playing until now.
From a tactical point of view, Vinny DeNagro is a very good role player. His playing style has many similarities with Yang Jian. He has a high shooting rate after catching the ball, mainly mid-range shots. His movement
He also has good ball skills and can hold the ball for layups or assist teammates.
But Vinny De Nagro is the type of player who poses no threat to Yang Jian. Although his skills are excellent, his body is very ordinary.
At 29 years old, he is still in his prime, and his speed is like that of a veteran compared to Yang Jian. Yang Jian does not need skills to deal with such players, and he can make his opponents helpless by running.
David Robinson, who is 216cm tall and weighs 113kg, also has a headache when switching to defend Yang Jian. He is one of the most mobile high center forwards in the league and can run fast breaks, but it is a straight-line sprint. His lateral speed cannot be as fast as that of a defender.
Just as fast.
Yang Jian runs to catch and shoot or changes direction with the ball. Even David Robison is not easy to guard. If you slow down, he will be passed by him. Yang Jian does not need to completely pass him. He takes the ball and creates a little space to pass.
The ball was given to Kemp, and Kemp took the ball and hit the basket.
Both Vinny Denagro and Yang Jian suffered in the confrontation, and it was impossible to switch to defend Kemp and get stuck. The Spurs could not use switching tactics to defend the pick-and-roll, and could only double-team.
The Spurs usually use a twin-tower tactic. Will Perdo, who is 213cm tall and weighs 110kg, starts together with David Robinson. After studying the SuperSonics' style of play, head coach Bob Hill knows that the two big men
They can't play together, so the substitute in the team starts.
Carl Herrera, who is 206cm tall and weighs 98kg, was a substitute for the Rockets before and won two consecutive championships with the Rockets. His offense is very poor and he can leave the ball at will after he comes on the court.
On the defensive end, Herrera did not play much role. Payton and P.J. Brown played pick-and-rolls, which could attract him to the high post. If he defended in the low post, Yang Jian would move to the high post again.
In the final quarter, the game entered garbage time, and the three SuperSonics scored 20.
Yang Jian only played 32 minutes, making 9 of 12 shots, 2 of 3 three-pointers, and 7 of 7 free throws. He scored 27 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists, and 1 steal. He basically had no ability to fight back against Vinnie DeNagro.
Although he also scored 11 points and 4 assists, his shooting percentage was not high, making 5 of 11 shots and 1 of 5 three-pointers.
Kemp played 35 minutes, making 7 of 10 shots and 10 of 12 free throws, scoring 24 points, 17 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks.
Schrempf made 7 of 13 shots, 1 of 1 three-pointers, 6 of 8 free throws, and scored 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists in 34 minutes.
Payton took relatively few shots, making 5 of 10 shots, and scored 10 points, 4 rebounds, 12 assists and 4 steals. It is worth mentioning that Payton made 0 of 4 free throws today, and his touch was terrible. His points were all misplaced layups.
, teammates can create breakthrough opportunities for him.
None of the Sonics' substitutes scored in double figures, and none of them played much time.
Nate McMillan returned in this game, which enhanced the depth of the SuperSonics' lineup. He partnered with Snow on the outside in the final quarter. His offensive feeling was average, and he only took two shots and hit one goal. But both he and Snow's defense were excellent.
, the Spurs' bench's offensive efficiency is not high either.
Kevin Edwards has been abandoned, and the management is about to trade him out of the team. There is no need to exchange players, but they are prepared to exchange for second-round draft picks and cash.
David Robinson made 5 of 12 shots, 1 of 4 free throws, and only scored 11 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and 4 blocks. He was in foul trouble and only played 27 minutes in total.
The best performer for the Spurs was Elliott. He made 11 of 17 shots, 5 of 7 three-pointers, and 5 of 7 free throws. He scored 32 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists. If not for his super performance, the Spurs would have lost even more.
It will get even worse soon.
In the end, the SuperSonics won 120 to 100, easily achieving their 13th consecutive victory.
The Jazz and Spurs, who are second and third in the Western Conference, both lost to the SuperSonics, and the Lakers, currently ranked fourth, have lost twice.
The Sonics have risen strongly, and everyone knows that the Western Conference is about to change!