On Sunday, the All-Star game was another one-sided affair, with the Eastern Conference team being beaten miserably.
At the beginning, Yang Jian and Brad Miller played a pick-and-roll to attack Yao Ming's slow movement. During the counterattack, he misplaced his position and beat Iverson, scoring consecutive points with sudden shots.
Iverson was unable to compete with Yang Jian. If his teammates didn't double-team him, he would be a poor defender. On the offensive end, he couldn't do anything against Yang Jian, and his shooting rate was a bit low.
Of course, Yao Ming would not make a thankless save to defend "one of his own" in the All-Star Game, allowing Yang Jian to have many easy jump shot opportunities. He scored 17 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists in 7 minutes in the first quarter, and made three field goals.
Three point shot.
In the second half, the Eastern team began to double-team Yang Jian.
He was double-teamed in the All-Star Game, which shows what kind of star he is, and he is hated by American stars. Yang Jian can still perform well. When he is double-teamed, he passes the ball and his teammates throw it away.
George Karl was the coach, and at one point he arranged for the four Sonics to play together, and the fast break game took off. All four players could catch the ball and shoot, and Ginobili could break through with the ball during the counterattack.
Garnett and Gasol also scored a lot of points. They and Yang Jian were amazing in the pick-and-roll. With the three Suns stars playing soy sauce with Kobe, the West still crushed the East, winning 153 to 125.
Yang Jian played 29 minutes and scored 42 points, 6 rebounds, 10 assists and 2 steals. He was elected All-Star Game MVP for the seventh time in his career. This award cannot be given to him, because no one else has scored more than 20 points.
Iverson, the top scorer in the Eastern Conference, played 32 minutes, making 4 of 13 shots and 7 of 7 free throws. He scored 15 points, 4 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 steals and 7 turnovers. He still had zero fouls. During the counterattack, he gambled for a steal against Yang Jian and failed.
To watch the opponent score.
During the fast break, Yang Jian performed a 360-degree turn and a crotch-changing dunk, which shocked everyone. This move would be a perfect score in the dunk contest and brought the atmosphere to a climax.
Iverson contributed an attribute point. Without Yang Jian, he would have won the All-Star Game MVP this year.
After the game, Yang Jian was interviewed. The reporter mentioned that many people wanted him to participate in the dunk contest again.
Yang Jian gave a clear answer. "I will participate in the slam dunk contest next season. It's decided. It just so happens that I have some moves that I haven't shown yet. I just practice them for fun."
The reporter asked: "Do you feel that your quality has declined compared to when you were young?"
"I don't feel it. I got a little stronger after the age of 25. I know that many players will gradually decline after the age of 30, so I want to try more dunks while I can still dunk."
Netizens read the news and started discussing it one after another.
"The gap between people is too big. A reporter asked Carter if he would still participate in the dunk contest in the future? Carter actually said: 'Dunks are overrated, I won't dunk again.' Yang Jian will be 30 next year, and he is still willing to participate for the fans.
Slam dunk contest. He doesn’t need to prove himself anymore, he is already the number one dunk king in history.”
"Just looking at self-confidence, Yang Jian is the number one in history. Even if Josh Smith's dunk is beautiful this year, he doesn't think he will lose."
"Next year's dunk contest will be great to see. Yang's dunks are unique and he can do them all in actual combat."
Yang Jian and others flew directly to Houston to meet with their teammates, and they will play against the Rockets away from home on Monday the 22nd. This game was not difficult, and the SuperSonics won 144 to 107.
Point guard Shaun Livingston, who the Rockets had high hopes for, only played 30 games before a knee injury ended the season. No matter how talented a player is, he must have sufficient confrontation ability. Livingston was too anxious to enter the league.
Already.
He is 201cm tall and weighs only 83kg. He is skinny and covered with bones. He makes people feel nervous when he changes direction while dribbling. His legs are too thin and he may lose his balance and get injured if he is hit by an opponent.
On the 23rd, the SuperSonics defeated the underdog Hornets back-to-back without wasting any effort.
After McGrady joined, his scoring average increased compared to the Magic. But he was as inefficient as ever, and even if he shot 50% in a single game, he was considered outstanding.
After defeating the Bucks and Timberwolves, the Sonics lost only one game in February.
Yang Jian also took the time to attend the Oscars. He was nominated for Best Actor, so he knew he had to attend even though he was a running companion.
If he doesn't go, he will never win an award in the future. If he goes, it's a win-win situation. The Oscar can attract attention through him, and it's full of gimmicks. The one he rejected was Johnny Depp in "Finding Neverland."
"Million Dollar Baby" became the biggest winner at this year's Oscars, winning four awards including Best Director, Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actor.
"The Aviator" received 10 nominations and won 5 Oscars. Best Supporting Actress Cate Blanchett, Best Cinematography Robert Richardson, and the other three were minor awards.
The Best Actor went to Jimmie Foxx of "The King of Soul". Yang Jian had known the result and it didn't matter, while Leonardo DiCaprio was very depressed.
"Phantom of the Opera" had four nominations but failed to receive any, and Yang Jian felt it didn't matter. He made a lot of money. Not only was the movie a box office hit, but after it was released on DVD, the disc market also went crazy.
Entering March, the SuperSonics continued to lead the record list, but something unfortunate happened.
Brad Miller fractured the fibula in his left leg during a non-contact shooting practice and will miss six to eight weeks, which will affect the regular season and the playoffs.
The Sonics have not suffered any serious injuries in the past few seasons. The coach controls the playing time of the players, and everyone is full of energy. This season, the interior mainly relies on a three-person rotation, and Miller averaged 33 minutes per game before something went wrong.
He broke a bone while casually making a layup. George Karl couldn't believe it after hearing the report. He saw Miller getting injured. He didn't jump high enough and staggered to the ground without any collision.
If Miller is reimbursed, the Sonics are in big trouble.
They don't have a good backup center, and Kemp can't play anymore. Ha Shengzhen was sent out to practice English before, and he basically never played. He is a pure fringe player.
Usually Boozer plays as a center for a while, and his defense in the penalty area is very poor and he struggles with the opponent's offense. No matter who is the starting center, the Sonics' interior defense is weaker than in the past, and they can only make up for it by shrinking the penalty area.
The Sonics lost five games in March and their winning percentage dropped, including an upset loss to the Wizards.
Misfortunes never come singly. On the 10th, Boozer was also injured. He fell during a confrontation in the paint and fractured his right palm. He had to rest for at least 8 weeks, which would also affect the playoffs.
Yang Jian was helpless and knew something was going to happen this season. Although he said he had no goals, he actually still aspired to win 6 consecutive championships. If successful, he should want to win 8 consecutive championships.
He is not omnipotent and cannot strengthen the team's defense in the penalty area. He is only 193cm tall in shoes, and no matter how strong his body is, he cannot prevent the big man from taking action.
Moreover, he was unwilling to do blue-collar work inside, and focused all his energy on the offensive end. As a result, he scored 40 points in 13 consecutive games and 50 points in three consecutive games. His data soared to 40.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 2.9 steals per game.
It was difficult for the team to win. Yang Jian averaged 38.8 minutes per game. He ran tirelessly and many talents were revealed.
A body of steel and a big heart are the key to his stable performance. He is not afraid of back-to-back games and can score many points in the final quarter.
This month, he made a mid-range shot with 2.2 seconds to win, leading the team to a 1-point victory over the Warriors.
At this time, it was impossible for the Sonics to find temporary workers in the free market to strengthen the interior defense. George Karl had no choice but to reuse "Snake Man" Mickey Moore. He has height and mobility, and can also play some role on the offensive end.
In early April, the SuperSonics added another injured player. Ginobili was knocked down during a layup and injured his shoulder. It was not serious and could not affect the playoffs. He could rest for 2 or 3 weeks.
The SuperSonics played a big-lead-four-small tactic. In order to fight for offense, Gerald Wallace often moved to the 4th position. But when Mickey Moore rested, Ha Seung-jin and Kemp had to make do.
This month, the Sonics lost to the Mavericks twice, the Nuggets, Kings, and Lakers, and lost another five games.
Since Yang Jian entered the league, the SuperSonics stumbled and felt inadequate for the first time. In the end, they only achieved 64 wins and 18 losses.
Even so, the SuperSonics still lead the Suns by three games and have the best record in the league. The early lead was too much...
