The Cavaliers faced the Bucks in the second round of the playoffs, while the Nets faced the Celtics.
Originally, the Celtics from another time and space would fight all the way to the finals this season, but against the Nets, who are stronger than the other time and space, it may be a disaster.
At least in the eyes of most outside fans and viewers, the Green Army, which focuses on team basketball and whose strongest player is Tatum, is far behind the Nets' Big Three in terms of lineup.
Although the second round has not yet started, the Nets are already more than 80% sure of defeating the Celtics and gaining a seat in the Eastern Conference Finals.
As for the game between the Cavaliers and Bucks, it is difficult for everyone to make a judgment.
The Cavaliers' regular season record is so good that not many people will continue to criticize the Cavaliers' lineup. However, it is an indisputable fact that the Bucks' lineup is better than the Cavaliers, even if it is one of the Big Three.
John Wall is out for the season, and the partnership between Antetokounmpo and Middleton can also at least ensure the Bucks' lower limit.
At least compared to the Hawks, the Bucks are not a single-core leader. In addition to Antetokounmpo, they also have Middleton, and Antetokounmpo's stability is not at the same level as Trae Young.
In the regular season this season, the Bucks and Cavaliers ended in a 2:2 tie. Although the Bucks lost to the Cavaliers, they also won. The two sides have not yet decided the winner.
Now in the playoffs, the two teams will finally compete to determine the real winner.
Whether it is the Cavaliers or the Bucks, this Eastern Conference semifinals matchup can only be won but not lost.
Wang Feng's goal is to reach the finals. No matter where he falls down before the finals, it will be a failure.
For Antetokounmpo, Antetokounmpo has been suppressed by Wang Feng for many years. He finally has the opportunity to defeat Wang Feng to prove himself to the entire league. If he cannot seize this opportunity, he will have to wait until next year for the young players of the Cavaliers to further grow.
, if one or two more All-Star players are introduced, the Bucks will have no chance of winning!
…
On April 28, the first game of the regional semifinals officially started.
The Cavaliers still have home court advantage against the Bucks. Looking at the entire league, only the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference will gain home court advantage against the Cavaliers due to their record advantage.
However, at their home court, the Cavaliers fell into a disadvantage from the start.
The Bucks and Hawks are really not opponents of the same level. Not only are the differences in the number and level of stars, but the overall strength of the teams is completely different.
The defensive intensity of the Bucks in the playoffs has changed significantly compared to the regular season. While the defense is extremely decisive, their actions are also quite fierce.
Wang Feng has long been accustomed to this kind of defense, and his strong physical fitness can fully support him to endure it.
But other players on the Cavaliers, especially young players with little playoff experience, suffered a bit.
Outside shooters, including Bane and Love, collectively failed to achieve accuracy, and their shooting percentage from beyond the three-point line plummeted.
Wang Feng is fully aware of this situation. After reaching the Purple Hall of Fame level through the playmaker badge, he can now see the potential shooting percentage of his teammates. He has fully grasped the true shooting percentage of his teammates.
Even with the blessing of the ten-cent badge, players such as Bane still cannot effectively improve their shooting percentages under high-pressure defense that is difficult to escape.
In the first quarter of the game, the Cavaliers made only 3 of 10 shots from beyond the three-point line, including two three-pointers made by Wang Feng.
While the outside line was completely suppressed, the Cavaliers' inside line was also completely destroyed.
Love is only 2.03 meters tall and Wang Feng is 2.01 meters tall. Antetokounmpo on the Bucks is 2.11 meters tall and Lopez is 2.13 meters tall. They have an absolute advantage in height.
Although Wang Feng has a strong inside defensive ability, he is limited by his height and cannot completely restrict Antetokounmpo. Moreover, Antetokounmpo is now completely skilled and is a truly top scorer in the league.
Wang Feng's inside defense is still worse than his outside defense due to the lack of badge support, so naturally he cannot guard against Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Of course, although Wang Feng cannot guard against Antetokounmpo, he can create a mutual explosion with the opponent, and can even unilaterally suppress Antetokounmpo on the scoring end.
In the first quarter, Antetokounmpo made 5 of 7 shots and scored 11 points and 4 rebounds, but Wang Feng was obviously more efficient. In the first quarter, he made 6 of 10 shots, 2 of 5 three-pointers, and 4 of 4 free throws, scoring 16 points and 3 points.
Rebounds and 2 assists.
In terms of personal performance, Wang Feng successfully suppressed Antetokounmpo, but the problem is that the Bucks also have an All-Star star Middleton.
Khris Middleton, who entered the league in 2012, has been in his career for 10 years. Although he is not famous, his strength is not weak at all. This season, he still maintained a stable 20+5+5 in the regular season.
Data, this is the third consecutive year that the regular season scoring average has stabilized at 20+.
Middleton felt very good today. Facing Otto Porter Jr.'s defense, he made 3 of 3 shots in the first quarter, including a three-pointer, 2 of 2 free throws, and scored 9 points.
3 rebounds.
In addition, Lopez, who faced Love inside, also took advantage of his height advantage. Point guard George Hill, who replaced Wall in the starting lineup, scored 5 points on 2 of 4 shots.
The Bucks, who were flourishing, scored 36 points in the first quarter, but the Cavaliers could only rely on Wang Feng to maintain their offense. Apart from Wang Feng, only Poole scored 5 points, with only 29 points in a single quarter, trailing by 7 points.
point.
This is a rare occasion for Wang Feng to fall behind by a large margin in the first round of the playoffs.
"It seems that the Bucks have taken the initiative in the game."
In the studio of TNT TV station, which was commentating the game live, Kenny Smith couldn't help but shook his head. "Wang Feng, who came to the Cavaliers, really realized the difficulty of the challenge as he wished. The current situation is that I don't know if he can overcome this challenge.
"
"It's difficult, it's really difficult." O'Neal also shook his head and said: "The problem Wang Feng faces is not with himself, but with his teammates. He cannot let his teammates open up. Wang Feng alone will not be able to open up his hands unless he continues.
Score 83 points in a single game, otherwise it will be difficult to beat the experienced Bucks."
"This is the inevitable drawback of a team that relies too much on three-pointers." Barkley also agreed. "The Cavaliers played really beautifully in the regular season. With their super-accurate outside shooters, the Cavaliers
Both the number of three-pointers made per game and the field goal percentage rank first in the league, much like the 74-win Warriors team that year."
"If you rely too much on three-pointers, your shooting percentage will inevitably drop in the playoffs due to the increased defensive intensity. When the offensive end is severely restricted, it will be too difficult to win."
"The Cavaliers are different from the Warriors. Although the Warriors took a lot of shots from outside the three-point line, they also had a lot of offense inside. Curry can break through the frame with the ball and score at the basket very efficiently. Thompson can also do it without any attack."
Only by catching and shooting the ball in the mid-range after the ball moves, coupled with Wang Feng's containment from outside the three-point line in the corner, can it be so strong."
"In comparison, the Cavaliers are not so much like the Warriors as they are more like the Rockets' magic ball tactics during D'Antoni's time. What Wang Feng needs now is a player who can handle the three-point line without any problem."
When the time is right, he can also be assisted by mid-range or offensive helpers who hold the ball and attack the frame to help him stabilize the game, just like Jimmy Butler during the Lakers era, or Middleton of the Bucks."
"Unfortunately, the current Cavaliers do not have such a helper. Jordan Poole's mid-range and long-range skills are still so-so, but there is still a big gap compared with Butler."
The two inside players, O'Neal and Barkley, talked and commented on the Cavaliers' lineup. Their words were all comments on the Cavaliers' lineup, which was not very scientific.
In fact, what they want to say is that if they were in the Cavaliers at their peak and partnered with Wang Feng, the Bucks would be vulnerable.
That's right, when shooters outside the three-point line don't feel good and collectively misfire, offense from the inside is always the most reliable.
[To be honest, I have been using Yeguo to read and catch up on books recently. I can switch sources and read aloud with many sounds. www. Android and Apple are available.]
And if a top outside player like Wang Feng could team up with an equally top inside player, he would probably be stronger and more terrifying than he is now!
Of course Wang Feng understands this truth, but he also understands that the restrictions of the system upgrade task destined him to be unable to team up with any particularly strong players, at least not before completing the upgrade task.
What he can do is to maximize his strength under the current lineup and strive to lead the team to the finals.
Since his teammates' offensive efficiency is not good, then he has to do it himself!
In the second quarter of the game, the Cavaliers made adjustments to their lineup.
In addition to Wang Feng, Poole and Otto Porter Jr., the other two starters Bane and Love were replaced. They were replaced by center Jarrett Allen and guard Gary Payton II who are good at defense.
.
Wang Feng wants to strengthen the Cavaliers' defense and limit the Bucks' offensive capabilities as much as possible. As for the offensive end, he can just do it himself!
Such a straightforward lineup immediately made the Bucks understand the Cavaliers' intentions.
"Do you really plan to rely on Wang Feng for everything..."
On the Bucks bench, head coach Budenholzer glanced at the Cavaliers bench and smiled.
He admitted that Wang Feng was very strong, but no matter how strong a person was, there was a limit...
Wang Feng, who was holding the ball through half the court, looked at the Bucks' defensive position and narrowed his eyes slightly.
Antetokounmpo Antetokounmpo was standing in front of him, just like before.
But the difference is that on Antetokounmpo's side, Wesley Matthews is standing not far away, staring at Wang Feng, ready to rush forward and double-team him at any time.
Matthews, who is a strong defensive player, did not pay attention to Gary Payton II. The latter is a defender who is good at defense and is not stable on the offensive end.
Besides, compared to Gary Payton II, guarding Wang Feng is the most important thing.
Two people are guarding the outside. At the same time, among the Bucks' insiders, Brook Lopez has already taken a position in advance. Although his frame protection ability is average, after all, he is a player who has been teammates with Wang Feng for four years. He is 2.13 meters tall.
His height makes him a certain deterrent even when standing under the basket.
"Faced with such heavy siege, even Wang Feng may not be able to do anything..."
Budenholzer sat leisurely in his seat, seemingly determined to win this game.
At this time, he saw Wang Feng making a tactical gesture toward the inside line.
Jarrett Allen immediately pulled out from the inside to cover Wang Feng's pick-and-roll.
"Do you want to rely on pick-and-roll tactics to create gaps? It's a good idea, but in the case of three-man coverage, the effect of pick-and-roll breakthroughs will not be very good..."
Budenholzer was still thinking this in his mind, but his eyes could not help but widen.
Because at the next moment, the basketball was flying towards the basket and hit the net with a "Brush!"
Wang Feng! Three-pointer!
"This is……"
The smile on Budenholzer's face disappeared, and his mind began to recall the actions just now.
Wang Feng hid behind Jarrett Allen's pick-and-roll and immediately raised his hand to shoot. At this time, he was more than 1.5 meters away from the three-point line.
This is Wang Feng's signature quick three-point shot after a pick-and-roll, and it is also a move that Curry is very good at.
But with the help of his teammates, there was no need to worry about Wang Feng breaking through the basket with the ball. Antetokounmpo did not go around the pick and roll at all, but directly followed the side of Jarrett Allen's screen to catch up and stretched out his arm to block Wang Feng.
.
This kind of pursuit was so fast that Antetokounmpo's fingers almost missed the basketball, just a tiny bit missing from touching the surface of the basketball and affecting its trajectory.
It's a pity that even if it's just a little bit different, the result will be completely different.
"Humph, it's just luck." Budenholzer snorted.
"There are still more than ten minutes left in the second quarter. Are you going to rely on luck to get a few three-pointers? No...it happened this time. If Wang Feng follows the same pattern in the next round, his shot will definitely be slapped away by Giannis.
go out!"
The Bucks attacked. George Hill's mid-range pull-up jumper was interfered by Gary Payton II and missed the frame. Antetokounmpo tried to grab the rebound, but was blocked by Jarrett Allen.
In the main position, the final rebound was easily collected by Wang Feng.
The effect of replacing defensive players to strengthen defense is immediate.
As long as Wang Feng can continue to maintain his offensive efficiency, he can gradually reverse the disadvantage in the first quarter!
In the second round of the attack, Wang Feng still held the ball from the outside. He did not hesitate and directly called Jarrett Allen's pick-and-roll screen again.
But unlike the previous long-distance quick three-pointer, Wang Feng directly followed the pick-and-roll and rushed to the basket this time.
When Wesley Matthews saw this, he immediately rushed forward and stuck to Wang Feng. His strength and speed were completely unable to compete with Wang Feng, but it didn't matter. As long as he could entangle Wang Feng, Antetokounmpo, who had escaped the pick-and-roll, would immediately follow.
Lopez inside will also have more time and opportunities to adjust his defensive position.
Wang Feng was very fast, and in the blink of an eye, he carried Matthews and rushed to the reasonable collision zone.
Without thinking, Lopez immediately stepped forward and raised his hands high, not giving Wang Feng any room to project.
However, Wang Feng did not choose to shoot, but threw the basketball towards the basket at this time.
A pair of big hands suddenly shot out, firmly grabbed the basketball and then dunked it into the basket - that was Jarrett Allen following the pick-and-roll screen!