Chapter 414: A Reign of Minutes
Derek Fischel, who was definitely an unexpected surprise for the Thunder. www.biquge.info Although this guy has passed the age of playing, it doesn't mean that he joined the Thunder just to retire.
At least this guy's three-point shot is still lethal, and his playmaking skills are still useful. This kind of guy is also very suitable to play under the system of Jeff Van Gundy.
Eric Bledsoe, Thunder general manager Presti's draft masterpiece. In the season of losing Anjie, fortunately, with the addition of Bledsoe, the Thunder were able to continue to maintain a strong performance. Although there are rumors that this guy will leave the Thunder under Westbrook's pressure, at least for now, he is still one of the most dangerous characters on the Thunder team.
Nicolas Batum, the French forward, was the main bargaining chip in the Trail Blazers' negotiations with the Thunder. Craig Smith and the Trail Blazers' 2013 first-round pick was certainly very useful for the Thunder, but without Batum, Presti wouldn't have completed the deal with the Trail Blazers.
The strength of the person who can be so favored by Presti is usually not too bad. While still with the Trail Blazers, the Frenchman was already making his mark. This season, he has become one of the Thunder's consistent scoring points. If it weren't for Durant, the Frenchman would have the ability to play the starter!
With the support of Collison and Cook, the second lineup of these five guys is definitely very strong. The score can be pulled away in the middle and late stages of the first quarter precisely because of their existence! Otherwise, it is not certain that the Thunder is still in the lead now.
Rickard has very few players at his disposal, and over and over again, there are only a few people he can handle. How to contain the strength of the Thunder's second lineup? Tactics can solve certain problems, but tactics have never been able to make Camby and Kurt Thomas faster, Crawford's style of play calm, and Conteny Lee's technique more comprehensive. Tactics can only help the Trail Blazers fend off attacks for a while, but they can't give the Trail Blazers back in control.
Of course not, it's just that this method may make Anjie, the core, harder.
"Shall I continue?" Anjie's eyes were full of anticipation, he had long wanted to hear Ricard say this.
"That's right! You'll give me the game at the beginning of the second quarter! According to the Thunder's usual rotation habits, they will still let the second team stay on the court at the beginning of the second quarter to play a dozen. I want you to rule this time, rule this time! As for the others, I'll send more substitutes. When Ann comes off the pitch, well-rested starters have to step up. Ann, you know how to do it, right?" Rickard looked at Ang Jie seriously, he said that he wanted Ann Jie to rule that time, and he was not joking.
"Of course, isn't it just a hard kick in their ass!" An Jie responded to Ricard's seriousness with a hideous smile.
"Very nice. Riccard seemed pleased with Anjie's answer, and after that, he announced who would be partnered with Anjie later, and as he said, all three were substitutes except for Gerrard Wallace. The ensuing tactical arrangements Ricard explained very quickly, they had already practiced the exercises, and now they were just giving an explanation.
The whistle blew at the beginning of the second quarter, and since Morris won the scrum in this game, the team that attacked first in the second quarter became the Trail Blazers.
However, the guy who was standing on the baseline at the moment and preparing to serve made everyone's hearts in the Chesapeake Energy Arena raise their throats.
"Ann was on the floor at the beginning of the second quarter! Let's see if Ann can lead the Trail Blazers' second team to turn things around. ”
Seeing An Jie approaching him step by step, the Thunder substitute center, An Jie's big brother Nick Collison when he was on the Thunder team, felt as if he had goosebumps.
"Damn, damn it!" the big white man kept thinking in his mouth, An Jie, he was a good friend off the court, but when it came to the court, he was definitely one of the worst opponents!
When he was on the training ground before, Collison was the same as Camby now, and he suffered a lot because of Anjie. At that time, he thought, fortunately An Jie was on his side, otherwise if they met in an official match, An Jie's attack power would only be more terrifying.
But now, it's about to happen. Collison was in position and prepared. And when An Jie leaned against him and pushed inside, Collison realized that everything he had done was in vain!
Nick Collison is a role model for the team on and off the pitch, with a tough style of play and a willingness to accept a variety of roles. It can be said that when An Jie was on the Thunder team, Collison undoubtedly set a good example for him.
But tough is tough, Collison's core strength is actually not strong, plus he has the common problems that most white Americans have inside, bouncing average and moving slowly. All this makes this veteran of the Thunder team with a professional attitude but limited ability to take advantage of An Jie at all!
As Collisson's teammate back then, An Jie naturally knew Collison's advantages and his shortcomings, and An Jie also knew it clearly.
As soon as he held the ball, An Jie didn't even use a feint, he directly dribbled and turned around to break through!
Forcefully carrying a certain amount of space, An Jie accelerated and rushed directly to the basket! This simple and rough breakthrough that doesn't seem to have any technical content, An Jie is really good to put on Collison!
Collison struggled to catch up, but he was too old and not fast to be fast, so he could only watch An Jie get farther and farther away from him.
As people imagined, Anjie jumped on one foot when he was still a few steps away from the basket, put the ball behind his head with both hands, and then vigorously dunked the basketball in his hand into the basket. The basket at the Chesapeake Energy Arena has not been so ravaged by Anjie for a long time.
"Hey. Collison had to pick up the basketball that was bouncing high, and he had worked hard, but Anjie only used one move to beat him to the ground. There is no way, it is impossible to contain An Jie, and what the Thunder team can do now is to exchange the points taken by An Jie through offensive means.
It was with this ambition that Bledsoe bravely launched an assault on the Trail Blazers' restricted area. However, Anjie's ruthless hand once again shrouded the sky over the Chesapeake Energy Arena.
"Iconic volleyball hats!Oh my God, Oklahoma City fans are so excited, even if it's their own players who have just been blocked!How long has it been since Thunder fans have seen this iconic volleyball hat? Now, this scene is finally happening here!" Mike Brin is not immune to beautiful blocks, but Anjie is always able to keep Mike Brin and the old man excited with all kinds of blocks. As soon as he was excited, the fans were able to hear an even more passionate commentary.
Ibaka may have had a lot of great blocks here, but his blocks still lack a little bit of deterrence compared to Anjie.
Bledsoe's breakthrough speed was fast, so when he took to the air, he flew very fast. However, An Jie's powerful block suddenly appeared, causing the basketball that was already moving at high speed to be slapped away. The ball flew directly to the third row of the audience, and An Jie smiled and shook his head at Bledsoe, but Bledsoe felt his heart hairy.
Although blocked, it was a throw-in, and the ball was still in the hands of the Thunder. However, Bledsoe, whose morale was greatly hit, still wasted his second chance.
A long-range three-pointer, that's Bledsoe's last option. Perhaps that block has left a shadow over the young defender. The forbidden area handled by An Jie can't be broken!
Collison and Cook then used a trap tactic against Angel. The cunning Collison constantly interfered with Anjie, making him unable to hold the ball comfortably. Cook, on the side, was looking for an opportunity, ready to cut the basketball at any moment. However, An Jie calmly protected the ball, and his calmness was completely inconsistent with his age.
Seeing that Conteney Lee used the reverse run and off-ball blocking to shake off Bledsoe, Anjie didn't think about it and immediately started to pass the ball.
Collison and Cook didn't expect that under the interference of the two of them working so hard, An Jie could pass so easily!
Conteny Lee lived up to Anjie, his hands were up and down, this guy's three-point shot was accurate and ruthless, and the Thunder's lead shrank again.
"Ann shook his shoulders under the bag and shot! Roar, turned over and hit a jumper with the interference of Collison and Cook!"
"Another block! This time the unlucky man turned out to be the Frenchman Nicolas Batum! He thought that this time the attack was about to be secured, but he didn't expect Ann to complete the chase in this situation!"
Oh my God, Clever Collison, Ann used to be an example, but now, Collison absolutely regretted bringing out such a destructive opponent as Ann. ”
"No, no, no, Collison shouldn't have made a move on Ann's head. I wasn't surprised that it didn't go in. ”
Later in the game, Mike Brin seems to be a storyteller, and Anjie is the protagonist of the story.
Every one of his commentaries seems to be inseparable from An Jie. There is no way, An Jie's performance during this period is too eye-catching. As Rickard said, he completely dominated this period of time! Ten points in a row, this is the "slaughter" that Anjie led the second team of the Trail Blazers team to do.
When Van Gundy saw Anjie playing, he foresaw this happening. It's just that he didn't expect it to happen so violently.
Under pressure, he had to change the starters early, and Ricard also took all the starters who had rested long enough.
Except for Anjie, this guy has to rest now. Even if he had to play again, it would be at the end of the second quarter.
During this period, Aldridge took on the responsibility of being the second leader of a team. Although Ibaka's defence was solid, Aldridge stubbornly dominated most of his team's scores.
It's just that Aldridge alone has never been able to compete with the Thunder's strong starters. An Jie's newly established advantage was gradually equalized. No way, Rickard had no intention of letting that advantage continue. But at least for now, the Trail Blazers and Thunder are on the same starting line, and they have shaken off the passivity at the end of the first quarter.
After that, Anjie appeared again, and both the Thunder and the Trail Blazers used starters to start the battle again.
Facing the defense of Ibaka and Morris, Anjie is no longer so easy. His scoring has slowed down a lot, and more often than not, the Trail Blazers are playing with an overall offense.
On the other hand, the Thunder, in the face of An Jie's defense, they are also not easy. Westbrook's breakthrough was frequently interfered with, and he made a three-point shot, and he shot 0 of 4 today. Fortunately, Durant's hand was hot, so he didn't let the Thunder's offense cool down.
As in the first quarter, the battle between the two starters was exciting. It's very beautiful, but no one can pull the difference apart.
Durant scored 13 points at halftime and Anjie scored 16 points to make it 54-54, and the two teams ended their first half with a tie.
Ricard clapped his hands at the rest of the game, and the first half was finally a smooth one. In the second half, it's time to find a way to gain the upper hand!
Although the game is already very good, the bloody battle between An Jie and his former brothers has not yet reached the climax......