Chapter 40: Stern's most hated game
Since Stern took over the league, the star-making movement has never stopped, and when the gang leader retires, especially the first retirement, this kind of star-making activity has reached its peak, and he hopes that the game can be more enjoyable and more prominent, and because of this, Stern hates some dead-faced dogskin plaster defensive games, such as today's one, which is definitely Stern's most hateful. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 info
Both sides have lost their star players and locker room leaders, and there is a shared emphasis on defensive supremacy and team basketball, and even the most die-hard fans on both sides are not so keen on this game.
The Knicks take on the Philadelphia 76ers on the road, and it will be destined to be a low-score, slow-paced defensive battle.
If it weren't for the influence of historical factors, the first game of the league was played in New York, then Philadelphia is actually a veritable basketball mecca for many people, with Zhang Dashuai's 100 points in ancient times, and then there is the battle of faith in AI, where Kobe's high school career was also played. And now, there's another legend here, Larry Brown.
There is an interesting saying about the league that there are only two kinds of coaches in this league, cardinal and non-cardinal; And in the 90s, although there were more types, there was one school that always accounted for the vast majority, that is, the academic school led by Larry Brown, defense first, team basketball, and even Popovich used to be an assistant coach under Larry Brown, just to study, you can imagine what kind of mentality those who go around denigrating Larry Brown because he only won one championship in his life. (When it comes to coaches who don't have championships, I can't help but think of Nelson, O'Neal said that Nielsen will never have a championship, and then Nelson complained directly, I took five when I was a player, and that's right, Nelson was the team's main quarterback during the Cardinals' period, the legendary super dynasty.) )
In a sense, Van Gundy is also a Larry Brown line, and although the two have no actual intersection, their coaching styles are similar, but the biggest difference is that Larry Brown is also very good at adjusting the offense to the team.
Even though it was a doomed and boring match, he couldn't hide the hunger for victory on both sides.
The game begins, jumping the ball.
Instead of using Nazr Mohammed after Ratliff's injury, Coach Brown promoted Todd Marcolocchi, a second-round pick selected this year, to the starting position, which is understandable, given that the center across from him is not a high pick.
The two centers are of similar height and weight, and Marcolocchi may be heavier, which leads to his bounce speed being as fast as Moxi, and Moxi can jump to the ball, and the Knicks start to attack.
Facing Snow, who is close to the defense, Ward actually has the feeling of an intra-team confrontation with the Knicks, the 76ers' defense is very tough, and it is also the type that does not hesitate to prevent you from scoring through fouls.
Ward controlled the ball and chose to transfer to Sprewell, who kept shaking in the face of Aaron McGee, McGee was unmoved, and gradually forced Sprewell away from the three-point line.
Sprewell couldn't find a chance for a while, so he simply passed the ball to Houston, who came out on the wing, but Houston couldn't get rid of the defender and had to pass the ball to Ward again.
Seeing that the time was slipping away, Ward had no choice but to borrow Kurt Thomas's cover to make a mid-range stop. The ball was so powerful that it popped out of the frame.
Thomas quickly broke free from the opponent's entanglement and rushed to the rush, and Mo Xi also fought with Marcolocchi under the basket, but the ball was still protected by the 76ers.
Although the 76ers' current lineup on the court is more like a double point guard, the 76ers did not launch a fast break, and after losing Iverson's explosive scoring point, the 76ers' fast break is a little timid, besides, it is not only the Knicks and Heat in this world who like the slow old lady-style offense, but also the 76ers.
The 76ers began to attack from the position, and the 76ers also belonged to the defensive jump shooting team, but one thing was slightly different from the Knicks, the 76ers moved the ball quickly. It even made the Knicks feel like they were still playing against yesterday's Mavericks.
Snow directly gave the 45-degree striker, and the striker then dropped the ball to Marcolocchi on the inside, although the Canadian had a slight advantage in weight, but still could not effectively form an inside back threat to Mo Xi, chiseled twice, did not impress Mo Xi, and immediately passed the ball out, Aaron McGee received the ball.
As a mid-range shooter who is almost as famous as Houston in the future, McGee is already a little rudimentary at this moment, but now he is facing Sprewell, but McGee doesn't seem to have any intention of making a move, he quickly handed the ball to Marcolocchi, and then bypassed Markovic, used the latter's physical advantage to block Sprewell a little, took over the hand-to-hand pass, and shot directly.
Mo Xi saw the opponent's tactical intentions a little when McGee moved, although Mo Xi's defense was not good enough, it did not mean that his defensive awareness was not good, Mo Xi bypassed Macolocchi and stepped forward to interfere.
McGee's shot ultimately missed, Thomas took the ball, and the Knicks switched offense and defense.
This time, Mo Xi was in a good position in the low post, but Ward did not dare to give the ball rashly, although Mo Xi blocked the opposing player, but the 76ers' outside defense was too aggressive, Ward tried to pass the ball several times, but was almost destroyed by the opponent, and in desperation, he had to transfer the ball to Thomas at the free throw line.
Thomas has a good mid-range jumper, and the 76ers didn't dare to relax their defense against him, but at this time, they thought that Ward's several passes were destroyed by the opponent, and the Knicks' offensive time was not much left, so Thomas had to resist the opponent, and then suddenly withdrew, and forced a shot when both sides were a little unstable, but this shot was still too reluctant and popped out of the frame.
The stalemate between the two sides lasted for four minutes before finally opening up in Snow, Snow forced a breakthrough through Ward's defense, and in the face of Moxi's supplementary defense, Snow made a strong layup, although he didn't hit, but caused Moxi's foul, went to the free throw line, and hit one of two free throws, and the game finally scored.
Snow's goal also seems to have opened up new offensive options for players on both sides, both sides began to increase physical contact, trying to win the opportunity to get to the free throw line, because both sides are the kind of teams that fight fiercely, there is almost no need to deliberately create fouls, in the defensive intensity of both sides, in case you fail to make a foul, what awaits will be a wave of counterattacks.
Alan Houston and Sprewell also responded with a wave of free throws, but neither side could score a single open game.
Finally, halfway through the first quarter, the Knicks got a chance. Ward missed a three-pointer, which was a long rebound, and Thomas grabbed the rebound with a brilliant bounce and handed it to Ward.
Ward didn't fall in love either, a horizontal pass to Houston, Houston passed a half-high ball to the basket because of the long rebound just in front of Mo Xi, Mo Xi took off directly, put the ball into the basket, and the first sports battle score of the two sides appeared.
However, more often than not, the two sides are still spent in a strange wrestling, this kind of game is boring to watch whether it is a fan or a commentator, but the players and coaches on the field don't think so, the substitute lineups of both sides were replaced early, after all, this intensity of defense is too physical, and both sides are still in a state of lack of soldiers and major generals, and the protection of players must be in place.
At the end of the first quarter, the Knicks had a slight advantage at 17:16, or rather, it was actually the Knicks' free throws that were more accurate.