Chapter 350: Glory Despite Defeat

In the long history of the NBA, there is no shortage of lucky people who started the road to superstardom with an outstanding performance in one game, and the biggest achievement should be the magician. The Magic, who was drafted by the Lakers, made it to the Finals in his rookie season, and he was originally the No. 1 player, replacing the injured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as center in Game 6 of the Finals, scoring 42 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals, and becoming the youngest Finals MVP in NBA history at the age of 20 years and 276 days.

Jefferson certainly can't match a top superstar like Magic, but at least he played like a real star in this game. It's not just any player who can force the 76ers to change their lineup, they have their pride, and the strength of the players can ensure that they are comfortable against most opponents.

But now Jefferson has made Brown change the lineup, and it's their strongest little lineup! Even if the Nets lose this game, it will be worth it, because they have unearthed a rising star from the roster!

Brown has rarely used a small lineup this season, often using this nuclear weapon to win against a strong opponent, but now he wants to limit Jefferson's play with a small lineup. Brown has a better hand than last season, so this time he fielded Iverson, Snow, Reed, Bale and Dareham Porter.

Unlike before, Brown is mainly hoping to make a difference on the defensive end this time, so Dalem Porter, who protects rebounds inside, and Snow and Bell, who are responsible for outside defense, are essential, and Iverson and Reed are dedicated to offense. Of course, others will not show mercy when they have the opportunity, and everyone has the ability to score.

Before the second half began, Scott's face changed dramatically when he saw the opponent's starting lineup, the 76ers' small lineup is notorious in the league, although it is not used often, but every time it is used, it can determine the outcome of the game. At a time when everyone is still sticking to the traditional style of play, such a lineup is like a hurricane sweeping the league, unless they are expected to make mistakes themselves, the vast majority of teams will not be able to stop their wave, and their fate is to collapse under the stormy attack.

However, it seems that this small lineup is a little different today, huh?

Scott isn't stupid, he's no fool to be the head coach of an NBA team, and he's seen the 76ers' small lineup more than once before, and in his opinion, it's a purely offensive lineup. But what's going on with this lineup now? Forget about Hellam Potter, Bale has been a lot of appearances before, but what does Snow mean when he plays?

It didn't take long for Scott to know what the other side was doing with this weird little lineup, except for Dareham Porter under the basket, the other four people changed defenses infinitely, so that the Nets players who received the ball did not have any chance to shoot at all. Jefferson, who was eye-catching at the end of the second quarter, also faced Bell, and the success rate of the offense dropped significantly. If Scott couldn't even understand this, he could have rolled up and gone home, but it was precisely because he understood that he almost spurted out a mouthful of old blood.

Do you guys play like that? Didn't your little lineup say that they were going to attack aggressively? What is the situation now when it comes to defense? You're one of the best offensive teams in the league! This style of painting is not your style at all, right?

It seems that Scott has obviously forgotten that the 76ers are indeed a team with amazing firepower, but their head coach Brown started with defense, and it is not surprising that he changed an offensive lineup into a defensive lineup, and high mobility is one of the characteristics of a small lineup, although it is strange to make a fuss about this, but it makes sense.

Under the 76ers' strategy of infinite defensive changes, Van Horn and Kidders, who were originally quite active, soon returned to silence. It's not that they don't want to contribute to the team, it's just that the 76ers' defenders are in place too quickly, and neither blocking nor anything else can stop them, because there will always be people who switch in front of them to interfere, or that kind of kraft candy style.

This is also Brown's requirement for everyone, in his opinion, defensive skills can be practiced if they are not good, no one is a natural defensive expert, but your attitude on the defensive end must be positive enough, otherwise no matter how good the conditions are, it is just a colander.

Of course, the sluggishness of Van Horn and Kidders does not mean that the Nets have given up on resistance, and Kidd is still struggling to find a passing route in the gaps, hoping to get the ball to Jefferson. In the face of Bale, who is the best defensive first team this season, Jefferson can be said to be a newborn calf who is not afraid of tigers, and chooses to go up and face the opponent every time.

His one-on-one singles did help the team score a lot of points, but the shooting percentage could be improved, and he was just one man. Although Kidd is constantly feeding him with shells, Jefferson is still a little inexperienced, and he is now facing the 76ers' targeted defense with his own enthusiasm, and the scoring efficiency can be imagined.

The score between the two sides has gradually been pulled apart, although it has not yet reached the point where the Nets have lost the fighting spirit of the whole team, but anyone with a discerning eye can see that the 76ers have the absolute upper hand in this game, and now it depends on when they solve the opponent in waves. Despite this, Jefferson still fights for every ball, even if it is a throw-in that flies off the sideline, he often desperately wants to save it, and this desperate style of play has moved many people, and those general managers who did not choose him in the draft are even more chest-beating.

Jefferson's performance also won the respect of the 76ers' home fans, and the other players of the Nets were met with overwhelming boos when they got the ball, and when Jefferson got the ball, the boos were significantly smaller, and even applause and cheers could be faintly heard.

Of course, if the Nets had taken the lead, the fans would have been so polite, and they would have no doubt booed Jefferson out of his heart attack. It's not uncommon for players to be chanted MVP by away fans, but Jefferson clearly doesn't have the skills to turn 76ers fans against him, after all, their current opponent is last season's championship team.

In the end, the Nets still lost the game without surprise, and lost by nearly 20 points at 90-108, but this game can be said to be Jefferson's battle for fame, he cut 24 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 blocks in the overall stats, if Scott is not stupid, then Jefferson should be in the starting lineup for the next game.