bookrandom Chapter 410 Brunson: Today we're going to shut you down.
Chapter 410 Brunson: Today we're going to shut you down.
Wang Xiucheng scored his first point in the playoffs, which is a good start.
But the Knicks have clearly made ample preparations.
Whether it's Brunson, Grimes, or Barrett, the Knicks will double-team Wang Xiucheng whenever they have the chance, and when necessary, they will physically attack Wang Xiucheng or even intentionally foul him.
The purpose was to disrupt Wang Xiucheng's pass.
The Knicks would rather let Wang Xiucheng drive to the basket than let him pass the ball.
The problem is that Wang Xiucheng is no longer the only player the Nets can pass to.
The Nets currently hold a triple-double record.
After realizing the Knicks' intentions, Wang Xiucheng simply stopped dribbling the ball.
The task of handling the ball was handed over to Westbrook.
Wang Xiucheng became a number two player.
At this moment, Wang Xiucheng was standing in the bottom corner.
Wang Xiucheng, supporting his knees, looked at Westbrook at the top of the key.
Brunson discreetly placed his hand on Wang Xiucheng, as if afraid that Wang Xiucheng would disappear if he wasn't paying attention.
"We're going to keep you under control today."
Brunson whispered something to Wang Xiucheng.
Durant suddenly entered the paint at some point.
Claxton will block Randle, who is following Durant.
Durant ran a few steps and got to Brunson's side.
Wang Xiucheng suddenly asked Brunson, "What did you say?"
"I said……"
Brunson, who had just uttered two words, suddenly noticed that Wang Xiucheng had moved.
Brunson also sensed Wang Xiucheng's movement, so he immediately shut up and sped off.
But with a thud, Brunson crashed into Durant.
Two steps later, Wang Xiucheng received a pass from Westbrook.
Without any adjustments, Wang Xiucheng pulled up and threw.
The basketball, without any spin, traced a perfect arc and fell into the net.
Swish!
Three-pointer, in!
This was Wang Xiucheng's second three-pointer of the night, and his first three-pointer to go in.
Thanks to this three-pointer, the Nets are temporarily leading the Knicks 15-13 at home.
Perhaps because it was the first playoff game, both sides were very restrained in their shooting, and their shooting percentages were not high.
This explains why the score was only 15-13 with 4 minutes left in the first quarter.
It seems this match will be a low-scoring one.
Thibodeau checked the time and called a timeout.
Wang Xiucheng's three-point shooting has started, which is something that worries him a bit.
Wang Xiucheng's ability to do one thing and two things at once gave Xibodu a headache.
Even before Westbrook was on the team, as long as Wang Xiucheng was defended, it would be quite effective.
After all, Ben West can drive and pass, but he can't shoot from long range.
But with Westbrook on the court, averaging a triple-double is a bit scary.
Although Westbrook's shooting percentage has always been a point of criticism.
But since joining the Nets, Westbrook's shooting percentage has improved significantly.
It can no longer be described as "iron".
This left Thibodeau at a loss.
Moreover, it should be noted that this is only the problem brought about by Wang Xiucheng and Westbrook.
Durant only played for 6 minutes before going to the bench to rest.
Once Durant also gets this going, that'll be the real problem.
Thibodeau stopped thinking about it, picked up his tactics board, squatted down, and began to plan his tactics.
On the other side, Nash was also strategizing.
Furthermore, Nash made a substitution.
The Nets have now assembled a rather unusual roster.
Ben West, Wang Xiucheng, Seth Curry, Joe Harris, and Royce O'Neal.
This is a small-ball lineup without a center.
Of course, strictly speaking, Ben West doesn't have a three-point shot, so he can't be considered a small-ball team.
But four people shooting three-pointers is enough.
With this lineup, the score remained deadlocked between the two teams.
When Wang Xiucheng made a buzzer-beating three-pointer, the first quarter finally came to an end.
The score was tied 27-27 in the first quarter.
For Nash, this is a perfectly acceptable result.
Durant, Westbrook, and Claxton all had plenty of rest.
Brunson of the Knicks played the entire 12 minutes of the first quarter.
Of course, Wang Xiucheng also played the full 12 minutes.
But Wang Xiucheng is in excellent physical condition right now, so Nash isn't worried about that.
Nash specifically told Wang Xiucheng that he should tell him if he felt tired.
However, Nash still intends to let Wang Xiucheng rest for a few minutes in the second quarter today.
Because the Nets have a very deep bench right now, with Ben West, Seth Curry, and Joe Harden all eager to get playing time.
Nash stood on the sidelines and discussed something with his assistant coach.
With about half a minute left in the break, Nash took the clipboard and squatted down on the ground.
"Stick to our tactics, everyone get running! Don't worry about stamina, that's not your concern, remember..."
Nash pointed to the fans' stands behind the bench: "This is our home court, and we have to win this game today."
"Your Majesty, you should rest for a while."
The referee was already calling for players. Nash held out his palm, and immediately everyone's palms were stacked together.
"Fuck him!"
Before Nash could even shout "Go for it!", Westbrook suddenly yelled something.
Before the others could think, they also shouted out.
"Fuck him!"
Durant, Westbrook, Claxton, Joe Harris, and Royce O'Neal all took to the court.
Westbrook has finally gotten back to playing his preferred point guard position.
Brunson, like Wang Xiucheng, was sitting down below, resting.
With Westbrook joining the team and Ben West returning from injury, the Nets now have a good bench.
Moreover, in terms of strength, they are no weaker than their opponents today.
The reason for this is that the score difference between the two sides widened to 5 points when the timeout was reached 6 minutes into the second quarter.
Durant's mid-range pull-up jumper is unstoppable.
In just six minutes, Durant made three mid-range shots.
After missing two wild shots, Westbrook focused more on passing.
On the defensive end, Joe Harris and Royce O'Neal stuck to the ball handler like glue.
Despite committing fouls, they repeatedly forced their opponents into double teams.
"Good fight."
Nash stood on the sidelines and gave each player a high-five.
Especially Royce O'Neal and Joe Harris.
Westbrook's arrival has the biggest impact on these two players.
The two players who were always the mainstays are now competing for the starting positions.
But when they saw Ben West, who had a top salary, sitting on the bench, the two found it somewhat amusing.
Westbrook's attitude and will to win earned him a starting position, and Wang Xiucheng will naturally take the other starting position as well.
Bencić will only be able to play as a substitute.
After all, no one knows when he might get injured again.