Chapter 612: You Can Still Hit the Ball

In the first quarter of the game, the Spurs followed the same process as in the past.

The Spurs should be said to be the team with the strongest process in the league.

After such a set of procedures, the regular season is basically two words, "stable."

Ordinary teams can't handle it at all. Anyway, they will fall behind if they play, and they will lose if they play.

The stable and reliable system has guaranteed the stable and efficient performance of this team for more than ten years.

And Li Liang also implemented his strategy, which was to keep causing trouble for the Spurs.

In the first quarter, he only took a three-pointer and missed it.

The rest of him is to use the conversion of attack and receiver, use his strong body to rush to the basket, disrupt the Spurs' odd-even formation, and cause damage to the Spurs' insiders, especially Duncan.

"Creating damage", the frequency of this word in the past two years has become less and less, and now it is "cheating fouls", rather than causing double fouls and psychological damage to the inside.

And Li Liang, the three-point killer who used to float outside, turned into a heavy tank tonight, constantly breaking into the inside to score, draw fouls, and get to the free throw line.

Li Liang scored 12 points in the first quarter, including 6 free throws, and caused two fouls on Leonard and one foul on Duncan, helping the Pacers 26:24 and leading the Spurs by 2 points to end the first quarter .

Leonard had to sit off the court for a long time at the beginning of the second quarter because of two fouls in the first quarter.

Leonard still couldn't understand why Li Liang could improve his strength so much after one summer?

He himself has been training desperately, but it seems that not only has he not improved in front of Li Liang, but he has regressed?

A sense of powerlessness permeated Leonard, which he didn't have when facing James.

Because James is the chosen one, a genius from the beginning, Leonard is not even considered qualified to catch up with James.

So he is in a very "safe" position, silently launching efforts and advancing towards the goal.

Li Liang is different, this guy is even more unknown than Leonard, but his achievements have been earth-shattering.

At the same time, the speed of his progress is simply terrifying and desperate.

And the desperate Li Liangzheng was sitting on the bench feeling another kind of despair.

"Make more use of your mid-range to solve problems, don't be afraid to shoot mid-range, don't stick to shooting three-pointers, be flexible!"

In the first quarter, Li Liang's inside attack gave the outside a lot of opportunities.

Li Liang hopes that outside players can make reasonable use of these opportunities and attack the Spurs' defense three-dimensionally.

As a result, Smith, Finsen and others knew how to shoot three-pointers.

The Spurs' outside rotation is very good, and the Pacers' three-point shooting rate is not high, otherwise they would have led more in the first quarter.

"Didn't you want me to vote resolutely?" Smith finally became suspicious again with his firm eyes.

"I don't want you to vote resolutely, but I want you to make a correct choice and then firmly implement your choice."

Smith was even more puzzled, while Finsen was biting his finger...

Bird said, "Let's shoot resolutely, don't think too much, the game has started, guys."

At the beginning of the second quarter, Li Liang was still sitting on the sidelines to rest.

Bird sat down in front of Li Liang and said, "Bruce, you are too anxious. I understand what you mean, but you can't ask your teammates to be firm, but also require them to be smart and independent."

"Isn't it wise to be resolute?"

Bird said: "Not everyone has your abilities and conditions. They are actually excellent players. We should give them moderate easing and moderate guidance."

Li Liang pondered for a while, and said, "Isn't this what your head coach will do?"

Bird said: "yes, that's right, I will do it, but I think you did a good job."

Li Liang had a question mark on his face, I let you be the head coach, so you let me do what you do?

Why don't you give me some salary?

Li Liangda can fight on his own, but there is no way, he is just a person who has broken his heart for the team.

After the start of the second quarter, the second teams of the two sides confronted each other on the field.

Boris Diaw led the Spurs' second team, and he broke through as soon as he came up and caused a defensive foul by Scola on the inside.

Scola is very useful on the offensive end, but he really can't keep up on the defensive end.

Even a fat guy like Dior can't defend, and the Pacers' inside line is also problematic.

However, in the current trend of the league, strong teams have more or less internal defense problems, because they have all invested resources in the backcourt.

Dior made two free throws and the score was tied.

Then in the Pacers' attack, Scola asked for the ball with his back at the corner and was immediately double-teamed.

Scola played the ball very quickly, very calmly and re-passed to CJ Myers on the outside, and Myers passed the ball to McGee in the middle.

McGee had a chance in the middle, McGee turned around with the ball, McGee made an elegant hook like a skyhook!

not in...

The arm span, movement, and posture are all perfect, but the wrist is not pressed.

The Spurs got the backcourt rebound. After repeated blocking and cutting screens from the outside, Mills received a pass from Danny Green at 45 degrees on the right and hit a three-pointer.

The Spurs took the lead.

Li Liang's efforts in the first quarter were in vain, because the rhythm of the substitute lineup was completely different from his playing rhythm, and there was no way for the two sides to connect.

The Pacers are still the same as last season.

Bird also wants to change, but he can't change it temporarily because the lineup is here.

Only when West and Hill return, the team lineup will be more abundant, and there may be room for adjustment and reversal.

Subsequently, CJ Myers broke through with the ball and then gave the ball to Scola who was waiting in the middle.

Scola received the ball and chose to hit a mid-range jumper.

It was a good shot, and the choice of offense and the final shot were clear.

Popovich called a timeout at this time, and he was going to make a substitution to start the transition between the lineups.

From this point of view, the Spurs are indeed very strong as a whole. They do not have a clear so-called "first team" or "second team".

Several main players can carry out different combinations according to different opponents and different situations.

From this we can see how powerful Popovich's ability to control the team's lineup is.

In comparison, Bird's control over the lineup is not so strong.

However, a smart coach like Bird quickly understood a truth. In the current Pacers, controlling Li Liang is equivalent to controlling the entire team.

Li Liang reappeared and replaced McGee.

On the Spurs side, Popovich replaced Duncan, and it seemed that Li Liang was going to face Duncan directly.

After beating Leonard, Duncan is the next step. For Li Liang, the challenge is really not small.

As a result, the Spurs came back from a timeout for the first offense. Duncan got stuck on the left waist and asked for the ball, and played Li Liang with his back.

Can't stand it?

Li Liang quietly lit a [Tom Heinthorne's cigarette], and Duncan couldn't take advantage of it at all when he was stuck.

And the offensive time is running out, Duncan can only choose a turn-back jumper, very reluctantly shot, and missed.

Once Li Liang was on the court, the Pacers' offense suddenly became sharper and faster.

JR Smith rushed to the bottom corner and made a decisive three-pointer after receiving a pass from Li Liang, but he missed the shot.

Li Liang rushed to the basket from the middle, squeezed away the three Spurs players, grabbed the offensive rebound, and then distributed the ball to the corner.

This time Smith lived up to Li Liang's efforts and made a three-pointer!

This three-pointer sounded the clarion call for the Pacers' offense.

The Spurs are obviously not used to the Pacers' lineup with Li Liang as the center.

First of all, in terms of offense, Duncan is not sure about taking Li Liang one-on-one.

Secondly, in the defense, the Pacers opened up in an all-round way, re-displaying Li Liang's personal ability, and handing over the space stage to Li Liang to play.

This kind of "James with super three-point ability" style of play is really overwhelming.

Li Liang himself also unlocked the three-point lock, and hit three consecutive three-pointers in the second quarter, helping the Pacers play a wave of 17:7 offensive attacks, and suddenly opened the point difference to more than 10 points.

Popovich's adjustment was a little slower. He replaced Manu Ginobili and replaced the slightly bulky Diaw, making the Spurs' lineup lighter.

But the situation has not changed for the better.

Compared with last season, GDP is one year older, and Ginobili is really completely bald.

Duncan's power in the low post has declined significantly, and Parker's state has become even worse this season after declining last season.

Originally, the Spurs' hopes were pinned on Leonard's growth, but now it seems that Leonard can't beat Li Liang.

At the end of the first half, the Pacers took a 10-point lead at 61:51.

For the Pacers, scoring more than 60 points at halftime is a sign of a good offense.

JR-Smith played normally in the first half, Stephenson didn't make trouble for the time being, and McGee kept his business, except for taking the ball and smashing Li Liang's head, he didn't do anything that could make the top five embarrassing.

Being able to do this, Li Liang felt very satisfied, and he could still play basketball.