NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 294 The Eagle's Running Man

In regular season matchups, the Hawks rarely used double teams, so Nene, with his low-post back-to-the-basket skills, was dominant in the paint, effectively shutting down Mills. But in the playoffs, the Hawks stopped playing one-on-one. If you received the ball in the low post, they would double team you, selectively leaving you open and using rotations to help out.

Nene is certainly not selfish, but he can't accurately find an open teammate when he's double-teamed. The moment he slows down, the Hawks' rotation comes into play.

Breaking double teams is a must-learn skill for superstars, and many superstars still don't understand it. Most role players understand it even less because they are rarely double-teamed.

The two teams were not far apart, but the Hawks maintained a firm grip on the game.

Soon it was time for the rotation. The Hawks used a 9-man rotation for this game, with the 4 substitutes being Art Mayok, Carroll, Schroder, and Scott.

The Wizards also have a 9-man rotation, with four substitutes: Okon Porter Jr., Drew Gooden, Ramon Sessions, and Kevin Seraphin.

Porter and Gooden were in great form this game, hitting three-pointers in the first quarter to help the Wizards take the lead.

At the end of the first quarter, the Hawks trailed by 2 points, 24-22.

Jia Fei played a solid first quarter, scoring 6 points, grabbing 2 rebounds, and dishing out 2 assists.

Jia Fei entered the game at the start of the second quarter!

Kenny Smith was surprised: "Charles, didn't you notice the Hawks are adjusting their rotation?"

Barkley nodded: "Of course, I'm watching the ball! It's just letting Jia Fei lead the second unit, right? There's nothing surprising about it. The Hawks' second unit lacks scoring options, and to be honest, he can't carry the team."

The Hawks had five players on the court, led by Jia Fei and a group of four substitutes; the Wizards had five players on the court, led by Beal and a group of four substitutes.

Jia Fei's decision to bring the second unit wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision, but rather a consensus already reached within the team. The coaching staff had discussed this with him beforehand; the team's second unit lacked scoring firepower and playmaking, a persistent problem. In fact, many teams in the league have this issue, but for the Hawks, as the league's top team and a championship contender, this problem absolutely needed a solution; otherwise, it would only become more problematic as the playoffs progressed.

This was originally intended as a backup plan for the Hawks, but the reason they used it in Game 1 of the semifinals is that the Wizards are not the Nets; they are a formidable opponent. If they lose the first game, the Hawks will be at a disadvantage. Seizing the initiative is something they absolutely must do!

The Hawks took the first possession, and Schroder dribbled the ball over.

As a point guard, Xiao Hei was known as the "German Rondo" before entering the league. However, apart from his dribbling and physical appearance being somewhat similar to Rondo's, his playmaking ability is worlds apart from Rondo's.

Despite lacking shooting ability, Rondo's ability to be the starting point guard for a championship team and his exceptional playmaking skills are truly remarkable. If Black had even 50% of his playmaking ability, the Hawks' second unit's playmaking problem would be solved.

Like many small black guards, Xiao Hei excels at scoring, with his playmaking limited to drives and passes. He lacks the ability to orchestrate the offense from the half-court. In fact, Teague isn't much better at playmaking, but with Jia Fei and Horford in the starting lineup, the second unit players are all finishers, and their playmaking abilities are quite average.

With Jia Fei on the field, Xiao Hei wanted to pass the ball to him immediately, but he shook his head slightly, indicating that he should organize the offense first.

The player guarding Jia Fei was Wizards' third overall pick, Okon Porter Jr.

Okon Potter has a physique comparable to Jia Fei's, at least in terms of size, he won't be overpowered by Jia Fei.

Xiao Hei dribbles the ball and sets a screen, feeding Art Mayok under the basket.

Art Mayor was double-teamed after receiving the ball, but instead of recklessly fighting back, he passed the ball to Carroll in the bottom corner.

Carroll's three-point attempt missed, and Gooden grabbed the rebound.

Sessions dribbled the ball over, and Jia Fei was assigned to defend Beal.

In this lineup, Jia Fei plays the number 2 position.

Sessions wanted to pass the ball to Beal, but Jia Fei's off-ball defense was very tight, and he couldn't pass it to him for a while.

Sessions then passed the ball to Guden in the low post.

Gooden attacked Scott, forcefully drawing a foul and going to the free-throw line.

Guden made both free throws, making it 26-22, extending the lead to 4 points!

The Hawks are on offense, and Xiao Hei is looking for Jia Fei.

Jia Fei receives the ball, and Art Mayok comes up to set a screen.

The Wizards double-teamed Jia Fei, who bounced the ball to Art Mayork! Then he immediately accelerated and moved inside!

Art Mayork immediately passed the ball back to Jia Fei!

Jia Fei received the ball, took a step, stopped abruptly near the free-throw line, and released a jump shot—which went in smoothly!

Seraphin was too slow to move under the basket, and there was no time for him to help defend. He could only watch helplessly as Jia Fei made a jump shot.

26:24, the score difference is back to 2 points!

The Wizards' offense still relies on Gooden's strong low-post play!

Xiao Hei went up to double-team, and Guden hurriedly passed the ball out. Jia Fei came over from the weak side and intercepted the ball!

Jia Fei countered, using nitro boost. Okon Potter tried to give chase, but immediately gave up. You can't compete with a pro in 0-100 km/h acceleration, even with running shoes!

Amid cheers from the fans, Jia Fei finished with a flying dunk!

26:26, the score is tied in an instant!

Jia Fei scored 4 consecutive points, helping the team recover from their losing streak.

Bill finally got the ball, and he gritted his teeth, saying fiercely, "Don't get cocky, the game has only just begun." Then he drove straight to the basket!

Jia Fei stayed in front of him, watching what he would do.

Beal is also a short shooting guard, a combo guard. Facing Jia Fei's one-on-one defense, he couldn't easily shake him off. Left with no other option, he took a step-back jumper!

But the ball missed!

Art Mayork grabbed the rebound in the backcourt and suddenly flicked the ball forward...

Just as the fans in the stadium were about to yell "What's the rush?", they immediately saw Jia Fei rush forward, control the ball, and complete another dunk in the frontcourt with a 1-on-0 advantage!

26:28, Jia Fei scored 6 points in a row, his counterattacks were incredibly fast and unstoppable!

The Wizards called a timeout; their momentum had been completely taken over by their opponents, and both their offense and defense were struggling!

The Philips Arena erupted in cheers... Jia Fei's consecutive dunks ignited the fans' emotions, and it seems the team has finally found the right answer to the problem that had plagued the second unit all season.

Furthermore, the chemistry between Jia Fei and Art Mayork is simply amazing! All season ago, fans had never seen Art Mayork deliver such a "quarter-post long pass" in actual gameplay, but this time it happened. There's only one explanation: their understanding is so good, I knew you could receive the ball.

"Well done, Art!" Jia Fei laughed and gave Art Mayork a high five.

"You're fast! I think you run even faster than LeBron James!" Art Mayork grinned from ear to ear.

Jia Fei smiled, "The real Running Man is already in the lineup!"