ebookland Chapter 187 Crazy Targeting
Chapter 187 Crazy Targeting
Teague passed the ball to Antić, who then handed it to Jia Fei!
Jia Fei came out to receive the ball, and when he did, the Thunder fans in the arena felt a pang of sadness. The same number 3, the same handsome Asian-skinned guy, but this time, the number 3 jersey had an eagle on it.
With the ball in hand, Jia Fei used Antić's screen to take a step forward, backing himself against Sefolosha, and moved inside to pass to Milutinovic at the baseline!
Miguel received the ball, faked a move, and then turned and jumped, but missed!
Durant grabbed the rebound and brought the ball over himself.
Jia Fei immediately stepped up to defend him, covering the entire court and giving the veteran no chance to breathe.
Seeing Jia Fei's aggressive defense, many Thunder fans in the arena couldn't help but boo...
Jia Fei ignored the boos and focused on defense. He's a Hawks player now, not a Thunder player. Is it wrong to play defense seriously?
Durant got excited facing Jia Fei's tight defense, and after his signature double crossover, he pulled up for a three-pointer!
Even with Jia Fei's explosive speed and wingspan, it would be extremely difficult for him to block Durant's jump shot in a one-on-one situation.
Thankfully, that shot didn't go in!
Long rebound! Jia Fei reacted quickly, stretching out his long arm to grab it!
Jia Fei initiated a counter-attack with the ball, passing it to Korver who was following up in the middle!
Korver's three-point attempt also missed!
Both sides launched a fierce offensive attack from the start, but it was clear that neither side was in good form, and they missed several attempts from the outside.
More than two minutes have passed in the game, and the score is still 0-0!
"Teacher Su, will this game be a defensive battle?" Yu Jia asked.
Su Qun adjusted his glasses: "It's hard to say. It felt a little tight on both sides at first, but it'll be fine in a bit!"
It's a bit tight... Professor Su, you've never seen an international bus before!
Teague dribbled the ball across half-court and passed it to Jia Fei, who had circled out from behind!
Antić came up to set a screen, and Jia Fei used the screen to break through and then passed to Antić outside the three-point line!
Antić handed the ball to Korver! Jia Fei suddenly feinted and retreated!
Korver drew the defense's attention and passed the ball to Jia Fei on the left wing!
Jia Fei received the ball and calmly launched a three-pointer...
Goal!
3-0, the Hawks score first!
This offensive play perfectly embodies the essence of Coach Buden's dynamic offensive system, which emphasizes "players and ball moving together." Jia Fei's three-pointer was also a pleasant surprise, showing that he has improved again!
The home fans in the Ford Center stands felt a pang of sadness seeing this. It's worth noting that Jia Fei, with the Thunder, didn't possess this ability to receive a pass and shoot a three-pointer while moving. Or rather, he didn't have such a consistent ability to shoot threes while moving.
Reggie dribbled over, used a screen, pulled up and made a jump shot, answering the call!
Unlike Westbrook, Reggie Jackson has a better jump shot, but his ability to attack the rim and transition offense is far inferior to Westbrook's.
Teague dribbled over, set a double screen at the top of the arc, and passed the ball to Jia Fei on the baseline!
Jia Fei scores again against Antić in the high post!
Perkins cowered under the basket, watching helplessly as Antić hit a long two-pointer!
5-2, the Hawks lead by 3 points!
For the Thunder, Durant drove hard against Jia Fei and made a pull-up jumper!
But looking back, Jia Fei and Antić combined at the top of the arc, with the latter receiving the ball and scoring again from a high position!
Clearly, the Hawks kept looking for pick-and-rolls from Antic at the start of the game, not because of his superior ability, but simply because Perkins was too slow...
Using pick-and-rolls against traditionally defensively dominant centers is a tactic many teams in the league are employing. The Hawks' two centers, Horford and Antic, both possess three-point shooting ability and can facilitate plays, allowing them to effectively utilize their tactical versatility.
Perkins was being targeted so aggressively by the Hawks, and Coach Brooks on the sidelines looked grave. After Jia Fei led an 8-2 run, he finally couldn't sit still any longer and called the first timeout of the game!
Sports Channel Studio.
Yu Jia exclaimed, "The Hawks' offense is so fluid! The players and the ball move so smoothly. Coach Budenholzer truly lives up to his Spurs background and has inherited Coach Popovich's skills."
Su Qun nodded: "The Hawks operate under these conditions. All five of their players can shoot three-pointers, have passing ability, and are willing to share the ball. The best way to defend against this system is to use man-to-man defense combined with switching. However, the Thunder have a big center in the paint, so switching is not a realistic option."
After the timeout, the game resumed.
The Thunder's offense remained simple upon their return: Durant isolation plays, Reggie Jackson pick-and-rolls. The ball was almost entirely in their hands. The other three players were largely absent from the offense. Perkins, while occasionally scoring inside, was inefficient; he was simply too slow, and his missed opportunities were alarming. Against opposing centers lacking strong inside scoring, his role as a defensive anchor diminished. Ibaka lacked ball-handling skills; his role was primarily catch-and-shoot, occasionally attacking the paint. As for Sefolosha, a pure 3-and-D player, his role had to be reduced after his injury, whether playing 3 or D.
The Hawks' defensive strategy was to shut down Durant and Reggie Jackson, using delays and double teams to force them to pass the ball or make their shots uncomfortable.
Unexpectedly, after the timeout, the Thunder deployed a zone defense, which resulted in Jia Fei and Korver hitting consecutive three-pointers, forcing another Thunder timeout...
The home fans in the arena are going crazy. Is this how they're going to play after the timeout? Brooks, what happened to your game? You think you can lead us to a championship with this level of skill?
Interestingly, the camera then focused on the Hawks' coaching bench, where Coach Budensee looked very confident. Everyone says he has no tactics, but against Brooks, his tactics seemed quite sophisticated.
Yu Jia was somewhat puzzled: "The Thunder won the game in Atlanta before, Mr. Su, do you still remember that game? Did the Hawks use the same strategy in that game?"
Su Qun shook his head: "I watched that game. The situation was different then. Westbrook also played in that game, and the Hawks' starting center wasn't this Antić, but veteran Brand. Brand couldn't produce that kind of offense. He was just spacing the floor, and defensively he couldn't stop Westbrook's drives to the basket."
After the timeout, the Thunder finally abandoned their zone defense and switched back to man-to-man defense. They also made personnel adjustments, with Perkins, who had been heavily targeted, going to the bench and Collison coming in.
On the defensive end, the center doesn't just retreat and defend, but comes out to delay, just like the Hawks' defense.
As a result, the Hawks' offensive efficiency also decreased.
Both teams made personnel adjustments one after another, and the rotation lineups of both sides came on.
For the Hawks, the rotation consists of Captain America, Schroder, Scott, Carroll, and Shelvin Mack. For the Thunder, it's Fisher, Collison, Lamb, Adams, and Roberson.