Chapter 1155 [Vicious Cycle, Wonderful]

The Lakers, who play small-ball tactics, have a strong offense. All five players on the court can shoot three-pointers. There are only two teams with a starting lineup that can do this, the Lakers and the Warriors.

Guo Xu and Horford organized the offense and moved the ball very well, which is their capital to compete with the Warriors' super lineup.

Horford averaged 15.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game in the playoffs. He didn't score a lot, but he could play a great tactical role and perfectly assumed the responsibility of being the second in charge. He can catch the ball and shoot, he can break through with the ball like a small forward, attract defenders and then distribute the ball into open spaces to create opportunities for role players.

Coach Mark Jackson believes Horford is an enhanced version of Green, and not as controversial as Green. If the two teams make a trade, he would definitely be willing to swap the two.

The Warriors attacked. After Green was released, he caught the ball and did not dare to shoot. He passed the ball inside to Lopez who was in a key position.

Lopez moved to the center and took the ball with his back to beat Horford. He turned to the right and hit a jump shot from close range. 9 to 4.

If Nurkic doesn't play, it will be difficult for the Lakers to defend against this kind of ball. Horford is one size smaller than his opponent.

Lopez was not selected for the All-Stars this season because his playing time was shortened, but his efficiency is still there. Whether it is low-post singles or mid-to-long-range jumpers, his shooting percentage is the best among inside players.

In the Lakers position battle, after the first two routines were blocked, Guo Xu moved to the weak side to catch the ball.

Tucker, Booker, and Horford were on the right, and only Guo Xu and Carter were on the left. The only way to double-team was Middleton on the wing. He hesitated.

The Warriors held a meeting before the game to discuss tactics. Carter was the one the coach specifically told not to let go. He was in great shape.

Carter averaged 22.5 minutes per game in the playoffs, scoring 11.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists. He shot 70% from three-point range and made 1.8 field goals. He did not have this efficiency at his peak.

The reason why Carter has such a ridiculous shooting percentage is because he is often responsible for connecting Guo Xu on the weak side. Guo Xu attracts double-teams and transfers the ball to his hands, which is an open shot.

Guo Xu played Curry in isolation. He dribbled the ball from his crotch and then turned his shoulder to touch the baseline. He dribbled the ball behind his back to his right hand and turned into a step-back jumper in the middle. He avoided Curry's block and the ball went hollow into the net. 11 to 4.

Jackson was on the sidelines discussing how to defend with his assistant, but Guo Xu was too stable in a one-on-one.

Regular season data shows that when Curry is on the court, the Warriors only lose 97.2 points per 100 possessions.

His defensive ability is definitely above average, but there is nothing he can do against Guo Xu. Barbosa and Livingston are also tall guards. Defending Guo Xu alone is almost a mismatch. As for Redick, can he do it with short hands?

It is difficult for the Warriors to guard against Guo Xu's weak-side singles. Winning two games in the regular season is directly related to Guo Xu's scoring. His teammates don't make many open shots, and they are not very active in defense. Nurkic is not on the court today, and the Lakers have no obvious defensive weaknesses on the perimeter.

Curry ran without the ball and was double-teamed by Guo Xu and Tucker when he received the ball. He did not force the shot and passed it to the open Green. The latter took aim in the middle and missed the outside shot. The rebound was grabbed by Horford.

In the regular season, Green was often defended in the air. He only shot 30.8% from three-point range, and he didn't dare to take any shots. After entering the playoffs, his shooting percentage dropped again, only 27.2%.

Green's deterioration in shooting ability began when Nowitzki joined. He felt that the team no longer needed to shoot by himself and could concentrate on defense and support.

In fact, Green is not trying to make progress. He could have done better. When the Warriors won their first championship, his three-point shooting percentage in the playoffs was as high as 41%, averaging 1.8 goals per game, and he also shot 38.8% in the regular season. If he practices long-range shooting during the holidays, he may find the feeling and confidence next season.

Now that Green is hopeless and his opponents are letting him shoot, his confidence has dropped and he has become more and more hesitant when taking shots, forming a vicious cycle.

In the Lakers' position battle, Horford screened Guo Xu just after halftime. Guo Xu held the ball and got rid of Curry's sudden acceleration, and Green switched defense. Guo Xu lowered his center of gravity as he approached Green, held the ball in his left hand and quickly changed direction, using his speed to get rid of Green.

As a short insider, Green has always been known for his mobility, but his explosive power is obviously not enough compared to Guo Xuyi. He had already committed a foul, and he did not dare to reach out or stretch his legs randomly or hit or throw someone for a foul.

Guo Xu drove straight into the middle, attracting Lopez to cover up and pass the ball to the right corner. Tucker hit an open jumper and scored another one. 14 to 4.

Seeing that the situation was not good, Jackson asked for a timeout. The Lakers' role players are not vegetarians. They can guarantee a high shooting rate by catching and shooting.

The game was broadcast live on TNT radio. Barkley analyzed: "It is definitely a mistake to leave Tucker empty in the corner. He is the player who has made the most three-pointers from the corner this season, scoring 88 in total."

Kenny Smith said: "Tucker has taken more shots in the playoffs, averaging 2.4 three-pointers per game and shooting 46.7%. The Lakers' tactic is to open up and let Guo Xu play in singles. Who after he distributes the ball?" If someone gets a chance to shoot a three-pointer, the Spurs can't guard him."

O'Neal said: "He doesn't need very complicated tactics, as long as he has a single opportunity, it is enough. If the Warriors don't double-team, he will definitely be able to score high points."

The Warriors' tactics are similar to those of the Lakers. Curry attracted double-teams and then assisted his teammates to shoot three-pointers. Many shooters achieved a strong record after shooting away. Now Guo Xu can guard Curry alone, but Curry cannot guard Guo Xu alone. This is the Lakers' biggest advantage.

After the timeout, the Warriors players began to double-team Guo Xu tightly. The formation was changed to a zone defense, with two nearby players attacking, instead of allowing Curry to defend. In a parallel world, the Warriors often let Thompson defend point guards and Curry defend spot-up shooters, which can reduce Curry's pressure on the defensive end.

On the offensive end, the Warriors sent Nowitzki to add an offensive point with the ball. Jackson could see that Curry couldn't beat Guo Xu with the ball. Green only played for a while and then went to rest. Jackson boldly launched an offensive attack with the Lakers.

In fact, if he had done this earlier, the difference between the two sides would not have been 10 points.

Tucker is very suitable to defend Green, and he can also double-team Curry and leave Green open. It's absolutely impossible for him to defend Nowitzki. This is equivalent to an enhanced version of Aldridge.

Nowitzki showed off his power right away, holding the ball twice to challenge Tucker. With a dribble, he turned around and shot an independent jumper. Tucker had no choice but to sneak up on the wing and block the shot. However, Nowitzki notices someone covering the wing and will distribute the ball.

After the Warriors made the substitution, all five players on the court were able to shoot. After his wing teammates were unable to double-team, Curry quickly opened up and relied on the screen to get rid of Guo Xu to catch the ball and shoot.

Guo Xu must stay close to Curry. Once he has space to shoot, it will be difficult. Guo Xu's height makes it difficult to block shots. Curry's shot was open and he couldn't cover him and hit people.

The Warriors found their rhythm and the 10-point difference was nothing at all. They narrowed the point difference to only 3 points in one wave.

At this time, commentators from all over the world felt that Green was nothing special. He had poor offense, rough skills, and was just a blue-collar defensive player who acted like he was a superstar.

If commentators do not say good things about Green, fans' impressions of him will gradually change, and businesses will not consider him when looking for spokespersons. He can only make a living with his playing salary, and his commercial value is not high, which is like retribution for rough playing.

Curry opened up on the offensive end, but the defensive end was still the weakest link. He couldn't guard Guo Xu's weak-side singles. He swung twice and made another breakthrough. He threw a flying throw in the middle to avoid the block and hit.

The applause from the Warriors' home fans grew louder and louder, and the contest between the two offensive teams was extremely exciting.