basketball never sleeps

Chapter 296: Goat's Battle, It's Always Like This

Feeling the gazes of the entire team, Azhan tried to steady his breathing.

According to the unspoken rules on the court, if the starting player is hit by a single attack during a matchup, the ball should be given to him in the next offensive round and he will decide whether to use the established tactics or get back on his own.

A-Jan is a rational person most of the time. Considering his rich experience in RBQ when fighting against Mo Wen, it is really no big deal to be eaten alone once.

He is well aware of the home advantage he has as an American. It doesn't matter if the two of them are 40%-60%, 30%-70% or even 20%-80% on the court. As long as he can get a response, they will be 50%-50 in the post-match highlights.

If Mo Wen was not the governor's son-in-law, the organization that Azhan recently joined would be willing to provide Hollywood media resources to help Azhan overtake Mo Wen in public opinion.

That's right, James started making the gesture that made Michelle Yeoh extremely grateful and loyal when she won the Oscar for Best Actress during the playoffs this year. He really wants to improve.

Fortunately, Mike Brown realized James' predicament and rarely directed the offensive tactics, "forcing" James to focus on defeating Gay. At the same time, he gave orders to the entire team to further increase the aggression against Mo Wen.

"No way. This is the finals. There are so many fans from all over the United States watching. He got hit head-on by you and instead of trying to get back at you, he came after me?"

Guy raised his eyebrows at Mo Wen and pointed at himself in disbelief.

Mo Wen patted Guy's shoulder with a Nike logo-style smile.

Do you know what a high golf IQ is (it’s shameful to avoid it, but it’s useful)?

Many people like to regard the "Mamba Mentality" and James' "high basketball IQ" as two extremes, that is, one is to attack the opponent's strengths, and the other is to attack the opponent's weaknesses.

But this is largely the impression of the fans. In fact, the Zen Master would never allow Kobe to be so willful. The normal logic of competition is to pick the opponent's weaknesses, play to their strengths and avoid their weaknesses, bully the weak, use long arms to beat short arms, and use a strong man to beat a woman...

Kobe would pursue open space or relatively simple and easy singles most of the time, and would only ignore the consequences when he got carried away or at critical moments, although it was only occasionally the case.

While Azhan's intelligence brings him a competitive advantage rarely seen among gifted supermen, it also hinders his desire for power.

The timeout was over, and A-Zhan did not disappoint Mo Wen.

He stood opposite Mo Wen with a menacing look, started with a pick-and-roll, and then smoothly switched to Guy.

The Tiger tank started up without hesitation, and without spending too much effort it broke through head-on and got to the basket. Before the Sonics' inside players could return to defend, it pushed Gay and forced him to jump with the ball, and shot the ball off the backboard.

Look at this standard LBJ combo, so authentic.

After scoring easily, A-Jan had a smile on his face.

He even had the heart to tease Guy by saying "EZ".

Guy didn't want to say anything more, but the young man couldn't help but retorted, "Coward."

Without waiting for A Zhan to say anything about young people not being so impetuous, Guy turned around and shouted at Mo Wen, "I need the ball, boss, I'm a fucking man!"

James' breathing stagnated, and the smile on his face just now was transferred to the faces of other Supersonics players. On the Cavaliers side, old king Webber, who had always been unhappy with the new king, also seemed to be trying to hold back a smile.

Regardless of whether Guy can succeed in the fight, his fearlessness alone makes James look like a villain.

Mo Wen, who was amused, did not pass the ball blindly just to watch the fun. Instead, he made a tactical gesture and shouted to Guy, "Watch your sides" after his teammates were in position.

Guy nodded seriously, responding to Mo Wen with a clear look in his eyes.

He has the lowest offensive priority among the Sonics' starting lineup, and "watch your sides" is one of the few tactical reminders surrounding him. Although it is not a one-on-one challenge tactic, it can be regarded as giving someone a taste of his own medicine.

Mo Wen was standing at the top of the arc, cooking leisurely. Ray Allen went around the left baseline and then ran to the right side to do an off-ball screen with Milicic. He moved to the high position to prepare for a pick-and-roll for Mo Wen. Gay, squatting in the bottom corner, looked harmless, as if he was waiting for a dunk.

But A-Jan knew very well that Mo Wen would definitely pass the ball to Guy, and he had his eyes on Guy this round - today I will let you see what it means for an emperor to be so angry that blood will splatter five steps away!
The next second, Mo Wen moved. Instead of looking for Tyson for a pick and roll, he ran to the outside and made a handoff with Guy.

A'Zhan's pursuit and defense was timely, but due to the lateral speed and Mo Wen's excellent screening quality, he was still delayed and lost his position.

Gay took the ball and did not shoot it hard. Instead, he ran towards Tyson's screen which he had not yet put away according to the tactics, and eagerly looked for the big white guy.

If Yao Ming after losing weight can be called upon at any time, then Big Z, who was once a template for the heavier Yao Ming, has a richness that most speed-type outside players can enjoy.

Originally in history, Parker was able to win the FMVP because everyone said he took advantage of the Cavaliers' empty inside line after Duncan attracted the Cavaliers' two inside players. But after watching the game, you can find that even without Duncan's attracting rounds, Big Z's pace would be difficult to keep up with the Spurs' targeted breakthroughs from the outside.

Facing Gay's attack, Big Z tried to stop him in a hurry, but failed. Gay staggered and rolled over, then got rid of Big Z's pull, grabbed the ball with both hands and smashed the rim before the basketball got out of control.

BOOM!

After landing, Guy couldn't help but roar twice, and the audience responded with applause and cheers.

A-Zhan, who was clenching his fists, was so angry that he laughed. I listened to your big words and waited for you to attack me head-on, but in the end, you didn't find a misalignment just like me, did you?

Guy noticed Ajan's expression and didn't feel ashamed.

"You were last year's MVP, and I'm this year's rookie. I'm a rookie, and your center is making tens of millions a year, so man, what kind of trash talk do you want to give me?"

Azhan felt very uncomfortable because of choking, but he soon came to his senses and chose to shut up.

Because he realized that the gap in their status in the world put him in a moral dilemma of bullying the weak. The advantages of age and honor made his success in the matchup seem natural, while Guy's success in the same way would make him appear to be a failure.

After thinking everything through, A-Jan really wants to change his opponent.

Unfortunately, there were only five people on the court, and the Supersonics only had three outside players.

Compared to Mo Wen and Gay, he is not willing to defend Ray Allen either.

Ray Allen's current average running distance per game is second only to Hamilton, who just went fishing, but his physical strength is not yet sufficient to allow him to participate in long-distance running while being the core ball handler.

In Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Pistons, Bibby sprained his ankle and rested for half the game. James tried to defend Hamilton for a quarter and a half, but he had to return to the basket through an intravenous injection after that game.

The photos of him with intravenous injections successfully portrayed his image of hard work and tenacity, but once you do this, you will know how painful it is.

After coming to his senses, James did not get carried away. He looked for Gay as usual, steadily and steadily crushed Gay's defense with conventional methods, broke into the inside and attracted Tyson's defense, assisting Big Z to make a shot close to the basket.

Fortunately, after the previous rounds of training, Guy has made no progress in terms of technique, but at least he has improved his mentality.

He knew he had tried his best, and he also realized that A-Jan had put up enough resistance in order to break through and had consumed a lot of physical energy.

Very spicy!

The gap exists objectively. After all, James has not trained in the gym in vain in recent years, but he also has time, and plenty of time.

Little emperor? He can be replaced!
Mike Brown couldn't help but frown. Although LeBron looks relaxed now, it is foreseeable that after Gay grows and gains weight next season, the Sonics' outside line will definitely become more difficult to deal with.

With three top-notch swingmen around 3 meters tall, the Bulls dynasty didn't have such a rich outside lineup back then. Also, think about the Sonics, who also had some talented inside players.

What kind of monster team are they going up against?
Back to the Sonics' turn, Mo Wen held the ball in the high post again. Mike Brown hesitated for a moment. Considering the Sonics' ability in the bottom corner, he did not call for 3-2 zone defense, but let the players execute the pre-game defensive plan as usual.

The line was not too crowded, Tyson and Milicic exchanged glances and ran over first.

Mike Bibby was more determined to go around the pick-and-roll this time, but he found that Big Z did not move up. After passing Tyson's screen, Mo Wen stepped back and made a jump shot.

The basketball drew a rainbow arc and went straight into the net, making the Cavaliers players who were defending nervously in their respective positions feel like clowns.

Then James dribbled the ball across half court, directed his teammates to run, and suddenly passed the ball to Reid halfway through.

Reed was aware of the improvement in defense made by his former boss this year, so he did not waste time. After catching the ball and making a fake shot, he jumped to one side and shot directly.

It's very wild, but it's a style and rhythm that he improved after imitating Mo Wen's daily three-point shooting.

Swish.

In response to the goal, the Cavaliers' bench roared twice in joy. However, Mo Wen did not give them a chance to breathe. After receiving the ball, he accelerated suddenly, leaving the Cavaliers no time to celebrate, and they quickly retreated.

Webber's habitual stroll and retreat gave Milicic the opportunity to sprint forward quickly. There was no one else on the Cavaliers' side. Big Z's defense was very active, but the speed difference was too great. The others were not tall enough and could only watch Mo Wen throw the ball to Milicic in the center line with a rugby quarterback pass.

Milicic caught the ball in the air, turned slightly and dunked directly.

"Not good, Webber missed a man, Dak seized the opportunity, Mo's long pass was right behind him, alley-oop dunk, BANG! The Supersonics never live up to their team name, their whole team can play in the sky!"

Mike Brown, who was commentating on the sidelines, praised loudly.

A Zhan looked at Weber with some resentment, but Weber didn't seem too embarrassed.

Although he currently still receives an annual salary of 2000 million, that was owed to him by the 76ers after they pardoned him. He joined the Cavaliers for the championship with a salary of only over 100 million, and the coach rarely took his feelings into consideration. In his opinion, he only needed to do a good job on offense, and there was no need to waste time on defensive mistakes.

The old king grabbed the ball and tried to show his value and get back some face.

Bibby wanted to take care of his old teammate as he dribbled the ball across half court, but his role on the Cavaliers' offense was to follow orders and he could only pass the ball to James.

Out of consideration for the most simple reward and punishment system, James could not possibly give the ball to Webber, and he did not want to explain, so he signaled him to prepare for the pick-and-roll and grab the rebound.

Faced with Gay being left open again, James once again chose to move forward with the ball, but this time he chose to shoot from behind as the finishing method.

Bang!

The basketball hit the rim and backboard.

Tyson originally wanted to rely on his burst and jump to grab the rebound, but he didn't expect that the still-strong Big Z would confront him first, and forcing him to do so would only make him lose his balance.

Tyson stopped hesitating when he saw Mo Wen running over. He just stuck his butt out and secured his position.

Tyson also likes rebounding, but who can blame Francisco, the scheming boy, who likes to do things like helping Mo Wen block the rebound during team training? He is not a chore either, and over time he has become quite proficient in his job.

Besides, no matter how good the rebounds are, can they be as delicious as Mo's big cakes?

When the Cavaliers saw that Mo Wen got the ball and had no intention of fighting for or pressing the opponent, they rushed back to their own half like crazy.

This time Webber kept an eye on Milicic, and the three Cavaliers' outside players also formed a pocket to block Mo Wen.

Mo Wen raised his eyebrows, grabbed the ball with one hand and was about to pass it to Ray Allen who was running towards the right corner.

Bibby, who was closest to the ball, ignored Mo Wen and ran towards Ray Allen following the trajectory of the pass he subconsciously passed the ball. James and Reed's attention was also drawn to the ball.

The ball was not shot, but Mo Wen did not intend to fight two people at once. He just turned his right hand inward and passed the ball to the empty ground on the left.

call--

As soon as the basketball bounced, Tyson arrived.

Facing the big cake stuffed directly into his mouth, Tyson showed composure that was ten times better than that of his peers. He clenched the ball tightly with both hands, took three big steps, then stretched out his arms and poked the ball into the basket.

"Here it comes again, another dunk, what else can I say? Ladies and gentlemen, let's enjoy it together, this is the strongest and most talented team in the new century!" Mike Brin's old face was very red, as if he was drunk.

Seeing the score gap widening again, Zhan could only force himself to calm down.

In the next round, he once again used his best move, breaking through and drawing the Sonics' inside defense.

Big Z received the ball in an open position and made a mid-range shot.

Both Big Z and Webber have a very high percentage of mid-range shots, even higher than that of Iverson who is 180cm tall.

In theory, they are both very suitable partners with A-Jan.

But the problem is that neither of them is very accurate in shooting, and their efficiency is about the same as Iverson.

Give them open space and the Supersonics will be able to accept it.

Tyson, who was well prepared before the game, had no intention of committing a foul. Like a trainer who was not paid enough, he just waved his arms symbolically to interfere.

Seeing that Big Z's shot missed, Tyson decisively changed his style and grabbed the rebound in the air like a kitten catching a sparrow.

Mo Wen took the ball and observed for a moment before passing it to Ray Allen who was running across the court. Reed didn't want to see the Sonics dunk again, so he decisively pulled the player for a foul.

Ray Allen was a little unhappy because he failed to dunk, but he still made two free throws, and the gap between the two teams finally widened to double digits.

"Our touch is a little off. Don't be anxious. Just play slowly." Bibby, who had hardly touched the ball earlier, stood up and comforted them.

Ajan nodded and exhaled.

The Cavaliers set the tone of defensive counterattack in their pre-match preparations, but now the defense is not done well, and the blind offense has allowed the Supersonics to counterattack many times. They really need to stabilize.

But the half-court position is not the Cavaliers' strong point, not even against the Supersonics.

Ajax tried to pass the ball and let his teammates play, but other Cavaliers players couldn't find any opportunities.

The only obvious flaw of the Supersonics is Gay.

The remaining Big Z's inside singles are not as good as Yao Ming's in the previous round, and Reed's outside breakthroughs are not as sharp as the Warriors' forwards.

As for Bibby who was being defended by Mo Wen - hey, you go about your business, and I'll just take a walk.

Finally, the ball was passed out, absorbed a circle of blessings and returned to Azan's hands.

Why does this scene feel familiar?
Because that's how it goes in the regular season.

In the middle, Mike Brown replaced Webber with the more energetic Varejao, and the defense improved a lot, but the mid-range shooting point was gone again.

Varejao's free throw percentage in the playoffs was less than 60%. He didn't dare to shoot after receiving the ball. He passed it twice, one was intercepted and one was stabbed out. He just became autistic.

After the first quarter, the Supersonics led the Cavaliers by 36 points, 20:16.

The gap between the two teams or the gap between the two core players is visible to the naked eye.

莫闻12分5助攻4篮板，而阿詹8分2助攻3篮板，仅从数据上就被全面包围。

When it comes to leading the team, A-Jan, who was watched closely from the outside and couldn't pass the ball well, was left far behind by Mo Wen.

Many people in the league office have already regretted hyping up the local and international matchups.
The scene was so ugly that many fans who put themselves in Ajax's perspective turned off the TV out of disgust.

But the Sonics still felt that Mo Wen was too merciful. If he hadn't missed the last two minutes, they might have been leading the Cavaliers by half and had won the game directly.

Mo Wen just smiled and didn't say much. James is not an ordinary star. He is a famous star and a star who has won the MVP. The league can't just sit there and watch James get beaten up.

Historically, the league did not intervene much in the four games between the Spurs and James because the gap between the two sides was so big that miracles could only be born from off-court factors, and the current Cavaliers lineup would have the potential to win the championship in other years.

Therefore, in theory, high heat is the safest way to reduce the sauce.

But this thought was extinguished as soon as it appeared in Mo Wen's mind. He was tortured in the copy every day and night not for any safety.

What he wants is not one or two championships, but the throne high in the sky where I am the only one left.

He must fully demonstrate his strength and tear apart every opponent standing in front of him more cruelly and ferociously than Dan Zi, in order to win this transcendent battle between Guan Gong and Qin Qiong.

Sorry LeBron, Prince...the GOAT dispute has always been like this.

(End of this chapter)