Coach: Coaching the Grizzlies at the beginning, playing the bantam

Chapter 117 The situation is unfavorable; Durant's quasi-lore in 7.4 seconds, a big score equalizer!

At the press conference, the Grizzlies players expressed their disappointment with their performance this season.

Fratello summed up the game after the game, saying that the lack of physical strength of the star was the main culprit for the loss of this round of the series.

Fratello has used Pau Gasol since the beginning of the regular season, allowing him to average 37.6 minutes per game and enter the playoffs. Gasol's playing time has increased to 41 minutes.

Gasol can survive because he is a skilled insider. If he is replaced by a traditional center, it will probably have been carried away by a stretcher.

Fratello is destined to lose his job this summer. The series has already been decided. It is impossible for him to take all the responsibility on himself. He has to think about his next job.

In an interview, Lu Yong emphasized the performance of the players. "The Sonics players have performed very well this season. The rookies in the team are very hardworking, and the veterans are blooming. Relying on the fighting spirit, we successfully eliminated the defending champion. No matter what step we take next, It's been a magical season for the Sonics."

No reporter questioned the performance of the Sonics in this year's playoffs. Eliminating the defending champion is an indelible honor, and fans can't exaggerate it.

The reporter asked: "Do you think there is a chance of winning against the Spurs in the next round of the series? Is it possible to reach the finals with an upset?"

The two teams played three games in the regular season, and the Sonics were at a disadvantage with 1 win and 2 losses. Facing the top Spurs with rich experience and a huge inside advantage, the Sonics are indeed very difficult to play.

"I don't know where the team can go, but no matter who the opponent is, the Sonics will go all out and use their own rhythm to fight until the last moment."

The reporter asked again: "How do you evaluate the Spurs team?"

Lu Yong thought for a while and replied: "The Spurs are a team with strong tactical execution and have the league's top defense. In my opinion, they are even more difficult to deal with than the Celtics. The performance of the stars in the playoffs It is very important, Tim Duncan is a historical star, his strength has been underestimated by the outside world, this probably has something to do with his character."

Lu Yong has to admit that the Spurs are very strong. Although the Sonics still have a physical advantage in this round of the series, unlike the Grizzlies, the Spurs have an experienced "troika" and three Hall of Fame players.

It is difficult for the Sonics, which is slightly better at the top, to win against the Spurs, unless the players feel explosive every game.

The biggest weakness of the Supersonics is that the core players have not yet reached the peak, and their offensive ability is poor, so they can only win by touch.

Once the opponent's defensive strength exceeds the scope of the team's offensive firepower, things will become more troublesome.

Lu Yong was able to lead the Grizzlies to defeat the Spurs last year because the Grizzlies have both offense and defense, they can defend even if they don't attack, and they have a restrained style of play, which has obvious advantages.

But this year's Supersonics have no defense at all, and the players are generally too young. Once they fail to score, they will easily lose the game.

Moreover, the Spurs eliminated their opponents 4-1 to advance to the semi-finals. The players rested for four more days, and their physical fitness had already returned to their peak state.On the other hand, the Sonics only have two days to rest, and even the last physical advantage has been wiped out, and the situation is unfavorable.

Lu Yong did not arrange additional training for the players on the second day, and let the players recover their physical strength.

The most taboo thing on the eve of the war is to increase the amount of training and cause star injuries. Pat Riley was fired by the Lakers just after winning the best coach. Lu Yong does not want to repeat the same mistakes.

In this round of the series, the Sonics can only rely on the spirit of a newborn calf who is not afraid of tigers. It is not impossible to win the Spurs. The premise is that the players feel hot and smash everything with offense.

On the morning of the 15th, the Sonics conducted a simple shooting training without increasing the intensity, the purpose is to maintain the feel.

Lu Yong called the players together and boosted morale: "The opponents in this round of the series are very strong. Don't be burdened. Even if we lose, we are heroes who create miracles. Don't worry about voting boldly. If you win, it's yours. If you lose Only I, the coach, will take the blame."

Tony Brown took a step forward, stood beside Lu Yong and shouted: "Guys, everyone just needs to calm down in this round of the series. No matter we win or lose, we are the biggest dark horse in the league. With Lu Shuai standing With escort behind you, do you have the confidence to beat the Spurs!"

"Yes!" The young players shouted loudly, their momentum soaring into the sky.

Veteran players have rich experience in the playoffs, and it is easier to judge the gap between the team and the Spurs. The voice is not loud, but the state is still online.

Lu Yong turned his head and glanced at Brown, and then said: "Let's put down the pressure and play, everyone, let us give back to the fans with the most exciting performance. It doesn't matter whether we win or lose. The important thing is that we successfully broke through ourselves and paved the way for the future with our own hands. There is a sunny avenue."

With the support of Tony Brown, a competent assistant coach, Lu Yong's encouragement before the game was very meaningful, mobilizing the hard work of young players.

Unfortunately, as a dark horse that came out halfway, it is difficult for the Sonics to solve all the problems in just one season.

The number of turnovers against the young players of the Spurs skyrocketed, and they seemed very uncomfortable in the face of a stronger defense, and their shooting percentage fell to the bottom.

The Spurs' offensive firepower is not too strong, but under the leadership of Popovich, they not only do a good job defensively, but also have great patience on the offensive end. The frequency of players conducting the ball is higher than that of the Supersonic Speed, which can be called the ceiling of the team's offense. .

The Sonics players have a poor outside shooting feel. Several times they tried to find Parker's defensive weakness, but Duncan's help defense cracked it.

In the last 2 minutes of the last quarter, the Sonics, who were 8 points behind, rushed to shoot three-pointers one after another. In the end, they were forced to use foul tactics and failed to work. They lost the game 91 to 99.

One day off for the second battle between the two sides.

The Spurs players still took the initiative to fight on the defensive end. The pseudo-zone defense encountered pick-and-rolls to actively fill in and limit the Supersonics' three-pointers.

The Sonics players feel bad when they are frequently close to the body. The core star Durant is facing the famous Bruce Bowen, a villain who does everything he can to prevent his opponents.

If Durant was at his peak, it would be no problem to beat Bowen one-on-one, but the rookie Adu encountered a strong defensive player like Bowen in his first playoff game, which made him very uncomfortable on the offensive end and his shooting rate was not high. , only scored 12 points in the first game.

Fortunately, Lu Yong adjusted his tactics in time this time, and arranged for Durant to play off the ball with a weak side-mounted cover to avoid being entangled by Bowen for a long time. This allowed Durant to regain some touch.

The two teams played back and forth in regular time, and the point difference was always hovering around 3 points.

In the last minute of the final quarter, Durant used his teammates to cover the catch and jumper, and the left horn made two consecutive mid-range shots to help the Supersonics expand their lead.

On the last attack before the end of the game, Durant got rid of Bruce Bowen to catch the ball and made a two-pointer with a precise jumper, completing a quasi lore in 7.4 seconds.

With Manu Ginobili's arc-top three-pointer deflecting from the basket, the whistle sounded at the end of the final game. The Supersonic G2 game relied on Durant's "golden minute" to escape the danger and tie the big score at 1-1. .

In his rookie season, facing the "defensive expert" Bowen made a key shot, Durant's performance tonight drove the Seattle fans into a frenzy.

Durant was the biggest contributor to the team's win in this game. He made 36 of 17 shots in 9 minutes, 5 of 2 three-pointers, 4 of 4 free throws, scored 24 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal. The fans can't exaggerate the mid-range shot that killed the game.

At the press conference, Lu Yong praised Durant's bravery with a smile on his face. No matter what the next result is, the tenacious side of the Supersonic players in this playoff trip is enough to move people.

(End of this chapter)