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

Chapter 163 Fierce Finals Battle!
In the afternoon, Lu Yong called a local Seattle reporter for Francis and held a small press conference.

Facing the flashing lights off the stage, Francis said arrogantly: "I feel like I'm ten years younger after joining the Supersonics. This is the first time in my career that I'm going to the finals. The goal is to beat Alston one-on-one. Many fans praised him for his superb dribbling skills and gave him the reputation of "streetball king".

Francis' tone was so arrogant that even the reporters in the audience were taken aback for a moment. They didn't expect to hear such big news after being invited to an ordinary press conference.

Although Francis is not the core of the Sonics' offense, as a well-known former star player in the United States, his words are still very important, and the attention is not low.

A reporter felt that something was wrong with Francis today, but he didn't think much about it, and asked a question that was more likely to cause conflicts. "Alston has played with the opponent many times this season, and he averaged 16.8 points per game against the Cavaliers in the last round of the series. What do you think of this?"

"We have already played against each other on the street court. He has never been my opponent. Even if he performed well in the last round of the series, it does not mean that he can perform amazingly in the finals, because I am the one who defends him in the finals." Francis smiled unwillingly.

These remarks made the reporters in the audience dumbfounded. Although the Sonics did have the capital to be arrogant this year, Francis’s remarks were undoubtedly inciting. It’s hard not to feel angry after Alstom heard the news.

Of course, detonating Alston's anger and making him take more shots on the offensive end is an off-the-chart move by the Supersonics. The pit has been dug in advance, and the next step is to see if Alstom will jump.

At the end of the press conference, Quinn Snyder looked at Lu Yong with a look of admiration. "Lu, you are really too cautious. I thought I had the ability to be a head coach. I didn't realize until I joined your coaching staff this year. This line of work is too deep, and my previous ideas were still too young."

"I don't want to see an accident in the finals. The championship is only one step away. The Sonics cannot accept failure." Lu Yong said seriously.

There are Western teams that reach the finals every year, but the championship does not fall into the pockets of Western teams every year.Lu Yong has worked hard for a whole season in order to win the championship. The opportunity is in front of him, and he does not allow any mistakes.

Some media and experts predicted the outcome of the game before the game. Most people are optimistic about the Sonics winning the championship, and the support rate is much higher than that of the Magic.

The well-known ESPN basketball analyst Alan Max even predicted that the Sonics will resolve the battle within six games, and the chance of the series being dragged into the tiebreaker is zero.

Most other experts also predict that the Sonics will win the championship this year. Only a few people in the industry believe that the two sides will play seven games in the finals, and they are optimistic about the Magic winning the championship.

Even those who are optimistic about the Magic don't think the Magic lineup is better than the Sonics. They just think that the Magic, which made it to the finals all the way to the finals, is very resilient, and the high morale of the players may create miracles.

Fans predicting the game are overwhelmingly optimistic about the Sonics, with a support rate of over 75%, which shows how terrifying the popularity is.

Even if the Magic has Howard as a super center, fans still feel that the Sonics have a greater advantage. After all, the Sonics have this year's regular season MVP, which sounds a little more bluffing.

The Sonics advanced 4-1 to the finals and got more time to rest. The players are now full of energy and in good spirits.

The finals are still a 2-3-2 schedule, an arrangement that is not friendly to teams with home court advantage.

Once the Sonics lose one of the first two home games, the next three games can only be played away in Orlando, which is not fair in theory.

Of course, on the other hand, if the Sonics can go to the away game with a 2-0 advantage, the Magic will also be under great pressure. Even if they win three home games in a row, they can't end the game. They can only return to Seattle for a showdown.

Considering that the possibility of the Supersonics losing three goals in a row in an away game is almost zero, Lu Yong was not nervous before the game. The situation is favorable for the Supersonics, so it is necessary to actively prepare for the game.

Tickets for the finals were sold out three days ago. Since the 1st, the city of Seattle has been in a festive atmosphere. Fans are waiting for the team to bring the championship trophy back to Seattle.

On the morning of the 3rd, a number of media reported on Francis' call, warming up for the finals in advance.

The supersonic fans were very excited after reading the report. The arrogant and domineering attitude of the "boss" was full of domineering, which made a wave of presence.

As a former All-Star starting guard, Francis has not been so high-profile for a long time. Fans who like him hope that Francois can beat Alstom and give back to the fans with his return to the top.

After the Magic heard the news, the atmosphere was a little depressed, especially Alstom, who was named and declared war, was so angry that even the roots of his teeth began to itch.

Although Alston did not get personal honors in the NBA, he is also a well-known "streetball king" in the United States after all, and the number of die-hard fans is not inferior to that of the boss.Alston couldn't accept Francis' attitude of belittling him, and almost went mad after reading the news.

What can be tolerated and what cannot be tolerated, Alston decided to teach Francis a lesson in the finals, let him know that the star in his twilight career should stay well and respond to his words with practical actions.

On June 6th, the first game of the Finals officially started at the Seattle Arena. The venue was full of seats and the seats were packed with fans.

When the Magic players walked into the arena, the fans on the scene immediately booed and shouted restlessly, with a huge momentum, constantly impacting the Magic players' psychological defense.

On the other hand, when the Sonics players played, the fans on the scene gave warm applause, and the advantages of home and away were fully revealed at this moment.

Lu Yong was the last one to appear on the stage. He wore a gray suit, chewed bubble gum, and waved calmly to the fans around him. He was in a relaxed state.

Seeing Lu Yong's relaxed and freehand look, Stan Van Gundy on the other side swallowed lightly, always having a bad premonition in his heart.

Among other things, he has already lost in terms of aura alone.

There are more than 100 TV stations around the world broadcasting the finals live, and the attention is higher than last year's Spurs vs. Celtics, and the ratings have increased significantly.

During the domestic CCTV5 live broadcast game, Director Zhang analyzed the lineup before the game: "Both teams have top stars, and the average number of three-pointers shot per game ranks among the top three in the league. This year's finals must be good. The Sonics' starting lineup does not take much advantage, but the firepower of the bench lineup is stronger than the Magic. This is the advantage of the Sonics and the reason why the Sonics can reach the finals all the way."

Yu Jia said: "Francis made a lot of harsh words before the game. I don't know if Alston will prove himself with practical actions tonight. The matchup between the two today is a highlight. Even the fans are looking forward to who will have the last laugh between the Supersonics and the Magic."

Director Zhang said with a smile: "Francis has a straight temper, but he has never been so arrogant before. Probably because the contract year is up, Francis also wants to take advantage of the finals to harvest a wave of traffic, so that he can get a bigger contract offer in the free market in the summer."

After warming up, the starting players of both sides played.

The Sonics made slight adjustments to the lineup: Francis, Jackson, Durant, Szczerbiak, Gasol Jr.

Magic: Alston, Pietrus, Lewis, Turkoglu, Howard.

Director Zhang said: "Pau Gasol was scheduled to start tonight, and All-Star center Noah stayed on the bench to bring a substitute. This is a bold enough employment, abandoning an important rookie inside the All-Star, probably only Lu Brave in the league made this adjustment in the finals."

Yu Jia analyzed: "Gausol's weight and lower body strength are more suitable for defending Howard. This adjustment is very targeted. However, Gasol is only a rookie after all. He is not as good as Noah in terms of rebound protection and defensive awareness. It is indeed dangerous to use people. I don't know if it will affect the trend of the game."

Director Zhang said with a smile: "Lu Yong's employment is often unpredictable. The scene shot was shown to Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy. His expression is a little dazed now. Obviously he did not expect that Lu Yong would dare to change his lineup in the first game of the finals. He is too courageous."

When Van Gundy's bewildered expression appeared on the big screen at the scene, the fans couldn't help laughing out loud.This guy has been the head coach for five years and has led the team to a good record, but he has never proved himself in the playoffs.

This year is the first time in his career to lead a team to the finals, and he is under a lot of pressure. Any adjustment to the Sonics lineup makes him terrified, for fear of falling into a trap.

Van Gundy is really confused at the moment. Although Gasol's tonnage is more suitable for defending Howard, but the All-Star center does not need to be promoted to the top of the rookie. Even the old Nelson dare not be so crazy.

In his heart, this guy Lu Yong is a lunatic, a boss who is full of bad things and may show his fangs at any time.

The two teams jumped the ball in the middle circle, Howard easily won with his physical fitness, and the Magic went first.

Alston held the ball across the half court and resisted the urge to play brainless singles, and lobbed the ball to Howard according to the tactics.

If he beats him indiscriminately at the beginning, he may be replaced by Van Gundy. Alston has a good face but is not stupid, knowing that it is not the time to prove himself.

Howard caught the ball in a low position and looked around, and found that the Sonics didn't mean to double-team him. He lowered his shoulder and bumped Gasol. 0 to 2.

The physical fitness of "Warcraft" is very abnormal. Not only is he strong, but he is also very fast. In addition to his rough offensive skills and lack of shooting range, he is almost incomprehensible at his peak.

Gasol is really not afraid of him if he is also at his peak. Unfortunately, the first-year Gasol was temporarily selected as the starter and was overly nervous. The defense dropped this round. It is not the first time for anyone to play in the finals.

The Sonics attacked, and Jackson dribbled the ball through half court and passed it to Durant.

Durant holds the ball in the middle to observe his teammates. It is not difficult to play Lewis one-on-one. 2 to 2.

The Magic's best outside defense is Michael Pietrus, but he is only 1 meters tall, and he suffers a serious disadvantage against Durant, and his size is too short.

Although Lewis is a defensive loophole, he still has a height of 2 meters. He can interfere with jumping up and reaching out, so that Durant will not ignore the defense.

It's a pity that Van Gundy seriously overestimated Lewis' defense. This guy is only tall in front of Durant. He is capable of single-handed defense in CBA, and he has no pressure to single-handedly hold the ball. It is not much more difficult than playing Fernandez in the conference finals.

Lewis' playing style is very similar to the later Danilo Gallinari, a high-positioned turret swinging in the third and fourth positions, able to attack but not defend.

The peak season is the level of an All-Star substitute. The Magic provided him with a "[-] million yuan contract" during the offseason. It is crazy, and it is still talked about by fans until now.

Magic attack, Alston passed to the left Turkoglu, who then lobbed the ball to the hands of Howard in the low post.

Howard found that the Supersonics were not pinching him, and the action at the basket became more and more fierce. He used his body to force half of Gasol away, turned around and took off in one go, and dunked with both hands at the basket, 2 to 4.

"Warcraft" is a typical No. [-] pick who became a superstar by playing with his body. It is not surprising that the first-year Gasol Jr. could not guard against Lu Yong.

The purpose of the Supersonics is to consume Howard's physical strength. When the second half, "Warcraft" will naturally feel desperate.

It is better to allow Howard to play singles at the basket than to let the Magic shoot three-pointers from the outside. Lu Yong does not believe that Howard can dominate the basket throughout the game, which is better than Shaquille O'Neal, let alone Howard.

Howard stormed the basket for two consecutive rounds, and scored the key.Alston stood aside like a fool, anxious in his heart, but couldn't find a chance to express himself.

Supersonic offense, Durant broke through the middle to attract Howard's help defense, dribbled the ball to the flank while moving, jumped up and passed the ball back to Gasol Jr. who responded at the top of the arc.

Gasol took a look at the ball from outside the three-point line, and shot a three-pointer from the top of the arc. The hard training all summer was not in vain. 5 to 4.

Lu Yong sat on the sidelines and applauded Gasol Jr. This point in the middle is his most accurate shooting hotspot, and his shooting percentage can reach about 34%.The small plus shots in the other positions are not good, the hit rate is below 30%, and the shooting level is not good.

Fortunately, Lu Yong doesn't need Gasol to become a real high-position fortress. As long as he can practice a little shooting to open up space, the Supersonic's offensive system will have no flaws and can have unexpected effects.

Howard is the axis of the Magic's defensive system. He needs to move a lot to help his teammates defend. It is quite uncomfortable to meet a team like the Sonics that is good at moving the ball. This round failed to return to defense in time and was successfully stolen by Gasol.

　Today's update is a little bit less, it's raining heavily, shit, the whole city has a power outage.

　　In order to code words, I took a taxi with my notebook to the coffee shop in the next city to upload. I am not used to it. I just finished writing.
　　It's hard, guys.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)