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

Chapter 264 Eliminate the Pacers!Advance to the Eastern Conference Finals!

The Pacers attacked, George Hill broke through and passed the ball out to the outside. George received the ball from the right and made a three-point jump shot, which missed the basket. The rebound was grabbed by Turkoglu.

George's long-range three-point shot is not stable, especially when there is interference from defenders in front of him. He often fluctuates and his shooting percentage fluctuates greatly.

Paul George could still shoot 36.2% of his three-pointers during the regular season. Entering the playoffs, his three-point shooting percentage dropped to 32.7%. He averaged 5.5 shots per game and made 1.8. His output was not as good as Anthony's.

In a positional battle, Anthony took the ball and broke inside again, using Stoudemire's cover to penetrate into the three-second zone.

Because Stoudemire's air cuts in the previous rounds posed a huge threat to the Pacers, Hibbert did not leave the penalty area this time, sinking in early and waiting to take off to block the shot.Anthony saw this and did not pass. After a feint, he changed his direction and turned towards the baseline and passed Paul George in one step. He stepped back and scored a jumper near the three-second zone. Whoa! 11 to 2.

Hibbert dropped his defense to block Stoudemire's cutting route in advance. The side effect of this choice was that he could not help defend. When Anthony reached the three-second zone, he did not dare to come out and was locked by Stoudemire. Contained.

In the next round, Paul George received the ball in the middle for a single, took a step to the left to break through, and missed the two-pointer under slight interference from Anthony.

The backcourt rebound was grabbed by Butler who was retreating, and was handed to Deron for advancement. The game was very stable.

On the other hand, the Pacers played very chaotically during this period. The Knicks defended them in the first few attacks, and their shooting percentage fell to the bottom.

What's worse is that not only did the Pacers have problems offensively, but the defensive end was also unable to limit the Knicks' scoring, and was obviously at a disadvantage.

Entering the playoffs, the Knicks' defensive intensity has become much higher. In the past against the Pacers, the team relied on offense to win, finding the right touch to take away the game in a wave.

However, today, the Knicks significantly increased their defensive intensity, with people assisting in defense, filling in, and actively seeking physical confrontation. This made the Pacers very uncomfortable and only scored two points in total after the opening game.

Paul George is not Kobe. His offensive ability with the ball is not bad, but after all, he has just taken over the star role from Granger, and his offense is not stable enough.Once the game falls behind, George's self-confidence will be seriously frustrated. It will be difficult for him to carry the team forward like Kobe. He will definitely be deflated against the old drama players like the Knicks.

Among the Pacers' starters, George Hill is the most accurate three-pointer, with 36.8% in the regular season and 35.8% in the playoffs.

Lu Yong made strict arrangements for Hill. No matter which side George Hill receives the ball, the Knicks will immediately pounce from the outside to prevent him from shooting.

George Hill broke through, and the Knicks' formation shrank inside, resolutely guarding the basket and outside, and only allowed the Pacers to score mid-range jumpers.

The long two-point position is the least efficient in scoring. Unless Jordan personally plays, the Knicks will not change their strategy.

The defensive system arranged by Lu Yong is simple and effective. As long as the players have no problem with their brains, they can execute it well.

Even McGee can understand the tactics. Lu Yong thinks that no one in the Knicks will raise any questions. Defend three points and let two points go. This is the essence of the small ball era.

In the next few rounds, the Pacers mainly relied on shooting and singles to score.

George and West stepped forward and struggled to stabilize the situation through their personal abilities, but still failed to narrow the point difference to single digits.

Hibbert's rim-protecting weapon is really useful against the Heat's Big Three, but it fails against the Knicks, who are good at shooting.If the pick-and-roll can't come out, Stoudemire will shoot, Hibbert will defend him, Stoudemire can make an air cut, and George and West can't block him when they return to defense.

The Pacers' biggest weakness is their poor three-point shooting. In the playoffs, they averaged 19.2 shots per game and only made 6.3 goals, with a shooting percentage of 32.7%.

When a team can only score 6 three-pointers in the game and cannot take advantage inside, it is naturally difficult for this kind of offensive firepower to pose a threat to the Knicks.

“小霸王”斯塔德迈尔打满首节，7投5中，罚球4中4，得到14分5篮板1盖帽。

安东尼发挥也不差，6投4中，三分球3中2，得到10分3篮板1助攻。

The two led the Knicks to a 38-25 lead.

In the second quarter, the two sides started to clash on the offensive end, and the pace of the game picked up quickly.

The Knicks have five substitutes: Felton, J.R. Smith, Bazemore, Green, Chandler.

Pacers five: Augustin, Gerald Green, George, Hansbrough, Mahinmi.

Looking at the lineup alone, the Pacers are not inferior to the Knicks at all, and even have the upper hand on the outside.

However, the Pacers still failed to catch up with the score difference in this quarter. When Vogel took the main players in advance, Lu Yong was not in a hurry to make substitutions. He used the substitutes for a while, always taking the initiative.

The Pacers have good defensive enthusiasm, but due to their limited personal abilities, it is difficult to defend against the Knicks' offense.

Because the Knicks have Anthony who is a strong one-on-one player, it is unreasonable for the triple threat to force Paul George, making him a tragic background again.

At halftime, 71 to 52, the Knicks led by 19 points entering the second half.

Stoudemire, Turkoglu, and Deron Williams returned to the court. Anthony did not rest and continued to play. The shooting guard was JR Smith.

This lineup directly maximizes the Knicks' offensive firepower, including three-pointers, breakthroughs, and pick-and-roll jumpers.

For the Pacers, scoring mainly relies on shooting. Once the hand feels cold, the offensive efficiency plummets.

It is difficult for them to gain an advantage in the penalty area. Hibbert has a height advantage in one-on-one singles against Stoudemire. However, the Knicks' forward defense is very fast, but the Pacers' three-pointers are not accurate, and the Knicks attack from the outside. There is no pressure and the defensive effect is good.

George and Stephenson's three-point shooting is unstable, while power forward West has no three-point shooting ability at all. During the regular season, he averaged 0.4 shots per game and made 0.1 goals. His shooting rate was less than 20%, which is almost negligible.

Vogel's solution to the problem is still the same as in the past few years. In addition to mindlessly increasing the playing time of the main players, he boldly encourages players to take three-pointers and strive to score the most points in the fewest rounds.

It's a pity that Vogel's idea is good, but the Pacers players have a hard time executing it.

He made strong shots against the defense from outside the three-point line again and again, and the efficiency was not as good as letting George play in isolation.

After a few rounds, the Pacers not only failed to narrow the point difference, but lost even more.

In the final quarter, the main force of the Pacers, who had lost a lot of physical strength, gradually couldn't run anymore. Their three-point shooting was getting worse and worse, and the game entered garbage time.

Lu Yong only arranged for Anthony to be the main player in this quarter, and ordered the players to try their best to pass the ball to Anthony for singles, so that he could overwhelm Paul George in terms of momentum.

Melo didn't play for long in the first three quarters. He was full of energy and was a powerful offensive weapon. Even when George first came on the court, it was difficult to guard him alone. What's more, now that he has no energy, he can't catch up with his foot speed.In this quarter, Anthony made 9 of 6 shots, 3 of 1 three-pointers, and 3 of 3 free throws. He scored 16 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist. He was not replaced until the last 3 minutes.

全场安东尼22投13中，三分球9中5，罚球8中7，砍下38分8篮板4助攻1抢断。

“小霸王”斯塔德迈尔也不甘示弱，得到29分11篮板2助攻2盖帽，投篮命中率高达68.3%。

In the end, 131 to 102, the Knicks won at home and easily got a good start in the semifinals.

Director Zhang smiled and said: "Anthony performed very well in the last quarter. The Knicks were leading by a big score and only he was the main player, but he still maintained the lead until the end. The Pacers were more than a little weaker than the Knicks on both offense and defense. This series. I’m afraid it will be difficult to create a threat to the Knicks.”

Su Qun said: "Judging from today's game, it will be difficult for the Pacers to advance in an upset. They are not as good as the Knicks in terms of offense and defense, and even the number of stars is not as good. I really can't think of any chance for the Pacers to upset." Win. Whether the Knicks can win the championship this year depends on the Heat's sniping. They had an easy time against the Celtics in the semifinals and are the only team in the Eastern Conference that can threaten the Knicks."

After the game, the media praised the Knicks' performance and inevitably compared Vogel and Lu Yong together.

After comparison, the media can easily find that Vogel used the main players more harshly. The starting five all played more than 35 minutes, and the star Paul George played 42 minutes.

In addition, the Pacers only used a total of 9 rotations in the game, and this was under the premise that the game entered garbage time.

On the other hand, the Knicks conducted a 12-man rotation, and even Oden got playing time in the final quarter. Only Anthony played more than 35 minutes among the five main players, and the other four all played around 30 minutes, so the physical distribution was more reasonable.

When asked this question by a reporter, Vogel defended: "No, I don't think there is a problem with my employment. This is just a normal rotation method. We were lagging behind tonight. If we want to chase points, we have to send players." If you are on the strongest lineup, you can't pin your hopes on the substitute players. The Knicks' overall strength is very strong this year. I admit that the Pacers are in big trouble. Next, the team will go all out to win the game."

Finally, Vogel also praised Knicks head coach Lu Yong, saying that he is a once-in-a-century talent and it is an honor to be his opponent.

Lu Yong was interviewed and said with a smile: "I think the Pacers have done a good job tonight. They have invested enough energy on both offense and defense. It's just that the Knicks have a stronger lineup and have the advantage from the beginning. This It is hard power that cannot be shaken. Both Anthony and Stoudemire performed wonderfully. They proved their worth with practical actions. I think the Knicks are ready to compete for the championship. Our goal has never been Changed.”

On the surface, Lu Yong is praising the Knicks for being invincible, but in fact, he is putting pressure on other teams and attacking their opponents on a spiritual level.

The Knicks have defeated their opponents in the first two consecutive rounds of the playoffs, which in itself is a symbol of strength. As long as Lu Yong performs high-profile enough in front of the media, the Knicks players will become more confident and put themselves in a position to be challenged. , contempt for the opponent.

The next day, New York fans were getting more and more excited.

After so many years, I felt the call of the championship again, and the Internet went completely crazy.

Those who questioned that the Knicks could not beat the Heat were quickly dismissed by New York fans, and those who questioned Anthony's statistics were also rejected one by one by New York fans.

In Lu Yong's impression, New York fans have not been so united for a long time, and the atmosphere is not generally good.

The second game of the series continues in New York.

Vogel made adjustments to the starting lineup this time, letting Gerald Green, who is good at shooting three-pointers, come on, and "junior brother" Stephenson came on the bench.

In this way, the positioning space can be opened wider, allowing Paul George to get better singles opportunities.

Although Green's defense is not as good as Stephenson's, Vogel is looking away. If he wants to defeat this Knicks, it will definitely be impossible to rely on defense alone. Only by taking the initiative can there be a chance.

Unfortunately, after Gerald Green started in the starting lineup, the Pacers' own offense did get better, but Anthony's singles and Stoudemire's cuts were still unstoppable.

Hibbert suffers too much from his speed in defending Stoudemire. He is half a head tall and can interfere with shooting but cannot prevent him from breaking through.

In addition to Hibbert, several other Pacers insiders faced Stoudemire and could not prevent him from scoring.

Stoudemire's main job in the positional battle is to cover and cut down the air. Facing Hibbert, he can rely on his explosive power to dunk against others. Stoudemire not only has an advantage in explosive power, but also has an advantage in height. Personally Comprehensive ability.

Stephenson couldn't take advantage even if he brought a substitute, because the Knicks' second team was responsible for guarding him instead of undrafted Bazemore.

Bazemore's defensive efficiency is very good this season, and his enthusiasm and awareness have improved rapidly. Against Finson, he was just a mad dog biting, and there is no need to worry about physical exhaustion.

If both of them are in their prime, Bazemore can prevent his junior from crying one-on-one. That is to say, Stephenson now has an age advantage, so he can occasionally play two. He is a group with a low shooting rate and the offense is not guaranteed.

Anthony dominated the game with his full output in the first half. In the second half, he teamed up with the overlords to play pick-and-rolls, and soon led the team to widen the point difference.

In the final quarter, Anthony was replaced after playing for more than 5 minutes. The two teams put on substitute lineups at the same time to face the battle, and the Pacers were massacred again.

117 to 98, the Knicks won again at home, leading 2-0.

Returning to the home court in the third game, Vogel tried a small lineup and used space-based inside man Jeff Ayers to regain a victory.

Ayers played 36 minutes in this game. He was obviously out of control on the offensive end, scoring 26 points, 5 rebounds and 1 assist. He made 8 of 6 three-pointers and felt hot.

保罗-乔治也拿下23分7篮板4助攻2抢断，希伯特16分8篮板2盖帽，韦斯特罚球9中8，也有21分进账。

Relying on the main players to show their strength together, the Pacers finally won the game 117-113, and the big score was changed to 1-2.

Unfortunately, the good times don't last long.

In the fourth game, the Pacers' positional offense was stretched again, with a total of 23 of 4 three-pointers from outside, and they almost missed their own basket.

Of course, the Knicks would not miss the opportunity to defeat the lost dog. In the second quarter, led by J.R. Smith, they scored 33-16 and sent the game into garbage time early.

At the end, 116 to 95, the Pacers lost another game and were pushed to the edge of the cliff 1 to 3.

Returning to New York after a life and death battle, Paul George wanted to express himself on the offensive end, but his touch was not very good. He made 24 of 9 shots and only had 23 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists.

Gerald Green, who entered the starting lineup, scored 26 points and 3 rebounds, and made 11 of 7 three-pointers. His performance was excellent, but he still failed to help the Pacers win.

Anthony's 41 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 blocks were like the straw that broke the camel's back, leaving the Pacers with no last thought.

In the end, 126 to 109, the Knicks won at home, eliminating the Pacers with a total score of 4 to 1 and advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals.

(End of this chapter)