NBA: Start by torturing Jordan and add points to upgrade

The reason the three commentators were joking and talking nonsense in the commentary booth was simply because both teams had a poor start to the game.

Apart from Chalmers' main attack and Murphy's unexpected three-pointer on the first offensive, neither side managed to score a single point from open play in the first three minutes!

In other words, Lin Tian drew a foul on Wade and got two free throws, while Anthony drew a foul on Durant and also got two free throws.

4: 5!

Brown called the first timeout of the night after Durant missed a three-pointer and the team grabbed the rebound.

Their offense was terrible!
"My problem." Brown is definitely the most humble and adept at admitting mistakes among all the coaches of the league's top teams.

This is because he knows his own level. He also knows that the reason he has been able to coach the Cavaliers for so many years is not because he is particularly skilled or capable, but because he has a good temper and personality and can get along well with the players on the team.

We get along like friends.

Gaining the players' friendship is certainly a good thing, as it allows him to cooperate with them more happily and closely. However, there are also problems and hidden dangers, namely, he lacks authority within the team and finds it difficult to establish authority when he wants to.

Fortunately, we have Wade.

This guy fully supports Brown. With him around, Brown doesn't have to worry about the players rebelling and kicking him out, so he simply handed over the task of leading the team, becoming a leader and a pillar of strength entirely to Wade.

Brown himself was content to become a supporting actor.

This kind of coach-player relationship is quite rare even in the entire league.

But Brown did a pretty good job, because he wasn't really just a mascot.

He is also one of the most hardworking and dedicated head coaches in the league, putting in the most effort into his work.

This guy has almost no hobbies; besides leading the team in training, he spends his time watching videos and studying tactics.

Admittedly, he is not a tactical genius like Jackson or Nelson, but his diligence always allows him to discover many details and insights that others cannot. Although his on-the-spot reactions and adaptability are criticized, his pre-game preparation and strategic planning are of a very good standard.

That's why he came up with the plan to let Chalmers attack a few times at the start.

However, it seems that apart from the first opportunity at the beginning, his plan has obviously failed.

"I underestimated the Lakers' defensive intensity, but it's not a big problem. In the next game, we'll move into the second phase ahead of time. Mario, from now on, reduce your ball-handling and attack, and go back to your usual style of play."

"Z, come down and rest for a while. We're going to speed things up at this stage! Devin, you'll be the point guard and set the pace. Bao, if you have the chance, you can shoot anytime."

"Ramon, you're on the court too. You and Devin will play as a dual point guard. You two need to really get the game moving at a fast pace!"

"understand!"

On the Lakers' side, Jackson looked at his players and said, "You played well, Troy. Your opening three-pointer was particularly good, but the rest of you didn't perform well enough. Troy's three-pointer has successfully created space for us. You guys should be more decisive and aggressive when you drive to the basket!"

"Make the most of the space we've earned, and keep charging into the paint! Charge even harder and more aggressively! Their inside duo are two cowards, and their inside defense is negligible! Smash both of their seven-foot big men!"

"Then, we'll regain our height advantage!"

"So until then, our goal is to increase our impact and speed. Andrew, you rest. Once their inside game is bogged down in fouls, that's when you come on! I want you to go all out at that point and completely destroy them!"

"Yes!" Bynum agreed without hesitation. At this stage of the season, the players had long forgotten themselves and were fully committed to the game.

"The one replacing Andrew." Jackson paused, then looked at the shortest player on the team: "Isaiah, it's your turn to shine!"

"One big man and four small men! Three guards!" As the timeout ended and the players stepped onto the court, Van Gundy couldn't help but exclaim, "The Cavaliers have three guards! Two point guards and Wade, the shooting guard, are all on the court together!"

"While Wade is considered strong for a shooting guard, his size is definitely on the smaller side. At 193 centimeters tall, he is at a height disadvantage when matched up against most shooting guards!"

"But with this lineup, the Cavaliers are clearly going to compete with the Lakers in terms of speed and rhythm! Although Sessions is a second-round pick, his ability to drive and push the fast break should not be underestimated. In his rookie year, he once recorded a crazy stat line of 20 points and 24 assists in a single game, making him the only second-round pick in NBA history to achieve a double-double in his rookie season."

"In addition, although Sessions' shooting was inaccurate in the first few years of his career, this year, perhaps because he is now in his first year of professional basketball, his three-point shooting percentage has improved significantly. This is in addition to the fact that he only played 17 games in his first year of professional basketball, which is a relatively small sample size."

"Sessions' three-point shooting percentage was 17% in his second year, and absurdly low at only 6% in his third year. Last year, his three-point shooting percentage tripled to 20%, and this year, it has continued to improve significantly, reaching 41%!"

"With Sessions on the court, the Cavaliers not only gained another playmaker and a great pusher, but also a reliable three-point shooter."

"One big man and four small men! Three defenders!" Miller suddenly shouted from the side.

"I already told you, Reggie, have you lost your memory?" After analyzing for a while, Van Gundy frowned when his partner repeated his first sentence.

What are you doing?

"Lakers! I'm talking about the Lakers! The Lakers also have one big man and four small men, and three guards! In fact, they're even smaller than the Cavaliers!" Miller didn't bother arguing with Van Gundy and went straight to the point: "The coaches of both teams are totally on the same page!"

"Increase speed and rhythm, focusing on speed from the outside and sacrificing some height from the inside!"

"But there's a difference!" Jackson said, "The Lakers got Bynum! He's their most reliable, even their only reliable offensive option in the paint. The Lakers are going to focus their offense entirely on the perimeter! But their shooting touch wasn't great in the first three minutes! Why are they doing this?"

"I don't understand it, but I believe the next game will help me answer this question. And what I want to say is that the Lakers are playing Isaiah Thomas. Although he is only 175 cm tall, his ability to penetrate is extremely strong, and his ability to draw fouls is also quite good."

"The Lakers have improved their offensive drive!"

"On the Cavaliers' side, Sessions is known for his drive and passing, but he has a three-point shooting percentage of over 40% this season. Although he's not a top shooter if you factor in his volume, who would dare let go of a shooter with a 40% shooting percentage?"

"So what the Cavaliers have increased is their fast break speed and outside shooting!"

"Both teams are playing with small lineups, but their focuses are quite different. I can't say who figured out whose plan, but this time, this time I believe the upcoming games will definitely be a real eye-opener!"

Now that both teams' players had taken to the field, the game naturally resumed immediately.

Wade received the inbound pass and stood at the top of the key, while Sessions and Chalmers stood on the wings on either side waiting to receive the pass.

To be honest, when the Cavaliers have this lineup on the court, their fluidity and teamwork in half-court offense are somewhat affected.

Chalmers can play off the ball, but he is essentially a point guard. Sessions, needless to say, can only maximize his threat when he is running, charging, and has the ball in his hands. Making him stand on the sidelines waiting for the ball is really not his strength.

As for Gasol and Anthony, it's fine to ask them to shoot as soon as they receive the ball, but expecting them to run all over the court to drive the offense is obviously asking too much.

This is not a job that these two should be doing.

The Cavaliers' offense stalled as soon as they came out of the game.

Brown called a timeout to adjust his substitutions, but the Lakers' defense struggled on the very first possession after the substitutions.

Fortunately, when their tactics fail, the Cavaliers have enough star players to make tough plays.

Wade and Anthony are both excellent players in this area. Even if you pass the ball to Gasol, his success rate against Murphy's one-on-one game is quite high. With the tactics completely shut down and the players sticking to him, Wade isn't in a hurry. He bounces the ball to Anthony and then directs everyone to spread out for him.

After receiving the ball, Anthony backed down Durant, then suddenly turned to face the basket, faked a shot, and then blasted the ball from the spot with a powerful tap, slapping his hand heavily as if to signal. Anthony then completed a 360-degree spin like a top!

That move was top-notch in terms of rhythm, speed, suddenness, and amplitude! The entire sequence was fluid and seamless, proving Anthony's reputation as the league's best individual offensive specialist!

This was the best demonstration of his comprehensive skills.

After completing the spin, Anthony didn't stop, and pulled up, intending to finish the attack with a layup.

But as soon as Anthony released the ball, he couldn't help but yell "Oh no!"

Durant, who had just been completely shaken off and left behind, has actually caught up with him!

"Snapped!"

A crisp sound, accompanied by an incredible and synchronized gasp from the entire arena, was enough to prove just how extreme Durant's chase was!

Despite being completely shaken off, Hengyi's faster turnaround speed and higher jump height allowed him to swatt away Anthony's almost 100% chance of making a layup!
"A battle of talent!" Van Gundy roared. "Anthony's offense is almost perfect, and his skills are impeccable."

"But Durant's size and athleticism are astonishing. I can't think of another player in the league who can block that kind of shot! It's terrifying, he's the ultimate Spider-Man!"

Durant's block swatted the ball away, Kobe grabbed it, and then turned to launch a fast break.

Furthermore, Kobe didn't hold onto the ball. After turning and launching an attack, he only ran forward two steps before passing the ball to Lin Tian. Lin Tian quickly advanced with the ball and then suddenly made a no-look bounce pass, finding Isaiah Thomas who was following up on the other side.

After receiving the ball, Isaiah Thomas immediately drove to the basket and delivered a layup.

The Lakers' counterattack was incredibly fast, which directly demonstrated why they chose to bring on Isaiah Thomas instead of the more established Terry.

Thomas, hurry up!
However, after the Lakers' fast break was successful, the Cavaliers did not relax at all. Gasol ran to the basket at this moment, grabbed the basketball, glanced at it, and then threw the ball forward!

With a 'whoosh', the basketball traveled almost across half the court and landed directly in Sessions' hands.

After receiving the ball, Sessions immediately accelerated and charged forward. This guy is best at this kind of offensive transition between offense and defense. While accelerating forward, he had already spotted his teammates' positions. As he approached the three-second zone to attract the defense, he also passed the ball to Chalmers in the bottom corner.

Chalmers received the ball and, just as decisively, pulled up and shot from beyond the three-point line!
"Shh!"

With a crisp sound, Chalmers' three-pointer went in!
This time, the Lakers failed to launch a counterattack because the Cavaliers' offense was too fast. Many of their players hadn't even gotten into their offensive positions yet. The offense was already over, and not being in their offensive positions meant that the Cavaliers could get into their defensive positions more quickly and directly when they retreated.

During the Lakers' offense, Lin Tian received the ball on the baseline and passed it directly to Isaiah Thomas, looking at him and saying, "Remember your mission, we all believe in you!"

After saying that, Lin Tian quickly ran towards the frontcourt and arrived at the left 45-degree angle position, while the rest of the Lakers team also took their positions.

After everyone had taken their positions, they were surprised to find that the Lakers had actually handed over the offensive reins entirely to Thomas!

Thomas was the only one standing at the top of the key, with the team's big men scattering to clear a huge space for him.

At this moment, Isaiah Thomas felt like he was in a dream!
In the NBA Finals, a do-or-die game, Kobe, Durant, and Lin Tian created space for themselves to take one-on-one shots, while the boos and jeers from the 2 fans in the arena were almost entirely directed at him.

A barrage of insults, such as "dwarf," "short," "hobbit," "house-elf," and "Pikachu," reached Isaiah Thomas's ears.

Since high school, his height has been quickly surpassed by all his basketball teammates, and Isaiah Thomas has been hearing these insults and unfriendly voices for almost 10 years.

But it has never sounded as melodious as tonight!
Like I said before: It's the finals!

In a game watched by hundreds of millions of people worldwide, I became the sole focus and the core of attention, the target of condemnation and abuse from all Cleveland supporters.

I play ball for this very moment!

I will not lose! I will not throw away this hard-won opportunity!

This is the best opportunity I've ever had in my life!
Feeling the overwhelming taunts from Quicken Loans Arena telling him to wake up and pass the ball quickly to avoid embarrassing himself, Isaiah Thomas started his attack.

Thomas read Sessions' defense perfectly. He accurately predicted that if he moved to the left, Sessions would follow, and then he could easily get past him with a behind-the-back dribble.

Then Thomas immediately executed the move, changing direction, moving laterally, dribbling behind his back, and accelerating at full speed!
Sessions was left behind by Thomas.

Meanwhile, with three superstars anchoring the Lakers' perimeter, the Cavaliers' defense didn't tighten up much, leaving the task of guarding Isaiah Thomas entirely to Pau Gasol.

Even if Gasol is soft, even if his defense isn't top-notch, can you, Gasol, not handle a 175cm second-round pick?

We can't hold on any longer!
With a muffled thud, Isaiah Thomas, like a crazed rat, leaped up without hesitation and crashed straight into the behemoth that was Pau Gasol.

The physical training and strength enhancement I've put into myself over the past year have proven incredibly effective at this moment!

Isaiah Thomas's arms, which appeared somewhat short due to their excessive bulk, were fully extended after he pushed past Gasol. With a flick of his fingers, the basketball leaped over Gasol's fingertips and precisely swished into the basket.

At the same time, the referee's whistle blew.

"Beep beep! Blocking foul! 2 points awarded, 1 free throw!"

Upon hearing the referee's decision, Thomas, who had fallen completely into the middle of the baseline photographers, raised his arms and roared wildly, letting out a series of beast-like howls.

The photographers around him didn't miss this precious moment either, their cameras clicking away furiously. At this moment, Isaiah Thomas truly became the focus of the entire basketball world.

"Well done!" Lin Tian's voice rang out, and he stretched out his large hand in front of Thomas: "I knew you could do it!"

"Of course I can be the boss!" Thomas Jr. stood up from the floor, his eyes glistening with tears. "I've waited 10 years for this opportunity!"

"An opportunity for everyone to know me!"

"Then, make the free throw and let more people know you!" Lin Tian patted his little brother's head and watched him walk towards the free throw line.

Isaiah Thomas stepped to the free-throw line, took a deep breath, and then steadily raised his hand to make the free throw!

"An absolutely brilliant and unexpected 2+1!" Miller exclaimed. "What a surprising round!"

“But I think that’s Jackson’s real purpose in making that substitution!” Van Gundy said. “If Jackson anticipated that the Cavaliers would play a small lineup and bring in Sessions, then his goal was to have Isaiah Thomas play against Sessions!”

"After all, no matter how brilliant Sessions' strengths are, his weaknesses are equally undeniable."

"Defense! His defense is as bad as a high school student's; he can hardly guard anyone."

"With Kobe, Durant, and Lin on the Lakers, and their only interior player Murphy positioned beyond the three-point line, the Cavaliers' defense against Isaiah Thomas will be incredibly weak; they won't even have enough personnel to commit to that area." (End of Chapter)