First in scoring

Chapter 493 491. No One Can Fight

"Gogogo, let's go up and kick the other side's ass and let the image of that bad boy holding up the trophy become our background!"

The intermission was over and Pierce roared.

The Hawks, which has two All-Star level players and two fringe All-Star level players, is a rare team that has so many stars without any conflicts.

The two veterans, Bibby and Pierce, have experienced all kinds of hardships and tortures; Joe Johnson of the Mesozoic era, after leaving Nash and rushing into the vast world, rushed directly from the league's top team to the league's last team, and has also faced the reality; Horford was brought up by these three brothers, and even the low-post back-to-the-basket technique was taught by Pierce himself.

The division of labor among the four is also very clear. Pierce is the face of the team and the leader, Bibby controls the game and is the leader in the locker room, Joe Johnson is the first shooting point and the star player, and Horford is the favorite of the team and the future of the team.

If everything goes well, the three outside players are thinking that in a few years, the three of them will play with Horford, and then Horford will play with the three of them. For them, the past year and a half has indeed been the happiest time for them in recent years. They were so happy before because Webber had not collapsed (serving as a pitcher for Nash/a younger brother to Boss Kenny).

Led by Pierce, the Hawks players stepped onto the court with high morale. The crazy performance of the three outside players in the third quarter boosted the morale of the entire team!
But what surprised Pierce was that the five players on the opposite side were also very strong and confident... Thirteen kills in thirty-five seconds: Why did we suddenly feel that we were the ones who lost by 5 points in a single quarter?

Other players on the Hawks also felt a subtle discomfort, but Pi Thirteen, with his unique ideas and thoughts, was definitely different - is this a 70-win team? Such a big setback can't affect their confidence?
They had just stepped onto the court and the fourth quarter hadn't even started yet. The Hawks' morale, which had been extremely high, dropped by one point just because of Zhang Yang's words to his teammates, "This is more interesting"...

The fourth quarter began and the Bobcats attacked first.

Eagles lineup: All starters played.

Bobcats lineup: Felton, Zhang Yang, Hill, Okafor, Brad Miller.

Felton and Okafor started the attack with a pick-and-roll, passed the ball to the wing, Hill received the ball and continued to advance, and passed it back to the high post... Zhang Yang got a screen from Brad Miller on the left side of the free throw line, took a step outside the free throw line, turned around and faked a shot, shook off Horford, dribbled the ball and took a step sideways, and took a long two-point shot...

hit!

80 to 79, the Bobcats took the lead!

In this attack, Zhang Yang played extremely meticulously, and the tactical coordination rhythm, running speed, timing of screens, shot selection... were all done to the extreme.

He knew the importance of this goal. Although he used words to restore the confidence of his teammates, he still had to rely on scoring goals to maintain the confidence!
With good luck, he continued his mid-range shooting touch in the third quarter and made the shot!

In the offense-defense transition, Bibby advanced to the frontcourt, and watching the opponent's orderly defensive rotation, the pressure increased a bit.

I had thought that we could use the momentum from the third quarter to overwhelm the opponent, but now it seems that is not going to work.

Relying on morale to defeat the opponent actually means that the opponent's confidence has declined, they are playing anxiously, and as a result, the defense is not calm or the offense has lost confidence... On the offensive end of the opponent, Zhang Yang made a long two-point shot and the defense was not chaotic.

They can only rely on their personal abilities to score goals!

Fortunately, their performance in the third quarter gave their teammates real confidence. Pachulia actively adjusted his receiving position, and Horford actively moved to set screens even though he knew it was difficult to create good opportunities...

Bibby led the Hawks' first attack in the final quarter, singled out Felton, rushed to the right side of the free throw line, attracted Okafor to move, and passed the ball to Horford, who passed it again...

Joe Johnson received the ball with the help of Pierce's screen, and Zhang Yang and Hill rushed up together!
Okafor actively moved in front of the open space Pierce, and Joe Johnson passed the ball to Horford who had just passed the ball to him!

After hesitating for a moment, Joe Johnson jumped... and took a fadeaway three-pointer... but it was short!
Just that moment of hesitation gave Zhang Yang time to jump over and interfere!
Brad Miller blocked Pachulia and secured the defensive rebound.

The Hawks quickly retreated, and Horford ordered his teammates to double-team Zhang Yang and Felton while retreating.

Horford is the youngest and least experienced player in the Hawks' starting lineup, but the three big guys really listened to his defensive adjustments.

After Felton initiated the attack and passed the ball to Brad Miller, he came to the long two-point position on the left baseline and received the return ball. Pierce on the left side of the free throw line and Bibby who was chasing him rushed towards him together.

Pass the ball to Hill? Felton didn't hesitate, dribbled the ball and stepped back to the corner, and shot a three-pointer... but it missed!
The shooting speed was increased, the rhythm of force was affected, the direction could not be perfectly controlled, and the ball hit the front of the basket!

Horford overpowered Okafor to secure the defensive rebound.

In the offense-defense transition, Bibby used Pierce's screen to pass Hill who was switching defense, and went to the right elbow area to face Okafor who was coming from the baseline and made a quick stop jump shot... and it hit!
81 to 80, the Hawks took the lead!
Bibby's mind is much clearer than Joe Johnson's. He never thinks about "whether to pass the ball to Horford who is vacant in the long two-point position". He is confident that even if he is double-teamed, his shooting will be more accurate than Horford, who still needs improvement in long-range shooting.

It was the Bobcats' turn to attack. They continued with the tactical running from the previous round. Felton came to the left baseline again to receive the ball. He still did not hesitate. Since he was given space to complete the forward swing, he continued to throw it!

Pierce and Bibby's double-teaming was actually better this time than last time, giving Felton less time to step back, but Felton controlled the strength and direction better on this ball, and the ball hit the inner edge of the opposite basket and fell into the basket!
83 to 81, the Bobcats took the lead again!

Bibby was calm enough to make the best judgment and had the determination to make the shot.

Felton's idea was much simpler - at this time, if I don't throw the ball, who will? Unless my little brother wants to throw the ball...

Felton's idea can be described as reckless, but the effect it plays is not much different from Bibby's "as long as you are determined enough".

The main reason is the improvement in his strength. After four years of adjusting his playing style, honing his basic skills, and training in games, although Felton was selected for the All-Star game this year mainly based on his performance, he has also reached the edge of the All-Star game and is expected to truly become an All-Star level player in the next few years.

In the next half quarter, the Bobcats' double shooters and the Hawks' three stars almost took all the shots for both teams.

The Bobcats can only get shots when Brad Miller is wide open from mid-range, or when Hill and Okafor get inside, otherwise the two guns would rather shoot against double teams. The Hawks are similar, Horford and Pachulia, as well as Darius Songaila who rotates in, can only get shots when they have opportunities around the reasonable collision zone, otherwise the three outside players will have to shoot even if they fade back to 45 degrees.

The Hawks' three stars have relatively better chances. Although they only have one ball, they have three strong points in singles, are better at controlling space, and have more options for passing the ball. In this regard, the double guns are at a disadvantage.

But the double guns are in better physical condition!
Bibby played 30 minutes in the first three quarters, and Pierce and Joe Johnson both played 31 minutes.

Although Felton also played for 30 minutes, he was younger than the three opponents. Zhang Yang, who had the best physical strength among the five, only played for 26 minutes in the first three quarters!

Before the official timeout, the Hawks had more opportunities and took the initiative. They expanded their lead to 4 points and led 92-88. But after the official timeout, Felton made a three-pointer and then Zhang Yang broke into the paint and made a layup with a European step, causing Darius Songaila to foul and complete a 2+1. The two guns beat the Hawks 6-2 and tied the score to 94-94!
After these two rounds, although the Bobcats did not continue to gain an advantage, the Hawks also failed to take the initiative. The advantage in the number of stars was wiped out by the vitality of the young people!
With 9 minutes and 11 seconds left in the final quarter, Felton received a pass from Zhang Yang and made a layup from close range, and the Bobcats tied the score again at 99-99.

The Eagles' three stars looked at the still energetic Bobcats' duo and suddenly realized that they seemed to have fallen into a trap where the two brothers were wasting their energy!
Bibby's playing time is about to reach 40 minutes, and Pierce and Joe Johnson have already played 40 minutes. If they continue to play like this, they will not be able to lead the score. In the last few rounds, they may not be able to shoot the ball! If they are dragged into overtime, they dare not think about it!
When the Hawks attacked, Joe Johnson leaned on Zhang Yang in the high position to ask for the ball. Influenced by the White Devil, the modern Jordan was much more decisive this time and went straight to one-on-one!

Bibby did not hesitate. After Pierce on the wing and Horford at close range reached the right positions, he immediately passed the ball to Joe Johnson.

Joe Johnson backed up Zhang Yang from the high post, took a step to fake a turn, suddenly took a step forward, turned over and jumped! Shot...

Zhang Yang didn't fall for the fake move, and followed Joe Johnson's action, pressing forward, jumping up, stretching his arms, and his fingertips touched the ball that Joe Johnson threw backward!

Front cover!

Although the ball still flew out, it fell from the air early and did not touch the basket, but fell into the area at the top of the arc in the reasonable collision zone.

A group of people gathered together under the basket to fight for the ball, and the ball was eventually knocked out of bounds. After watching the replay, the referee confirmed that the ball finally touched Horford, and it was the Bobcats' backcourt ball!
Taking advantage of the dead ball, Carlisle replaced Brad Miller with Millsap, Okafor moved to the center position, and Zhang Yang, Felton and Hill remained unchanged.

On the other side, Woodson also replaced Darius Songaila with Pachulia, allowing Horford to move back to the power forward position.

The two head coaches had clear purposes for making substitutions and had guessed how the other side would make substitutions at this time. Carlisle's goal was to enhance the ability to grab offensive rebounds, and Woodson wanted better rebound protection.

But the adjustments made by the two had no impact on the next round...

Zhang Yang received the ball on the three-point line with his back against Joe Johnson, dribbled past the opponent, turned around and took a "Hamblen-style" step back. On the way down, he faced the pressing Joe Johnson and shot a three-pointer. The ball flew over the opponent's fingertips and went straight into the basket!
102 to 99, the Bobcats lead by 3 points!
The fans at the scene cheered wildly.

Joe Johnson took the lead and was blocked by Zhang Yang, while Zhang Yang played one-on-one and Joe Johnson couldn't defend him!
Joe Johnson was clearly defending the shot and stuck to him tightly, but Zhang Yang still made the shot!
According to Card's calculation method, the Hawks lost 5 points in this round!
It was the Eagles' turn to attack. They had taken the initiative just now, but now they had to increase their offensive firepower. They could not afford to delay any longer. There was only a little time left. The opponent had already entered the decisive battle mode. If they were to score another goal like this, they would be finished!
Pierce received the ball in the high position and faced Hill in a three-threat stance. He suddenly stepped back and took a long two-point shot... and it went in!
At critical moments, the truth is the player who can be trusted.

In the transition from offense to defense, Zhang Yang leaned against Joe Johnson on the right side of the free throw line to ask for the ball. After receiving the ball, he turned around and jumped!
Joe Johnson was ready to defend the back-to-the-basket shot. He had been regretting for the past 30 seconds that he had not pressed forward more aggressively in the last round. He was capable of blocking Zhang Yang's step-back shot on the spot... but he was caught off guard!

He quickly jumped up to block the shot... and slapped Zhang Yang on the wrist, and Zhang Yang had already thrown the ball out!
Pierce, who was staring at the ball, was so anxious when he heard the whistle that he almost jumped up and down. Fortunately, he saw that the direction of the ball seemed to be wrong, and it was obviously crooked. Then he could still hope that Joe Johnson's foul would be severe enough and Zhang Yang's free throw would be affected... "What! So lucky?"

The ball was indeed crooked, but Pierce saw the ball hit the angle between the rim and the backboard and bounced into the frame!

It wasn't just Pierce who cursed, almost all the Hawks players cursed, what kind of luck is this?
Even the Bobcats players and many fans at the scene used swear words to express their emotions.

After landing and standing firm, Zhang Yang and his teammates who rushed up excitedly celebrated and then walked to the free throw line.

This ball was indeed a miracle shot. He really made the shot by luck because he missed the target. If he were to try again, he wouldn't know how he could make such a 'bank shot', but he knew how to annoy people... No, it was to maximize the benefits of the miracle shot.

After receiving the ball from the referee, Zhang Yang patted it, looked to the right, and said to Pierce, who had just cursed the loudest, "Good luck doesn't favor fools."

After saying that, he immediately turned his sight back to the right side and shot the free throw...and it went in!
Pierce didn't react for a moment, and when he came to his senses, the ball had already fallen into the frame. He inexplicably felt fortunate - luckily it didn't miss, otherwise it would be embarrassing to lose the offensive rebound because of my distraction... Wait, who is this guy calling the unlucky fool?
When the Hawks attacked, Pierce ran to the frontcourt angrily to ask for the ball. After receiving the ball, he once again took a triple threat stance facing Hill.

Others also heard what Zhang Yang said just now, so in Hill's eyes, Pierce's "triple threat" this time was less of a threat.

With Millsap and Okafor behind him and Zhang Yang on the wing, the 'triple threat' becomes a 'single threat'... Hill directly presses forward to defend the shot!

Pierce did not force a shot. He was too exhausted and was stuck by the equally strong Hill. He could not move anymore and could only take a step sideways to advance!
The Bobcats presented a super high standard of defense, with Okafor protecting the rim, Millsap delaying and blocking, Zhang Yang shrinking, Hill chasing and defending... Pierce chose to trust himself, grabbed the ball and jumped for a shot... and missed!
Hill, who was chasing and defending, grabbed the ball that bounced back from the inside edge of the basket and turned around to counterattack!

His counterattack speed was not fast, but Felton, Zhang Yang, and Millsap had a good formation, and the Hawks' defense was obviously messed up this time.

Hill seized the opportunity to pass the ball, Felton received the ball and rushed forward, attracting the defense and throwing the ball to the left side of the basket...

Zhang Yang rushed to the frontcourt along the left sideline, changed direction after reaching the 45-degree angle and went straight to the basket, jumped along the left sideline of the three-second zone, and scored two points with an alley-oop slam dunk!

Woodson calls a timeout!

Bibby, Pierce, and Joe Johnson tried their best to retreat, but still failed to defend against the opponent's fast break... This is secondary. The key is that Truth + singles Joe could not defeat the bad boy alone, and were beaten 8 to 2 by the opponent!

The three looked at the scoreboard, 101 to 107, they were 6 points behind while playing away from home!
Even players with strong mental qualities like Bibby and Pierce were at their wits' end at this moment, and Joe Johnson even began to doubt his life.

At this time, a contemptuous complaint reached the ears of the three people - "There is not even one person who can fight."

The three of them quickly turned their heads and saw Zhang Yang standing up straight under the basket, tilting his head slightly and looking at them out of the corner of his eye...

(End of this chapter)