freenovelworld Chapter 208 Exploit Weaknesses and Attack Fiercely
Chapter 208 Exploit Weaknesses and Attack Fiercely
The Bulls called a timeout.
Coach Thibodeau isn't a particularly brilliant tactical coach, but he has very high standards for defense. He can't accept being repeatedly attacked in the same way by opponents.
Yu Jia exclaimed, "Jia Fei's pick-and-roll with Korver just now was a brilliant tactic. It's different from the pick-and-roll we usually see between a guard and a center; it was actually a pick-and-roll between a shooting guard and a small forward."
Su Qun adjusted his glasses and agreed: "This kind of partnership forces the opponent to switch on defense. After the switch, Jia Fei can then go one-on-one against Little Dunleavy, whose defense is relatively weak. Forcing the opponent to switch is not easy. First of all, both of them need to have shooting ability, otherwise the opponent can just go around the screen and that's it."
After the timeout, the Bulls brought back their starting lineup, and the game continued.
The Bulls' offense lacked explosiveness. Noah constantly facilitated his teammates near the free-throw line, but his teammates' offensive abilities were limited. It's clear that Boozer is no longer the Boozer he was with the Jazz. As for Hinrich, he wouldn't be a starter if Rose hadn't been sidelined! Jimmy Butler has never proven himself to be a scorer capable of averaging 20 points per game. This team made the playoffs mainly because of their defense.
The game became a back-and-forth battle. Facing Jia Fei's constant attempts to find Dunleavy, the Bulls' strategy was to delay him and then switch on defense, since Korver's three-pointers were absolutely not to be left open.
After switching onto the defense, Dunleavy Jr. focused on preventing shots. If Jia Fei tried to drive, he would let him in, and then Noah would come to help defend.
After the Bulls changed their defensive strategy, Jia Fei drew the defense's attention, creating numerous scoring opportunities. However, apart from Korver, the Hawks' other players struggled to find their rhythm from beyond the arc.
At halftime, the Hawks trailed by one point, 46-47.
贾飞半场得到9分6个篮板3次助攻2个抢断2个盖帽，全面的表现。
During halftime, Jia Fei approached Coach Buden and said, "Coach, please don't let me rest for so long in the second half. I have no problem with my stamina. We need this victory!"
Coach Buden didn't expect Jia Fei to suddenly bring this up. He did intend to increase Jia Fei's playing time, but not in this game. He planned to do so in the next game or when they returned to their home court. But Jia Fei brought it up himself.
"Okay, I accept your suggestion!" Coach Buden smiled warmly. He was happy that Jia Fei brought it up himself. He wasn't a coach who liked to make choices. Could there be anything better than the team's core player having such a strong desire to win?
Jia Fei didn't expect Coach Buden to agree so easily. It seems that he should communicate with the coach in a timely manner when he has ideas in the future.
"Jay, you made really good offensive choices in the first half when you ran pick-and-rolls against Mike Dunleavy. Keep it up in the second half!" Coach Buden said with a smile.
Jia Fei nodded, then added, "I'm thinking of adding pick-and-rolls with Paul to attack Carlos!"
"Of course! Carlos and Mike are the two weakest defenders in their starting lineup. You can attack as needed!" Coach Buden completely agreed.
Jia Fei nodded. He hadn't expected the team to employ such a targeted offensive strategy so quickly. "Playoffs are all about matchups," that saying was so true. In the regular season, who would keep targeting your weaknesses to the death? But that's how it is in the playoffs. If you don't adjust, I'll keep attacking you.
The second half of the game started quickly.
The Hawks took the first possession, and Teague dribbled the ball over.
It's the same matchup, with Jimmy guarding Jia Fei.
Jia Fei came out to receive the ball, and Jimmy followed closely behind.
Jia Fei receives the ball, and Mi Shen comes up to set a screen.
Jimmy's pick-and-roll was much better than Korver's. Jia Fei used the screen to move to the right and block Jimmy behind him.
Boozer is in a very uncomfortable defensive position, stuck in the middle!
Jia Fei pressed forward a step and then passed the ball to Mi Shen!
Mills received the ball and made a mid-range jumper, putting the Hawks ahead 48-47!
For the Bulls, Hinrich missed a three-pointer!
Jia Fei grabbed the rebound and passed it to Teague, who brought the ball over. There was no fast break opportunity, so they landed and set up a positional play.
Jia Fei used an off-ball screen to circle out and receive the ball, continuing to look for screens from Mi Shen.
After the pick-and-roll, Jia Fei immediately drove to the basket, creating a switch on defense. He used a crossover dribble to shift Boozer's weight, then accelerated past him and drove to the basket to attack Noah, drawing a foul from the latter!
Jia Fei will go to the free throw line.
Watching Jia Fei repeatedly set screens against Boozer, Thibodeau on the sidelines revealed a hint of worry in his eyes. Unlike Boozer, who had Noah inside after being beaten by Dunleavy, Boozer had to defend two opponents, resulting in either fouls or being thoroughly outmaneuvered by his opponents, making it very difficult for him.
Boozer's footwork is incredibly slow. He's already a short center, but now his footwork is as slow as a big center, making him a liability when defending pick-and-rolls.
Jia Fei made both free throws, making it 50-47, the Hawks now lead by 3 points!
Yu Jia laughed and exclaimed, "Jia Fei used pick-and-rolls to chase down Dunleavy in the first half, and switched to Boozer in the second half. The Hawks really hit the Bulls' defensive weaknesses right!"
Su Qun nodded: "In the playoffs, everything comes down to matchups. If you can't match up with your opponent, they'll easily exploit your weaknesses."
For the Bulls, Jimmy Kimmel set a pick-and-roll against Jerami Korver, exploiting his mismatch, but his jump shot missed!
Jia Fei grabbed the rebound, sped off a fast break, and took advantage of the opponent's unsteady footing to drive to the basket and score a layup, resulting in a 6-0 run that forced the Bulls to call a timeout.
The situation changed in an instant; one moment you felt you had the upper hand, and the next you were at a disadvantage.
The Hawks players were excited. Art Mayork waved a towel and enthusiastically came up to give Jia Fei a high-five, offering him a sports drink and a towel.
"Great job, guys!" Coach Buden laughed.
The Bulls fans in the stands showed unease and a lack of confidence. Who could match up against Jia Fei? Jia Fei wasn't like Kobe or Durant, who could score 40 points in a game, but he always seemed to be in control on the court. He was a first-class defender, and he could attack with and without the ball. He was incredibly fast and very experienced, always looking for weaknesses and relentlessly attacking them.
Some older fans reminisce about the team's glorious past in the 90s. How amazing this team was needs no further explanation! But who could have imagined that a decade or so later, the team would need a defensive player like Noah as its core player to make the playoffs? Isn't that ridiculous?
The home team originally had the "youngest regular season MVP in history," and everyone thought spring had arrived, but unexpectedly, he has been injured all the time, making it difficult to have high expectations anymore.