206: 115.
Fierce Battle!
_3 206: 115.
Fierce Battle!
_3 The Bobcats were on the offense, Felton, overly excited after blocking Jas, rushed his near-distance floater after a pick-and-roll and was too hasty, which allowed the retreating Gooden to swat it away.
The crowd let out a sigh, but when Jas advanced to the frontcourt, the fans cheered for Felton again.
Jas continued to drive but was again stopped outside the three-second area.
For him, it was a deadlock situation unless his jump shot after a quick stop could succeed, otherwise, there was no play.
In facing Felton, he couldn’t grab and go like he did against Gerald Wallace, force a start to attack the basket, with Perkins, a stalwart, beneath the basket and unable to shake off Felton’s tight defense…
This ti Jas didn’t force the shot, instead, relying on Felton to find a teammate…
found one…
passed the ball…
alas!
Running around the top arc to the right 45-degree angle was Snow!
Ronald Murray, covered tightly by Keith Bogans, couldn’t get free.
With Snow receiving the ball, Gerald Wallace who was guarding him backed off imdiately, cutting off Jas’s route to receive the ball again.
Snow didn’t stop the ball; having played in the finals with Iverson, he knew stopping would completely disrupt the offensive rhythm, he took a wide-open three-point shot…
“Clang”
With a career three-point shooting percentage of only 20% and averaging 0.1 three-pointers per ga, he didn’t make it!
Perkins was in an excellent position for the rebound, Felton inside the three-second area, Gerald Wallace imdiately dashed forward…
unfortunately, Gooden rushed in and knocked the ball out of bounds, the referee’s whistle sounded, Bobcats’ ball in the backcourt.
The crowd expressed their disappointnt but cheered for Felton once again!
It was really unexpected that this little chunky guy could actually “single-handedly” defend against Jas!
During the dead ball, both coaches made substitutions.
New lineup for the Cavaliers: Damon Jones, Ronald Murray, Jas, Donnell Marshall, Big Z.
New lineup for the Bobcats: Felton, Zhang Yang, Gerald Wallace, Okafor, Brezec.
Bickerstaff had intended to bring Zhang Yang in later as a fresh force.
But having perford poorly in two defensive counterattacks, the first with Felton unable to break through the defense, and the second with Gerald Wallace as the spearhead but lacking rebounding strength, along with their starting lineup’s shooting options being limited to the top arc area, close distance, and beneath the basket, where the opponents’ defense was getting stronger, Bickerstaff had no choice but to send in Zhang Yang earlier.
One must admit the opponents were a 50-win level team; their last victory was smooth because it was the first ti they used such a defensive strategy against Jas, catching the opponents off guard and lacking in imdiate adaptability, which allowed them to succeed so smoothly.
This ti, the opponents were better prepared defensively.
After the tiout, just one play later, Bickerstaff was glad he had brought in Zhang Yang earlier!
In Zhang Yang’s first offensive play after coming in, he ran around the pillar to the free-throw line, facing the onrushing Jas, he made a mid-range shot.
But turning back, Jas, after being blocked by Felton and Okafor on the right low post, lobbed the ball over Brezec stationed on the left bottom line of the three-second area to Donnell Marshall who was on the sideline, who took a three-point shot…
and made it!
12 to 13, the Cavaliers closed in on the score!
Donnell Marshall, who had matched Kobe Bryant’s single-ga three-point record by making 12 out of 19 attempts last season with the Toronto Raptors!
Mike Brown might not be a diocre coach, otherwise, he wouldn’t last so many years as the head coach of the Cavaliers, or lead the team to the playoffs with two 60 win seasons.
He lacked a strong offensive system and the ability for imdiate adjustnts, but with preparation ti, his fundantal tactics were strong, and in forming lineups, he had learned the essence from Popovich, knowing how to match players around the core players.
Last ti Mike Brown was caught off guard, unsure how to adjust, but with so much preparation ti this ti, he had the rotations ready in advance!
When the Bobcat’s offense began, Felton spread out, Gerald Wallace also slowed down, and Zhang Yang dribbled against Damon Jones.
Damon Jones, a fan of Payton, but his defense was nothing like his idol’s; Zhang Yang fooled him with a shoulder fake and easily broke inside.
Jas rushed to defend but was only moderately effective, blocking the man but not the ball!
Zhang Yang, before being closed down, pushed the ball out…
he didn’t pass to Gerald Wallace, who Jas had left open to cut in, but to Brezec on the left side of the three-second area!
Big Z moved one step towards the cutting Gerald Wallace, then quickly turned to defend Brezec, but he was too slow…
Facing the crisis of being benched and against an Eastern European center, buff stacked!
Brezec slamd the ball over Big Z into the basket!
The shot was good; the referee also blew the whistle for a pushing foul on Big Z, Brezec’s additional free throw was good too, 16 to 12, Bobcats lead by 4 points!
On the Cavaliers’ offense, Brezec consciously extended so distance to block Jas’s passes, Damon Jones actively ran to the left sideline, using Marshall’s screen.
Zhang Yang was forced to switch and guard Donnell Marshall, and Brezec could only chase after Damon Jones.
Damon Jones, unable to shake off Zhang Yang’s pursuit due to the speed difference, being slow for a 190 cm guard, but quite fast compared to the 218 cm center Brezec, received Jas’s pass in the corner and quickly took a three-point shot…
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