The Knicks have two consistent scoring options: Marbury and Houston.
Houston has a beautiful shot and a high shooting percentage, earning him the title of 'Mid-Range King'... The Nets' matchup against Houston is Hill.
Hill has two tasks: defending Houston and defending Hardaway.
Penny Hardaway and Hill shared the same nickname, "Jordan's successor"... Hardaway's status as Jordan's successor was actually handpicked by Jordan himself, although both of them were far from reaching their peak during Jordan's prime.
The Nets switch defense very quickly!
Marbury used his speed and skill to get past Stockton several times, but Wei Guo always came to help defend, which made Marbury very uncomfortable.
"The Knicks couldn't connect properly, and every shot they took looked forced."
"There's a big difference between strong and weak teams..."
"With his wife at the competition tonight, Brother Wei is going to unleash his full power again!"
"I'm optimistic that Wei Ge will score 70 points tonight."
Chinese fans are also watching this game. According to incomplete statistics, the top five teams in terms of viewership in China among the league's 30 teams are the Nets, Rockets, Lakers, Spurs, and 76ers (in no particular order).
......
The Knicks showed signs of fatigue after just seven minutes into the first quarter.
19:7!!
The Nets are now leading by 12 points.
Gentry once said that no team should be underestimated, and that you should give it your all even if the opponent is a group of high school students.
Hardaway has been on the field for 3 minutes and still hasn't scored a single point!
The Nets were on offense. Wei Guo had the ball in the mid-range, and his teammates spread out to give him space for a one-on-one play. Hardaway was guarding Wei Guo one-on-one. Wei Guo first did a crossover dribble, then a crossover step, and then a reverse crossover and a sudden stop. This complete set of moves almost made Hardaway fall over.
"Whoosh!!!"
The basketball went through the net cleanly.
The audience immediately booed, "Whoa~~~"
This move is called a sudden stop and change of direction pullback, and it is Hardaway's signature move. When used by Wei Guo, its power is greatly increased.
Are you really that easily fooled?
Wei Guo shrugged and ran backwards towards the back of the field.
Hadaway's face darkened. He wanted to tell the world that Wei Guo was a thief who had stolen his secret technique, but now he could not perform the same move as Wei Guo.
Knicks head coach Don knew they couldn't beat the Nets playing like this. "Dikembe, you'll defend Guo for ten minutes and try your best to stop him from scoring. Can you do that?"
"Um..."
Mutombo nodded. "I can contest Weiguo's shot, but I can't keep up with his pace, so I need my teammates to help defend."
"You have to trust your teammates, they are all fantastic!"
"Brother Wei... has gotten stronger again."
Mutombo muttered something, took off his hoodie, and walked onto the court.
The Nets have made substitutions, with only Wei Guo remaining as a starter. Jefferson, Kiddels, Tyronn Lue, and Collins are now on the court.
Before the competition, Tang also did his homework thoroughly.
He reviewed the playoffs of the previous two seasons. Whether it was the 76ers or the Rockets, Wei Guo would not leave the game to rest until the game entered garbage time. Wei Guo's career playoff average was 43.5 minutes per game!
Therefore, Tang anticipated this and knew that the Nets would not substitute Wei Guo off the court. During the time when only Wei Guo was on the court, as long as Wei Guo could be contained, it would be equivalent to containing the Nets, especially since the Nets' current lineup has Wei Guo as the ball handler instead of Tyronn Lue.
Tyronn Lue's role on the court is more like that of a spot-up pitcher!
Tang felt that this was Wei Guo's biggest weakness: the more crucial the game, the more he wanted to take on everything. But basketball is a team sport, so the Knicks' chance was in these ten minutes!
to this end...
Tang devised a tactic in which Wei Guo's former teammate, Mutombo, closely guarded Wei Guo, using Mutombo's height and strength to disrupt Wei Guo's shots.
The Knicks are on offense.
Marbury drove and passed the ball to Houston beyond the three-point line, and Houston took the three-point shot!
"Whoosh!!!"
The basketball went into the net.
21:10!!
"Well done, buddy!"
Houston and Marbury high-fived. "That was a beautiful pass."
Marbury's playing style was flashy yet effective; if it weren't for his personality issues, he might have achieved even more in the league.
After Houston hit a three-pointer, the Knicks quickly retreated on defense. Wei Guo received the inbound pass from his teammate on the baseline, dribbled the ball across the midcourt, and Mutombo stood a step outside the three-point line to defend Wei Guo.
He gave Wei Guo half a step of space!
This distance is difficult. There isn't enough space to shoot because Mutombo is a very strong defender and can easily disrupt Wei Guo's shot. As for driving, there's a half-step distance, making it difficult to get past Mutombo in one step.
Mutombo grinned and said, "Wei-ge, I can stop you!"
Wei Guo asked, "I have a question... How old are you exactly this year?"
"Um????"
Mutombo was stunned.
In that instant, Wei Guo blew past Mutombo like a gust of wind. Before the Knicks could even react, Wei Guo had already driven to the basket.
"Bang!!!"
A clean one-handed slam dunk.
23:10!!
All of this happened right before Cummings' eyes, and he laughed so hard he almost fell over, "Hahaha..."
"Five years...six years...seven years..."
Gentry muttered something to himself, and when Cummings' laughter subsided, he said, "You've lost eleven years of merit with that laugh."
Cummings' teammates didn't understand why he was laughing.
actually...
The mystery surrounding Mutombo's age is a running joke. When Mutombo was with the 76ers, Wei Guo kept bringing it up, especially during intra-squad scrimmages. Whenever Mutombo was guarding Wei Guo, Wei Guo would make that joke.
Having not faced off against Wei Guo for so long, Mutombo was momentarily stunned when Wei Guo suddenly asked him that question again.
"That's terrible..."
Mutombo scratched his head. "Wei is so mean. I have to treat him to hot pot."
......
The Knicks are on offense. Mutombo and Thomas run a double pick-and-roll, creating space for Marbury to score!
Wei Guo is not under the basket...
Marbury immediately drove to the basket and leaped high over Jefferson!
"Bang!!!"
A beautiful one-handed dunk; Marbury dunked so hard he swayed the rim before landing.
If this play had happened at the Knicks' home court, it would have been a resounding success. But this isn't the Knicks' home court... Nets fans have long been spoiled by Wei Guo's tastes.
It's not a dunk unless you smash the backboard!
23:12!!
With 4 minutes and 13 seconds left in the first quarter, the Knicks had only scored 12 points.
"How did you defend?!"
Scott yelled from the sidelines, "Three guys standing there watching Marbury go for a layup? If you can play, then play; if you can't, then get off the court!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com