There were 6 minutes and 17 seconds left in the first quarter.
The Grizzlies made two substitutions: Posey replaced White, and Cardinal replaced Miller. Both of them have some three-point shooting ability.
all in all...
The Grizzlies' early lead made them feel that their tactics were working and gave them hope of winning.
Nash orchestrates the attack!
Cardinal and Williams continued to double-team Nash, but unlike at the start of the game... Cardinal was only helping on defense; his defensive focus wasn't entirely on Nash.
No head coach in this league is a fool.
The double-teaming of Nash has been effective, disrupting the Suns' offensive rhythm. However, Gentry will definitely adjust the tactics after the first timeout, which is exactly what Fredette expected.
Wei Guo once again circled out to receive the ball.
This time, Wei Guo chose to sit and attack Battier, using his strength to gradually push his way to the basket. Battier then used his arms to engage in a strength contest with Wei Guo. From a certain perspective, Battier's defense was already suspected of being a foul.
But...
The disparity in strength between Battier and Weiguo was too great, and Weiguo's attack was very smooth, so the referee did not blow the whistle.
Everyone thought Wei Guo was going to dunk on the basket!
Gasol stepped up to help defend, but Wei Guo made a no-look pass, and the ball ended up in Johnson's hands.
Johnson had been lurking in the three-point corner for several seconds. When he received the pass from Wei Guo, Cardinal abandoned his defense on Nash and rushed over to interfere with Johnson's shot.
It's too late...
"Whoosh!!!"
With a crisp swish of the net, Johnson hit a three-pointer from the corner.
17:15!!
The Suns narrowed the gap to 2 points.
During that timeout, Gentry said something very insightful: "You guys just need to be ready to receive the ball. If Nash can't pass it, let Wei pass it. If you can't score, let Wei score it!"
On the field, there's nothing Wei Guo can't solve.
The Suns' offense flowed smoothly this time. Fredello frowned, slapped his thigh, and said, "Damn... I forgot that Wei Guo is also the assist leader!"
For the same team, as long as the lineup doesn't change much, the tactics generally won't change much either. Each player has their own routine, and over time, you can figure out the players' routines.
For example...
Jordan wasn't very good at shooting three-pointers.
Wei Guo is the only exception. He changes teams after winning a championship, and each team has a different strategy, so no one can figure out Wei Guo.
Wei Guo is playing as a substitute again this season, which makes him even more unpredictable. Just looking at Wei Guo's regular season stats, some people might think that Wei Guo is selfish and doesn't know how to pass the ball.
......
The Suns quickly adjusted.
After the first quarter, the Suns had already taken the lead, and Fredette had realized that double-teaming Nash was not working.
But...
The tactics were already arranged before the match.
Changing tactics at the last minute will only make the players more flustered; now they have no choice but to grit their teeth and keep playing.
"Fuck! I fell for Cummings's trick...that little thief!"
Frederick cursed Cummings countless times in his heart, especially when he saw Cummings sitting on the bench chatting and laughing with his teammates. Frederick felt deceived by Cummings and became even angrier!
The Grizzlies were never as good as the Suns...
This turned into a three-on-four defense, with one of the four players being Wei Guo. Although they caught the Suns off guard at the start, the Grizzlies had a very tough time once the Suns adjusted.
During halftime, Frederick made some tactical adjustments.
The hole wasn't too big; they were only down by 9 points at halftime. After adjustments, the Grizzlies stopped double-teaming Nash and continued using the same defensive tactics from the first game.
Frederick finally understood that he had been grasping at straws in desperation. If he could think of double-teaming Nash, why couldn't other team coaches? The reason why other team coaches didn't make this arrangement was because they had already realized that double-teaming Nash was ineffective.
If Wei Guo is just a scoring machine, then double-teaming Nash is actually quite effective.
They forced Wei Guo to keep playing one-on-one, but Wei Guo was too well-rounded. He could not only score but also pass. For a period of time with the 76ers, he played point guard and even won the assist title twice.
Wei Guo played very seriously...
Before the fourth quarter even started, the Grizzlies were down by more than 20 points, which basically meant it was garbage time again.
......
Match statistics:
Wei Guo: 41 points, 13 rebounds, 13 assists, 2 steals, 3 blocks
Gasol: 17 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
......
Triple-doubles are a statistic that comes easily to me.
The Grizzlies seem to have realized that even if they return to their home court, they cannot defeat the Suns.
After the game...
Gasol and Battier took the initiative to approach Wei Guo.
Battier said, "The three of us entered the league in the same year, and now the two of us can't even see your taillights."
"Harmful..."
Wei Guo put his arm around Battier's neck and comforted him, "You are still very young. The alliance will belong to you in the future."
Gasol: "..."
Battier: "......"
Many people say that players who are the same age as Wei Guo are the unluckiest, as their entire careers will be overshadowed by Wei Guo.
The draft class that Wei Guo was in had many players with considerable talent.
Players like Parker, Gasol, Arenas, Randolph, Gerald Wallace, Okur, Battier... as well as Joe Johnson, who is currently a teammate of the US national team, and Jefferson, a teammate of the US national team during their time with the Nets.
But...
With Wei Guo suppressing them, these people will have little chance of getting ahead.
This world is inherently unfair, and strength determines everything. Gasol and Battier were just complaining, but they were definitely not targeting Wei Guo.
However...
What they didn't know was that Wei Guo's words weren't just to comfort them. Wei Guo planned to retire in the summer of 2008, when players like Gasol and Battier would be at the peak of their careers, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the future belonged to them.
......
Five days later, both the Suns and the Grizzlies finished their first-round playoff games.
The third match...
117:91!!
The Suns defeated the Grizzlies by 26 points.
The fourth match...
106:97!!
The Grizzlies held on until the last minute, but ultimately lost to the Suns by 9 points.
The young team ultimately failed to steal a victory from the Suns, and after being swept 4-0, the entire team received a gift from Wei Guo: a set of exquisite fishing gear.
Look...
Wei Guo is no longer the naive newcomer to the alliance; he has learned the ways of the world.
They thrashed their opponents on the court and offered them comfort on the court. Unfortunately, while these young Grizzlies players happily accepted Wei Guo's gift, not a single one of them posted a picture on social media to express their gratitude.
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