In the first five minutes of the first quarter, Wei Guo failed to receive the ball during his offensive play and made little contribution on defense.
This made the Spurs relax a bit...
After the first timeout, Wei Guo began to take over the game.
He scored a '2+1' on offense and then delivered a big block to Parker on defense.
The Spurs inbound the ball...
Bowen missed his shot after receiving the ball, and Wei Guo grabbed the defensive rebound.
Popovich thought to himself, "Trash...can only play against weak teams, and relies on defense when facing strong teams."
In the games against the Mavericks, except for the third game, Wei Guo's performance was mediocre. Popovich specifically watched the tapes of those four games, trying to find out the Mavericks' tactics against Wei Guo, or the Suns' weaknesses. He also found that... in those games, most of the Suns' players performed very well.
Looking at it now...
The Mavericks are simply not strong enough. When they encounter truly strong teams, they can't rely on tactics or anything else; they can only rely on Wei Guo alone.
Most head coaches in the league might disagree with Gentry, who won three Coach of the Year awards with the national team, but they can't do anything about it. The Coach of the Year award is relatively easy to determine, based on the team's record... In the last three seasons, all three teams coached by Gentry had the best record in the league.
If this continues, Gentry might become the league's best head coach in a few seasons.
......
On the court, the Suns are on offense.
Nash dribbled the ball all the way to the three-second zone, then turned and the basketball disappeared.
"Bang!!!"
Wei Guo receives the ball and scores with a powerful two-handed dunk!
12:10!!
Nash's unpredictable pass led to a brilliant combination play with Wei Guo.
So far in the game, the Suns have only scored three points from the field, all through dunks, and the other four points came from free throws. This shows that the Spurs' defense is doing a good job, interfering with the Suns' shots. At the same time... it also shows that Wei Guo hasn't taken a shot yet. Just look at Wei Guo's shooting heatmap; he is the only player in the league with a shooting percentage of over 50% in any area.
The Spurs continue to target the Suns' defense, with both Duncan and Bowen selected to this season's All-Defensive Team. Combined with Popovich's system, this presents the Suns with their biggest challenge in the playoffs.
......
Barkley and Johnson were providing commentary on the game.
Johnson said, "With Bowen and Duncan, it's too difficult for Weiguo to receive the ball."
Barkley, "that didn't stop Wei Guo from averaging around fifty points per game against the Spurs..."
Johnson said, "The intensity of the playoffs is different from that of the regular season. With Muhammad fighting for rebounds, Duncan can go to the perimeter to disrupt Weiguo."
Barkley: "Players like Weiguo need competition to ignite their fighting spirit."
......
The first quarter has ended.
30:26!!
The Suns are down by 4 points.
Before the game, Wei Guo had anticipated the Spurs' defensive tactics, which is why Gentry reminded the players to be bold in their shots and not to immediately look for Wei Guo as soon as they got the ball.
But...
The Spurs' defense was very effective; while they targeted Wei Guo, they rarely gave other players open shots.
The offense and defense transitioned very quickly, and Johnson and Marion struggled to find their rhythm. The first quarter's scoring mainly came from Nash and Weiguo. Without being able to attack the basket, Stoudemire's offensive ability was greatly diminished.
"Duncan didn't perform well in the first quarter, which was thanks to Wei Ge, but he made a few unfortunate mistakes by leaving his man open... especially Ginobili, we need to keep an eye on him!"
"We still lost by 4 points in a high-scoring game..."
Cummings muttered, "Where exactly did things go wrong?"
"Smack!"
Wei Guo slapped Cummings on the back of the head.
Cummings looked up sharply, looking aggrieved, and said, "Brother Wei, why did you hit me?"
"ah?!"
Wei Guo feigned innocence, "I was just thinking of patting your head, how did it suddenly turn into slapping you? Where did things go wrong?"
Cummings, "???"
This little incident eased the tense atmosphere.
Trailing in the first quarter...
This is something no one wants to see, but falling behind in the first quarter doesn't mean the game is lost.
At this time, momentum is very important. You need to have the fighting spirit to win, but you can't be too nervous, especially against players who are not in good form. The more nervous you are, the more it will affect their performance.
Spurs bench.
Popovich also reminded the players not to be careless, to hold onto their advantage, and not to give the Suns even the slightest chance to come back.
Starting with the 76ers...
Popovich has led his team in eighteen matches against Weiguo, achieving a record of 5 wins and 13 losses, which can be described as a crushing defeat.
This is because Popovich was too arrogant and couldn't accept this.
There are still many teams in the league that have never beaten a team with Wei Guo, but they are quite calm about it.
even...
The stadium, which is usually not full, sells out tickets a month in advance for games where Wei Guo is present.
......
Wei Guo has figured out a pattern: in the intensity of the playoffs, he can keep his playing time around 45 minutes and maintain his best performance throughout the game.
The Suns' roster looks stronger than the Nets' roster last season.
Actually, that's not the case...
Aside from Wei Guo and Hill after his major injury, the Nets only have veterans Mourning and Stockton, making them a relatively ordinary team. However, this team is well-rounded on both offense and defense. On offense, Wei Guo and Hill are extremely capable scorers, and they also have players like Jefferson, Kiddles, and Collins, who are also quite good.
As for defense...
Hill is a player who excels on both offense and defense, Mourning is a tough guy with physical strength, and Stockton is a veteran with experience.
This is the kind of team that has the makings of a champion.
In contrast, this Suns team...
Their dazzling offense is a feast for the eyes, and their run-and-gun style has sparked a small-ball revolution in the league. However, they also have a clear weakness: defense. This is why the Spurs dare to say that they could sweep the Suns if it weren't for Wei Guo.
In this team, if his teammates can't break through on offense, Wei Guo has to take on both offense and defense by himself, which takes a huge toll on his stamina.
......
After a short break, the second quarter begins.
Wei Guo sat on the sidelines resting...
The Spurs' bench is no weaker than the Suns'; Barry, Horry, and Nestorovic are all very good players, and all three have come off the bench.
The Spurs attacked first.
Barry, a white player, decisively took a three-point shot after receiving a pass from his teammate.
"Whoosh!!!"
The basketball went into the net.
Then...
Horry abandoned Richardson's attack, Parker grabbed the ball, and on the fast break, passed the ball to Barry, who made a more decisive three-pointer.
"Whoosh!!!"
The basketball swished through the net once again.
36:26!!
In less than a minute, the Spurs extended their lead to 10 points.
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