Chapter 311: Fight to the End
When the players came down, Mike Brown walked over with a tactical board in his hand, looking miserable. He didn't expect the Heat to fight back like this. Now, he had to find a rhythm to cool down the game, otherwise he would definitely be swept away by the crazy Heat. If he lost this game again, then... the balance of the playoffs would directly tilt to the Heat, after all, there were two away games next.
Moreover, if the Eastern Conference champion loses to the eighth place in the first round, not only will it bring eternal fame to the opponent, but it will also bring itself eternal humiliation.
"Coach, we have to make adjustments." LeBron James said to Mike Brown very excitedly. He was undoubtedly the person on the court who least wanted to see the team lose, so he urgently hoped that Mike Brown would make a magical change.
Mike Brown was also in a dilemma. Although he had won the best coach award, his coaching level was not very high, and his ability to change on the spot was even weaker.
Just when Mike Brown was at a loss, Ben Wallace stood up and said, "They play at a fast pace, so we will play half-court offense, as slow as possible, and stabilize the game first. Slowly, their momentum will weaken. We are stronger than them, so now we just have to be patient."
Ben Wallace is a veteran player from the Pistons, who is well versed in the art of keeping constant in the face of ever-changing situations. When the Pistons were coached by Saunders, their style of play was known for being slow, and they could only score 80 or 90 points in a game, which was very unpopular with the fans. However, even though they were criticized, they defeated the Lakers, who had the F4 super-luxury lineup and staged a legend of a grassroots team counterattacking the high-ranking coach.
After hearing Wallace's suggestion, Mike Brown immediately nodded and substituted Ben Wallace into the court: "Ben, you go on the court to lead the rhythm and tell these kids how to suppress the opponent's momentum."
Ben Wallace nodded. Although his body had long passed its peak, his awareness on the court had already reached a level that was extraordinary. He knew what to do on the court better than anyone else, but many times his body could not keep up with his awareness.
Now, McBrown handing over the team rhythm to Wallace is undoubtedly the best choice. This is the role of veterans.
Soon, the game resumed.
After the Cavaliers kicked off, Mo Williams immediately brought the ball to the frontcourt at a slow pace, then handed it to LeBron James, allowing him to organize the entire team's running.
The Cavaliers played a half-court positional offense, and Yang Mo couldn't help but cry out in pain. This was undoubtedly the start of the difficult mode.
If the Cavaliers follow the Heat's madness, the Heat's chances of winning can be as high as 80%. After all, in the whole league, only the Warriors can be slightly better than Miami in craziness. With the absolute advantage in experience, the Cavaliers will of course have a greater chance of losing.
However, now the Cavaliers have realized the key point, and they have changed their style to positional offense, which is definitely not good news for the Heat, because this lineup will maximize the Heat's lineup flaws.
In other words, Yang Mo must take on more important responsibilities next.
Fortunately, Wallace was not an offensive expert. He was only responsible for screen-and-roll or running back and forth on the outside. Yang Mo was not moved at all by this. He just stood inside and watched. Anyway, Wallace might not be able to make the shot even if he received the ball outside.
After the Cavaliers sorted out the game, the final decision was made by LeBron James, who broke through Michael Beasley's defense and hit a 16-foot jumper. This shot demonstrated his personal ability and proved that all the previous running of the Cavaliers was in vain.
After he scored, Yang Mo quickly picked up the ball and launched a fast break. The Heat immediately ran like crazy rabbits after the kick-off, rushed to the frontcourt, and shot directly after finding an open position...Swish!
Wade made a mid-range shot, very cleanly.
The Heat scored a powerful goal, but the Cavaliers continued their slow half-court offense after serving the ball.
The feeling on the field instantly formed two extremes, one was a leisurely pace like a classic car, and the other was the extreme of a supercar whizzing past on the track.
The coexistence of the two is very abrupt.
In the following game, it turned out to be just as Wallace expected. As the Cavaliers deliberately slowed down the tempo, the Heat's momentum began to slowly disintegrate, and their shooting touch declined. The Heat's shooting touch declined, while the Cavaliers, who had been playing slowly, gradually got into the game.
As one side gained strength while the other side lost strength, the knight unknowingly took the absolute initiative.
The Heat were like a frog put into warm water, gradually being dragged into a dilemma. At the end of the halftime, when the players looked at the stats, they were actually 11 points behind.
As they walked to the locker room, the players who were so full of energy before the game started to become negative again. They were desperate, but after a burst of enthusiasm, they had new hope, but hope was soon crushed by the cold reality. The previous negativity and the current depression combined, and they immediately lost their fighting spirit, and they started to think about summer fishing again.
There is no way. Essentially, they are not the kind of people who can overcome difficulties in difficult situations. Their sudden rise is, in a sense, more like taking Viagra. Viagra can only play a symptomatic role, and they still have to rely on themselves to cure the root cause.
Back in the locker room, Yang Mo, who was exhausted from fighting in the penalty area, looked at his teammates who were dejected and had no fighting spirit. He felt sad, but he didn't want to blame them too much. He simply closed his eyes and lay down on the chair to rest and recover his strength.
Yang Mo was like this, and the atmosphere in the locker room became even more depressing, filled with a strong sense of failure. It seemed that everyone was muttering: Let's lose the game quickly, I'm still waiting for where to travel during the off-season.
Soon, the staff came over and asked the players to go out and warm up as the game was about to start.
Yang Mo was the first to walk out with his head down. When he came to the court, he took the basketball and started practicing offense.
He was holding back his anger. Everyone could give up, but he absolutely could not. Even if the whole world chose to surrender, he would definitely be the last man standing.
Before the game was about to start, Yang Mo firmly greeted Dwyane Wade: "Next, I will increase the number of attacks, and I hope you can help me."
Although Yang Mo's words sounded like a request, they were more of a stubborn insistence.
Wade patted him on the shoulder and gave him the greatest support: "Just go for it! Tonight, you are the owner of this team."
Yang Mo was touched by Wade's support, but he was not upset.
Soon, the game continued.
Yang Mo's opponent once again changed from Ben Wallace to Ilgauskas.
The Cavaliers still advanced the ball very slowly to the frontcourt, and then quickly passed the ball to Ilgauskas who was coordinating near the free throw line. Ilgauskas did not play a single shot after receiving the ball, but turned around and shot a jump shot...Swish!
Yang Mo had no way to block Ilgauskas' jump shot. After all, the height difference was too obvious.
After Ilgauskas scored, Michael Beasley served the ball and tried to initiate another fast break. But Yang Mo raised his hand to signal them to slow down. Since the run-and-gun fast break has been proven to be useless, they should not continue to follow the same path.
Mario Chalmers brought the ball to the front court, and Yang Mo directly passed the ball from outside the three-point line. Then he hooked his finger at Ilgauskas, signaling him to come up and defend.
Ilgauskas hesitated for a moment, but still walked from the free throw line to the three-point line.
As soon as he came over, Yang Mo suddenly broke through and rushed to the left side of Ilgauskas. Ilgauskas subconsciously rushed over to defend, but... Yang Mo suddenly stopped and pulled back. The two fast-paced movements immediately made Ilgauskas feel tangled and sat on the ground. There was no other way, his center of gravity was too high, and his ankle was injured. In order to protect his ankle, he had to sit on the ground by himself.
Although his height is his advantage, in a sense, it is also his disadvantage.
Ilgauskas sat down on the ground, Yang Mo quickly withdrew from the three-point line and jumped up to shoot...Swish!
After the basketball went into the basket, Yang Mo didn't even look at it, let alone provoke. The only thing on his mind now was the 10-point difference.
