roccoschili Chapter 118
Chapter 118
Chapter 118
Xie Kai's goal curbed the Nuggets' counterattack momentum.After the return of the main players from both sides, the Kings continued their fiery touch in the first quarter. In this game, Hawes and Nocioni had nothing to do with their shots.
On the other hand, for the Nuggets, Anthony's shooting percentage was low, and JR was completely lost. They quickly fell behind and reached double digits.At halftime, they trailed the Kings by 49 points 61:12.
谢开半场6投3中，罚球4罚3中，得到9分6个篮板3个助攻1个抢断。
"Sacramento's offensive performance in the first half can be called their best performance after the All-Star Game. I wonder if they can continue this performance in the second half?" Mav Albert said with a smile.
"It may be difficult. With the decline in physical fitness in the second half, it is difficult to maintain a high shooting percentage from the outside. What they need to do is to defend. As long as the Nuggets are not allowed to play an efficient offense, control mistakes and use the impact of the second team There is a chance to keep the advantage to the end!" Jeff Van Gundy said.
The fans in the Sleep Train Arena were very relaxed. In their view, the meaning of winning or losing the game is not that great. The home team has long lost hope of entering the playoffs.As long as they can see hope, such as a rookie in the team playing well, or watching the game well, that's fine.The home team's performance in the first half perfectly met their expectations.
So, even if you lose in the end, it's no big deal.Originally, the opponent was a team whose strength was much higher than that of the home team. It was normal to lose, and it was considered to be profitable if it won.
Section 3 started soon.
It is difficult for the Nuggets to accept this situation.Trailing by double digits at halftime, this is a rare bad performance for this team in recent times.You must know that the opposite team is a bad team!This is going to lose, and the criticism from the outside world will come to the face, which will hurt the morale of the team very much.
As soon as the third quarter came up, the Nuggets stepped up their intensity. Whether it was the Twin Towers on the inside or JR and Chauncey on the outside, they all seemed to be playing in the playoffs, not as relaxed as in the first half.
Under this defense, the Kings' offensive efficiency has been affected.The main player Kevin Martin is the focus of defense, and his shooting percentage has begun to decline.
But the high-intensity defense brought about an increase in fouls, so it was only halfway through the third quarter, and the number of fouls committed by the Nuggets team had reached the point where "the next foul is a free throw".
With 3 minutes and 5 seconds left in the third quarter, Xie Kai replaced teammate Kevin Martin and played the game.Obviously, under the strict defense of the opponent, Martin had physical problems. Coach Kenny Knight let him off the field early in preparation for the final battle.
At this time, the score on the court was 68:60, and the Kings led by 8 point.
Chauncey Billups dribbles over and organizes the offense at the top of the key.
JR Smith ran without the ball, and Xie Kai came up to defend with all his might.
"Kane's enthusiasm is really undeniable. The intensity of defense at the beginning is impressive!" Albert Albert laughed.
"For rookies, young people have to be active, otherwise how can they be distinguished from veterans?" Jeff Van Gundy said.
Xie Kai's passion ignited the passion of the fans at the scene, the sound of cheering and cheering began to sound again, and the atmosphere of the scene was completely upgraded.
JR still received the ball. Facing Xie Kai's defense, he kept dribbling back and forth with his crotch, teasing the opponent's defense.His dribbling is very sensitive, which is different from JJ Redick and Kyle Korver who are pure shooters.
Xie Kai wasn't fooled. He hadn't studied JR's technical moves for a day or two. Basically, the top 2 players in the league had carefully studied their habits. JR does not have the quick first step of Kobe and Tracy McGrady. His fancy dribbling moves are difficult to help him pass his opponent, but only for the purpose of confusing the opponent.Of course, the opponent is a slow big man, that's another story.
Seeing that the rookie Xie Kai was not fooled, JR thought that this Asian rookie could hold his breath. He did not make a move, nor was he deceived by his own fake moves. After a crossover, he took the ball and broke through with his left hand.His breakthrough speed is indeed not fast, at least he can't get rid of Xie Kai's entanglement.
Xie Kai was not passed by JR, who dribbled the ball behind his back and stepped back to make an emergency stop jump shot——Xie Kai reacted very quickly, took off and blocked the shot after keeping his center of gravity...
The ball is not blocked, but the interference is - the ball is missed!
Jason Thompson hit the ball, Xie Kai leaned on JR and grabbed the ball.
JR made a counter-grab foul and sent Xie to the free throw line.
"Kane defended JR this round, and the opponent got a little emotional!" Albert the groom laughed.
"JR can't easily get rid of Kane without using the pick-and-roll. This is an important reason why he missed the shot. It is true that he often shoots that extremely difficult jumper, but that kind of shot is not a conventional offensive method after all." Jeff Van Gundy said.
Xie Kai walked to the free throw line amidst the cheers of the fans.
Xie Kai made two free throws, widening the score gap between the two sides to 10 points!
Here the Nuggets attacked, Anthony singled out Nocioni, turned behind his back and cut in, the basket was strangled by Hawes and Jason Thompson!
But Nene grabs the ball and comes back to cause a foul by Hawes!
Unfortunately, Nene missed two free throws...
"Denver's offense looks very difficult. If you can't make a shot from the outside, the opponent will shrink. Now you can't make a free throw, alas—" Marv Albert sighed.
"If Denver can't find the outside touch in time, the opponent will shrink and shrink. The game is like this. If you can't make a shot, the opponent will challenge your touch, unless you punish them with continuous long shots." Jeff Van Gundy said .
The Kings attacked here, JR gambled steal Xie Kai attempted, Xie Kai got a perfect 3-point opportunity!
In the anticipation of the fans at the scene, Xie Kai wanted to pass the ball to Hawes, who was open at the top of the arc, but suddenly remembered what the team boss Kevin Martin told him, adjusted his posture, and shot a steady 3-pointer—— !
The Kings led the score to 13 points!
Nuggets coach George Karl was so angry that he almost threw the tactical board into the field. His gray hair looked like an angry white-haired devil...
The laughter of the fans at the scene added to George Karl's angry expression.As the saying goes, "no comparison, no harm".
"Kane's 5 points in a row is really the key to this quarter!" Mav Albert sighed.
"It's really important, the opponent is preparing to chase points! But in this way, it will be difficult to chase points, and the home team's momentum has completely risen!" Jeff Van Gundy said.
"Compared to Jason, did Kane surprise the Sacramento team and fans more?" Mav Albert asked.
"So far, yes, it stands to reason that Kane has had fewer opportunities than Jason, but the performance of the two is the opposite. Jason is a lottery pick, and it is understandable that the team focuses on training. Got a chance, and he got a lot of minutes on his own with aggressive defense and efficient offense!" Jeff Van Gundy said.
(End of this chapter)