…

118 to 106.

The Nets led the Knicks by 12 points at the most in the second quarter, and they won by 12 points in the end.

According to the statistics after the game, the performance of the Knicks and the Big Three was very stable.

Especially James, who contributed 41 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists, almost a 40+ triple-double.

In McGrady's words during the commentary, James made this year's MVP result more controversial.

On the Nets side, Lin Ying only scored 23 points and only took 13 shots in total.

If it hadn't been for winning the ball, I would have been criticized after the game.

But in addition to 23 points, he also had 11 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks...

And more importantly, the rest of the Nets played really well tonight.

Deron rebounded, contributing a team-high 30 points and 9 assists.

Granger also played the role of a surprise player, contributing 14 points in the second quarter and 20 points in the game.

And what is more important than scoring is his spatial effect, which cannot be reflected in the data.

After the game, Granger followed him to the press conference.

14 points in a single quarter and dunking on James made him the focus of questions from reporters at the press conference.

After the press conference, Granger entered the locker room and was showered with water by his teammates in celebration.

"Nets!"

"Defend the title!"

At the end, the players raised their hands together and shouted the season slogan.

This game means a lot to the Nets.

Due to Deron's sluggish state, the Knicks' overall strength is better, and the Nets are at a disadvantage in the series.

But in tonight's game, the Nets not only won, but also gained their confidence back.

They are the defending champions!

After going crazy in the locker room, Lin Ying first accompanied Delong to the infirmary, and then to the training gym.

He didn't attack much in this game. It's no exaggeration to say that he didn't even break a sweat.

He must use training to find his match condition, otherwise he will be held back in the next game.

Halfway through practice, Granger came.

Granger didn't interrupt his training and just sat on the sidelines.

After Lin Ying finished a round of practice, he picked up a towel and wiped it, and started chatting with Granger.

"Thank you."

Later in the conversation, Granger thanked Lin Ying.

"This game is so important to me. Thank you for the trust you gave me. It also gave me the courage to jump up again in front of LeBron."

Under Lin Ying's doubtful gaze, he also added.

Not all role players will get a lot of shots when they feel good, although that sounds reasonable.

In fact, more often than not, it's just the opposite. Role players have good touch and create space, and star players will choose to attack at the basket more often.

It is a wise saying that the closer you are to the basket, the easier it is to score.

"Danny, don't thank me. You earned it yourself. If it were someone else who felt better, I would do the same."

Lin Ying didn't say any polite words, because it seemed too fake.

"Besides, I don't want you to be satisfied with just one game like this. You need to do more. We have to defeat LeBron together, right?"

Lin Ying continued.

Granger stared at Lin Ying blankly for a while, then looked firmly and nodded vigorously.

…

The day after the New York Derby ended, the Western Conference Finals officially kicked off.

The result of the game was unexpected.

The Spurs defeated the Thunder 112-77 at home.

The Spurs did not play easily in the first two rounds, but that also further accelerated their chemical reaction.

Their shooting percentage in the first three quarters of G1 was over 60%, and they defeated the Thunder.

It is worth mentioning that Danny Green made 7 of 10 three-pointers in the third quarter, which made everyone in the Thunder feel numb.

Facing the Spurs' efficient offense, the Thunder were unable to mount a defensive counterattack and could only be dragged into a positional battle by the Spurs.

The Spurs also showed their defensive skills in positional warfare, and their flanking and assisting defense made the Thunder struggle even more.

In the whole game, Durant made only 6 of 16 shots, and Westbrook made 7 of 24 shots.

And what struggled more than the statistics was the game scene. Durant's double attack was quite timely, but Westbrook was left open from the outside and couldn't make a goal.

As for Westbrook, he played behind the ball and passed the ball directly to Parker in the face of a double attack, which made Popovich happy.

After the game, Lin Ying also received a call from Durant.

"you are right."

When Durant opened his mouth, he regretted not listening to Lin Ying's words.

"Kevin, you still have a chance, but they won't always be so accurate."

Lin Ying opened his mouth to comfort Durant.

When Green made 7 three-pointers, let alone the Thunder, the Nets and Knicks couldn't beat him either.

As long as the Spurs' shooting percentage drops and the Thunder counterattack defensively, the situation will become different.

What fans lamented at that time was that the Spurs were really old and couldn't keep up with the Thunder's pace of play.

Moreover, this is G1!

After finishing the phone call with Durant, Lin Ying asked Su Feng to bring over the video of the Western Conference Finals.

He was actually curious, how could the Thunder be beaten like this even though they were so much better than the same period in history.

After watching the video, he fell silent.

The Spurs' offense is so smooth!

In fact, Popovich's hammer tactics are 80% similar to Sloan's pick-and-roll tactics.

Popovich once said in public that Sloan was his idol, and he didn't mean it.

I didn’t become a disciple, but I stole from him.

When it comes to the tactic itself, it also relies heavily on the pick-and-roll cooperation between the first and fifth positions.

The Nets used to use Deron/Lin Ying and Yi Jianlian in the pick-and-roll, while the Spurs used Parker/Ginobili and Duncan.

The difference is that Popovich has improved the shooter's tactical status,

In many rounds, Parker/Ginobili and Duncan's pick-and-roll are assists, and Green/Leonard's three-pointer is the end point.

But if you shift your defensive focus to the shooter, then Parker and Duncan's pick-and-roll will cost you again.

It used to be said that when it comes to pick-and-rolls, the defender has to choose between two poisons. This is a choice between pick-and-roll and shooter.

This choice is obviously more difficult.

This doesn't even take into account that Leonard has already reached the top level of individual defensive ability.

The right players, perfect chemistry, and the right tactics have created this Spurs.

very strong,

Moreover, it cannot be copied.

Lin Ying unconsciously put the Nets on the opposite side of the Spurs.

He felt more pressure than playing the Knicks.

This is a completely different feeling than facing the Spurs in the Western Conference.

This Spurs team is really underrated.

In history, the Big Three of the Heat lost to them and failed to complete the dynasty. The loss was not unfair.

Lin Ying thought and finally shook his head.

As he said before, Green can't hit 7 three-pointers every night.

The key lies in the rhythm of the game. This tactic is strong in positional battles, but it is only strong in positional battles.

…
To be continued...