Basketball trainer, I created a super giant

Chapter 402 The Suns, Little Knicks

Suns bench.

D'Antoni had a bitter look on his face, his eyebrows furrowed together.

He couldn't understand why they had fallen behind.

One reason is definitely that they couldn't stop Iverson.

Iverson's shooting was incredibly accurate and his efficiency was frighteningly high today.

But after much deliberation, D'Antoni still felt that the Suns' own problems were more significant.

After the opening game, although they won, D'Antoni had already noticed the problem.

The team failed to execute the tactics they envisioned.

It was chaotic, lacking smooth teamwork, and mostly consisted of one-on-one plays.

In this game, D'Antoni learned from his mistakes and specifically asked everyone to pass the ball around, move around more, and only shoot when they have an opportunity.

But after three quarters, it was still the same old story. They were running and passing the ball, but in the end, they were behind again.

“Mike.”

Gentry called out a reminder that the timeout was about to end.

D'Antoni snapped out of his daze and saw Nash and the others staring at him expectantly.

Trailing by 12 points, we need to think of a solution.

D'Antoni's mind was a complete mess. He gritted his teeth and said, "Our lineup needs to be better. Pay attention to defense, especially Ray. You have to keep up with Allen."

Ray Allen nodded slightly, giving him a knowing look.

When you're trying to catch up, defense is important, but scoring is even more crucial.

D'Antoni cursed under his breath and said, "Spread out and play more one-on-one. I have faith in your abilities."

There is no doubt that their tactical arrangements have failed once again.

At this point, don't bother with any tactics; just rely on your individual abilities.

Especially Howard.

"Dwight, you need to be more aggressive. I know you still have a lot of energy left."

The referee was already urging them on, and D'Antoni pulled Howard aside to give him some instructions.

He got a triple-double in his first game, scoring 22 points, which is very impressive.

But that's not enough. The top students trained by Tang Sen are not limited to such abilities.

Howard nodded vigorously.

After three quarters, he had only scored 17 points. To be honest, he felt a bit frustrated.

In order to execute the tactics, he constantly screened for his teammates, passed the ball, and cooperated with others.

But there were some shots that Howard really felt he could have made directly.

All of this is superfluous.

But there was nothing he could do; D'Antoni was the head coach, and Howard dared not disobey his orders.

Despite being the number one draft pick, Howard is still a rookie. He hasn't become arrogant enough to challenge the head coach's authority yet.

Now, Howard clenched his fist: he could finally unleash his full potential and go all out.

The fourth quarter begins.

Howard immediately stepped in to help defend, disrupting Mark Jackson's jump shot.

His athleticism is explosive, and his help defense is top-notch.

Marion grabbed the rebound and transitioned to offense.

As always, Howard rushed out quickly, approached the paint, sat down on Dalembert, and then reached out for the ball.

Dalembert is a great defender; Howard has already experienced that.

But Howard didn't think it was a big problem. If they could win in training camp, why couldn't they win a month later?

However, the ball did not reach Howard.

Nash passed the ball across to Ray Allen.

The outside line is directly pulled apart.

Ray Allen was one-on-one against Aaron McGee, and Iverson and McGee switched on defense.

But for Ray Allen, it doesn't matter who he plays against. With a crossover step, he pretends to drive, fooling McGee's center of gravity, then dribbles between his legs to pull back, and instantly jumps with the ball.

In a flash, the three-pointer went in.

Ray Allen turned and ran away coldly.

He scored 25 points in the first three quarters, the highest on the team.

Ray Allen and Dwight Howard had the same idea: to over-pass and over-run plays.

Just go for a one-on-one game; it's not like I can't make shots.

Iverson hits a difficult step-back jumper.

The score difference is back to 11 points.

Once halftime, Nash spotted Ray Allen coming out to call for the ball. The ball arrived, and Marion slightly delayed McGee.

Iverson also rushed over.

The opportunity was fleeting, but for Ray Allen, a quick-draw shooter, it was enough.

The moment he received the ball, he was already bending his knees to stand up.

Nash's passing doesn't need adjustment.

The move is as fast as lightning, and the whole process may take less than 0.5 seconds.

With a swift movement, the knife fell, and then the attack continued.

O'Brien rushed to the sidelines and gestured to remind them to double-team Ray Allen.

Ray Allen was pinned down, but Howard got up again.

Howard received the ball and cursed under his breath before starting his run.

He was in the penalty area midfield position, and with lightning speed, he raised the ball as if to shoot. Even though Dalembert knew Howard had this move, he was still instinctively fooled and lost his balance.

Howard decisively gathered the ball and ducked to squeeze past Dalembert.

Extremely fast speed and solid footwork; with a quick dribble and a step-back, he lays the ball in for a basket.

Dalembert cursed inwardly. He knew very well that Howard, at 2.08 meters tall, was the standard height for a power forward.

Under Tangsen's training, Howard has mastered all the skills a power forward can do; he can shoot, attack the rim, and dribble well.

Seeing Howard score, Nash immediately passed the ball over here.

After the breakthrough, Howard passed the ball to his opponent, backed down, faked a move, cut to the middle, and hooked the ball in.

He is extremely strong physically, and his weight is still greater than Dalembert's, but his athleticism is strangely better than Dalembert's.

Even without O'Brien's reminder, Mark Jackson had already begun to focus on helping defend the paint and was ready to double-team Howard at any time.

Then, pressing down on the gourd caused it to float up, and Marion began to unleash his power again.

A three-pointer from near the baseline went in.

In this run, the Suns scored on every possession, going on a 13-4 run against the 76ers and narrowing the gap to just 3 points.

The 76ers were immediately stopped.

O'Brien was in a real bind. With the Suns' multi-pronged scoring attack, who could say they weren't the Knicks?

D'Antoni is also having a headache.

They executed their own tactics, trailing by 12 points after three quarters.

Abandon tactics, blindly engage in one-on-one battles, and the score will be tied in no time.

D'Antoni is starting to question his own abilities; are his tactics really that bad?
But given the current situation, D'Antoni couldn't possibly change his mind. He loudly encouraged everyone to play well, to keep playing like this, and that they would soon be able to take the lead.

After the timeout, Nash gave up and started passing to whoever had a one-on-one opportunity.

Even Nash himself started shooting three-pointers.

If you can't beat others, how can you not beat someone like Allen Iverson who isn't even 1.8 meters tall?
Nash, despite Iverson's defense, defiantly sank a three-pointer.

Throughout the fourth quarter, the Suns abandoned tactics, with five players taking turns to play individually, yet their efficiency was astonishing.

Especially Joe Johnson.

Facing Iguodala, a rookie, he seemed to be channeling Jordan, posting up and shooting in various ways.

He went 5-for-5 in a single quarter, an incredible 10 points.

Halfway through the quarter, the Suns had already taken the lead.

In the first quarter, the Suns unleashed a furious 39 points, outscoring the 76ers 39-22.

They reversed the game and won by 5 points.

Even so, Howard wasn't satisfied.

I only scored 9 points in the fourth quarter, and I didn't play to my full potential at all.

Allen Iverson scored 50 points in a losing effort, giving his all, but it wasn't enough to secure a victory for his team.

At the post-game press conference, when asked about the fourth-quarter collapse, Iverson himself seemed somewhat bewildered.

"I don't know what happened. We were scoring, but the Suns were scoring more. Five of them kept scoring, and by the time I realized what was happening, we were already behind."

"By the way, did they score 39 points in that quarter?"

Iverson countered the reporter's question.

Upon receiving an affirmative answer, Iverson immediately cursed, "Fuck!"

39 points in a single quarter, that's incredible.

Iverson thought it was an exaggeration, just like O'Brien.

Back when Townsend had just arrived in the Knicks for his first season, it was O'Brien who first pointed out that the Knicks had unlimited potential and that no one should underestimate them.

And now, O'Brien has said the same thing again: "Believe me, the Suns are not what they used to be, they are practically the Knicks."

With five star players in the starting lineup, no tactics were needed; their sheer strength was enough to overwhelm the league and sweep it away.

(End of this chapter)