Champion, please stay!

Chapter 222, Section 220: The Turtle Steals the Show!

The task is to respond to Durant's one-on-one play.

Yi Shui refused; he took the initiative to initiate the duel!
Not only are they very proactive on offense, but their defense is also extremely aggressive!
David Lee blocked Jeff Green's attempt to steal the ball and secured the defensive rebound.

On the Thunder's bench, head coach Brooks said to his assistant coach, "Compared to Yi, Kevin is still not brave enough. He's too worried about his shot being interfered with, and he's playing too hastily."

Yi applied a lot of contact when Kevin asked for the ball. Although Kevin avoided the contact by quickly turning and shooting, the impact on his shooting power was greater. He should use more fakes like Yi does.

The assistant coach's inner thoughts: 'Isn't that obvious? Aside from those few players born in the Year of the Snake, who can match the Emperor's courage?'

But verbally, he replied, "You're right..."

After acknowledging this, the assistant coach continued, "It's probably because Kevin rarely shoots when he's not tall enough, so he chooses to avoid interfering with his shots."

Yi often attacks in the low post; his usual position is power forward, while Kevin has always played small forward. Last season, due to his lack of physicality, we often had him play shooting guard…

On the court, when Jeff Green went for the offensive rebound, Durant and Krstic immediately retreated to defend.

Jeff Green is much faster than David Lee, and he can also get back on defense after a steal.

Sefolosha closely followed Curry, who has an exceptionally long-range shooting ability.

Facing the Knicks, whose offensive firepower is currently ranked first in the league, the Thunder, who possess the most athleticism in the league, have made ample preparations to defend against fast breaks.

After receiving the ball, Hughes faced Westbrook's relentless, pressing defense and saw the opponent's defensive formation. Instead of blindly launching a fast break, he protected the ball and steadily advanced the ball.

During his two and a half years with the Cavaliers, Hughes made significant progress in several areas. In addition to developing his catch-and-shoot ability, he has averaged 1.3 of 3.5 catch-and-shoot three-pointers per game this season, achieving a 37.1% success rate. He has also managed to control his turnover rate when pushing the ball up the court very well.

Duhon averaged 18 minutes per game with only 1.2 turnovers, which is a very low turnover rate. Hughes averaged 19 minutes per game with only 1.1 turnovers.

On Curry's side, after noticing Hughes's choice to advance, he followed Nash's example and directed David Lee and Swift to slow down and take positional stances while moving, while he himself moved to the right corner to create space.

When Hughes and Yi Shui advanced to the frontcourt, the team's attacking formation was already set up.

Curry's subtle improvements are hard for viewers to notice, and even if the media sees them, they won't report them. But it's different in the eyes of coaches; D'Antoni is always amazed by them.

Hughes received the ball at the top of the key, shielded it with his body under Westbrook's tight defense, and saw Yi Shui battling for position with Durant at the right 45-degree high post, looking a bit confused...

Is it really that difficult for the eldest son to get a seat by carrying his schoolbag?

After waiting for two seconds, Yi Shui suddenly got into position, and Hughes delivered a bounce pass.

Yi Shui tightly blocked Durant, who was trying to get in front of him, and immediately turned left following Durant's momentum as he cut in front of him, then drove off the baseline!
Westbrook's sideline contracted.

Durant turned and judged that he couldn't catch up, so he switched to intercept Curry's off-ball movement, but his teammates' switching, help defense, and double-teaming were poorly executed...

Kostic, who had expanded ahead of time, and Westbrook, who had contracted, tried to trap Yi Shui in the elbow area.

However, Westbrook's collapse was a steal and tackle, and Kostic's positioning was also poor. When the two were in position to double-team him, Yi Shui already had one foot on the right sideline of the three-second zone. He grabbed the ball, jumped to the left with both feet together, dodged the two and came to the arc of the restricted area!

Leaving David Lee open and receiving the ball under the basket, Jeff Green could only watch as Yi Shui tossed the ball over his head and into the hoop. In this situation, let alone in the regular season, even in the playoffs, a single touch would be a foul.

It was the Thunder's turn to attack.

Yi Shui continued his physical defense against Durant, muttering, "When you're being guarded, you should use a back-cut to receive the ball. I'm stronger than you, so asking for the ball like that is a waste of your energy..."

Last season, with difficulty establishing position on offense, Durant would definitely have given up on attacking with the ball and instead moved around with Yi Shui.

But he, already a top scorer averaging 30+ points per game, did not back down!
Unlike last season, he didn't immediately start learning to play the game just because he thought Yi Shui's advice was correct.

Having suffered so many losses in their previous two encounters, he has gained experience and can make adjustments according to the Emperor's 'guidance,' but not on the court, but afterward.

For now, he is still playing the style he is good at.

He's at a disadvantage in terms of strength, but doesn't he also suffer from a disadvantage in terms of speed? Besides, he's not good at running backwards.

He often uses the rhythm difference during movement to create rhythm opportunities and quickly shoot after receiving the ball, which is a common tactic he uses when he is at a disadvantage in terms of strength.

Russell Westbrook's judgment of when to pass and the quality of his passes are far superior to Jeff Green's.

Durant received the ball in the right elbow area, took a step away from the basket, turned and jumped... and it went in!
Yi Shui turned his head and saw the ball fall into the basket. He clapped his hands and said, "Beautiful!"

Durant couldn't suppress his smile and quickly turned to retreat on defense.

The media has discussed the two of them together many times, and it is generally believed that his shooting is better and Yi Shui is stronger in ball handling.

"Better shooting" doesn't refer to shooting accuracy. His shooting percentage of 45.9+36+91 is only considered excellent; his fundamentals are not as good as Yi Shui's.

Yi Shui's shooting percentage has stabilized so far this season, with an overall field goal percentage of 49.8%, a total of 68 out of 158 three-point attempts for a 43% success rate, and a free throw percentage of 89.1%, which is close to the 180 club.

It's not that he's bad at shooting, but that his shooting skills are better than Yi Shui's. For example, the slalom stop-and-shoot turnaround shot that Yi Shui recently started using was developed by him in his rookie year. He had developed almost all his shooting techniques in his first and second years, but he was too weak to use them at the time.

Of course, Yi Shui's ability to initiate attacks with the ball is far superior to his.

During the offensive and defensive transition, Durant closely guarded Yi Shui, trying to cause trouble for Yi Shui, just as Yi Shui had caused trouble for him.

In previous years, if he couldn't defend the player, he would pass the responsibility to Jeff Green and defend the weaker one himself.

But seeing that Yi Shui, in his second year, had already begun to take on the heaviest defensive tasks on the front line, personally guarding opponents like Anthony, Pierce, Maggette, and Gerald Wallace, Durant also began to learn to personally guard.

At first, it felt really tough; he'd never done these kinds of jobs before. But after getting used to it, he discovered he was actually better at defense than Jeff Green…

Durant thinks it's a long shot to become a defensive stalwart like Artest or Kirilenko, but he believes that as long as he plays top-tier defense, his physical attributes will make it easy for him to achieve that level.

Seeing Yi Shui battling for position, Hughes glanced at Durant with pity.

He didn't understand it in the last round, but seeing Yi Shui clearly had the upper hand in the physical battle with Durant on the defensive end, he understood Yi Shui's intentions.

This backpack is ridiculous; it's been tricked by the Emperor.

Didn't I realize how intense the hand-to-hand combat was? Did the Emperor almost always maintain his position within a meter radius?
After Yi Shui suddenly got into position, Hughes delivered the ball into place in time.

Durant opted for a strategy of defending against drives and using his height and wingspan to contest shots.

Yi Shui turned and threw a shot despite the interference... It missed!
This time, it was his turn to experience the frustration of those shooting forwards and guards he was guarding.

Yi Shui took the initiative and started by provoking a one-on-one duel.

These two are arguably the two perimeter players in the league who most enjoy one-on-one battles, besides Kobe and Anthony. Players from both teams are used to it and pass the ball to them.

What stood out most about the two players at the start of the game wasn't their diverse offensive skills and shooting techniques, but rather their interference with shots!
Regardless of whether the opponent makes the shot, the defending side can always disrupt the shot, making excellent use of their body shape.

However, it is clear that as the battle lines are drawn out, Yishui has gained a clear advantage!
With similar builds, Yi Shui is faster, while Durant has a slightly better jumping ability. What truly affects their shooting performance are strength and stamina, both of which Yi Shui excels in. Furthermore, Yi Shui consciously utilizes these advantages to actively wear down Durant.

He can often maintain good shooting accuracy after physical contact and under pressure.

Durant paled in comparison, and he didn't realize he'd fallen into a ditch.

With a little over three minutes left in the first quarter, Durant received the ball at the high post, turned and drove past Yi Shui into the paint, and despite David Lee's help defense, he quickly took a shot before Yi Shui could block it... but the shot lacked power and hit the front of the rim.

Hughes grabbed the defensive rebound and started a fast break!
Yi Shui made a quick run down the court to receive the pass, and Jeff Green was in position to block him at close range, but he was still unable to stop Yi Shui.

Receiving the ball at close range, Yi Shui, wielding his "Inside Dominator" power, squeezed through a step and scored with a layup!
Jeff Green glanced at Krstic helplessly, but there was nothing he could do.

Coaches and teammates have reminded and even blamed him many times, but Kostic remains the same.

Being proactive on defense is fine, being proactive on team defense is also fine, but if you can't stop them, you won't have much motivation to disrupt them, and you'll be afraid of being dunked on or overpowered.

They have absolutely no fighting spirit whatsoever as former Yugoslavian players! No wonder they're playing in the NBA and the Serbian national basketball team doesn't want them.

Yi Shui initiated the team's first 7 set plays. After scoring on this fast break, his shooting performance improved to 4 of 6, plus 1 of 1 free throw, for a total of 9 points and 1 assist.

With Hughes adding a three-pointer after a catch-and-shoot, the Knicks led the Thunder 12-7 with 3 minutes and 58 seconds left, taking a 5-point advantage!
In the Thunder's first 7 possessions, Durant took on all the offensive initiation duties, shooting 6 times, making 5 of them and scoring 2 baskets. On one possession, he drew a foul from Swift, who was knocked to the ground and affected his free throws, making 1 of 2 for 5 points. On another possession, he drew a double team and passed to Krstic, who made a layup.

Durant was barely keeping up with Yi Shui's offense, but Yi Shui's counterattack and score widened the gap in an instant!
It's the Thunder's turn to attack.

Yi Shui is full of energy, and playing like this is a bit tiring, but it's obvious that Durant's side is more tired. Facing David Lee's help defense, his shots were short even with a height advantage. Next, it's time to widen the gap!

Durant tried to squeeze past Yi Shui at the high post, but couldn't. He also felt that he had exhausted himself in a short time and his physical strength was obviously declining.

He originally didn't intend to 'accept on-site guidance', but he had no choice. He made a fake turn to move towards the elbow area, then suddenly turned back and ran towards the three-point line.

Yi Shui didn't fall for it and followed Durant closely, not letting himself be left behind. In terms of running back and forth, Durant's footwork was indeed not good enough.

but……

Westbrook didn't pass the ball!
Watching the backpack and the emperor fight for several rounds, Turtle couldn't resist anymore, he wanted to join in too!
Westbrook drives hard past Hughes!
Hughes defended very hard, but unfortunately, although he is in his prime, his athletic ability has declined a lot due to a major injury, and he couldn't stop him.

Westbrook drove to close range, took two steps deeper, and waited for Swift, who had come to block the shot, to get into position before powering up and scoring a layup off the glass against the wall!

That was a really tough shot!

Yi Shui felt that Westbrook's shot selection was also quite good.

It's not necessarily true that avoiding defense and contact is the best way to shoot.

Westbrook's skills are rough, and his close-range shooting ability is extremely poor. Yi Shui remembers that when Westbrook was no longer able to play, the most severe criticism he received was that he was too old to attack inside, could not make close-range floaters, and had no long-range shooting. His career close-range shooting percentage was only about 30%.

This kind of forceful attack on the rim despite being guarded has resulted in a career field goal percentage of 50% and an overall career field goal percentage of 60% under the basket.

This season, Westbrook has a 33% field goal percentage from close range and a 59% field goal percentage at the rim, so choosing to go up against the defender isn't actually a bad choice.

When the Knicks were on offense, Curry ran across half-court and looked towards the Yi River.

Seeing the eldest runner heading straight for the baseline, the elementary school student's body tensed up, and the ball came!

When Durant is playing one-on-one, Curry manages to resist the urge to steal the spotlight.

But Westbrook stole the show, and Curry couldn't stand it anymore.

Normally, they are rarely discussed together because their styles are completely different. But these two days, they are going to face off, and when people discuss Yi Shui and Durant together, they also compare the two of them.

The conclusion reached was that their strengths were evenly matched!
He's a primary school student with a 46% field goal percentage, a 41% three-point percentage, and a 91% free throw percentage! Meanwhile, Westbrook only has a 41+22+78 field goal percentage. Even his inside field goal percentage is 1 percentage point higher than Westbrook's, reaching 60%. He also scores more points. So why is Westbrook compared to him?
In his rookie year, he always compared himself to Rose and Mayo. This season, he replaced Mayo with Evans, a player who was capable of averaging 20+ points per game as soon as he entered the NBA.

As for Paul, Nash, Deron Williams... those are mid-career players and veterans, beyond our scope, so we won't discuss them for now.

Curry receives the ball, and the defender guarding him is not Westbrook, but Sefolosha.

D'Antoni knew that Curry couldn't defend Westbrook, and neither could Duhon, so he chose to start Hughes to try it out.

Scott Brooks knew that Westbrook couldn't stop Curry's tempo-based offense, so he used Sefolosha, the best defender on the team, to guard him. Anyway, Sefolosha couldn't guard Yi Shui either, the size difference was too great.

Sefolosha's defensive positioning and habits are excellent. Curry felt he couldn't break through one-on-one, but he's not the kind of person who has to fight for that aspect. He needs a pick-and-roll!
Swift screened Sefolosha, Curry used the screen to pull up and get past Jeff Green who was switching on defense, and then drove to close range for a floater!
Yi Shui used David Lee's screen to shake off Durant and had a chance to receive the ball, but Curry didn't pass it... He didn't care, as long as he could continue to wear down Durant.

Westbrook stole the show, and Yi Shui had originally planned to have Curry deal with him.

If the opponent only has Westbrook as a potential star, like Jennings for the Bucks or Evans for the Timberwolves, then his interest will be focused on the 'only genius'. But the Thunder have Durant. Not to mention Westbrook, even if Griffin is good and averages 20+ points per game in his rookie year, his attention will still be focused on Durant.

After Curry and Westbrook took over the offensive duties, the team offense of both teams gradually opened up.

Neither of them are pure scorers. Curry is the main ball-handler and always makes good use of Yi Shui's mid-range playmaking ability and his guards' ability to pass the ball out from the sidelines.

Westbrook is indeed selfish, but his selfishness lies in his possession of the ball, not his shot attempts. He is decisive in passing the ball when double-teamed. In terms of his ability to penetrate and pass the ball, even Rose might not be his match.

Previously, Yi Shui always felt that Westbrook had hindered Durant's prime, but tonight he realized that wasn't the case!
As the team's leader, Durant especially needs a teammate like Westbrook who dares to steal the spotlight!

When Durant couldn't get the ball, his offensive efficiency improved significantly after he started making off-ball runs, and Yi Shui's strategy of attrition was also greatly reduced in effectiveness!

Furthermore, Durant's performance in drawing double teams during his isolation plays tonight was not as good as usual, and his passing was also poor.

Westbrook is different. When he drives to the basket, the Knicks' two starting big men, without wing defenders to help, simply can't stop him.

When Durant is on the isolation play, the rest of the Thunder team stays put. When Westbrook is on the isolation play, Jeff Green's athleticism, Krstic's close-range shooting ability, Sefolosha's three-pointers, and Durant's shots off screens all come alive!

When Westbrook needed a break after a while, Durant had also recovered and was ready to take over the isolation plays!
首节比分31比24、第二节比分26比27，半场打完，尼克斯队以57比51领先雷霆队6分。

During halftime, Yi Shui stood with his hands on his hips, looking at the data details on the big screen.

The Knicks had the upper hand in positional play and counter-attack strategies, their execution was also stronger, and even their defensive coordination was better. It can be said that they took the initiative throughout the first half.

but……

维斯布鲁克打满24分钟，8投3中、加上4中3的罚球，拿到9分3板5助攻；

杜兰特打了22分钟，15投7中，其中三分球2次出手都没进，加上5中4的罚球，拿到18分4板2助攻。

杰夫-格林打了21分钟，9投4中，其中三分球2中1，加上2中1的罚球拿到10分3板1助攻。

08届的4号秀、07届榜眼秀和5号秀，合砍37分，硬生生把比分咬住了！
The same goes for defense. The Thunder's strength in team defense is their attitude, but their individual abilities are strong!
At this moment, the system screen popped up.

"...Quest: Talent Overpowered? Triggered..."

(End of this chapter)