Basketball Terminal

Chapter 74 Working Overtime
Throughout the first half, the Nets maintained a lead of over 10 points, but 10 points is really not a stable number in today's NBA. Twenty years ago, when the Spurs dominated the Western Conference, a 10-point lead was practically a death sentence.

Back then, a game would only score 80 or 90 points, and 70 points was quite common. Now, 70 points often represents a half-court score. The Nets shot well from three-point range in the first half, but the Spurs also shot very well from three. Once a shooter gets hot in the second half, they can make any kind of play.

This is the current defensive dilemma faced by all NBA teams: once a shooter gets hot from the outside, there's nothing you can do, especially with smaller players' increasingly powerful long-range three-pointers. The best way to disrupt a shooter's hot streak is to constantly apply contact, but the problem is that referees don't allow that, especially in the regular season.

Intense competition is possible under the basket, but above the free-throw line and beyond the three-point line, there should be enough space for perimeter players to operate. This is a sign that the league encourages offense.

After the start of the second half, Lonnie Walker IV of the Spurs exploded, hitting two consecutive three-pointers and spinning around the perimeter to shake off the defense before driving to the basket against DeAndre Jordan and making a floater, scoring 8 points in a row.

Counterintuitively, Kyrie Irving, despite his smaller stature, is actually more effective defensively against mismatches by taller players than against smaller, more agile players in the same position. He can often withstand back-to-the-basket moves from shooting guards and small forwards, but a point guard's crossover dribble will easily get past him.

Although he can completely outmaneuver his opponents on the offensive end.

The Spurs' fierce three-point shooting helped the team quickly close the gap, prompting Nash to call a timeout. This time, he had Li Wei replace Harris and give him more perimeter defense. Li Wei thought to himself, "Coach, you really think I'm a genius, always pointing out my weaknesses."

"We're implementing a switching strategy. Viktor, you have to guard any pick-and-roll on the perimeter."

"understand!"

Li Wei certainly couldn't refuse. The Nets were going to use man-to-man defense with endless switching, which was the best defensive strategy against three-pointers. It would be a huge test of the players' individual defensive abilities and their rotation coordination.

The Houston Rockets used a similar strategy in the 2018 season to counter the Warriors, who had Kevin Durant, and it worked very well. At that time, the Rockets had a group of outstanding defensive players, capable of playing both inside and outside, including a very good defensive player like Chris Paul.

The Nets have ample resources in this regard, replacing DeAndre Jordan with a small-ball lineup. The Spurs, on the other hand, brought in the towering Jacob Poeltl, who stands at 7 feet and is tasked with attacking offensive rebounds under the basket.

The timeout had just ended when Harden missed a three-pointer, and Li Wei naturally grabbed the rebound. He took a floater under the basket... and missed again! He grabbed the rebound again, floated again, missed again, and then flicked it on again! Finally, the ball went in.

Li Wei had just entered the game and inadvertently grabbed three rebounds, bringing his total to 10 and reaching double figures. Popovich was about to unleash a torrent of abuse again, but he took a deep breath to control himself. The doctor had told him to control his temper, as he was getting older and more prone to cardiovascular problems, including strokes.

The switch-everything defense was indeed effective in containing the Spurs' three-point shooting, but when Levi switched to guard the perimeter, the Nets' ability to protect the backcourt rebounds dropped rapidly. Furthermore, the Spurs still had DeMar DeRozan, a classic forward, to provide a solid mid-range presence.

After the three-point strategy failed, Popovich substituted Aldridge, who played a few minutes off the bench in the first half. This former All-Star power forward, a representative of the straight-arm shot, was difficult for Levi to defend; he could only try his best to disrupt him.

He caught the ball, turned, and attempted a fadeaway shot with his arm straight—it was impossible to touch him. Fortunately, Aldridge is nearing the end of his career, his physical condition is far from his peak, and he no longer has the ability to launch consecutive powerful attacks.

Furthermore, the Nets' scoring efficiency from mid-range shots, compared to their consecutive three-pointers, was acceptable. The two teams entered a stalemate. Li Wei felt pressure defending Aldridge; the height and wingspan difference was too significant.

Tall players once dominated the NBA's paint, making it difficult for unconventional centers like Li Wei to survive. Now, Aldridge is the remnant of that giant, walking alone on the maple floors of a new era, his days numbered under the onslaught of three-pointers and fast-paced transition offense.

The offense and defense of both sides fluctuated, but the Nets maintained a double-digit lead throughout. In the third quarter, Li Wei successfully shut down the Spurs' three-pointers; once he switched to defend the perimeter, neither Mills nor Murray could shake him off.

Levi struggled to defend players like DeRozan and Aldridge, who played classic styles of play. They were adept at using their backs to create space and then shooting fadeaway jumpers. Even if Levi could accurately predict their moves, he faced two problems: first, he would lose his balance after being pushed back and couldn't close the distance; second, even if he did close the distance, he couldn't reach them.

Against the Clippers, his performance against Leonard was equally lackluster, highlighting Levi's defensive weaknesses. However, this weakness is no longer fatal in this era; players like DeRozan and Aldridge, who play like that, are becoming increasingly rare, almost extinct.

Despite their barrage of three-pointers, their offensive efficiency wasn't fatal. One can imagine that if Li Wei had faced that man 10 or 15 years earlier, the match would have been incredibly intense, with elbows flying everywhere.

In the latter part of the third quarter, Li Wei stopped trying to predict Aldridge and DeRozan's next moves and instead used his physical strength to aggressively contest their shots and disrupt their rhythm. Aldridge, in particular, was older and his physical abilities were declining; after being physically challenged by Li Wei's strength and power, he missed several shots. In the NBA, regardless of playing style, physical attributes and strength are fundamental. So-called technical skills can only be fully utilized with a good physical foundation; if the foundation collapses, the skills become useless.

Aldridge played for fifteen minutes, taking several shots and scoring 2 points before being substituted by Popovich. This substitution marked the end of Aldridge's six-year career with the Spurs. After the game, Aldridge discussed leaving the team and a buyout with the Spurs, hoping to find new opportunities in the free agent market.

The championship contenders, led by the Nets, have set new goals.

Both teams engaged in extremely intense tactical battles in the third and fourth quarters. Compared to the Nets' monotonous tactics, the Spurs' tactics were much more varied. Popovich's control over rotations and tactics was exceptionally sophisticated; however, their roster was simply not up to par.

Like his mentor D'Antoni, Nash tends to rely heavily on his starting rotation once the game becomes intense, keeping the core players on the court and maintaining pressure, but lacking any variation in rhythm.

Tonight, Harden, Irving, and Joe Harris were all aiming for 40 minutes of playing time. Li Wei also played longer and longer, playing 10 minutes in the first half, then coming on midway through the third quarter of the second half and playing until the latter part of the fourth quarter, playing for more than ten minutes straight.

Li Wei felt his knees throbbing, his legs like lead, and a hole in his lungs; he was breathless as soon as he ran. Despite his panting, he could still keep going on the court, though his defensive effectiveness decreased. He focused his remaining energy on rebounding; as long as he didn't lose the rebounds, he was just barely hanging on.

With Harden hitting a three-pointer down the middle, and Li Wei grabbing the defensive rebound, the Nets launched a fast break, and Harris received a pass from Irving on the right side and hit another three-pointer. The Nets extended their lead to as much as 15 points, prompting Popovich to call a timeout, saving Li Wei's chance.

Back on the bench, Li Wei couldn't help but say to Nash, "Coach, have you forgotten that I'm still playing? I'm exhausted."

Nash was somewhat surprised and said, "Oh? You're tired? I saw you running the whole time and thought you were fine."

I'm still panting! I'm not dead, of course I'll run on the court, but can't you see how tired I am? Li Wei sighed deeply, drank a lot of water, and wondered if having a coach like Nash was a blessing or a curse.

With just over four minutes left in the game and a 15-point lead, things seemed pretty much settled. Li Wei was finally able to sit down and rest, frantically wiping away his sweat. Tonight he had 8 points and 17 rebounds—another day of being a "rebound vacuum cleaner."

However, the game took a dramatic turn in the last four minutes.

After the timeout, the Spurs' three-point shooting exploded again. Lonnie Walker first hit a corner three, then from the top of the arc, facing a switched DeAndre Jordan, he launched a step-back three and sank it!
Two possessions, two three-pointers, and the score difference was reduced to single digits. DeAndre Jordan's current strategy of playing big against small is practically giving away points.

Harden drove and hit a floater, DeRozan followed with a mid-range jumper, Harris missed a three-pointer, and DeRozan hit another three. The gap quickly narrowed to 6 points. When three-pointers get on point, the cumulative effect is remarkable; that's how fast they close the gap.

Harden drove and made another floater, but Lonnie Walker hit his fifth three-pointer of the game! The difference was only 5 points. At this moment, DeAndre Jordan made a mistake under the basket. He received the ball on the right baseline, a position where he could attack directly, but Jordan had no shooting ability.

A blatant cross-court pass was intercepted by Lonnie Walker! The Spurs launched a counterattack, with DeRozan driving and dishing the ball to Mills, who was following up at the left 45-degree angle. Mills hit a three-pointer! In just three minutes, the Spurs narrowed the gap to only 2 points.

Five three-pointers left the Nets dizzy, and Nash's relaxed brows furrowed again as he called a timeout. Those three minutes were a disaster. Leading and going toe-to-toe with the Spurs, he lost his touch while the Spurs got hot, and the point difference almost disappeared in an instant.

DeAndre Jordan delivered a subpar performance on both offense and defense. He had intended to pad his stats at the end, but instead wiped out his team's points.

Seeing that things were going badly, Li Wei had already put on his pants, thinking he was about to leave work, but damn it, he still had to work overtime! Sure enough, Nash patted Li Wei on the shoulder and said, "Victor, get ready to go on."

Li Wei knew that he was the only one being trained, while Nash and Brett were just there to be his glue.

(End of this chapter)