This striker is not serious

Nets locker room.

Sloan highlighted some points to note in the third quarter.

To sum it up, it's a two-shot backcourt pair of Irving and Harden.

Irving is good at attacking but not good at passing, so he resolutely attacks from a flank;

Harden can shoot out of the blue, depending on the situation;

The base has no range at all, and the outside line is empty;

Also, the offensive end creates more consumption for Irving and Harden.

As mentioned before, Sloan is not sitting idle off the court. He has already observed what should be observed and done what should be done.

"This is the playoffs, and I hope to see everyone in the third quarter show the attitude they should have in the playoffs."

Sloan even emphasized it again at the end.

Returning from the half-time break, the fans at the scene were still in a mood, and even became more excited.

Others don't know, but they know very well that the third quarter is Brooklyn time!

And just like in the past, the Nets took the initiative to adjust in the third quarter, with Jimmy Butler replacing Johnson at shooting guard.

"beep!"

The courtside whistle sounded, and the second half of the game officially started.

Up comes the Cavaliers' possession.

Just like at the beginning of the first half, Irving started attacking with the ball.

The person guarding him changed from Deron to Butler.

He tried to break through in a different direction but failed.

Butler now has a point-and-shoot size, outstanding defensive awareness and no disadvantage in speed. Of course, the most important thing is his almost fanatical defensive enthusiasm.

Irving couldn't break through and reached out to greet Thompson's pick-and-roll.

But what he didn't expect was that the Nets' defensive strategy was completely different from the first half.

He did not get another chance to play Yi Jianlian in a mismatched single, but was directly flanked by Yi Jianlian and Butler.

His passing shortcomings were exposed. Because there was no preparation in advance and his vision was interfered with, he couldn't pass the ball at all!

"Crack!"

When he leaned forward to observe the position of his teammates, Butler made a lightning move and intercepted the ball!

Butler also showed his improvement in holding the ball, fast breaking all the way to the frontcourt to avoid Harden's block.

"Bang!"

Score a two-handed dunk.

The scene instantly erupted in cheers from the fans.

Here it comes, the familiar third quarter!

Irving continued to hold the ball. This time he did not call a pick-and-roll, but used more changes of direction to try to break through Butler.

This time he used Sam Gold and successfully passed Butler.

But the moment he took action, a figure appeared in front of him.

"Bang!"

Lin Ying made a defensive block and sent Irving's shot flying out of the court!

Cheers and whistles were heard everywhere.

"Young Kaili, you should know what you are facing now!"

Over at the commentary box, Cole said the same thing for the third time.

Once blocked and once blocked, this is completely different from the first half!

Defensive strength is the tool that distinguishes super giants from all-stars!

The ball came out again, and Irving forced Butler to take a difficult shot.

"Dang!"

Blacksmithing is over!

When the camera showed Irving again, he no longer had the handsome smile on his face in the first half, and even looked a little confused.

Because the Nets only adjusted their style of play around the All-Star season, he didn't have time to experience it in the regular season. This time, he went directly to the playoffs to experience the PS version, which was a bit of a jump!

Chandler protected the rebound, and the Nets quickly defended and counterattacked.

The Cavaliers' retreat speed is fast enough, but the Nets' fast break is very layered.

Deron and Butler's fast break echelon was blocked, and Lin Ying's follow-up came immediately.

Delong gave the ball to Lin Ying. After receiving the ball, Lin Ying jumped sideways and then jumped into the air for a one-handed chop.

Harden, who was under the basket, looked confused and acted as a backdrop.

44 to 55!

The score difference reached double digits in the blink of an eye!

This time the camera showed the Cavaliers bench.

Scott stood on the sidelines with his hands folded on his chest, his brows furrowed. It was unclear whether he felt the seriousness of the current situation or was dissatisfied with the players' performance.

Of course, like the first half, he did nothing.

Irving took possession of the ball and gave it to Harden after halftime.

After three consecutive failed attempts, he already felt the Nets' defensive targeting of him.

Thompson moved to the high post for Harden's pick-and-roll. Harden was misplaced and faced Yi Jianlian, attracting Lin Ying to double-attack and then passed to the base in the corner.

Ji...still didn't vote.

This time it's not that he wants to break through the basket, but the Nets' defensive rotation speed is obviously not at the same level as in the first half!

Lin Ying went to help defend Harden, and Deron quickly made up for him!

He just hesitated and lost his shooting opportunity.

Moreover, Deron put a lot of defensive pressure on him and made consecutive steals. He ducked back to protect the ball and was called for stepping on the line.

Cavaliers' mistake!

Harden saw that this man was numb, and while retreating, he looked at his bench and the handsome man standing on the sidelines.

[Sportsman: A man who poses]

It's not that the team doesn't have people who can shoot. There are also players on the bench who are more suitable for this series than Key.

CJ Myers.

He was even Sloan's former subordinate. He had played under Sloan for as long as Deron, and he knew Sloan's tactical system well.

But Scott has neither arranged for Miles nor has any intention of replacing him now.

The good news is that the Cavaliers finally no longer have to face the Nets' fast break this round.

He could feel that the Nets' changes in the third quarter came more from the defensive end and positional defense.

If they can prevent the Nets' positional offense, counterattack the Nets' fast break, and treat others with their own tactics, this may be the way to break the game.

The Nets play a two-man swing in the frontcourt.

It was still Lin Ying's pick-and-roll for Delong.

The Cavaliers suffered the loss of Deron's misplaced base shot in the first half, and Harden chose to go directly to Deron at this time.

Delong was stunned, as if he thought it was a dream.

However, he didn't stop moving, and he already hit the ball from the air to Lin Ying.

Lin Ying caught the ball and was unguarded, broke through to the basket in three steps, and jumped into a light two-handed dunk.

After dunking the ball, he was happy.

This was probably the easiest scoring opportunity he got tonight.

"Dang!"

Harden's step-back shot from the frontcourt double-team is still strong!

This ball is too difficult!

Yi Jianlian picked off the defensive rebound and the Nets continued their fast break. Deron fast broke to the frontcourt for a layup and then scored.

44 to 59!

The point difference has reached 15 points!

And what’s even more cruel about the score difference is that almost five minutes into the second half, the Cavaliers didn’t even score!

The Cavaliers' backcourt double guns in the first half gave Cavaliers fans endless daydreams. Look, they can even compete with the league's No. 1 team!

Then in the second half, it was like the anchor turned off the beauty, scaring the top guy on the list and running away with a bucket overnight!

In the entire third quarter, the Cavaliers only scored 8 points, but the Nets scored 31 points!

31 to 8!

The Nets defeated the Cavaliers by 23 points in a single quarter!

There is no such thing as pressing the rhythm, it is simply relying on defense to push the offense, and widening the point difference in one quarter!

At the end of three quarters, 52 to 82.

At the end of the third quarter, G1 was already over.

The score between the two sides was finally settled at 69 to 110.

Before the final buzzer sounded, the on-site photographer showed footage of the Cavaliers bench.

Harden's expression didn't change much from the beginning.

However, Irving's expression was completely numb, and he stared blankly at the field as if he had lost his mind.

The young Kyrie has the drive and vision that a young man should have, but he suffered a huge blow in the first playoff game of his career.

It's no longer clear whether reaching the playoffs is a good thing or a bad thing.

…

In the opening game of the playoffs, the Nets defeated their opponents by 41 points.

Although this was the first against the eighth, and although the opponent was a young knight, this was already too much.

Even because of this, the Pacers next door beating the Bulls 93 to 73 is not worth mentioning.

Social media after the game was also quite lively.

"The Nets' defense is so suffocating. Jimmy Butler deserves a defensive spot this year. Deron's defense is also very aggressive. Plus Lin and Chandler are two natural defensive players. This defense can compete with

Let’s compare the Pistons from back then!”

"I've noticed this since before the All-Star Game, the 'death third quarter,' where you know they're going to defend, but you just can't score!"

"Not every coach dares to let Johnson go to the bench. Sloan's level is definitely that of the best coach!"

"There is no harm without comparison. Look at Scott on the opposite side, who is also the best coach. Is he reluctant to call a timeout or has he forgotten that there is someone on the bench?"

"Obviously, Kidd and Paul have raised the outside world's evaluation of him. He is an excellent point guard mentor (both Irving and Harden have become All-Stars under his guidance this season), but he is by no means an

Good coach!"

…

Two days later, the Nets scored another victory 101-81, taking a 2-0 lead.

This result is quite expected.

The Nets feel stable this season, which is also a characteristic of the team coached by Sloan.

It is very difficult to defeat them in an upset.

Cavaliers fans feel aggrieved.

This is the first time they have returned to the playoffs since James left.

Although we know there is a gap in strength and can accept losing, losing an average of 30 points per game in two games is unacceptable!

Emotions must find a place to vent, and Harden is their outlet.

In the two games, Irving averaged 18.5 points and 2.5 assists per game, and his three-point shooting percentage reached 45%.

Because of the Nets' style of play, it was difficult to score points in the third quarter and there was no need to play in the fourth quarter.

So you can regard this as a half-time performance, which is already very good.

In comparison, Harden's performance stretched a lot.

Although he averaged 15 points and 7 assists per game, it was far behind his regular season numbers.

Moreover, his shooting percentage is only over 40%, and his three-point shooting percentage is less than 30%.

Such performance is obviously not up to standard.

And this is not the main reason why fans criticize him.

What made all this happen was that a fan photographed Harden going to a nightclub to get drunk after the G1 game.

The photo of him holding a fat-assed girl with his left and right hands spread all over the Internet.

"Gilbert is paying for Harden's girls", "Harden is strengthening ball handling and press breaking training in New York", "Have you ever seen New York at four in the morning?"...

Fans’ comments came one after another.

When the Cavaliers acquired Harden in a trade before, they readily offered him a five-year, 87.5 million maximum salary extension contract.

This contract will not officially take effect until next season.

In other words, it does not meet the requirements of the "amnesty clause" in the new labor agreement.

If the Cavaliers no longer want Harden, they can only choose to trade or buy out.

And now Harden's behavior, in the eyes of fans, is the next player to get lost after getting a big contract.

Although no matter what the reason is, the matter itself is actually nothing.

It's normal to feel depressed after losing a big score. It's normal to find a nightclub to vent your emotions. Moreover, this is New York, not Cleveland, and there are top girls with fat butts that Cleveland doesn't have.

But in competitive sports, food is the original sin.

At this point, Jordan is a classic counterexample.

He loved gambling during his peak period, and he was probably the only one who could gamble during the finals.

But he can win, and even if there are doubts, it will only be on a small scale.

More people will think he is cool.

Betting before the game and winning after the game is just like in the western cowboy martial arts novels, where you hug a woman while killing indiscriminately.

…

In G3 of the series, both teams will move to Cleveland.

The Cavaliers players returned to Cleveland after G2.

It still feels good to be home.

Especially when they experienced two big defeats like this.

Just like a leopard that goes out hunting and encounters a tiger that is beaten and bruised all over its body, it can lick its wounds when it returns home and feel a greater sense of security.

Harden, in training, sweating like rain.

He likes fat buttocks, just like other people like buying luxury cars and watches, it is just a hobby.

That doesn't affect his training.

In fact, those who can make a name for themselves in the NBA must train hard.

And those training freaks are not hardworking, they are crazy.

Just like Lin Ying and Durant back then, they basically did nothing else except training.

Harden is not at that level. He still has his own hobbies, but his training intensity is not low.

Ten minutes on stage and ten years of hard work off stage. His progress year by year does not rely on magic.

And the sounds from the outside world clearly irritated him.

For the first time, he experienced the magnifying glass of the media and what one-sided reporting is.

Durant told him those things when they were in Oklahoma, and he thought Durant was exaggerating.

But real life is like this, and it’s hard to empathize with many things unless you experience them.

He felt it and wanted to prove himself even more.

After a while, Owen came in.

"You're here, James."

Irving was a little surprised when he saw Harden, but he just said a word and then sat on the stool against the wall.

Unlike Harden, consecutive defeats gave him a strong sense of frustration.

Their current mood is exactly the same as before the series started.

Harden stopped training, then walked over to sit next to Irving.

"Kelly, I have an idea."

Turning to look at Irving's depressed mood, Harden spoke seriously.

"Um?"

Irving looked at Harden in confusion, not knowing what he was referring to.

"I noticed a detail. The Nets may have had enough energy to play high-pressure defense in the third quarter. They didn't invest much in the first half. If we can open up the score in the first half, then

Does it mean we have a chance to play a decisive moment with them?"

Harden made a hypothesis.

Not only does he have a high golf quotient, but he also has a high IQ. In addition to training, he also likes to study things.

"The question is can we do it?"

Irving quickly understood what Harden was saying, but he couldn't help but be suspicious.

If Harden said this before the series started, he would believe it.

But after two games, he knew that the gap between the two teams was much greater than imagined.

"We have a chance. Coach Scott said we are the best backcourt he has ever seen."

Harden repeated what Irving said before.

Owen smiled to himself, he wanted to take back those words now.

But Harden's next words led him to another topic.

"So if we make suggestions to him at the same time, he should accept it."

"What proposal?"

"Let CJ."

Harden replied.

The chapter "This Striker Isn't Serious" will continue to be updated.