dognovel Chapter 185 The Pelicans' Attrition Tactics Against Wang Xiucheng
Chapter 185 The Pelicans' Attrition Tactics Against Wang Xiucheng
As he dribbled, Zion reached up and patted his head.
This was a defensive tactic, and the other four players on the field immediately knew what to do.
Zion used his strength to drive into the paint and scored two points. Instead of immediately returning to defense, he stood in front of Ben West.
Every time Benci moved, Zion would follow, constantly preventing Benci from receiving the ball.
Not only Ben West, but also Durant and several others were suddenly stopped.
The Pelicans suddenly increased their intensity.
This left the unprepared Claxton momentarily at a loss as to who to serve the ball to.
Suddenly, he saw Wang Xiucheng emerge from behind Benxi and reach out for the ball.
With the time limit about to expire and a violation imminent, Claxton passed the ball to Wang Xiucheng.
As Wang Xiucheng caught the ball with both hands, he turned and passed it forward, only to find that the person defending him had changed.
It used to be McCollum, now it's Herbert Jones.
Wang Xiucheng accelerated forward, and after getting close to Herbert Jones, he made a crossover dribble and, with Herbert Jones moving slightly, burst past on the other side.
Once outside the three-point line, Wang Xiucheng noticed that Durant and Royce O'Neal, who had already crossed half-court, were both being guarded.
Claxton and Ben West, two players without three-point shooting, weren't defended as tightly.
Is this a move to let the Nets score two points while giving up on three?
The biggest problem with the Nets' starting lineup is that they don't have enough players who can shoot three-pointers.
Claxton and Ben West's problem isn't their low three-point shooting percentage.
They simply don't vote.
Even if Wang Xiucheng had a "three-point shooting percentage boost card" for them, these two wouldn't be able to shoot.
It seems that for them, shooting a three-pointer is a crime.
But solving this problem is also easy.
Wang Xiucheng dribbled the ball, changed direction, pulled it back, and then feigned a breakthrough, completing the entire action in one smooth motion.
Herbert Jones was shaken so badly that his legs almost twisted together, but he still kept his large hand covering Wang Xiucheng's face.
But Wang Xiucheng suddenly gathered the ball again, stepped back to create distance, and before Herbert Jones could react, he launched a three-pointer.
Bang!
The basketball hit the rim.
The ball didn't go in!
Claxton was being pushed to the side by Valan from behind, and it looked like he was about to leave his original position.
But Claxton held Valan firmly in place, scratching and clawing at him.
Nobody the hell should try to grab that rebound!
Fortunately, Ben West had already moved into the paint and was waiting for this opportunity.
With a snap, Ben West slapped the basketball past Zion.
Herbert Jones and Wang Xiucheng jumped up at the same time to grab the ball.
Herbert Jones is 201cm tall, which seems to be a little taller than Wang Xiucheng, and his wingspan is also excellent, but neither his jumping ability nor his speed can compare to Wang Xiucheng's.
Unlike Claxton, Wang Xiucheng didn't tap the ball; instead, he scooped it up with one hand and slammed it firmly between his palms.
Without any hesitation, Wang Xiucheng broke through the defense and brought Herbert Jones inside, then immediately took a step back and shot.
Swish!
Three-pointer scored!
With the "20% accuracy stacking card," Wang Xiucheng's accuracy on this three-pointer is at least over 60%, even if he missed the previous one.
This is already a very high hit rate.
Even with Durant, Royce, and O'Neal on the defensive, Wang Xiucheng can still shoot three-pointers.
Last season, Wang Xiucheng attempted few three-pointers, which outsiders interpreted as Wang Xiucheng being unwilling to shoot.
The reason is that Wang Xiucheng didn't give himself any skill cards.
But this season is different.
In addition to skill cards that can be given to teammates, Wang Xiucheng also has skill cards that he can use himself.
Whether it's the Summer League or China's preseason games, Wang Xiucheng rarely attempts three-pointers.
But when it really comes down to it, Wang Xiucheng won't hold back now.
Zion glanced at Coach Willie Green as he watched Wang Xiucheng slowly back away.
Willie Green nodded without changing his expression.
This means the plan will continue.
So, the bench players, relying on Zion's drives and McCollum's three-pointers, managed to stay within one point of the deficit, even though they were trailing.
Surprisingly, Wang Xiucheng scored the majority of the points for the Nets.
This resulted in Wang Xiucheng having already scored 14 points when there were 4 minutes left in the first quarter.
Nash stood on the sidelines looking anything but happy.
He figured out the Pelicans' intentions.
That's to consume Wang Xiucheng!
Marking Ben Simmons is to allow Wang Xiu to retain possession of the ball.
The goal was to keep Durant in check so that Wang Xiucheng could score.
This resulted in Wang Xiucheng scoring 14 points, but he was also very tired.
Apart from Durant, who has the ability to score independently, everyone else could only run around.
Fortunately, Wang Xiucheng's shooting percentage was good, which allowed the Nets to take a 3-point lead.
Looking at the time, with the score still 21-18, Nash called a timeout.
Standing on the sidelines, Nash gave each player a high-five, and even patted Wang Xiucheng on the backside. Nash and his assistant coach were quickly discussing something on the court.
Wang Xiucheng sat down, took the towel and draped it over his head, then took a big gulp of water.
They thought he was there to help Durant, but he ended up scoring all the points himself.
The Pelicans did this on purpose.
Is he betting that he won't have the stamina to play the entire game under such pressure?
Nash walked back at this moment, sat down in his chair, and said, "You played well. The other side was compressing our space. They let you have the ball, let you score, and let you connect the ball, all to wear you down."
Nash said to Wang Xiucheng, "You rest for four minutes, then leave the rest to them."
Nash then looked at Durant and said, "Show your boss attitude. This is your team. Don't let the Pelicans underestimate you."
Durant nodded.
But no matter how Nash looked at him, he didn't have the same aura as Wang Xiucheng on the court.
Fortunately, there's no need to worry about Durant's ability.
The pause has ended.
The Nets made a substitution.
Wang Xiucheng and Claxton were both replaced.
Mills and Yuta Watanabe were substituted in.
This means that all five positions on the Nets now have three-point shooting ability.
However, this lineup requires Durant to play the center position, which he dislikes the most.
The game continued, with Mills replacing Benci at point guard. After dribbling the ball past half-court, he passed it to Durant, who had returned from the half-court.
Durant didn't even glance at who was guarding him before pulling up for a shot.
Officially listed as 208cm tall, Durant is actually 211cm tall, according to Wang Xiucheng. With a wingspan of nearly 230cm, few can block Durant's pull-up jumper from the front.
His slight lean back, in particular, made those defending him feel hopeless.
Swish!
The ball goes in!
This lineup is centered around Durant.
The other players all spread out and are all capable of shooting three-pointers.
This is what is known as the "small lineup".
Possession changes, Pelicans attack.
Zion, without taking a break, continued to drive into the paint, then pushed his defender out of bounds and scored two more points with a bank shot.
Although Durant plays the fifth position, it's impossible for him to actually engage in a physical battle with Zion.
At this point, let him score two points.
Anyway, I can continue to score points when I get back.
Swish!
Sure enough, on the Nets' second attack, the ball was once again passed to Durant.
Durant looked like he was going to shoot, but after the opponent jumped, Durant went inside and pulled up for a long two-pointer.
While they couldn't stop the Pelicans from scoring, the Nets' scoring efficiency wasn't low either.
The Nets maintained a 4-point lead until the end of the first quarter.
28:24.
China, Beijing, CCTV Sports Live Broadcast Room.
"The first quarter is over. Wang Xiucheng played for 8 minutes, scoring 14 points and 4 assists. How can Coach Su watch this?"
Having been away from the NBA for a long time, Yu Jia suppressed his excitement and asked as calmly as possible.