novelaction 371 The helplessness of Leonard!
371 The helplessness of Leonard!
Leonard's performance on the court also annoyed Popovich on the sidelines. He crossed his arms, a hint of displeasure on his face, and immediately called a timeout.
The game had only been going on for four minutes when the Spurs had already called two timeouts.
It's clear that Popovich is being very cautious. Even against the powerful Clippers, they still want to win the game if possible.
Because they believe they have the ability to win the game.
As a team known for its strong defense, they are now facing the prospect of their defensive line being overwhelmed by the opposing players.
Su Hao has completely taken over the Spurs' interior defense.
They really don't have many options left to make changes.
We can't have all five players surround Su Hao.
In that case, the team would be led by the nose by the Clippers, just like the teams that played against them before.
Even if they use more players to target Su Hao, the effect won't be too obvious.
The Celtics are a good example.
Popovich frowned slightly, his eyes revealing a sense of helplessness.
He knew that restraining Su Hao would not be easy, but he had to find a way to solve the problem.
After all, the Spurs are not a team that gives up easily.
After a moment of contemplation, Popovich decided to adjust his tactics.
He waved for his players to come closer and said in a low voice, "We can't afford to be passive anymore; we have to take the initiative. When we're on offense, pass the ball around a lot and look for open shots. On defense, be sure to help out and don't let Su Hao score easily." The players nodded in agreement.
The Clippers still haven't made any tactical arrangements.
The game restarted, and the Spurs launched their attack according to Popovich's instructions.
They wanted to use frequent passing to force the Clippers into a passive defense, thereby opening up the game.
The Spurs' offensive cycle involved constant ball movement on the perimeter, searching for the best shooting opportunity.
Ginobili, who had just come off the bench, got an open three-point opportunity with a screen from his teammates.
Without hesitation, he jumped and shot, the basketball tracing a beautiful arc in the air before swishing through the net.
Goal! It seems the Spurs' tactics were successful this time; they successfully found a weakness in the opponent's defense and exploited it.
After several rounds, the Spurs finally managed to close the gap, reducing the deficit to single digits.
Ginobili, who came off the bench, played brilliantly, hitting three consecutive three-pointers.
His outstanding performance excited his teammates and injected new vitality and confidence into the team.
However, the Clippers were not intimidated by their opponent's momentum.
Under Su Hao's leadership, they continued to execute their tactics firmly, consistently inflicting damage on the Spurs' paint.
Moreover, they took advantage of fast counter-attacks to execute several brilliant plays and score easily.
At the same time, the Clippers drew fouls from the Spurs, further extending their lead.
For a time, the two teams went back and forth, neither giving an inch, and the game was incredibly close.
The match entered a heated phase, with both teams giving their all and demonstrating tenacious fighting spirit and superb skills.
The situation changed with just one minute remaining in the first quarter.
Tony Parker was substituted due to exhaustion, and Gary Neal took his place.
Will this substitution affect the course of the game? Everything remains to be seen.
"What's going on?" Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich stood on the sidelines with a serious expression, roaring loudly.
He was very dissatisfied with the team's performance.
As soon as he stepped onto the court, Gary Neal made a serious mistake.
When he had the ball, he intended to drive into the paint and then pass the ball to Splitter, who had just replaced Duncan.
However, at the very moment the ball was being passed hand to hand, it was intercepted!
To make matters worse, the person who intercepted the ball was none other than Su Hao.
This stunned the Spurs players on the sidelines.
They couldn't believe what was happening before their eyes.
I never imagined I would make such a basic mistake.
Meanwhile, the Lakers erupted in cheers, seeing an opportunity for a counterattack.
After Su Hao intercepted the ball, he quickly launched a fast break.
He charged toward the basket like lightning, unstoppable.
The Spurs players in front of him didn't dare to step forward to block him, effectively making way for Su Hao to reach his basket.
In the end, Su Hao ended the first quarter with a powerful dunk under everyone's watchful eyes.
The Spurs players on the court could only watch helplessly as he scored.
This mistake not only cost the Spurs possession of the ball, but also allowed the Clippers to easily score two points.
This is undoubtedly adding insult to injury for the Spurs, who are trying to catch up in the score.
Coach Popovich angrily slammed his tactical board and yelled at the players on the court.
He demanded that they adjust their mindset immediately, or they would be doomed to lose the game.
Fortunately, this was only the first quarter of a game, and they were only ten points behind the Clippers.
However, these are not the things that worry them.
What's even more worrying is that Su Hao didn't break a sweat at all after finishing the entire first quarter!
This is truly unbelievable.
He seems to possess inexhaustible stamina and endurance, easily handling the high-intensity pace of the game.
This made the other players doubt him, wondering if he really was the legendary "Hulk".
After all, such an amazing performance is beyond imagination, and his physical abilities are beyond human comprehension. What else could he be but the "Hulk"?
Could it be "Iron Man" or "Superman"?
This is utter nonsense!
At the end of the first quarter, both teams' players returned to their benches.
"Damn it, it's all my fault. I wanted to have a good performance in the last round, but I messed it up!" Gary Neal said dejectedly.
"It's okay! Bro, it's just one ball!" Duncan patted him on the shoulder to comfort him.
Popovich, on the other hand, held the tactics board with a serious expression and gestured as he explained the tactical arrangements.
They all appear to be tactical arrangements related to outside offense.
As for the inside game, he may have already given up.
He knew that with Su Hao in the paint, it was a no-fly zone.
When they go in, they either get blocked or have their shots stolen.
It would be better to look for opportunities on the outside.
This point was unanimously agreed upon by all the Spurs players.
They didn't want to challenge Su Hao's defense inside, as that would be asking for trouble.
Clippers head coach Mike Dunleavy symbolically held up a clipboard, gesturing out various tactical arrangements.
These tactics look like those used in regular training.
He himself knew that in the end, winning this game still depended on Su Hao.