1049: Bottomless strength
Jokic scored five straight points, much to the embarrassment of 76ers fans.
Embiid also wanted to get back on the court, so he continued to aggressively play against Jokic in the low post.
It's just that by now, Jokic knows Embiid's style well. These rounds of fighting have already made Jokic know what Embiid is all about.
You know, Jokic has always been a guy who likes to play with his brain. All the losses he has suffered will not be in vain.
Therefore, when Embiid once again showed his guard-like turnover jumper in front of Jokic, Jokic was not shaken at all!
This time, Jokic reached out to interfere as soon as possible. Embiid wanted to beat Jokic twice in the same way, and he thought the Serbian too simply.
Although it was only a second-round show, although last season's performance was far from excellent.
But Jokic has always been a key target for the Grizzlies!
Jokic is 2.13 meters tall and has an arm span of 2.21 meters. In the "monster world" of the NBA, Jokic's arm span is not exaggerated.
But not at a disadvantage.
Embiid's vision was completely obscured by Jokic, and his jumper naturally missed the mark.
The basket made a crisp sound, and Embiid's turnaround jumper was blocked by Jokic.
The mentality of the Philadelphia fans has collapsed, and Embiid looks like he's struggling.
As the head of the 76ers, he actually struggled to face the Grizzlies' backup center!
Jokic immediately reflexively pocketed the rebound after interfering with Embiid's shot.
Jokic's desire to grab rebounds is stronger than Gasol's.
The 76ers rushed to block the pass route and prevent Jokic from getting the ball.
However, after winning the rebound, Jokic began to dribble on his own! And he didn't feel awkward at all.
"Jokic had the ball himself through the half, was that a tactical arrangement?"
Before the people behind the commentary table could finish speaking, they saw Jokic just take the ball across the halfway line and suddenly throw the ball to the basket with both hands.
The camera immediately followed the basketball, and no one knew what Jokic was doing.
However, when the basketball flew near the basket and Link also "lifted off" and grabbed the basketball just right, everyone suddenly realized.
But by this time, it was too late.
Link grabbed Jokic's long-range pass with one hand and then easily slammed it into the box. The ball was passed very well, so Link didn't have to work hard at all, just ate the cake and it was over.
Jokic, as a center, actually passed an aerial relay near the halfway line!
This is extremely embarrassing for fans who were still boasting about Embiid's ability to respond.
After Jokic assisted Link for a layup with a one-handed pass at the beginning of the game, he showed off his long-range passing skills.
It seems that Jokic's passing ability is no less than that of a defender. And Embiid's passing ability is not even at the same level as him!
"Where did this guy come from!?" The on-site commentator panicked, although he didn't want to admit it, but the talent Jokic showed today was no worse than Embiid!
He hurriedly checked Jokic's resume and found that he was indeed not mistaken.
This fat boy is just an obscure second-round show, and the year he was selected, he was also played in Europe and practiced leveling. It's worth mentioning that Barcelona didn't even look down on this fat boy at that time!
is such an obscure and unknown player, but today he has stolen the limelight of "believing in the process".
Now, the discussion has shifted from Embiid to Jokic.
It's curious to see what else the Grizzlies' backup center can do.
Link yesterday said Jokic was ridiculed by the media and fans as the league's most promising center.
But now, no one can laugh.
Sure enough, Link never lied.
In the next few rounds, Jokic finally put his arsenal on full display.
Defensively, he switched to Covington, but he was able to keep up with the opponent's breakthrough and complete the chase and take the risk!
On the offensive end, he threw a turnaround jumper in almost the same position as Embiid when he first scored, which was considered a response to Embiid's provocation at the beginning.
Embiid is sweating more and more on his head, not tired, but frightened!
Embiid has always treated Jokic as an experience bag, and he's always seen today as his day to make a big difference.
But in the face of this sudden strong enemy, Embiid was unprepared!
With Jokic's help, the Grizzlies' No. 5 position is not at a disadvantage, but has a slight advantage.
His containment also made it easier for Link and others to score.
At the end of the first quarter, the Grizzlies led the 76ers by 12 points!
This quarter of the game seemed to pull Philadelphia fans back to a few years ago.
Back to the time when they could only win about a dozen games in a season.
In fact, the 76ers' starters were even worse than the score suggested.
If it weren't for Jerry, one of the 76ers bench bandits today. Bayless played well, and the difference was definitely more than 12 points!
During the intermission, Link specifically instructed Richardson, "Be careful of that guy Bayless, don't underestimate the enemy!" ”
Link's words, Richardson didn't dare not listen. He gritted his teeth and was bound to give Bayless a good look.
Heading into the second quarter, Jokic and Link continued their performances.
Brett. After watching Jokic play a game, Brown concluded that Jokic belongs to that type of skill and should not be very good at hand-to-hand combat. Looking at Jokic's figure, the muscle lines are not very obvious, and it really doesn't look like he is full of strength.
So he told Embiid to lure Jokic into a backbeat as much as possible.
Brett. Brown would never have imagined before the game that he would actually make a targeted defensive arrangement for the Grizzlies' backup center.
But as long as you can stabilize the situation, it's worth it.
But at the beginning of the second quarter, Brett . . . Brown realized that his strategy was wrong.
Jokic backs Embiid, no problem at all!
Link saw that Jokic was playing so well today, so he let the guy solve the problem on his own in the low post.
Don't think Link will be distressed by the reduction in shots and possession, on the contrary, he can't ask for this state.
Last season, due to the departure of Butler and others, serious injuries to Conley and Gasol and others, and the four young people who have not yet grown up, Link is almost carrying the team forward alone.
Although he got pretty good stats, the way of playing a game where you can only solve problems by one person is not what Link likes.
Although each individual has a great influence on the game, basketball is always a team sport.
Even Michael. Jordan, he also needs a Scott. Pippen. Going it alone is never the best way to solve a problem.
And now that everyone is threatened, Link can't ask for it.
Personal data? The right to sell?
Those were never things that Link was after.
Jokic slammed all the way to the top and sat directly on Embiid in the low post.
In fact, Embiid's lower body strength is not very strong due to injuries. So in the back fight, he is on the underdog.
This time, Brett. Brown made a stupid move.
He thought that Jokic's shortcomings were actually Embiid's shortcomings.
Jokic went to the basket and then easily turned around for a hook.
He looked like an old Duncan, and he didn't jump much. But as long as they can score, who cares if they jump high or not?
"Jokic actually forced Embiid, he scored again, Joel. Embiid is in a tough battle. ”
After the ball, Bamot covered his head in frustration.
Embiid's myth of "genius" was completely shattered by Jokic.
Although Embiid's performance in the subsequent games was still outstanding, under Jokic's equally not weak performance, Embiid could no longer enjoy the spotlight alone.
Before the game, how arrogant Embiid was in an interview with the media. Now, how disgraced he is.
Playing evenly with a substitute center forward on the other side, can this not be ashamed?
At halftime, the 76ers trailed by 17 points. This time off the bench, Richardson didn't let Bayless continue to do whatever he wanted.
He used his excellent defense to put an end to Bayless' magical performance.
In the third quarter, Link finally started to shoot because he was already feeling bored with the game.
Jokic and Embiid have won or lost, and there is no need to drag on this game.
So in the third quarter of the game, the 76ers suffered a devastating blow under Link's onslaught.
When Link began to exert his strength, people found that the previous matchup between Embiid and Jokic instantly turned into a child fight.
Pull-up jump shots, ultra-long-distance three-pointers, breakthrough dunks, low-post singles......
Link is simply a living basketball offensive skill book.
Covington didn't work hard to defend, but there was no way, the gap in hard power was too big.
Link scored 15 points in a single quarter, and the Grizzlies led the 76ers by 26 points after the third quarter, which was almost equivalent to ending the game early!
After the start of the fourth quarter, it was discovered that Brett. Brown pinned Embiid to the bench.
With no turning point in the game, he didn't want Embiid to continue the adventure.
He surrendered.
At this point, the live camera gave Jokic another close-up. This fat guy, who was thought to be beaten by Embiid, scored 15 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists in the third quarter.
And, there was another block on Embiid.
Embiid's 18 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks are naturally not bad, but compared with Jokic, there is no overwhelming advantage.
How strong is the "Emperor"? It's a topic that has been talked about all the time.
But today, there seems to be an answer to this question.
Embiid is just as good as the Grizzlies' backup center......
Before this game, no one believed that Jokic could burst into such a force. But now, Jokic has refreshed everyone's perception of him.
It's just one Jokic, and God knows how many "Jokic" there are still hidden in the Grizzlies' lineup.
People suddenly found that the strength of the Memphis Grizzlies is much stronger than everyone thought......