44. Best Defensive Player
This time, there was finally a timeout on the pitch.
Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau couldn't sit still. A defense that looked like it was going to succeed at the first time, and it fell short at the last minute.
Thibodeau glanced at the 34 seconds left on the court and asked for a timeout without hesitation. Because the next 24 seconds will most likely be the last offense of the game for the Bulls. It's a matter of success or failure!
So Tom Thibodeau, who is already cautious, will naturally be more cautious.
The team is one point behind at this point, they have to score this attack, otherwise they will find themselves in a very difficult situation, they have no way back!
"Listen to me, guys. We have to score this one goal. You should all know that this is a must-score goal! There is no way back! β
Thibodeau clapped his hands, then pointed at Derek Ross and said, "Derek, wait until I need you to complete this attack for me." Use your personal abilities that you are proud of. You've blown up the opposing defenders countless times tonight, so I hope you can use your individual abilities to break down the Clevelands' defenses! β
"Okay."
After instructing Rose, Thibodeau said to the rest of the players: "Kohler, you just shot a great three-pointer!" I hope you can be in the corner on the strong side of the ball. Derrick and others are going to be the focus of the Clevelands, and if he's caught in the middle of a crowd, I want you to shoot in an open spot! β
"No problem, Coach."
Thibodeau thought about it again after speaking, and then he said to Ruhr Deng, "Ruhl, wait, I want you to stand in the bottom corner of the weak side and open up space for Derrykla." β
This arrangement obviously made Ruel Deng a little unhappy, and the African guy frowned, and asked: "But coach, I feel good tonight, I believe I ......"
"I know, I know." Thibodeau motioned to Ruhr Dun to be so agitated and said, "Ruhr, I know you're in good shape tonight. It's your form that helps us to bite the back of the game in the final moments of the away game, but at this point, I think you need you in the bottom corner of the weak side. β
"Why?" Ruel Deng didn't seem to be able to accept this arrangement, and he said with some discouragement and reluctance: "I can also stand in Kohler's position, I can shoot two three-pointers tonight!" I'm confident that I can throw the ball in when there's a gap! β
"I know what you're saying, Ruhl, and I believe you have that ability." Thibodeau repeatedly emphasized that he understood Lul Deng's mood at this time, but the other party still looked unhappy. So, as a last resort, Thibodeau had to explain: "But I want you to take Wu Dawei to the weak side of the ball and not let him participate in this defense." β
"What!?" Lul Deng was taken aback, and then laughed incredulously: "Coach, are you afraid of that Chinese?" β
Lul Deng's words also upset the other Bulls players, so they wouldn't be afraid of a guy they'd never heard of, could it be Michael Jordan? Then he should be sitting in Charlotte's audience!
"Coach, I'm not afraid of that Chinese's defense. If ......" Derek Ross spoke at this time, it meant that he didn't understand Thibodeau's plan either. But his next words were quickly interrupted by the manager:
"Yes, Derek, I know you're not afraid. And Ruhl, Carlos, Joaquin...... I know that none of you are afraid of that Chinese defense. He's really not enough to make us afraid. But why would I do it? β
At this point, Thibodeau paused for a moment before continuing, "Hey guys, do you remember our goals for this season?" Reach the Grand Final! Yes, we're the team that makes it to the finals. The so-called big things are not informal, so we don't need to dwell on this issue. That Chinese is not powerful, but he did look good tonight, and we can't deny that he broke out tonight! On both offensive and defensive ends, he showed a brighter than usual appearance. But he just broke out, so why should we fight to the end with a guy who broke out? Just let him win the number jΓΉ, let's take away the victory, isn't that good? Giving in doesn't mean being afraid, it's more often a smart table. ββ¦,
A one-minute pause is not long, but it is not short. The Bulls players weren't happy, but they accepted Thibodeau's argument. But when they walked back onto the court, they looked at Wu Dawei as if Wu Dawei had brought them a collective green hat.
This made Wu Dawei very depressed, and this was the first time he had met such an "indignant" look from his opponent on the court. Even if he poked Brewer's asshole last time, he didn't get such treatment......
Of course, Wu Dawei would not have thought that it was all because of the disguised praise of the opposing head coach. This is an alternative compliment. Of course, if Wu Dawei knew, then he would definitely laugh shamelessly.
The moment the whistle sounded again, all eyes gathered. The Bulls took the ball from the referee, and Joakim Noah served the ball to Derrick Rose from the baseline.
The Cavaliers didn't press the whole court, and for a point guard of Derrick Rose's calibre, the more you press him, the more he can bounce back sometimes. And the difficulty of getting off the ball from a super guard is basically the same as not letting Shaquille O'Neal dunk in his prime.
It may be an exaggeration to say this, but since you have the score ahead at this point, you don't have to do anything that might be self-defeating.
But when the Bulls passed halftime, they were suddenly a little dumbfounded. The Cavaliers, who guarded the whole court and guarded the man-to-man defense, suddenly switched to a joint defense at this time!
Clearly, this is a breakthrough that the Cavaliers want to contain Derrick Rose. It also happened to give the unhappy Ruhr Deng a chance, so that Wu Dawei would not stay fixed by his side, but would walk within a range according to the path of the ball.
Dumbfounded to dumbfounded, the game still has to go on. Ross played a one-on-one one-on-one with Anthony Parker in the left corner area, as arranged by coach Thibodeau. Keller Korver lurked in the bottom corner on the strong side of the ball.
Rose easily shook Parker away, but he also quickly encountered a second line of defense. Williams and Vallejo came up from the bottom corner and inside pack.
Everyone knows that when Rose rushes inside, he is sure to score, so it's impossible for anyone to ignore his breakthrough.
Anthony Parker, who was behind him, saw that he was about to catch up, and was about to form a three-man formation. At that moment, Derrick Rose flicked his wrist and he chose to pass the ball!
Everyone's hearts hung in the air.
But Rose's pass was not directed to Keller Korver on the strong side, but to another corner far away from him on the weak side, Ruel Deng!
The moment Rose jumped up to pass the ball, he saw Wu Dawei rushing into the inside to defend Joakim Noah, so he changed his mind halfway through and passed the ball to the weak side!
Tom Thibodeau's heart tugged inexplicably, because he saw David Wu suddenly change the pace of rushing into the inside line and run back the moment Derrick Rose jumped to pass!
That outrageous ability to predict! How the hell did he do it!?
He was also shocked by Lul Deng, who received the basketball, he didn't expect that Wu Dawei, who was about to rush into the inside, would suddenly run back again, did he know that Derek was going to pass it to me!?
Such thoughts made Lul Deng think twice more highly of Wu Dawei for a while, but that was all.
Do you think you'll be able to stop me by running back and forth like this? Lul Deng remembered what head coach Thibodeau had said during the previous timeout, and he felt even more uneasy.
I'm going to prove to you, Tom, this Chinese is not terrible at all!
Lul Deng didn't jump up and shoot directly, even if he looked down on Wu Dawei, he knew that this was an act of looking for a hat. He flicked his shot, then took a small step to the side before jumping.
But when Lul Deng really jumped up, he found that Wu Dawei was still beside him. He didn't shake it at all!
So, the two met in the air, and a collision between the tip of the needle and Mai Mang attracted the attention of everyone in the audience. Because that might decide the ultimate fate of the game.
Everyone on the Cavaliers' bench stood up, and people stood on tiptoe to stare at the two people not far in front of them, everyone held their breath, and the entire arena fell silent.
People craned their necks to look at the sky on the court, and a second later, the basketball ...... Fly out! Instead of drawing a wonderful shooting arc, it resembles a cannonball shot into the air by an anti-aircraft gun.
At the moment of falling, Wu Dawei, who jumped on the spot again, was taken into his arms!
A perfect cap!
Wu Dawei got the ball, but soon he was fouled. Lul Deng, who failed to shoot, threw Wu Dawei to the ground, and the referee blew the whistle.
At this time, the Clevelands, who had suppressed the whole game, erupted in the loudest cheers.