Coach: Coaching the Grizzlies at the beginning, playing the bantam

Chapter 310 Two rounds of sweep!Break the doubt!
The Knicks' opponent in the second game is the Washington Wizards.

The Wizards played well this year and climbed to fifth place in the Eastern Conference during the regular season, which surprised many fans.

Wall, the star player, also had the best performance of his career, averaging 23.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 10.7 assists and 2 steals per game, becoming more and more like a team boss.

Of course, the growth of second-in-command Bradley Beal is also the key to the rise of the Wizards. Last season, he averaged only 17.1 points per game. This year, he has evolved to 23 points, 3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists. He shot 48.2% from the field and made 40.4-pointers. The rate is [-]%, and the offense is very stable.

Because of their performance this season, the Wizards have received high personal ratings and are known as one of the best backcourt combinations in the East.

However, in Lu Yong's view, the real reason for the Wizards' rise is the coaching change during the offseason.

The original coach Randy Whitman was fired, and now the Wizards head coach is Brooks after being fired by the SuperSonics.

As one of Lu Yong's assistant coaches at the time, this series was also called "the Lu coach's war" by the media.

The Wizards defeated the Hawks 4-2 in the first round and eliminated the fourth-seeded Hawks in the Eastern Conference. This also greatly increased the number of fans who were optimistic that they could cause trouble for the Knicks.

Especially in Game 32, Wall scored 6 points, 14 rebounds, 2 assists and [-] steals on the head of Hawks main point guard Schroeder, sending Washington fans completely crazy.

After this series, Wall has become the most anticipated young point guard in the league, and experts predict that the Knicks' number one position may be broken.

Neither Brogdon nor Van Jordan will feel comfortable facing Wall.

On May 5, the first game of the semifinals started at Madison Square Garden in New York.

The New York home court was full again, and it was hard to get a ticket even if fans made reservations three days in advance. The scene was very popular.

Lu Yong made adjustments to the lineup this time, starting with five players: Van Jordan, Brogdon, Butler, Harris, and Jokic.

The Wizards have no offensive strong points on the front line and rely entirely on double guns to score.

Against a team with this configuration, it's useless to reuse Artest. It's better to just play a small lineup.

Van Jordan and Brogdon can switch defenses when they are on the court at the same time. No matter who of them faces Wall, there is no need to worry, each has its own characteristics.

This game was still broadcast live across the United States. When Barkley saw the Knicks' starting lineup, he was obviously surprised. "Lou took the initiative to adjust the starting lineup tonight. He chose to let Van Jordan play the starting number one position. This is a lineup that is rarely seen in the regular season. I think it is a bit risky."

Kenny Smith said: "Lou's arrangement should be to counter the Washington double-gun. Artest is indeed not suitable to appear in this series, at least not suitable to be a starter. There is no problem with Lu's employment adjustment, but in the semifinals It’s really courageous to try a new lineup.
The Wizards' starting five remain unchanged: Wall, Beal, Porter, Markieff Morris, and Gortat.

The athletic talents of the centers of both teams were average. Jokic won the jump ball and the game started.

Brogdon moved forward with the ball and saw the Wizards guarding a zone defense at the beginning. He passed the ball to Van Jordan and then ran to the bottom corner to take away the defense.

Van Jordan played a pick-and-roll at the top of the arc and broke through from the left. His speed was indeed not as fast as Wall's and he couldn't get away.

After turning his body sideways and making a push, Van Jordan used his strength to squeeze out a little space and passed the ball to Jokic who was cutting through.

The latter turned around in slow motion and passed the Polish star Gortat, and hit the board with a high throw from close range, 2-0.

Jokic perfectly demonstrated his personal ability in this goal. He still had a tonnage advantage against Gortat, who weighed 109 kilograms, and he looked very calm when he hit high.

In addition, Van Jordan also has good control over his passing after the pick-and-roll.

As a substitute, he often plays pick-and-roll with Harrell. This kind of ball is not difficult in his eyes. He is a defender with high football intelligence.

The Wizards attack, the Knicks guard man-to-man, and the defensive tactics remain unchanged.

Wall dribbled the ball across half court to play a pick-and-roll, but was blocked by Harris with a large delay. He jumped and passed the ball to Morris.The latter caught the ball and made a two-point open jumper. Fan Jordan immediately filled the position, but the height difference was too big, so he could only stretch out his hand for a moment.

Morris is at his peak this year, averaging 14 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game, shooting 45.7% from the field, and the ball went hollow into the net, 2-2.

Fan Qiaodan has obviously made up for this goal, but his height is a flaw, and Lu Yong doesn't think there is a problem.

After adjusting the lineup, the Knicks' defensive height has dropped, but their defense and locking effect on the outside will be stronger.

The price is mutual. As long as the losses are kept within Lu Yong's acceptable range, the Knicks can still win.

In the positional battle, Van Jordan dribbled the ball across half court and called a pick-and-roll. Seeing Wall's defense sinking and retreating relatively far, he took one step beyond the three-point line and made a jump shot!
This is Van Jordan's way of playing. When he is calm, he handles the ball promptly, and when he is not calm, he dares to shoot all kinds of magic balls.

Lu Yong asked him to play the sixth man, largely because he liked the temperament of Fan Jordan. Compared with Caruso, who plays steadily, the two have completely opposite styles of play.

The ball drew a beautiful arc in the air, and the next second, swoosh!Hollow into the net! 5 to 2.

Van Jordan made a solid hit with his first shot of the game, and he didn't lose his confidence even after entering the playoffs!

When the Wizards attacked, Wall went to the frontcourt and played a pick-and-roll. He changed directions and used his speed to succeed. He glanced at Porter and didn't pass. He met Brogdon in the mid-range and made a pull-up jumper, 5-4.

The Knicks attacked, and Van Jordan brought it to the frontcourt and passed to Jokic.

Jokic held the ball at the top of the arc and observed his teammates until Van Jordan used the screen to penetrate to the basket, and he decisively released the ball.

Fan Jordan caught the ball and turned over, looking for the board at a good angle at close range. Unfortunately, he was too weak and missed the basket due to interference.

However, Van Jordan reacted very quickly. He seemed to feel it as soon as he took the shot. He took advantage of the landing point and took the offensive rebound and passed it to Jimmy Butler on the outside.

Butler faked a move and hit Porter, then made a pull-up jumper, 7-4.

The Wizards attacked, Bill asked for the ball from the outside, Brogdon faked a change of direction in a single, and stepped back to make a three-point jumper.

Bill avoided Brogdon's block with this ball, but the force was too strong. He hit the neck of the basket and collapsed. The rebound was collected by Jokic.

Jokic grabbed the backcourt rebound and immediately launched a counterattack. After observing, he directly threw a long pass from the quarterback to find Van Jordan, who was leading the way.

Van Jordan used his speed to drive straight to the basket, attracting Wall's defense and passing the ball to the weak side. Butler followed up and jumped up to catch the ball and dunk with both hands, 9-4.

When the Wizards attacked, Wall's pick-and-roll at the top of the arc was delayed and targeted. He couldn't pick up the speed when he broke out. The breakthrough space tonight was very narrow.

Lu Yong had made arrangements before the game to prevent the pick-and-roll from delaying Wall's first step. As long as he couldn't pick up speed, the defensive pressure on New York's backcourt would be much less.

Although this approach will give Morris a lot of mid-range shooting opportunities, Lu Yong still has some idea of ​​Morris's scoring ability.

If he is in hot form, it may not be a problem to score 30 points, but the chance of this is far lower than Wall's explosion, and Lu Yong can easily make a choice.

Wall's breakthrough was blocked and he did not choose to play hard and passed to Markieff Morris, who was open.

Harris retreated immediately after the delay, but due to his lateral speed, he was still half a step slower, and his defensive level was indeed much worse than Green's.

Morris hit another long two-pointer from an almost open position, and scored 4 points in a row after the opening, 9-6.

The Wizards' offense was not bad, driven by main point guard Wall, who used a lot of screens and passes in positional battles.Brooks studied with Lu Yong for four years, and the passing system had a great influence on him.

It’s not surprising that the Wizards can play a smooth offense. Lu Yong has always pinned his hope of winning on a sharper offense than his opponents.

Six minutes later, Lu Yong replaced Jokic to rest and sent Wood to improve the mobility of the lineup.

The reason why Harrell is not used is because Wood has a threat from beyond the three-point line and has the ability to lift Gortat out of the penalty area, making it easier for Butler and others to cut to the basket.

In the second half, Butler gradually took over the offensive banner.

Regardless of positional battles or counterattacks, he played a leading role. The fight with the Wizards was back and forth, and the point difference never widened.

After the first quarter, both teams scored high scores, with the Knicks leading 37 to 33.

Morris scored 11 points in a single quarter, making 7 of 4 shots and 3 of 3 free throws. He was in good shape tonight.

Wall's breakthrough was targeted and he only scored 6 points, but he sent out the team's highest 4 assists, and his performance was not bad.

On the Knicks' side, Van Jordan scored 10 points, 1 rebound and 2 assists, and hit two three-pointers. Butler had 13 points, 3 rebounds and 1 steal, playing very tough.

In the second quarter, Jokic, who had rested for a while, came up to lead the bench.

The other four players, Jeremy Lin, Richardson, Caruso, and Harrell, this second team led by Teacher Yue quickly took advantage and stopped the opponent with a 9-0 wave.

Jokic scored 6 points and assisted Jeremy Lin in a three-pointer, showing his dominance in the penalty area.

The Wizards' backup center is white big man Jason Smith, a star player who even Gortat can't restrict. Naturally, he has no choice.

As long as Jokic receives the ball in the low post, it is very easy to play in singles. If he is not double-teamed, he will back up and attack hard. If double-teamed, he will pass. The Wizards have nothing to do.

When a team without a top center faces Jokic, the process is painful.

At halftime, 75 to 62, the Knicks led by 13 points.

In the second half, the Wizards changed their tactics again and began to defend in a 2-3 zone, hoping to limit Jokic's singles through team efforts.

As a result, the Knicks shot from the outside and threw 8 three-pointers in a single quarter, directly guarding the Wizards in the zone defense until they lost their temper.

The Wizards can score with both guns, but the efficiency is not high. Without role players like Morris to step up and score, the Wizards would have to disarm at halftime.

In the final quarter, the two teams sent their main players to play for a while. Seeing that Brooks could not catch up with the score difference, he simply replaced the core players.

The game entered garbage time early, and Lu Yong also gave his former assistant coach enough face and let some water go.

In the end, 132 to 115, the Knicks won the first game.

Just like the first round against the Pacers, they have an absolutely strong lineup advantage.

奇才首发大前锋莫里斯16投9中，三分球2中0，罚球6中4，得到22分6篮板2助攻，已经算得上超常发挥了。

But even so, the Wizards still lost by a double-digit margin and were defeated cleanly.

尼克斯得分最多的巴特勒27分6篮板4助攻2抢断，约基奇23分12篮板8助攻1盖帽，经典准三双。

临危受命的范乔丹发挥也不差，19分4篮板4助攻1抢断，三分球5投3中。

Six members of the Knicks team scored in double figures, and their overall strength was obviously better than that of the Wizards.

Wizards star Wall had 13 points, 4 rebounds and 11 assists. At first glance, it didn’t look too bad, but his shooting percentage was only 37.6%.

The few scoring opportunities were all passed through, and the Knicks focused on them.

Barkley commented: "The Knicks' performance in this game is enough to break any doubts. I can guarantee that if Anthony is here, the team will never be able to play this kind of smooth offense."

Kenny Smith nodded and said with a smile: "The Wizards did not lose the first game unjustly. Coach Brooks has done a good job. However, his opponent is his teacher, which puts him under a lot of pressure."

Barkley joked: "Those who won because of curiosity before the game were slapped in the face again. If the Knicks continue to have the same offensive firepower, maybe the Wizards, like the Pacers, will have to shave their heads."

At the press conference, Brooks was not depressed about losing to Lu Yong. He repeatedly emphasized the Knicks' smooth offense and made it clear that he hoped the Wizards could do the same in the future. He was very calm.

Because he knows enough about Lu Yong's coaching level, Brooks doesn't feel ashamed.

Lu Yong commented on the game and gave Brooks enough face: "In my opinion, the Wizards have achieved great success this season. They are becoming a threatening team. But unfortunately, the Knicks are stronger and the team uses about Kitchen’s personal ability successfully played an advantage.”

The reporter asked again: "Do you think the Knicks can sweep this series?"

Lu Yong shrugged and said with a smile: "Although I really hope to save some face for Brooks, the truth may be cruel."

Facts have proved that Lu Yong was right. In the second game, the Knicks continued to suppress the Wizards.

The inside advantage brought by Jokic was unstoppable. They won 118 to 102 and the Knicks won two games in a row.

In this game, the Knicks' outside three-point shooting was average, but the two inside players Harrell and Wood on the bench played very well.

哈雷尔出战26分钟，得到17分6篮板1助攻1抢断；伍德14分7篮板1盖帽，命中率均超过60%。

When the Wizards couldn't build a lead in the starting lineup, the bench matchup was simply a mistreatment, without even a sixth man scoring in double figures.

In the third game, Bradley Beal broke out, scoring 31 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal. However, the Wizards still lost, losing to the Knicks 112-121.

约基奇同样爆掉了奇才内线，18投12中，三分球3中1，罚球7中5，得到30分14篮板6助攻1盖帽。

Butler was not far behind, with 22 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals, 11 of which were scored in the final quarter, completely beating Otto Porter.

In the last game, the Wizards players had lost confidence, and the Knicks' main players clocked out in the third quarter.

116 to 95, easily swept 4 to 0.

约基奇内线还是一如既往的强悍，打了28分钟，13投8中，三分球4中2，罚球3中3，贡献21分10篮板5助攻。

He once assisted Butler with a wide-range long pass for an alley-oop dunk, and the cooperation between the two became more and more tacit.

The Knicks swept through two consecutive rounds to break all doubts. Even Anthony's die-hard fans began to waver, feeling that Anthony had betrayed Lu Yong's trust in him.

(End of this chapter)