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

In a positional battle, the Cavaliers finally scored their second sports goal tonight.

Irving dribbled under his hip to attract a double-team and pass the ball. J.R. Smith used Thompson's screen to get rid of Butler, ran to the left at 45 degrees to catch the ball and hit a three-pointer with a jump shot, 11-5.

JR's three-pointer helped the Cavaliers temporarily stabilize the situation. If they don't score in this round, Director Lu will definitely call a timeout.

However, before Tyronn Lu could breathe a sigh of relief, the Knicks immediately responded with their next attack.

Brogdon and Jokic set up a pick-and-roll in the middle, brought it to the three-second zone, attracted Irving to pursue him, and hit the ball to the low post.

Jokic used a fake attack to attract help from the defense, passed the ball without looking behind his head, and quickly transferred it to Butler who was following up behind him.

Butler caught the ball under J.R. Smith's defense, squeezed the space with his shoulder, turned towards the baseline and hit a fadeaway jumper, 13-5.

In the next round, Irving's breakthrough once again attracted help from the defense and passed the ball out of the perimeter. James missed an open three-pointer. Jokic grabbed the rebound and passed it to Brogdon to launch a counterattack.

Brogdon dribbled the ball forward and moved the ball in a wide range, but Love saw through it and knocked it out of bounds with his hand.

Taking advantage of the dead ball, Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue decisively requested a timeout.

The Knicks beat the Knicks 13-5 in the opening game. The point difference seemed small, but the offensive efficiency of the two teams was vastly different.

If he continues to play, the Cavaliers will be defeated sooner or later. He must use the timeout to give the players a few more mouthfuls of chicken soup.

Barkley had a smirk on his face, staring at the Knicks walking off the court and said: "The Knicks are very likely to create a miracle this year. Their star Anthony was abandoned and refrigerated, but in the end they are still the strongest favorite in the Eastern Conference. The Cavaliers. The fans never expected before the game that the Big Three would be beaten so hard that they were unable to fight back. This scene was so hurtful."

Kenny Smith smiled and said: "The Cavaliers' lineup looks more luxurious, but their offensive tactics are not complicated. The starting move is only initiated by the breakthroughs of Irving and James. Once the Knicks shrink their formation, the Cavaliers will attack." It’s very uncomfortable, as if my life is being strangled.”

It's difficult to evaluate Tyronn Lue's coaching level, but one thing is certain: Lue's tactical arrangements rely too much on stars.

Lu Yong knows enough about the Cavaliers' playing style that no matter how the opponent changes their formation, as long as he sticks to the defensive strategy and intercepts the Cavaliers' breakthrough goals, the Knicks can avoid a lot of trouble.

Today, James was obviously out of shape after being allowed two three-pointers, and he did not improve after the timeout.

Tyronn Lue replaced Thompson and replaced Frye, who has a three-point shooting ability, to strengthen the offense and add an outside turret.

This substitution did have some effect. The Cavaliers' position space was expanded, and Jokic could not stay under the basket for a long time.

3 minutes later, Lu Yong made decisive adjustments.

Jokic took a break and replaced Harrell, using his movement speed to strengthen the defense on the outside.

Frye's offense is somewhat effective, and his space turret's catching and shooting efficiency is very good, but his defense is an out-and-out colander. Harrell can easily attack the inside after picking and rolling, and his athletic talent is almost visible to the naked eye.

The Knicks changed their offensive focus and interrupted the Cavaliers' rhythm.

Frye is a functional player. Once he fails to contribute on the offensive end, it will be a side effect for him to stay on the court.

As the Cavaliers' leading scorer on the bench, there's a reason why Frye only averaged 12.8 minutes per game in the playoffs.

After asking the teacher to take a break, Butler became the first ball-handling point on the court.

Playing a pick-and-roll with Harrell in the middle, the latter rushed like a beast and violently dunked against Frye with both hands. His passionate and wild style of play directly broke into the Cavaliers penalty area.

The Knicks attacked Frye fiercely, taking advantage of his slow lateral movement and poor confrontation to score consecutive singles.

After a few rounds, Tyronn Lue finally couldn't stand it anymore, so he replaced Frye and put the more athletic Derrick Williams in the small lineup.

Although Derrick Williams is only 2 meters tall, Harrell is also not tall when he plays the fifth position. Their athletic talents can barely match up.

It's a pity that Lu Yong is never someone who waits to be beaten passively.

Seeing Tyronn Lue playing Derrick Williams as a guest at the fifth position, he immediately replaced Wood, who is 2 meters tall, and used his height advantage to hit hard at the basket.

In the second half, the offensive firepower of the Knicks lineup was still strong, which made the Cavaliers fans in front of the TV dumbfounded.

In the eyes of most people, with Jokic off the court, the Knicks will lose their inside advantage.

But the result was that Harrell and Wood came off the bench and performed brilliantly.

Lu Yong's unique substitution adjustment directly stepped on the sole of Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue.

After the first quarter, 34 to 25, the Knicks led by 9 points.

The Cavaliers mainly relied on Irving and James to attack. The former scored 11 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist. The latter's shooting percentage was a bit worse, but he still scored 7 points and 3 rebounds with free throws.

In the second quarter, Jokic, who had rested for a long time, came up to lead the bench and partnered with Harrell in the paint.

The three outside players are Van Jordan, Richardson and Caruso.

The Cavaliers sent Shumpert, Korver, Richard Jefferson, Derrick Williams and Frye on the bench.

The Cavaliers' substitutes mainly rely on shooting to score points. Shumpert is the ball-handling point in positional battles. His breakthrough speed is not fast enough, and his effect in creating catch-and-shoot opportunities for his teammates is average.

Lu Yong sent three hard-working young outsiders to attack to expand the defensive range. On the premise of ensuring defense, the offense was handed over to Jokic.

Fan Jordan dribbled the ball across half court and lobbed it directly to Teacher Yue who was asking for the ball in the low post. The latter leaned against Frye to pass the ball and feinted, turned around in the middle and shot a fadeaway jumper.

Frye's figure looked very thin in front of Jokic. He couldn't jump up when he was pressed against him, so he could only reach out to interfere symbolically.

Jokic felt very soft and hit the net from close range, 36 to 25.

When the Cavaliers attack, the Knicks switch to zone defense in order to prevent Jokic from being pulled out of the penalty area. Jokic can sit under the basket and wait without worrying about the outside.

Frye couldn't find an open shot, so he could only run back and forth, neither breaking through nor defending. He was targeted even worse than James tonight.

The only player on the Cavaliers' second team who is capable is veteran Kyle Korver.

He showed his shooting ability, using Derrick Williams' off-ball screen to get rid of Richardson, and hit a three-point jumper from the right corner, 36 to 28.

The Knicks continued to attack through Jokic's point. Van Jordan passed the ball to Jokic and moved to the baseline to take away the defense.

Jokic looked at the wing and saw that the Cavaliers had no intention of stepping forward to double-team. He leaned against Frye twice, turned around in the middle, and hit the board with a right-hand throw, 38 to 28.

The Cavaliers attacked, and Fleila had no chance to pick and roll. Shumpert's breakthrough was blocked by Van Jordan in advance, and he could only pass the ball to Richard Jefferson.

Jefferson singled out Caruso with the ball, trying to rely on his height advantage to hit hard, but Caruso's extreme defense interfered.

The ball missed the basket and the backcourt rebound was collected by Jokic.

In the positional battle, it was still left to Jokic to play in low singles. This time the Cavaliers took the initiative to double-team.Jokic raised the ball high above his head to observe the position of his teammates. Seeing that Van Jordan was open at the top of the arc, he immediately threw the ball over.

Fan Jordan was not soft when receiving the ball, and scored an open shot from one meter away from the three-point line.

"Shh!"

41:28.

Tyronn Lue sat off the court and had a headache. Without Thompson, he couldn't guard Jokic in the low post.

But with Thompson, the offensive space couldn't be opened up, which made him haven't thought of a way to get the best of both worlds.

The Cavaliers' offense cannot rely solely on James and Ou's singles. Increasing the main player's playing time is one way, but it is not a long-term solution against the Knicks.

Each of these young people can run better than the other, and it is difficult for the Cavaliers to follow the rhythm and play a whole game.

As Richardson hit the ball with a throw in the next round, Tyronn Lue was forced to request a timeout.

Barkley said: "There is no fault in the Knicks' performance tonight. They can firmly suppress the Cavaliers without Anthony. This is a very remarkable behavior."

Kenny Smith joked: "I think other Knicks players are obviously playing better without Anthony. Especially Jokic, as the first offensive point, his data has improved significantly entering the playoffs, averaging 23.6 points, 12.4 rebounds and 7.8 per game. Assists and 1.2 steals, shooting 56.8% from the field and 35.4% from three-point range. If his physical fitness were better, he would be like O'Neal in the small ball era."

Barkley smiled: "Obviously, there is nothing the Cavaliers can do against Jokic inside. Even if Thompson comes back, he can only reduce his offensive efficiency as much as possible and cannot guard people to death."

After the timeout, both Zhan and Ou took the field early. In this series, they should be ready to play for 45 minutes each game.

With two of the Big Three back, the Cavaliers' offense has opened up, but the defense is still unable to defeat the Knicks.

Jokic has a huge advantage in attacking the basket. In the small ball era that lacks top centers, he is a bug. Even if Lu Yong encounters it, there is no good solution.

In Lu Yong's previous life, Jokic averaged 30 points, 13.5 rebounds, 9.5 assists, 1.1 steals and 1 block in the playoffs, shooting 54.8% from the field, 46.1% from three-point range, and 79.9% from free throws. It's incomprehensible.

Although Jokic has not yet entered his peak period at this period, it is still easy to defeat Thompson alone in the basket, and the eight sage kings have no temper at all.

At halftime, the Knicks led 67 to 49.

约基奇上半场打了17分钟，贡献16分7篮板5助攻，命中率超过60%。

Butler also had 15 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal, making great contributions on both offense and defense.

At this time, Anthony, who was hiding at home watching the game, had slightly red eyes. He regretted the conflict with coach Lu Yong.

It was only then that he realized how stupid his original behavior was. If he hadn't fallen out with Lu Yong out of anger, he might have won another FMVP this year.

But now, besides enduring the ridicule from fans and commentators, he can do nothing while sitting at home.

He didn't even have the courage to watch the game live. In the battle of wits and courage with Lu Yong, he lost completely.

Fans on the Internet have already started discussing whether Anthony will become an ordinary star if he leaves Lu Yong?
When he comes back next year, will he still be able to take the Knicks to the finals?

More than 80% of fans believe that Anthony's peak period has passed. Without Lu Yong, he will have to go through a struggle to even lead the team into the playoffs.

In the second half, Jokic continued to work hard offensively, and the Knicks easily consolidated their lead.

Thompson was replaced in less than 2 minutes and was fouled four times by Jokic. His face was full of depression.

While Thompson took a rest due to the number of fouls, Jokic had an even greater advantage at the basket.

It is easy to score by relying on his tonnage and skills. Tyronn Lue arranges to double-team him and pass the ball. His good passing vision can always find his teammates immediately, and he tortures the Cavaliers with his unique way of playing.

Using double teams to deal with Jokic is obviously not a good decision, but Tyronn Lue really has no choice but to take the last chance.

Jokic easily beat Derrick Williams, Frye and Love in this quarter. Although Love weighs 114 kilograms and can barely withstand Jokic from the front, he is not good at protecting the frame. The defense has no deterrent effect, just a vase.

Jokic turned over and shot a jumper in the middle. Love, who had mediocre athletic ability, could only stare. Whether he made it or not depended on the touch of Teacher Jokic.

Lu Yong sat on the sidelines and watched Jokic show off his power, and his heart was filled with pride.

The No. 1 player in the league later became the star he brought out personally, and the experience was indeed different.

After three quarters, the Knicks extended their lead to 28 points and the game entered garbage time.

In the final quarter, Lu Yong came on as a substitute.

Van Jordan, Richardson, Caruso, Harrell, and Wood are still an integrated offense and defense. Playing the Cavaliers on the bench is a dimensionality reduction blow.

The Cavaliers' substitutes are almost all a group of old guys who have no ball to play with. They are obviously no match for the young people in New York. They are too energetic.

In the end, 133-96, the Knicks defeated the Cavaliers in the first game of the Eastern Conference finals, and the total score was rewritten to 1-0.

Seven members of the Knicks team scored in double figures. Jokic scored 7 points, 28 rebounds and 14 assists, the best of the game. If he comes on in the final quarter, he can also get a 7+ triple-double tonight.

Harrell and Wood also performed well on the bench, scoring 12 points, 5 rebounds and 11 points, 6 rebounds respectively, helping the team establish a huge inside advantage.

After the game, a reporter asked Lu Yong to evaluate the game.

Lu Yong shrugged his shoulders and smiled: "There is no doubt that the Knicks are still the best team in the league. I am not surprised to beat the Cavaliers in the first game. This is the offensive level the team should have."

The reporter asked again: "Do you think Anthony's absence has affected the team's strength?"

Lu Yong shook his head and said: "I would like to emphasize the importance of Anthony repeatedly in front of the camera, but the fact is here. The Knicks have played a smooth offense through a large number of ball transfers and screens, and few people have made unreasonable shots. Strong shooting, that’s what the coaching staff wants to see.”

Reporters raised their cameras to take pictures, although Lu Yong did not explicitly say that the Knicks played better after Anthony's absence.

But everyone is smart. Combined with the Knicks' performance in this game, the meaning of Lu Yong's words is already obvious.

Anthony is not irreplaceable, and his absence has not affected the Knicks' offense at all.

At the end of the interview, Lu Yong made a declaration of championship with a smile on his face, "This year's championship will definitely be the Knicks. No one can stop us. This is the goal of everyone's joint efforts."

After only playing one game in the Eastern Conference Finals, Tyronn Lue was already a little discouraged.

He was deeply aware of the gap between himself and Lu Yong, and the flaw in the Cavaliers' center position was also fatal. He could not think of a way to solve the trouble caused by Jokic.

Every time he sees Jokic making trouble in the paint, Tyronn Lue is filled with envy. When he looks back at the full-level number in his hand, he instantly feels bad. (End of chapter)