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

On the 22nd, the first game of the playoffs was played at the Nets' home court.

Experts predict the game. There will be little suspense between the Nets and the Pistons in the first round.

The Pistons lost three games to the Nets in the regular season, at least once by 16 points, and were beaten without the ability to fight back.

The addition of Griffin gives this team another star who averages nearly 25 points per game.

But unfortunately, Griffin can only be regarded as a second-rate star at best, and there is a high probability that he will not even enter the Hall of Fame after retiring.

He may be able to improve the Pistons' strength, but entering the more competitive playoffs, he is not enough to help the team win.

Even if they weren't facing the Nets in the first round, the Pistons couldn't beat any of the top four teams in the Eastern Conference.

Lu Yong was in a more relaxed mood, and he still sent out the regular starters for this game, Russell, Mitchell, Durant, Millsap, and Lopez.

In line with the attitude of quick victory, Lu Yong did not intend to hold back.

By sweeping through and advancing to the next round early, the Nets can get more time to rest.

When the players came out, everyone had a look of no pressure on their faces.

After 82 regular season games, the Nets players have long recognized their own strength. Even the young players in the team dare to challenge the All-Stars, not to mention the five starters who are already stars.

The Nets are playing in the playoffs, and the atmosphere at home is extremely heated.

When Durant came on the court, the cheers from the fans were even deafening, and his popularity was much more terrifying than when he played for the SuperSonics.

In addition to Brooklyn's location close to New York, its 72 wins in the regular season are also the reason for its high popularity.

Mu Qiang is the essence of fans. Although not everyone likes to choose idols from strong teams, it is a matter of probability.

Looking at the popular stars in NBA history, there is no one who can become the All-Star vote-winner and always plays for a non-playoff team.

If you want to gain more popularity and support, personal data and team record are indispensable.

Casey looked at Lu Yong across the court without much expression on his face, as if he had seen the Pistons' ending in advance and just wanted to finish the journey in accordance with the rules.

Both of them are coaches who rely on offense to win. There is no friendship or conflict in private. There will naturally be no conflict before the game.

The Pistons' starting lineup has been slightly adjusted, with Reggie Jackson, Galloway, Kennard, Griffin and Drummond.

Casey made an on-the-spot change and started sixth man Langston Galloway instead of using first-year rookie Bruce Brown.

Galloway averaged 8.4 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game this season and is the most versatile player on the Pistons bench.

Casey knows that when the Nets start in front of the Pistons, they are a proper Eastern Conference All-Star.

If they want to retain the last hope of winning, the Pistons must withstand the first quarter.

Otherwise, if they fall behind by a big score, the players will only become more and more frustrated, and there will be no chance of a comeback against the wind.

So Casey directly took out the team's strongest offensive lineup, without reservation, just to give it a try.

Daluo won the jump ball and the Nets attacked first.

There are no fancy tactical moves. Durant holds the ball in the middle as soon as he comes up.

Going to the right to break through, Kennard accelerated out of the singles, reached the mid-range and hit a pull-up jumper, 2-0.

After scoring the goal, Adu didn't even bother to celebrate. The second-year rookie Kennard is 1 meters tall and has poor lateral speed. The defense is useless in front of him.

Kennard's only advantage is that he is accurate in three-point shooting, with a career shooting percentage of 40%.

While Casey was determined to fight his last, the Pistons' defense was full of holes. Anyone Durant hit was out of position, and there was no need to keep a low profile.

The Pistons attacked and focused on the inside.

The twin tower combination of Griffin + Drummond is the soul of this Pistons team.

Jackson and Griffin drew attention after a pick-and-roll, and the ball was passed to the middle. Facing Millsap, Griffin took a European step and scored with a rhythm jumper, 2-2.

In a positional battle, Russell dribbled the ball to the frontcourt. Facing Reggie Jackson, who was good at offense but not good at defense, he suddenly made a three-pointer in the middle.

Shui La had a very good rhythm with this ball and made a strong shot against Jackson, 5-2.

The Pistons attacked, and Drummond caught the ball in the low post and beat Luo. Lu Yong was amused by his rough offensive skills. His style of play was simply anti-era.

After a few back-up blows, Daluo remained motionless, and Drummond almost lost the ball in his hands.

Finding that he couldn't hit the low post, Zhuang Shen could only pass the ball out with a look of helplessness.

The ball was passed from the outside, and almost 24 seconds were used up. Galloway was forced to make a strong shot against the defense, and the jumper missed due to interference from Mitchell.

The rebound was grabbed by Da Luo, and Russell passed the ball to start a fast break.

Russell faced Reggie, rushed forward with the ball, reached the three-point line and passed the ball to Adu who was following up on the weak side.

Durant relied on his speed advantage to force a layup. Kennard grabbed a handful, but Mao didn't touch it. He could only watch as Adu counterattacked and succeeded in a layup, 7-2.

This round is like a microcosm of the two teams, and the Nets can score with just one hit.

On the other hand, for the Pistons, every attack is very laborious, and a large number of passes can't lead to opportunities. Whether they can score or not depends entirely on luck.

Lu Yong sat on the sidelines with his legs crossed, chatting with the assistant coaches from time to time.

The big screen at the scene showed Lu Yong many times, and the entire Brooklyn Arena was filled with a relaxed and happy atmosphere.

In the next round, the Pistons' offense was still as ugly as constipation.

Reggie Jackson broke through and dug into the crowd. Kennard was followed by Durant and had no chance. He could only pass to Galloway.

Galloway lobbed the ball to Drummond, who then singled out Lopez, unable to hold up his back, and separated Griffin on the outside.

The entire offense took nearly 24 seconds. Seeing that his teammates were not strong enough, Griffin had no choice but to force a breakthrough and layup. As a result, Millsap blocked the shot.

The basketball was slapped into Mitchell's hand, and the Nets counterattacked again.

In a three-on-two situation in the frontcourt, Mitchell didn't pass to his teammates, but went directly to the basket with Galloway in front of him. He changed hands in the air to pull the stick, and made a layup in the opposite direction, 9-2.

Fans could see that the Nets players were already having fun and did not regard the Pistons as their opponents at all.

Russell, Mitchell, and Adu scored from three outside shots one after another, each one playing easier than the last.

Casey on the other end could do nothing but sigh.

Five minutes later, Lu Yong replaced Daluo with Mitchell Robinson and entered the rotation early.

The Pistons lacked a super scorer, and their shooting percentage was poor without being able to create open shots.

The Nets can easily score with Durant, Mitchell and even Russell's one-on-ones.

Especially Durant, he can't guard the Pistons one-on-one, and his talent completely defeats him.

On the surface, Lu Yong did not arrange any tactics and allowed the players to play alone, but in fact this was the tactics.

The Pistons have no one on the front line, and several capable defenders were traded to the Lakers in the middle of the season. Durant has this ability, and giving him the ball is enough to solve most of the problems.

In addition, the strength of the Pistons cannot force the Nets to go all out.

The playoff health game is the only one in the league. The Nets performed well in the first quarter, 33-18, establishing a 15-point lead early.

In the second quarter, the Nets continued to crush the lineup. Lu Yong sent Dinwiddie, Hardaway, and LeVert on the outside, and Beasley and Ilyasova partnered on the inside.

The small lineup has a lot of space in the position. Dinwiddie holds the ball in the middle and plays pick-and-rolls. He has opportunities to break through and distribute the ball to any position, and everyone is a bully.

The Nets' tactics were not complicated, but the results were surprisingly good. The Pistons' already weak rotation was blown away.

Hardaway Jr. showed off his power in this quarter, hitting two three-pointers from the left side at 45 degrees, as well as fast break dunks and emergency mid-range shots, scoring 10 points in a single quarter.

Pistons substitute center Zaza Pachulia was on the court, and his defensive speed dropped significantly. The Nets seized the opportunity to create a climax.

Seeing that he couldn't keep up with his speed, Casey had to replace him.

After Galloway started, the Pistons' most powerful substitute was Ishmael Smith. The 1-meter-tall point guard couldn't stand up to the Nets' bench.

Seven minutes later, Lu Yong replaced Durant, Mitchell, and Russell and continued to play.

All three are in excellent offensive form, a bit like a brawl on the court.

Lu Yong is aware of the strength of the Pistons and has no reservations in hiring, hoping to end the battle in three quarters.

Casey also changed into the main force, but it was useless. The offense still couldn't open up the situation and he was beaten throughout the game.

At halftime, the Nets extended their lead to 26 points.

杜兰特仅出场15分钟，砍下18分4篮板2助攻，10投7中，三分球4中2，罚球2中2，发挥很稳。

In the second half, Durant continued his crazy output.

At the same position at the top of the arc, he hit three consecutive three-pointers, leading the team to widen the point difference to 35 points.

Leading by a big score, Lu Yong replaced the main team early and sent Brunson, Vincent, Deng Luo, Ding Yanyuhang, Mitchell Robinson and others to come on as substitutes.

The main force of the Pistons took the opportunity to recover some points. It was not until Griffin felt embarrassed that he took the initiative to leave the game, and Casey withdrew the starting lineup with a look of helplessness.

At the end, 126 to 92, the Nets won by 34 points and got off to a good start.

The playing time of the five main players is less than 25 minutes. Looking at the data, it is difficult for fans to believe that this is actually a playoff game.

Durant easily scored 27 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal without even breaking a sweat.

Pistons core center Drummond played 12-for-3 shots and 8-for-3 free throws. He only scored 9 points, 10 rebounds and 1 assist. He played 32 minutes and shot 25% from the field. The efficiency was very low.

Drummond's playing style seems incompatible with the small ball era. Without transformation, he will be eliminated sooner or later.

After the game, players from both sides shook hands and hugged.

Casey shook his head and shook hands with Lu Yong, his face full of helplessness.

He was extremely depressed. The Pistons had gone all out in this game and their underwear was leaking. As a result, the Nets' main players didn't even break a sweat.

Casey knew that this series was over. If the Pistons wanted to win, they had to go back and go to bed early. There might be a good ending in the dream.

At the press conference, a reporter asked Casey to evaluate Lu Yong. He said: "Lu is the most powerful coach I have ever seen. He is very talented and knows how to match the lineup. This Nets is much better than the Pistons. The lineup is impeccable and I think they are going to win the championship this year and no team in the East can threaten them."

While Casey praised Lu Yong, he also gave the Nets a thumbs up.

It's not that he has a good relationship with Lu Yong, but that he lost the first game of the playoffs cleanly. Only by praising the Nets will the Pistons appear to be less good.

Having just been fired by the Raptors, Casey didn't want to find another job so soon.

In the second game, the Pistons still failed to cause trouble for the Nets, and their offense was completely blocked.

To be precise, the Nets defended normally, but the Pistons themselves were weak and couldn't even make an open three-pointer.

加洛韦这场数据不错，13中7，三分球5中2，罚球3中3，拿了19分2篮板1助攻。

It's a pity that the Pistons can't beat the Nets relying on his scoring. Only three people in the team scored in double figures, and they lost 86 to 117.

Returning to the home court, the Pistons temporarily practiced shooting.

Casey is still evil and wants to steal a victory in the series and is not willing to be swept.

However, there is a gap in hard power between the two teams. The Pistons and Nets competed in shooting, and the result is naturally not difficult to guess.

Kennard was very determined in his three-point shots tonight. If he only looked at the number of shots, Lu Yong would have thought it was G6 soup.

But upon closer inspection, it turned out that it was Kennard who was undercover. He made 11 of 3 three-pointers and a shooting percentage of 27.3%. It took a lot of effort to score 9 points.

前两场得分全部20+的格里芬也拉胯了，16投5中，三分球5中1，罚球4中2，勉强拿下13分7篮板4助攻。

On the Nets side, Russell, who was assigned to play without the ball, broke out. He never disappointed in the bad game. He made 18 of 11 shots, 10 of 6 three-pointers, 4 of 4 free throws, and scored 32 points. Rebounds and 2 assists.

122 to 84, the Nets got the match point 3 to 0.

In the final battle, the morale of the Pistons players had already hit rock bottom, and they were suppressed from the first quarter.

As expected, the Nets swept the Pistons 4-0 and successfully advanced to the next round.

At the press conference, the media interviewed Lu Yong one after another.

Although the ending was not unexpected, the Nets' overwhelming momentum swept the Pistons, and their relaxed and happy attitude was really surprising.

The reporter asked: "How do you evaluate Coach Casey's coaching level?"

Lu Yong said with a smile: "Casey is a very unique coach. In terms of coaching, he has many advantages that people can learn from. I highly recognize his coaching ability, but the Pistons are not as strong as the Nets. No matter who is replaced, the result will be It’s all the same.”

The reporters were all surprised. They didn't expect Lu Yong to praise his defeated general. This was not his usual character.

Lu Yong appreciated that Casey had no grudge between the two of them and that what he said was indeed the truth.

Casey's coaching skills are not good, but he is just unlucky.

In this regard, benevolent people have different views on benevolence and wise people have different opinions. It is difficult to argue about the superiority and inferiority.

How to evaluate Casey can only be left to the fans to discuss.

The reporter asked again: "Do you think the Nets can reach the finals this year?"

"Of course, the Nets are no longer a purely offensive team. This season we have a balanced offense and defense. Even if we don't feel good, we can still take a piece of meat from our opponents. I don't think there is a team in the East that can defeat Nets, this is not an empty talk, but a fact." Lu Yong said arrogantly.

The reporters took pictures wildly, and when this sentence was sent out, it became the headlines again.

He said the most arrogant words in the calmest tone. This was not the first time Lu Yong had done this, but the fans liked his arrogance and aggressiveness.

Another reporter asked: "Based on the current momentum, Durant has a high chance of winning the regular season MVP this year. What do you think?"

"There is no suspense, Adu deserves the third MVP trophy."

The selection of major awards for the NBA regular season has not yet been announced, but it is almost certain that Adu will win the MVP.

The only people in the league who are qualified to compete with him this year are Harden and Antetokounmpo.

Harden averages more points per game, but the team's record is not as good as the Nets. Antetokounmpo's team has a good record, but there is no advantage in personal data. If the MVP is not awarded to Adu this year, it can be canceled directly. Brooklyn fans will be the first to complain.

(End of this chapter)