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

One day off, Orlando Arena.

The fourth life-and-death battle between the Nets and the Magic has officially begun.

Before the game, players from both teams were doing their final warm-ups.

On the Nets side, Cousins ​​looked relaxed and was practicing post-ups on both sides of the basket with his assistant.

Previously, a reporter interviewed Magic center Vucevic and asked him to talk about Cousins' dream of returning to the top this year.

Vucevic said that Cousins ​​is an excellent player and the two have been facing off frequently recently.

As for whether he was stronger than him when he was at his peak, Vucevic did not answer directly and had reservations.

Obviously, in Vucevic's view, he is a better player than Cousins.

It's not that Vucevic is conceited, but that he was labeled as a 'Rookie of the Lu family' when he first entered the league. In the past few years, he has been going smoothly as the boss of the Magic.

For him to publicly admit that he is inferior to Cousins, Vucevic cannot do such a humiliating thing.

Although Cousins ​​was not very angry after learning about the interview, he was still determined to make Vucevic suffer in the G4 game.

Even though Vucevic is very strong now and is a veritable All-Star center.

But Cousins, who was the league's number one center in the past, has his own arrogance. Whether he can beat him or not, you will naturally know after playing against him.

All Nets generals were also informed of Vucevic's remarks.

Except for Lu Yong, who had nothing to do with his own business, the others gathered together and immediately reached a consensus to help Cousins ​​play a beautiful game in G4.

In order to do this, they also communicated with Durant.

I hope Adu can play more games for Cousins ​​​​and let Cousins ​​​​also experience the taste of a explosive seed in the playoffs.

Adu, who has an increasingly mature mentality, naturally has no objection. He leads the Magic 3-0 and is sure to win the series. As long as Lu Yong has no objection, he is also willing to participate.

After Lu Yong understood the situation, he said nothing, but Atkinson knew that he agreed with the team members' ideas.

Therefore, Atkinson gathered the players together before the game and claimed that the team would increase the frequency of inside attacks in this game.

Cousins ​​was very excited after hearing this. He glanced meaningfully at Lu Yong and then at his teammates.

"Thank you everyone. I am very happy to join the Nets and become teammates with you. I will not let you down."

The smile on Cousins' face was just like the little boy who had grown up many years ago and scratched his head in front of everyone.

Twenty minutes later, the game started.

The starters from both teams walked near the center circle and waited for the jump ball.

Cousins ​​turned his head and glanced at Vucevic in front of him, and said: "Show your best. I hope you won't let me down tonight."

Vucevic did not answer when he heard this. He did not want to have a quarrel with Cousins.

He used to be a player under Lu Yong, and now Cousins ​​​​is also a player under Lu Yong.

It's okay to have secret rivalries, but it would be rude to break up on bad terms.

As the referee threw the ball high, the game officially started.

Cousins ​​jumped up hard and won the scrimmage.

Vucevic glanced at Cousins.

He and Cousins ​​​​won more and lost less in jump balls before, but this time Cousins ​​​​is obviously serious.

Vucevic did not dare to be careless and made up his mind to compete with Cousins ​​tonight.

Nets offense.

Brunson held the ball through half the court and organized at the top of the arc.

Cousins ​​dropped to the low post and reached for the ball.

The strength of his lower limbs is very strong. Once his horse steps forward, Vucevic behind him will be difficult to shake.

Brunson looked up and made a lob pass to Cousins.

After Cousins ​​got the ball, he turned his back and hit the basket.

Vucevic tried his best to compete with Cousins, but Cousins ​​suddenly turned around in the middle of exerting his strength, turned over and shot a jumper when Vucevic was unable to withdraw his strength.

"Shh!"

Hollow into the network!

Because Vucevic lowered his center of gravity, he had no time to interfere with the shot and could only watch the basketball go into the basket.

2:0, the Nets took the lead to score.

The Magic attacked, and Fultz used the screen to break through the basket, attracting the defense to pass the ball to the outside.

Fournier caught the ball and shot from outside the three-point line, but was interfered by Mitchell's hand.

"boom!"

The ball hit the front of the basket and bounced out.

Cousins ​​leaped high to collect the rebound, and immediately passed the ball to Brunson beside him.

Brunson quickly advanced after getting the ball and went straight to the Magic half.

The magicians retreated quickly.

In the previous three games, the Nets could always easily score in fast break counterattacks.

Whether it's a breakthrough or a three-point chase, it's very threatening, and the Magic are very afraid of it.

Therefore, after Brunson passed half the game, Fultz began to guard closely and did not give him any chance to take action.

Small forward Terrence Ross also stood in a defensive position, ready to double-team at any time.

Durant and Mitchell followed up from both sides.

The two have outstanding athletic ability. As long as they are given space to pick up speed, the Magic can't hold them back.

In an instant, all the Magic's defensive attention was focused on Brunson, Mitchell and Durant.

The twin towers Porzingis and Cousins ​​were let go.

Brunson, who found his teammate's position, had a clear understanding, turned around and made a long pass to Cousins ​​who cut through the middle.

Cousins ​​didn't hesitate after receiving the ball. The fat man's European step avoided the defense and hit a layup from close range.

"Shh!"

4:0, Cousins ​​scored 4 points in a row from the beginning and was in hot form!
When returning to defense, Cousins ​​smiled and glanced at Vucevic with a playful expression.

When Vucevic saw Cousins' expression, he became more and more depressed.

Cousins ​​scored two goals in a row, and his face was tarnished. It would be really embarrassing if he didn't fight back.

Sometimes, when players face off on the court, momentum is very important.

If he can hit the ball in response, it will be more effective than any trash talk he sprays.

So, after Fultz held the ball for half the game, Vucevic in the low post immediately asked for the ball.

Fultz also cooperated and passed the ball in. After Vucevic got the ball, he started to play with his back.

He knows that it is difficult to shake Cousins' defense with strength.

Therefore, while Vucevic relies on playing to exert his strength, he looks for opportunities to quickly turn to the middle and layup.

As a result, Cousins ​​was not passed by him at all.

When Vucevic made a backhand layup, Cousins ​​swung the ball directly out of the sideline!
"boom!"

After being blocked, Vucevic looked helpless.

He wiped his hands on the jersey, as if to say, 'Sorry, it slipped, my hands are sweaty. '

Fultz sent a baseline kick and gave it to Vucevic who was frustrated in his offense.

Cousins ​​lowered his center of gravity and blocked Vucevic's lower body behind him.

This time, Vucevic did not dare to attack after receiving the ball, and instead attacked facing the frame.

He assumed a triple-threat stance and stepped out with his right foot continuously, making tentative steps.

Unfortunately, Cousins ​​didn't care about Vucevic's actions at all.

He raised his hand to block Vucevic's body, motionless. Seeing this, Vucevic simply stopped walking towards the basket and dribbled back to shoot a jumper.

Cousins ​​did not block the ball, but a pair of big hands lay in front of him, affecting Vucevic's sight.

"boom!"

With the sound of an iron strike, Vucevic still missed this attack.

Porzingis reached for the moon with one hand and protected the backcourt rebound, and the Nets fell into position.

Cousins ​​still dived into the three-second zone, asking for the ball at the same position as in the first round.

Vucevic adopted a sideways tactic this time to prevent Cousins ​​from catching the ball and at the same time prevent him from turning towards the basket after catching the ball.

This move is Garnett's favorite. He is thin and used this move frequently when the Timberwolves defended the inside.

However, Brunson's passing ability is still very good.

Although he is not as good as passing masters like Paul and Rondo, he is also a second-generation star who comes from a basketball family and has very solid basic skills.

After observing for a moment, Brunson used an extremely tricky angle to spin the ball to Cousins ​​inside.

Once the ball is easily thrown into the basket by the opponent when defending sideways, it will be difficult to follow up later.

After receiving the ball, Cousins ​​quickly jumped to distance himself and scored with a one-handed dunk on the left side of the basket!

"boom!"

A powerful one-handed dunk penetrated the Magic inside line!
6:0.

After the goal, Cousins ​​​​hit his chest hard twice, with a fierce look on his face.

Brunson on the side was also very happy. He walked over and gave Cousins ​​a high-five to celebrate. The ball was so exciting.

Looking back, the Magic finally scored.

Fultz broke through and passed the ball to Terrence Ross on the outside. The latter faked a half-step and made a mid-range jumper.

6: 2.

When the Nets attacked, Cousins ​​dropped to the low post to catch the ball.

Vucevic had no choice but to ask his teammates to double-team Cousins.

But Cousins' passing ability has been fully demonstrated in his peak period.

When Fournier left Mitchell and rushed toward him, Cousins ​​passed the ball first.

Mitchell received the ball at a 45-degree angle from the left and made an open three-pointer.

"Shh!"

9: 2.

The Nets continued to expand their lead, and the game was as easy as ever.

Upon seeing this, Magic coach Clifford quickly called a timeout.

Although he has decided to join the Nets in the summer and find Lu Yong as an assistant coach.

But as the saying goes, he is still the head coach of the Magic before he leaves.

In this situation, he can only call a timeout. If the timeout is called later, the Nets will quickly defeat the game.

Lu Yong, who was sitting on the sidelines, couldn't help but smile after seeing Cousins' outstanding performance.

Cousins ​​​​is a pushy character. He usually does not pursue data because he has accepted his current mediocrity.

But when Vucevic's remarks stung his heart, Cousins ​​​​can immediately prove that he has the ability to defeat the opponent.

Magic bench.

Clifford is constantly emphasizing defense and physical confrontation to his players.

But it is not difficult to find that everyone in Magic is in a very low mood.

The series had suffered three major defeats in a row, and today it was a familiar formula at the start, and they had long lost their will to fight.

After a bad start, the score fell behind, and the morale of the players also suffered a heavy blow.

Among them, Magic center Vucevic seems the most frustrated at the moment.

He was completely at a disadvantage in the confrontation with Cousins ​​on the court, was beaten by his opponent, and was unable to show his strength.

There was confusion and loss in his eyes, as if he had lost his former confidence and vigor.

Seeing this scene, Clifford walked to the sidelines, faced the dejected players, took a deep breath, and then began to comfort and encourage them.

"Guys, don't be so frustrated." Clifford's voice was firm and powerful. "We are a team, and winning and losing are common. The current situation does not mean that we will be like this throughout the game."

He walked up to Vucevic and patted him gently on the shoulder: "You are our core, and your performance will directly affect the entire team. I know you are very disappointed now, but you can't just be like this. Give up. You need to pick yourself up and lead us out of this together."

Vucevic raised his head and looked into Clifford's eyes. He saw the trust and encouragement in the head coach's eyes. He took a deep breath and nodded: "Coach, I understand. I will cheer up."

However, although Clifford's words cheered the players up a bit, their faces still couldn't hide the loss and frustration.

All of them lowered their heads and were silent, as if they were blaming themselves and introspecting.

Clifford couldn't help feeling helpless when he saw this scene.

He knows that the players have tried their best, but now they have obviously lost their confidence and fighting spirit.

He understood that it would be difficult to comeback in this game.

At this moment, Clifford felt a little confused and disappointed about the Magic's future.

Although he tried to maintain an optimistic and positive attitude, the disappointment and helplessness deep in his heart never dissipated.

He realized that this team needed not only technical and tactical improvements, but also a change in mentality and fighting spirit.

However, this is not something that can be accomplished overnight.

At the same time, he also became more determined to join the Nets in the summer.

He knows that the Nets have better players and a better team atmosphere, which can allow him to better utilize his talents.

The current Magic team obviously still needs a long time to grow and improve.

Of course, he didn't express these thoughts in front of the players.

He still maintained a calm and confident appearance, encouraging the players to continue working hard: "Guys, don't give up. We still have time and opportunities. As long as we unite and work hard, we will be able to turn the situation around."

"The Nets' offensive firepower is so powerful. Four of the five starting players are All-Stars. How can we play this game?" Gordon complained with a broken heart.

To boost others' popularity and destroy his own prestige, Gordon's mentality was really crazy. Normally, he would never openly contradict Clifford.

But it is undeniable that he was telling the truth.

The Nets have a group with strong overall strength, and the Magic are simply unable to stop them.

Before the series started, they thought they just couldn't limit Durant's scoring.

But as the series progressed, the Magic discovered that not only could they not limit Durant, they could not guard anyone else either.

The Nets are truly a team of all people. They are both playoff teams, and the combat effectiveness of the two teams is completely different.

Gordon's complaint was like a heavy stone, weighing on the hearts of everyone on the Magic team.

They stood silently on the sidelines, watching the Nets players talking and laughing, and couldn't help but feel helpless in their hearts.

Clifford frowned, knowing that Gordon was telling the truth.

The Nets are indeed suffocatingly powerful. Four of the five starting players are All-Star players. They are almost impeccable both offensively and defensively.

In comparison, the Magic's strength is indeed inferior, and it is almost impossible to defeat such an opponent.

However, as a head coach, he cannot let his players give up so easily.

He took a deep breath, walked up to Gordon, and looked directly into his eyes: "Gordon, you are right, the Nets are indeed very strong. However, we cannot give up so easily. Basketball is Round, anything can happen. As long as we work hard, sometimes the result doesn't matter."

Gordon blushed at Clifford's words. He was silent for a while, then raised his head with a firm light in his eyes: "Coach, I know. I won't complain anymore, I will fight with all my strength. "

The other players also reluctantly cheered up and felt a little warm in their hearts when they heard Coach Clifford's words.

This is the charm of Clifford. Maybe his tactical level is average, but as a coach, he is definitely a responsible person.

This is also the main reason why Lu Yong is willing to accept him to join the Nets coaching staff. (End of chapter)