NBA: I am a master dealer

Chapter 356 Another 8-game winning streak!

The game begins.

As expected, the Raptors showed great aggression and firm determination. Lowry and DeRozan scored consecutively, opening up the situation for the team.

In just the first four minutes, they caught the Knicks off guard. Their 17:4 start stunned the Knicks.

There is no doubt that they must be secretly determined to win the Knicks to prove the gold content of their record.

That's right.

Even though the Raptors have a record of 30 wins and 15 losses, which is the same as the Heat, media reporters and fans do not talk about the Raptors in the first echelon.

This is undoubtedly very hurtful to all members of the Raptors.

After all, even though the record is so good, it is still not recognized by the public. Whoever replaces it may feel uneasy and hold a breath at the same time.

Now that they meet the Knicks, who are number one in the Eastern Conference, don't they have to release their emotions?

At the same time, they must prove to everyone that their strength should be respected.

It was full of aggression right now.

But the Knicks also have a way to deal with it.

The entire Raptors lineup looks perfect, with Lowry, DeRozan, boxing champion James Johnson, Scola, and Valanciunas.

You need height and height, you need speed and speed, you need offense and offense, you need defense...

The defense is a bit poor, but it doesn't hurt.

This lineup is actually quite capable, but it has two fatal flaws.

of course.

This is for the Knicks.

Because Lowry is also a power tank guard, Xue Liancheng, who is larger than Lowry, taller than Lowry, and stronger than Lowry, can restrain Lowry very well.

At least in the matchup, Xue Liancheng played under Lowry, which was full of advantages.

Another shortcoming of the Raptors is Valanciunas.

Valanciunas' pace was too slow. On the contrary, the Knicks' overall mobility was very good. They chose the strategy of flanking and harassing Valanciunas.

The effect is obvious.

Valanciunas repeatedly struck hastily, hitting pieces of fine iron frequently.

The Knicks just seized these two points and hammered away hard, quickly stabilizing their decline.

of course.

This is not the only problem with the Raptors. Valanciunas's pace is slow, and Scola's pace is not much faster. Coupled with his limited jumping ability, the Raptors' frame protection has become a big problem.

The Raptors also quickly responded and made adjustments.

The first is to remove Scola and replace him with Biyombo.

Then use DeRozan to lead and defend Xue Liancheng.

There are some effects, Biyombo's frame protection still has some effect, and it finally has some deterrent effect on the penalty area.

But the effect is actually not as great as imagined.

Because Lowry's strength is not necessarily weaker than DeRozan, and DeRozan leads the defense against Xue Liancheng, and at most he has a certain advantage in height and wingspan.

But DeRozan's disadvantages are also obvious. He has weak defensive awareness and is not as strong as Lowry at all.

In the end, adjustments were made to let James Johnson, a strong man, guard Xue Liancheng. This was considered to have some effect.

But the Knicks' offense has revived.

With 4 minutes and 39 seconds left in the second quarter, with Lopez's three-pointer, the Knicks finally completed the lead.

Then the two sides began a long tug-of-war.

The Knicks couldn't hold down the Raptors all at once.

The Raptors couldn't regain a big lead.

Coupled with the decline in the overall feel of both sides, the game became intermittent and lost the hearty and smooth feeling.

soon.

The two sides entered the decisive battle in the fourth quarter with a score of 87:83.

Although the Raptors lead by 4 points, the shortcomings of Lowry and DeRozan's lack of explosive scoring power are beginning to show.

For a while, neither player could score, let alone the role players.

This caused the Raptors to directly enter a scoring drought.

Although the Knicks' offensive end is also difficult and they often make mistakes and mistakes, Xue Liancheng still plays a certain deterrent effect.

Seeing a great opportunity to take the lead, he did not hesitate to activate a 5% hit skill and scored points in a row, helping the team complete the lead again.

The Knicks' momentum has finally risen.

Lopez, Von Lay, Crowder and others gradually began to feel better.

This is why Xue Liancheng activated the 100% hit skill in advance. He stood up and scored, giving everyone in the team confidence and the power to boost morale.

DeRozan is also smart, can't he make the shot?

It doesn't matter……

Isn't this a home field advantage?

Immediately use a breakthrough method to seek physical contact and cause damage.

The referee also gave face and gave two whistles in a row.

Lowry also followed suit and began to use breakthroughs to cause damage. The effect was also good, and he also got two whistles.

Although Xue Liancheng felt his teeth itching at the sight, there was nothing he could do.

Home field advantage is a common phenomenon. It is not only the atmosphere brought by the fans at the scene, but also the special care given by the referees.

For example, for fouls that may or may not be called, the referee will generally choose to favor the home team.

This is also one of the unspoken rules.

Just like the superstar whistle, many whistles that seem to be necessary at all, but the referee will choose to tilt towards the superstar. In fact, it is a kind of recognition and protection of the superstar.

of course.

The most important thing is that superstars have unparalleled attention. A large number of media and fans watch their games with magnifying glasses. At this time, if the referee's call is unfavorable to the superstar, then the fans of the superstar will be really anxious.

Under this huge pressure from public opinion and against the backdrop of the league's star-making campaign, referees have to take care of superstars or their teams.

Xue Liancheng and the Knicks are the beneficiaries.

Generally, when the physical contact is obvious and the foul action is unclear, the referee will choose to take care of him and call the opponent a foul.

Although his free throws this season have dropped compared to last season, he actually created more free throws with the same shots and opportunities.

Or to be more precise, the superstar whistle made it easier for him to draw fouls, but the number of fouls he drew was less, but the quality was higher.

In the past, 40% of fouls would not be recognized. Now this number should have dropped to less than 30%.

In other words, if 10 fouls were committed in the past, the referee might only call 6 if the responsibility was not obvious, but now it has been increased to 7 or even more.

This is the change he brought to him after winning the championship last season and the influence of double MVPs.

The superstar whistle is also the most intuitive expression of the value of a superstar, and even benefits the team.

and so……

Facing this kind of home whistle within the rules, it was hard for him to say anything.

After all, he is not that shameless. As a vested interest, it would be immoral to take advantage of the dividends but want to stir up trouble.

The two sides continued to be in a stalemate, and neither could defeat the other at once.

The game quickly entered the final two minutes.

Lowry stepped up, first hitting a three-pointer and then successfully driving to the basket, giving the Raptors a 3-point advantage.

But the Knicks didn't panic.

Xue Liancheng first assisted Feng Lai to score, then broke in and drew a foul himself, stabilizing the situation for the team.

When the time enters the countdown phase.

The Knicks still lead by 2 points.

At this time, the balance of victory in the game has actually tilted towards the Knicks.

After all, Xue Liancheng still has two 100% hit skills. Unless a Haotian-level figure appears in the Raptors, or McGrady is possessed, they can beat him with a three-pointer.

otherwise……

The Raptors will be helpless.

The result was no surprise, the Raptors did not have such a character.

Xue Liancheng hit two consecutive three-pointers, which directly knocked out the Raptors' brains.

In the end, the Knicks defeated the Raptors 112:106 and won a seventh consecutive victory.

Xue Liancheng scored 13 points in the last quarter. The score in this game once again exceeded 30+, scoring 32 points, 13 assists and 7 rebounds.

There is no doubt that he once again killed the game with the final word, leaving the Raptors with no room for resistance.

Show the performance that a superstar should have, vividly and vividly.

Or to be more precise, he put the victory in his pocket with his own hands, allowing the world to witness the charm of a superstar.

Lopez had 19 points and 10 rebounds, which is pretty good.

Feng Lai was in average form, shooting 14 of 6. The shadow of injury may have prevented his dunks from being so fierce, but he finally made his own contribution, with 14 points, 6 rebounds and 4 blocks. He still made good contributions on both offense and defense. It is precisely because of the frame protection of Lopez and Von Lay that Lowry and DeRozan are not so presumptuous.

otherwise……

In this game, they may have been beaten by the Raptors early on, because Lowry and DeRozan are in really good shape.

At the same time, the advantage of the two in the interior was also reflected. At least in the confrontation with Valanciunas and Scola, they had the absolute upper hand.

Crowder had 13 points, Tyler Johnson had 7 points, P.J. Tucker had 5 points, David West had 11 points, Galloway had 6 points, and Rooney had 5 points.

The bench also made outstanding contributions, which gave Xue Liancheng a chance to harvest in the final quarter.

The Raptors.

Lowry made 16 of 8 shots and scored 26 points, 10 assists and 6 rebounds. Although he was at a disadvantage in height and strength against Xue Liancheng, he was very good at using screens and pick-and-rolls to escape.

The little steel cannons of this period still have something good, that is, their combat power and condition are at their peak, especially the three-pointers, which are becoming more and more superb. They are 5 of 3 in this game. The shooting rate is very good. The Raptors can match the Heat and the Heat in terms of record. In an arm wrestling match between knights, he is definitely the number one hero.

DeRozan made 18 of 9 shots and scored 26 points, but he only made 3 of 1 three-pointers and 8 of 7 free throws. His offensive power is still very fierce, but there are almost no other statistics. He has 1 rebound and 2 assists. He is a pure singles player. The function is relatively simple.

Valanciunas had 11 points and 15 rebounds. With his height and tonnage, he can still create some value.

But his shooting was 16 of 4, which is quite miserable.

On the one hand, he is in poor condition, and on the other hand, he is restricted by the Knicks' mobility. On the other hand, he did not get any advantage in the matchup between Lopez and Vonleh.

of course.

None of this caused him to hit a dismal 16-for-4 shooting rate. The main reason was that he had two or three occasions when he grabbed the frontcourt boards and went crazy. , doesn’t this become extremely miserable?

In one round, I played Fine Iron three times, but I still didn't score in the end. 16 out of 4 is perfectly normal.

Scola didn't play much time, scoring 5 points on 3 of 7, which is relatively good for a veteran.

That's right!

Even though Scola only came to Houston in 07, he actually participated in the draft in 02 and never came to the draft after being selected.

He is 36 years old this year and is definitely a real veteran.

James Johnson, a boxer-born warrior, devoted all his energy to the defensive end in this game. He made 3 of 0 and scored 1 point on free throws.

The Raptors' bench was also not weak, with Joseph scoring 11 points, Patterson 10 points, Terrence Ross 9 points, and Biyombo 5 points. They also shared a lot of pressure for the main force.

only……

The difference is that the Raptors don't have a superstar like Xue Liancheng who can stand up and end the game at critical moments, so they lost the game.

What I have to admit is that the Raptors' overall strength this season is indeed very strong.

The offensive end is led by the hot chicken brothers, and the offensive firepower is very fierce. The defensive end also has a group of strong players to support them, and the defensive efficiency is also good.

only……

Another meaning is: the offensive end cannot be as devastating as the Warriors and Knicks, and the defensive end is not as impregnable as the Heat and Spurs.

If they have no stars, Lowry and DeRozan have both proven themselves.

But if you want to talk about the quality of their stars, it seems... there is a huge difference in taste.

This gives people a feeling of neither superior nor inferior.

The offense is okay, but it's not top-notch.

The defense is also good, but also not one of the best.

In addition, unlike the Thunder and Cavaliers, which are teams with superstars, they can use their personal abilities to solve problems.

This is why although the Raptors have a good record, they have never been recognized by the public, let alone entered the first echelon of the media.

They are just too mediocre.

The Knicks' victory over the Raptors did not cause any big waves in the long season.

All members of the Knicks are rushing to Phoenix again without stopping. They want to challenge the Suns back to back.

This is definitely a test for the Knicks' physical fitness.

However, considering that the Suns are dim this season, as long as they don't overturn, there is a high probability that they can win.

14 wins and 33 losses, this is the Suns' record this season, it can be said to be a mess.

The short version of the giant formed last season did not have any effect.

But taking a closer look at the Suns' lineup, it's actually not that bad.

There is blood on the back line, and Brandon Knight signed a high-priced contract extension in the offseason.

There is also this year's No. 13 pick Devin Booker, who has performed well this season.

In addition, there are defensive heroes TJ-Warren, Goodwin, and veteran Price.

Looking at the entire back line, it's not bad.

And they have Luol Deng, Markieff Morris, Telitovic, and Leyer on the front line, all of whom are top-notch heroes.

The center is boxing champion Chandler, with Alex Len as a substitute.

Looking at this lineup, where is the difference?

You know, before the start of the season, ESPN listed the Suns as the main contender for the Western Conference playoffs.

It's because their lineup structure is particularly outstanding.

Starting: Bledsoe, Knight, Luol Deng, Markieff Morris, Chandler.

It's very competitive.

On the bench: Booker, TJ Warren, Goodwin, Price, Telitovich, Leyer, Alex Len, they are also things that cannot be underestimated.

result.

But having such a poor record is really shocking.

of course.

There are many factors and they are incompatible! There are so many capable people in singles! The tactical system is not clear! The core players are not positioned! The rotation of members is too confusing, etc.

But the main thing is that they have too many injuries this season.

There are so many that it’s dizzying to see.

Either Bledsoe is injured and out, or Knight is absent, or Luol Deng is absent, or Chandler is not available.

Anyway, this extremely competitive starting lineup has only played together for a few games. They have all the fighting power, but they can't fulfill it. It's strange that they can achieve results.

This can be seen in the first start of this game.

Devin Booker, Goodwin, Luol Deng, Telitovich, Alex Len.

Bledsoe and Knight, the two core players, didn't play, and Chandler didn't play either.

Really fighting on the second line...

The substitutes are TJ Warren, McCray, Markieff Morris, Sony Williams, and Leyer.

Another problem can be seen from this. Their lineup is very unstable. For example, Markieff Morris starts in the starting lineup, and then withdraws to let Telitovich come on. Even Leyer has to take the starting power forward position.

The same goes for Goodwin, who occasionally starts when Bledsoe and Knight are absent, but generally the shooting guard position is filled by TJ Warren.

It is rare for the personnel arrangement to be so chaotic, which destined their tactics to be unstable.

After all, the players you play are unstable, and you still expect them to be tactically stable, which is impossible.

The starters and substitutes failed to produce a positive chemical reaction at all, and then they were separated and tried another lineup. How could this work?

This is the current state of the sun.

Facing such a chaotic youth army, the Knicks did not miss a beat. They easily defeated them 108:84 and ushered in their 8th consecutive victory.

Xue Liancheng clocked in for three quarters and finally got off work easily. He scored 16 points, 9 assists and 25 rebounds on 8-of-6 shooting, which was cut in half.

Because it was three quarters of playing time, he didn't even use up his 100% hit skills, leaving him with one sink.

but.

He didn't feel it was a pity, after all, the competition had been too intense recently.

This was back-to-back again, and he was really tired.

Now that he has played more than 20 minutes, he can rest early. For him, it is a rare opportunity to recover.

Lopez contributed a double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds. In recent times, he has gradually settled down.

Maybe he's tired too.

After all, he and Xue Liancheng haven't had much rest since the start of the game.

Vonleh had 13 points, Crowder had 11 points, Tyler Johnson had 14 points, Rooney had 6 points, and Galloway had 7 points.

This side of the sun.

Only Booker is worthy of mentioning. He made 15 of 8, 6 of 3 three-pointers, and scored 21 points. He has shown good scoring ability.

Xue Liancheng's old teammate Luol Deng, who took crazy shots in this game, may want to show off in front of Xue Liancheng.

result……

If you fail to show off, you will be embarrassed...

He made 15 of 3 shots and only scored 8 points. With this efficiency, he was simply a war criminal.

After the game, Xue Liancheng didn't have a warm face but a cold butt. After all, they were not very happy when they got along.

When they meet now, Luol Deng still shows off to him.

Then goodbye to you...

(End of this chapter)