Chapter 485: Spacewalk in front of Michael
After scoring two points from the free throw line, Yang Mo didn't hesitate a moment, quickly following Ryan Anderson. He deployed full-court pressure defense from the start of halftime. He didn't care if Ryan Anderson had the ball or not; he was determined to make him regret it for the rest of his life. Who made him speak so foul-mouthed? Who made him lash out at all of China? As the saying goes, foul mouths must be punished, and despicable people will be punished by heaven. This time, Yang Mo would enforce justice and teach this outspoken, ignorant, and abominable guy a lesson.
While Yang Mo's height was somewhat different from Ryan Anderson's, he was far ahead in every other area. Therefore, when the two of them engaged in a near-scuffle, Anderson naturally complained bitterly. Yang Mo's defensive aggression was so strong that even a single collision with him would cause pain deep within his bones.
Anderson had no choice but to give up the attack, but even after he gave up the idea of attacking, Yang Mo still chased him, constantly creating physical conflicts and constantly causing him pain. Anderson was in great pain, but he was powerless. He couldn't kneel down and beg Yang Mo to stop defending him, right?
However, even if he begged, Yang Mo would not let him go.
In this situation, Ryan Anderson practically lost his skills, becoming a mere decoration on offense. The other Magic players weren't much better; they still couldn't penetrate the Knicks' defense, their offensive success rate was alarmingly low. Meanwhile, the Knicks, under Yang Mo's direction, were scoring easily.
Soon, the third quarter ended. Nelson's ultra-long, buzzer-beating three-pointer was slapped into the ninth row of the audience by Yang Mo, and the score was fixed at 68:73, giving the Magic a five-point lead.
Logically, a team leading should be happy, but right now, the Magic players were like newly castrated rams, listless and languid. Ever since Yang Mo came on, their play had been incredibly frustrating. They were leading by 21 points, but within five minutes, they were outscored .
"Coach, we have to change our style of play. Our defense is like a sieve. The Knicks use all kinds of easy ways to put the basketball into the net, but we are powerless to do anything about it. We must improve our defense and we must play aggressively." Dwight Howard complained to Stan Van Gundy very directly as soon as he walked to the bench.
Faced with the complaints from the team's core players, Van Gundy seemed unsure how to respond. Although he refused to admit that his tactics were wrong, the current situation was before him, forcing him to accept the fact.
"We have to strengthen our inside game. Everyone knows the Knicks are weak inside. If we don't go inside, we'll lose all hope of winning," Dwight Howard continued to complain. He felt he had too few shots , a complaint that persisted from the regular season to the playoffs. He felt it was wrong for him, as the team's core player, to rank third in shots per game.
Facing Dwight Howard's complaints, Stan Van Gundy gritted his teeth, hesitated for a moment, then raised his head and said firmly: "We still have to maintain our offensive firepower, but at the same time we have to strengthen targeted defense. No matter how powerful Super Yang is, he is only powerful alone. So, Matt, you replace Anderson to contain Super Yang. Courtney, you also replace Vince Carter and help defend Super Yang. Rashard, you move to the power forward position. Next, we must resolutely implement a fast offense and use speed to defeat the opponent!"
Van Gundy's tactic is equivalent to a compromise between defense and offense, placing the main defense on Yang Mo. He still wants to take a gamble, and he still believes that offense is more important.
Howard could only shake his head helplessly, then said rather dejectedly, "We really should attack the inside. The Knicks' weakness is the inside. And you can't double-team Yang. He has the ability to pass the ball now. Didn't you see he just had at least four or five assists?"
"Dwight, you should trust your teammates." Stan Van Gundy quickly and sternly stopped Howard's negativity: "We are still ahead, and we will definitely win the final victory at home. As a leader, you should lead by example instead of passively fighting."
With Van Gundy's harsh criticism, Howard could only shut his mouth and stop talking.
At this moment, the atmosphere on the Magic team seemed a bit strange. A disagreement between the general and the coach is a troublesome matter for any team, which will seriously affect the team's morale, especially in times of adversity. And now, although the Magic still maintained the lead, they were actually in a weak position.
Before Yang Mo arrived, the Magic never thought that the game would be so difficult in the end, but now, they must be mentally prepared to face failure.
"If the Magic had already secured victory, now their chances of losing far outweigh their chances of winning. And all that's happening is Super Yang's appearance," TNT commentator Collins said during a timeout. "Before the playoffs started, I expected the Magic to win this series 4-1 or 4-2. But judging by the current situation, it's at least twice as difficult for them to advance."
"My opinion is different from yours. I believed the Knicks would win from the beginning." Charles Barkley chuckled and said with great confidence, "But I didn't expect Super Yang to suddenly unleash his passing talent at this time. His passing is amazing. The Knicks no longer need to worry about next year's starting point guard."
"Regarding Yang's assist ability, it is still impossible to determine whether he can really pass the ball. You have to know that passing the ball requires a flash of inspiration." Kenny Smith raised his objection.
"A flash of inspiration?" Barkley sneered and said sarcastically, "You've played point guard your whole life. Have you ever had a flash of inspiration like this? Can your No Look Pass pass through two people's crotches and land accurately in the hands of a teammate in the same line? If you can't do it, shut up!"
After Barkley finished speaking, Kenny Smith shut up. He had completely surrendered to this kind of indifference. Who had made him suffer all kinds of insults over the past year?
Meanwhile, the game has already begun.
When Milicic passed the ball to Yang Mo, Yang Mo had just received the ball when Courtney Lee and Matt Barnes surrounded him at the same time, actively implementing Stan Van Gundy's double-team policy.
These two were both defensive stalwarts, and being watched by them simultaneously wasn't a pleasant experience. Even though Yang Mo's dribbling had reached a point where he could control his movements with ease, being surrounded by two mad dogs still felt somewhat constrained.
Faced with this situation, Yang Mo could only take two steps back. Taking advantage of the gap between the two men, he suddenly exerted force, using his powerful explosive force to support him, and rushed out at the speed of a cheetah... Whoosh! Yang Mo flashed through the gap between the two men in an instant, and then rushed towards the front court.
Yang Mo broke through the double-team in the blink of an eye, and the two men quickly double-teamed him from left to right. They pursued him like tireless mad dogs, and under their desperate pursuit, Yang Mo, dribbling and running, really couldn't completely escape the defense. Fortunately, Wilt Chandler had already run out of space. Yang Mo quickly passed the ball to him, and with no one guarding him, Wilt Chandler steadily hit an 18-foot mid-range shot.
Wilt Chandler's easy score did not let Stan Van Gundy know that there was an open space in another place. He only saw that Yang Mo was passive under the crazy defense. He regarded Yang Mo's passivity as the key to victory, so he did not take any corresponding measures.
At this moment, the Magic launched a crazy offensive. In less than five seconds, all the Magic players jumped over the center line like sharks competing for the current. Before the Knicks could react, they quickly got an absolute open space. Courtney Lee drove straight in and made a beautiful air relay with Howard who came down from the other side.
drop!
Yang Mo requested a timeout, which was very decisive and timely.
When Yang Mo requested a timeout, Stan Van Gundy's face was filled with a victorious smile, as he believed his tactics had successfully gained the upper hand.
However, Yang Mo was even happier than him. When the Magic team started running like crazy, Yang Mo's first reaction was that the time to win had finally arrived.
For Yang Mo, nothing is easier than a fast-breaking opponent! He is the originator of the blind-hitting tactic, and he has absolute experience in this field. As long as the opponent falls into the same blind-hitting mode as him, he will easily win the final victory with his experience advantage.
"Anthony Randolph, Tracy McGrady, Gallinari, and Wilt Chandler, the four of you come on the court with me. There will be no tactics, no positioning, and no conventional things in the next game. You just need to run as fast as you can. As long as you run out of position, I will pass the ball to you quickly." Yang Mo didn't even take the tactical board and directly dictated the play: "Next, it's time to let the stupid Orlando people see our crazy chaotic fighting style. They want to play a fast break with us? Isn't that like doing a spacewalk in front of Michael? It's courting death."
Yang Mo's words filled the Knicks players with confidence. They firmly believed that the Magic's attempt to play fast-break against them would be a recipe for disaster. After all, this was a tactic they had inherited. They had originally relied on this strategy to become a dark horse. However, with Stein's arrival and his emphasis on defensive tactics, this style of play was shelved. Now that the Magic were showing off their skills, they naturally felt compelled to show these players their unadulterated, terrifying firepower.
But Stan Van Gundy obviously didn't realize this at the time. He was still complacent about the strategy he came up with. He had even thought about his speech after the victory.
drop!
Just then, the whistle sounded and the game started again.
