Chapter 491: Super Big Bet
Before Turiaf said this, Yang Mo was prepared to lose points in the paint, but now he suddenly had a feeling that this burly guy might create a miracle for him.
After giving Turiaf his instructions, Yang Mo continued to assemble his troops. "Jeffries, you're still the power forward, and you're still on defense. Whether they play Ryan Anderson or Rashard Lewis, you have to limit their scoring. Gallinari, Wilt Chandler, you're the small forward and shooting guard, respectively. Your job is to run...run...run. As long as you're open, I'll definitely pass the ball to you immediately."
"We're already leading by ten points. I hope to extend our lead to fifteen points or more by the end of the first quarter." Yang Mo continued, "Next, if my left hand is raised first, you'll run like crazy. If my right hand is raised first, you'll retreat. We need to completely disrupt their defense using both offensive modes."
While Yang Mo was laying out his tactics, Stan Van Gundy also deployed a targeted defense. Facing Yang Mo's unstoppable attacks on Nelson, he decisively deployed a double-team with Matt Barnes and Courtney Lee. This double-team had proven effective in the previous game; while it couldn't stop Nelson's passes, it at least limited Yang Mo's scoring.
Soon, the game started again.
The Magic's offensive firepower hasn't been significantly diminished since swapping Vince Carter for Matt Barnes. After all, Vince Carter's role on the Magic was primarily as a shooter. The Magic's style of play is essentially a simple one: a superb rebounder in the paint, a slew of tall shooters firing three-pointers from the perimeter, and the occasional Nelson dunk.
This is a lineup that can easily achieve results in the regular season, but when it comes to the playoffs, everyone starts to fight hard and defend, and the pitcher's stability will be greatly reduced.
Matt Barnes took advantage of the screen, shook off Gallinari's defense, and scored a jump shot.
Yang Mo wasn't surprised by Barnes' easy scoring. The Italian possessed exceptional talent beyond the three-point line, but his other skills were mediocre, especially his defensive footwork. D'Antoni's decision to use a lottery pick on a shooter like this was clearly a mistake, given that he clearly had better options.
After Barnes scored, Turiaf quickly passed the ball to Yang Mo, who immediately raised his left hand. As soon as this instruction came out, the Knicks players quickly and desperately ran, including Turiaf, all of them swung their legs and rushed forward.
Just as Yang Mo was about to break through, Barnes and Courtney Lee immediately closed in. Seeing the two men approaching, Yang Mo immediately slowed down. When the two men were about to surround him, he suddenly jumped up, swung the ball hard, and shouted: Gallinani.
Gallinani, who was in the frontcourt, turned around and saw the basketball hurtling towards him. He quickly caught it. There was no one in front of him. He took a quick breath and then released the ball easily... swish!
Gallinani is a very consistent shooter, capable of maintaining a near-perfect accuracy with this type of training-style three-point shooting. Unguarded, his three-point shooting percentage rivals Yang Mo's. However, his consistency and release rate are undoubtedly inferior. While Yang Mo can still score under intense competition, he seems somewhat resigned to his fate.
"Hey, Coach Van Gundy, you really are the Knicks' best sixth man." Yang Mo shouted to Stan Van Gundy on the sidelines, then pointed at Matt Barnes next to him and said, "You actually used this stupid full-court press tactic to restrict me, and even a double-team. Don't you know I can pass the ball now?"
Yang Mo's taunts were like poisonous needles oozing with blue light, piercing Stan Van Gundy's heart one by one. Gallinari's goal was indeed a tactical oversight on his part. If he hadn't instructed Barnes and Courtney Lee to press full court, Gallinari wouldn't have had an open shot.
After realizing his oversight, Stan Van Gundy quickly gestured to adjust the next defensive tactics and no longer use double-teaming throughout the court.
"There's something wrong with Coach Van Gundy's tactics. Only one person can be used in a full-court press. If two are used, doesn't that mean there will be at least one open space in the frontcourt?" The TNT commentator also expressed his confusion about Stan Van Gundy's tactics.
Barkley chuckled upon hearing this: "Do you think there's anyone in this league who can defend Super Yang one-on-one? Those who are faster than him aren't as strong as him, those who are stronger than him aren't as fast as him, and those who are about as strong and as fast as him aren't as smart as him."
"I think Stan should give up on the unnecessary double-teaming and send players to drive Young to the free throw line, where his shooting percentage is the lowest," Jeff Van Gundy said seriously. As Stan's younger brother, he naturally favored his older brother.
"This is indeed a good strategy, but you have to understand that Super Yang already has the ability to pass the ball. As long as you use two or more players to defend him, the Knicks will inevitably have a player in an open position." Barkley said calmly : "This is the terrifying lethality of a superstar. There is no way to defend him alone. You can only use double-teaming. Once you use double-teaming, your defensive system will have loopholes. This is almost unsolvable."
"This can be cracked. There are so many superstars in the league. Have you ever seen any star truly dominate the league?" Stan Van Gundy argued unyieldingly.
"I think when Super Yang is equipped with a few suitable helpers and develops mid-range shooting, he will become the only ruler in the league today." Barkley said confidently.
"Do you think mid-range shooting is so easy to train? If it were so easy, wouldn't those who are more talented than him have become superstars long ago?" Jeff Van Gundy said in a very aggressive tone. It seemed as if he had already developed a deep grudge with Barkley.
Jeff Van Gundy started to choke, and Barkley didn't back down, directly replying: "Let me correct you on two points. First, for Super Yang, any skill is simple. A month ago, there were people saying that Super Yang would never learn to pass the ball. In fact, half a year ago, there were people who speculated that Super Yang would never be able to dribble easily in his life. And two years ago, there were even more people who asserted that he couldn't survive in the NBA. But now, those who once looked down on him have to admit that Super Yang is now the second best player in the league. The second question is, have you really seen anyone more talented than Super Yang? Have you seen someone who had no systematic scientific training two years ago almost dominate the league two years later? Don't let your butt blind you."
Perhaps he was speechless, or perhaps he was touched in a sore spot, but Van Gundy actually slammed the table and shouted, "You are the one who is blinded by your butt. Everyone knows that you are a die-hard fan of Super Yang."
Jeff Van Gundy slammed the table angrily, but Charles Barkley didn't show any weakness. He also slammed the table hard and retorted: "Who doesn't know that you are the younger brother of the Knicks' best sixth man?"
Seeing the two men on edge, almost on the verge of a fight, Collins in the middle quickly stepped in to smooth things over: "Well, let's focus on the game. The topic of how strong Super Yang is should be discussed after the game."
"The Knicks are doomed to lose tonight," Van Gundy said, his face livid as he sat down in his chair. "I'll call Stan's assistant shortly."
"No matter how you call or how you advise, even if you have two Van Gundys combined, it won't stop Super Yang from easily winning." Barkley's expression was relatively relaxed: "If you don't believe me, we can make a bet."
"What's the bet?" Van Gundy asked directly about the bet.
"Last time you wore a woman's wig. Tonight, let's bet on women's underwear. If you win, I'll appear on the live broadcast of the next game wearing a woman's thong. If you lose, you'll also wear a thong on your head. It's that simple. Do you dare to bet?"
"Why not? Do you think I'm afraid of you?"
"Then come!"
The two exchanged sharp words, instantly confirming the bet. When the bet was broadcast live on television, TNT's ratings instantly increased by several percentage points. These days, the excitement of the game alone isn't enough to attract viewers; it's when the commentators get into a fight that it becomes truly exciting.
Meanwhile, the game continued on the court. After a failed Magic attack, Yang Mo regained possession of the ball. Once he had the ball, the Magic quickly learned their lesson, decisively deploying Barnes to press the defense. Meanwhile, the Magic players quickly returned to defense, fearing Yang Mo would catch them off guard again.
However, Yang Mo slowed down completely. After catching the ball, he extended his right fist. The Knicks players immediately understood his intention and walked forward slowly. The Magic players, on the other hand, ran like crazy. Once they were in position, the Knicks players slowly approached.
Yang Mo took the ball to the three-point line, Barnes quickly stuck to him, and Courtney Lee on the other side was also eager to try, but he did not act immediately. After all, Gallinani is also a three-point shooter who cannot be missed.
In this situation, Yang Mo directly called Turiaf out for a pick-and-roll, and then used this pick-and-roll to quickly penetrate the restricted area. Howard quickly helped defend, and Barnes also chased him relentlessly. At this time, Turiaf on the other side had already slipped into the restricted area.
The moment he slipped into the restricted area, Yang Mo's ball was unexpectedly hanging in the air. Turiaf only needed to jump lightly and the basketball would be perfectly smashed into the basket.
And in fact, he did so.
This easy goal quickly widened the gap to 13 points.
Stan Van Gundy couldn't help but rack his brains again. Our team was clearly stronger, but why? Why were we being outplayed?
