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"Well, well..."
In the home locker room at Oracle Center, the Warriors players were panting slightly, sweat slowly sliding down their skin, but their faces were invariably excited.
The Warriors hadn't led by much in the first half, and their offensive efficiency wasn't high, but they managed to take the lead over the Big Three after halftime, which was enough to boost the morale of these young players.
Each one supplemented their physical efforts from the first half. Some ate bananas, some drank energy drinks, and others whispered and laughed to relax, while Liam and the coaching staff gathered in the corner, discussing the tactical gains and losses from the first half very quickly.
Bang bang bang.
Three minutes later, Liam finished discussing with the coaching staff, walked to the front of everyone, clapped his hands, and the chatter and laughter in the room quickly disappeared. Everyone turned to look at Liam.
Liam stepped back against the wall, where in front of everyone was a large screen. He took an infrared remote, the screen lit up, and began playing a finely cut replay of the first half of the game. He explained at the same time:
"Look at this play, James breaks through, Draymond, you should move up, try to block his shooting space, because he just took a mid-range shot, and you have Tyson behind you to help with the low post. You have to remember that defense is not static... Alright, looking at this play again, Stephen's handling when he encountered the bag's clamp was perfect..."
The video was divided into clips, each lasting only a dozen seconds, but covering almost the entire essence of the first half of the game. Liam stood beside the screen, pointed out the team's problems in the first half, and praised the implementation of the tactics. He urged the players to either correct or continue adhering to the game plan for the second half.
This was the credit for the video room. The Warriors had video editors with the team for every game. They sat in the last row of the bench, synchronized with the game, and under the guidance of the coaching staff, edited the best parts of the game and played it in the middle of the court for the players to better understand the game.
At home games, players watch the game on a big screen in the locker room, and away games on a tablet that everyone carries with them.
About five minutes later, the video clip finished playing, with Liam's explanation taking up most of the time. He exhaled a long sigh of relief, cleared his throat, and said:
"Alright, everyone can discuss your views on the first half, feel free to raise any questions or suggestions."
"Alright, I think our defense could be a bit more aggressive. I noticed that, except for James Jones, the other shooters from the Heat aren't in good shooting form..." As soon as Liam finished speaking, Green couldn't wait to speak out loud.
This was a three-minute free discussion time, where everyone could say what they thought. Whether on the court or not, the coaching staff would consider any helpful advice.
This process was designed to motivate the players to think about the game, and they tend to see things from a different perspective than the coaching staff, which can fill the gaps in the coaching staff's view.
After three minutes of discussion, Liam finally said:
"Alright, I have a clear opinion on everyone's input. Some points make sense. According to what the coaching staff discussed earlier, I'll summarize: First, after the start of the second half, you can try to put shooters like Chalmers, Eddie House, Arroyo, etc., on the floor. Strengthen the interior collapse, force them to take more mid-range shots and protect the restricted area."
"Second, when attacking, everyone should run. The coverage needs to be solid, pay attention to the principle of 'passing the ball one more time,' but also shoot resolutely when there's an opportunity. Everyone's shooting authority is clear in training, I don't want to see anyone hesitate."
"Third, this is a complement to what we just said, you shouldn't just pass the ball to Klay and Stephen, you also need to pay attention to your teammates' positioning in the air, and be varied in your offense. Don't get stuck on three-point shots, play a bit more flexibly, and make good use of the defensive attention they attract."
"Fourth, we still have many flaws in our defensive formation. I know it's because of lack of pace, but I want everyone to try and make up for it. Remember, defense is the foundation of a strong team, and that's the key for us to win this game..."
Liam spent another three minutes quickly and clearly explaining the tactics, and the Warriors players gained a full understanding of the tactics with the help of the previous game clips and the free discussions.
After Liam finished speaking, he looked at his watch and saw there was still 1 minute left. He said loudly:
"Finally, let me remind you once again, this is a national broadcast, we are at home, our opponents have beaten us, let me see your blood, I want you to fight with all your might for the next 24 minutes, so that after the game, we can walk out of the arena with our heads held high."
After Liam finished speaking, he walked to the center of the locker room, extended his hand, and the players who had finished the rest stood up and gathered around. They placed their hands on him, and under Liam's leadership, everyone shouted in unison:
"One, two, three, Warriors!"
Then, the Warriors' sophisticated, compact, and efficient halftime came to an end.
This is the "halftime mode" that the Warriors have gradually established since the start of the season, with each stage almost in the form of a countdown, and every second is maximized. This helps the team to give the fastest and most appropriate tactical response and face the third quarter in the strongest position.
Meanwhile, in the visitors' locker room, Spoelstra stood in front of the crowd, loudly outlining the tactics for the second half, and in front of him, the players listened attentively.
After a while, James and Wade started whispering, their voices weren't loud, but in a locker room where only Spoelstra was speaking, it seemed a bit abrupt. Spoelstra just looked at them, his eyelids twitched, but he said nothing. His voice, however, became much heavier.
He had little authority and reputation. Although he was the head coach, he didn't have as much influence in the locker room as the Big Three, and it was useless to feel unhappy about it.
This is quite common in all teams, with the superstars having the highest status, and even broadcast cameras often capture the scene of the coach outlining tactics during a timeout, while the star next to him ignores it.
Usually, they have a lot of autonomy on the court, and it's not uncommon for the head coach to be temporarily sidelined. The coach often has to swallow his anger afterward, because after all, in the NBA, the team is the team of stars, not the team of coaches.
It's very rare for teams like the Spurs and the Warriors to prohibit this, and sometimes people wonder why the head coach would organize such poor tactics. But many times, the stars follow their own path, and the coach is helpless.
Finally, amidst the chatter, the 15 minutes passed quickly, and Spoelstra reluctantly stopped and waved his hand:
"Let's go, don't forget our goal. The regular season should not be our challenge."
His voice was soft. James took the initiative, stood up with a calm face, and the others followed him to the center of the locker room. They gathered in a circle, shouted a slogan in a half-loud voice, and ran out of the locker room.
Spoelstra waited for everyone to leave the room, dusted off his clothes, sighed softly, and left.
...
"Welcome back, audience friends. Next is the second half of the Warriors vs. Heat. Both teams have sent out their starting lineups. Butler, after halftime, replaced Kirilenko, and the Heat still has the Big Three with Chalmers and Dampier... Alright, the second half starts and the Heat sends a ball from the sideline..."
As Julya explained seriously, Wade received a pass from Chalmers at the top of the arc and James opened up space at a 45-degree angle.
After the halftime battle, Spoelstra also saw the net set up by Liam for James, passed the ball to Wade, and let him take the lead.
That's the advantage of the Big Three. The scarcest resource for a team is usually developing the offense, and the Heat has three stars who can hold the ball. If one is defended, the other steps forward.
As soon as Wade received the ball, the others immediately scattered and opened up space for him to connect a simple pass to Klay.
Klay still kept defending him, giving him some space to push forward but blocking the right side, so Wade could only go left. At the end of the path, Chandler stepped to the edge of the penalty area with one foot, ready to help defend, and Green followed Bosh one step behind, also eyeing the tiger.
If James attacks, the Warriors' defense will be stronger. Wade's long-distance shooting isn't as good as James's. When James has the ball, Klay, who defends Wade, can also shrink, and now Butler can only stick to James and not dare to relax at all.
Wade wasn't ceremonious either, as Klay gave him the left side, he threw the ball to the left and ran toward the three-point line.
Klay followed, trying to delay his moves, but after the two fought for a small half, Wade saw Klay's current defensive level, made a sharp stop, completely shook off Klay, and passed him running.
Chandler had no choice but to step up to help defend and hand Green the position, but Wade grabbed the ball and was about to throw it to Bosh. Green, who was so scared he shrank into the restricted area, immediately pounced on Bosh. Then Wade skillfully shook Chandler with a Eurostep and made a layup.
At 56:56, less than 20 seconds into the second half, the Heat tied the game.
In the quick transition, the Warriors attacked. Curry dribbled the ball across half-court, passed it to Green at the high post, and then went to the bottom corner. Klay, in the opposite corner, ran a coverage in the shape of an 8, and Chalmers and Wade's miscommunication on the defense switch caused both to chase Curry. Although Chalmers reacted quickly, he still fell behind Klay by a position.
Then, Klay took advantage of Chandler's screen to step up to the 45-degree three-point line, and Chalmers was completely blocked by Chandler.
Dampier, on the other hand, didn't chase him at all and stayed inside the free-throw line, and Klay had a great open look.
Green passed the ball at the right moment, Klay caught it, and shot. The basketball swished through the net.
59:56.
Looking back, the Heat still had Wade with a simple pass to Klay, who went to the left side to enter the three-point line and made a mid-range jumper.
59:58.
Liam, sitting on the sidelines, raised his eyebrows, and the two scores from Wade were too easy.
Ron Adams, sitting to his right, leaned in and said:
"Liam, Klay's defense should've been seen by Wade. He shook it off way too easily, and as long as Wade is allowed to run, even if Tyson blocks the box inside, it won't help. We need to strengthen Wade's defense."
Liam nodded:
"I see what you mean. I also want Tony to play, but if he does, the team's spacing is too cramped. The offense won't compete against the Big Three, and defense won't matter."
In the first quarter, he dared to put the three non-spatial lineups of Green + Chandler + Kirilenko next to Curry because Wade and Bosh were resting off the court at that time. But now, with all the Big Three from the Heat on the floor, the firepower is fierce, and the two non-spatial points are already the limit. Then Tony Allen? The Warriors' offense will be very hard to execute.
He sighed for a moment and said:
"Wait, it's not the time yet. Let's fight the Heat first."
As the two discussed softly, the Warriors launched an attack on the court. This time, Curry held the ball at 45 degrees, Klay started from the bottom corner, cut toward the restricted area, and then suddenly turned to run toward the top of the arc. Green and Chandler "closed the door" in the middle, blocking Chalmers, who was chasing Klay. Klay got an open space at the top of the arc, received a pass from Curry, and shot a three-pointer.
62:58.
Bob Fitzgerald elogió:
"¡Good ball! This is the 'elevator door' tactic that the Warriors usually play, Klay made two consecutive three-pointers, even though he didn't defend Wade at this moment, and he also took the credit, in fact, I've always admired Klay, this young man plays reasonably, shoots well, look at his posture, it's a special standard, every shot is like it's carved in a mold, if he keeps playing like this, he'll definitely be great in the future."
Julya looked at the information in front of him and added:
"Coach Liam's vision is very accurate, Klay is performing very well now, he's averaging 13.5 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game this season, and he's shooting 2.5 three-pointers per game, with a 42.3% three-point shooting rate, shooting at a top shooter's level in his rookie season, and his points per game are increasing every month, and his defense is improving steadily, the future is limitless."
"KT! KT!"
In the Oracle Arena, the crowd also applauded Klay's two three-pointers, and slowly they began to like this calm but reliable shooter. Even though he wasn't as reliable defensively, the fans saw Klay's efforts and improvements, and they believed that this tall point guard, who was as good a shooter as Curry, would work with Curry to support the Warriors' backcourt.
Liam smiled at Ron Adams after Klay's shot:
"It looks like no substitutions are needed, Klay can make up for his defensive weaknesses with offense."
In the following rounds, both teams exchanged plays back and forth. Wade led the Heat's offense, and the Warriors played with a sudden pass cut, the result of the Warriors' continued improvements over the past three months, and they successfully caught the Heat off guard.
But Klay still couldn't stop Wade, and the score remained within a slight gap of around 4 points. With 7 minutes left in the third quarter, Liam decided not to wait any longer, called a short timeout, reorganized the defense, and had Curry pinch Wade and try to get Chalmers to shoot.
After the short timeout, the game continued. Wade kept trying to connect with Klay, and Curry suddenly approached him to pinch him. Wade didn't panic, protected the ball, and then passed it to Chalmers, who was wide open in the corner.
When Curry and Klay trapped Wade, the other Warriors players were in position, no one came to fill the gap, and Chalmers was left unguarded in front of him. He didn't hesitate to take a three-pointer after receiving the ball.
Bang dang!
The first three-pointer of the game hit the iron, and the rebound was easily grabbed by Green. The Warriors took the opportunity to launch a fast break, and Curry scored a three-pointer.
The Heat attacked, or Wade held the ball, Curry used the same method, forcing Wade to pass the ball to an open teammate, and Chalmers still missed the big wide-open three-pointer. However, this time the Warriors' fast break didn't work.
Then the Warriors trapped Wade in succession, and Chalmers only made one open three-pointer, going 1 for 4, and Spoelstra called a timeout, substituting Chalmers for James Jones.
The veteran shooter made an immediate impact after entering the game, hitting two consecutive wide-open three-pointers. Liam had to make Curry stop the Heat.
Wade immediately started connecting with Klay again, and Bosh and James took the opportunity to keep pressing. The Heat's offensive momentum gradually came alive, and Liam could only let Klay run more on offense, trying to play his role offensively to compensate for the damage he caused defensively.
But Spoelstra really has beautiful tactics and soon strengthened the defense against the Warriors' passing and cutting offense. He decisively switched defense when it was covered, trying not to give the Warriors the opportunity to dislodge, which hit the Warriors' weak point. Their passes and cuts hadn't been perfected, and Klay hadn't practiced shooting with one strong hand enough, missing twice around the coverage, allowing the Heat to catch up on the scoreboard.
Fortunately, by that time, the third quarter had reached 9 minutes, and the Heat entered the rotation period. Spoelstra replaced Wade and Bosh, leaving James to lead the team.
Liam also made the corresponding adjustments, replacing Green, Klay, and Butler with Danny Green, Kirilenko, and Yi Jianlian, allowing Curry to play the third quarter.
Curry's rotation time in the first three quarters is relatively fixed, 12+6+12, and the last quarter depends on the situation.
This is Liam's understanding of Curry from his past life, as well as his practice in training and the gradual adjustment of rotation time. It not only stimulates Curry's form, cultivates his hand, and allows him to play at his best, but also controls his playing time within a relatively reasonable range.
After both teams adjusted, James took over the Heat's offense, but as soon as he got the ball, he was chased and intercepted by the Warriors. Under the layers of defense, he could only try to pass to his teammates. But Liam sent Danny Green to closely follow James Jones and let Eddie House and others take the shots. They continued with the cold shooting from the first half, only hitting 1 of 3 open three-pointers, forcing James to take a difficult shot himself.
Curry stepped up. After Wade left the court, Spoelstra sent Eddie House to defend him. Facing the shorter Eddie House, Curry first used a backward dribble to shake off his center of gravity, took a dry three-pointer, and then used a two-on-one with Green, skillfully cut inside, made a layup, and played with Eddie House in his palm.
The last three minutes of the third quarter passed quickly in the fast-paced offensive and defensive play of both teams. When James hit a three-pointer from the outside, there were 20.3 seconds left, and the ball was in the Warriors' hands.
At this point, the score was 82-76, and the Warriors, taking advantage of Curry's consecutive scores, led the Heat by six points.
Danny Green passed the ball from the baseline, Curry dribbled through half-court and then slowed down at the top of the arc to set up for the final shot.
Curry looked at the clock and, when it hit 8 seconds, finally began.
Curry continued dribbling between his legs, approaching the three-point line. Eddie House shifted his center of gravity with Curry's moves, but Curry suddenly dribbled behind his back, passed the ball from his left hand to his right, and sharply leaned his shoulder forward to cut through the right side. Eddie House's center of gravity quickly shifted, trying to block Curry's path.
But Curry then passed the ball back to his left hand from behind, quickly stepped to the left side, completely shook off Eddie House, and raised his hand to launch a three-pointer.
Swish!
The basketball arced through the air in an orange rainbow, and when the red light went off, it fell directly through the net.
85:76.
This was a spectacular double back + step-back shot to beat the buzzer for a three-pointer!
As Curry made the move, the fans in the arena stood up, watched closely as the orange basketball floated through the air, placed their hands on their chests in anticipation, and when the ball went through the net, their arms shot up high, and the audience around them instantly raised a forest of arms, like a gunshot.
—"Yes!!!"
This three-pointer was like a nuclear bomb, detonating the whole arena, and all kinds of howls, shouts, and applause converged into one place, turning the Oracle Center into a hell of noise. The sound poured into everyone's ears with a torrential force, shaking people's hearts violently.
Curry, on the other hand, stood in the middle of the court, hands on his hips, glancing sideways at the crowd, grinning, shaking his shoulders with pride, patting his chest, pointing to the sky, and jumping back to the bench.
Bob Fitzgerald loudly praised:
"Hey! That's a beautiful ball, that's Curry's personal skill, you really can't protect against him... Let's take a look at the slow-motion replay, this is really bold! That shot was so difficult! This is Curry, it's really amazing, you really can't help but be convinced! It may look like a bad shot, but it's a great shot!"
Eddie House stood still, looked back at the basketball falling, then turned his head to look at Curry, raised his hands to Spoelstra with an expression of helplessness, and shook his head with a sarcastic smile.
He did everything he could to avoid it, but he really couldn't.
Spoelstra crossed his arms across his chest and kept shaking his head, unsure of what to say.
He's coaching a Big Three, but swears he's never seen anything like this!
Spoelstra turned to look at Wade and said with a wry smile:
"Dwayne, I have to admit, I shouldn't have replaced you."
Wade nodded repeatedly, with a pulsating expression on his face:
"I agree, Erik, you should have let me stay out there with that baby face the whole time!"
End of this chapter
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