Chapter 2236 - 40: Surprise Move

Chapter 2236: Chapter 40: Surprise Move

Allen Iverson said just that, and on the next drive, he quickly faked a shot and delivered a pass to Gan Guoyang under the basket, assisting him to score with a layup.

The Suns’ defensive pressure on Allen Iverson was indeed too low.

A quick transition play, Nash delivered the ball down low.

This time, Yao Ming’s retreat defense was a bit slow, giving Stoudemire an opportunity.

Stoudemire went for a layup, Yao Ming committed a defensive foul, and sent Stoudemire to the free-throw line.

Porter was preparing to bring Mutombo onto the court, but Spo suggested putting in Holi instead.

Porter hesitated for a moment but chose Holi to play.

This meant Gan Guoyang would move to the center position, taking on more responsibility for protecting the rim.

Gan Guoyang quickly drew a defensive foul from Stoudemire under the basket as well, and went to the free-throw line.

But the game’s pace didn’t slow down; as soon as Nash got the ball in the backcourt, he immediately looked for opportunities to launch an attack.

Nash realized that his prolonged dribbling was detrimental to the team, so he chose to speed up his passing.

Before crossing the half-court line, he first passed it out to see if there was a scoring opportunity.

If there wasn’t one, he would pass it back to reorganize.

Instead of holding onto the ball and dribbling around endlessly.

This simple change increased Glory’s defensive difficulties.

Kurt Thomas faced Holi, received a pass from Nash, and scored two points.

Gan Guoyang had the ball at the low post and passed it to Holi, cutting into the middle lane, who scored with a layup.

Holi’s versatility and key role at critical moments earned him Ah Gan’s trust.

In the second quarter, both teams went back and forth, playing an evenly matched game.

The Suns gradually found a way to handle Glory’s defense, and Nash’s assists increased.

But facing Glory’s fast-paced offense and absolute advantage in the paint, the Suns really had no solution.

By halftime, the teams were tied at 54:56, with the home team Glory leading by two points.

During the halftime break, D Antoni emphasized offense and demanded that the defense maintain its intensity.

They needed multiple players to step up, with Hill, Stoudemire, Nash, etc., needing to increase their scoring.

Offense was their lifeline, and defense could create more opportunities for their offense.

Glory’s strategy of attacking weaknesses in the Suns’ defense proved quite vicious.

In the past few seasons, the Suns often fell short due to this issue.

Yet D Antoni refused to change, and the Suns’ management didn’t make effective personnel introductions.

There’s no choice; Nash’s style defines the team’s character, and some things just can’t be changed.

In the third quarter, the battle restarted with fierce competition from both sides.

Fouls were frequent, with players falling almost every play.

Diving for loose balls, losing balance after blocks, or sprinting out of bounds during fast breaks.

The teams were stuck in a stalemate, with the 2-point gap remaining unchanged.

At the West Finals level, no team completely ignores defense.

The Suns’ defense in this game was particularly aggressive, snatching attempts regardless of success, just to try.

This gambling-style approach naturally involved a lot of physical contact.

The referees were lenient with their whistles tonight, aiming to intensify the game.

Gan Guoyang faced tight double-teaming, and after several attempts to pass, Iverson and Bell couldn’t make their shots from outside.

"The Suns are employing a zone defense," Barkley noticed the change, marking a significant shift by the Suns.

The zone forced Iverson to attempt three-pointers.

Iverson’s three-point shots were inconsistent.

During the 2004 Athens Olympic Games against European teams’ zone defense, he and Marbury could only rely on long-range shots.

The low shooting percentage and scoring efficiency led to the downfall of Team USA.

With the NBA’s three-point line even farther, Iverson’s playoff three-pointers became more unstable.

When he’s on, he can hit multiple shots in a row, but when he’s off, they go wayward.

In a war of attrition, the Suns scored first.

Stoudemire went one-on-one against Yao Ming, pulled back, and hit a mid-range jumper.

Yao Ming attempted to respond but missed his mid-range shot.

He encountered heavy double-teaming in the low post.

Then, Nash assisted Hill with a three-pointer during a counterattack.

The Suns took a three-point lead, prompting Porter to call a timeout.

The situation wasn’t good; Glory seemed to be losing focus at the start of the second half.

Porter looked at Little Spo, asking if he had any counterstrategies prepared.

Little Spo’s pre-game preparation wasn’t bad, but the Suns adapted well.

That’s why both sides were evenly matched.

Little Spo pulled out a card from his pocket, a habit many NBA coaches have developed.

On one of the small cards, he saw a name: Rondo.

An idea struck in Spo’s mind; Rondo, this young player, often acts as a surprise weapon.

But in a potentially series-deciding game tonight, would it be appropriate to use him?

Rondo’s three-point shooting was not good; not just bad, it was terrible.

Facing the Suns’ zone defense, using Rondo seemed less favorable than using Hayden.

However, after a brief hesitation, Spo still recommended Rondo to Porter.

"Rondo? The young guy..."

"He can help structure the team’s offense. The Suns’ defense isn’t that strong; they rely on intensity. Once someone organizes and structures, their systemless approach will crumble."

Little Spo valued Rondo’s ability to organize the offense.

In Glory’s starting lineup, neither Iverson nor Bell was a good tactical organizer.

One focused on offense, the other on defense, and Gerald Wallace wasn’t exactly an organizational forward.

If Ah Gan faced additional organizational pressure, his defensive and one-on-one contributions would decrease.

Entering the third game, the fierce attack style of the second game won’t work.

Glory needs a good organizer to make the team’s offense smoother.

So, Porter put Rondo on the court.

Rondo was already prepared; throughout the playoffs, Spo was constantly in communication and talks with Rondo.

Little Spo knew that in the future, he would take over Porter’s role.

If Ah Gan retires, relying on Yao Ming and Allen Iverson, the offense and defense can hold up, but it’s not at a championship level.

Without introducing another superstar, Rondo is a great potential option.

Rondo is smart, competitive, full of ambition, with exceptional physical talent, and great defensive material.

With him on the court pairing with Iverson, he can make up for Iverson’s defensive shortcomings.

Rondo took off his sports jacket and took the court; it was his first time stepping on the West Finals stage.

In the first round against the Jazz, and the second round against the Warriors, he had opportunities to play.

In the West Finals, not being able to get on the court made him anxious.

So as soon as he got on, Rondo was overly excited, pushing Nash on the offensive end and being called for a foul.

Gan Guoyang came over, patted his head, and told him not to be too agitated, to calm down a bit.

But Rondo didn’t calm down, and immediately compensated for his mistake with a steal.

He intercepted Nash’s pass intended for Hill, then made a coast-to-coast fast break.

Facing Hill chasing him from behind, he used a beautiful fake move, tricking Hill and then making the layup!

This play ignited the enthusiasm of the entire Gump Center.

Rondo’s appearance injected fresh blood into Glory’s tactical system.

Just as Little Spo gradually secured the team’s leadership.

The new era indeed requires new elements.

Gan Guoyang also felt the change after Rondo took the court.

He no longer stayed at the low post but kept moving up, frequently running pick-and-rolls with Iverson and Rondo, adding tactical variations to the team.

Gan Guoyang also hit a crucial three-pointer, helping Glory to overtake the score and regain the lead.

Rondo not only controlled the fast breaks well, but his wide-range passing in the half-court and bold drive-and-kick plays enlivened the whole team’s offense.

Yao Ming also played more flexibly, continuously dunking in cooperation with Rondo under the basket.

Throughout the third quarter, Rondo played for 7 minutes, contributing 4 points, 5 assists, and 2 steals.

His performance was very dazzling.

Moreover, his defense was excellent, like a fearless calf attacking a tiger, tenaciously guarding Nash.

Usually good-tempered, Nash couldn’t hold back toward the end of the third quarter and almost got into a fight with Rondo.

The Suns gradually became impatient, entering the fourth quarter with Glory leading by 7 points.

Gan Guoyang sat on the bench, as the Suns played more hastily in the bench rotation, with Babosa, Hill, and others rushing with the ball.

But with Mutombo guarding the basket, Glory steadied through the rotation, and Gan Guoyang returned to the court.

Gan Guoyang went back to the low post, using his strong low-post threat to stir up the Suns’ defense.

Gan Guoyang was very patient, no longer a tiger leaping out but a crocodile lurking.

He paid close attention to observe, finding reasonable opportunities.

When the double-team came, he passed to the perimeter.

A simple hand-off outside, the ball was given to Bell.

The right corner was completely open, Bell took the three-pointer and made it.

This was Bell’s first three-pointer of the night.

The lead expanded to 10 points, and the situation became precarious for the Suns.

The impatience spread, though the Suns didn’t need to be so anxious.

However, facing Ah Gan’s team, once the gap widens, it’s hard to stay calm.

Hill wanted to step up to save the dire situation, but facing the young and strong Gerald Wallace, his isolations became ineffective.

Stoudemire also couldn’t break through Gan Guoyang’s tenacious defense.

When Yao Ming took the court at this time, with ample stamina, he continuously scored with hooks, turnaround jumpers, and long shots, people realized this team, ranked fourth in the Western Conference during the regular season, indeed had a formidable lineup and strength.

The Suns returned to relying on Nash’s old path.

Nash started to attack on his own, but how could he alone resist Glory’s all-around performance?

One could say that Rondo’s appearance in the third quarter was a divine move, revitalizing Glory.

Conversely, the Suns’ Diaw did not have the same impact.

After his peak in ’06 and getting a big contract, Diaw indulged during the summer of ’06.

He didn’t train, enjoyed his vacation, and his body fat skyrocketed, leading to mediocre performances throughout the 06-07 season.

Although the talent was still there, with Stoudemire’s return, his playing space became increasingly limited.

In this series, he faced the likes of Gan Guoyang and Yao Ming in the paint.

Having no solutions, D Antoni could only pace back and forth on the sidelines, his face full of anxiety.

Hill gave it his all, completing a gliding dunk in a fast break.

But looking at the score, the Suns were already trailing Glory by 11 points.

Gerald Wallace received a hand-off assist from Gan Guoyang, charged into the basket, and dunked successfully.

This play brought the atmosphere to a climax.

The Suns continued to resist, but Nash’s threes were no longer accurate.

Rondo continued to be heavily used in the fourth quarter, focusing on guarding Nash closely.

As time ticked away, Glory finally took the third win of the series with a score of 118:102, an 8-point advantage.

The overall score was 2:1 in the lead.

Two days later, this number became 3:1.

Glory won another game at home, with a similar process, resulting in the same outcome.

It was still a team victory, with 6 players scoring in double figures, and Rondo contributing 7 assists once again.

Glory is just one step away from the finals, and they seem increasingly like a championship team.