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Chapter 718 - 305. Slay the truth, defeat the White Devil!

Chapter 718: 305. Slay the truth, defeat the White Devil!

During the regular time, the three stars of the perimeter would alternate on the court, accompanied by Childress, a capable substitute, or a lagging substitute; the two starting inside players would take turns playing, with a physically strong substitute; defense was up to fate, and offense depended entirely on the three stars.

After half a dozen plays, Carlisle had seen right through the Hawks’ tactics. There was no technical content at all, just simple and crude.

But with Bibby, Joe Johnson, and Pierce forming a perimeter trio of stars...

In 2004, at the age of 26, Bibby entered his prime and became a first-rate scorer averaging over 20 points per game. During the 04-05 season he averaged 20+6, and in the early 05-06 season he was averaging 23 points and 5 assists. After trading for Artest, he reduced his number of shots, ending the season with an average of 21 points and 5.4 assists. Last season, with Kevin Martin’s rising to become an over 20-points scorer, Bibby’s average number of shots dropped to a new low in four years, and his scoring slipped to 17.6 points. However, if you need him to take charge, he still could.

Joe Johnson last season shot 47% and averaged 25 points a game, among the top scorers;

As for Pierce, no need to mention, he had been a top scorer averaging over 25 points in the past two seasons, and for five out of the past seven seasons.

For the past three seasons, Bibby has been swinging the ball; since arriving at the Hawks, Joe Johnson has been swinging it; from the time Pierce entered the NBA, he’s been swinging it.

Betty’s suggested play style was something the trio could master quickly.

And the other two were able to play without the ball, actively coordinating, producing performances that most teams with mediocre defense would find difficult to limit effectively.

Isn’t it ironic? The Knight team is just that team with mediocre defense.

With a clear game strategy, Pierce and Bibby led the Hawks to hold on to the score! They didn’t let the Knight extend their lead further!

Pierce played 10 minutes in the second quarter, scoring 8 points and 1 assist;

Bibby played for over 3 minutes in the first half of the second quarter, was substituted by Asi Lao for a 5-minute rest, and came back at the end of the quarter to play for over 3 minutes more, totaling 5 points, 2 assists, and 1 steal.

Asi Lao, the guard selected at the 11th pick in the first round by the Hawks this year, hardly had any playing time before Christmas because he lacked the capability to create his scoring opportunities in the summer league and preseason. Most of the advantages he displayed during his senior year in the NCAA vanished in the adult world of basketball, and were not suited for the previous group of forwards on the Hawks.

Now being used more like an ornament, his performance was actually not too bad. As a 22-year-old college graduate rookie, he had good awareness for moving and finding space. Although he lacked a three-pointer, he scored a long two-pointer upon receiving the ball, his ball-handling was stable... and surprisingly, his defense was good, decent movement, strong in confrontations. Defending against substitute Jarett Jack one-on-one, he rarely got out of position, earning 2 points, 1 assist, and 1 steal in 5 minutes, without being a drag.

Joe Johnson came back after a 3-minute rest and played for 9 minutes, scoring 4 points on 2 out of 5 shots, and adding 2 assists.

Under the leadership of the three stars, the Hawks scored 30 points in the second quarter, catching fire!

On the Knight’s side, they played a team-oriented offense. Zhang Yang didn’t try to outdo the three on the other side with one-on-one plays, dueling Joe, or the kaleidoscopic Pierce... he felt assured only in one-on-one against Bibby.

It’s mainly because of the Hawks’ defense. By seizing the timing of screens and back-cuts, moving a bit more gave him the chance to catch the ball and shoot. Why bother competing in one-on-one with the opposing team?

In the last moments of the first half, Zhang Yang faced off against Joe Johnson, stepping back for a long two-pointer that went in. Then, Joe Johnson retaliated by pulling up for a three-pointer against Zhang Yang, which he missed... At the end of the half, the Knight led the Hawks by 8 points, 60 to 52!

Entering the halftime break, Felton looked at the big screen and said, "Bibby, Johnson, Pierce, that outside combination is really strong! We played so well in the second quarter, and we still lost by 1 point."

Hill said, "Actually, we have the overall advantage. I remember that out of their 30 points in the second quarter, 20 were scored while Bibby was on the court, and Bibby played almost half the quarter. In the other half, they only scored 10 points, while our scoring was very even, much more stable than theirs. If any one of their all-stars doesn’t play well, we can quickly widen the score gap."

Zhang Yang: You’ve got a great attitude, Hill.

Indeed, having played only the equivalent of two seasons over seven, one would have retired early if not mentally strong.

Hill continued, "However, this also means that as long as they bolster their roster of role players, they will be particularly strong. They will be one of our strongest competitors over the next three or four years. I think they’re more of a threat to us than the Magic or the Knights. What do you think, Jack?"

Zhang Yang, being called on, responded, "That’s exactly right; the East can be a little more exciting. Maybe it will even be more advantageous for us."

Hill: "Right, the Hawks have a strong championship potential, and those teams in the East won’t just focus on us afterward."

Okafor: "Exactly."

Little Fat Old Boss: I kind of don’t understand, but it doesn’t matter, just nod along...

...

Coming back from halftime, the third quarter began, and the Knight team launched a fierce attack!

For various reasons, the team had embraced offensive basketball. Carlisle was a member of a championship team from the ’80s. He didn’t play much but watched a lot.

He knew well that in offensive basketball, one couldn’t just play defensively upon gaining an advantage, but instead had to strike more actively.

Facing the onslaught led by Zhang Yang and Okafor, the Hawks were subdued in the first half of the third quarter, and the Knight scored 19 to 13 points, expanding their lead to 14 by the middle of the third quarter at 79 to 65 against the Hawks.