Chapter 327: Storm (1)

Pierce’s runaway in the second quarter made O’Brien a headache. He thought that Artest and Stephen Jackson were enough to deal with the former disciple. He didn’t expect Pierce not only to have more proficient offensive skills, but also to experience and feel on the court. Tactical literacy has also been significantly improved. Obviously, Pierce is not fighting alone, the whole team is creating good scoring opportunities for him, so that Artest's strong defense can't find a target, and Stephen Jackson is not Pierce's opponent in one-on-one.
When Pierce hit a mid-range again, O'Brien called a timeout. No matter whether there was any way to stop Pierce, at least he had to stop Pierce's offensive rhythm, otherwise the point difference would only increase.
O'Brien knows that the Pacers are not an offensive team. They are based on defense. Only when the Celtics' offense is restricted can they have a chance to win. But from the current point of view, only a small part of the Celtics' arsenal was exposed, and O'Brien felt that he was in trouble. He constantly emphasized the need to increase the defensive intensity during the timeout, and he did not hesitate to use fouls to disrupt the opponent's offensive rhythm.
"We let our opponents score too many points. Defense is our foundation and the basis of our victory. I don't want us to forget about this and stick to the opponents. Of course I have to play smart on the offensive end. A little bit, increase the success rate and hit more in, but for defense, I still want to emphasize, focus on the defense. If necessary, foul, don’t begrudge your foul.

With a short timeout of 20 seconds, O'Brien didn’t have time to lay out any tactics. He just wanted to remind the players to refocus. He knew that once he was lost in the Boston Garden, on this ancient wooden floor, he would soon be lost. Will be swallowed by the green frenzy. After all, the Celtics on the opposite side had part of his efforts.
"I think Fox should still have a back hand, and the third quarter is the key to victory." After the timeout, returning to the bench, O'Brien heard Vogel next to him say.
O'Brien nodded. He knew Vogel's sense of smell had always been sharp. Last summer, Larry Bird invited him to coach the Pacers. O'Brien insisted that Vogel be his assistant coach. The reason is that Vogel not only has a diligent working attitude, but also has a very clear and clear working idea. As a head coach, he needs such assistants by his side. O'Brien was aware of it as early as the Celtics. At this point.
Now, the Pacers' defense is basically built by Vogel. He focuses on one-on-one defense based on the characteristics of the Pacers. This trick he performed in the Celtics, but to the Pacers, he further carried forward this defense, because most of the Pacers players are strong and strong, individual defense ability is very strong. Vogel believes that if the purpose of offense is to integrate the players, then the purpose of defense is to isolate and divide the opponent.
Therefore, Vogel emphasizes focusing on his own defenders and emphasizes the details of the defense. Co-defense, rotation, and supplementary defense are not common in the Pacers' defense. Everyone performs their own defensive duties. This is Vogel's Defensive style.
Sure enough, after the game restarted, the Pacers stabilized their position and O'Brien replaced Miller. Although Miller did not score a goal, he attracted Bell’s defense and gave Artest a one-on-one opportunity. , Pierce succeeded in the low post, breaking the team's scoring shortage.
Next, the Celtics always maintained a lead of about 5 points. Pierce closed the knife and no longer let go of the offense. At the same time, Leon also replaced Reed again and shifted the offensive focus to the inside, adding Brown and With Garnett's shot, the two sides entered a phase of stalemate.
At the end of the second quarter, the battle between the two sides was 51:47, and the Celtics led by 4 points into the second half. This score can be said to be neither high nor low. The walkers showed a lot of energy, and the Celtics seemed to have a lot of things hidden underwater.
Larry Bird left his seat during the halftime and returned to the Pacers’ dressing room. It seemed that he was satisfied with the team’s performance, and the Pacers’ players experienced the first half matchup. , And it seems that the Celtics are not as terrible as they thought.
"The third quarter will be the key. The Celtics are best at knocking down opponents in the third quarter. So we must be careful, and there can be no relaxation, as long as we can withstand the pressure in the third quarter, or even let the opponents Counterattack, then the balance of the game will fall to us. Continue to stick to our defensive strategy, focus on the people in front of you, do not easily leave." Vogel held the tactical manual in his hand and said to all the players.
Vogel is not only an assistant coach in the Pacers, he also plays the role of communicating with players and giving young people psychological counseling. This is also his usual role positioning, a good guy, a coach who can get along with the players. This is exactly the role that O'Brien played in the Celtics back then, and now he has given this job to Vogel, to be a black face himself, to control the restless boys of the Pacers.
Sometimes O'Brien is also grateful to Fox Leon. If it weren’t for his old punch at the Conseco Arena that year, the Pacers team was dizzy. These young people still don’t know how high and low the sky is. , I don’t know what will happen in the future. Now, with this pass, when facing the Celtics, everyone will bite their teeth and play desperately to beat their opponents.
Bird also cheered up the players in the locker room. He said: "I have played here for more than ten years and won three championships~EbookFREE.me~ I think it's time for Boston to give me back. I don’t need money or fame, I just want the Pacers to take a victory here."
Bird's words made the atmosphere in the dressing room suddenly relaxed. Artest shouted "Walk will win." Jermaine O'Neal stood up and raised his right arm in the middle of the dressing room. Everyone gathered around. O'Neal raised his hand to symbolize the unity of the team and vow to win the first game.
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On the other hand, after the Boston Celtics rest, Leon put away his tactical book and returned to the court with the players.
"It seems that the morale of the Pacers is very high." Carlisle looked at the Pacers already standing on the field and said. As someone who has been in the NBA for decades, he can see the momentum of a team at a glance. . The Pacers’ players are obviously high-spirited. They were not discouraged by 4 points in the first half. On the contrary, this has exceeded many people’s expectations, because a considerable number of people think that facing the Celtics, the Pacers had it in the first half. It may crash.
Now, not only have they not collapsed, they are also playing inextricably, and the second half will be the moment to decide the victory.
Leon sat on the bench. At this moment, he wanted to smoke a cigar. He said: "Death is sometimes not terrible. The terrible thing is knowing when you will die, and then countdown in fear and waiting for death. I Knowing what Vogel and O'Brien were thinking about, they thought they had gotten our line, and they had to hold on in the third quarter..."
Leon knew exactly what Vogel and O'Brien thought about. After 24 minutes of the first half, Leon was still sticking to his established policy. He wanted O'Brien and Vogel Understand, the real strength is that you know that I am here to kill you, but there is still no way to stop it