Chapter 215: Regret coming

Antoine Walker played so hard for the first time in this year's playoffs. He scored 24 points in three quarters, grabbed 7 rebounds and sent 2 blocks. Although his field goal percentage is not particularly high, he made 7 of 17 shots and only two three-pointers, but he got 10 free throws and caused Ben Wallace to foul three times. In last year's playoffs, the Eastern Conference finals faced the New Jersey Nets. In the crucial battle of Tianwangshan and the sixth game on the verge of elimination, Walker scored 13 points for 5 of 20 and 16 points for 7 of 20. It's not bad.
Especially in the face of Kenyon Martin's embarrassing performance, Dennis Rodman looked down on him after the game and was not willing to say goodbye to him after the game, because Rodman never looked down on soft players.
Tonight, under Leon's pressure, Walker burst out with powerful energy. Leon could have used the situation to change his tactics, but he still insisted on Walker gritted his teeth. This is both a strategy and a gamble. Leon knows that in the end of the basketball game, it is often the will and momentum of the players, and the blind pursuit of tactics can be counterproductive. At the same time Leon is also betting on Walker's state. Walker did not fully play in the first round. In the face of the 76ers' greatly weakened inside Walker, he did not perform superbly, enough to show that he has not entered the playoffs.
The Celtics want to go further in the playoffs. It is impossible for the team's highest paid player to not fully play. Leon must inspire Antoine Walker's state. Since Carlisle asked Wallace to defend Walker, let Walker find himself in the matchup with Wallace.
If Walker is guarded by Wallace, then the Celtics will be in danger tonight. Losing this game and returning to Boston with a 0:2 disadvantage is really bad luck. Fortunately, Leon won the bet. In the face of the coach's encouragement and constant encouragement, Walker is not a vegetarian. He slowly found a way to deal with Wallace, and inspired blood in the constant confrontation.
By the fourth quarter Walker continued to stabilize his output, Carlisle had to start double-teaming Walker, and once he started double-teaming Walker, it meant that the Pistons' defense began to loosen. In the middle of the fourth quarter, the Celtics made three three-pointers in a positional battle. Reed, Pierce and Arenas each made one. Two of them came from Walker’s assists and the other was also initiated by Walker. related.
When Walker received a pass from Pierce in the final stage of the counterattack and scored his 35th point in the game with a one-handed buckle, he finally couldn't restrain the surging passion in his heart. Roar into the sky on the blue floor! At this time, the Celtics had led the Pistons by 14 points. Less than two minutes before the end of the game, Carlisle reluctantly called a timeout.
Many Pistons loyal fans continue to cheer for the home team on the sidelines, but 14 points in two minutes are too difficult for the Pistons. They are not good at offense and let the Celtics widen the gap in the fourth quarter. A score of 10 or more is their biggest failure.
Pierce did not play super well in this game, but he did a good job of organizing, and sent 7 assists. The Gemini stars once again joined forces on the court. The two were also happy off the court. After the end of the game, Of the haze.
When the buzzer sounded at the end of the game, Leon hugged Walker on the sidelines, 99:85, the Celtics stole a valuable victory in Detroit, they regained home advantage!
"Congratulations, Antoine, you won a valuable victory. Compared with the previous game, what improvements have you made?" In the best player on the sidelines interview after the game, Walker was beaten by Sager. Asked.
"Improved? I played more resolutely. The coach told me to bravely go inside and fight with each other. That's how he guided me. I think I have regained my long-lost feeling. This feeling is great." Walker said. Gasping for a while, he said, he is really desperate tonight.
After the interview, Walker rushed back to the locker room. The Celtics all wanted to celebrate tonight’s victory. Of course, more importantly, after the three-day schedule ended, they could go home. Back to the North Shore Garden, ready to start a new game.
……………………
When Rick Carlisle arrived in Boston with the Pistons on the morning of May 9th, their plane was very punctual. This was the playoffs. All the work was rigorous and meticulous, including the team going to the hotel. The route is planned early.
After losing the crucial second game, the Pistons had to face the loss of home court advantage and had to go to Boston to play Xiaotianwangshan. Last year, the Pistons also met the Celtics in the semifinals. They also won a game first and were swept away by the Celtics in four consecutive games. It was Carlisle's first season coaching the Pistons, and the Celtics' head coach was Carroll.
But Carlisle knew that the Celtics' tactics came from Leon, who was still an assistant coach at the time. I thought Leon would continue their offensive basketball in the playoffs last year, but I don’t know how after becoming the head coach, Leon also began to play a slow-paced defensive basketball in the playoffs, and their quick counterattacks skills Undiminished, when necessary, the offensive end was suddenly used, and the Pistons were taken away in the second game.
After arriving at the hotel, Carlisle turned off his mobile phone. He knew that an old friend would inevitably find him when he arrived in Boston. He has such a deep bond and friendship with the city. But he is unwilling to affect the game and his coaching because of personal feelings.
But during the day, the whole team trained, and in the evening he received a call in the hotel. It was Leon who called and invited him to his house for dinner.
Of course, Carlisle refused. The two armies will face off. Tomorrow will be a very crucial third game. At this time, it is really inconvenient for him to go to the Celtics coach's house for dinner as the Pistons coach. And Carlisle knew that Leon was a scheming guy, good at playing psychological tactics, and didn't know what pit he had dug at his family's banquet.
But Carlisle is a stubborn person, but he eats soft but not hard. Leon repeatedly entangled and made it clear that he would not talk about any topics related to basketball, and only wanted to drink and chat with him. And Leon also said that by the end of the series, one of the two will be eliminated and go home to go fishing. At that time, no matter who loses or wins, they will no longer be in the mood to sit and have a cup of coffee and chat. Rather than that, it is better to take advantage of the big score draw between the two sides, the series has just begun, and the result is confusing.
Carlisle was finally moved by Leon. In fact, he himself was a little bit cautious, wondering if he could find a Celtic flaw in Leon.
After Carlisle agreed, Leon drove to the hotel where the Pistons stayed to pick Carlisle to his home. At home, Leon and Khomeinis had prepared a sumptuous dinner with beef, potatoes, vegetable salad and aroma. Irish-style dishes based on fine wheat bread, paired with warm black tea and a little gin, are really a good dinner on a cool summer night.
Carlisle and Leon were both cautious at first. After all, they were opponents. After eating, they both let go, and they started talking nonchalantly. Leon kept his promise and did not say anything about basketball. Carlisle finally couldn't help but said: "You have changed a lot compared to last year. The Celtics' style in the game seems to have changed. A look, especially the playoffs."
Leon scratched his head and glanced at Carlisle. It seemed like "You talked about basketball first, I didn't break the rules." Then he said: "The head coach and the assistant coach are different after all. I think you are The Pacers and the Pistons must feel different."
Carlisle nodded. He is behind the Pacers and Bird, focusing on tactical training. The relationship between the players and other matters in the team does not need him to worry about. Bird is in front of him~EbookFREE.me ~ That was also a very happy time for him. Later Bird also invited Carlisle to be the head coach of the Pacers, but the Pacers' management was more inclined to Thomas. As a result, Thomas from the Pistons went to the Pacers that Carlisle wanted to go, and Carlisle could only go to Thomas' hometown Pistons.
"I bet that the Pistons will fire you this summer." Leon said to Carlisle all of a sudden. Carlisle didn't react and almost spit out the black tea he had drunk in his mouth.
"Don't talk about basketball, don't tell you, you will beat me in the series, and then the Pistons will fire me, save the kid." Carlisle wiped his mouth in response.
Leon smiled, lowered his voice and said to Carlisle: "I know, Davidson and the group of executives don't like you!"
After speaking, Leon continued to lie on the chair and drink tea, while Carlisle put down the teacup in his hand and bid farewell to Leon. Leon did not hold back, but drove Carlisle back, but Carlisle refused. But after all, it was not convenient for him to take a taxi back, so Leon asked Khomeinis to drive Carlisle back to the hotel.
"Are you going back so early?" Khomeinis asked Carlisle, and Carlisle nodded and said, "I regret coming here...Of course, dinner tonight is perfect." (To be continued.)