Chapter 117 116. Jack steals the ball!

After the intermission, Zhang Yang sat on the sidelines to rest and watched Felton and his teammates take to the court.

He didn't feel tired tonight and his playing time was about the same as usual, averaging a little over 6 minutes in each of the first three quarters. His task tonight was simple and clear.

Not only him, most of the Bobcats' players tonight did not work as hard as they did the last time they played against the Cavaliers.

The main reason is Okafor's return.

For players like Gerald Wallace, the pressure on offense and rim protection has been reduced dramatically.

Perkins, who was responsible for helping Felton defend James under the basket, no longer had to worry about physical strength and defended better than last time.

The pressure on Gerald Wallace to protect the rim was reduced, and Kareem Rush, who was not as good at defense, was able to defend the opponent's two main shooting guards, Ronald Murray and Pavlovic, as well as Keith Bogans. The two took turns on the court to ensure the continuity of the defense at this point, preventing the Cavaliers' outside shooting from blossoming.

In addition, head coach Bickerstaff personally adjusted the defense and improved the defensive style that Zhang Yang borrowed from Van Gundy. Everyone has their own responsibilities, and there is less to do.

There was only one player on the Bobcats who really felt exhausted - Felton.

Like James, he played the entire first three quarters and also scored points in the third quarter.

However, Felton, who continued to start in the fourth quarter, was still excited.

James means a lot to Felton. Even if he doesn't like James, he still regards James as a leader among the players who entered the NBA at the same time.

Felton doesn't want to miss the opportunity to lead the team to defeat James!

At the beginning of the fourth quarter, Felton led Kareem Rush, Gerald Wallace, Jumaine Jones and Okafor to continue fighting with James.

This time, James returned directly to the more familiar point guard position, with three pitchers, Pavlovic, Luke Jackson, and Donyell Marshall, as well as inside swingman Gooden.

In fact, last season, James was still playing the point guard role. Although they brought in Snow in the summer of 04, Snow was still getting familiar with how to partner with James, a ball-handling guard who had no three-point shots and no mid-range shots after confrontation.

With Snow as a "supporting point guard", it has become easier for James to organize the offense, and the Cavaliers' style of play is no longer James's pure breakthrough and scoring. Damon Jones, who is Snow's substitute, also learns to pass the ball after receiving the ball like Snow, and can get 2 assists per game. The two point guards average 6 assists per game, which is higher than most teams that do not use point guards as the tactical core!

Now that James has returned to the point guard position, the Cavaliers' offense has returned to the pure one-star and four-shooter style of the past two seasons.

This style of play is extremely dependent on the personal ability of the breakthrough player. The advantage is that the shooter is very accurate and can feed back to James who is breaking through, giving James better space to break through and score.

But once the outside shooters miss the shot, it becomes very difficult for the breakthrough players to play.

James was very unlucky this time, and the Cavaliers' poor performance in the third quarter continued into the final quarter!

4 minutes before the final quarter, the Cavaliers scored 1 field goal relying solely on James' counterattack!

Fortunately, Mike Brown was well prepared for this game and did a good job defending counterattacks in the first three quarters, especially in the third quarter. They missed so many shots in positional battles and did not allow the Bobcats to seize too many opportunities. If Felton had not exploded and scored two three-pointers in the third quarter, they would have overtaken the score and taken the lead.

Shots continued to be inaccurate in the final quarter, and the Cavaliers continued to do a good job defending counterattacks.

However, the Bobcats did not seize the opportunity to widen the gap, and their poor long-range shooting from the wing in the third quarter continued into the final quarter.

Felton was unable to continue to soar. Mike Brown put James in the point guard position. In addition to taking the extreme approach of playing with one star and four shooters, he also wanted to limit Felton's long shots.

Mike Brown doesn't understand offense, but he has a keen sense of smell and strong judgment in defense. The Cavaliers' defense is poor this season, not because of his poor ability, but because the core of the outside line of the defensive system he built before the start of the season was seriously injured and could not play for several months. In the first 20 games, they only lost 92 points, which is top defense.

Mike Brown anticipated that the opponent's long-range shooting might not be good, so he tightened his defense.

Although James cannot defend against breakthroughs, when his teammates can shrink back to protect the rim, he only needs to defend three-pointers. With his height, wingspan, mobility, jumping speed, and bounce, he can be said to be the nemesis of the shooter with the ball!
In the first four minutes, the Bobcats only scored two points with a tip-in from Okafor, but Bickerstaff also emphasized counterattack defense during the intermission, allowing James to score only one goal.

At 4 minutes and 06 seconds into the game, Ronald Murray, who came on as a substitute, received the ball and shot a three-pointer which hit the rim and bounced high, then bounced twice on the backboard. The referee blew the whistle, signaling the shot was out of bounds and the Bobcats had the ball.

In more than 4 minutes, both teams only scored 2 points, and the basket seemed to be covered. Fans who had just turned on the TV to watch the live broadcast thought they had bought the wrong live broadcast and bought the game between the Pistons and the Spurs.

Taking advantage of the dead ball, Bickerstaff replaced Zhang Yang and Keith Bogans with pitchers Kareem Rush and Jumaine Jones, while Felton, Gerald Wallace and Okafor continued to play.

In fact, he had wanted to substitute Zhang Yang a long time ago, but once he substituted Zhang Yang this time, he would basically not be substituted again. This was a test of Zhang Yang's physical strength. He had to chase and defend the pitcher, seize opportunities to counterattack, and attack with the ball or run to support in positional battles.

Fortunately, they stabilized the situation through defense in the past 4 minutes, but if they continue like this, it will be very disadvantageous for them.

James on the opposite side was like a monster. He rushed with all his strength on the offensive end and consumed a lot of physical strength on the defensive end due to his bad defensive habits. However, he was still full of energy. When the counterattack opportunity came, he rushed faster than anyone else. If the game continued to drag on, the game would be overtaken by James sooner or later.

We must score a goal! We must break the deadlock!

Then they can only rely on the only high school rookie in their team who has relatively stable mid-range scoring ability.

On the other side, Mike Brown did not make any substitutions. Sometimes, not understanding offense can be a "good thing". He is not anxious about offense now. He can just point his finger at James and he doesn't need to worry about it.

As the game continued, the Bobcats fell into a positional offense.

Gerald Wallace broke through with the ball, Zhang Yang shook off Luke Jackson's fight and ran to the left baseline of the three-second zone to receive the ball, and took a long two-point shot... missed!
Unfortunately, Zhang Yang was also one of the Bobcats who missed shots in the third quarter.

Fortunately, the Bobcats did a good job of retreating. Keith Bogans moved to the power forward position to defend Donyell Marshall. The Bobcats had one big player and four small players, so they could defend against fast breaks more quickly.

After advancing to the center line, James slowed down, engaged in a positional battle, broke through and passed the ball...his teammates missed the shot.

After James passed the ball, he retreated directly to defend Zhang Yang's fast break with Luke Jackson.

The Bobcats, the fans at the stadium, and even the fans in front of the TV have all become accustomed to Felton's ability to "single-handedly defend" James, and James himself has "accepted" this fact.

However, after James "accepted" the game, his thinking became clearer. When Felton followed him, he passed the ball. If Felton was slower, he tried to attack the basket. He played better than when he was in the "unacceptable" state in the first half.

By the end of the quarter, James was no longer so anxious about his teammates' missed shots and waited patiently for opportunities.

Watching James play at this age, you can really feel the talent coming at you. He is so outstanding, and it seems that you can see him improving at any time.

In the next offensive and defensive round, Zhang Yang missed another mid-range shot, and James also missed a tentative three-pointer.

Almost halfway through the fourth quarter, the score was still 2-2, and the fans at the scene were getting impatient.

It was the Bobcats' turn to attack again, and James couldn't wait any longer. Seeing Zhang Yang using the wing screen to shake off Donyell Marshall's switch defense and come to the left baseline to receive the ball, James began to move higher, ready for a fast break.

Zhang Yang has missed two shots in a row, and James feels that the third shot will definitely not go in, because he will not shoot again after missing two three-point shots in a row, so the third shot will definitely go in.

but……

Zhang Yang, who missed two consecutive mid-range shots from the left side of the three-second zone, made the shot!

The Bobcats were the first to break the scoring drought! 87 to 84, the Bobcats led by 3 points!
Now the Cavaliers are panicking!
Although James was anxious, he did not panic. He did not shoot three-pointers randomly, but calmly broke through and passed the ball. However, Donyell Marshall, who received the ball, faced with Gerald Wallace's defense, and anxiously chose to force a shot... but was poked by Gerald Wallace who jumped high!
The ball flew towards the basket...and just as it entered the free throw line, it fell from the air.

Gooden rushed out to grab the ball...but was caught by the faster Felton.

Felton took a few steps and passed the ball!

Zhang Yang received the ball and continued to sprint under the pursuit of Luke Jackson.

James rushed back, ready to chase the block, but he hesitated whether to go straight to the basket to block Zhang Yang, or follow up with Gerald Wallace who was fast running after the block.

Zhang Yang rushed to the left side of the three-second zone. Luke Jackson, who was actively retreating, blocked him on the left sideline of the three-second zone. Zhang Yang grabbed the ball with his right hand and pushed it to the right at a 45-degree angle.

James immediately blocked Gerald Wallace who was following him to the right and entered the three-point line, trying to steal the ball and counterattack. But Zhang Yang grabbed the ball tightly with his big hands, swung it upwards in a semicircle, and took a European step and stepped out.

Luke Jackson caught up with the first step, but Zhang Yang relied on the "Devil's Step of the Demon Sword" and took the second step as fast as the first!

Luke Jackson couldn't keep up with the Eurostep, and Zhang Yang was so fast that he was distracted and Zhang Yang disappeared in front of him.

Looking back, Zhang Yang had already landed in front of the basket, and the basketball also fell out of the basket at the same time.

The Cavaliers called a timeout! The time was up, and this timeout automatically became an official timeout.

半节比分6比2，山猫队以89比84领先骑士队5分进入官方暂停！
The fans at the scene cheered wildly and shouted "Jack" loudly.

Seeing Zhang Yang miss two shots in a row, the fans at the scene were worried, thinking that Zhang Yang didn't dare to shoot anymore. As a result, Zhang Yang continued to shoot decisively and made it!

Not only did he seize the opportunity when the Cavaliers were defending so tightly against fast breaks, he used a fake move to deceive James who had already retreated to the three-second zone, and completed a counterattack and scored!

This ability to withstand pressure, patience, and the ability to respond in fast breaks... Cleveland has James, and Charlotte also has Jack!
...

After the official timeout, the Bobcats replaced Perkins and Okafor to form a twin tower, while Felton, Zhang Yang and Gerald Wallace continued to play on the outside.

The Cavaliers replaced their starting lineup with Snow, Ronald Murray, James, Gooden and Big Z coming on the court.

We must continue to enter the iron-making war.

With Big Z on the court to protect the rim and the highly mobile Gooden on the side, it was difficult for the Bobcats to score without a wing three-point shooter.

Felton carried the game for more than 40 minutes and could not even make a three-pointer from long range. He could only rely on Gerald Wallace and Okafor to drive inside and Zhang Yang to seize mid-range shots and counterattack opportunities, but both sides did not play well.

The Cavaliers' positional offense was just as bad. Ronald Murray was followed by Zhang Yang. Gooden's mediocre mid-range shot was no longer in his hand due to the physical fight. Snow's long-range shot was out of the question. Only Big Z's mid-range shot was stable, but Big Z had poor mobility and could only catch the ball and shoot from a fixed point...

James could only break through again and again. Even though he couldn't make the shot, he chose to persist. The score was still close and he didn't want to give up.

The main reason is that he is unwilling to accept it!
He is KING James! The son of America! The future black leader who vows to replace Iverson!
How could he allow this newly formed team on the opposite side to trample on his dignity!

Perseverance and not giving up will eventually pay off!
After the two sides were tied at 3-3 for 3 minutes, the defensive performance began to decline as their physical strength declined.

On the Bobcats side, Felton, who played for 45 minutes, began to fall behind James.

James exhausted Felton to death!

At 9 minutes and 11 seconds in the final quarter, James successfully "exhausted" Felton, broke into the basket, attacked the basket in three steps... and made a layup!
89 to 92, the Cavaliers narrowed the gap to 3 points!
On the Cavaliers side, the physical problem is more serious. Gooden has played for 40 minutes, Big Z has played for 28 minutes, Snow is old and has poor physical strength, Ronald Murray's defense can only be said to be average, and James is still relying on instinct to defend.

When the Bobcats attacked, Zhang Yang ran around the post to receive the ball, but was blocked by Snow. He did not step back and shoot. Seeing the opponent's position in the inside, he decisively passed the ball. Gerald Wallace cut in, received the ball and made a layup... He was fouled and made both free throws!

94 to 89, the Bobcats continued to maintain a 5-point lead.

When the Cavaliers attacked, Felton really couldn't run anymore and couldn't keep up with James' breakthrough. Okafor retreated early and teamed up with Perkins to double-team James for a layup. James passed the ball... Big Z received the ball and made a mid-range shot!

The last time Zhang Yang broke the deadlock, both sides failed to take advantage of that opportunity to start offense. After he scored two goals in a row, the Cavaliers called a timeout.

This time James broke the deadlock, and both sides seemed to have turned on the offensive valve and started scoring goals continuously.

At this time, the advantage of James' personal ability was reflected. He then made a breakthrough jump shot and assisted Damon Jones, who replaced Snow, with a three-pointer.

The Bobcats played well offensively in these rounds and scored 6 points.

But the Cavaliers got 9 points!
With 11 minutes and 33 seconds left in the final quarter, the Cavaliers narrowed the score to 96 to 98, with the difference only two points, and the Cavaliers had the ball!

The Cavaliers attacked, James advanced to the frontcourt, the person guarding the top arc changed, and he became completely excited!
Jack!

The 17-year-old rookie who broke many of his "youngest records"! The rookie who stole his limelight in a one-on-one duel with Kobe in the All-Star Game! The rookie who a small group of people said was more talented than him!
The fans at the scene were also excited to see Zhang Yang and James facing off, but they were also a little worried. It didn't matter if Felton was hit a few times because he was thick-skinned, but their Jack was only 17 years old. What would happen if he was hit by that rough guy James?
But at this time, all they could do was shout "defense" loudly and cheer for Zhang Yang.

Unlike Felton, Zhang Yang stood in a normal defensive position, one step inside the arc.

James suppressed the corners of his mouth. He was ready to charge forward and crush the 17-year-old rookie in front of him with his body, letting that small group of people see who is the most talented one!

He couldn't just run over Felton because his mound-like body was strong enough to withstand collisions, and he was also too short. If he raised his elbow, he would probably hit his head. But the opponent was so reckless that he didn't dodge. In the first half, he was even hit by a collision while dribbling the ball.

Zhang Yang is different, he has the standard height of a shooting guard, go for him!

James looked towards the basket, as if there was no one in front of him... Let the ritual begin!
Seeing his teammates move to a position where they can execute tactical moves, James accelerated and broke through directly to the right front. At this moment, he could no longer suppress the corners of his mouth and revealed a grim smile...

The confrontation came, but there was no familiar feeling of crushing the thin defender, and the left half of the body only felt a rub.

A "pop" sound reached James' ears, and then his hand hit nothing when he clapped the ball again!
James, who was tilting his head back with his nose pointed at Zhang Yang, didn't notice that when he started to break through to the right, Zhang Yang went directly around him behind the left!
Zhang Yang slapped the ball that bounced up after James slapped it from behind, grabbed it, and counterattacked!
The fans at the scene were instantly ignited and shouted "gogogo" crazily!
Bill Walton, the commentator for Time Warner Cable Sports, was also shouting the words that only old Celtics fans can feel familiar with - "Steal! Jack stole the ball!"

Rush!
Zhang Yang tried his best to rush to the front court!
After entering the free throw line, Zhang Yang grabbed the ball and took two steps to jump up. Layup? No! He jumped up with all his strength and slammed the ball into the basket with one hand!

The fans at the scene exclaimed when Zhang Yang raised the ball, and then burst into cheers!
Just as Zhang Yang slammed the ball into the basket, a hand stretched out from above his head... but it missed!

After James was intercepted and missed the ball, he stumbled and almost fell, then he turned around and chased after the attacker angrily, and he actually caught up with him!

If Zhang Yang hesitated when taking three steps, or chose to layup instead of dunk, he would be blocked by James!

末节11分46秒，比分100比96，山猫队领先4分！
The Cavaliers called a timeout, arranged a three-pointer tactic, committed a tactical foul, and tried to either miss the opponent's free throw and make a buzzer-beater, or go on a 6-2 run to tie the score and force overtime, which is a routine operation when trailing by 4 points in just over ten seconds.

But the Cavaliers failed to score after the timeout. This time, James was left open at the top of the arc by Felton who came back to defend, but he did not shoot and passed the ball to Damon Jones, who missed the three-pointer under Zhang Yang's close defense... When he was a fan, Zhang Yang did not understand why James did not shoot such a key shot, but when they really played against each other, he could understand it.

For the 21-year-old James, he would definitely not be able to make a three-pointer at the last moment. Shooting hard would be a waste of opportunity. He should give the shot to teammates with better three-point ability... Of course, this is an understandable choice only for the 21-year-old James.

After Damon Jones missed a three-pointer, Okafor overpowered Gooden and secured the defensive rebound.

Since the ball didn't go in, the Cavaliers naturally stopped fouling. Zhang Yang received the ball from Okafor and pushed the ball across half court without further play.

If he was scoring close to 30 points, he would fake a casual dribble to the other side's three-point line and pretend to throw it at the end of the game...but with only 22 points, it was unnecessary.

At 8:24 pm, the final whistle sounded.

James made 31 of 13 shots, including 7 of 2 three-pointers, and 8 of 6 free throws, for 34 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals and 5 turnovers. His performance tonight was much better than the last time he played against the Bobcats. He played more patiently and made more changes.

But being forced to the low post and unable to score, and even unable to attract a double-team in a one-on-one back-to-back situation against Felton, became the key to the Cavaliers' loss!

张杨19投8中，其中三分球2中1，加上6中5的罚球，拿到22分3板3助攻3抢断。

费尔顿19分5助攻，单场投进4个三分球；杰拉德-华莱士18分7板5助攻1抢断4盖帽；奥卡福16分14板、布雷泽克12分7板、帕金斯2分5板……

100 to 96, the Bobcats narrowly defeated the Cavaliers and won the first five-game winning streak in team history!

After the final whistle sounded, with more than 20 seconds left in the game, James, who was already thinking about what to say when he hugged the Bobcats players after the game, quickly walked towards the player tunnel.

Anger and resentment filled his heart.

If his three-point shooting could be a little more accurate, he would have missed so many open three-point shooting opportunities, and the ones he did shoot missed 5 times.

If only he could be more accurate in his post-up play...

When he walked into the player tunnel, he turned to look at Zhang Yang and Felton who were surrounded by his teammates... He remembered these two rookies!
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(End of this chapter)