Thunder 2-0 Timberwolves: CNY, Space and Defense

Thunder 2-0 Timberwolves.

Two consecutive games, the Thunder won the defense of the small team in the third quarter.

Dotter slapped the referee in the beginning and then made his teammate Jewei fall down: just entered the first round of the year, and he first defended the referee and teammates at the beginning.

"This is the only thing that can be done for a while?"

"Don't play this game."

The Thunder's main goal at the beginning was shrinking, causing Randle to make 0 of 4 shots in the first quarter, and he scored a goal in the near basket and was defeated.

But in the first quarter, the Timberwolves have a way.

The unilateral pressure of the Thunder sign, surrounding Edwards, the Timberwolves naturally knew.

Watts then entered the game with his own body: you can hit me below the free throw line; if you break through on the line, will you close the weak side and make up for me? Then come and surround me!

Edwards, in the first quarter, held the ball continuously and started to find the weak side bottom corner: McDan is waiting for the ball there. Watz hit the basket five times and scored 3 assists. The Timberwolves made 5 of 11 three-pointers. More than once, Edwards turned to the left bottom corner on the right, and his teammates broke through the bottom line and then turned back to the right, and then opened up again and again.

Conley also targeted the Thunder's pseudo-23 joint defense and contraction, sending a free long shot. The Thunder's assisted in the first quarter was excessive and was thrown away by the Timberwolves.

But there is also a way for the Thunder to attack: Gobert waits for Alexander at the basket, so Alexander asks Harten to throw, Chett bullies Randall from the back goal, and Jewe makes a continuous mid-range shot after defending and receiving the ball on the weak side.

Alexander showed his details: facing McDann, he played with a high-pitched shot, and Divincenzo, and he made a flip-fighting shot: These two shots were very Kobe/Wade.

The most critical measure:

Gobert immediately hit the Timberwolves inside, and Reed was beaten to death.

Thunder means: You have to keep Gobert! Clog your own inside line!

Gobert is the Timberwolves' best defender - and the Thunder's best defender.

He is there, the Timberwolves space is not open, and Randall cannot be open.

In the second quarter, the Timberwolves continued to use a large number of strong and weak sides to deal with the Thunder's pressure, and the defense was on the joint defense: then Jewe made a mid-range shot, Chett shot long shot, and Caruso went to the middle distance as the support axis.

Chet once went to defend Divencenzo, and Caruso went to defend Randall: This is a replica of Chet defending Braun and Caruso went to defend Jokic in the last round.

"Divinzenzo and Braun can't kill us. Caruso can make your pork belly unable to start, even if you break in, there is Chet." At the end of the second quarter, the two key rounds:

Edwards was first led by Jewe, and he looked for a replacement to face Chet, but Gobert was there, and he couldn't open the space and attacked the basket, but Chet was defended until he didn't touch the basket.

Words could have taken the basket straight without Gobert; but Gobert is there, Words must turn around and face Chet.

turned around, Alexander scored a long shot, opening 6 points.

The situation is understood at this time:

- Gobert is there, and Words cannot break through comfortably, and the space is blocked. Gobert is the Thunder's best defender.

—Gobert is not here, the Thunder can enter and exit the Timberwolves' inside at will. The Timberwolves dared not let go of Gobert.

- The Thunder used the rotation today, although it was not as extreme as Thibodeau next door, but basically five starters + Caruso + Carson, Kenway, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe used less - we don't want three points, we will fight for defense with you.

Attack? Look at the distance.

The Timberwolves tried to attack the inside in the third quarter, and Coach Ma Dai made a bold move:

played for 4 minutes in the third quarter, and Caruso replaced Chet. Single tower array.

This move failed at first, Randall immediately took Caruso one, Jewe had a weak side three-pointer and a counterattack shot, but Edwards and McDan made consecutive layups:

That means, I dare not put Gobert down, and you are not allowed to play single towers!

But the Timberwolves' luck ended here.

Medan and Reed lost three points in a row. The Timberwolves tried to find Randall to take the inside, but Alexander went around and Dortmund copied, and Alexander counterattacked with his left hand to score a three-pointer.

The Timberwolves still tried to transfer the strong and weak side, but the Thunder's small team kept up and Caruso counterattacked and made a layup.

Divincenzo made another mistake and was replaced by Alexander. This ball was already transferred to the position on the weak side, but Alexander did not go to the basket and made a direct mid-range shot.

Finally, the Timberwolves attacked Alexander, Caruso took the lead in the interim to feed Carson a long shot, and Chet counterattacked and dunked, and scored 17 points.

The fourth quarter is Watz's last effort and Jewish's time to control the game. The last suspense moment was that the Timberwolves chased after 11 points, McDan pushed back and attacked, Jewe made a Pippon-like copy, and then made up the ball that Chet did not dunk.

Thunder will not attack if they hit the double tower, and they will easily be attacked by the inside.

The Timberwolves cannot attack on the attack, and the bottom of the Gobert is easily taken to the inside.

In the last game, the Thunder used Kenway and Dott to deal with Randall, and the Timberwolves could not chew on the Thunder's small ball formation, and the Thunder blitzed and pulled it away.

Today, the Thunder used up all arrangements, making the Timberwolves afraid to attack Gobert; after overdue the assisting defense in the first quarter, they blocked the Timberwolves' inside line, took Randall, leaving the Timberwolves with only three points left to take over.

The Timberwolves' three-pointer was cold, and the Thunder's small ball team accelerated and counterattacked, and they were exhausted.

Of course, Coach Ma Dai is also bold enough:

Even though Caruso has excellent defense and is good at breaking the joint defense, he is really brave to play with him in the third quarter.

Jewe today, the best game of the playoffs this season. In addition to the usual weak side long shots and raids, there are also several mid-range shots possessed by Joe Johnson. The rebounds were collected, the defender, and the ball-brushing counterattack in the fourth quarter that killed the suspense.

Randall today, the first time this season's playoff score was not double. He and Gobert didn't make the Thunder pay the price, so the team could only count on long shots and Watts. The long shot became cold, and the Thunder ball array was shaking up, so it opened.

Alexander scored 38 points, 8 assists and 3 steals, and 32 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists against Wats.

Watts won the first quarter: his three assists and repeated transfers to the weak side in the first quarter led the Timberwolves' offensive.

In the second half of the second quarter, the two tied, but Alexander took the lead in the third quarter and opened the gap by 9 points in the half quarter. Wats caught up in the fourth quarter, which was too late.

Wats made 26 shots, 9 three-pointers and 9 baskets today.

Alexander made 21 shots, 2 three-pointers, and 2 baskets.

Watzs is the third most close in the league this season vs Alexander (the top two are DeRozan and Durant).

Edwards has the most three-pointers this season, at the cost of mid-range regression compared to previous seasons. "In order to find three points to reduce the middle distance", the last one is... Tatum?

Nash previously mentioned an interesting topic: those who are good at finding opportunities in China-selling can constantly regain their rhythm and confidence through China-selling, so a large number of experts in China-selling can slowly return even if they are cold and play with iron. Three points, it depends more on luck.

Edwards made a breakthrough in the first quarter, and was later separated from the penalty area. It was not until he was pulled apart by 17 points in the third quarter that he began to find a living in the middle distance. The Thunder and the Timberwolves didn't make any three-pointers in the second half of today, and the one who opened the gap was China National Investment Corporation.

The three-point difference between the two sides was half a pound, 28% to 27%. Words made 1 of 9 three-pointers.

But two-pointer mid-range shot/shot outside the penalty area: The Thunder made 20 of 37 shots. Timberwolves made 13 of 26 shots.

Old topic: In this era, three-pointers and basketball are the standard features for holding the ball to attract pincer attacks.

But to win in the playoffs, you still have to have a mid-range shot.