Chapter 163 The Pacers win respect, Wang Yan leads the team into the Eastern Conference Finals again!
The Pacers lost Game 1, but were not defeated.

The Cavaliers' previous playoff opponents all played well in the first game and tried their best.

But once the first game fails, it basically collapses.

Whether in terms of mentality or skills and tactics, they were crushed by the Cavaliers.

But the Pacers are different because their head coach Vogel has something.

At the start of Game 2, the Pacers made adjustments on both offense and defense, and their playing style was completely different from the first game.

Stephenson reduced his offense, while George Hill, West and Hibbert played inside and outside, constantly using pick-and-roll to create opportunities.

This style of play is simple and efficient, and can also avoid Wang Yan's defensive range.

The Pacers caught the Cavaliers off guard by using this new tactic.

At the end of the first quarter, the Pacers led by 6 points again.

Although the Pacers also led in the first quarter in G1, the tactics used in the two games were completely different, indicating that Vogel was well prepared for the playoffs.

Cavaliers head coach Scott was a little confused and had no good solution. He could only hope for Wang Yan's efforts.

Wang Yan did not underestimate the enemy. He was surprised by the Pacers' tactics.

Although this tactic is not a new one, the fact that the Pacers players executed it so smoothly and thoroughly does show that Vogel's coaching is very good.

Before the second quarter began, Wang Yan and Scott whispered a few words.

Scott's eyes lit up instantly.

Both sides played with substitutes.

Augustine was in average form today, while Middleton performed brilliantly.

Not only did he make consecutive mid-range shots, but he also put a lot of pressure on the Pacers' bench on the defensive end.

The gap is gradually narrowing.

By the time the main players of both teams returned to the court, the Pacers were only leading by 2 points.

The Pacers' main players were very confident and believed that they could widen the score again.

Unexpectedly, as soon as Wang Yan came on the field, he formed a joint defense formation with his teammates.

The zone defense requires a high level of overall tacit understanding among the defensive team.

If the cooperation is not smooth, it is better to defend one-on-one.

However, Wang Yan attaches great importance to the joint defense tactics in normal training.

Because most of the players on the Cavaliers are rookies, it is unrealistic to expect them to quickly improve their one-on-one defense capabilities in a short period of time.

This has nothing to do with hard work, but has a lot to do with talent and experience.

Some people work hard, but their talent is average and their defensive effectiveness is not good.

For example, Thomas is strong enough and plays very aggressively on defense, but the effect is definitely not good because he is too short...

Therefore, Wang Yan hopes that through tacit joint defense, teammates can make up for each other's weaknesses and form an overall strong defensive force.

The Pacers' main players wanted to disrupt the Cavaliers' defense by moving between the inside and outside lines, just like in the first quarter.

Unexpectedly, the Cavaliers suddenly changed their formation and formed an airtight defensive formation through double-team defense.

Although Paul George wants to use his strong offensive ability to tear apart the Cavaliers' defense.

But the presence of Wang Yan greatly increased the power of the joint defense.

When teammates are not in place, Wang Yan is always able to make up for it in the first time.

The Pacers' offense came to a standstill, and they even failed to find a chance to shoot twice, resulting in a 24-second timeout violation.

On the other hand, on the Cavaliers' side, Wang Yan made an effort and the Pacers couldn't stop him at all.

The Cavaliers quickly took the lead.

Vogel remained calm and called a timeout immediately.

Wang Yan did not get carried away. While encouraging his teammates by high-fiving them, he also reminded everyone that the game was not over yet and they needed to work harder and more aggressively on the defensive end.

Sure enough, after the timeout, the Pacers changed their tactics again.

Vogel had Gao Yuanyuan, Hibbert and David West on both sides of the penalty area, waiting for an opportunity to attack.

No matter which side Wang Yan is defending, as long as you attack on the other side, you can stay away from Wang Yan.

Moreover, neither Hibbert nor West are traditional inside players, they both have shooting range.

Even West's three-point shooting percentage is over 35%.

This double tower tactic was implemented and the score between the two sides was deadlocked again.

Because Wang Yan can only defend one person, TT's defensive ability cannot limit Hibbert or West.

At the end of the second quarter, the score was 61:57, with the Cavaliers leading by only 4 points.

The sideline commentator praised Vogel's tactics.

The fact that the Pacers were able to avoid being defeated by the Cavaliers in Game 2 and were able to tie the game shows that they are indeed a strong team.

Of course, it is still very difficult to defeat the Knights.

But that’s how NBA games are, it’s a subtle process. We may not be able to beat you this year, but we have gained experience and confidence.

Come again next year!

At the beginning of the third quarter, the Cavaliers also made changes.

Jamison, as a small forward, adds mobility.

He will double-team the ball handler together with TT.

Of course, such a defensive team requires high physical strength, but Wang Yan deliberately emphasized the importance of mobility during training. Physical training has always been an important project for the team!
The score gap began to widen slowly again, and the Pacers' offensive efficiency began to decline.

Seeing that the situation was not good, Vogel called another timeout.

In this way, the two sides exchanged blows and countered each other's moves.

The Cavaliers never defeated the Pacers.

In the second half of the fourth quarter, Wang Yan relied on his personal ability to launch a wave of attacks and established victory.

In the end, the Cavaliers defeated the Pacers 113:98 and won G2.

Wang Yan scored 40 points and made 13 assists today.

Although the Pacers were trailing by a large margin, the two games they lost were both away games, so it was normal to lose.

Many fans are looking forward to the Game 3 showdown between the two teams because they have seen the Pacers' tenacity and varied tactics.

Even though they were swept, the Pacers lost while standing, which was an honorable defeat!
Unlike some teams, which put up a little resistance in the first game but were defeated and then never recovered and were directly crushed.

Three days later, the Cavaliers came to the Pacers' home court and Game 3 began!
Sure enough, the Pacers returned to their home court with great momentum.

After the first half, they were leading the Cavaliers 64:57.

Paul George played extremely well today and Jamison couldn't defend him at all.

In the first quarter, he scored 12 points by combining breakthroughs and shots.

In the second half of the second quarter, Wang Yan strengthened his defensive support, making it more difficult for Paul George to shoot, but his passing was also good. Stephenson received his pass and made consecutive shots.

The Pacers showed the strength of a strong team.

Wang Yan certainly would not sit still and wait for death. In the third quarter, Wang Yan led the Cavaliers to speed up the pace. The purpose of speeding up the pace was to make the Pacers' defense unable to get into position in time. At the same time, Hibbert and West were big men after all, and they were panting and heavy after running back and forth a few times.

However, Wang Yan's physical strength was not affected at all, and his Cavaliers teammates were all faster runners than each other.

Even the advantages of TT are reflected.

As a result, after three quarters, the Cavaliers led by 13 points again.

The Pacers' home fans were truly convinced when they saw this.

As expected of the uncrowned champion, he is so strong!
But even though they couldn't win, the game was still exciting and the Pacers players played their best.

In the end, the Pacers still lost G3.

In Game 4, the first half was still very tense, but the Cavaliers' strong strength ensured that they won the game in the second half.

The Pacers were swept out.

After the game, Paul George and other Pacers players came over and congratulated the Cavaliers players.

Although Stephenson had many minor frictions with the Cavaliers players during the game, after the game, everyone greeted each other like old friends.

Of course, this doesn't mean the Pacers have been defeated.

They will definitely face the Cavaliers with a stronger attitude next year!

. . . .

The results of the other playoff games are as follows:

The Miami Heat in the East defeated the New York Knicks 4:2 and entered the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Lakers in the West defeated the Spurs 4:3 and advanced to the Western Conference Finals together with the Warriors who defeated the Thunder 4:2.

The Splash Brothers of the Warriors suppressed the Deweys and Deweys of the Thunder.

This season's Warriors exceeded many people's expectations. Not only did they suddenly burst into action in the second half of the regular season, but they also made their way through the playoffs.

The Clippers and Thunder were both strong contenders for the Western Conference championship this year, but unexpectedly, they were both defeated by the Warriors!

This really surprised many basketball legends and experts.

Judging from the Warriors' momentum, it is hard to say whether the Lakers can get past the Warriors.

It would be really funny if James and Kobe teamed up to make this blockbuster deal that shocked the entire league, but ultimately failed to make it out of the West.

I guess James would yell to the sky: "Why? Why does God always give me the most difficult path..."

The Cavaliers returned to Cleveland and began preparing for the game against the Heat.

The Heat are really strong this season. The players are matched in various positions very reasonably, and there is no ball hog. Coach Spoelstra is in control and has made the Heat a top team.

Every star plays in the position he likes and in the way he likes.

Although reporters and experts in the media all believe that the Cavaliers will eventually make it to the finals, it will definitely not be easy for them to get past the Heat and they will have to go through some twists and turns.

At the pre-match press conference, Wang Yan and Irving were interviewed by reporters.

A reporter asked: "The Heat performed very stably in this year's playoffs, especially Wade, who has regained his second spring. Do you Cavaliers have any countermeasures?"

Wang Yan nodded: "The Heat have performed very well this season. I have been following their games, and I am also a big fan of Wade. It is difficult to completely restrict such a superstar, but we will do our best to defeat the Heat and make it to the finals!"

This answer satisfied the reporter.

Another female reporter asked, "Mr. Wang Yan, do you think the Heat have become stronger or weaker since James left?"

This reporter knows the traffic password and is obviously setting a trap for Wang Yan.

If Wang Yan doesn't give a good answer, he will not only offend a large number of fans, but will also give people something to talk about.

But Wang Yan is not a young boy, and his mental age is not that of a 22-year-old young man at all.

He smiled and replied calmly: "The strength of a team is not a simple 1+1. It requires better running-in and chemical reaction. So I can't answer this question. Maybe after the series, you will have the answer!"

This answer was so perfect that the reporters all smiled knowingly and the audience applauded.

Then the reporter looked at Irving again: "Kyrie, which player do you think is the most difficult to deal with on the Heat?"

Irving shook his head and said, "I don't know. This is not something I should care about. I just need to play my offense!"

The reporter shook his head with a wry smile. Irving's answers were always so abstract.

Actually, think about it, what Irving wants to express is: As long as we Cavaliers play at our level, no team in the league can beat us!
At the Heat's press conference, Wade and Gasol were interviewed.

It used to be Wade and Bosh, but after Gasol came, he played a big role and completely liberated Bosh.

So Bosh asked Gasol to be interviewed, which also shows the recognition of Gasol by the whole team.

"Dwyane, this is the second time that you Heat have met the Cavaliers in the playoffs. How is it? Do you have any idea how to beat them?"

Wade calmly replied: "Our team has undergone many changes this year, and our strength in all aspects has been enhanced. I believe we can beat the Cavaliers and enter the finals!"

Another reporter asked Gasol: "Paul, do you think your role is different in the Lakers and the Heat?"

Gasol thought for a moment and replied, "There is no difference. Both teams are great. Phil Jackson and Spo are both excellent coaches. The jobs they let me do are the most suitable for me and will make the team better!"

As expected of a national treasure-level athlete from Spain, his answer was very appropriate.

The reporter asked him another difficult question: "Mr. Paul, which team do you think will make it to the finals, the Lakers or the Warriors?"

Gasol and Wade looked at each other and smiled.

This tricky problem does not pose any difficulty for Gasol.

He coughed and answered slowly: "From my personal perspective, of course I hope my old team, the Lakers, can win, but the Warriors have emerged as a dark horse this season and played their wonderful game, so both teams have the potential to enter the finals!"

Gasol played Tai Chi very well, and the reporters were very satisfied with the answer, which was impeccable.

In fact, many media and experts have come to the conclusion that the reason why the Warriors suddenly underwent a qualitative change was because of their match with Wang Yan of the Cavaliers.

In the game against the Warriors, Wang Yan stimulated head coach Mark Jackson and activated the Splash Brothers.

From then on, the Warriors were unstoppable and defeated strong opponents in the Western Conference.

If they can really beat the Lakers and make it to the finals, they will be the biggest dark horse of this year!
. . . .

7:30 p.m.

Quicken Loans Center in Cleveland.

The Eastern Conference Finals Game 1 between the Cavaliers and the Heat begins!
The Heat's starting lineup is center Bosh, power forward Gasol, small forward Haslem, shooting guard Wade, and point guard Chalmers.

The Cavaliers' starting five is center TT, power forward Wang Yan, small forward Jamison, shooting guard Butler, and point guard Irving.

The main lineups of both teams are the formations commonly used during the season and there are no deliberate changes.

Jump ball in the center circle.

Bosh did not try to show off. He knew that his talent was not as good as Wang Yan's. He jumped symbolically and immediately returned to defense.

It seems that the Heat do not want to ruin Wang Yan's opening show at the Cavaliers' home court.

So Wang Yan cooperated with Irving easily and made an alley-oop slam dunk, bang!

However, this does not mean that the Heat surrendered, but that the Heat did not care about the first goal.

Next, the Heat, with Wade holding the ball, hit Butler.

Butler really couldn't defend himself, so he had to foul.

Wade went to the free throw line at the start of the game.

(End of this chapter)