NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 305 Winning the Game but Losing Players

The drawbacks of Kyrie Irving not playing are gradually becoming apparent...

To put it bluntly, this Cavaliers team's offense relies entirely on Running Man, using his isolation plays to draw double teams and create opportunities. Previously, there were two players capable of taking turns in isolation plays, which prevented them from getting too tired, but now there's only one left.

The Cavaliers need defense to win, but they didn't do a good job of limiting the Hawks' defense in this game, making it even more difficult for them to catch up.

With Mozgov and TT lacking offensive capabilities, the Hawks began targeting them after their two big men's outside shooting started to improve. They pulled the Hawks out of the paint, allowing the Hawks to connect inside and outside, executing various drive-and-kick plays and fast breaks.

At halftime, the score was 40-56, with the gap widening to 16 points.

贾飞半场贡献20分4个篮板4次助攻2个抢断2个盖帽，表现极为炸裂！

The Running Man player contributed 11 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal in the first half, but his performance was completely outclassed by Jia Fei.

Everything was progressing in the Hawks' favor, and you couldn't see any hope for the Cavaliers to turn the game around in the second half. This team's offensive explosiveness had dwindled considerably since JR Smith returned to his usual form. With JR Smith struggling with a back injury and his three-point shooting this season, trying to overpower the Hawks' well-rounded defensive system with a drive to the basket was an incredibly difficult task.

Halftime break, Tencent studio.

Wang Meng said, "Mr. Yang, what do you think the Cavaliers need to do to turn the game around in the second half? How much of a chance do you think the Cavaliers have of a comeback?"

Yang Yi smacked his lips and said, "Do you want to tell the truth?"

"Just tell the truth, no one will criticize you!"

"Well, I've already said it! I think the Cavaliers can't turn things around now. Why do I say that? Without Irving, your only offensive weapon is LeBron James. Even LeBron has a tough time against Jia Fei, and you can't rely on JR or Shumpert, they're role players after all. Can JR hit that many three-pointers every game? Tristan Thompson can grab offensive rebounds, but can he score 20 points a game? The Cavaliers need scoring right now, but they can't do it! You only have these players, no matter how good the coach is, he can't conjure up anything!" Yang Yi explained in a leisurely manner, like a stand-up comedian.

"Is Jia Fei still considered a superstar?" Wang Meng asked.

“Absolutely! Hey, he can beat LeBron James so well, doesn’t that make him a superstar?” Yang Yi said.

The home team's locker room.

Jia Fei said to his teammates, "In the second half, we must go all out, give the opponent no chance, and head to Cleveland with a victory!"

"Good!" Hawks fans cheered enthusiastically in unison.

The third quarter began quickly.

The Cavaliers made a lineup change at halftime, starting JR Smith and bringing on Iman Shumpert off the bench. Shumpert had a terrible first half, and the Cavaliers' decision to use JR Smith clearly indicates their eagerness to catch up.

The Cavaliers took the initiative on offense, with Dellavedova awkwardly dribbling the ball across half-court.

Some Hawks fans were laughing at his dribbling. Indeed, the way he dribbled was more skillful and fluid than many high school guards.

The ball got to the Running Man, and Mozgov came up to set a screen.

Running Man breaks through, splitting the bottom corner JR!

JR took a three-pointer, but it was an airball...

JR is gradually moving closer to the latter in his performance, which is between being a godlike player and being a complete failure.

Miguel gets the ball and passes it to Teague who dribbles it over.

Teague dribbled over and passed to Jia Fei, who had come out to set a screen!

Jia Fei received the ball and immediately faked a drive, which JR fell for. He drove in, and the other defender came to help defend, so he passed to Korver in the corner!

If it were an elite off-ball defender at this point, and the running man came to help defend, JR would have to rotate over to cover the person the running man was defending. But JR's brain had already shut down...

Korver received the ball and calmly launched a three-pointer—which went in smoothly!

40:59, a difference of 19 points!

Korver didn't make any exaggerated moves after hitting the three-pointer. Some players act like they've won the lottery when they make a three-pointer, but in reality, hitting an open three-pointer isn't something to brag about.

The running man dribbled over, used a screen, and forced a layup to score! He also realized that JR couldn't be relied on; the most reliable offensive player on this team was himself.

The Hawks used a familiar tactic: Jia Fei drew the ball away from the ball, received it, drove and passed to Korver for a spot-up shot!

42:62, a full 20 points difference!

The Hawks fans in the stands were naturally very excited, and Art Mayork on the sidelines was also waving his towel around.

The Cavaliers' bench was rather quiet, and head coach David Blatt looked worried and concerned, which made me feel a little sorry for him.

The Cavaliers are on offense. Dellavedova dribbles over and gets fouled by Teague!

Korver ran to steal the ball, and Delavedova charged forward fiercely, leaping to tackle the ball and pinning his body firmly against Korver's leg!

Korver suddenly cried out in pain, and Jia Fei knew from this that Korver was probably injured!

The referee alliance has stopped the game!

Misty was furious and questioned Delavedova about why he did this.

TT came over to protect his teammates, and the two sides started shoving each other, making the atmosphere very tense.

Hawks fans at the stadium were furiously criticizing Dellavedova, saying he played too dirty, his defensive moves were already unreasonable, and he went even further.

The referee and security personnel immediately rushed to prevent a conflict between the two teams, and things were now in a bit of a mess.

The conflict did not escalate, but the two sides started exchanging trash talk.

Korver was helped back to the locker room by Art Mayork and the old captain. Jia Fei went up to ask what was wrong, but Korver just smiled and said, "I'm fine, Jia. Win this game for me!"

"Okay, definitely!" Jia Fei nodded seriously in agreement.

Watching Korver's departing figure, Jia Fei felt a pang of sadness. The memories of the two practicing three-pointers together were so vivid, making the situation all the more regrettable.

Delavedova, you just wait!

Jia Fei was furious. He didn't object to tough defense, but that didn't mean he could ignore his opponent's health. This so-called toughness was shameful!

Korver went down, and Carroll came up.

The Hawks' morale was somewhat affected, and their offense wasn't as smooth as before.

But the Cavaliers weren't having an easy time either; they also struggled with their shots and couldn't close the gap.

Jia Fei consistently contributed his energy on both offense and defense, ultimately helping the team maintain their advantage until the final whistle.

In the end, the Hawks defeated the Cavaliers at home, tying the series 1-1!

The Hawks had nothing to celebrate in this game; they won, but Korver's injury situation remained unclear. After a brief examination, the team doctor indicated that Korver might not be able to play in the next few games.

The exact test results will be available once the MRI report is released.