NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 224 It's Match Point Again

从1:0到1:1再到2:1，老鹰队从不被看好到被一般看好到现在被较为看好。很显然步行者队从场面上来被他们吃得死死的。步行者队的调整余地也并不是很大，除非他们不让高圆圆上场。

In these three games, Gao Yuanyuan's plus-minus was negative in all of them. Yes, you read that right. Even in Game 2, which the Pacers won, they still lost points while he was on the court. Besides Game 2, he was relentlessly targeted on the court, and the image of him being hit over the top by three-pointers is still vivid in our minds. The five-forward lineup offered unlimited space, leaving him nowhere to hide. If the Hawks had a player who couldn't shoot, he could match up against him, but the problem is they don't have one. Unless he plays during off-peak hours, he can't play more than 10 minutes a game.

But can they do without him? It seems like that won't work either. Mahinmi is like "Gao Yuanyuan #2," constantly being targeted on the court. Unless the Pacers intentionally lower their height and bring in an inside player like Scola, but that would easily lead to problems protecting the rim.

Even those experts who blindly support the Pacers can't think of a better solution. In the playoffs, the fundamental advantage or disadvantage lies in the matchup. The Pacers' matchups are not good enough, so they can't play to their strengths, and it's difficult to reverse the momentum.

Unless, unless a star player steps up! A star player can dominate and carry the team, but unfortunately, against Jia Fei's defense, Paul George is already doing well maintaining a decent offensive efficiency; expecting him to completely overwhelm his opponent is highly unlikely. And the Pacers haven't yet found a way to limit Jia Fei.

The home team's locker room was filled with a peaceful atmosphere after the game... Everyone was happy and in great spirits! The series isn't over yet, but the momentum is already in their favor. Moreover, this team wasn't under any pressure to begin with; they'd already achieved their season goal by getting past the first round, and the rest is up to them. Reaching the Eastern Conference Finals would be the best outcome.

The team's management is extremely excited. Last offseason moves put them under considerable pressure; signing Jia Fei, who averaged single-digit points per game, to a huge contract required considerable courage. Fortunately, their gamble paid off! Jia Fei made the All-Star team this season and proved his star potential in the playoffs, delivering performances exceeding his contract expectations.

"Jia, do you know what Roy Hibbert's look was like when he saw you shoot a three-pointer? It was so desperate!" Art Mayork even deliberately imitated Gao Yuanyuan's expression. His exaggerated expression and superb acting skills really made him a movie star whose talent was wasted on basketball.

Jia Fei couldn't help but laugh out loud. Of course, he wouldn't feel any pity for this. Being merciful to his opponent was being cruel to himself. He wanted to keep winning and didn't want to become a stepping stone for others' success.

Back home, Jia Fei logged into the system to check his task completion status. He had made 6 three-pointers in the game, completing the task of "making 5 three-pointers in a single playoff game" and earning a reward of 2000 points.

再加上14个怒火兑换的1400个积分，他本场比赛一共获得3400个积分。加上之前账户里的5936个积分，他现在手头一共有9336个积分，花掉7000个积分，将他的“艾弗森巅峰技术融合度”从64%升到了65%！

On May 12, Game 4 of the Hawks vs. Pacers series.

Neither side made any changes to their lineups. Coach Vogel is indeed as disliked changing lineups as the outside world has said, and their starting lineup is as stable as the starting lineup of the Thunder, where Jia Fei previously played.

After the game started, the Hawks continued to relentlessly target Gao Yuanyuan, targeting her for every minute she was on the court. Antić seemed to be a mere tool prepared for her, going in when she went in and out when she went out.

One noticeable adjustment the Pacers made on defense in this game was starting to double-team the ball handler. By double-teaming the ball handler, they forced the ball out, then rotated the offense. They also left Teague and Mills open for three-pointers, minimizing open looks for Jahlil Giannis and Kyle Korver.

However, this requires a high level of physical fitness and rotation accuracy, and the Hawks moved the ball too quickly. They were patient and used patient ball movement and active off-ball movement to break down the defense.

The Pacers' high level of physical exertion on the defensive end also affected their offensive success rate, with their outside shooting being too short and their inside scoring lacking.

Although the process of the game was different from the previous game, the result was the same: the Hawks won another game at home, taking a 3-1 lead in the series.

If a 2-1 lead in a series doesn't necessarily mean much, then a 3-1 lead practically guarantees a slim chance of a comeback. NBA playoff history is full of examples of teams that have blown a 3-1 lead; our beloved Coach Li is a prime example. But Budenholzer isn't Coach Li; he's very cautious, and Jia Fei won't allow his team to be etched in history as a disgrace.

Moreover, judging from the course of the game, you couldn't see any hope for a comeback for the Pacers. They had very little room for adjustment, and they couldn't find a way to break through against the Hawks. Coach Vogel is indeed good at coaching defense, but his coaching of offense is quite average.

In this series, the Pacers' defense was targeted very effectively, which prevented them from winning through defense. Their already mediocre offense also failed to perform exceptionally well, resulting in this outcome.

Before the game, few could have predicted that the Eastern Conference-leading Pacers would be crushed by the fifth-seeded Hawks, nor could anyone imagine that a team with a top-three defense in the league would be hit with so many three-pointers in a single game. At this stage of the NBA season, five-outside lineups are still very rare; teams that can field five-outside lineups usually use small-ball lineups, but few dare to play them for extended periods. The Hawks, however, fielded a standard five-outside lineup, with Antić and Millsun both being established big men. With four of their five players over 2 meters tall, their lineup was anything but small.

In fact, very few playoff teams in the Eastern Conference can field a lineup with five foreign players. The Heat also have a lineup with five foreign players, but they actually sacrificed height by having the giraffe-like Bosh play center. Moreover, James and Wade's three-point shooting can be given more space.

On May 14, Game 5 of the series will be held at the Pacers' Bankers Life Arena.

This game is considered a match point; for the Pacers, who are currently ranked first in the East, there is no way out.

The outside world is already predicting their downfall, saying things like "they're going to say goodbye to the Heat." Jia Fei just smiled and remained silent. Before the series started, these people didn't act like this at all! Now, of course they're pessimistic about them. Even a fool would be pessimistic about them. If we were leading 3-0, would you still be predicting our chances of advancing would be 99.99%?