readytorunbook Chapter 225 Playoff Planning
Chapter 225 Playoff Planning
Chapter 225 Playoff Planning
The conversation between Pat Riley and Spoelscola was naturally kept strictly confidential.
Chen Mo didn't know, Eddie Jones didn't know, and the others didn't know anything.
As players, what they need to do is to play well. As long as they play well, they will not worry about leaving home.
After the All-Stars, they will usher in their first opponent, the Jazz will challenge the Heat away.
Last time in Salt Lake City, the Heat were doused by the ice and snow in Salt Lake City, so the theme this time is naturally revenge.
At the beginning of the game, Chen Mo didn't play too excitedly, maybe because he participated in the All-Star Game, he was a little tired.
The same is true for Brad Miller, who has been running around for days, but makes him feel a little tired.
Fortunately, Eddie Jones stepped forward in time and succeeded in consecutive singles against Stevenson, showing his seasoned side.
As for the current Jazz team, there is really no one who can play.
Oh, no, there is another Kirilenko.
It's a pity that Kirilenko's defense is fine, but if he wants to score points, it is very problematic.
You let him average more than ten points per game, which is fine, but if you want him to score 30 points to win the game, then don't even think about it.
The last time they lost, it was Kirilenko who broke out and scored 31 points no matter how he shot the three-pointer.
But this time, the Russian "AK-47" can't do it either, he can't do it, and the others are even less accurate.
In the first quarter, with the performance of Eddie Jones, the Heat directly established a double-digit lead.
Although Jerry Sloan made wonderful adjustments and substitutions, he resisted the Heat's onslaught on the bench.
But in the third quarter, as Chen Mo and Brad Miller regained their form, the Jazz were completely powerless.
The Heat played a wave in the third quarter, and after a few minutes in the fourth quarter, the Jazz simply chose to admit defeat.
102:89
In the end, the Heat won by a big score at home, which can be regarded as revenge for the last away game.
The Lakers, Timberwolves, and Kings all won, but the Pacers lost to the Hornets.
This actually narrowed the gap between the Heat and the Pacers by another game.
To be honest, there are really some points that let the Heat see the hope of being number one in the Eastern Conference.
In this game, the reason why the Pacers lost was mainly because the Pacers lost themselves.
Carlisle is in the test lineup. It seems that in the starting lineup, O'Neal and Artest have some conflicts, mainly because of the right to shoot.
Carlisle simply replaced Artest on the bench, on the one hand to test the lineup, but also to warn him.
It has to be said that since being selected as an All-Star, Artest has become more and more confident.
Artest can't see the situation clearly, the Pacers can't see clearly, and O'Neal is their core.
What's more interesting is that Artest was injured in the final minutes, what appeared to be a muscle strain.
Even if the injury is not serious, it is estimated that he will have to rest for a week or two.
Seeing such a result, Stan Van Gundy is naturally overjoyed, and is even ready to compete for the first place in the Eastern Conference.
This is not just a matter of regular season rankings, but also a matter of playoff matches.
Unlike later, there are only two divisions in the East and West of the NBA today. In the East, they are the Central Division and the Atlantic Division.
Today's top four in the Eastern Conference clearly have two teams from each division. The Pacers and Pistons belong to the Central Division, and the Heat and Nets belong to the Atlantic Division.
According to the NBA's regular season ranking rules, the division champions lock the top two.
In other words, the current situation is basically the Heat playing against the Pistons. In the playoffs, this is not a good thing.
Especially in yesterday's game, after the Pistons introduced Rasheed Wallace, they directly slaughtered the Knicks.
You know, after the introduction of Marbury, the Knicks already have the qualifications for the playoffs.
It is not difficult to see from this that Rasheed Wallace is the perfect complement to the Pistons.
For the Heat, whether it is against the Pacers or the Pistons in the playoffs, it is not a good thing.
For them, the best result is naturally against the Nets.
Nets: So the soft persimmon is me?
Of course, just when the Heat regarded the Nets as a soft persimmon, the Nets thought so too.
As for the Pacers and Pistons, they regard the two teams as soft persimmons at the same time.
Of course, if possible, they would prefer to choose the Nets.
Nets: So I am recognized?
The Heat want to play against the Nets in the playoffs, there are only two situations:
One is that the Nets broke out, came from behind, counterattacked the Pistons strongly, and fought for the third position.
Today, the Pistons' record is 34 wins and 20 losses, and the Nets are 31 wins and 23 losses, only 4 wins away.
Well, with less than 30 games left in the game, these four wins are really hard to chase.
Another possibility is that the Heat will catch up and snatch the No. [-] position in the Eastern Conference from the Pacers.
Today, the Pacers' record is 39 wins and 14 losses, while the Heat's record is 36 wins and 16 losses, a difference of 2.5 wins.
2.5 wins, in the case of Artest's injury, it seems not impossible.
In the preparation meeting before the game, Stan Van Gundy cheered crazily, as if he wanted to overthrow the Pacers.
Facts have proved that ideals are always good, but reality is always cruel.
The Heat ushered in a back-to-back immediately. After winning one game first, they lost to the Nets in the second game.
The reason for the loss to the Nets was mainly that Brad Miller was injured in the first quarter, which was also a muscle strain.
And it was a thigh muscle strain. Although the detailed inspection report has not yet come out, from experience, it is estimated that he will not be able to return within half a month to a month.
This is also the reason why Brad Miller's worth is not high or low despite his All-Star stats.
There are too many injuries, which is also the problem that most inside players have to face.
In the early stage of his career, Brad Miller, who played as the main player, rarely played a full season.
The only good news is that as a floor player, he basically has no serious injuries.
This is basically the case. If the situation is better, I will miss a dozen games. If the situation is not good, I will miss [-] or [-] games.
As the core of the team's tactics, the absence of Brad Miller has a great impact on the Heat.
Without his support and organization of offense, everyone seemed a little incapable of playing.
Even Chen Mo is like this, let alone other people.
There is another very important reason. The tactical arrangement before the game was based on Brad Miller, but this axis disappeared.
Although Stan Van Gundy adjusted in time in the second half, it was a pity that the score gap was too large to make it back.
On the other hand, after the lack of Artest, the Pacers not only did not collapse, but the bigger the better.
Especially Reggie Miller, these two games exploded, shooting more than 5% of the three-pointers.
An old family is like a treasure, this saying is true.
Now, Stan Van Gundy no longer thinks about the first place in the East, but is preparing for a tactical play without Brad Miller.
(End of this chapter)