Y13 [EN]: Chapter 136

Y13-136 Conference Final

Oklahoma City suffered a counterattack due to Westbrook’s reckless play. Tyson Chandler launched the ball downcourt, and Dirk Nowitzki and Youngjae, who had been a constant threat to Oklahoma City in the first half, easily executed a 2-2 pick-and-pop for the score. Coach Scott Brooks, visibly frustrated, called a timeout.

[Dallas’ momentum is undeniable! They went 4-2 against Portland and swept the Lakers 4-0! Their record stands at an impressive 8 wins and 2 losses! Despite not having the biggest individual names, their teamwork is exceptional.]

During the timeout, ESPN briefly showed footage of each team’s coaches addressing their players during halftime.

[Let’s see what the coaches told their teams during the break!]

First, the Dallas bench. Coach Rick Carlisle began, “This isn’t just a game.”

“This isn’t a video game. But we’re playing like it is right now. Basketball is a team sport, a sport for five people. But right now, we’re playing as if one player is carrying the entire load, like in a video game. We need all five players on the court to create synergy and work together, and that’s not happening.”

Then, Coach Carlisle emphasized the importance of ‘tempo.’

“The reason we took the lead in the first half is that they have great energy and hustle, but they lack experience. We need to dictate the tempo. We want a fast-break style, but Kidd, you need to keep controlling the pace, keeping it unpredictable. It’s great to utilize Nowitzki, Yoon, and Peja’s excellent shooting. But that doesn’t mean the other players can’t participate in the offense or shoot. Create space and attack with an unpredictable rhythm.”

On the other hand, Oklahoma City’s Coach Scott Brooks urged his players to be more aggressive.

“We need to drive to the basket, drive aggressively! Keep setting screens and sharing the offensive load! We need to create good shot opportunities and take them!”

[Okay, from the video, we can see that Dallas and Oklahoma City have very different approaches!]

[Dallas is incredibly effective when they combine their fast break, quick transitions, and accurate shooting. Oklahoma City relies on aggressive play, high energy, and spacing. But it’s clear that Coach Scott Brooks is struggling against Coach Rick Carlisle’s experience!]

[After all, Coach Scott Brooks is only in his second year as a coach and is more of a motivator than a strategist. Plus, Brooks and the young Oklahoma City players are in their first Conference Finals. They also had limited time to prepare, coming off two tough series against Memphis, including two overtime games and a Game 7.]

After the timeout, Coach Scott Brooks was forced to bench Serge Ibaka. Ibaka looked deflated, as if he had completely run out of energy in the first half.

[Serge Ibaka is a prime example! He gave it his all against Dirk Nowitzki today, but he couldn’t contain him! Dirk Nowitzki’s incredible performance, shooting 100%, made him seem unstoppable, and that’s why Ibaka seems broken on both ends of the court! He has 5 points on 2/6 shooting and already has 4 fouls!]

Nick Collison, who replaced Ibaka, couldn’t offer much resistance against Dirk Nowitzki, let alone stop him from posting up. Collison wasn’t really capable of stopping him in the first place, but it was a necessary move due to Ibaka’s foul trouble.

[Nick Collison can’t handle Nowitzki at all! Eventually, Westbrook, who was guarding Kidd, has to help Collison!]

As soon as Nowitzki saw Westbrook coming for the double team, he passed the ball to Kidd, who was open at the top of the key. James Harden, who was guarding Youngjae, was caught in a dilemma. Based on shooting alone, he should stay on Youngjae. But if Kidd is left unguarded, someone from the paint has to step out.

“Damn it!”

In the end, Harden sprinted towards Kidd. It would have been easier for Durant, who was guarding Marion, to cover Youngjae, who was on the right wing.

[As soon as James Harden goes to Kidd, Durant rushes from the paint to Youngjae Yoon!]

However, Shawn Marion wasn’t about to let that happen. As Durant, who had established position in the paint, tried to move out, Shawn Marion screened him, preventing him from leaving easily.

Swoosh!

[Ah! Shawn Marion with a smart play! Kevin Durant is tied up by Shawn Marion and can’t get out in time! Jason Kidd makes a no-look pass to Youngjae Yoon! Youngjae Yoon shoots a 3-pointer as soon as he gets the ball!!!]

Youngjae shot a 3-pointer without hesitation. He felt confident in his shot today, and it felt good, so he didn’t miss.

Swish-

[Y13!! NAILS ANOTHER THREE!!]

[Youngjae Yoon now has 13 points on 4/5 shooting and 2/2 free throws! But he’s overshadowed by Nowitzki’s incredible performance, and his playing time has been limited today!]

Youngjae high-fived Kidd as they ran back on defense. The score was back to 62-60. They had regained a 2-point lead.

Coach Scott Brooks could sense his players’ energy fading. He thought he had a plan based on youth, stamina, scoring, and offensive/defensive balance… but he couldn’t control the Dallas Mavericks at all. Dallas had a 4-0 sweep in the Semifinals, while Oklahoma City’s series went to 4-2, so the difference in rest was hurting Oklahoma City. They were lacking in both physical conditioning and preparation time.

Still, this wasn’t a blowout. It would be a back-and-forth game, and the team with the most energy left would win. Scott Brooks believed that and focused on the long game. But unexpected problems were plaguing Scott Brooks.

[Dirk Nowitzki! Clashes with Serge Ibaka again!]

[There’s no backing down now! Serge Ibaka can’t back down against Nowitzki, who already has 35 points!]

[He has 4 fouls, and another foul means 5, putting him at risk of fouling out! Ibaka can’t play aggressively!]

Perhaps sensing that, Nowitzki received the ball with his back to Ibaka and transitioned to a face-up, driving hard to the low post. The power in the post-up wasn’t overwhelming, but Ibaka still couldn’t control Nowitzki. Nowitzki could spin and finish under the basket, or hit his signature turnaround fadeaway, the unstoppable one-legged fadeaway.

Swoosh!

But Nowitzki wasn’t just a scorer. He was a player who knew how to read the court and find the best option. Coach Scott Brooks ordered a double team on Nowitzki, but the more he did that, the more Oklahoma City lost energy. No matter who he put on him, from Ibaka to Perkins to Collison, he couldn’t stop him.

[As soon as James Harden comes to double team, Nowitzki passes to Youngjae Yoon, who’s open on the perimeter!!! Youngjae Yoon shoots a 3-pointer!]

Swish-

[BANG!!!!!]

[The score is now 72 to 84!! What’s going on! Dallas Mavericks are pulling away!]

[Even though it’s Dallas’ home court, it’s becoming one-sided in the third quarter. If it continues like this, the fourth quarter could be garbage time. Oklahoma City, already low on energy, might have to pull their starters in the fourth if the game gets too out of hand.]

“Oh!!”

“Nice!!”

Youngjae had already hit 5 three-pointers, totaling 19 points. His rebound, assist, and steal numbers were low, but he was clearly focused on scoring, and it was wearing down Oklahoma City.

[Oklahoma City is trying to mount a comeback! There are still about 3 minutes left in the 3rd quarter, and the 4th quarter is still to come, right? It’s too early to give up!]

As soon as Westbrook got the pass, he fired a great pass to James Harden, who was cutting to the basket, exploiting a gap in the Dallas defense.

Harden caught the ball at the top of the key, determined to score, and drove hard.

“?!!”

But Youngjae was in his path. Harden gritted his teeth as he saw Youngjae’s low stance, looking fierce, with his arms spread wide.

[James Harden is speeding up to get past Youngjae Yoon’s defense!]

He stepped with his left foot and extended his right foot even further, executing a Euro step. If it were the old Youngjae, he would have backed off, but Harden knew he had to quickly turn his body and finish under the basket. If the upper body doesn’t follow, even Youngjae would have trouble blocking him.

[Owaoh!!! Youngjae Yoon is mirroring James Harden’s Euro step, shifting his weight from side to side!]

Harden clenched his teeth, but he had no choice but to try and get past Youngjae, who was already closely guarding him. Thinking he could at least draw a foul, Harden tried to get even closer…

Tap-!

At that moment, the American Airlines Center erupted in cheers. Youngjae had stolen the ball and clutched it tightly. James Harden could only stare blankly at Youngjae from inside Dallas’ paint.

‘A steal right before I could draw a foul…?’

“Huh…”

Harden shook his head. Youngjae was only a year younger, but his plays were hard to predict.

[The game ends. The Dallas Mavericks win the first game decisively with a score of 125 to 110. Oklahoma City fought hard in their first away game, but Dallas was too strong. Nowitzki had arguably the best playoff game of his career.]

[50 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 13/15 field goals (86.7%), 24/24 free throws (100%). Today’s Nowitzki was an unstoppable force. It was lucky that Ibaka didn’t foul out. If I were Ibaka, I’d be saying, ‘What do you want me to do?’]

[Hahaha, Ibaka didn’t play badly. His opponent was just too good. He’s a victim of a historic performance. Kevin Durant also had 40 points (18/19 free throws), 8 rebounds, and 5 assists, but his performance is overshadowed by the team’s loss.]

[In addition to Nowitzki, Dallas’ bench exploded for 57 points, including Yoon with 22 points and Barea with 21 points. Coach Scott Brooks needs to find a way to stop these players. Oklahoma’s bench only scored 24 points. And Westbrook and Harden, the team’s second and third options, aren’t effectively attacking Dallas’ defense. They need to prepare to overcome this.]

[Dallas won big today because of their hot shooting, but their rebounding disadvantage and weak transition defense need to be addressed. Also, when Peja is out, the third forward position, where Durant can score at will, needs to be considered.]

[That concludes our coverage of the first game. The second game will be held on May 19th at 8 PM, also at the American Airlines Center. See you then.]

============================ Author’s Notes ============================

★Thank you to everyone who gave advance reservations, recommendations, comments, and coupons!!

＠At this time, Harden wasn’t living up to his potential as the 3rd overall pick. He exploded as a sixth man in his 3rd year (11-12 season). As a 09 draft pick, he was still developing in his 2nd year. In his explosive 3rd year, he destroyed Dallas in the first round of the playoffs. He was then traded to Houston due to salary issues and became an MVP-level player. That’s why I think Oklahoma made the decision to re-sign Kanter while enduring the luxury tax this time. If they keep selling players due to salary issues, Durant and Westbrook might not re-sign, jeopardizing their championship aspirations.

＠In reality, Nowitzki had 48 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 12/15 field goals (80%), and 24/24 free throws (100%) at that time. In terms of efficiency, it was the best playoff game I’ve ever seen. After that game, people said, ‘Gasol defended Nowitzki well.’

h0h/// ㅋㅋ So I’m also taking refuge in the library…

캐바밤/// Thank you^^

야베스/// If you combined Durant’s jumper and wingspan with LeBron’s decision-making and power, he might surpass Jordan in terms of skill. It’s the first time since Big O [Oscar Robertson, known for averaging a triple-double for a season] that 30-10-10 [30 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists] seems possible.

goimosp/// He played so well last year that he was expected to be the MVP #1 this season, but he got injured;;; He needs to be managed well. He doesn’t seem as durable as LeBron. He already has a significant number of absences. If Durant is healthy, they can definitely compete for the championship. Anyway, the West is so competitive that no team is guaranteed to win.

파이넨시아, misscherry, 오마리온, huhcafe///Thank you for your comments!!

라피르and진트/// At that time, there was only 1:1 due to regional defense issues ㅎㅎ. I can only watch highlights or YouTube ㅠ.ㅠ Certainly, the players are more docile than at that time. They cite various reasons, but as the pie grows, sponsors want players to have a good and positive image. And the players feel like they are protecting their bodies because of injuries, and there are fewer tough players because trades are frequent.

사라질영혼///ㅋ Did you have a good day at work today?