Y13 [EN]: Chapter 252

Carlisle’s prediction proved accurate. Chicago’s formidable defense stemmed, in part, from their tight rotation. By consistently fielding a fixed lineup of players accustomed to a slower pace, their defensive rotations were highly effective. The team’s overall youth also contributed significantly to their boundless energy.

The first possessions of the second quarter for both teams sputtered to a halt. C.J. Watson and J.J. Barea’s playmaking lacked its usual spark, and even the bench players displayed stout defense, leaving no gaps and stifling the offense.

[Taj Gibson snags the rebound!]

[Terry’s three-pointer rattled around the rim and bounced out. Unless he has a clear, open look, he should hold the ball a beat longer. Taking a contested three wasn’t the wisest choice.]

[But Terry has drained countless shots like that, earning him the nickname ‘the Jet’. Jason Terry is more than just a spot-up shooter.]

C.J. Watson cautiously dribbled the ball across the half-court line. Taj Gibson, who secured the rebound on the right, and Luol Deng on the left, matched Watson’s pace as they advanced. Dallas quickly reorganized their defense, and Barea began to hound Watson with tight pressure.

Swish-

[C.J. Watson passes to Kyle Korver on the right wing. Jason Terry reacts instantly as Korver receives the ball, doesn’t he?]

Terry might lack ideal physical attributes, but he was a savvy defensive player. That’s why Terry was a serviceable defender when paired with Kidd or Youngjae, who could handle post-up assignments. When playing alongside Barea, Terry’s defense was more vulnerable, but fortunately, Korver wasn’t a player known for creating his own shot, allowing Terry to manage him.

[C.J. Watson subtly circles behind Terry, seeking an opening, but Terry doesn’t bite. Instead, they double-team Kyle Korver, and Barea belatedly picks up Watson?]

[Korver boasts a season average of 39% from three, but he’s even more dangerous at nearly 44%. Moreover, Watson’s three-point percentage in the last three games is a dismal 2/8. The three-pointer isn’t Watson’s primary offensive weapon anyway.]

Furthermore, Korver was one of those rare players whose two-point percentage closely mirrored his three-point percentage. His career two-point percentage stood at 43%, while his three-point percentage was 42%—a mere 1% difference. In essence, he posed little threat outside of wide-open three-point opportunities.

Eventually, Korver passed the ball back to C.J. Watson, and Barea lowered his stance once more, diligently guarding him.

“Ugh!”

Deng, who had begun sprinting from the left side to the right the instant Korver passed to Watson, and Parsons, who was tailing Deng, couldn’t suppress a groan as Parsons got caught on Gibson’s screen.

[Luol Deng! He’s momentarily open!]

However, Dallas showcased their own formidable defensive prowess. Parsons, having shaken off the screen, pressured Deng from the front, while Barea, guarding Watson, pressured Deng from the left, briefly creating a double-team.

Swish- Swish-

But no matter how effective a double-team might be, its initiation invariably left someone else on the court with an open look. It started with C.J. Watson. Terry, who had been shadowing Korver on the opposite side, spotted Watson unguarded on the right wing, gritted his teeth, and sprinted towards Watson. He couldn’t afford to let him shoot, and Terry gambled that Marion, positioned near the high post with Gibson, could somehow rotate to cover Korver.

[Luol Deng! And through C.J. Watson to Kyle Korver on the left wing! Dirk Nowitzki sprints towards Kyle Korver as soon as he gets the ball!]

[Kyle Korver rises fearlessly!]

[KORVER FOR THREE!!!]

Marion was outmatched by Korver, who remained laser-focused on the rim, jumping with remarkable elevation. Korver, displaying unwavering concentration, seemed to anticipate Marion’s approach and released the ball with a composed expression. The instant the ball left his hand and his feet touched the floor, he turned away without even glancing at the shot.

Swish!!!

[BAANG!!! KYLE KORVER FOR THREE POINT LAY UP!!!]

[The three-pointer rips through the net! The score is 23 to 22! The Chicago Bulls reclaim the lead!]

Fueled by Korver’s incredible three-pointer, momentum swung slightly back in Chicago’s favor. Barea, shouldering the responsibility for Dallas’s playmaking and penetration, took a deep breath to regain his composure and dribbled the ball past the half-court line.

‘Watson is a defensive liability in pick-and-roll situations. In that case….’

Marion expertly set a screen behind Watson. Barea surveyed the situation for a moment while maintaining possession, even though the screen was set.

Squeak-

[Shawn Marion’s screen! He feints to block Watson’s right side, but when Barea doesn’t commit to the screen, he screens Watson’s left side, who is sticking tight to Barea!]

[That’s a masterfully executed screen! It’s no exaggeration to say that he’s cleared a path for Barea to drive to the left with ease!]

Simultaneously, Chandler, stationed in the low post, surged out and positioned himself on Marion’s left, forming a double screen. Noah, who had been patrolling the paint, hastily scrambled to the high post to impede Barea’s penetration.

Thud!!!

[Let’s, GO!!!]

[J.J. Barea’s boost is activated! J.J. Barea slices through the screen with blistering speed!]

Watson was ensnared by the screen, leaving Joakim Noah as the sole obstacle in Barea’s path. But Noah had ventured out to the high post to cut off Barea, forcing him to take a hurried side step, unable to fully match Barea’s electrifying speed.

Whoosh!

[The ball is lofted high with his left hand! It’s an alley-oop! Who could it be?!]

[A clever roll after the screen! The main character is!!!]

The ball ascended high enough to clear Noah’s outstretched hand before plummeting straight down. Shawn Marion charged towards the basket, leaping with Hulk-like explosiveness!

KWAANG!!!

[YES. SIR!!! MATRIX SLAM AGAIN!!!]

[Shawn Marion throws down his second dunk of the game! This alley-oop dunk can only be described as an artistic collaboration with J.J. Barea!]

Marion, relishing the sensation of his body swaying as he gripped the rim with both hands, landed on the court and flexed his upper body, showcasing his impressive musculature and roaring to the fans. Barea mirrored Marion’s pose with a smile as they faced each other.

As the second quarter neared its conclusion, the score remained a tight 45 to 46, with the precarious seesaw battle continuing. Chicago made a daring move by reinserting their full starting lineup with less than three minutes remaining, but Dallas maintained their consistent rotation. This was partly due to the older players’ energy reserves dwindling rapidly, and partly because their unique tactics thrived with diverse lineups.

The second quarter, fiercely contested, had only 30 seconds left. Derrick Rose calmly assessed the remaining time while holding the ball.

’30 seconds, 10 seconds of attack time left. If we finish the attack quickly, we can have another chance.’

Having formulated his plan, Rose immediately put it into motion. There was no time for hesitation.

[Derrick Rose drives in! But Youngjae Yoon is standing firm in front of him!]

Rose drove from the top of the key towards the high post, confronting Youngjae. Rose’s initial attempt to penetrate with his left shoulder failed, but Rose swiftly pivoted and drove his right shoulder into Youngjae’s chest, attempting to dislodge him. Posting up was one of Rose’s strengths.

“Kuh!”

It proved ineffective against Youngjae, who had bulked up and possessed impeccable timing in defending post-ups. Rose unleashed a lightning-fast clockwise spin move, using his right foot as a pivot, but Youngjae remained unfazed and maintained his position.

[8 seconds left!]

“?!”

At that instant, Chandler Parsons, who had been guarding Luol Deng behind Rose and Youngjae, suddenly darted towards Rose. Rose, caught off guard, capitalized on the opportunity and fired a stylish bounce pass to Deng between Parsons and Youngjae.

Tick!

[Ah! An amazing bounce pass! And an amazing instant reaction! If the pass had been a fraction slower, Youngjae Yoon would have intercepted it! Anyway, a great bounce pass connects with Luol Deng!]

[But Luol Deng bobbles the catch! It’s fumbled and deflects to the right side! If that happens, there’s no time for a proper shot!]

Deng, flustered by his inability to secure the pass cleanly, chased after the ball, squandering a golden opportunity to score an easy two points with a jumper had he caught the pass cleanly, and instead found himself sprinting to the high post on the right side.

Whoosh!

[Luol Deng! A turnaround jumper as soon as he gathers the ball!]

[Brandon Wright, who was rotating to cover, leaped right in front of Deng!]

It was an unavoidable choice given the time constraints, but the matchup was unfavorable. Wright was susceptible to players who powered their way in due to his slender frame, but he possessed impressive athleticism and speed, enabling him to effectively contest Deng’s shot.

Thud!

[MISS!!! LUOL DENG!!!]

[He squanders this excellent opportunity! Luol Deng! It all stemmed from the fumbled pass!]

The ball caromed off the rim and fell into the waiting hands of Tyson Chandler, who safely passed it to Kidd.

“…”

Kidd ceded full control of the final possession to Youngjae. Kidd, after passing the ball to Youngjae before crossing the half-court line, casually drifted to the right side, while Youngjae bounced the ball just past the half-court line and momentarily halted his advance. Youngjae’s gaze was fixed on the shot clock above the basket.

[Youngjae Yoon is simply dribbling in that spot, watching the time.]

[He’s aiming to conclude the second quarter with Dallas’s attack. It’s a logical choice. Unless a fast-break opportunity presents itself for an easy score, it’s prudent to utilize the full 24 seconds to finish the quarter.]

Korver also glanced at the clock and observed Youngjae’s movements. He seemed to surmise that the opponent’s intention was to bleed the clock as much as possible before launching an attack with only a few seconds remaining.

[Well, even though about 10 seconds have elapsed, Youngjae Yoon remains stationary. The players are also monitoring the clock and conserving energy. Now, the predetermined play will unfold soon?!]

With only 10 seconds remaining in the second quarter, Youngjae continued to dribble. Gradually, the Chicago players began to suspect that Youngjae was planning a last-second buzzer-beater, and even Boozer, who was positioned with Noah in the low post under the rim to prevent Brandon Wright’s alley-oop attempt, started inching towards Youngjae with light steps, extending both arms wide to the left and right.

“Oh. Scary?”

Youngjae flashed a smile as he took a slight step back, and Kyle Korver, who was guarding Youngjae, and Boozer, who had advanced forward, felt a sudden chill. It felt as though they had fallen into some sort of trap.

Thud! Whoosh!!!

Youngjae’s laser pass, unleashed with a forceful final dribble of his right hand, caught the rebounding ball with his right hand, and hurled that ball forward with all his might. Kyle Korver, Carlos Boozer, and even Luol Deng, who was obstructing the path, were all bypassed as the ball soared to the left side.

[Youngjae Yoon’s laser pass! Who is the recipient of that incredible pass!!!]

A player with the white number 25 emblazoned on his back, snagging the pass while his stylishly long hair fluttered in the wind, and slicing through the unguarded baseline like a raging bull.

KWAANG!!!

[BANG!!!! Y13 TO CHANDLER PARSONS!!! WHAT A PERFECT PLAY!!!]

[It was a somewhat risky pass. Parsons secures and finishes the fast and powerful pass flawlessly! Dallas Mavericks! They execute an amazing play with 2.4 seconds left, and the score is 45 to 48! They extend their lead by 3 points!]

Joakim Noah heaved a desperate forward pass due to the dwindling time, and Derrick Rose, who caught the ball, exerted every ounce of effort to shake off Youngjae and launch the ball, but it weakly bounced off the backboard.

Beee!

[End of the second quarter! Dallas Mavericks succeed in seizing momentum at the buzzer! The gamble paid off handsomely.]

============================ Author’s Afterword ============================

★Thank you to those who gave advance subscriptions, recommendations, comments, and coupons!!

＠I was too busy yesterday to upload. I’m sorry.

＠Kobe is playing his final game this season. The first time I watched the NBA was during the Kobe-Shaq Lakers era, so even though I don’t particularly admire his style, he’s a player who will be remembered for a long time. Of course, at that time, I only occasionally caught glimpses of the news or TV. But his twilight years are difficult to watch.

＠The Warriors are so dominant that the tanking war [deliberately losing games to secure a higher draft pick] between Philadelphia and the Lakers is even more intriguing. These two teams seem capable of a win rate of less than 10%.

nandwakim, -DarkANGEL-/// I don’t like Kobe’s style, but his passion and effort deserve respect. Despite not being a top pick, he evolved into a player who ranks among the all-time top 10, and he serves as a role model for many players. The side effects were undeniable, but he validated his approach with results.

h0h/// Haha… Well, it’s understandable not to remember if it’s not a league you follow closely. I enjoy overseas soccer, but there’s only one league where I know the players’ names well.

sarajil soul, Omarion, Financia/// Thank you for your comments!!

Lee Dong-seok/// Is that so ㅎㅎ. Have a good day tomorrow too ^^

Yabes/// Youngjae or LeBron, one of them is destined for heartbreak ㅋㅋ

Ultra 10/// Yes. It’s Tom Thibodeau at this time too. Thibodeau is renowned for overusing starters, but he’s also a brilliant coach. His defensive system is truly exceptional. Observing Doc Rivers’ tenure with the Clippers, it’s plausible that the defensive prowess during the Boston Big 3’s championship run wasn’t solely attributable to Rivers, but also to Thibodeau, who served as an assistant coach. Since Rivers failed to bolster the Clippers’ defense last year, speculation has intensified that the suffocating defense during his Boston days was largely thanks to Thibodeau.

Korver has played for 4 teams including Atlanta. At this point, he seems less like a journeyman and more like someone who has moved around strategically. Unless a player is an ace-level talent, many players relocate depending on the coach and the club. Perhaps Korver will conclude his career in Atlanta.