Y13 [EN]: Chapter 277

Y13-277 2011-2012 Conference Finals

[Alright, the game begins.]

Toss!

[Tyson Chandler wins the jump ball!]

Jason Kidd, receiving the ball tipped by Tyson Chandler, slowly crossed the half-court line to initiate the offense. Kidd’s playing time had slightly decreased this season, but he was still one of the starting five. His playing time was reduced just enough to keep him out of clutch time.

“Run quickly! Don’t let the guards stick to you!”

Youngjae momentarily looked troubled due to Danny Green’s persistent defense. While Kidd and Nowitzki ran a 2-2 play, Green chased after Youngjae, who was using Marion’s screen. He was, as expected, a diligent and tenacious defender.

“…”

Eventually, Youngjae paused at the high post. Green, anticipating Youngjae’s potential moves, lowered his stance and focused intently on him. Coach Popovich’s instructions to Green were solely focused on Youngjae.

Whoosh-

As soon as Youngjae noticed Kidd’s signal on the right high post, he slowly retreated towards the perimeter. Danny Green also stepped forward without overreacting. Green, positioned in the optimal spot to check and deter drives, pondered as he saw the ball coming to Youngjae.

‘Drive? Or just pass to the side?’

Swoosh!

[Youngjae Yoon! A surprise 3-pointer with Danny Green right in his face!!!]

“?!”

A moment of carelessness—wondering if he would shoot a 3-pointer with him right there—led to trouble. Even reaching out belatedly, there was nothing to impede, only the desperate hope that the ball wouldn’t go in.

Swish!

[BANG!!! WHAT A GREAT THREE POINT!]

But desperation alone was not enough on this stage.

“Good!”

Youngjae smiled slightly at Kidd’s thumbs-up and transitioned back on defense.

[That’s amazing psychological warfare! He was a bit further from the 3-point line and didn’t look like he was going to shoot at all, so Danny Green couldn’t anticipate the shot. He’s throwing a strong punch from the start.]

Danny Green, stung by the unexpected blow, grimaced but deeply reflected on the calamity brought about by his momentary lapse. Immediately after Youngjae’s 3-pointer, the San Antonio Spurs launched a counterattack. Tony Parker dribbled the ball up slowly, and as he crossed the half-court line, Youngjae, Parker’s counterpart, stepped forward with a cold gaze.

[Here we have Tony Parker versus Youngjae Yoon. Jason Kidd has enough physicality to defend Danny Green, so Youngjae Yoon can defend Parker. These two players were fiercely competitive in the MVP race, and the atmosphere between them today is unusual, isn’t it?]

Tony Parker, known as San Antonio’s offensive leader, was a player with high shooting accuracy, using his league-leading speed and floater [a high-arcing shot released near the basket] as weapons. This season, his vision improved, resulting in a career-high in assists. In other words, failing to control Parker was as good as handing San Antonio the victory.

Swoosh-

[Boris Diaw! Good screen!]

Youngjae noticed Diaw approaching for a screen and slipped behind him. Diaw set a good screen, but Youngjae was second to none when it came to pick-and-roll defense. It was a choice that excluded Parker’s weak pull-up 3-pointer.

‘But!’

[Youngjae Yoon, his defense in screen situations is superb! His 2-2 defense is truly a work of art.]

[The choice was good, but the opponent is the fast Tony Parker! By going around, you’re giving Tony Parker an opening!]

Parker drastically slowed down his speed around the high post, and Youngjae leaped with all his might as he saw Parker suddenly stopping after driving.

[Tony Parker, pull-up jumper!]

A simple but sufficient opportunity for a player with Parker’s shooting ability. A simple and threatening offensive setup that creates a decent chance if the marker is shaken off even for a moment through a screen.

Thud thud!

Swish!

[BANG!!!!]

[Tony Parker responds immediately! It was close, but it was an attack with a high probability of success!]

Youngjae felt regret that he should have gone over the screen, but he knew that Diaw’s screen timing and posture were so exquisite that going over would have definitely resulted in getting caught on the screen, giving Parker an even better opportunity.

‘Not easy.’

But this is what the Conference Finals are like. It was the same last year, and this year, games that have already gone beyond human limits have been appearing since the second round of the playoffs.

‘A bit faster.’

Youngjae cleared his mind and refocused on the offense.

[The score is 3 to 2, they’ve only exchanged attacks once each, but it’s already exciting!]

[The tension from the stage of the Texas Derby [a rivalry between Texas-based teams] and the Conference Finals is immense. These two teams, who fight fiercely whenever they meet in the regular season, have met at the final gateway, so you can only imagine how fierce it will be!]

As teams that have maintained a rivalry for nearly 10 years, the first quarter was a series of intense battles. Fans who thought Oklahoma City’s Game 2 of the playoffs was an all-time classic couldn’t hide their anticipation of seeing a new classic.

[Youngjae Yoon stops at the top, looking broadly across the court and observing the players’ movements!]

Kidd, who had injected vitality into Dallas with his steady and sensible offensive plays until the mid-point of the first quarter, went out, and Jason Terry came in, with Youngjae taking over the playmaking duties.

Whoosh-

[Dirk Nowitzki, who has come out to the 3-point line, receives the ball!]

Knowing that Nowitzki’s shooting range is at a guard level, not a typical big man, Tim Duncan followed Nowitzki to the high post with a stern expression.

“…”

[The two players who have been rivals for a long time face off again today. Originally, Diaw would guard Nowitzki, but now that Splitter is in, Duncan is guarding Nowitzki.]

Nowitzki didn’t force anything, holding the ball with both hands and scanning the court widely.

“?!”

[Now! Youngjae Yoon, dashes from the top to the right side!]

[Danny Green, who was following Youngjae Yoon! Is he caught on Chandler’s screen, who has come out to the high post?!]

However, Danny Green avoided Chandler’s screen using his quick feet. Rather, Chandler released the screen himself and came out to the high post, so Danny Green and marker Tiago Splitter were simultaneously embarrassed.

Whoosh!

[The ball goes to Tyson Chandler!]

Splitter rushed forward, and Green, who was following Youngjae as he slowly walked to just below the rim, momentarily turned his gaze to the ball.

Screech!!

[Youngjae Yoon! Runs towards the top with tremendous speed, reminiscent of a wild horse!]

[Danny Green, lost him for a moment!!!!]

“Ugh!!!”

Danny Green rushed to catch up, but Youngjae seemed to know it, cleverly overlapping his path with Shawn Marion. Naturally, it was predictable that Danny Green, in the position of following behind, would get caught squarely on Shawn Marion’s screen!

“Ugh!!!”

[Two screens!! Staggered screen by Marion and Tyson Chandler!!!]

Youngjae received the ball while passing by Tyson Chandler. And Tyson Chandler stood tall in that spot, once again blocking Danny Green with a screen. Danny Green couldn’t control his running speed and crashed into Chandler, falling backward.

[He’s unmarked!!! Youngjae Yoon, goes up as is!]

In this unmarked state, a mid-range jumper would have been good, but wasting an opportunity to aim for a 3-pointer would have been foolish. Especially for Youngjae, a sharp shooter who has achieved the 180 club [shooting 50% or better from the field, 40% or better from three-point range, and 90% or better from the free-throw line] for two consecutive years.

Swish!!!

[BAAAANG!!!! NICE THREE POINT!!!]

[He couldn’t kill all the running speed and jumped up, so his balance could have been shaken, but he cleanly makes the 3-pointer! Youngjae Yoon!! The left side or left wing 3-pointers are slightly lower, but the 3-pointer at the top is literally Y13’s zone! Today, he only has 1 assist, but he has 8 points with 3/3, including 2 3-pointers! His fingertips are burning endlessly!]

Youngjae raised two fingers, showing the fans that he had made two 3-pointers today. At that sight, not only Emily but also D.J. Gay and Brian Cardinal, who were sitting in the Dallas cheering section, shouted and enthusiastically chanted Youngjae’s name more than anyone else.

MVP!!

MVP!!!

[This 3-pointer with about 1 minute left in the 1st quarter! The score is 20 to 17! The tie score has appeared a whopping 6 times in the 1st quarter alone, is that balance broken?!]

Tony Parker, who was in charge of leading the San Antonio Spurs, calmed the players and slowly began to dribble the ball up.

‘It’s okay.’

Either way, the game is long. It would be a good scenario to end the 1st quarter with a tie or a one-possession difference. Coach Gregg Popovich also kept reminding the team of that point, meaning he was looking at the game in the long term.

“Stay calm!”

Tony Parker, who had gradually arrived at the top, called out to each of the players, shouting instructions at the top of his lungs.

[Tony Parker struggled against Youngjae Yoon until the mid-point of the 1st quarter, but Manu Ginobili, who came in instead of Danny Green, is giving him some breathing room.]

[If there is one guard with excellent driving ability, it is good for Youngjae Yoon to guard that player. But when Ginobili is put in, there are two guards who can lead and drive. Terry isn’t a bad defender, but he’s not a good defender, so one area is bound to be weakened.]

[Ginobili is below Green in defense, but right now, San Antonio needs to broaden its offensive options. Parker and Duncan’s 2-2, which is San Antonio’s basic tactic, isn’t working well because of Yoon and Chandler’s teamwork.]

Parker passed to Ginobili, who ran out to the left wing. Youngjae slightly extended his left hand for a threatening check, but Ginobili received the ball quite leisurely.

“…”

Even for Ginobili, Youngjae’s defense was bound to be burdensome. Especially for Ginobili, who specializes in various skills and unexpected creativity, the compatibility was not very good.

Whoosh-

[Eventually back to the top! Tony Parker to the paint, Tim Duncan comes out to the top and receives the ball!]

Duncan briefly faced Marion and then gave a safe pass to Tony Parker, who was moving to the right wing. The moment Parker received the ball, Leonard, who was facing Parsons in the paint, began to dash to the top.

“Block him!!!”

Youngjae couldn’t leave Ginobili standing on the left side, so he shouted at Parsons with all his might, but Leonard had already passed by Duncan, and a huge wall called Duncan had formed in front of Parsons.

“Ugh!!”

Parsons gritted his teeth to shake it off somehow and take one more step forward. But is Duncan just a normal player? Duncan was a legendary player who could look kindly on Parsons’s spirit, passion, and tenacity and teach him a thing or two.

[Kawhi Leonard!!! Mid-range jumper as is!!!]

Parsons finally broke free and reached out with all his might the moment Leonard soared. Because Parsons had a great height, he could fully deploy vertical defense that could obscure the view and threaten, but at that moment, Parsons felt a chill down his spine and unknowingly swallowed his fear.

‘There’s no wavering.’

Leonard’s two eyes were only fixed on the rim. Parsons’s hands and arms were like air that didn’t get in the way.

Thud- Thud!!!

Swish!!!

[PUT’S IN IT!!! KAWHI LEONARD!!!]

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

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

★Thank you for the support coupon, songsu04!

＠2015 has passed and 2016, the Year of the Monkey, has dawned. Happy New Year to everyone, and I hope you have a year full of good things ^^.

＠From today, I will return the serialization time to midnight.

Wittid, Vanishing Soul, Han512, Omarion, Financia/// Thank you always for your comments^^ Happy New Year ~~

Ultra10/// That’s right. Almost the top two among current coaches… In the 13-14 season, San Antonio tormented Miami and won the championship, and Dallas was the one that troubled San Antonio the most. They pushed San Antonio to the brink with Blair and switch defense that San Antonio had abandoned. Of course, they eventually lost badly in the 7th game due to the limitations of their power ㅋㅋ The irony is that the current Dallas seems to have the best power since the championship season.