Y13 [EN]: Chapter 281

June 6th, San Antonio. AT&T Center.

[There he is! Youngjae Yoon is on fire again, dominating both offense and defense! He’s putting on the most explosive performance of this series!]

[After a relatively quiet stretch from Game 2 to Game 5, he’s really delivering in this crucial game.]

The fourth quarter is an all-out battle. The San Antonio Spurs, facing elimination with a series record of 2 wins and 3 losses, are fighting tooth and nail to win. But they can’t seem to overcome Youngjae’s presence.

Tung-tung-

Tony Parker, dribbling and glancing at Youngjae, who’s blocking him with an almost disdainful expression, can’t hide his frustration.

[Tony Parker seems to be struggling against Yoon on both ends of the court today. His scoring and assist numbers aren’t terrible, but he’s committing a lot of turnovers and forcing risky, dead-end passes. It seems that Manu Ginobili joining the starting lineup has increased their playing time together, which in turn has increased Parker’s defensive burden. When he played alongside Danny Green, Green was able to guard Yoon.]

[That’s right. Coach Popovich made a bold move by inserting Ginobili into the starting lineup after becoming frustrated with the offense through Game 4. Green’s three-point shooting has also been a bit cold recently. Ginobili is a great player, even as a starter, but neither he nor Parker are particularly strong defensively. Of course, playing with Ginobili has significantly reduced the burden on Parker to penetrate and lead the offense, but his defensive responsibilities have increased, and he’s guarding Youngjae more often.]

Although they won 2 and lost 1 in Games 2-4, their average score was less than 100 points, and they lost Game 4 with the lowest score in the series. So, Coach Popovich’s solution was to change the starting lineup to include Ginobili. This was to reduce Parker’s burden of leading the offense and penetrating, and to diversify their offensive options, as Parker continued to struggle against Youngjae. However, while they succeeded in scoring over 100 points in Game 5, they lost on the road due to conceding even more points. And today, they’ve decided to stick with the Ginobili starting lineup.

Tony Parker, facing Youngjae on the right side, takes a few jab steps with his right foot and then drives forward without hesitation. Youngjae stays glued to Parker, who’s narrowly cutting towards the baseline, but only pressures him enough to force him back, avoiding a blocking foul that would unnecessarily give the Spurs offensive time and possession.

“Hmph!!!”

Parker, trying to squeeze through the narrow gap, can’t overcome Youngjae’s size and strength. Even though he tries to mix in fakes with spin moves and dribbling skills, Youngjae remains unfazed, maintaining a solid defense and only guarding the area he needs to protect.

[Tony Parker! Is he being forced out of bounds along the baseline?!]

At that moment, Youngjae senses it. Parker isn’t the type to throw the ball away carelessly when cornered. His eyes are already locked onto someone, and as he’s in the air, Parker prepares to grab the ball with both hands and throw it forward.

‘…’

Youngjae hesitates for a split second, but his body is already leaping towards the passing lane that Parker is eyeing.

“?!”

In an instant, Youngjae’s entire body blocks Parker’s path, and Parker, caught off guard, panics and throws the ball much higher than he intended.

Thick!

[Tony Parker’s pass is intercepted by Dirk Nowitzki!]

[It looks like he intended to throw a great pass to Kawhi Leonard, who was trying to cut in from the top of the key. But Youngjae Yoon read that intention perfectly!]

Squeak!!!

Youngjae almost falls dangerously, but his body reacts quickly and he lands safely. On the contrary, it’s Tony Parker who stumbles. Parker gets tangled with the reporters in the front row and struggles to regain his balance.

“Run faster!”

Youngjae shouts as he sprints forward as soon as he lands. A fast break is the most valuable offensive play and a hallmark of a strong team.

Swish!

[Jason Terry easily lays it up! Ah, that was a disappointing play by Tony Parker.]

[They’re fiercely exchanging blows, with lead changes and counter-lead changes. Although Dallas is a few points ahead, that lead can vanish in an instant.]

[With that fast break, the score is 90 to 84! Only 8 minutes left!]

[The two teams have similar play styles, but Dallas utilizes fast breaks more frequently and has more players who excel in them, while San Antonio is relatively weaker in transition. Of course, San Antonio is still above the league average in fast breaks, but Dallas’s fast break efficiency and scoring are among the best in the league.]

[But San Antonio more than compensates with their highly efficient half-court offense. In fact, San Antonio has better offensive efficiency and scores more points as a team than Dallas. They just don’t rely on fast breaks as much, but their half-court offense is still quick and effective.]

San Antonio’s game tempo is generally fast, but they don’t initiate fast breaks very often. Firstly, they don’t have many exceptionally fast players, and the team’s passers aren’t particularly adept at creating fast break opportunities. On the other hand, Dallas has fast players except for the veteran trio of Jason Kidd, Dirk Nowitzki, and Jason Terry, and Youngjae and Kidd’s decision-making during fast breaks is excellent.

Tap!

[STEAL!!! Y13 WITH THE STEAL!!]

[As expected from a player who ranked second in steals in the league, Youngjae Yoon has incredibly quick hands! He’s running, running without taking a breath!]

Chandler Parsons is getting some playing time, unusually, to relieve Shawn Marion’s physical burden. Marion had been guarding Kawhi Leonard for a long stretch until the third quarter, and even toughly defended Boris Diaw or Tim Duncan as a power forward when needed. Although Parsons isn’t as strong defensively as Marion, he expands Dallas’s tactical options with his activity and shooting ability.

[Youngjae Yoon and Chandler Parsons are storming across the half-court!]

As they pass the ball back and forth, Tony Parker, who’s been chasing with gritted teeth, positions himself in front of Youngjae. As if by fate, Tony Parker is blocking Youngjae, and at the same time, the ball is coming towards Youngjae.

Tap!

Youngjae catches the overhead pass with his right hand. Parker spreads his arms, determined to prevent him from driving, but Youngjae calmly brings his right hand holding the ball behind his back.

Thump!!

[WOW!!! WOW!!!]

In that split second, it’s as if Youngjae has become the reincarnation of Jason Kidd in his prime, showcasing an incredible behind-the-back bounce pass without even looking.

“Waaaaah!!!”

As soon as Parsons catches the ball perfectly in stride, he lets out a loud shout and leaps up. Savouring the moment, Parsons slams the ball down into the empty rim with even more force.

Bang!!!

[YES!!!!]

Hubie Brown can’t contain his excitement and stands up from the commentary box despite his age.

[That’s it, that’s it! A play that dictates the tempo! That amazing passing play reminds me of Dallas’s two Hall of Fame point guards, Steve Nash and Jason Kidd! Of course, because he’s not a traditional point guard, his ability to orchestrate the entire game isn’t comparable to them, but his momentary passing skills have that same flair.]

Mike Tirico also shouts in excitement. But apart from them, the San Antonio Spurs’ home fans are silent, wearing somber expressions. Youngjae’s amazing plays have repeatedly grabbed San Antonio by the throat, and even though they’re fighting hard in this game, they have a look of despair, knowing it won’t be easy. San Antonio has traditionally struggled against top-tier swingmen [a versatile player who can play multiple positions on the perimeter] rather than dominant big men. They struggled more against Kobe Bryant than Shaquille O’Neal or Pau Gasol when facing the LA Lakers. The lead quickly widens to 92 to 84.

However, it would be a mistake to think that Youngjae is the only threat on the team. Dirk Nowitzki is also bombarding San Antonio’s basket today, living up to his reputation as a player who is averaging 25-10 (25 points, 10 rebounds) in the playoffs, a feat only four players in history have achieved.

Whoosh-

[Jason Terry lightly passes the ball into the high post.]

Squeak- Squeak!

Dirk Nowitzki, with his back to Duncan, repeatedly steps and lifts his right foot while using his left foot as a pivot, threatening a spin move at any moment during the post-up.

Squeak!!!

As soon as Nowitzki finds his best timing, he turns to face the basket without hesitation, and Duncan sticks right to Nowitzki, maintaining his composure.

[Two power forwards facing each other in a face-up!]

[In fact, Dirk Nowitzki’s main weapon during his prime was the face-up! Currently, he has also developed a strong post-up game, compensating for his declining speed with his exceptional mid-range shooting and a series of movements after the post-up. But Duncan is also a great power forward like Nowitzki! He’s not a player who can be easily beaten just by constantly using post-ups!]

Nowitzki takes a shooting stance, but seeing Duncan calmly blocking him, he forces up a tough shot.

Swish!!!

[BANG!]

[He just shoots no matter what the opponent in front of him does! And it goes in! Dirk Nowitzki!]

[It doesn’t matter if the opponent is Duncan or Kevin Garnett. Nowitzki’s shot truly depends on himself. It’s not called a ‘resale weapon’ [a reliable skill that can be used repeatedly] for nothing. His shooting touch has dipped a bit this season, but he’s still a dangerous player.]

If it continues like this, there’s really no answer. The 10-point lead is the largest lead for either team in today’s game. Perhaps that’s why Nowitzki clenches his fist without realizing it, and the players on the court might have relaxed a bit.

That’s when it started.

“Receive the ball properly! Focus!!”

With less than 2 minutes left, a tense moment. But the Dallas Mavericks, who had a commanding 10-point lead just 3 minutes ago, have been chased down to 96 to 94 as if it were a bad dream, suffering a 10-2 run. Youngjae’s stomach is churning. Coach Rick Carlisle on the bench doesn’t look too pleased either.

Youngjae considers calling a timeout, but stops himself. Coach Carlisle knows the flow of the game better than he does, and he likely has a plan in place, so he shouldn’t disrupt it by rashly calling a timeout. Youngjae is the commander and ace in the current lineup, so he has the authority to call a timeout, but he feels it’s best to leave it to the coach, who is considered a master strategist.

“Box out properly!! Rebound, grab it!”

Youngjae crashes into the paint with all his might to secure defensive rebounds, fighting for every board.

“Shoot!! Don’t use fakes!”

Terry and Nowitzki’s shooting touch has disappeared due to continuous mediocre fakes, and they keep passing the ball under pressure. As the game becomes chaotic, as if cursed, Coach Rick Carlisle signals for a timeout from the referee.

============================ Work Review ============================

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

goimosp/// Since I can’t write about every game, I tend to describe games or scenes where Youngjae’s performance stands out or fails ㅋㅋ. So, the actual records are less than the described scenes. Ah, well, he’s still 5th among all players in the 2011-2012 season in terms of records ㄷㄷ Leonard has already gone to San Antonio… I guess I can only see him on the same team at the All-Star Game or event games.

Yabes/// Bonusin is faith. But God Youngjae is the truth ㅋㅋ

Thank you always for your comments, Miyalma, Han512, Witted, Goddess Yuri Praise, -DarkANGEL-, Vanishing Soul, ㅡMinTㅡ^^

Ingkingdul/// The real king is still in the East. A truly thrilling monster… I wonder if I can make the king a bean again this time…

Kangja Il/// Long time no see. Enjoy reading ~~

Black Moon Hwaya/// That’s why I like Curry more than Harden. Curry is threatening both on and off the ball. He’s not good at defense, but he does his best smartly, and he’s one of the most off-screen players in the league. Likewise, I like Durant more than LeBron. Of course, LeBron and Harden are so powerful on the ball, and they have no choice but to focus on on-ball play due to team circumstances. I understand their circumstances and their skills are great. It’s a matter of taste.

H0h/// It’s because of Curry and Gols ㅋㅋ. Gols’ team 3-pointers exceed 41%. Curry exceeds 45%. To fill the expected value with 2 points, the team’s 2 points must be 62% and the individual’s 2 points must be 68%. There is no such team or player. Of course, if you hit 3 points like Curry or Team Gols, you feel like 2 points are a loss ㅋㅋ

anguqwhdk/// Um, Butler’s main job is shooting guard, so his position overlaps with Youngjae. Parsons can also serve as Nowitzki’s backup, and I thought he was suitable for the Dallas team because of his BQ and shooting. Butler is a hard worker, but his BQ and shooting were tearful in his early debut. Above all, the biggest thing is that the position overlaps with Youngjae. Youngjae sometimes sees the point guard in the middle, but his main job is Suga.