Y13 [EN]: Chapter 77

J.J. Barea, unlike in the first half, displayed unpredictable moves and kept pace with Rajon Rondo. As Rajon Rondo’s playing time exceeded 30 minutes, it became difficult for him to quickly react to Barea’s drives, who had played fewer minutes. However, Barea shifted his focus from scoring himself from the second quarter onward, prioritizing passing and utilizing screen-and-roll plays.

[J.J. Barea! Drives through Shawn Marion’s screen!]

[Oh! Barea suddenly pulls back instead of driving! Ray Allen rushes in to cover Rajon Rondo, who is caught on the screen!]

Ray Allen leaped with all his might, reaching out, but Barea attempted a jump pass to the right, where Ray Allen was closing in.

[Barea’s amazing pass! Jason Terry’s wide-open 3-pointer!]

Swish-

[YES!!!! JASON TERRY PERFECT 3POINT!]

[Wow, JET (Jason Terry’s nickname) is finally back!]

Terry nailed a perfect 3-pointer, slightly raised both arms like wings, and then hustled back on defense. Barea, thrilled by Terry’s jet-like celebration, enthusiastically patted Terry’s back.

“Nice!!”

“That’s it! Exactly that!”

Youngjae and Chandler, watching the game from the bench, shouted and applauded. However, the Boston Celtics’ counterattack was equally fierce. Whenever Dallas tried to extend their lead using Barea and Terry’s teamwork, Rajon Rondo’s penetrations and smart passes relentlessly found openings inside and out. Due to Dallas’ roster limitations, they had to rotate three guards, making Barea and Terry’s perimeter defense vulnerable.

[Rajon Rondo! Goes over Kevin Garnett’s screen! J.J. Barea tenaciously follows!!]

Whoosh-

Wowwww!!!!

[Rajon Rondo’s fantastic spin move! J.J. Barea is frozen in place! Rajon Rondo’s layup!]

Thud-

Beeeep!!!

[J.J. Barea urgently reaches out, but a foul is called! Unfortunately, the ball doesn’t go in! Rajon Rondo misses the and-one opportunity!]

[Rajon Rondo’s free throws aren’t very good! Considering his success rate of just over 50% this season, Barea’s decision wasn’t a bad gamble!]

Rajon Rondo frowned slightly at missing the and-one, but there was nothing he could do. Free throws were Rondo’s weakness, so Kendrick Perkins and Kevin Garnett were poised to grab any rebounds.

Thump-

[First free throw missed!]

[Ah, Rajon Rondo! Not good as expected!]

Rajon Rondo carefully shot the second free throw with a tense expression. Watching the ball narrowly circle the rim, both teams jostled for position, but fortunately, the ball fell through.

[Fortunately, he makes one!]

[Yes! But Rajon Rondo’s free throws and jump shots are areas that need improvement for both him and the Boston Celtics in the long run! It can be detrimental if a guard doesn’t convert at least 60% of his free throws and struggles with open jumpers. If he had made all those free throws, the score of 91 to 95 would have been a one-possession game at 92 to 95!]

[So far, Coach Rick Carlisle’s strategy seems to be effective. The Boston Celtics’ starting players appear fatigued due to their extended minutes! In comparison, the Dallas Mavericks’ starters also have significant playing time, but less than Boston’s! Moreover, they had a day of rest, giving them a stamina advantage. If Boston doesn’t respond quickly, they risk falling further behind!]

Reggie Miller’s analysis proved accurate, and Coach Doc Rivers was well aware of the situation. However, the current Boston bench lacked the depth of Dallas. Aside from Glen Davis, who provided backup for both Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins, Nate Robinson, who backed up Rondo, and Marquis Daniels, who backed up Ray Allen, Semi Erden and Von Wafer’s on-court impact was often negative. The absence of Jermaine O’Neal and Shaquille O’Neal was keenly felt.

“Hoo.”

Doc Rivers, recognizing his limited options, focused his energy on motivating the players and providing detailed instructions.

[Finally, Youngjae Yoon and Shawn Marion, who were resting, are entering the game! And Nowitzki is being subbed out?]

[It seems they’re planning to bring in Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, and Youngjae Yoon to inject scoring and energy! With a significant portion of the fourth quarter remaining, it’s wise to give Nowitzki, who has played over 30 minutes, a brief rest!]

[So, Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Youngjae Yoon, Shawn Marion, and Tyson Chandler will be on the court! It’s another three-guard lineup. Coach Carlisle has faced criticism for his reliance on three-guard lineups in the past! Will it prove effective today?]

Coach Carlisle viewed this as a preliminary skirmish before the final showdown and provided the players with specific instructions.

“Alright, let’s go!”

“Yes!”

With Nowitzki on the bench, Dallas’ offense would primarily rely on Terry and Youngjae. Kidd would facilitate the offense, seeking open 3-point opportunities, while Terry and Youngjae would focus on hitting jump shots off screens. Their strategy aimed to exploit the fact that Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, showing signs of physical wear, were less active. Carlisle communicated this plan to Kidd, entrusting him with orchestrating the offense.

[Jason Kidd crosses the half-court line!]

Kidd calmly advanced the ball, quickly spotting an opening and delivering a pinpoint pass into the paint. Tyson Chandler, benefiting from occasional rest thanks to Mahinmi’s contributions, overpowered Kendrick Perkins and slammed the ball home.

[Oh, oh! Jason Kidd! That was a truly fantastic pass!]

[As expected, Jason Kidd’s passing is exceptional! Despite similar playing time to Kendrick Perkins, Tyson Chandler’s superior height and basketball IQ (basketball intelligence) give him a significant advantage. Chandler is easily dominating the paint; Perkins can’t contain him!]

Tyson Chandler shared a quick high-five with Kidd, acknowledging the perfect assist.

[Boston needs to respond; they can definitely close the gap if it remains a 6-point game!]

[It would be wise to utilize Ray Allen, who has been shooting well today, even more! Alternatively, giving Paul Pierce, who hasn’t had many scoring opportunities due to Shawn Marion’s tight defense, the offensive green light wouldn’t be a bad idea! Paul Pierce remains Boston’s most reliable clutch performer!]

Rondo glared at Youngjae, who was once again guarding him. This time, Jason Terry was guarding Ray Allen, and Kidd was on Paul Pierce, effectively disrupting Rondo’s penetration and cutting off Boston’s passing lanes. Jason Kidd’s ability to defend forwards was among the best for a guard, making him the ideal choice to contain Pierce.

Two-Thump-!

[Rajon Rondo! Drives in again!]

[But he’s met by Youngjae Yoon! He possesses similar speed to Barea and is a smart defender! Despite Paul Pierce’s screen, Youngjae Yoon skillfully navigates around it and once again blocks Rajon Rondo’s path!]

If it had been the usual Paul Pierce, the screen would have been more effective, but Shawn Marion’s relentless defense had taken its toll. Consequently, the screen was less precise than usual.

“Keuk!”

A sigh escaped Rondo’s lips involuntarily. He attempted to shake Youngjae with quick footwork, but when that failed, he secured the ball with both hands. Finding no open teammates, Rajon Rondo was forced to dribble momentarily.

[Ray Allen! Cuts into the paint!]

[He needs to receive the pass from the isolated Rajon Rondo! Allen knows that a failed attack here will lead to a counterattack!]

[Kevin Garnett’s screen! Jason Terry is blocked by Garnett’s screen!]

Rajon Rondo also noticed Allen, who was cutting into the paint and drifting slightly towards the top of the key. With his back to the basket and Youngjae blocking his path, Rondo, having located Ray Allen, passed the ball back without hesitation…

Tak!

[Youngjae Yoon’s fantastic steal!!!]

[He anticipates Rondo’s pass and reaches out at the perfect moment to snatch the ball!]

[Rondo’s decision was strategically sound, but Youngjae Yoon, recognizing Rondo’s intention to pass the moment he secured the ball with both hands, quickly intercepted the passing lane!]

Having stolen the ball, Youngjae, observing the fatigue of the Boston players, fired a pass to Terry, who was sprinting ahead. Terry briefly glanced at Ray Allen, who was trailing behind, but remained composed and laid the ball in.

[Ah… Boston Celtics! The score widens when they need to close the gap! The score is 91 to 99! The deficit has grown to 8 points! Coach Doc Rivers must be frustrated!]

[Coach Carlisle seems determined to extinguish any hope! 7 minutes remain in the fourth quarter! Dirk Nowitzki is being substituted in for Jason Terry!]

Once again, Boston Celtics’ attack, although there were physical problems, the Boston Celtics were quickly recovering the team atmosphere and burning with the will to chase, perhaps because the veteran players were the mainstay.

[It’s good to think simply in times like this! Targeting Nowitzki, who hasn’t shown a good performance in defense today, can be a good way!]

When Rondo passed to Garnett, Reggie Miller said it was a good way. As expected, Nowitzki, who was being pushed back, gritted his teeth, but Kevin Garnett’s body fight was incredibly skilled and powerful. It was a body fight that was hard to believe from a player who was exhausted.

[Kevin Garnett! Pushes Nowitzki and jumpshot!]

Thump-

But Kevin Garnett was already tired. The shot was short, so it hit the rim and bounced out, and the ball was bouncing further away instead of into the paint.

[Youngjae Yoon’s rebound! Rajon Rondo tried to interfere, but it’s not enough! Yoon grabs the ball and launches a fast break!]

As soon as he secured the rebound, Youngjae spun past Rondo and hesitated momentarily upon seeing Ray Allen blocking his path. Should he accelerate and blow past him, slow down and utilize his skills, or pass the ball to Kidd to initiate a set offense?

“Run! Break through!!!”

At that moment, Kidd’s shout echoed from behind. Youngjae, chiding himself for his hesitation, surged towards Allen with renewed speed.

[Now! Ray Allen has to stop him!]

[It’s good to cut him off with a foul, even if it’s a foul?! It’s not a bad idea to use a foul since it’s not a team foul yet!]

Ray Allen reached out to impede Youngjae, but Youngjae, straightening his slightly bent knees, exploded to the left like a spring. With unexpected and breathtaking speed, rendering Allen’s attempt futile, Youngjae soared towards the rim and unleashed a thunderous one-handed dunk.

[Wow!! Perfect! Perfect!]

[With this, today’s game is virtually tilted towards Dallas. Not only is the score difference significant, but the Dallas players’ momentum is overwhelming!]

[Ray Allen is battling hard, leading the team in scoring, but Rajon Rondo and Paul Pierce have been uncharacteristically sluggish. As expected, back-to-back games are challenging for Boston, a veteran team.]

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

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

@Hoo, the popularity of Korean basketball is already hopeless, and now there’s a second match-fixing scandal. I hope it’s not true, but if it turns out to be true, the popularity will drop drastically. It seems like it will be StarCraft level after Ma Jae-yoon… These days, men’s basketball is even being pushed back by men’s and women’s volleyball and women’s basketball…

@These days, Dellavedova keeps playing Beverly-level defense;; I personally find it very uncomfortable. Hustle is good, but it seems like he’s making plays that risk injuring opposing players. I understand Dellavedova’s position, but I hope he refrains a bit.

Naye/// Haha, we feel the same way. A protagonist who achieves everything in a year is cliché.

kksswqq771, 찬란한유산, zigichacha, 라피르and진트/// Hoo, this time it’s Coach Jeon Chang-jin. There have been many complaints about his player usage since before, so I wonder what will happen. Personally, I hope it’s not true, but the feeling is…

비켜봐/// At least Allen at this time had started to decline in age haha.

파이넨시아, misscherry, 여신유리찬양, 쿤다라, 오마리온/// Thank you for the comments!!

야베스/// There’s no choice haha. At the time, Dallas had Kidd, Beaubois, Terry, and Barea, all of whom were not good at leading. Even if he starts with Kidd, one of Kidd and Youngjae is usually on the court.

천상별리/// We won. After all, Dallas’ performance at this time was…