At the end of G3, Luka Doncic had 11-of-25, 26 points, 13 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals, 5 fouls and 5 turnovers — just 2 points more points than G2's half—but the Lone Ranger won and won by knocking the Suns down with a stick and pressing it to the ground for almost an entire game — a sight that was extremely rare in the first two games of the series.
Especially when G2 is finished, it seems that the Lone Ranger has nothing to do - Doncic averages 40 points per game, but the Lone Ranger loses an average of 13.5 points per game, and it seems that as long as the Lone Ranger is not swept by the Sun, it is not bad.
But this one, everything is different.
For the starting lineup, Kidd did not make any adjustments, or the regular starting of Doncic + Brunson + Bullock + Finney Smith + Powell.
Kidd also didn't make any adjustments to defensive alignment: Still Bullock locked Paul, Finney Smith and Booker, Brunson defended Bridges, Doncic found Crowder, and Powell's law-keeping of Ayton.
But on the offensive end, their thinking has changed a little - the main attacker in the opening game has changed from Doncic to Brunson, and Doncic is a strategist + bait.
Kidd's doing this is actually similar to G1's insistence on using Kléber (even if Kléber has the lowest plus-minus on the team) - since Brunson's defensive end has been bullied, let him do something on the offensive end, don't be a negative asset on the court. After all, you still have to take a big contract in the offseason, don't lose your own value.
Kidd has affection, Brunson has righteousness. The latter also repaid Kidd's trust with practical actions — 10 points in the first quarter. Single-quarter points are even more than G2's full-time scores.
It should be noted that Kidd activated Brunson, not just to pour some chicken soup for the soul and pat him on the back, but to really design some offensive routines around Brunson.
Most directly, let Brunson and Powell block the demolition, let Doncic and Kléber block the demolition.
As mentioned earlier, the Suns' defensive approach to Doncic's start of blocking is:
"When Doncic found his big men (Ayton, McGee) to break the block and not change the defense, the big man was determined not to go out and give Doncic the space to shoot, but Bridges waited behind Doncic all the time - to prevent him from retreating for three points. To put it bluntly, the space given to you is all medium-distance space. ”
This trick tortured Doncic quite badly.
In this game, the blocker changed from Doncic to Brunson + Powell. Booker wasn't as defensively prepared as Bridges, so Brunson's front was wide open after blocking.
The same is true for increasing the number of blocks between Doncic and Kléber – since Kléber's defensive end has been ravaged by Ayton, the offensive end's ability to pull space should always be used.
Doncic + Kléber almost played the block in the first half.
Ayton didn't come out, and Kléber shot at the top of the arc.
Ayton came out, and Doncic crushed in and ate Bridges alone.
Ayton and Bridges or Crowder pinched, Kléber arced the ball and a dragon broke through the gliding dunk.
Ayton changed defenses, and Doncic directly took the ball and singled out, retreating three points (Zubac: This picture I know).
This is the game between series.
G2 is the Suns' use of the Lone Ranger's defensive alignment to change the main attacker.
G3 is the Lone Ranger using the Suns' defensive style to change the main attacker.
Play games with each other, target each other, until one side can't bear to fall down first, and the other side will step on the flat river and the wind and clouds.
Doncic, Paul, Booker on the field, Kidd and Monty on the field, are all human spirits, depending on who adjusts faster, executes more resolutely, targets more fiercely, and handles the scene better.
The Lone Ranger's defensive alignment has not changed, but the way of defending has made a significant difference.
Most directly, against Booker, forced Booker to play the ball, welcoming Bridges, Crowder and Johnson to solve the problem. If Booker doesn't play the ball and insists on singles, force him to go to the left and prevent him from his right hand.
Bullock didn't miss Paul's empty seat, and Powell didn't miss Ayton's basket all the time, not because their defense was not focused, but because they had been standing on Booker's right hand side, always helping Finney Smith catch Booker. Kidd allowed Paul to shoot 6-of-7 in a single quarter again, with 14 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal in the quarter, but Booker was definitely not allowed to score 30 more points.
Booker played 40 minutes and made 6-of-13, with 18 points, 2 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 turnovers.
Scoring the fewest three games, making the most mistakes in three games, playing, and entering the circle of lone rangers...
Supposedly, Booker was pressed down and Paul took over, which has been the Suns' winning formula over the past two seasons.
But this trick didn't work this time either.
Paul made seven turnovers in the first half and was named by Doncic defensively in the second half.
On the night of his 37th birthday, Paul looked a little lost. Of course, with Paul's personality, in the next game he will definitely enter crazy offensive mode, which is the biggest test for the Lone Ranger.
From Brunson's 10 points in the first quarter, the Mavericks began to go well.
What is Yishun Baishun?
It is doncic who singles out Bridges to play 2+1, and can play Bridges directly to the top of the basket;
It is Kléber who can single-handedly defend Ayton and can start a dragon from the top of the arc to the basket;
It was Brunson who pushed back when he pushed back to open Booker's up;
It was Finney Smith who could pull out three points in front of Ayton;
Those things that could not be done in the first two games seem to be done in this one. People are still those people, just change the home field, and they come back to life.
Sometimes, the "momentum" thing is really quite metaphysical.
Finally, I want to talk about Doncic's emotional control.
In fact, Doncic's anger was saved from the first verse.
In the opening he confronted Ayton under the basket, but the referee did not blow, and Doncic, who fell to the ground, was so angry that he slapped the floor.
Two rounds later, he did the same, but the referee didn't blow, so there was the most classic of the whole game: Doncic sat on the ground and picked up a rebound, and brushed an assist.
The Lone Ranger scored 41 points, he singled Booker, still did not want to foul. Cuban held his head in shock on the bench.
Toward the end of the second quarter, paul made an offensive foul again. After the foul, he came to a "Beverley system" way of performing — an exaggerated imitation of Paul.
In the middle of the third quarter, he and Booker were the fourth offender after confrontation and had to go off early. Before going off the field, he made a "money" gesture with his hands.
Played 4 minutes in the fourth quarter, he and Crowder collided with that one, then were blown for a defensive foul, the 5th offense, and went off again. Before leaving the court, he smiled and gestured "money" with his hands.
Obviously still 20 points ahead of the small, I said Doncic you are too real...