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After the second quarter began, Liam and Thibodeau sent out a mixed lineup of starters and bench players, and the game continued at the same pace as the first quarter, with both teams battling fiercely.
In fact, fast breaks are a very important offensive method for both the Warriors and the Bulls. Excellent defense helps them secure more rebounds on the backcourt. Curry and Rose are both great at fast breaks, and with a group of young, athletic players, defense and fast breaks are their strengths.
However, in this game, both teams focused heavily on defending the opponent's fast offense, not allowing any opportunities for counterattacks. Even Liam, who had always emphasized retreating, arranged for at least two players to fight for rebounds on the frontcourt during each Warriors offensive possession, delaying the Bulls' counterattacks from the first line.
However, compared to the strong starting lineup, the Bulls' bench wasn't as tough. Thibodeau had placed a lineup with Lore Deng, Korver, Watson, Asik, and Ronnie Brewer. Among these, Korver and Watson were strong in both offense and defense. Although Asik was good at protecting the rim, his mobility was too poor, relying on discipline and execution to maintain defensive intensity.
This made the Warriors' offense much more comfortable. Liam's lineup was a combination of Jeremy Lin, Big Z, Yi Jianlian, Matthews, and Klay. Klay and Matthews only rested for two minutes during the first quarter before being replaced by Liam when he returned to the court.
Due to Jeremy Lin's poor performance from the start, Thibodeau assigned Watson to guard him. Facing his old team, Watson worked hard on the court, but his height and matchup weren't even as good as Jeremy Lin's, and he didn't fully understand Jeremy Lin's technical traits.
Not only Jeremy Lin, but also Klay and Matthews had their own scores. They performed mediocrely in the first quarter under the tough defense of the Bulls' starting lineup. However, during the transition section, under Liam's instructions, they often surrounded Asik, achieving notable results.
Of course, the Warriors couldn't avoid the Bulls' offense. Watson showed some impact after leaving the Warriors. Lore Deng performed like a star, frequently holding the ball and playing solo. Korver, as a famous shooter in the league, couldn't keep up with Klay's off-ball movements, but Klay couldn't match him either. In their confrontation, Korver had the upper hand with his experience and excellent shooting skills.
It's just that the Warriors' offense was more systematic, and their efficiency surpassed that of the Bulls, stretching the lead to 6 points in 6 minutes, leading the opponent 35-29.
Subsequently, both teams changed their full starting lineups back onto the court, and the game returned to the slower pace of the first quarter. Both teams played ball-movement offense, trying to play together while dismantling the opposing offense.
In contrast, the Warriors' starters were younger, less integrated, and less cooperative than the Bulls, who recovered the deficit by the end of the second quarter, heading into halftime tied at 47-47.
In the second quarter, neither Liam nor Thibodeau called a timeout. Both observed the players' battles on the court from the bench and made substitutions during dead-ball situations, without any tactical adjustments.
Both implicitly kept the balance intact but saved the decisive moment for the second half. The whistle at the beginning of the third quarter was the call to battle between the two sides.
Liam approached the bench to greet the players coming off the court and looked at the serious Thibodeau. He wasn't sure what Thibodeau was thinking, but he had already found the way to break the game.
He turned to Ron Adams, who was sitting next to him:
"Ron, what do you think of the approach we just discussed?"
Ron Adams thought for a moment, nodded, and said:
"It's good, you can catch the Bulls off guard and put enough into the final quarter."
—"Advantage?" Liam smiled faintly, "No, I'm laying the foundation for a win in one go!"
...
In the local team locker room at the United Center, Thibodeau said in a hoarse voice:
"... In the first half, our defense did a great job, and in the second half, we need to make sustained efforts. Defense is always our most solid backup, but there are still some small issues. First, when defending Curry, you need to get into the defensive position early, you can relax defense on No. 23 a bit, as he lacks enough independent offensive skills… Joaquín, the big delay pick-and-roll strategy, try not to switch defense, this will give Curry the chance to shoot triples with the ball, but I don't want to see Chandler get caught in the air…"
He carefully highlighted defensive problems and made detailed adjustments, but when it came to offense, Thibodeau kept it much simpler:
"We'll still run pick-and-roll, Derek, you decide whether to pass or attack yourself. The others can also play solo if they find the right opportunity, and if there's a chance for a fast break, take it…"
The 15 minutes passed quickly as the rest of the players warmed up and Thibodeau set things up, and the Bulls returned to the court to face the Warriors.
At the commentator's bench, Kerr flashed a clear smile:
"Indeed, Coach Liam changed the starting lineup for the second half, replacing Klay and Matthews with Tony Allen and Butler to strengthen the Warriors' defense."
Mike Breen said:
"But this way, the Warriors' offense has deteriorated. Butler's scoring isn't as good as Matthews', and Tony Allen has almost no offensive ability, while the Bulls' defense is excellent. How will the Warriors score?"
Cole thought for a moment and said:
"Coach Liam is obviously placing his hopes on Curry, but I think he's underestimating the Bulls' defense. With the Warriors' offensive focus so obvious, the Bulls' defensive focus will likely be entirely on Curry, making it hard for him to perform."
When the two analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of the Warriors' lineup, Thibodeau naturally noticed the Warriors' formation change but hesitated for a moment and still didn't make adjustments.
Thibodeau is a calm person who doesn't like to make changes on the fly, believing that the Bulls can handle any opponent as long as the players execute their defensive and offensive tactics well.
"Tic-"
When the referee blew the whistle and raised his hand, the Bulls initiated a play from the baseline, and the second half began.
Rose advanced to the frontcourt with the ball, and Tony Allen defended him. Rose appeared serious, dribbling much more cautiously than in the first half.
When Tony Allen had played for the Celtics before, the two had faced off many times. Rose knew Tony Allen was tough, so he always took care to protect the ball, not allowing any chance for a steal. He didn't try to single out Tony Allen but signaled to Noah to get closer for coverage.
However, Noah hadn't yet arrived, Green got there first, and immediately abandoned his opponent, Gibson, diving into Rose, who held the ball.
Rose was caught off guard and was forced to retreat a few steps by Green and Tony Allen, but he still maintained control of the ball and passed it inside to Gibson.
After Gibson received the ball, Green quickly returned to his position, and Chandler in the paint lunged at him with fierce momentum. Gibson looked around in slight panic and wanted to pass the ball to Noah, who was covered.
But at the moment he passed, Butler, on the weak side, stabbed diagonally, intercepted Gibson's pass in midair, and sprinted down the court with the ball.
The Bulls quickly retreated, but Curry had already crossed half-court by the time Butler made the steal, and no one was in front of him except for Rose, who pursued him closely. Butler quickly passed the ball to Curry.
Curry advanced with the ball, but his speed wasn't as fast as Rose's, and the gap between them kept closing. Curry didn't panic but slowed down further, bumping into Rose behind him and leaning back hard once he reached the basket, giving Rose no space to jump and scoring with a low-handed layup.
49:47
Mike Breen exclaimed:
"Beautiful defensive fast break! If I'm not mistaken, this is the third fast break by the Warriors. The Bulls made this turnover, and there were only 4 total turnovers. The Warriors barely had a chance to counterattack, but who would have thought that at the start of the second half, the Bulls would make mistakes, giving the Warriors an easy scoring opportunity."
On the court, Gibson, who was stolen from, shook his head in frustration, raising his hand to signal it was his fault. The once rowdy United Center became much quieter, and the fans' momentum had clearly diminished after the fast break.
The Bulls sent the ball from the baseline and attacked again, but the Warriors still put early pressure on Rose, forcing him to pass. Before the recipient could react, the Warriors' pressure would appear just in time, forcing them to keep moving the ball.
With the Warriors' rapid rotation and filling of gaps, the brief openings were quickly closed. The hesitant Bulls players lost a good opportunity and couldn't even break through with the ball. In the end, only Bogans managed to make a rushed three-pointer when the 24-second clock was about to expire, but the rebound came out of the rim and was snatched by Chandler.
Kerr squinted his eyes and said:
"The Bulls' mistakes are no accident. The Warriors have been defending the joint defense and increased pressure on the ball. The Bulls players obviously haven't adapted to this type of defense. They generally lack shooting ability, and the three-point shooting hasn't been solved. The ball can't penetrate inside. Thibodeau will adjust immediately."
Sure enough, after a few moments, Thibodeau called a timeout, replacing Bogans with Korver.
Korver, about to be substituted in, lived up to expectations and quickly made a three-pointer to stop the bleeding and help the Bulls stabilize the situation.
But just six minutes into the third quarter, the Warriors relied on joint defense and defensive fast breaks to extend the lead to 14 points, and they led 69-58 after Korver hit a three.
In this type of slow-paced game, a double-digit lead already felt like a chasm.
Later, in the third quarter, the Warriors returned to normal man-to-man defense, and both teams got back into the slow-paced positional battle from the first half, with every possession nearly running out the 24-second shot clock. In the end, the two teams were tied at 83-73, and the Warriors led by 10 points entering the final quarter.
On the sidelines, Silas shook his head helplessly and said:
"It looks like this game is going to be very slow. We can't play the offense we want; it's really frustrating."
Liam said indifferently:
"These are the Bulls' characteristics, and it's also Thibodeau's style. What he does best is drag the opponent into a positional battle and then use his rich experience to win. Fortunately, the Bulls are not in the West; otherwise, we'd have to deal with this torture 4 times a season."
End of this chapter
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