Defense, seemingly simple in two words, is actually very complex when you delve into it.
One-on-one defense, help defense, close marking, zone defense, etc., involve too many techniques.
The strength of the one-on-one defense skill (Tony Allen) lies in individual defense. This is emphasized in both the system's explanation and the effectiveness shown in previous games.
The skill is there, but how much ability can be displayed depends on the user.
Just like Tony Allen has the top body in the NBA, if he were in the NCAA, almost no one could score in front of him, but Tang Tian couldn't. At most, he could only limit most opponents.
However, what Tang Tian is better than Tony Allen at is that he was a coach in his previous life, and a godfather-level coach in the NBA. He is more familiar with the players' movement and tactics on the court than anyone else.
So in fact, there is also a hidden aspect to defense: reading, or you could say judgment.
For example, judging your offensive habits, judging your choices, judging the intentions of the pick-and-roll man just now.
After watching from the sidelines for so long, Tang Tian actually knew Washington State University's style of play better than Calhoun.
Defensively, they stick to a 2-3 zone. On offense, they play off-ball movement around Thompson.
So all these pick-and-rolls are to create open looks for Thompson. Naturally, there is no such thing as splitting the pick. When he goes through the pick-and-roll, he doesn't need to consider anyone else at all. Just accelerate, squeeze through, grab position, squeeze through. It's that simple.
If the reading is in place and the judgment is accurate, the defense can naturally be done well.
Thompson was forced to be very uncomfortable. He has a high basketball IQ and top-notch off-ball ability, but his on-ball offense is limited. At this time, he seemed at a loss when facing pressure defense.
Seeing that the 35-second shot clock was about to expire, he could only choose to shoot reluctantly.
But this shot was different from the previous contested three-pointer. It wasn't a matter of difficulty, but there was no angle at all.
"Beep!"
The ball was released, and as the 35-second shot clock expired, it was a complete air ball.
There was an uproar at the scene.
Did Thompson's hot hand suddenly cool down?
The UConn bench erupted in cheers.
Finally, Thompson didn't make another three-pointer. If he had made another one, their mentality would have collapsed.
UConn's offense, taking advantage of Washington State University's dazed state, Walker dribbled through the double-team like lightning and quickly scored with a layup.
4 to 9, UConn continued to chase the score.
Bena stood up from the bench at this time. The situation seemed to be becoming somewhat unfavorable for Washington State University after Tang Tian came on the court.
Washington State University's offense, the same tactic. This time, his teammates made three consecutive picks for Thompson, each one more resolute than the last, but without exception, they were all squeezed through or intercepted by Tang Tian.
Just as Bena felt, Tang Tian was like an eel that couldn't be caught at this time!
Thompson ran to the top of the arc to receive the ball, and Tang Tian's high-pressure defense came up immediately.
He had a feeling of being trapped in a cage, an unspeakable oppression.
He wasn't stupid. After taking one shot, he already knew that he wouldn't have another chance. This time, he chose to pass the ball.
Backing against Tang Tian, he looked at the incoming guard and passed the ball while bending over.
"Pa!"
But at the moment he passed the ball, Tang Tian directly stole it!
The one-on-one defense package has a certain probability of stealing the opponent's ball. Thompson was forced to have no chance to shoot at this time, and choosing to pass the ball was completely within Tang Tian's expectations.
After Tang Tian stole the ball, he immediately passed it to Walker, who was not far away. Walker quickly fast-breaked to the front court and scored with a layup against the chasing Washington State University player, also drawing a foul.
And-one!
After scoring, Walker roared excitedly at the audience.
Awesome!
This was the most enjoyable ball he had played since the beginning of the game.
Bena cursed loudly at this time, saying that giving up an and-one on this kind of ball was the most uneconomical choice.
The player who committed the foul lowered his head after being scolded by him, but his anger still didn't subside.
In fact, what really angered him was not this defensive choice. Being able to chase to this point was already considered very hard work. Not fouling was entirely due to Walker's individual ability. What really angered him was the offense.
That damn Tang Tian was much better at defense than he had imagined.
Thompson had made three consecutive three-pointers at the beginning of the game, and his hand was almost on fire, but Tang Tian had suppressed him. He had even made a low-level passing error just now!
Walker made the free throw, and after scoring 7 consecutive points, he had helped UConn chase the score to 7 to 9.
"Stomp, stomp!"
"Go! Cougars!"
"Stomp, stomp!"
"Go! Cougars!"
The on-site DJ felt that the momentum was wrong, and at this time directed the audience to cheer for the home team.
The cheering of more than 30,000 people was like a rainbow, coming at them.
Washington State University's frontcourt offense still gave Thompson continuous pick-and-rolls. This time, they directly used four pick-and-rolls, and the power forward went around in a circle and screened twice in a row.
With great effort, they finally managed to block Tang Tian.
Thompson ran to the top of the arc to receive the guard's pass and shoot.
"Bang!"
The three-pointer missed.
After being defended to death by Tang Tian for two consecutive possessions, his touch had completely cooled down.
Oluwachie grabbed the defensive rebound, and UConn launched another counterattack. This time, Lamb took the lead and scored a layup after receiving a pass from Walker.
9 all!
After being hit with a 9-0 run by Washington State University, UConn returned a 9-0 run after the timeout!
Bena raised his hand and called a timeout.
If he didn't call a timeout, the game might be over in the first half.
Tang Tian received a hero's welcome from his teammates when he came off the court. His defense on Thompson was too crucial for UConn to gain momentum in this period.
"Unbelievable, his performance exceeded my expectations. He's like a refrigerator, directly freezing Thompson's touch," the commentator said with a smile, admitting that he had been wrong.
"If you say that, McHale might want to charge you a copyright fee," the commentator said with a smile.
It could be clearly felt that after Tang Tian defended Thompson, the two commentators' views on him had changed significantly.
When the timeout returned, Bena did not adjust his strategy, but used pick-and-rolls more frequently. Thompson's continuous off-ball movement also consumed a lot of energy. Although he successfully got rid of Tang Tian and created some opportunities, his shooting percentage was not high.
On the other hand, Walker was getting smoother and smoother for UConn. Not only were his breakthroughs, which he was good at, successful frequently, but his mid-range jump shots were also hitting repeatedly.
As a result, he had already scored 20 points in the first half, and this explosive performance helped UConn take a big lead of 43 to 30 over their opponents in the first half.
In addition to the 3 three-pointers he made at the beginning of the game, Thompson only made 1 of 9 shots under Tang Tian's defense, and his touch was ice cold.