Chapter 535: Still Strong Despite Old Age!

The ball belongs to the Sonics.

The game that was just suspended was given a sideline ball near the center line.

Iguodala sent the sideline ball to Payton, who was still a little ahead of the center line at this time, but as soon as he got the ball, Jason Kidd immediately entangled him.

Close contact, with his arms spread out like an eagle, instantly blocked Payton on both sides.

Unlike the aggressiveness of Payton's death entanglement, Kidd's open arms looked more like a truly complete defensive posture, with a very wide fan and a wide range of protection.

Although non-aggressive defense is not conducive to steals, it is also more unfavorable for the ball holder to break through. If you don't stretch your hands, there will be no loopholes, which is obviously more stable for the defender.

Kidd's defensive focus is not on his arms, but on his body. When his arms are open, his body and hips have already supported Payton's center of gravity in the first place, and his feet also have entangled and blocked positions, just to make Payton unable to move!

The Cavaliers did not start the full-court man-to-man defense. This was a private battle between Kidd and Payton.

As old friends and old rivals, the two knew each other too well.

If it were five years ago, Kidd would never choose such close defense. First, it would actually consume more of the defender, and second, Payton's offensive strength, which was covered by his defense, also made Kidd dare not choose such close pressure.

In the past, this guy was undoubtedly better than himself in terms of speed and physical confrontation. The only way to defend him was to take a step back and gamble on his uncertain hit rate.

But now it's different. Payton is old. It can be seen from the fight just now that whether the old guy admits it or not, his speed is not as fast as before, his physical confrontation is also declining, and his physical strength is not the same as before.

The sooner you use dry goods on Payton, the sooner you can force out his fatigue and loopholes!

Feeling the strong pressure from Kidd at this time, Payton licked the corner of his mouth and a smile appeared on his face.

If this was a game that required him to play the entire game, and if no one in the Supersonics could replace him, then Payton's move would really work. He might not be able to last the first half under his strong pressure, and he might even be timid because of his concerns about physical exhaustion, and he might not even be able to play to his full potential in the first half.

But now...

His teammates are his best support, and Rukawa Kaede sitting off the court is his confidence to take the risk!

Payton's mind was clear.

In the past, his breakthrough style was mostly based on speed and strong confrontation, which was also the impression of Kidd and himself playing for more than 20 years, and Kidd's choice of confrontational defense was based on this point.

It's just bullying you for being old, bullying your resistance and speed decline, just eating you hard, which is more effective than any tricks!

For Kidd, this is simply an unquestionable defensive choice, which is quite safe.

Indeed, who can believe that a guy who is already in his 40s and planning to retire can still make any progress or change?

But... I can!

Have you ever seen a pig run before?

Having been a sparring partner for Lin Dong for several years, Payton is so familiar with Lin Dong's tricks that he almost vomited after seeing them!

Although he was unwilling to change his style in the past two years because of his long-established style, and it was difficult to change, but now that he is old and weak, especially when he has to practice defense with Sakuragi Hanamichi and Rukawa Kaede, he is really forced to use some skills, otherwise... With his current physical fitness and speed, if he is beaten every time even when he is a sparring partner for Sakuragi and Rukawa Kaede, it would be a real shame!

I just don't want to use it in the game, not that I don't know how to use it.

I just don't want to tell everyone that I used to be a "rookie" who could only rely on speed and confrontation on the offensive end, but it doesn't mean that I am still a "rookie" now after losing speed and confrontation.

Let me open your eyes, old friend, and see what it means to be strong even when old!

Payton's eyes suddenly flashed.

His left shoulder leaned back slightly with great force, and he turned left.

With a strong counterattack, just like Payton's previous style, Kidd immediately moved his center of gravity to the left.

Although the guy in front of him is old, he is still Payton after all, and the game has just begun. Payton's physical strength has not been consumed. Although he is thin, he is very impactful!

Once he rushes up like a small steel cannon, I really can't stop him.

But the next second...

Swish!

Kidd's defensive center of gravity has just been adjusted, and his pupils suddenly contracted. Payton actually turned directly to the right!

Fake move?

It's not that Payton has never made a fake move, but Payton's fake moves have never been so realistic in Kidd's eyes!

After playing basketball for more than 20 years, this old guy is best at four things: speed, confrontation, defense and trash talk. Is this... a sudden change of career?

Kidd's heart suddenly sank: MD, careless... How could he be so easily fooled by a fake move? Is it because of his preconceived ideas?

The deception of the center of gravity made Kidd unable to defend the right side in the first time. Payton's calf immediately occupied a favorable position for blocking, making Kidd's right leg unable to move sideways to defend.

Immediately afterwards, huh...

Like a gust of wind, Payton has used the blocking position to turn around and cross Kidd's defense line, rushing straight to the front court!

At this time, in addition to Artest watching Iguodala outside the left three-point line, LeBron and Wade were both deployed at the top of the three-point arc. Wade's first reaction was to block Payton, but Lin Dong pulled away to the right at the right time.

LeBron followed up immediately, but Wade was in a dilemma.

Follow or not?

If he didn't follow, Payton would pass the ball to Lin Dong, which would mean that Lin Dong and LeBron would have to face off one-on-one. No matter how much LeBron has improved, the facts have long proved that no one on this planet can defend Lin Dong one-on-one, including Lin Dong himself!

That would not only be equivalent to giving away points for free, but also equivalent to hitting LeBron's confidence and even the morale of the whole team.

In a flash of thought, Wade still followed his heart and went to defend Payton. After all, if he didn't block him, then Payton would come in, and O'Neal would be in a three-on-one situation under the basket, and there would be no possibility of defense.

However, although he had thought about it, Wade was still a little slow in his hesitation.

Payton came up too fast, and with a "pass with his eyes" looking towards Lin Dong, Wade hesitated again... This was Gary Payton, and he was a Gary Payton who was full of energy and had learned most of Lin Dong's breakthrough skills!

Facing his breakthrough, Wade hesitated twice in a row. I'm afraid it would take the Flash in the movie to stop him!

Payton passed the ball and stepped over Wade with a European step.

First he passed Kidd, then Wade. At this moment, Payton felt like he was back to his peak. He took a big step to the free throw line, and then jumped up high.

O'Neal in front was stunned and chose to stay where he was.

How to move?

He didn't believe that an old guy like Payton could jump from the free throw line to dunk him. This ball must be intended to be passed!

If he jumped out, Sakuragi Hanamichi and Chandler would become two wide open positions under the basket, which would be no different from giving away points.

Wade, who was deceived behind him, jumped up in a rage, but after all, he was half a body away. Such a jump could only produce some psychological pressure on the attacker, and could not stop the other party from doing anything.

And with Payton's rich experience...how could he be disturbed by such a thing?

He didn't pay any attention to Wade who jumped up behind him. With his experience, he could judge that the guy was not far enough and simply treated him as air.

——Payton is old, and his 14 million in the past two seasons is purely the retirement money given by the Supersonics.

——As the second in command, this price is already quite high.

——This is a marginal person whose average playing time is less than 20 minutes per game. It is better to say that he is the spiritual leader of the Supersonics than to say that he is more like the mascot of the Supersonics.

——Haha, mascot Payton, the team flag of the Supersonics can be changed into a pair of gloves.

In the past two seasons, all kinds of voices have surrounded Payton, both kind and malicious, and they all flashed through Payton's mind at this time.

Although he has never publicly criticized these remarks, it does not mean that Payton does not care about them.

At this time, he ignored Wade behind him, and ignored O'Neal who thought he was going to pass the ball in front of him and then grabbed Sakuragi Hanamichi and Chandler tightly.

Payton jumped up and leaned forward, looking at the basket in front of him, and gently raised his right hand forward.

On the contrary, the gloves care a lot, just as he said on the Internet when he used his trumpet to become "Payton's No. 1 Fan" for countless days and nights to criticize those fans who said such things: Payton is definitely not the kind of rogue who takes the salary but does not work. When the playoffs and the real critical moment come, he will make all of you shut up!

The formation of this invincible Supersonics started from me, so in this key game to establish the real throne of the Supersonics, the first ball will be from me!

His eyes seemed to be burning with flames, staring at the basketball that flew steadily towards the basket after it slipped out of his hands.

Go in!

Wade behind him flashed a look of surprise in his eyes, while O'Neal in front of him had a hint of surprise in his eyes.

It was too late to stop it now, and everyone could only watch the basketball that carried all of Payton's will...

Swish!

The basketball went into the net, 0:2, the Sonics got off to a good start!

The heat of the noisy scene was instantly extinguished by Payton's goal, and the noisy sound became much quieter.

Payton actually completed a dragon... and he passed Kidd and Wade, two big players, in succession, and even had to face O'Neal under the basket.

What is this? Isn't that a mascot of the Sonics? Isn't that an old man who is already in his 40s and can't run even if he plays on the court for ten more minutes? This...

Careless, this can only be said that Kidd and Wade are too careless, there is no reason!

It was just a ball, which didn't mean anything. After a short silence, when Artest ran to the baseline and picked up the ball, the scene became lively again.

——Give them one back!

——Give them one back! Give them one back! Give them one back!

——He actually started the game with a one-stop show of power... The old guy is too arrogant!

Artest threw the baseline ball to Kidd.

Payton didn't go up at the first time.

As Kidd slowly controlled the ball through midfield, the Sonics also pulled the entire defense line to the backcourt. In addition to Payton at the top of the three-point arc, Iguodala followed Artest to the right baseline. Sakuragi Hanamichi and Chandler faced O'Neal and LeBron under the basket, and Lin Dong defended Wade one-on-one.

The two sides have set up their positions, and it seems that they are planning to fight a round of positional warfare with the Cavaliers.

Positional warfare? The Cavaliers, who have historical-level inside players such as O'Neal and LeBron, are least afraid of positional warfare!

Kidd is watching all directions and listening to all directions. The situation on the court at this time is clear in his eyes. It's like playing a game to directly digitize all information. The strengths and weaknesses of each other are clear in his eyes.

Lin Dong may not be able to defend Wade to death after entering the state. The guy's offensive ability has reached the peak level. Like Lin Dong, he is not a target that can be dealt with by single defense.

However, Lin Dong still has a psychological advantage against Wade. Even Wade himself may not be sure to challenge Lin Dong on the offensive end. If the battle is heated and the two sides are in a tug-of-war, Wade's state is fully out, then you can try, but now the game has just started, even if you are picking persimmons, you know to pick the soft ones. There is no reason to take the risk to choose the strongest point right away.

At this time, Kidd has controlled the ball to two steps outside the three-point line. Payton naturally came up to meet him. Kidd slightly turned sideways to protect the ball. He is quite experienced in defending this old man. No matter what he does, no matter whether he steals or not, it is always the most correct choice to turn sideways to protect the ball in the first place.

Kidd's attention is still on the overall situation at this time.

Artest's three-pointer is quite good. Long before coming to the Cavaliers, his three-point shooting rate was already 44%, which is basically the same as Iguodala's shooting rate.

But everyone knows that the defense Iguodala encountered is completely different from the defense Artest encountered when shooting 3 points. At this time, facing the tight defense of Iguodala, who can enter the league's third defensive team, it is obviously not a wise move to start hoping for Artest's 3 points.

These two points are not the advantages of the Cavaliers' offense.

On the contrary, whether it is O'Neal against Chandler under the basket, or Sakuragi Hanamichi against LeBron, who is known as the god in the world, the four people's position competition and power confrontation under the basket are obviously more dominant. Sakuragi Hanamichi and Chandler are stuck like sandwiches.

The advantage of the inside line is mine, and the Cavaliers still have to rely on the inside line to open up the situation at the beginning.

Play under the basket!

But...

In a flash of thought, Payton on the side has already begun to "handle".

Payton was full of energy at the beginning of the game. In fact, from the breakthrough of the previous ball, Kidd could feel that the old guy still had some bottom oil in the tank.

Moreover, the old man is quite self-aware now. He does not intend to be the savior of the Supersonics on the court. There is also another replacement who can make him feel at ease on the sidelines, the so-called best sixth man Rukawa Kaede!

So Payton dares to squander his physical strength recklessly and dares to be unscrupulous, because he knows that even if he is exhausted, he can rest and recover at any time, and the strength of the Supersonics will never decline because of this.

The strong body is supported, plus the long arms on both sides of Kidd staring at him.

Payton's "soul breakthrough" before was just a moment of carelessness. I almost thought that the old man had changed, but now it seems...

It's still the familiar formula and familiar taste.

Sakuragi Hanamichi and Chandler under the basket seem to be guarding against his passing, trying to block him, making the legendary route not so clear. More importantly, Payton behind him is too tight and defending too hard, and there is a risk of being intercepted if he passes rashly.

To deal with Payton's death entanglement, you need to be patient and lure him to make the first move.

Kidd shook his shoulder to the right, just trying to pull Payton's center of gravity, but he didn't expect to feel Payton's right hand stretched out directly.

So easy to be fooled?

Kidd instinctively realized that there was a problem. Payton might be old or slow, but he was definitely experienced. He didn't even believe the fake move just now. He just pulled and tried, but he actually tricked Payton into making a move?

If he chose to continue to change direction at this time, Kidd was not sure whether Payton had seen through his move and was waiting for him on the left. But if he didn't change direction, the opponent's hand would reach out. It's not possible that Payton would give up the attack and turn back to defense as soon as Payton stretched out his hand. He is the ball holder and the organizer of the Cavaliers. How can he stop easily!

The instinctive feeling made Kidd give up the left turn and turn to the past, and continue to turn right, while raising his right elbow, trying to block Payton's outstretched arm.

In this way, he can protect the ball while connecting with a resolute breakthrough on the right, but the next second...

Snap!

The elbow that was originally used to block Payton's "dirty hands" hit a hard bone, making Kidd feel numbness in his right arm, as if he was hit by Payton's iron chin.

His right hand suddenly became soft, and at the same time, Payton fell backwards and fell to the ground with a bang.

Kidd was startled.

Beep!

The referee's whistle sounded in time.

This can't be ignored. Although it's the Cavaliers' home court, the game has just started. You just raised your elbow to hit the opponent's chin. What's more, Payton cooperated well and fell backwards directly... If there is no whistle, the two teams will probably wave their fists in the next round, and the fans across the United States will also shout the black curtain.

"Cavaliers No. 20, offensive foul!"

Kidd turned around in surprise. He clearly saw Payton reaching out, but when he raised his elbow, it was Payton's chin that hit him... No, this guy took the initiative to move his chin over!

Not strong enough, chin to move? It's okay to cheat, while cheating, he is still trying so hard to send his chin...

Experience!

Why are experienced players the most terrifying players? Because they can take advantage of all the rules with experience, because they can use experience to make up for the lack of physical strength and strength!

Kidd was also a little amused. This old guy... Is he really going to go against the sky? Moreover, using these dirty tricks to fight against himself, this is completely a face-saving!

"Haha, old Payton!" Sakuragi Hanamichi laughed and rushed over to help Payton, but Payton ignored him and stretched out his hand to Kidd with a provocative look on his face.

"Pull me up!" He looked at Kidd who was still in a daze with confidence: "Why are you still standing there? Don't you want me anymore? Can you bear to watch an old man like me fall to the ground and do nothing?!"

Fuck...

Kidd, who was laughing and crying, had a thousand horses running through his heart.

Brother?

Didn't we agree to a real duel? Didn't we agree to have a final duel between brothers?

The result, just like this?

First, he suddenly changed his habit of decades to calculate a breakthrough for me, and now he gave me a foul.

Is this how you calculate your own brother?

Really...Fuck you MLGB!