March 14 marked the highly anticipated league playoff final, with USC squaring off against the Washington Huskies. The Huskies had been formidable opponents throughout the season, finishing with a strong 12-6 record. Just yesterday, they eliminated a team at the Staples Center, whose roster included three players destined for the NBA.
In the regular season, the Washington Huskies were evenly matched with USC, often causing them significant trouble. Both encounters had been nail-biters, with USC narrowly clinching victory in the final minutes.
One player who particularly stood out to Lian Dao on the Huskies' roster was Isaiah Thomas. The University of Washington had a reputation for producing exceptional guards, from the previous Yellow Mamba, Brandon Roy, to the current sensation, Isaiah Thomas. Despite standing at only 173 cm, Thomas had proven that height was no barrier in basketball. His lightning-fast breakthrough speed, sharp passing, and smart running made him a formidable opponent. In his freshman season, he averaged an impressive 15.5 points, 1.1 steals, and 2.6 assists per game.
In addition to Isaiah Thomas, the Washington Huskies had their captain and starting power forward, Jon Brockman, and small forward, Quincy Pondexter. This formidable trio formed the backbone of the team and posed a significant challenge to USC.
In the finals, the Washington Huskies devised a strategy to counter USC's strengths. They started the game with Jon Brockman mismatched against Lian Dao, while Quincy Pondexter was always ready to help. During the regular season, Lian Dao often had to rely on his teammates' screens to create opportunities, but now he had evolved.
As Lian Dao broke through the defense, he consistently attracted Quincy Pondexter's attention, forcing him to help defend. This, in turn, left Gibson wide open, allowing him to capitalize on the opportunities created by Lian Dao's playmaking. Gibson was able to score easily, benefiting from Lian Dao's ability to draw defenders away.
By the end of the first half, USC had established a commanding lead with a score of 62-45.
This was also the first time USC led by more than 15 points in the first half against the Washington Huskies this season.
Lian Dao's remarkable evolution on the court stunned Washington's head coach, Lorenzo Romar, who kept muttering, "USC deceived everyone!"
In the first half, Gibson was scoring effortlessly, which made DeMar envious. During the intermission, DeMar stared at Lian Dao without saying a word, making Lian Dao uncomfortable under his gaze.
"Alright, I'll pass the ball to you more in the second half!" Lian Dao promised to ease the tension.
In the second half, Lian Dao played even more freely, showcasing his arsenal of passes: breaking through defenses, passing the ball between his legs, executing no-look passes, threading the needle with pinpoint accuracy, and even passing behind his head.
DeMar wasn't the only beneficiary of Lian Dao's playmaking; other teammates also enjoyed the spoils. Those who didn't capitalize on these opportunities found themselves out of the loop as Lian Dao focused on more reliable scorers.
After all, each assist was valuable—worth two points—and Lian Dao wasn't about to waste them.
Meanwhile, Isaiah Thomas repeatedly penetrated USC's restricted area, but the twin towers of USC, Gibson and Vucevic, made life tough for the 173 cm guard. Each time he attempted a layup, he had to contort his body mid-air, dodging and weaving to score.
"Why not pass the ball?" some might ask. The answer was simple: the perimeter was locked down by Lian Dao, and Quincy Pondexter couldn't break through Lian Dao's defense. Lacking the strength, speed, and wingspan to compete, Pondexter found himself outmatched at every turn.
Quincy Pondexter's most intuitive feeling during this game was, "This is too difficult!"
As for the interior, USC had essentially set up a no-fly zone. With Gibson and Vucevic patrolling the paint, the inside was well-guarded. Once again, USC's defense proved to be an insurmountable barrier.
USC's defense this season has been invincible.
There's a famous saying in the NBA: "Defense wins championships."
Why do the Suns often achieve a high record in the regular season but falter in the playoffs? It's because they focus solely on offense and neglect defense.
The Suns ushered in the "seven-second offense era" with Mike D'Antoni's run-and-gun tactics. These strategies weren't inherently flawed—no one can deny the success of the Suns, who recorded a 62-20 season in 2004-2005, topping the NBA regular season standings.
However, Mike D'Antoni's emphasis on offense came at the expense of defense. It's not that he ignored it; he seemingly chose not to prioritize it at all. Consequently, in every tough battle, the Suns' defense resembled a hornet's nest—full of holes.
For the Suns to advance further, head coach Mike D'Antoni needed to acknowledge the importance of defense. Yet, at the end of last season, the Suns' management dismissed D'Antoni.
This season, Alvin Gentry took over as head coach, and the addition of Shaquille O'Neal was meant to bolster their defense. However, the Big Shaq was past his prime. He couldn't run as he once did; although he still maintained a certain dominance inside, he was too slow.
This mismatch between O'Neal's playing style and the Suns' system hindered their progress. The Suns' strategy emphasizes a "7-second offense," originally built on speed. The current O'Neal was not suitable for this fast-paced system.
Without quick maneuvering, the Suns were destined to fail. The Suns' approach was flawed.
Interestingly, the Suns' run-and-gun tactics inspired future teams, such as the "Death Lineup" of the Warriors. The Warriors' configuration was an evolution of the Suns' "7-second offense," but with a critical difference: they never neglected defense.
The Warriors had Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala for perimeter defense, with Draymond Green and Andrew Bogut anchoring the interior. This created a robust defensive system, allowing the Warriors to excel in both fast-paced offensive battles and slow, methodical positional play.
From the beginning, USC prioritized defense. Even when implementing "run-and-gun tactics" in the second half, USC's defensive intensity never waned. Their balanced approach combined a potent offense with an impenetrable defense, setting them apart from teams that focused solely on one aspect.
At the end of the game against the Washington Huskies, USC secured a decisive victory with a score of 89-68, leading by 21 points.
In this game, Lian Dao made history by breaking the NCAA single-game assist record. He scored 16 points, dished out an astounding 25 assists, and grabbed 10 rebounds, surpassing the previous record of 22 assists held by Johnson, Tony Farley, and Sherman Douglas, and setting a new benchmark of 25 assists.
More importantly, Lian Dao not only shattered the assist record but also achieved the first triple-double of his career. This remarkable performance sent shockwaves throughout the entire West Coast region. The media was abuzz, shining a spotlight on this extraordinary feat.
The Los Angeles Times heralded him as the "USC Genius Commander," while ESPN dubbed him "The Next Magician." Another outlet celebrated him as the "Historically Talented Almighty Warrior."
Lian Dao's exceptional play had captured the imagination of fans and analysts alike, cementing his status as a rising star and a formidable force in college basketball.
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Lian Dao's stellar performance in the NCAA didn't go unnoticed by the domestic media. Numerous outlets, including Sina Sports and Pain Xun Sports, dispatched reporters to Southern California to cover his rise. However, Lian Dao remained largely insulated from the media frenzy, as USC restricted most interviews to ensure the team's focus on preparing for March Madness.
Lian Dao granted interviews to only a few mainstream media outlets, addressing topics such as his daily training routine, relationships with teammates, and the secret behind his exceptional passing. These interviews were generally straightforward and pleasant.
Yet, not all interactions went smoothly. One reporter suggested that USC's strength was solely due to Lian Dao's contributions. Lian Dao swiftly refuted this, emphasizing the importance of team unity and collaboration.
"There's a famous saying in our country: a single tree does not make a forest. The strength of Southern California is not due to one person, but the unity of everyone. The Trojans are like a big family. It is the contributions of all that have made Southern California strong," he asserted.
Lian Dao's response was direct and firm, highlighting the collective effort behind USC's success while maintaining confidence in the team's enduring strength.