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Liam picked up the tactical board and began drawing plays as the players gathered around him:
"Hold on, Mike—no, Julian, you'll replace Pete, and Jimmy, you'll play power forward against Ellington."
Julian Beko was thrilled, not expecting to play so soon, while Campbell's expression darkened, frustrated by being substituted every time the team went with a smaller lineup.
"Drew, make sure Hansbrough catches the ball away from the basket, so we can force him toward Jimmy and Ellington's side. Got it?"
Drew nodded quickly. He had been blaming himself for not defending Hansbrough well. Seeing that Liam didn't hold it against him, he felt even more determined to follow the coach's instructions.
"Jimmy, if Hansbrough leaves your side, move in aggressively to double-team him. Hansbrough's passing is slow, and with your speed, you'll have time to get back to your position. Don't worry about his open three-pointer. Understand?"
"No problem, coach!" Jimmy responded loudly.
"Great. Finally, Stephen, your offense seems off, right?" Liam asked, turning to Curry.
"Yeah, maybe it's just the start of the game. I haven't found my rhythm yet, but I'll be fine once I get some shots up," Curry said, visibly frustrated.
During yesterday's practice, Liam had outlined today's strategy, which relied heavily on Curry using pick-and-rolls to attack Hansbrough. It was a clear mismatch, with Hansbrough's slower movements against Curry's agility. Curry had been confident, but now his shooting slump was causing the team to fall behind, making him anxious.
Liam said calmly, "Stephen, focus more on driving to the basket. If you can get Hansbrough to foul, even better. But if you see an opportunity, don't hesitate to shoot. I trust you'll find your rhythm again."
"I understand!" Curry nodded firmly.
Under Liam's direction, the timeout ended quickly, and both teams returned to the court.
"Coach Gonzalez made an adjustment, replacing Campbell with Julian Beko. Looks like he's going with the smaller lineup we saw a lot during the regular season," Jim Nantz commented on ESPN.
Dell nodded in agreement, "Yes, in this lineup, Butler will move to power forward. This lineup is all about speed and rotation. It looks like Coach Gonzalez is trying to contain Hansbrough by packing the paint."
Roy Williams noticed Liam's adjustment but remained calm, gesturing toward Ty Lawson. He had thoroughly studied the Bulldogs' tapes and was prepared for this.
The Bulldogs had possession, and Curry once again targeted Hansbrough, creating a one-on-one matchup.
Curry executed a quick crossover, dribbling between his legs and shaking off Hansbrough's defense before driving inside. Wayne Ellington instinctively came to help, but he forgot Butler was behind him instead of Campbell.
Curry took a couple more steps, waiting until Ellington got closer before dishing the ball to Butler. Marcus in the corner was ready to rotate, but Butler feigned a pass to Graves, which caused Marcus to hesitate. With a clear shot, Butler drained the open three-pointer before Ellington could recover.
Swish!The ball went through the net, finally breaking the Bulldogs' scoring drought.
3:7.
Roy Williams shook his head in dissatisfaction and called out loudly, "Danny, forget about the center, double-team Curry!"
Danny Green raised his hand to show he understood.
North Carolina's possession came next. Hansbrough attempted another one-on-one in the paint but was immediately double-teamed by Butler. His slow pass didn't give Ellington enough time to get an open look.
Ellington tried to go one-on-one against Butler but couldn't break through the defense, and his mid-range jumper missed.
"...Ellington misses! Drew grabs the rebound and passes it to Curry. The Bulldogs launch a three-lane fast break! A beautiful behind-the-back dribble! Curry shakes off Danny Green and crosses into the frontcourt. He lobs it up... Butler slams it home with an alley-oop! Ty Lawson had no chance; North Carolina's disorganized defense left Butler wide open. Slowly, the Bulldogs are turning this game around!" Jim Nantz shouted excitedly.
5:7.
Ty Lawson spread his hands helplessly. He knew Butler was going up for the dunk, but there was nothing he could do.
This was North Carolina's weakness: Ty Lawson was too short, Hansbrough too slow, and Ellington too soft, making their transition defense shaky at best.
"Keep attacking!" Roy Williams clapped his hands and shouted to his team.
He knew the weaknesses, but he also knew his team's offense could overpower any opponent.
Lawson brought the ball up, still angry about the last dunk, and decided to take matters into his own hands. Using his lightning-quick first step, he blew past Curry and drove inside, leaving Drew hesitant to help because of Hansbrough lurking behind him.
Lawson used his core strength to twist mid-air, avoiding Curry's block for an easy layup.
5:9.
"That's the strength of North Carolina's offense. With Lawson and Hansbrough, they can hit you from every angle. And when Hansbrough is double-teamed, Lawson steps up," Dell added.
Curry sought out Hansbrough once again through a pick-and-roll, but Danny Green fought through the screen to double-team him, leaving Drew open. Curry quickly passed the ball, hitting Drew on the ground.
Drew, left alone, fumbled with the ball for a moment before Ellington came to help. Drew quickly dished it to Butler, who sank another three-pointer.
8:9. The Bulldogs were within one point.
Drew clenched his fist in relief. "Did they really think they could just leave me open?" he thought.
Though he was just a blue-collar center, Liam had trained the team extensively on handling double-teams. Even Drew could comfortably manage a four-on-three situation.
"Butler hits the open three... excellent! North Carolina's double-teams have failed twice in a row!" Jim Nantz exclaimed.
Dell smiled as the Bulldogs narrowed the gap, "It's hard to double-team when both teams have four shooters. The key is Butler—his agility, size, and defensive instincts allow him to help out at just the right moment without leaving his man open. North Carolina doesn't have that kind of player, and it might be the deciding factor in this game!"
End of this chapter
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