Bab 86: Dimensionality Attack
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Douglas received the ball and attacked the Bulldogs' inside line without hesitation. This was the essence of the DDM tactics: continuous breakthroughs and passing until the opponent's defensive formation was completely disrupted.
Curry tried hard to defend Douglas, but he still broke through by changing his rhythm. Curry gave it his all, but defense wasn't his strong point. Since Butler's attention was on Rose, he couldn't help, and Douglas made a mid-range shot.
3:4.
"Douglas gets rid of Curry and makes the shot! He steps up when Rose is locked down," said the ESPN commentator.
"That's the Tigers' advantage. They've got two ball handlers while the Bulldogs rely heavily on Curry. Scoring will come easier for the Tigers," added Bill Walton.
On the other side, Curry held the ball and went one-on-one with Joey Dorsey. This time, instead of going for a three-pointer, Curry used agile dribbling and a change of pace to break past his defender and score inside. Rose, who was rotating defensively, came over to help but couldn't stop the taller Curry, allowing him to make an easy shot.
5:4.
"The Tigers' defense seems too loose on Curry, allowing him to score easily. Bill, are they being too soft on him?" asked Greg Gumbel.
Bill Walton shook his head.
"Joey Dorsey is the defensive anchor for the Tigers, but Curry pulled him out to the perimeter, leaving no one to protect the rim."
"Couldn't Dozier protect the rim? His defense is solid," asked Greg.
"Did you notice? Dozier hesitated earlier because Butler was left open in the corner. Butler's shooting accuracy forces defenders to stay on him, so Dozier didn't dare leave his position," Bill explained.
The audience, especially the Tigers' fans, started to understand what was happening. Initially, they thought Liam Gonzalez (Tigers' coach) was taking a huge risk by playing a small lineup, but now they saw that he was creating space for Curry to attack.
Tigers' coach Calipari looked worried as Curry scored easily twice in a row. This was the finals, and every point was crucial. He couldn't allow Curry to keep performing like this.
"Derek!" Calipari shouted to Rose, signaling a double-team on Curry.
Rose nodded, acknowledging the strategy. In the next possession, Rose drove past Graves with two sharp changes of direction. Butler, staying alert, moved in to help, leaving Andre open. Rose passed it to Andre, who hesitated but shot a three-pointer.
Bang!
The ball bounced off the rim, and Drew grabbed the rebound for the Bulldogs. They quickly went on offense, setting up a pick-and-roll between Curry and Drew. Rose moved to double-team Curry, but Curry calmly passed to the open Butler in the corner, who drained the three.
8:4.
Calipari's face darkened. Rose had made the right play, but his teammate missed the open shot, while Curry's passes led to easy points for the Bulldogs.
On the other side, Liam Gonzalez smiled after Butler's three-pointer. His small-ball lineup was working perfectly. The Tigers' best three-point shooter, Douglas, only had a 37.6% accuracy rate, and Andre shot just 33.5%. None of the Tigers were true shooters, so Butler could confidently help on defense.
On the Bulldogs' side, Curry shot 44.7% from three, the highest in the NCAA. Butler was also a reliable shooter, making 40.3% from beyond the arc, and the other players like Graves and Mike Green had improved their shooting under Liam's guidance. With four shooters surrounding Curry, teams couldn't afford to double-team him without leaving someone open.
As the game continued, Rose struggled against the Bulldogs' tight defense. His explosive drives were being stifled, and with the Tigers' lack of shooting, it became easier for the Bulldogs to shut down his scoring opportunities.
Liam's offensive scheme was ahead of its time. While most teams in the NCAA still focused on inside scoring and mid-range shots, Liam assembled a modern offense built around spacing and shooting. With a core player like Curry, three shooters, and a big man for finishing plays, the Bulldogs were executing what could be considered a "dimensionality reduction attack."
This lineup demanded a high level of performance from the ball handler, Curry, who thrived in the role. His ability to score both on and off the ball, while also distributing to his teammates, made him difficult to defend. The Tigers' traditional defense, focused on packing the paint, couldn't keep up with Liam's innovative offense.
Douglas continued to score for the Tigers, helping them stay within reach. His form was sharp, and with Rose drawing so much attention, Douglas filled the scoring gap.
With just over a minute left in the first half, Douglas found himself being tightly defended by Curry. He tried to break free with a series of crossovers, but Curry stayed with him. Frustrated, Douglas stepped back for a tough three-pointer, but missed. Drew grabbed the rebound for the Bulldogs, and Curry quickly capitalized, hitting a three-pointer in transition to extend the Bulldogs' lead to 38:33.
Calipari paced the sidelines in frustration. Joey Dorsey, the Tigers' best defender, couldn't stop Curry, and there was no one else to turn to. Even though Dorsey had excelled in guarding perimeter players in the past, Curry's shooting range and quick release made him almost impossible to guard.
As the first half came to a close, the Bulldogs led 38:35. Rose's last-minute jump shot cut the deficit, but the Tigers went into halftime knowing they had to find an answer for Curry if they wanted a chance to win.
End of this chapter
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