The player who was targeted for match-up hunting was none other than this season’s MVP (Most Valuable Player).
Match-up hunting is a tactic that focuses on attacking a player with a weak defense. It is a strategy that is often used on big stages such as the playoffs as well as the regular season.
Game 7 of the second round of the playoffs between the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers. The player Jayson Tatum was targeting for matchup hunting was Philadelphia big man Joel Embiid.
Tatum, who exploded with 51 points that day, scored a whopping 17 points while Embiid was blocking. When there was a mismatch with Embiid, he took a 3-point shot and broke through without hesitation and scored freely.
The important thing is that Embiid is by no means a weak defensive player. He is a big man who is as strong on defense as he is on offense. He was even mentioned as a potential candidate for ‘Defender of the Year’ in the past. The reason why Embiid won the MVP this season was not insignificant because of his defensive presence.
Even Embiid had a hard time defending Tatum. This soon affected the attack as well.
Embiid, who scored an average of 33.1 points in the regular season, only scored 15 points on this day. He was also not efficient, missing 13 out of 18 field goals.
▲ Tatum and Embiid are close off the court, training together during the off-season.
Tatum cites confidence as the secret. After winning game 7, he said, “I was worried about my poor performance in game 6. At that time, I pushed myself too hard. I put too many thoughts in my head.” “I tried not to feel pressured. I just focused on the game and had fun.”
The 51 points are the most points scored by a player in Game 7 of the playoffs in NBA history. Besides, there were no mistakes.
There were no ups and downs, as he succeeded in scoring against all five Philadelphia defenders, including Embiid. It was a near-perfect performance.
Boston’s opponent in the Eastern Finals is the Miami Heat. Miami came up as the 8th seed and defeated the Milwaukee Bucks, which ranked first in the league, and the New York Knicks, which ranked 5th in the East, in turn.스포츠토토
“Miami is a team I’m very familiar with,” Tatum said. “At the same time, it’s a well-guided team. They always compete against the best teams and are hard on defense. They always find a way to win. The East Finals between us and Miami will be fun and intense. I’m looking forward to it,” he said.