Overwhelming the second quarter with 23-12 with offensive defense
Round 2 of Akita Northern Happinets vs Nagoya Diamond Dolphins. Akita, who had a high concentration throughout the 40 minutes and gained momentum with their obsession with the ball and offensive defense, won 83-65 and stopped the losing streak with 4.
The first quarter will be a competitive battle, but in the second quarter Akita will set up a zone defense from a high position. It puts pressure on the back court team of Nagoya D and does not let them assemble the offense. Also, if the opponent lowers the ball or looks away, it will steal immediately and turn to a transition. Before hitting a shot at Nagoya D, he stole possessions one after another and triggered seven turnovers in the second quarter alone. Furthermore, when he stole the ball, he quickly switched and everyone ran to make an out number and scored with good rhythm.
Even in the half-court offense, the ball is carried to the ring each time without being confused by the changing defense of Nagoya D. In the first round, only one out of 17 three-point shots was decided, but in this game, by depositing the ball on the drive or inside, the defense was contracted and then a three-point shot was shot at their own rhythm. He overwhelmed the second quarter with 23-12 and finished the first half with 38-31.
On the other hand, Nagoya D made a good rhythm with transition basketball at the start, but after that, he was overwhelmed by Akita’s high intensity defense. Without finding the source of the pass, each one breaks through individually, but the tough shots increase and the ring dislikes it. Also, even if the offense is deployed in a good shape and connected to the score, the flow cannot be maintained and the difference of one or two possessions cannot be narrowed.
The final quarter with 61-52 and Akita’s lead. Akita will continue to be obsessed with the ball until the end, inspiring the team with hustle play. In addition, Takatoshi Furukawa and Masashi Hosoya did not give the initiative to decide the shot at the point of the game even if Nagoya D narrowed the gap, and Akita who continued to put out energy until the end won 83-65.
Kenzo Maeda Head Coach “It’s very big that we all supported each other.”
Akita’s winning head coach Kenzo Maeda praised the players at a post-match press conference, saying, “The players fought for 40 minutes with great energy and concentration.” “I think there were a lot of uncertainties in the new team situation with KC (Kadeem Coleby) missing. Still, I think it’s a huge step for the players to get together and win.”
What stood out most in the game was Akita’s concentration. Among the four consecutive losses up to yesterday, there were a series of mistakes in the game, and there were times when we lost by a small margin. Still, in this match, everyone stayed focused and kept the lead until the end.
“Yesterday I sank as a team during a difficult time. In the midst of this series of defeats, that wouldn’t be the case.” No matter what the situation, you can’t win unless everyone fights. ” This is also my own reflection point, but after KC (Coleby) left, I wanted to win, so I was more enthusiastic about making mistakes, but instead, I focused on the good points. I approached the team, so I think I was able to do it in that kind of atmosphere today. After that, it’s very big that we were able to support each other while communicating with the players, “said Maeda. The coach explained why he was able to put an end to the losing streak.
This section is a painful division of 1 win and 1 loss, and both teams have 22 wins and 15 losses. Akita has been in a difficult situation, but it is a big win in the last game before By Week with Akita-like basketball. On the other hand, Nagoya D will have the key to how much the issues found in this match can be corrected during the buy-week period.
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