Chapter 184: He Doesn’t Get It.
Durant cut from the weak side to the strong side, leaping to catch the ball with his back to the basket in the low post.
Han Sen tried to swipe the ball as Durant received it, but he couldn't make the steal. However, he quickly adjusted and maintained a solid defensive position.
Durant's passing skills were still underdeveloped, but his one-on-one game, especially in the low post, had greatly improved from the previous season.
He turned and initiated a triple-threat stance. Han Sen applied pressure to his lower body, but Durant drove left, shielding the ball and dribbling quickly past Han Sen along the baseline.
In his unleashed state, Durant was noticeably quicker.
Though Han Sen was beaten, he remained calm, cutting off Durant's passing lanes and herding him toward the rim.
In the past, Han Sen had tried to solve defensive situations on his own. But after playing the Lakers, he leaned toward cooperating with Marc Gasol on defense.
This approach not only improved the defense's success rate but also conserved his energy.
Of course, this defensive method only worked against players with limited or average passing ability, and Durant fell into that category.
Durant reached the basket, but with limited space to accelerate and facing Marc Gasol's 7'1" frame and 7'4" wingspan, he couldn't complete a strong finish.
Turning to pass, he found Han Sen had cut off the passing lanes. Durant attempted a forced reverse layup over Gasol, but he wasn't Kobe—his height became a disadvantage here.