Chapter 868: Each teams performance, winning streak at home
"38 points in the first game! 31 points in the first game! 30 points in two consecutive games. Stephen Curry continues to be in hot form!
"The invincible Ku Ritian! The invincible Golden State Warriors!"
"Wang Zelin and the Trail Blazers are certainly very strong, but Stephen and the Warriors are not bad either. The Western Conference is gradually showing a bipolar pattern!"
"Yesterday, Kobe Bryant scored 44 points in three quarters and it was hard to win. GDP scored 55 points and it was hard to escape defeat. The era of veteran stars has passed, and the young supernovas already have the future in their hands!"
"I didn't expect that Duncan and Kobe would also become the tears of the times. It's amazing how late the heroes are!"
…
With the Warriors taking a 2-0 lead in the series, the team's probability of advancing to the next round increased significantly after the game.
In addition, the Trail Blazers easily won the game against the Lakers in an almost overwhelming manner.
Facing the Lakers' twin towers of Pau Gasol and Roy Hibbert, their star player Wang Zelin scored the second-highest single-game 57 points in playoff history in this game!
In just one game, he proved that he was fully capable of destroying the Lakers' powerful twin towers. The Blazers' promotion probability increased from 63% before the series started to 85% in an instant.
Overall, the situation in the Western Division is gradually becoming clearer.
As Stephen A. Smith, the famous loudmouth in North American basketball circles, stated in an article published overnight after the Warriors game:
"Kobe and Dunk have become the tears of the times. The legend of the previous era is about to end, and a new era has arrived!"
If we say that the first Western Conference Finals between the Trail Blazers and Warriors last season was regarded as the beginning of a new era.
So this season, when they once again showed the trend of being very likely to meet for the second time in the Western Conference Finals, a small group of people who used to be tough had to admit that the glory of the previous era has passed, and the entire Western Conference and even the entire league
All have ushered in a new master!
Over in the East, the first battle between the Bulls and Raptors had a surprising result.
The Raptors, who were even lower in the regular season rankings and had to face an away game in the second round, burst out with tremendous energy and showed a strong enterprising spirit after arriving at the United Center, home of the Bulls.
In this game, Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry shined, scoring a game-high 33 points, defeating former MVP Rose, and leading the Raptors to win the G1 away game 95:91.
When Wang Zelin saw the news, he was a little surprised at first, but he was relieved in an instant.
Even though many people later ridiculed DeRozan and Lowry as "trash brothers" more than once, it is undeniable that the Raptors did reach their first peak in team history under the leadership of these two.
In the original timeline, the Raptors also emerged from the 15-16 season, reached the conference finals in the playoffs, and became a hot team in the Eastern Conference in the next few years.
Of course, they also became the best background for James' eight-year compulsory education in the East.
It was not until Leonard joined that the Raptors evolved from a strong division team to a championship-level powerhouse, and finally won the first championship in team history!
However, that is all a story for later.
Judging only from the strength shown by both sides in the first game, the Raptors' win was certainly due to the factors of Lowry's explosion, but it can also be seen that this team is indeed strong.
At least as far as the Eastern Conference is concerned, apart from the Cavaliers, they may really have no opponent.
Speaking of the Cavaliers, we have to mention the second game of the series between the two sides.
As many people expected before the game, James, who had adjusted his mentality, immediately performed as dominant as the Eastern Conference hegemon. He scored 14 points in the first quarter, leading the Cavaliers to a 35:20 lead over the Heat by 15 points.
At the end of the first half, James had an all-around performance of 25 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals and 1 block, which is equivalent to the data that would only be obtained in the entire game in the past.
The score between the two sides also reached 74:38, and the Cavaliers' lead suddenly reached 36 points.
Perhaps because he did not want his good brother Wade to lose too badly, James started to fish again in the third quarter and did not come on the court until the last four minutes. After scoring the 30th point of the game with a sudden shot, then... again
Went to rest.
In the end, the Cavaliers defeated the Heat at home 123:98, 25 points.
For the Cavaliers, James, who played 32 minutes in the game, made 13 of 20 shots, 2 of 5 three-pointers, and 5 of 9 free throws. He scored 33 points, 9 rebounds, 11 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks. He was named the best player in the game.
good.
That's right, another James-style quasi-triple-double data for patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder who will not sacrifice their lives!
After all, the thirty-year-old man still missed the old friendship and had some reservations about his performance. In the last quarter, he went up and made a three-pointer, and also sent out two assists. He sat leisurely on the bench for the next 10 minutes, sitting on the same bench as the opposite.
Wade came to the table several times and looked at each other enthusiastically from the air... Well, everything was unspoken!
The other two giants of the Cavaliers, Cousins 23-13, a daily double-double; Irving had an average touch, making 5 of 14 shots and scoring 19 points and 6 assists.
On the Heat side, Flash Wade still played steadily, with 26 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists. Dragic had 17 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Joe had 20 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists in isolation...
Generally speaking, no one from the Heat made a big splash tonight. They all played to their due strength. However, there is a certain gap between the overall strength of the Heat and the Cavaliers. In addition, James' violent output in the first half led to this loss.
A bit miserable.
…
Another day passed in a hurry.
On May 5th, the Trail Blazers will face the Lakers in the second game of the series.
In the afternoon, before the game started, the coaching staff arranged a recovery training session to allow the players to warm up in advance.
In the evening, the G2 battle started.
In this game, the Trail Blazers implemented the tactics of the G1 game, still letting Wang Zelin hit the basket, and then let Kobe Bryant from the outside to fire.
As long as the rest of the Lakers can't score, what does it matter if Kobe scores too many goals?
The Black Mamba is too old after all. Do you still think he can output firepower like he did when he was young?
The gap between the two sides was too big, and the Lakers were once again overwhelmed inside, allowing the Trail Blazers to control the rebounds.
Wang Zelin once again posted god-level statistics, helping the Trail Blazers win two consecutive home games, leading the Lakers with a big score of 2-0, taking the team one step closer to defending the dynasty.
With two consecutive 50-point bombings, Wang Zelin set a scoring record in the second round of the playoffs.
Renowned basketball commentator Bill Simmons updated his ESPN column, saying:
"The Trail Blazers once again fought an overwhelming battle, and what I want to say is that in this series, Wang Zelin showed unparalleled dominance at the basket!
Whether it's offense or defense, Wang's performance in this series is the best in history!
I think it’s time for everyone to include him in the discussion list of the number one center in history..."