Chapter 414 They will be our biggest opponents for many years to come!
The Thunder and Spurs are ranked fourth in the Western Conference and fifth in the Western Conference.
Interestingly, before the start of the season, fans' expectations for them were not the same.
For the Spurs, who are sitting on GDP, most fans believe that they will be ranked at the top of the Western Conference.
Even if it's not first, it won't fall out of the top three.
Although the Thunder are full of talent, the core players on the team are only in their early 20s.
Fans' general expectation for them is...to advance to the playoffs, keep eight, fight for seven, and try for six.
I never thought that one was lower than expected and the other was higher than expected, and finally they met in the fourth and fifth places.
The veteran Spurs vs. the young Thunder.
This set of duels also attracted a lot of attention.
Many professional football commentators even believe that this will be the most exciting matchup in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs!
"If you had to choose, would you rather play the Spurs or the Thunder?"
During the introduction of the players, Mark Jackson asked the Rockets generals.
"Thunder. Although the Spurs are old, they have the heart of a champion. There's no telling how much energy they can burst out."
Tony Allen was the first to answer.
"Let's stick with the Spurs. In the playoffs, their experience will play a big role. The Thunder are too young in front of them."
pj Tucker said.
"The Thunder's talent is indeed top-notch, but they still need more time to transform their talent into strength."
Lowry also expressed his views.
Xiaogangpao has now become the team's third point guard, but his mentality still seems to be good.
In fact, Mark Jackson had already communicated with Lowry before adjusting the team rotation.
Lori didn't react much, calmly accepted the arrangement and expressed his understanding.
However, he also frankly told Mark Jackson that he might apply to leave the team after the season.
"No matter what, I will wholeheartedly help the team win the championship this season."
"As for the future...let's wait until the offseason and let's talk about it!"
"If the Rockets no longer need me in the future, I will leave on my own initiative."
Lori said.
This passage is somewhat sad.
Mark Jackson's real thought after hearing this was "No team needs players like you."
But he couldn't say it, because once he said it, how could Lori leave?
You can't let an All-Star guard play for you as your third point guard.
Therefore, Mark Jackson could only answer him at that time: "The boss said that after the end of the season, if you have any plans, he will fully support you."
Lori smiled and nodded when he heard this.
............
Look back to the present.
Subsequently, several players answered Mark Jackson's questions.
But except for Curry, everyone thinks the Spurs are the team that may pose a threat to the Rockets.
Meng Shen feels that in several games during the regular season, the Thunder caused more trouble to the Rockets. The Spurs' team-oriented basketball seems to have nothing to do with the Rockets.
"It's about to start. Let's watch the game first. Maybe after watching it, you will change your mind."
Mark Jackson said with a smile.
............
As the referee throws the ball high, the game officially begins!
Duncan and Ibaka compete for the ball.
Although Shi Buddha has a physical advantage, the young man has better bounce speed and bounce.
Ibaka waved the ball back to his own half.
Thunder strikes first!
Westbrook passed half court with the ball and met Parker's defense.
In the first attack, Guigui's goal is very clear, which is to hit one!
With the help of Ibaka's pick-and-roll, he easily got rid of Parker and then headed inside.
Duncan quickly shrank from the basket to protect the basket.
But Westbrook was not afraid at all. He kicked off his feet and soared into the sky toward the stone Buddha...
The two had a physical confrontation in the air.
"Beep!"
The whistle sounded and Duncan blocked the foul.
Westbrook failed to hit the layup, but was able to get to the free throw line.
One free throw...hit!
Two penalties... strike!
Duncan took off the rebound and passed the ball to Parker.
The French sports car advances quickly after getting the ball.
After arriving at the Thunder half, he keenly discovered Gary Neal who was in an open position and passed the ball to him immediately.
Neal did not hesitate after receiving the ball and decisively shot a three-pointer.
The basketball left his fingertips and spun at high speed, drawing a beautiful arc in the air...
"Shua~"
Hollow into the net!
1:3, the Spurs took the lead.
"Look at this counterattack speed, look at this on-the-spot choice, this is the basketball of the old guys."
Tony Allen commented with a smile.
"The placement of this transition offense is really good."
Mark Jackson said with a smile. As he spoke, he simply took notes.
The game continues.
Durant started to show off his power.
He first singled out Jefferson at a 45-degree angle on the right side.
After a drastic change of direction to pass the latter, Xiao Shuaiyun suddenly stopped and shot from mid-range...
Hit!
3:3.
In the next round, Durant made a comeback.
This time, he chose to ask for the ball in the low post.
Although Durant is still relatively thin now, his core strength is not weak at all.
With his height advantage, the young coach stuck Jefferson firmly behind him and easily caught the ball.
After getting the ball, Durant's handling was still decisive.
He immediately turned to face the ball frame, then crossed the ball and broke through.
But after taking just one step, Durant slammed his right foot on the ground, stepped back and bounced back to his original position, and then shot.
Jefferson was shaken by this series of actions and could only watch the opponent complete the shot...
Hit again!
At 5:3, the Thunder completed the lead.
After scoring the goal, Durant looked calm and relaxed, as if he had done something simple.
Upon seeing this, Rockets generals as far away as Houston commented one after another.
"Richard (Jefferson) will definitely not be able to defend like this. Once a player like Kevin is allowed to get into a rhythm, the ball will most likely be scored."
Tony Allen shook his head and said.
"Then how should we prevent it?"
Jeremy Lin asked curiously.
"Get on the body."
Teacher Tony hadn't started class yet, so George was the first to answer the question.
"Yes, Kevin must be left out of his 'comfort zone', otherwise with his height and wingspan, almost all defensive players will not be able to cause effective interference."
Tony Allen added.
"If the opponent in the second round is the Thunder, Tony is the most suitable to guard Durant."
"Next is PJ, then Paul."
Mark Jackson commented.
As soon as this statement came out, everyone nodded in agreement.
George himself didn't think there was anything wrong with what the coach said.
On the contrary, after his defensive awareness improved, George became very clear about his strengths and weaknesses.
He is an all-around defender, capable of fighting any style of offensive player.
From small speed guards to powerful power forwards, George can defend them all with his unique talent.
In addition, he is particularly good at predicting his opponent's dribbling and passing intentions.
In countless rounds this season, George took action one step ahead and intercepted the ball neatly.
The highest compliment the outside world can give to Pickle's defense is - don't pass the ball in front of Paul.
But George's defense also has obvious shortcomings-it is weak in oppression.
When facing star players, his more "civilized" defensive methods often allow the opponent to complete difficult attacks.
The Rockets coaching staff discovered this very early, so they asked Tony Allen to teach them some defensive skills through words and deeds.
So far, George's defensive aggressiveness has improved, but there is still a lot of room for improvement.
For this reason, Shen Fei even suggested that George go train with his idol Kobe Bryant during the offseason.
As the player with the most first defenses in history (tied with Jordan 9 times), Corvo was known for his "mad dog" defense during his peak period.
If George can absorb a little bit of defensive nutrients, he may be greatly improved!
But looking at the present, Pickle's effectiveness in defending Durant is indeed not as good as Tony Allen and PJ Tucker.
"It depends on how the Spurs adjust. If Richard defends like this, KD can score at least 40 points tonight."
Ben Wallace said lightly.
............
On the court, Popovich naturally saw the loopholes in defense.
He immediately got up from the coaching bench, walked to the sidelines and made gestures to the players.
In the next round, the Thunder followed suit and once again put the ball in Durant's hands.
But this time, the Spurs adjusted their defensive strategy, and Gary Neal immediately "abandoned" his opponent Sefolosha and went straight to KD.
Soon, Neal and Jefferson formed a pincer attack on Durant.
However, there is a certain gap between the two of them and kd in terms of size.
Durant raised the ball high and firmly protected the basketball.
The next moment, KD flicked his wrist and passed the ball to Sefolosha who was left open outside the three-point line.
The Swiss Army Knife makes a decisive move after catching the ball...
"Duang!"
The ball hit the front edge of the basket hard and bounced out.
But Ibaka in the paint jumped up, overwhelming the Spurs' twin towers - Duncan and Splitter, and grabbed the rebound.
Westbrook at the top of the arc sensed an opportunity, suddenly started, got rid of Parker's defense, and cut to the basket.
Ibaka understood and passed the ball.
The next moment, the turtle comes to the world and bombs the basket...
"bang!"
A powerful and heavy one-handed dunk directly plunged the Spurs' AT&T Arena into deathly silence.
7:3, Thunder continues to lead.
After scoring the goal, Westbrook was very excited. He raised his hands and made a "baby cradle" celebration in front of him.
This also made the home fans very dissatisfied and booed one after another.
After changing sides and fighting again, Duncan stood up to stabilize the situation as always.
He posted up Ibaka in the low post.
With his outstanding skill, Duncan gave Ibaka, who was good at flying and jumping, no chance to perform, and could only watch him complete the hook from where he was.
Basketball hits the board into the basket, 7:5.
In the next round, the excited Westbrook tried to attack the basket again.
He used his super explosive power to once again get rid of Westbrook's defense and rush towards the penalty area.
But this time, Duncan stood on Westbrook's inevitable path ahead of time.
The turtle couldn't avoid it and bumped into the stone Buddha.
"Beep!"
The whistle sounded and the Thunder committed an offensive foul.
Duncan, who fell to the ground, pumped his fist in celebration. Other Spurs players quickly stepped forward and pulled the big brother up.
It is worth mentioning that although the defense was successful this time, Popovich was very unhappy.
During a break in serving, he called Parker to the sidelines and began to scold Parker loudly, not giving the backbone of the team any face.
Parker lowered his head and endured the coach's anger.
He knew that his defense against Westbrook since the start of the game had been a failure and he could only be scolded silently.
"Coach, I seem...I really can't guard against his breakthrough. How about I let him shoot?"
When Popovich got tired of complaining, Parker asked cautiously.
"Otherwise? Use your brain more on the court and trust your own judgment at the same time!"
Although Popovich is still angry, his tone has softened a lot.
Parker nodded and turned back to the field.
Being attacked several times by Westbrook, the little sports car lost its reputation.
Therefore, in this round, he took the initiative to call for a pick-and-roll tactic.
Duncan came after hearing the news and helped Parker block Westbrook.
The little sports car stepped on the accelerator and instantly tore apart the Thunder's defense.
But unfortunately, Ibaka, who was on defense, seemed to be well prepared.
He calculated his move well, took off the moment Parker made a layup, and put the ball on the backboard.
Pinboard hat!
Then, Ibaka took off a second time, collected the rebound, and found Durant with a long pass.
Thunder took advantage of the situation and launched a counterattack!
KD stepped up his long legs and quickly rushed into the Spurs penalty area as if he was in a deserted area.
I saw him holding the ball up with his right hand, as if he was holding the ball on fire, leaping high...
"bang!"
The hammer of thunder is as powerful as breaking bamboo!
This shocking one-handed dunk not only helped the team widen the point difference, but also directly caused Popovich to call a timeout.
9:5.
Although the point difference is only 4 points, the Thunder are already gaining momentum!
This young Guards team did not show any stage fright when facing the veteran Spurs.
On the contrary, they gave full play to their natural advantages.
Using speed, power, and jumping, he made the Spurs veterans very embarrassed.
This situation not only shocked the fans at the scene, but also surprised the Rockets players as far away as Houston.
"If these 4 minutes of the game are the true level of the Thunder...then they will definitely increase the ball."
Yao Ming said seriously.
"Well. The Thunder's intensity on the defensive end and the cooperation between the players are much better than the last time they played against us."
"Durant's finishing ability has also improved since then."
Curry analyzed.
"KD even made slight adjustments to his shooting posture."
"In the past, his forward swing when lifting the ball was too long and it was easy to be disturbed. Now as soon as he catches the ball, he puts the ball above his chest."
"With just such a small change... the difficulty of defending KD has at least doubled compared to before."
McGrady touched his chin with his right hand and said seriously.
As a super scorer, t-mac is very meticulous in polishing his offensive moves.
Small details like lifting the ball may not be critical to ordinary players, but when it comes to their level, the situation is different!
It's obvious that Durant has put in a lot of hard work during this period to polish his technical moves.
McGrady has a hunch that this slender new-generation striker will be one of the most difficult players to defend in the league in the future!
Thinking of this, t-mac couldn't help but turn his head and look at Curry.
[I don’t know who of you two will achieve higher achievements...]
Maddie sighed in her heart.
............
Time flies, and the first quarter comes to an end in a blink of an eye.
Relying on the outstanding performance of Dewey, the Thunder entered the second quarter with a five-point lead at 30:25.
As soon as the second quarter started, both players came off the court to rest, while Harden came on as a substitute.
As for the Spurs, Parker, who went to rest early in the first quarter, reappeared.
The two backcourts each lead the team and start a duel in the transition period.
Spurs attack.
Parker used the screen to break into the penalty area and succeeded in the throw.
At 30:27, the score difference narrowed to within one round.
In transition between offense and defense, Harden dribbled the ball through half court.
Using the same pick-and-roll tactic, Harden used the pick-and-roll to change the defender in front of him from George Hill to Matt Bonner.
Bonner is a classic shooter.
Apart from shooting, he doesn't have many strengths, and defense is his weakness.
Harden played him like a fish in water.
After a continuous crotch dribble, Deng suddenly slumped his shoulders and made a breakthrough, but the next moment he stepped back and rebounded.
In the flash of lightning, Bonner couldn't react in time and froze on the spot.
Harden took the shot calmly...
"Shua~"
The basketball hit the net.
33:27, the score difference widened to 6 points!
Harden scored the goal easily and effortlessly, leaving Bonner with a sense of frustration that he was unable to use his strength.
He quickly raised his right hand and apologized to his teammates in frustration.
[Next time, I will definitely take precautions!]
Bonner thought to himself.
A minute later, he got the chance to prove himself.
Harden repeated his old trick and once again passed the pick-and-roll at the top of the right arc, switching the defender to Bonner.
"orgem.on! It won't be that easy!"
Bonner clapped his hands hard, as if to intimidate his opponent, but also to encourage himself.
Harden glanced at the other party indifferently.
His response was simple, not words, but dribbling with his hips after he lowered his center of gravity.
Bonner felt a little numb when he saw Harden in this posture.
In the last round, he was shaken by Harden's continuous crotch and was unable to move.
In order to avoid making the same mistake again, Bonner kept moving in small steps this time to improve his mobility.
[bring it on!]
Bonner was highly focused and was waiting for Harden to make a move.
Soon, Brother Deng took action!
I saw him dribbling harder with his right hand, and the ball bounced off the ground, stuck to his left hand, and floated in the air.
At the same time, Harden's whole body also stretched out, like a roc spreading its wings.
Upon seeing this, Bonner stepped on his feet, ready to move sideways to defend.
The next moment, Harden mobilized all his body's functions and made a huge crossover!
Bonner was deceived and his focus was completely shifted.
Coupled with the high level of mental stress, he made a mistake while busy, mixed garlic under his feet, and fell directly to the ground!
"woo..."
There was a burst of exclamation at the scene, and the Spurs fans were also frightened by this dribble.
Harden, on the other hand, in disguise, took a step back in an orderly manner and instantly retreated to outside the three-point line.
After seeing Bonner's embarrassment, Brother Deng did not rush to take action, but adjusted his breathing before slowly shooting a three-pointer...
bingo!
36:27.
The point difference between the two teams is close to double digits!
On the sidelines, Popovich once again smelled a crisis and quickly called a timeout.
He originally thought that without Durant and Westbrook, the Spurs could try to tie the score under the leadership of Parker.
Who would have thought that the Thunder's bench actually hid a terrifying newcomer who could rival Dewey.
............
"It seems that Popovich underestimated Harden's strength."
Curry said with a smile.
"This big beard has a very good rhythm in singles. I even think it is the top dribbling rhythm in the league..."
"He has improved a lot compared to the last time he played with us!"
Tony Allen said seriously.
McGrady, who was sitting at the far end, had a complicated expression.
[Good guy, the talent Harden has shown seems to be able to compete with Curry and Durant?]
t-mac said in surprise.
He decided to take a closer look.
After all, McGrady observes this group of young people based on the standards of the future appearance of the league.
At first, he was only optimistic about Curry.
But after Durant fine-tuned his shooting action, McGrady felt that the coach also had the potential to "jump past the goal".
Good thing now, another Harden appears on the Thunder bench!
"I think...these three young people from the Thunder all have the potential to become MVPs."
"If nothing else happens, they will be our biggest opponents for many years to come!"
Maddie said in a serious tone.
As soon as this statement came out, all the Rockets generals looked sideways and turned their attention to their own ace.
"Also, I want to take back my prediction before the start of the game."
"I now think the Thunder will defeat the Spurs and meet us in the second round."
"They are not only the 'future', but also the 'present'!"
McGrady added.
And Lei Ma's next game also verified what he said!