In the second quarter, Barbosa and Barnes teamed up to help the Suns recover a few points. However, as the main players of the two teams gradually returned, the Suns fell into a disadvantage again.
At the end of the first half, the Clippers led by 5 points, which didn't seem like much.
However, in the second half, O'Neal started to suffer from physical problems shortly after playing and could not keep up with the rhythm.
The Clippers took the opportunity to play several waves of fast breaks and counterattacks, but the Suns made mistakes one after another. The Clippers went on an 8-2 spurt, and the point difference reached double digits.
Alvin quickly replaced O'Neal, but it was too late.
The Clippers, who had the advantage, played steadily and did not give the Suns a chance.
Although the Suns worked hard to catch up, they still suffered in the end and lost the first game of the playoffs.
108 to 116, the Suns only lost by 8 points.
However, fans who watched the game felt that the Suns had no hope, because Zhang Zhiyuan obviously did not use his full strength. The game only played for 38 minutes, which was not as long as the regular time.
After this fight, there are even more negative comments about the Suns.
But the Suns did not give up because of this. They adjusted their starting lineup and strategy in the second game.
O'Neal and Richardson were placed on the bench, Barbosa and Barnes were mentioned in the starting lineup, Stoudemire returned to the center position, and they picked up the running and gun.
This change had a miraculous effect. After O'Neal was gone, Kaman became the slowest person on the court and was continuously targeted.
Nash, Barbosa and Stoudemire are also very comfortable starting and shooting, and there is no sign of any rust.
The Suns' offense is very efficient and has a high shooting percentage.
In the first quarter, the Suns beat the Clippers 37-30, leading by 7 points, which almost shocked the fans.
In the second quarter, O'Neal came on the court, and he and Richardson began to abuse the Clippers' bench.
Even though Richardson didn't dare to shoot under Zhang Zhiyuan's defense, he played like a core player against the substitutes.
He and O'Neal were miles apart, and the Clippers' bench couldn't stop him.
Four minutes into the second quarter, 47 to 35, the Suns led by 12 points.
"It seems that the coach can still play a big role. The Suns are still the same people. They just adjusted the order of appearance and changed the style of play. It seems that they can compete with the Clippers."
Buckley sighed.
Previously, because Zhang Zhiyuan's performance was so good, the outstanding coach was not that important to a certain extent.
But now, the changes in the Suns show that the coach is still useful.
"More than just competing, they were clearly suppressing the Clippers just now."
Smith said excitedly that he also likes this kind of anxious game, which is more attractive.
One-sided games can hurt ratings.
Off the court, Dunleavy looked at the dire situation and was thinking hard about countermeasures.
He first called a timeout and then replaced Zhang Zhiyuan.
This move made the commentators of all major TV stations laugh.
However, Dunleavy was by no means as stupid as they thought. After O'Neal was replaced, he immediately replaced Kaman with Jordan.
Jordan's speed is relatively fast, so he won't suffer too much from the bombardment.
And Kaman was replaced to get a rest, and then he could go to the bench to score, carry O'Neal, and reduce the threat of the Suns' bench.
This change had some effects, at least the Suns were no longer able to attack the paint as they pleased in the first quarter.
After the second quarter, 66 to 56, the Suns still led by 10 points.
However, the Suns ran out of tricks and had to fight hard in the second half.
“Can solar maintain this 10-point advantage?”
Smith asked.
"I feel like I can't hold on, Zhang Zhiyuan hasn't exploded yet."
Buckley said.
As long as Zhang Zhiyuan breaks out, all tactics are in vain. He can destroy any opponent with unsolvable shots.
"He hasn't exploded for a long time, don't count on that."
Smith said.
"In short, I still tend to be optimistic about the Clippers."
Buckley said.
During the halftime break, both teams conducted some mobilization in the locker rooms.
The Suns ask the players to persevere and win this victory.
The Clippers require players to play more actively and strengthen defense. As for offense, it is left to Zhang Zhiyuan.
At the end of the halftime break, the two sides returned to the court.
The Clippers took the lead, and Zhang Zhiyuan patted the basketball, waiting for his opponent to take over.
The Suns did not do this, and then Zhang Zhiyuan started a breakthrough and broke through Barnes.
Barnes is a strong defender, very fast, and he doesn't suffer from height.
The only thing he suffered against Zhang Zhiyuan was his strength, but he fought hard.
When Zhang Zhiyuan came up to fight, he didn't flinch at all, he just used his body to resist.
Zhang Zhiyuan squeezed away from Barnes and rushed towards the basket.
Although Barnes didn't guard him, he consumed a lot of Zhang Zhiyuan's energy.
Zhang Zhiyuan gasped for breath after the layup.
During the transition between offense and defense, Barnes was running from the outside. Zhang Zhiyuan did not catch up immediately. Anyway, Barnes' three-pointer was not very good.
As a result, Nash passed the ball decisively, and Barnes actually shot it directly.
This is the sun's strategy.
Anyway, it's hard to beat the Clippers in a normal game, so it's better to take a gamble.
The Suns also had good luck today, as Barnes scored.
69 to 58.
"The Suns' hand was so smooth today, there's nothing we can do about it."
Zhang Lili commented that he attributed the Suns' lead to a good touch.
On the surface, this is indeed the case, the Suns scored more goals.
"This is the playoffs, you can't underestimate any opponent."
Sun Zhengping said.
This kind of analysis makes Chinese fans a little more nervous, worried that the Clippers will capsize.
On the court, the Clippers attack.
Zhang Zhiyuan pretended to break through, and after mobilizing Barnes' focus, he chose to take action.
The ball goes in.
69 to 61.
When the Suns attacked, Zhang Zhiyuan did not slack off and followed Barnes closely this time.
Nash broke through and wanted to attack on his own.
It's a pity that Lori followed him, blocked him, and interfered with him.
Nash took off and shot, but the ball missed.
This kind of confrontation is too intense and is not something Nash is good at.
During the transition between offense and defense, Zhang Zhiyuan was double-teamed. Lowry stuffed the ball under the basket. Maggette caught the ball and made a layup and scored.
"Hey, Lowry just came to the Clippers as if he had a new idea. I don't know if he will regret it after joining the Grizzlies."
Sun Zhengping smiled.
"Lowry is not weak to begin with, but he is just not suitable for a bad team like the Grizzlies. In front of Zhang Zhiyuan, his characteristics came into full play and his shortcomings were covered up."
Zhang Lili analyzed.
However, these were all hindsight. At the moment of the transaction, few people understood the transaction at all, and they all said that the Clippers were messing around.
And now facts have proven that Lowry is more suitable for the Clippers than Livingston.
The Suns were attacking, and Nash didn't want to tangle with Lowry. He and Lowry were at a huge disadvantage.
He didn't want to get entangled, but Lowry wouldn't agree. Lowry just wanted to exchange money with him and restrict Nash's organization.
Nash felt a little irritated while patting the basketball. After finding no chance, he could only pass the ball to Hill.
Hill made a single jump shot from Maggette, but the ball missed.
The Clippers seized the opportunity to counterattack, and Zhang Zhiyuan hit a layup.
69 to 65, the Clippers were only 4 points behind.
The Clippers' scoring ability is so strong, as long as the opponent is slightly negligent, the Clippers can make a wave.
Alvin called a timeout and made tactical adjustments.
Suns offense, Nash and Stoudemire pick and roll.
Lowry didn't dare to switch defenses because he couldn't stop Stoudemire.
Lowry chased Nash, but almost collided with Thornton. Their cooperation made some mistakes. The Suns took the opportunity to score two points and stabilize the situation.
When the Clippers attacked, Zhang Zhiyuan also called on DeAndre Jordan to cover, and then forced Stoudemire.
Stoudemire had no choice but to pass.
Grant made up the defense, Zhang Zhiyuan threw the ball to the basket, and Jordan took off and scored with an alley-oop.
71 to 67.
"The momentum is building."
Buckley said with a smile.
"Please, you are also a Suns star after all. Don't expect the Suns to retire your jersey if you act like this."
Smith reminded.
These words hit Barkley's weakness, and he could only smile bitterly.
"The fat guy played in the Suns?"
A Suns fan complained, apparently no longer taking Barkley seriously as a traitor.
"Maybe. He doesn't know much about football, so he shouldn't be famous in the Suns. Anyway, I don't remember anyone as famous as him."
Another Suns fan followed suit.
It's impossible not to remember. Barkley's achievements in the Suns were higher than Nash's. He won 62 games, ranked first in the league, entered the Finals, and played 6 games against Jordan at his peak.
As for Nash, he only made it to the Western Conference Finals.
On the court, the Suns were counterattacking quickly, but the Clippers also retreated very quickly.
Zhang Zhiyuan, Lowry, Thornton, and Jordan are all young and have excellent athletic ability.
The Suns were forced into a position battle, and Nash passed the ball to Stoudemire.
Stoudemire did not rush forward. After catching the ball, he tried to hit Jordan with his back, but his strength could not move him.
There was no other way, Stoudemire could only turn over and shoot a jumper.
The ball missed and Jordan took off the rebound.
The Clippers attacked, Zhang Zhiyuan singled out Barnes, and made a fake shot.
hit.
His touch has improved.
This gave the Suns a big headache, and they didn't know whether they should double-team or not.
The point difference was only 1 point, and the Suns fans were overjoyed for half the game.
The two sides fought for a few more rounds, and O'Neal appeared again.
For a person with an annual salary of more than 20 million, it is unjustifiable to always use it. Doesn’t that mean he is telling the fans that the manager made a wrong deal?
O'Neal can still play, but he can score on the offensive end, and so can the Clippers.
Hit and hit, the sun fell into a disadvantage again.
At the end of the third quarter, 94 to 98, the Clippers scored 40 points in a single quarter, leading their opponent by 4 points.
With a 4-point gap, the Suns still have a chance. As long as they feel better, the Clippers feel worse, or the Clippers make one or two more mistakes.
In short, the 4-point gap is very small, and the Suns have a good chance.
After a short break, both sides returned to the court.
Zhang Zhiyuan did not rest and continued to fight.
The Suns attacked and Richardson made a three-pointer.
The ball didn't go in.
The Suns fans couldn't help but sigh.
Sure enough, the Clippers seized the opportunity and scored two points.
The 6-point difference gives people a different feeling.
During the transition between offense and defense, O'Neal caught the ball under the basket and Kaman sent it to the free throw line without hesitation.
To deal with O'Neal, this trick will definitely pay off.
O'Neal lived up to expectations and made one of two free throws, and the Clippers made a small profit.
When the Clippers attacked, some Suns fans couldn't help but close their eyes and pray that they wouldn't score.
Not sure if their prayers had any effect, Zhang Zhiyuan struck iron.
The Suns counterattacked, Grant made a mid-range shot, and Zhang Zhiyuan suddenly appeared behind him and made a big shot.
Zhang Zhiyuan likes this kind of sneak attack from time to time. If the whole audience pays attention, it will be very tiring.
But if you don't care about it, you will get tricked again like now.
Disgusting person, Zhang Zhiyuan is still very good at it.
The Clippers attacked, Zhang Zhiyuan broke through and passed the ball, and Thornton hit from mid-range.
95 to 102.
"It's over, the game is over."
Barkley announced ahead of time.
Since the Clippers have such an advantage, they have almost never been overturned.
The Suns obviously don't agree with Barkley's judgment and they are still working hard.
Nash scored a three-pointer, stopping the team's bleeding and preserving the suspense. It was also a slap in the face to Barkley.
However, Nash's scoring lacked consistency.
He can occasionally score one or two, but it is difficult to expect him to score four or five in a row and defeat his opponents in an unreasonable way. That is the ability of Zhang Zhiyuan and Kobe Bryant.
The Clippers counterattacked and scored, but then the Suns' entry stalled again. Nash passed the ball to his teammates, who finally passed it back to him.
Nash forced a shot, Lowry jumped to interfere, and the ball missed.
To make matters worse, Zhang Zhiyuan hit a three-pointer immediately.
98 to 107, the score difference reached 9 points.
Nash shook his head. He had played so well in the past and had a double-digit advantage. He really didn't know what to do to defeat the Clippers.
Do you expect Zhang Zhiyuan to feel bad?
Nash found in despair that it seemed that Zhang Zhiyuan had never performed abnormally. It was terrible.
In fact, Zhang Zhiyuan still had two abnormal performances, but compared with other players, he is indeed terrifyingly stable.
As the game continued, the Suns' players lost morale and began to decline.
In the last quarter of the game, they only scored 19 points.
At the end of the game, 113 to 126, the Suns lost by 13 points.
From leading by double digits to falling behind by double digits, Suns fans experienced heaven to hell.
They were looking for someone to take the blame. One moment they complained that Nash was overrated and lacked the ability to fight hard. The other moment they complained that the coach was a waste and even lost with such a luxurious lineup.
Others complained that O'Neal was too old to be used in a big way, and that the team manager was a fool for sending away Marion, who was suitable for running and gunning.
Richardson was also held back, and Stoudemire failed to play a huge role.
When Xiaosi heard this, he didn't know whether to cry or laugh. He didn't even know that he was a super giant. When did he become a super giant?
With a score of 0 to 2, the Suns faced not only the problem of being eliminated, they also faced the problem of being swept.
This is not unfounded worry, but something that is very likely to happen.
The only variable next is home field advantage.
If the home court advantage can't help them win a victory, then they should basically dismantle the team and rebuild.
The next two games are very important for the Suns.
