On April 30, the Cavaliers defeated the Wizards 97-90, sweeping the league 4-0 to advance.
The win was easy, and James was very proud and said that he was ready (to win the championship).
On the same day, the Rockets defeated the Jazz 106-92 and advanced to the second round 4-1.
Zhang Zhiyuan's performance in this game was average, with only 14 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists.
The team won because of McGrady's explosion.
He made 14 of 28 shots and scored a total of 38 points.
McGrady finally played a good game and proved that he is still a superstar.
The media began to praise McGrady, and even very implicitly told fans that McGrady's previous statistics were usually for the team, sacrificing the ball.
After all, the North American media still prefers local players. They didn't promote him before just because Tracy McGrady didn't perform well.
Once Tracy McGrady performs a little brightly, they will praise him like crazy.
On May 1st, the Warriors challenged the Mavericks away from home.
This is a highly anticipated game, and fans hope to witness the miracle of Black Eight.
Nowitzki worked hard, playing 43 minutes, scoring 34 points and 13 rebounds, and led the team to a thrilling win of 118-114, with the score tied to 2-3.
Although they won the game, it was very difficult to win. Fans discovered that the Warriors' previous defeat of the Mavericks relied not on luck, but on strength. The Warriors' lineup and style of play seemed to be somewhat restrained by the Mavericks.
In positions 2 and 3, the Mavericks were completely blown away.
On May 2, the Nets defeated the Raptors and advanced to the second round, the Suns defeated the Lakers and advanced, and the Spurs defeated the Nuggets.
At this point, only the Mavericks and Warriors remain in the first-round matchup.
They didn't keep the fans waiting too long. On the 3rd, the Game 6 between the Warriors and the Mavericks started.
Don Nelson made a bold choice to let Jackson guard Nowitzki, and Davis could make up the defense at any time.
Two extremely fast players made it difficult for Nowitzki to catch the ball.
Once the Mavericks fail to score, the Warriors will hit the fast break.
The rhythm was soared by the Warriors, but the Mavericks had nothing to do, and Nowitzki was exhausted to death.
In the end, Nowitzki performed poorly in this game, taking only 13 shots and scoring 8 points.
This is undoubtedly an extremely embarrassing statistic, especially since he has just been elected as this season's mvp.
He will become the first player unable to receive the MVP trophy after the game. He will need to hold a new press conference to receive the award.
Of course, if possible, Nowitzki hopes to receive the trophy quietly. Because he really doesn't know how to face reporters' questions and ridicules.
In the G6 game, the Warriors' best performer was Stephen Jackson, who made 10 of 19 shots, 7 of 8 three-pointers, and scored 33 points.
After the game, the Mavericks fans were stunned and couldn't believe this fact.
67 wins in the regular season, but he was beaten eight times.
At the same time, Zhang Zhiyuan’s article became popular.
Fans who don't like the Mavericks have used this article to mock the Mavericks, and some media have even quoted this article.
[The Mavericks lost because of their arrogance.]
If the Mavericks had signed Zhang, none of this would have happened. The Mavericks didn't need Zhang to average 20 points per game, they just needed him to defend Jackson.
In the regular season, Zhang proved that he is suitable for guarding Jackson.
In addition to the Mavericks, the Lakers and Timberwolves were not spared either.
[The Timberwolves lost to Garnett.]
Garnett not only locked up the team's salary space, but also locked up talent introduction. Look at how many rookies he has played, and look at how many stars he has forced away.
The Timberwolves should send Garnett away to rebuild...
[Are the Lakers really a wealthy team?]
It is said that the owners of the Lakers were generous, but in order to save money, they let O'Neal go. In order to save money, they let go of Zhang.
Is four million a year expensive for a player who averages 22 points per game in the playoffs?
If O'Neal had not been let go, they might have won five championships. If Zhang had not been let go, they would not have been eliminated in this series.
Where should the Lakers go next season? Is Kobe willing to continue fishing?
...
The media just likes to point out the situation and stir up trouble.
However, they unintentionally helped Zhang Zhiyuan become more famous.
After reading those reports, fans easily get the feeling that Zhang Zhiyuan is important and powerful.
Stephen Jackson averaged 25 points per game in the first round, playing better than Zhang Zhiyuan, but he did not make the fans feel this way.
For a time, the attention of the Rockets game increased, and many fans were led by the media to pay attention to Zhang Zhiyuan.
After the first round, the media began to build momentum for the second round showdown.
The Pistons vs. Bulls were hyped as Ben Wallace's revenge game.
Last year, Ben Wallace's request for a high salary from the team was rejected and he switched to the Bulls. Now, the two teams meet in the playoffs.
The Cavaliers played against the Nets, and it was another gimmick of the three heroes playing against Lu Bu.
The little emperor fights alone against the Big Three of the Nets, which makes people sympathize with James at first glance.
The Spurs faced off against the Suns, and this matchup was hyped as a preview of the Western Conference Finals and a preview of the Finals.
The media said that this round of duel will be more intense than the finals.
Rockets vs. Warriors, the media's gimmick is whether the Warriors can win to the end.
The media is building momentum, and each team is actively preparing for the second round.
Rockets Club, the team is practicing a pick-and-roll tactic.
Taking Alstom as a starting point, it finally helped Zhang Zhiyuan create mobile phone opportunities.
This tactic aroused McGrady's dissatisfaction.
After scoring 38 points in the last game, McGrady was a little overwhelmed by the media's praise.
He feels that he is still at his peak, and as long as he is given a chance, he can lead him.
Therefore, he hopes that the team can practice a set of tactics with him as the core.
"Why don't I use regular season tactics? That's a tactic we've been using for a long time. Wells, Love, and Chuck all want to
Use the original tactics."
Maddie said.
His remarks were echoed by Wells, Hayes and others.
On the one hand, they have a deeper relationship with Tracy McGrady.
On the other hand, Zhang Zhiyuan has occupied their playing time, and they also want to play longer and get some good data to get a big contract.
Winning games and championships, that's what the stars care about.
For ordinary players, more than hundreds of thousands of dollars a year is more practical.
"Tracy, our tactics in the regular season have been figured out by the Warriors. We need some unexpected ways of playing."
Van Gundy said.
"We can beat the Warriors easily, we don't need to change."
What McGrady said sounded nice, but Van Gundy is not a youngster, so how could he not understand McGrady's little thoughts.
Van Gundy had a headache. He felt that giving Zhang Zhiyuan more tactical position would help him win the game, but he couldn't ignore McGrady's emotions.
It would be terrible if McGrady is dissatisfied and fails to work on the court.
Faced with the differences between Tracy McGrady and the coach, Zhang Zhiyuan remained silent.
Although he is performing well now, his status in the team cannot be compared with McGrady.
If he rushes forward and fights hard, Zhang Zhiyuan believes that he will be the one who is abandoned.
Yao Ming was caught in the middle and it was difficult to take sides.
He suggested: "Let's practice both tactics, and then decide which one to use according to the situation during the game."
Yao Ming's words temporarily resolved the current debate, but everyone knew that this matter was not over yet.
After the training, Van Gundy found Mo Lei and discussed it together.
"It shouldn't be difficult to win against the Warriors."
Asked by Mo Lei.
These words are actually leaning toward using Tracy McGrady.
"On paper, we do have an advantage, but that doesn't mean anything. The Mavericks have an advantage. Are they defeated by the Warriors? We must be 100% rigorous."
Van Gundy said.
"Zhang has never agreed to renew his contract. It seems that he is determined to leave next season."
Mo Lei reminded.
For a player who must leave, there is no need to train him.
"Actually, McGrady's condition is not as good as before, and he is getting older. He will only continue to decline in the future. Can we send McGrady away and keep Zhang?"
Van Gundy proposed a rather bold idea.
"This is impossible. No one knows whether Zhang can play in the future. What's more, who should we trade Tracy McGrady for? This is not easy to operate."
Mo Lei said something that was against his will.
In fact, he vaguely feels that Zhang Zhiyuan can play well and his future achievements are likely to surpass Tracy McGrady.
However, he doesn't like Zhang Zhiyuan.
He had a vague feeling that Zhang Zhiyuan didn't like him either.
After some exchanges, Van Gundy also understood the attitude of touching thunder.
Van Gundy sighed and left the office, the joy of promotion being diluted a lot.
On May 4, the second round of the playoffs officially started.
The first game was played by the Pistons against the Bulls at home, and the Bulls were defeated by 36 points.
69 to 95, the Bulls were beaten and couldn't find their way.
Player reputation does not entirely represent strength, and team strength is not simply a collection of stars.
The Pistons' players seem to be mediocre, but their chemistry is very good.
The Pistons' win also indirectly proves that Ben Wallace is overestimated. The Pistons will still win without him, and it won't matter if the Bulls have more of him.
use.
After the game, the Bulls' management was ridiculed by the media and questioned by fans.
Everyone doesn't understand why the team should give a person who averages 6.4 points per game an annual salary of 16 million.
Yao Ming's current salary is only 12 million, Nowitzki's is only 15 million, and Duncan's is only 17 million.
The game between the Bulls and the Pistons had just ended, and the first showdown between the Rockets and the Warriors began immediately.
The vast majority of people were optimistic about the Rockets before the game, but there was also a small group of people who chose to be optimistic about the Warriors, naturally because they defeated the Mavericks.
Since you can kill the top brother on the list, it makes sense to kill the fourth brother on the list.
The expert team predicts that the two teams will play six games, with the Rockets winning 4-2.
At the beginning of the game, the Rockets arranged the starting lineup of Alston, Tracy McGrady, Battier, Hayes, and Yao Ming.
In response, Barkley complained: "Why not let Zhang start? Isn't a guy who averages 22 points per game worthy of starting?"
"Actually, it's good for Zhang to play as a substitute. He can have more shooting opportunities."
Smith said.
Like Smith, most people believe that Zhang Zhiyuan came on the bench because of Van Gundy's tactical considerations.
No one knew what was going on inside the rocket.
News of this kind of internal discord is usually reported only after the team loses.
It makes sense that we lose because of internal discord. We continue to win despite internal discord. It’s hard for fans to believe this kind of news.
The Warriors are Baron Davis, Richardson, Jackson, Barnes, and Biedrins.
The two teams jumped the ball, Yao Ming gave the ball to his own side, and the Rockets attacked first.
Yao Ming was desperately trying to gain position under the basket, while McGrady was holding the ball on the outside and trying to break through. Richardson followed closely.
McGrady, whose speed had dropped a lot, was unable to pass the opponent, and finally made a signature pull-out.
Unfortunately, he is no longer the Tracy McGrady he was during the Magic era.
Although this kind of dry drawing is done frequently, it is more often used for blacksmithing.
The ball didn't go in.
The basketball bounced to the outside, and Yao Ming could only stare at it despite his height advantage.
Barnes grabbed the rebound and threw the ball forward. Jackson had already started the fast break.
This is what the Warriors did against the Mavericks, fast break transition.
The Rockets players retreated quickly, but Yao Ming couldn't move any faster.
Before he could retreat to his own inside line, Jackson had already completed his shot.
Subsequently, the Rockets served, and McGrady dribbled the ball impatiently across half court, trying to retaliate to his opponent.
Yao Ming ran back and forth twice, but it had no effect at all.
In the original air, McGrady said in an interview after his retirement that he and Yao Ming were not compatible. He made huge sacrifices after moving from the Magic to the Rockets, and lowered his pace to accommodate Yao Ming.
This is not nonsense, but the problem is that the style of play with him as the core has been proven to be ineffective in the Magic.
If he is really that good and can win a championship with his fast play, the Magic will not give up on him.
On the court, the game continued, but the situation was somewhat beyond the expectations of experts and fans.
Experts believe that the Rockets should be able to win easily in the first game. After all, they are stronger, have the home court advantage, and are still waiting to work.
The time, place, and people are all right.
As a result, the Rockets fell behind once the game started.
After three minutes of play, the Warriors led 8-2.
This is not over yet, as the game continues, the point difference is still widening.
"The Rockets can't play like this. They should let Yao Ming attack first and attract the opponent's defensive attention, and then there will be a good opportunity from the outside. Now that McGrady comes up, he starts to attack, and the opponent can just focus on guarding outside shots.
.”
Zhang Lili complained.
He didn't understand the Rockets' tactics today at all.
"Director Zhang is right. In the past, the Rockets used to open up the situation from the inside first. I don't know why they changed their style of play today. However, it seems that the effect is not very good at the moment. They should change it back in time."
Sun Zhengping said.
The two of them were quite polite in their words, but the commentators in North America were more open-minded. Barkley even bluntly said that Van Gundy should retire.
"If it doesn't work, I might as well try another one."
Smith said.
These words touched the hearts of the fans. When the Rockets were unable to open up the situation before, playing Zhang Zhiyuan was a very effective method.
However, this time Van Gundy seemed to have received a red envelope from the Warriors. Even though the team fell behind, he did not make any substitutions.
10 to 2, 14 to 4, 18 to 6.
After half a quarter, the Rockets trailed by 12 points.
"Do the Warriors really want to go all the way to the finals and win the championship?"
Some neutral fans couldn't help but joke.
It would be quite interesting if this really happened.
