Chapter 456 Sorry, Staples has already been captured by me
There are always people waiting for a miracle to come.
Little did he know that there were so many miracles in the world...
When the Trail Blazers trailed their opponents by 16 points at halftime, they still came out with all their main players in the third quarter. Unfortunately, there happened to be a point guard god known for his "steadiness" standing opposite.
In terms of field control ability alone, Paul ranks first among current players. I am afraid no one dares to call him second. Even James, the little emperor of Miami Coast, is half as good as Paul in terms of field control.
Even if placed in the long history of history and compared with a lot of field control masters, Paul is definitely one of the few who stand out.
What's more, Paul's touch today is really amazing.
In the first half, the Clippers shot 56.5% from the field and made 9 of 16 three-pointers. Among them, Paul was unstoppable and made 5 of 5 three-pointers. He alone scored 21 of the team's 65 points.
In the first two quarters, Paul only missed one shot.
Halfway through the third quarter, Paul succeeded in another long-range shot, hitting all his first six three-pointers.
At this time, the Trail Blazers had been completely defeated by Paul on the outside. Even though Wang Zelin played a strong performance under the basket, scoring 9 points, 4 rebounds and 2 blocks in a single quarter, it was still difficult for him to defeat Paul, who played superbly.
They lost 94 points in the first three quarters, which made the Blazers players very frustrated. It also made the home fans in the stands confused and kept asking:
How to fight this?
Less than two minutes into the final quarter, when the Clippers extended their lead to 30 points at 101:70, coach Terry Stotts had no choice but to raise the white flag and announce that he would give up the game.
After the timeout, all the Blazers' main players were replaced, and the game officially entered garbage time.
After the two teams came on the bench, they began to exchange three-pointers. The scene was very lively, but there was no suspense about the outcome. The only thing the Trail Blazers want to do now is to narrow the point difference as much as possible, to 30 or less than 20 points.
At the end, the electronic buzz on the scoreboard sounded, signaling the game was over.
The first playoff contest between the Clippers and Trail Blazers ended with the Clippers beating the Trail Blazers 122:105, a 17-point away game.
This defeat was like a basin of cold rain, pouring heavily on the heads of all members of the Trail Blazers.
The Clippers used a victory to tell them that the playoffs are different from the regular season after all. In the Western Conference, all teams that can make it to the playoffs are strong and all have the possibility of competing for the championship.
You guys, stop looking down on others!
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rose Garden.
When the Clippers team members, all media and fans left one after another, the entire arena suddenly felt lonely.
No, there are still a few lights flashing in the conference room of the arena.
After the loss, the Trail Blazers coaching staff and several core players stayed and held a review meeting.
"How did we... almost sweep the Clippers in the regular season?"
After Batum, the team's perimeter defender, raised this question, the entire conference room fell silent.
Matthews scratched his head: "I remember, it seemed like I won by just hitting?!"
"The Clippers team...can't underestimate them anymore!"
After a long silence, Aldridge gave his own evaluation.
To be honest, tonight's 17-point defeat was like an extremely loud slap on the face of the Blazers players who were gradually becoming arrogant.
Make them extremely embarrassed.
At the same time, it also allows them to wake up quickly.
"There are no weak teams in the NBA!" This slogan has never been just rhetoric.
The next day.
As expected.
The Trail Blazers lost to the Clippers by 17 points at home, which became the hottest news in the sports world the next day.
Wanghei from all over the world suddenly started celebrating like a birthday party.
"It's Dese! Where's your Dese energy?"
"If you like to fill cups before games, you'll be slapped in the face!"
"You want to deal with the Clippers as soon as possible? I'm afraid the Clippers won't deal with you as soon as possible!"
"The playoffs are the big stage to test a player's gold content. Obviously, someone doesn't have the ability to dominate the playoffs. He may still think he is playing in the regular season?"
How do you say something?
Often the people who like to stab you in the back happen to be the people who know you best.
This sentence is most appropriate for the black men in China.
In this era where the public has the right to speak in public opinion and all "monsters" who follow Europe and the United States are rampant, the shepherd dogs really have no shame in order to kneel down and lick their beautiful father and mother.
Not only was Wang Zelin targeted, but Yi Jianlian, who averaged 5.2 per game in the first round of the playoffs and performed reasonably well, was also pulled out and severely criticized.
In the past, slogans such as "Bench Man", "Space Yi", and "Yi Emperor" were once again mentioned by Yin and Yang people and appeared in the public eye.
Fortunately, as the Internet becomes more and more popular, the channels for domestic people to understand the outside world are no longer as scarce as before. As the people gradually become wiser, it is destined that public knowledge will gradually turn from bad to public toilets.
The masses are discerning and this saying will never go out of style.
Soon, there was another force in the country, which quickly suppressed the newly formed force of the sunspots.
Of course, in order to make iron, you need to be strong yourself.
As long as the Trail Blazers can win the second game and tie the series, naturally everything can be said, but once they lose, everything will stop.
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The first game day of the second round of the series has passed. Four groups of Eastern and Western series faced off with 8 teams. Fans have a new impression of each team's performance in the playoffs this season.
Some veterans lurk silently in the regular season but explode with ferocity in the playoffs; there are also some young teams that lose because they are too young.
Similarly, the performance of some veterans this year makes you feel that they have indeed reached an age where their ambitions are insufficient and it is time to stay away from the NBA; there are also young players who are ready to challenge for the throne, or are trying to catch up with the current generation.
Even NBA historical figures work hard.
The Trail Blazers ushered in their second home game against the Clippers on May 8, 115:109. Although there were some twists and turns in the regular time, in overtime, the Trail Blazers still held on firmly.
Home field advantage!
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! The first two game days of the playoffs have passed, and the two sides have tied 1:1, which is more in line with the outside world's opinion of the outcome of the second game.
predict.
After scoring 26 points, 14 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 4 assists in the last game, Wang Zelin once again contributed a 38-15 double-double tonight. The most important thing is that tonight he no longer scored in the air.
As the Trail Blazers and Clippers tied at 1:1, the results of the Eastern and Western Conference semifinals also came out one after another.
In the East, the Pacers are 1:1 Wizards and the Heat are 2:0 Nets.
The other semifinal matchup in the Western Conference was the Spurs VS Thunder. The Spurs won both home games and gained a 2:0 lead.
Judging from the current trend, the Heat VS Nets and the Spurs VS Thunder will be the first two matchups to end in the East and West.
Thinking back to last year, it happened to be the Heat and Spurs who broke through from their respective divisions and reached the finals stage.
This year, both the Heat and Spurs played dominant performances in their respective divisions, both defeating their opponents 4-0 in the first round.
This must not make the fans wonder, could it be said that this year's finals will be the same pair of enemies?
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Back to Portland.
Even if they defeated the Clippers in the second game, they only won by 6 points, which made the entire Trail Blazers team even more afraid to underestimate the Clippers!
After the game and the post-game interview, Wang Zelin did not practice any more tonight, but lay straight on the bed.
To be honest, the offense displayed by the Clippers in the first half today really shocked him again!
When the regular time was about to end, JJ Redick hit a three-pointer from the top of the corner, and the two sides were tied at 101:101.
Fortunately, in the first round of overtime, Wang Zelin made a strong attack from the basket. Although he failed to score, it caused the Clippers' main center DeAndre Jordan to foul for the sixth time in the game. The latter fouled out and left the game.
DeAndre Jordan's departure led to the Clippers' overtime defeat.
Because no one could restrain Wang Zelin in the paint, in the later overtime, he was completely at odds with himself and scored 9 of the team's 15 overtime points, helping the team win.
Wang Zelin played a full 43 minutes in this game, and his super physical fitness level of 91 points was exhausted to the point where it was too much for him.
Fortunately the result is good.
In 43 minutes, he made 15 of 23 shots and scored 38 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks. Not only did he have the highest scores, rebounds and blocks in the game, but his offensive and defensive efficiency was also the same.
Best of the match, well deserved!
Aldridge made 7 of 15, but his touch was a little lacking, and he had a near-double-double of 17 points and 9 rebounds.
Lillard made 5 of 13 shots, and 3 of the 5 goals he made were three-pointers, allowing him to score the fourth-highest 13 points on the team and the highest 12 assists on the team.
According to statistics, 7 of Lillard's 12 assists were directly related to Wang Zelin, 3 were indirectly related, and only 2 were actually passed to other teammates and played a role...
It once again proved the deep tacit understanding between the two.
Over there on the Clippers.
Paul's touch was not as magical as in the previous game, but his performance in organizing the team was still impeccable. He made 7 of 17 shots from the field and scored a double-double of 19 points and 11 assists.
Griffin made 6 of 15 shots, DeAndre Jordan made 4 of 9 shots, and JJ Redick made 6 of 11 shots. The Clippers' two-core inside team performed averagely today and became a key factor in the Clippers' loss.
However, the Clippers' resilience and desire to win in this game were far stronger than expected, which also made the winning Trail Blazers feel alarmed and refused to let go.
So, on May 9, after arriving in Los Angeles the night before the third game day, several veterans held a team meeting that night to discuss how to play more safely in the next two away games.
Especially Garnett, who is already a veteran with 19 seasons in his career, but is still one of the important rotations of the Trail Blazers. Rest time is extremely important to him.
Judging from the current situation, in the duel between the Spurs and the Thunder, the Thunder may not last until the fifth game, and even if the Trail Blazers win the next three games, they still have to finish the Battle of Tianwang Mountain.
As a result, the Trail Blazers will inevitably have 1 to 2 less rest days than the Spurs. For young people like Wang Zelin and Lillard, it is nothing, but for Garnett, Mo Williams, and Artest
Specifically, one less day of rest may cause fluctuations in their performance on game day.
Oh, by the way, Yi Jianlian also needs more rest time, because his physical fitness is relatively average, and the length of physical confrontation in the playoffs is much greater than that in the regular season, so the rest time required is as much as possible.
.
It should be noted that any strong team in NBA history that ultimately aspires to win the championship has extremely strong control over details.
Moreover, the details of the game are different from the big strategic policies. The latter needs to be formulated by the team's coaching staff and management, while the former can only be thought about, discussed and studied by the players themselves.
After all, it is the players themselves who really take the field to play.
On the morning of May 10, while the Trail Blazers were actively preparing for the game, the players were still discussing details and small-scale cooperation. After a brief two-hour individual training in the afternoon, the clarion call for battle was getting closer and closer.
The next two away games can actually be regarded as a double-edged sword. If they can win two games in a row and rewrite the series score to 3:1, it will be fatal for the Clippers' morale.
blow.
On the other hand, the Trail Blazers will return to their home court with the momentum of two consecutive away games to compete in the Battle of Tianwang Mountain, and will most likely defeat the Clippers in one fell swoop.
But it is also possible that the situation will reverse after the next two away games, and the Trail Blazers will become completely passive.
This is actually the charm of basketball. As long as the people responsible for formulating the rules do not mess around and ensure the fairness of the competition, the fans will pay the bill. Even if the players lose, they will immediately find the reason from themselves, rather than to others.
The alliance is resentful.
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At 20:00 in the evening, it was time for the third game of the series between the Trail Blazers and the Clippers.
The Trail Blazers arrived at Staples at 19:00.
As soon as I got off the bus, the lights inside the arena were brightly lit, and there was already a sea of people outside.
Tonight, major media once again gave their predictions for the second round series between the Trail Blazers and Clippers.
Take ESPN for example.
Before a game was played in the second-round series, ESPN was probably worried that it could not withstand the pressure from the outside world. It predicted a win rate of 78% for the Trail Blazers and 32% for the Clippers.
As a result, after two games, although the Trail Blazers later regained a victory, the Clippers won a home court after all. In the latest series of predictions, the Clippers' odds of winning suddenly increased from the previous 32% to 61%.
, the Trail Blazers dropped all the way to 39%.
In this regard, the reasons given by the ESPN expert team are:
The Trail Blazers' back line was completely destroyed by Paul alone, and there were back and forths at every line. Although Wang Zelin had a slight advantage inside, don't forget that in the next two games, the Trail Blazers need to play away from Staples.
At a disadvantage in all aspects.
Not only ESPN, but also other media's predictions are similar, and the balance of victory is gradually tilting towards the Clippers.
But it’s also interesting to say that when they came to the Staples Center again, Wang Zelin and his teammates did not feel any nervousness. Maybe this has something to do with their 4:0 sweep of the Lakers in the last game!
Yes, even the Los Angeles fans' favorite team today is at our feet, let alone a mere stepmother.
No, no, the support given by Los Angeles fans to the Clippers can't really catch up with the Lakers, right?
