On April 20, 2012, the Warriors ushered in the challenge of the Thunder at Oracle Arena.
At this point in the season, each team has only four or five games left to play.
Although the playoff spots and final rankings have not yet been determined, there is little possibility of changing the positions of most teams.
The Bulls' first position in the Eastern Conference is basically okay.
Although Rose is absent, the Bulls continue to win with their excellent defense.
Even if they lose one or two games, it is due to the opponent's extraordinary performance and has nothing to do with the Bulls themselves.
Under the leadership of Thibodeau, the Bulls are very cohesive and the players work hard.
Regardless of whether Rose is here or not, you can trust the Bulls. Such a team will have no problems in the regular season.
Of course, if Rose never comes back, the Bulls will be in danger in the playoffs.
Because the playoffs are the stage for superstars!
The Heat are second in the Eastern Conference. They are four games behind the Bulls. With four or five games left in the season, it is basically impossible for the Heat to surpass the Bulls.
The third place in the Eastern Conference is the Pacers. They introduced David West in the offseason. This transaction is very important to them.
David West has good defense and a very stable mid-range shot on the offensive end. Most importantly, David West has a calm and resolute personality and is a very competent locker room leader.
Only when the locker room is harmonious can a team have cohesion.
And experienced veterans play a very important role in the locker room.
In addition, the Pacers and Spurs traded George Hill during the offseason, and his presence has a great role in supplementing the strength of the Pacers' bench.
With a good starting lineup and a strong bench, the Pacers have suddenly emerged this season and have firmly occupied the third position in the Eastern Conference.
Fourth to eighth in the Eastern Conference are the Celtics, Hawks, Magic, Knicks, and 76ers respectively.
Each of these teams has its own problems, and the gap between them is not big. Although the season is coming to an end, the competition for ranking is still fierce.
The ninth team in the Eastern Conference is the Bucks. They are 4 games behind the eighth-place 76ers. With 4 games left, the Bucks have no hope of the playoffs.
The number one player in the Western Conference is the Warriors. They have only lost 4 games so far and have the best record in the league. They have already secured the number one spot in the Western Conference.
The second in the Western Conference is the Spurs. Their current record is 47 wins and 15 losses. Like the Bulls, the Spurs rank second in the league due to their small points advantage.
The third place in the Western Conference is the Thunder, whose current record is 44 wins and 18 losses.
At this stage of the season, it is impossible for the Thunder to catch up with the Spurs.
Similarly, there is a 6-game difference between the Lakers and the Thunder, who are fourth in the Western Conference, and there is no possibility of overtaking.
However, the gap between the Grizzlies, Clippers, and Lakers, who are fifth and sixth in the Western Conference, is very small. The winning or losing of each game may change the ranking.
The Nuggets and Mavericks are seventh and eighth in the Western Conference. There is a two-game difference between the two teams. It will be difficult for the Mavericks to overtake.
The Jazz, who are ninth in the Western Conference, have the same record as the Mavericks, but they are ranked ninth because of their disadvantage in the matchup.
There is a two-game difference between the tenth-placed Rockets and the Jazz, and there is basically no possibility of the playoffs.
There is no pressure on the Warriors and Thunder in today's game because neither team is pursuing record.
But when it comes to the Warriors, there is really no pressure, but the Thunder is different.
The Warriors are the defending champions and have won two championships in a row. Their current record is incredible and they don't need to prove themselves.
The Thunder are different. They are a young team. Although they have a bright future, the team is not stable and has never made it out of the Western Conference. They still need to prove themselves.
How to prove yourself?
The playoffs are about defeating your opponents, and the regular season is about defeating strong teams!
Winning a few games against weak teams in the regular season is not as good as defeating a strong team.
Which team is the best in the league right now?
Of course a warrior!
The Warriors have only lost four games this season, and among them, the Bulls are a strong team.
Rose also missed the game due to injury in the loss to the Bulls.
In other words, whenever they encounter a strong team, the Warriors never fail!
If you want to prove yourself, the best way is to defeat the Warriors!
Although the outcome of this game has no impact on the ranking, all members of the Thunder team gave 100% energy!
The game got into a fever pitch right from the start. Both teams tried their best, hugging each other and getting stuck. Every possession of the ball was fiercely fought for, and referee whistles kept ringing.
I have to say that the Thunder are still very strong.
The Thunder's starting lineup is Westbrook, Durant, Safolosha, Ibaka, and Perkins.
Westbrook, Durant, and Ibaka have excellent athletic ability, Safolosha has rich defensive experience, and Perkins is a bad guy, standing in the penalty area is still a great threat on the defensive end.
The Thunder's starting lineup is very strong, and most teams have a headache.
But the Warriors are not afraid.
On the offensive end, Perkins is just a rough guy, without any threat, and on the defensive end, there is nothing he can do against Yao Ming, who has three-pointers.
As for Westbrook, just let him vote!
Others don't know it, but Deng Fang knows very well that the best way to deal with Westbrook is to let him shoot!
Especially for three-pointers, as long as Westbrook stands outside the three-point line, just pretend he doesn't exist.
The more Westbrook takes shots outside, the fewer Durant takes, and the easier it is for the opponent!
Westbrook has no three-pointers, Perkins is completely useless on the offensive end, Ibaka doesn't have much shooting ability at this time, and Safolosha's three-pointers are not reliable. This Thunder team is not terrible.
Once the Thunder's starting lineup was announced, the Warriors' defense became very easy.
Shrink, shrink, shrink again!
Yao Ming stood in the penalty area, and Kirilenko was also waiting near the free throw line. Except for Prince, who kept staring at Durant, Curry and Clay were both two steps inside the three-point line!
If Durant doesn't have the ball in his hand, Prince will follow him alone. If Durant attacks with the ball, then everyone in the Warriors will be staring at Durant!
To put it bluntly, it means one stare at the four links.
Just bully you for not having an outstanding shooter on the outside, and bully you for not having enough space on the court!
Westbrook's three-point shooting percentage is only 27.71%, Ibaka's three-point shooting percentage is only 25%, and Safolosha's three-point shooting percentage is only 32.7%!
With the addition of Perkins to these three people on the court, the Warriors' defense will not be too easy.
After missing three wide-open three-pointers in a row, Westbrook became anxious, picked up the ball and rushed to the penalty area.
The result is no surprise, as long as they come to the penalty area, Yao Ming and Kirilenko will take care of them!
He is so much taller than you, waiting for you to come in in the restricted area,
No matter how good your jumping is or how great your physical fitness is, it’s useless!
The Thunder's offense is not smooth, but the Warriors are raining three-pointers.
Five minutes into the first quarter, the Thunder fell behind by 10 points.
Thunder coach Brooks quickly called a timeout.
After the timeout, the Thunder replaced Harden and Fisher, and replaced Westbrook and Perkins.
Suddenly the Thunder had space on the court.
Harden's three-point shooting percentage is as high as 41%, and Fisher's three-point shooting percentage is also 37.5%. These two are still very reliable.
The Thunder can finally compete with the Warriors.
After another two minutes of play in the first quarter, the point difference between the two teams narrowed to 8 points.
It seems that the Thunder have found the feeling and the game is a little more suspenseful.
Unexpectedly, during a breakthrough, Durant sprained his ankle and had no choice but to withdraw from the game.
Without Durant, Brooks had to bring Westbrook up again.
Misfortune never comes singly. After Westbrook came up, he collided with Ibaka during a breakthrough, twisted his knee and exited the game.
Suddenly the burden of the Thunder's offensive end fell on James Harden.
This situation has never happened before!
Thunder head coach Brooks also made a big move. He brought in shooter Dwyane Cook, plus Fisher, Safolosha and Ibaka to give Harden a highly offensive lineup.
Although Ibaka can't shoot well at this time, he is extremely athletic and poses a great threat to the basket after picking and rolling with Harden.
Brooks placed his bet on Harden, and Harden did not live up to the coach's expectations and performed very well.
Breakthroughs, three-pointers, drawing fouls, passing the ball to assist teammates in scoring, Harden organized the Thunder's offense in an orderly manner.
Seeing both Durant and Westbrook exit the game, the Warriors players suddenly relaxed, and the Thunder took the opportunity to even the score!
Deng Fang quickly called a timeout.
Others don't know how powerful Harden is, but Deng Fang does.
Deng Fang traveled from later generations, and he knew that Harden was very strong, and to some extent, he was not much worse than Durant.
During the timeout, Deng Fang kept telling his players not to be careless and not to underestimate the enemy!
No matter who your opponent is, don’t win by 29 points if you can win by 30 points!
The defending champion must be ruthless!
Only in this way will your opponent be afraid of you, and your opponent will give up the idea of stealing a victory from you!
Deng Fang's words are still very effective. After the timeout, the Warriors became nervous and increased their intensity on both offense and defense.
However, Harden found the feeling and couldn't control it. He made three-pointers one after another. The defensive players got closer, and Harden broke through and drew fouls!
Seeing that one person could not guard Harden, several players on the Warriors court began to attack Harden.
But they underestimated Harden's passing ability. Harden used the Warriors' double attack to continuously create opportunities for his teammates and help them score.
Fortunately, Curry's touch was also hot, and the Warriors' offensive end was as smooth as ever. The two teams fought against each other, and the score rose alternately.
Soon, at the end of the first quarter, the score between the two teams became 38:37, with the Warriors leading by one point.
Harden threw 4 three-pointers in one game, scored 19 points individually, and also sent 6 assists!
Curry scored the most points for the Warriors. He threw 3 three-pointers in a single quarter, scored 14 points on inside and outside shots, and also provided 3 assists.
Seeing that Harden performed so well, Brooks still kept Harden on the court in the second quarter.
Anyway, you are young and have good physical strength, so just keep fighting.
Upon seeing this, Deng Fang simply left Curry on the court and started a double point guard game with Lowry.
Curry, Lowry, Tucker, Hayward, and Lopez played.
The Thunder are missing two generals, and they have no one to replace.
The only ones who can be replaced are Perkins and Collison.
However, for the sake of space on the court, Brooks only let Perkins play for more than 3 minutes, and then brought Ibaka up again.
Fisher, Harden, Cook, Saflosa, and Ibaka continue to fight!
The four players except Fisher are all young and their physical strength is not a problem.
With enough shot rights, Harden performed very well, leading the Thunder to score continuously.
Although there are many problems on the defensive end, the Thunder's lineup has strong offensive firepower.
Fortunately, Curry has a hot touch, making three-pointers and breakthroughs one after another. Lowry, Tucker and others are also very good, and they have given Curry a lot of help on both offense and defense.
At halftime, the score between the two teams became 79:75, with the Warriors leading by 4 points.
At the beginning of the third quarter, the Thunder could still deal with the Warriors, but gradually they could not keep up with the Warriors' intensity.
There is no way, no matter how young the player is, he still has a long body, and he will definitely get tired after playing for a long time.
You know, the intensity of the game against the Warriors is extraordinary. Not only the intensity of the finals, but also the intensity of the playoffs!
What's more, the Warriors in the third quarter are not easy to mess with!
After more than 4 minutes in the third quarter, Curry suddenly became excited and hit three three-pointers in a row, two of which were super long three-pointers!
Curry's super long three-pointer made the entire Oracle Arena excited!
The Warriors' intensity on both offense and defense increased again, and suddenly the Thunder couldn't hold on any longer.
Although Harden could continue to score, he was unable to defeat the four-handed opponent with two fists, and the point difference between the two teams slowly widened to more than ten points.
Soon, at the end of the third quarter, the score became 116:103, with the Warriors leading by 13 points!
In the fourth quarter, Harden continued to stay on the court. The Warriors took down Curry, and Lowry led the second team to deal with the Thunder.
The Thunder did not give up. Harden felt good and was good at breaking through and drawing fouls, leading the Thunder to score continuously.
Fortunately, the Warriors' offense was not bad at all. The fourth quarter lasted for more than 7 minutes, and the point difference did not change much.
Seeing that there was no hope of winning, Brooks replaced Harden and admitted defeat!
In the end, the score was fixed at 143:127, and the Warriors once again won a victory.
After the game, Harden played a total of 43 minutes, made 7 three-pointers, made 10 of 12 free throws, and scored 48 points, 12 assists, and 6 rebounds.
Curry scored the most points for the Warriors. He played a total of 36 minutes, made 8 three-pointers, scored 37 points, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds, and got a big triple-double.
Although the Thunder lost, Harden's performance was explosive, and he also won unanimous praise from various media.
In the absence of a big boss and a second boss, an individual can lead the team alone and be able to bravely fight with the universe until the last moment. This is already a very remarkable achievement!
You know, both Curry and Harden were rookies in 2009, and Harden was even more favored before the draft. They have both played in the league for three years. Harden has not been very conspicuous before, but today he suddenly made people think
I saw how powerful Harden is.
Gemini in 2009?
If Harden is given the opportunity to lead the team alone, can he reach Curry's height?