At 8pm on May 27, 2012, the game between the Warriors and Thunder officially started at Oracle Arena.
This is the first matchup in the Western Conference Finals, and it is also the strongest opponent the Warriors have faced so far in this year's playoffs.
The Thunder are quite strong, which can be seen in the previous semifinals with the Spurs!
The Thunder have Perkins inside, and Ibaka is in charge. Perkins is a meat shield center, a standard bad guy, and Ibaka has amazing jumping ability, is the best in the league in blocking ability, and has a good mid-range shot.
Needless to say, the Thunder are almost the strongest in the league on the outside. Westbrook, Durant, and Harden are young and impactful, with good physical fitness, and are almost unstoppable.
In terms of role players, the Thunder have defensive heroes like Saflosa and experienced veterans like Fisher.
Whether starting or coming off the bench, whether inside or outside, the Thunder are very strong.
It is for this reason that the Spurs, who performed better in the regular season, lost to the Thunder.
If there is a team that can challenge the Warriors' status, it is the Thunder besides the Heat.
On the road to the Warriors' pursuit of three consecutive championships, the Thunder is the best touchstone!
Therefore, this game has attracted much attention and attracted a lot of attention.
A few days before the game, the tickets for this game were sold at sky-high prices by scalpers!
Even before the game started, the Oracle Arena was already packed with people.
At eight o'clock, the game starts on time.
The two teams' starting lineup remains unchanged. The Thunder's side is Westbrook, Safolosha, Durant, Ibaka and Perkins, while the Warriors' side is the Splash Brothers, Prince, Kirilenko and Yao Ming.
Five people.
It's obvious that the five players on the Thunder's court have a tonnage advantage in every position.
If it were wrestling, the Warriors would definitely lose.
Unfortunately, this is a basketball game.
Against the Thunder's starting lineup, the Warriors' strategy is to shrink their defense.
Shrink, resolutely shrink, frantically shrink!
Clay doesn't care about Westbrook at all. As long as Westbrook stands outside the three-point line, Clay will take five steps back!
Yes, five steps!
Not two steps, not three steps, but five steps!
He didn’t even raise his hand to signal!
Vote however you want!
Throw whatever you want!
Seeing this scene, the commentator was shocked.
Reggie Miller exclaimed on the sidelines: "Deng Fang is crazy! No matter how inaccurate Westbrook's shooting is, he is also an NBA player and a star!"
"That's right!" A Smith also said: "How much Deng Fang looks down on Westbrook! If Westbrook misses, then Deng Fang will be slapped in the face!"
…
No matter what the outside world thinks, the Warriors generals are very resolute in implementing Deng Fang's arrangements on the defensive end.
As long as Westbrook holds the ball, Clay, who is guarding him, will huddle near the free throw line and not care about him at all.
If Westbrook doesn't have the ball in his hand, Clay will confidently and boldly shrink into the penalty area!
In a word, we will use five to defend against four, let's see what you do!
Do you have an advantage in the penalty area?
Your tonnage is larger than ours?
The five of us are better than the four of you!
In fact, not only Westbrook, but also the Warriors use this kind of defense against Safolosha, Ibaka and Perkins!
Curry took two steps back, Prince took two steps back, and Yao Ming didn't even care when Perkins left the penalty area!
Except for Kirilenko who was guarding Durant, the other five members of the Warriors were all huddled around the penalty area!
The Thunder's only outside threat is Durant, and Kirilenko is inseparable.
At this time, Durant's ability to attack with the ball is not particularly strong. He relies more on moving without the ball and taking open shots to score.
Once the Thunder screen, the Warriors make substitutions, always ensuring there is someone defending in front of Durant.
If Curry switches to Durant, the Warriors will attack decisively.
Anyway, at this time, Durant's passing ability is average, and his movement control skills are not very good!
There are people in the penalty area, so you can’t pass the ball in!
As for outside the three-point line, you can pass the ball as you like!
They couldn’t make the shot anyway!
Under the Warriors' defensive strategy, the Thunder's offense is extremely difficult!
Thunder head coach Brooks was also very helpless.
Those who can hold the ball have no shooting ability, those who have the ability to shoot have average offensive effects with the ball, the role players have weak shooting ability, the team has no space, and the opponents are all huddled in the penalty area. What can you do?
The coach has a headache, but Westbrook doesn't care. He still looks fearless. As long as there is an open space, he dares to shoot. As long as the ball is in his hands, it will be difficult to get out!
However, just having momentum is not enough. Clay has height and strength, and his defensive ability is very good. He also waits and waits inside. Westbrook's jumping shooting percentage is very unsatisfactory.
Durant had no chance to make a shot, Westbrook made random shots, and the others did not have the ability to attack independently. Of course, the Thunder's offense was very constipated.
Of course, the Thunder's victory over the Spurs did not rely on their offense. Their strongest strength was their defense.
But in front of the Warriors, the Thunder's defense didn't work anymore!
Curry and Yao Ming pick and roll, what should Perkins do?
Huddle inside?
Curry will kill you!
Switch defense?
Or I'll kill you!
Pounce out and attack from a flank?
With Perkins' speed, the effect of him coming out to attack and switching defenses is almost the same!
Even if the double attack is in place and Curry has no chance to make a shot, what will Yao Ming do?
Let Yao Ming dunk directly?
Then don’t you want to play anymore?
Previously, the Spurs also focused on the pick-and-roll, and Parker and Duncan played the pick-and-roll smoothly, and they cooperated very well.
But the biggest difference between Parker and Curry is that Parker does not have the ability to make three-pointers, especially no emergency-stop three-pointers!
It doesn't seem like there's much difference, but it's actually not.
Since Parker does not have three-point ability, his offensive success relies on breakthroughs and mid-range pull-up jumpers, so the opponent can choose to switch defenses.
Two-point shooting from mid-range is the least efficient way to score, so I’ll give it to you!
As for breaking in, that is what all teams focus on defending. It is not easy for anyone who wants to break in.
Curry's pull-up three-pointer looks similar to a mid-range shot, but it is much more efficient!
In addition, Yao Ming's shooting ability is much better than Duncan!
The Thunder had no other choice but to choose to help defend.
But the Warriors still have Klay on the perimeter!
The Thunder thought very well. They deliberately left Kirilenko open and wanted the Warriors to hand the ball to Kirilenko and let him shoot.
After one season, Kirilenko's three-point shooting has reached above the league average, but it is still far behind the Splash Brothers!
It's not that Kirilenko's shots are too inaccurate, it's that he can only let him shoot.
But Kirilenko didn't stand outside at all. Curry and Yao Ming picked and rolled, and Kirilenko continued to cooperate with Clay!
Occasionally, Kirilenko will come up and pick-and-roll with Curry, allowing Yao Ming to be the shooter outside the three-point line!
Kirilenko's ball-holding ability is good, and his support ability is also very good.
Yao Ming's three-point shooting is better than many guards!
The Thunder have a headache and are full of loopholes on the defensive end!
The Splash Brothers are different from the Spurs' outside shooters. They both shoot very quickly and have extremely high shooting percentages!
In just over four minutes of the opening, Clay threw in 4 three-pointers!
Coupled with Curry's two three-pointers thrown in by Perkins, the Warriors directly stopped the Thunder at 18:6!
