After losing the battle of Tianwang Mountain, Thunder has no way out.
But for a young team like the Thunder, the more there is no retreat, the more powerful energy it will arouse!
Game 6 was played at the home court of the Grizzlies. In this game, the Thunder exploded with all their energy. On the defensive end, they limited the Grizzlies to only 84 points. On the offensive end, Dewey was full of firepower and extremely efficient.
Lent scored 36 points, Westbrook scored 25 points, and Reggie Jackson also stepped up from the bench and scored 16 points.
Although four players from the Grizzlies scored in double figures, the highest score was only Marc Gasol's 17 points.
The Thunder played very well in this game. Both the three-point shooting percentage and the field goal percentage were much higher than the Grizzlies. The rebound comparison between the two teams was 47:36, and the block comparison was an astonishing 13:1!
After playing 4 consecutive games with overtime, the Thunder finally broke out, fully utilized their talents and won the game happily.
After winning a victory on the road, the Thunder once again took the initiative in the series back into their own hands.
The Game 7 battle was held at the home court of the Thunder. In this game, the Thunder exploded on the offensive end, completely demonstrating their offensive talent.
The Grizzlies beat the Thunder 36:27 in the first quarter, but the Thunder immediately responded with a 34:22 in the second quarter. At the end of the half, the Thunder led by three points.
In the third quarter, the Thunder pursued the victory and beat the Grizzlies 33:23, taking the lead to 13 points.
With a big lead, Westbrook also found his touch. In the fourth quarter, he made 3 of 4 shots and 1 of 1 three-pointers, scoring 7 points. Reggie Jackson on the bench even made 3 of 3 shots.
, also scored 7 points.
The Grizzlies were in a desperate situation and everyone was on the same page, but the Thunder were helpless on the offensive end and ultimately lost the game 109:120.
Five members of the Grizzlies scored in double figures throughout the game, pushing team basketball to the extreme, but unfortunately there was a huge gap in talent.
The Thunder also had five players score in double figures. The difference was that the Grizzlies' highest score was only 24 points. The Thunder's Durant scored 33 points and Westbrook scored 27 points.
The most important thing is that both of them are very efficient. Durant made 12 of 18 shots and 5 of 5 3-pointers. Westbrook made 10 of 16 shots and 2 of 2 3-pointers. Except for 27
In addition to scoring, he also had 16 assists and 10 rebounds!
Of course, Westbrook and Durant also contributed 12 turnovers together.
Although there were a few mistakes, the Thunder's shooting percentage was really terrible.
The Thunder made 11 of 19 three-pointers in the game, with a shooting percentage of 57.9% and a field goal percentage of 60.9%!
When Westbrook can hit three-pointers and mid-range shots efficiently, and when a team shoots close to 60% of its three-pointers, no matter how many mistakes they make, it is extremely difficult to lose.
difficult.
After seven hard-fought games, the Thunder finally eliminated the Grizzlies and advanced to the Western Conference semifinals.
This is also the second series in the first round to go to full seven games.
I have to say that there are too many strong teams in the Western Conference. The Mavericks, who seemed harmless to humans and animals in the regular season, could bite the Spurs with blood. The Grizzlies, who seemed to be far less talented, could also compete with the Thunder in seven games!
In addition to these three matchups in the Western Conference, there is another matchup between the Trail Blazers and Rockets.
In the first game, the Trail Blazers narrowly defeated the Rockets 122:1:20 on the road, which also gave them the home court advantage.
Just when everyone thought that the Trail Blazers had successfully stolen a victory on the road and had completed their mission, no one expected that the Trail Blazers would win again in the second game.
The second game was still played at the Rockets' home court. They beat the Trail Blazers 31:23 in the first quarter and seemed to have found the feeling.
But in the second quarter, the Trail Blazers immediately defeated the Rockets 30:22, and after halftime the two teams returned to the same starting line.
In the second half, the Trail Blazers came out with all their firepower and kept suppressing the Rockets. In the end, they won another away victory with 112:105.
In this game, the best performers of both teams were inside players. The Trail Blazers' top scorer was Aldridge in the post. He made 18 of 28 shots and 7 of 8 free throws. He was extremely efficient and scored 43 points.
, 8 rebounds, and 3 blocks.
The Rockets' top scorer was Howard. He made 13 of 22 shots and made 6 of 7 free throws. He was also very efficient. He scored a team-high 32 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 blocks. The only flaw was that
There were 6 mistakes.
Although Howard scored a lot and was very efficient, he still seemed a bit boring in front of Aldridge.
Of course, when the Trail Blazers won, in addition to Aldridge dominating Howard, the comparison between Lillard and Harden was also key.
Lillard played 42 minutes in the game, making 3 of 14 shots and 10 of 12 free throws. He scored 18 points, 11 assists and 8 rebounds.
It seems that Lillard's efficiency is not too high, but Harden of the Rockets is even worse. He scored 18 points on 6 of 19 shots, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, and also made 5 turnovers. In the end, he left the game with six fouls.
.
Except for Harden, the rest of the Rockets performed quite well. Five of their team members scored in double figures, while only four of the Trail Blazers scored.
After losing two games in a row at home, the Rockets are in an extremely dangerous situation.
Although they have lost two games at home, it is not uncommon to win two consecutive away games, so the Rockets still have hope, but not much.
The third game was played in Portland. After losing two games in a row, McHale finally understood one thing, that is, if he wants to win, he must limit Aldridge.
In this game, the protagonists of both teams became outsiders, and Aldridge was specifically restricted. He made 8 of 22 shots and scored 23 points, with average efficiency.
Compared to Aldridge, Howard performed better. He made 10 of 16 shots and scored 24 points and 14 rebounds.
Harden finally figured it out for the Rockets. He took 35 shots, hit 13 goals, and scored a game-high 37 points, 6 assists, and 9 rebounds.
Lillard shot more cautiously, making 9 of 16 shots from the field and 4 of 8 3-pointers. He scored a team-high 30 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists.
The two teams tied 110:110 in regular time and entered overtime.
In overtime, Lillard, Batum and Aldridge scored two points each for the Trail Blazers. Harden scored 4 points for the Rockets. In addition, Jeremy Lin and Troy Daniels on the bench scored two points each.
He scored 4 points and 3 points and was the biggest contributor to the Rockets winning the game.
Winning this game also brought some suspense back to the series.