San Antonio Spurs, friends who are familiar with basketball cannot help but know these seven words. From 1999 to 2016, they have always been a strong contender in the playoffs. Five championship trophies are an honor for San Antonio people.
This is also one of the NBA teams that Tang Qian used to like very much.
Stability, efficiency, composure, and sophistication are the labels of the Spurs. They rank first in the Western Conference in the regular season this season, with a winning rate of over 75%, which is daunting. From a probability perspective, it is impossible for the Lakers to catch up in the regular season record.
It's surpassed. The winning margin of nearly 10 games has left Los Angeles people in despair.
Compared with the slight "silence" in previous seasons, starting from last season, the Spurs regained the throne of first place in the Western Conference. It can be seen that San Antonio people are once again preparing to take action to "hunt" for the Larry O'Brien Cup
.
On the other hand, the Los Angeles Lakers' record has been declining year by year. It is very difficult to stabilize the top three positions in the Western Conference this year.
Against the Spurs, Kobe Bryant returned to the team because he knew this opponent very well.
Don't take it lightly at all.
Looking at this year's situation, the Spurs are likely to become a "stumbling block" in the Western Conference Finals. If the Lakers want to advance to the Finals again, they must overcome this hurdle.
The playoffs are less than a month away, so it’s okay to regard this game as a “preview for the Western Conference Finals.”
Before the game, Tang Qian received a challenge task posted by the "Calendar Board". The challenge was Verratti Divac's 13 points, 12 rebounds, 2 steals and 3 blocks on April 11, 1991. Tang Qian watched it
For a moment, I silently "burned incense" and said, Fortunately, the person chosen is not Karl Malone, otherwise I would have to "hang" another ability crystal brick.
But even without Karl Malone and Verratti Divac, this data is not easy to complete.
Rebounds and blocks are still relatively easy, but 13 points and 2 steals are the real problems.
Needless to say about scoring, Tang Qian’s current scoring ability is basically a matter of chance if he scores above 6 points.
As an inside center, a seven-foot tall man, if he wants to complete two steals, he also needs "luck and character."
To sum it up, let alone the silver completion level, even the bronze completion level is not easy.
The Lakers vs. Spurs is naturally the highlight of the evening, and ESPN has no chance to broadcast it live nationwide.
There are 11 games in the NBA tonight, but only two were selected by ESPN. One is the Clippers vs. the Thunder, and the other is the Lakers vs. the Spurs. The former is arranged on the second channel, and the live broadcast is reserved for the Lakers VS.
Spurs.
The Lakers showed up on the court as scheduled on the 24th, but Tang Qian could tell that he was not completely recovered from the flu, and he was sweating profusely after warming up. This is definitely not a good sign for a professional basketball player.
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However, no one else can persuade this man. No one can stop him from doing what he wants to do except himself.
Then, Tang Qian's eyes focused on No. 21 opposite.
San Antonio mainstay, expressionless man, "Stone Buddha" Duncan.
From the appearance, his figure is not prominent at all, neither explosive muscles nor exaggerated tattoos. Standing there, he does not look super giant at all, just like an ordinary role player.
But Tang Qian didn't dare to underestimate him.
Tim Duncan will be the No. 1 power forward in NBA history in the future. He has a long "standby time" and is almost unrivaled.
In addition, there are Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili of the GDP combination. This troika is the "secret" of San Antonio's long-lasting prosperity for more than ten years.
Facing this opponent, Tang Qian was trembling with excitement.
"Hello, Mr. Shifo, I am your fan, can you sign your autograph for me?" Duncan, who was warming up, looked back, nodded slightly, and then helped Tang Qian sign his name on the white paper.
.
The whole process was done without a word, no courtesy, and no rejection.
ESPN Live Room.
"Good evening to basketball fans across the United States, I am the host Rachel Knicks." After Rachel finished speaking, she looked left and right and continued: "The one who came to the live broadcast room today is the NBA Hall of Fame.
Member Bill Walton and University of Oregon head coach Dana Altman. Please say hello to the audience across the United States."
"Hi~ Hello everyone, I am Bill Walton."
"Good evening everyone, my name is Dana Altman."
"It's an honor to have you two come here to commentate on the game tonight. Can I ask them which team they support?" Rachel Knicks quickly got to the point.
"Bill, who comes first?" Dana Altman asked.
"Then let me go first." Bill Walton didn't give in and opened his mouth and said: "I think San Antonio has at least an 80% chance of winning this game."
"Oh? Why?" Rachel Nix asked.
"First look at the team's record." Bill Walton replied: "San Antonio is currently ranked first in the Western Conference, and the Lakers are only third in the Western Conference. Secondly, look at the completeness of the lineup. Although the Lakers' starting main force is good, they lack La.
After Marl Odom, the strength of the bench has declined sharply. Looking at the substitute scoring this season, it is fourth from the bottom in the league. As for the Spurs, the substitute scoring ability is among the top three in the league. This gap is definitely fatal in a battle between strong teams.
.Finally, there is the problem of the running-in of the lineup. The running-in between the Lakers and their new teammates is not smooth, but on the San Antonio side, there is no such problem. Just look at their lineup rotation and you will know that the Lakers basically use
In an 8-man rotation mode, the Spurs use a 12-man rotation. This shows that Popovich is very confident about the team's players, which is exactly the opposite of Mike Brown."
"Well, what's your opinion, Mr. Dana Altmann?"
"I also choose the Spurs." Dana Altman said; "Because the Spurs have a higher technical and tactical level, and the Los Angeles Lakers are the star team, so I think the Spurs have a greater chance of winning tonight."
"Isn't star ball bad? The Lakers were the championship team the year before last!" Rachel Knicks asked.
"Of course I know this." Dana Altman said: "But Rachel, you also said, that was two years ago, right? If Kobe tonight is 32-year-old Kobe instead of 34-year-old
Kobe, then I would choose Los Angeles."
It's not impossible to play star basketball. In NBA history, there are many teams that have relied on star basketball to win championships. But there is a problem here, that is, the star must be strong enough. The 32-year-old Kobe Bryant combines offense and defense with almost unlimited physical strength, so the Lakers
There is no problem with the team playing star basketball. But Kobe, who is approaching 34 years old, is on the verge of collapse in his ability to integrate offense and defense, and his physical strength is also showing a yellow light. So what Dana Altman said is not wrong.
"So both gentlemen think that the Lakers will definitely lose tonight?" Rachel Knicks said.
"Oh~ of course not." Bill Walton and Dana Altman looked at each other, and then said in unison: "Who can completely predict what happens on the basketball court? If the Lakers 24
If the number breaks out, then it’s not impossible to win. We all know what that guy has done!”
In the first quarter of the game, both sides played very anxiously. The Lakers took a lot of shots inside. Gasol and Bynum took 16 shots in total. You must know that in the entire quarter, the Lakers only took 23 shots in total. They
The two of them accounted for more than half. However, the shooting percentage was not high. Gasol only made 3 of 7 shots. Bynum was even worse, only scoring 3 goals in 9 shots. Under Duncan's defense, the Lakers
Both towers lost their sights.
This is the horror of "Stone Buddha" Duncan. Even though he only blocked one shot, he succeeded in interfering with countless shots. This made Gasol and the nunnery suffer a lot. What does it mean to be a defensive veteran?
He is called a defensive veteran. Although "Shifo" is nearly 36 years old this year, with his super wingspan and defensive experience, he can still "teach people how to behave" in the paint, leaving young players at a loss.
But the Lakers have Kobe Bryant, a man known as the "Spurs Killer" who made 2 of 3 shots in a single quarter, including 2 of 2 three-pointers. He used extremely high efficiency to help the Lakers temporarily suppress the San Antonio Spurs.
Throughout the first quarter, Mike Brown did not give Tang Qian playing time because he was too anxious.
Now for the Spurs, maybe it doesn't matter if they lose one or two games as it won't hurt the overall situation, but the Lakers can't afford to lose! Behind them, the Clippers and Grizzlies are chasing fiercely. If you don't pay attention, you will fall directly to the Western Conference.
Go five.
Being fifth in the Western Conference means losing the home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
This is definitely a blow to the morale of the "senior" team.
Therefore, Mike Brown could only continue to "die and fuck" the main force without daring to relax at all.
Although the score was temporarily behind in the first quarter, there was no fluctuation on Gregg Popovich's face, as if he didn't see anything. Competing on tactical literacy and composure, Gregg Popovich and Mike Brown
Just not the same level of people.
As the head coach of the Spurs for more than ten years, he has never seen any troubles, so this point of being behind was not taken seriously by him at all.
But it is worth mentioning that in the first quarter of the game, Andrew Bynum grabbed 11 rebounds in a single quarter.
At the beginning of the second quarter, Tang Qian got playing time, and his replacement was Andrew Bynum.
Bynum didn't get off the field for the entire first quarter, so Mike Brown had to let him catch his breath and rest for a while.
On the opposite side, they were even more decisive. Duncan and Parker all came off the court. In terms of controlling time, Gregg Popovich is a historical master. On the Lakers side, the lineup is: PG, Steve Blake, SG.
Kobe Bryant, SF Matt Barnes, PF Paul Gasol, C Tang Qian. In order to maintain the lead, Mike Brown still left Kobe and Gasol on the court at the same time.
The Spurs are different from the Lakers in that they almost have a full bench lineup.
According to the history of the Spurs, although they are a substitute lineup, with Manu Ginobili leading the team, they will not worry about problems with the core of their operation. PG Manu Ginobili, SG Danny Green, SF Stephen.
Jackson PF Matt Bonner C Thiago Splitter, these are the Spurs' on-court personnel.
So Tang Qian's opponent is Thiago Split.
Thiago Split, who is 6 feet 11 inches tall and weighs 245 pounds, is a traditional center from South America. His characteristics are that he can cover and pick-and-roll. He has good flexibility because he practiced volleyball when he was a child.
He plays a relatively tough style, is not afraid of physical confrontation, and is of good quality in terms of protecting rebounds and attacking people in the low post. This year, his salary is 3.67 million US dollars. As a substitute rotation, he can be regarded as a "good value for money" type.
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However, Tang Qian was not afraid of him, because overall, his opponent had no advantage over him.
At the beginning of the second quarter, the competition between the two sides was as fierce as ever.
Kobe came up and took the lead. He stared at Manu Ginobili and scored a three-pointer. 27-21, the Lakers led by 6 points.
But quickly, the Spurs came back. Manu Ginobili broke through the pick-and-roll, and then broke through inside. Power forward Matt Bonner took the ball and used a shooting fake to deceive Pau Gasso.
Then, he crossed over and sent the basketball in his hand to Danny Green on the outside. Danny Green shot a 39-degree three-pointer from the right side, and with a "swipe" sound, the basketball fell into the net cleanly.
Danny Green has completely developed his three-point shooting this season. Two years ago, his three-point shooting percentage was only a pitiful 27.3%. After joining the Spurs last year, he made great progress, and his three-point shooting percentage increased to 36.8.
%. But the really scary thing is this year, this season. If the three-point shooting percentage of 36% is already considered good, then 43% is definitely top-notch! Although most of them are opportunities.
Although he can shoot open shots, he can hit 43.6% on fixed-point three-pointers, which is scary enough.
At least as a long-range turret, Danny Green is undoubtedly excellent.
After all, as an ordinary starter, he has no obligation to play tough shots, so strong shots, top shots, and other shots have almost nothing to do with him. As long as he can throw open 3-pointers into the opponent's basket, it will be worthwhile.
.Besides, his salary this season is only US$850,000. The Spurs are already "lucky" to get him.
Steve Blake made a mistake when he passed the ball to Pau Gasol. The basketball was stolen by Stephen Jackson, and he succeeded in a single fast break.
27-26, the Lakers just had a 6-point advantage, but were instantly chased by the Spurs to 1 point.
At this time, Matt Barnes was "hanging up." He received Tang Qian's pass and shot directly from the left three-point line. "Swipe" and the basketball hit the net. Turning around, Kobe stole Manu's hand.
.Ginobili's dribbling, but he did not play a single fast break. After seeing all the Spurs players returning to defense, Kobe passed the ball back to Steve Blake. Steve Blake lobbed from the outside.
The ball was passed to Pau Gasol. Gasol pushed his back a few times, found that the opportunity was not good, and passed the basketball to No. 29 Tang Qian on the other side of the paint.
Of course, Thiago Split would not let Tang Qian make an easy inside shot. Under his tough defense, Tang Qian could only choose to pass the ball.
The basketball is back in the hands of Matt Barnes again.
Matt Barnes made a three-point shot across Stephen Jackson.
Brush~
The three-pointer hit the center of the net again!
33-26, the Lakers lead by 7 points.
PS: In reality, Barnes is really accurate in this game~