Chapter 321 The first game of the playoffs for the young Clippers
The Thunder are not a weak team.
Without the original history of Fanshie, the Thunder defeated the Mavericks, Spurs, and Lakers this season and reached the finals. However, they were defeated in the finals and became the first championship of the Miami Big Three.
The three young masters of the Thunder have extremely powerful personal offensive abilities. In a sense, Kevin Durant's offensive level this season is already unrivaled in the world. When he wants to score, no one can stop him.
In terms of scoring alone, he surpassed everyone in this regular season, including Kobe and James.
In addition, their defense cannot be underestimated.
After Perkins joined the Thunder, he brought rebounding, frame protection, and one-on-one defense to Oklahoma's penalty area, as well as a very high quality of screen coverage, which greatly benefited the three young men's offense.
Ibaka also quickly became normal. His shot-blocking ability is very good. Although his assist defense has not reached the peak of his career, it is still near the top level in the league. In addition, he has a solid open shooting ability and can open up space.
In addition, there is Sefolosha, a very strong 3D wing player in the league.
In addition, they claimed Derek Fisher who was bought out, giving them experience.
Therefore, it is not particularly ridiculous for the Oklahoma media to call for a sweep of the Clippers. They have some basis and confidence.
Including Durant and Westbrook, who are ambitious and want to take over the world, they never thought they would lose to the Clippers.
April 29th.
On the first game day of the NBA playoffs, the Clippers and Thunder faced off.
At Chesapeake Energy Arena, a modern arena, the Clippers and Thunder ushered in the first playoff showdown in history.
At that time, the owner of the Thunder insisted on moving the SuperSonics from Seattle to his hometown and changing its name to the Thunder. At that time, his actions were full of doubts, including the decision he and the management team made to build a youth team.
Now, they have a bumper harvest.
Presti used his precise vision gained from years of working as a sidekick for the Spurs to help the Thunder select multiple future superstars in the draft.
The Chesapeake Energy Arena was full tonight. Fans from all over the city and state poured into the arena to cheer for the team they support.
The playoffs have extraordinary significance to this city, like a dry river bed ushering in a rushing river. Small and medium-sized cities need such sports events.
They stubbornly believed that coming from a small city, they could easily crush the Los Angeles big-city team. Especially the little Jack who was always in the limelight on TV. He had harmed too many girls in Hollywood. Kevin and Russell
Gotta kick his ass and show him what Oklahoma can do.
“The home atmosphere here is good.”
Before the game started, Fanci chatted with Nowitzki to liven up the atmosphere.
Nowitzki raised his eyebrows. He eliminated the Thunder last season. He said: "Small ball markets are like this. They are die-hard fans, never waver, and will fight with the team until the last minute."
"It's going to be a tough away game."
Nowitzki told Fan Xi that he wanted Fan Xi to be mentally prepared.
Fan Xi nodded.
Two hours ago, he and Westbrook met in the tunnel. Westbrook told Fanshie very seriously and forcefully: "I will kill you."
Fan Xi said, then try it.
Beep!
The whistle sounded.
Game start.
The Clippers' starting lineup is: Fansheed, Hamilton, Leonard, Nowitzki, and DeAndre Jordan.
The Thunder's starting five are: Westbrook, Sefolosha, Durant, Ibaka, and Perkins.
When the game started, there was some tension.
Perkins started trash-talking Jordan. He said some random things with the intention of disturbing Jordan. He knew that Jordan didn't have much experience in the playoffs.
Perkins once won a championship with the Celtics, and he inherited the characteristics of Kevin Garnett in many aspects.
Snapped!
DeAndre Jordan beat him with a jump ball.
However, when he landed, he punched Jordan in the abdomen.
When the playoffs come, the devils and monsters come out. They wear a "tough" cloak and do some dirty things, and rightly claim: This is the standard for the playoffs.
Jordan stared at Perkins, but could not physically destroy him.
Perkins was waiting for Jordan to get angry. He deliberately manipulated his mentality to make Jordan lose his mind. It would be best to punch him twice in front of the referee.
Fanshie dribbled the ball to the frontcourt, and Westbrook defended.
Fan Xi did not struggle with him, changed direction and accelerated, broke through and sprinted, reaching the basket in an instant. When Perkins came up to defend, he easily hit the basketball to the ground and passed through Perkins' crotch...
Perkins is a center forward and his flexibility is average.
He was tricked by Fan Xi.
Jordan grabbed the basketball behind him, jumped up, dunked hard with both hands, and pulled the basket with a loud bang.
"You can only do little things behind your back."
After Jordan landed, he taunted Perkins and pressed his hands and knees, meaning to tell him: You are too low.
This action caused boos and yells from the audience.
Thunder fans seem to be here to vent their unhappiness in life.
When they uniformly insulted Jordan.
Fanxi raised his eyebrows, realizing that the playoffs were a real test for these young players.
Many basketball practitioners will put playoff experience in a very important position when analyzing playoff results.
The abuse and booing of 20,000 people was not the effect that could be heard on TV, but an overwhelming... the kind of atmosphere Wanfu was referring to.
As expected, Little Jordan's expression changed somewhat.
Fan Xi glanced at him twice and said to him when he returned to defense: "You have to adapt to this and focus more on the game."
Looking back, Westbrook broke through Fan Xi, and his breakthrough ability was very strong.
After entering the penalty area, Fanxi and Jordan conducted a double attack.
But Westbrook seized the fleeting opportunity, jumped up, knocked Jordan away to complete the goal, and caused a foul.
Jordan's defensive actions were too conservative, and he did not resolutely shoot down Westbrook.
Arenas on the sidelines jumped up anxiously and shouted loudly: "Boy, you have to be more ruthless. There is no such thing as 21 in the playoffs."
Whoosh!
Westbrook hit the extra penalty.
Moreover, the Thunder quickly returned to defense, and the rhythm was completely different from the regular season.
The offensive and defensive rhythm and intensity of the playoffs cannot be compared to the regular season. After all, this is a battle about whether you can continue to advance.
Fanci and Nowitzki decided to give the young people something to do.
The two of them were in a high pick-and-roll, and Fanci went to the free throw line and took Ibaka away and passed it back to Nowitzki.
Westbrook swooped forward ferociously, pestering Nowitzki, but Nowitzki wasted no time, used his inherent rhythm to back up Westbrook, and then shot a jumper... Tick!
The referee blew the whistle, Westbrook jumped too hard and got a foul.
Whoosh!
The basketball falls into the net.
Another 21.
But this time, it was no longer the cheers of the whole audience. More than 20,000 fans were booing wildly, and they were greeting the referee and Nowitzki.
He denounced this as an unfair punishment.
20,000 Thunder fans became the best sixth man at the scene.
This is why there are always some games in the playoffs where there is an obvious "home advantage". The presence of fans will inevitably bias the penalty towards the home team, because the pressure on the referees is also real.
Whoosh!
Nowitzki steadily hit the extra penalty.
He has been playing in this league for too long. He has appeared in the playoffs almost every year. These noises will not interfere with his shooting style and strong heart.
"It's nothing, guys, as long as you focus more, their strength is not enough to stop us."
When Nowitzki returned to defense, he said to young Jordan and Leonard.
The game continued, Kevin Durant used his shot to surpass Leonard's entanglement. He was more difficult to deal with than in the regular season. Although his shooting posture was not beautiful, it was like throwing beans on the ground on the second floor, but the accuracy was too high.
Stronger.
Leonard realized that his defensive intensity could not cope with Durant, because Durant's offensive intensity was increasing.
Fanshi then hit a 3-pointer.
He passed the basketball to Nowitzki in the high post.
Then, he made a reverse run without the ball, went around behind Durant, and hit a 3-pointer through Leonard's screen.
Nowitzki is a hidden high-post dealer. Although he averaged only 2.4 assists per game throughout his career, the scouting report also stated that his support ability is weak.
However, he is a threat when he stands there, and his powerful offensive ability will make his passing easy. When Fanshey and Hamilton run, no matter how tight the Thunder's defense is, mistakes are prone to occur.
The first quarter ended quickly.
The Thunder have never changed their lineup.
They played very efficiently and reasonably tonight, with a clear division of labor.
However, the Clippers changed players one after another.
On the one hand, this is because the depth of the Clippers' lineup is unmatched in the world. On the other hand, the Clippers are relatively passive. Some young players have not been able to adapt to the rhythm of the playoffs, but Fanshe hopes that they can all adapt.
26:29.
In the first quarter, the Thunder led by 3 points.
In the second quarter, the Thunder replaced James Harden, the best sixth man of the season.
James Harden has not yet shown his superstar status at this time, but he is indeed a better organizer than Westbrook. He has been able to score 16.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists in the regular season. He initially possesses the three elements of a passing, cutting and shooting superstar.
.
In addition, James Harden is the Thunder's second-best defender at this time and the best defensive player among the Thunder's three young players.
Probably because of his substitute status, he puts a lot of energy on defense.
After the start of the second quarter, James Harden began to defend against Xi.
Harden, wearing the No. 13 jersey, already has a thick beard. Although it is not as long as it will be in the future, it is already longer than Davis at his peak.
This makes people unable to see his immaturity, and at the same time he looks a bit tough.
NBA players will also do some things on their appearance, including tattoos with arrogant claws, unique hairstyles...etc., these are all part of the game.
In the second quarter of the game, the Clippers felt much better.
Because the lineup they sent was Fanci, Arenas, Grant Hill, Nowitzki, and Kwame Brown.
Except for Fan Xi, the veterans all have rich playoff experience.
However, this still did not save the passive situation.
Because the Thunder are young and strong, their firepower is fierce and their confrontation is very strong.
Although the veteran comrades are rich in experience, their bodies cannot keep up with their brains.
The advantage in the regular season seems to have become a weakness in the playoffs.
It's like the scouting report praised a certain rookie as being able to play both the third and fourth positions, but when he got to the NBA, he was neither three nor four. He couldn't play either the third or the fourth position.
There are a lot of pessimistic voices on TV.
However, before the end of the first half, Nowitzki hit a three-pointer, and Arenas, who had missed three consecutive three-pointers, also hit a three-pointer.
Reduce the score difference to 1 point.
51:52.
On the way back to the locker room, the Clippers' young players were a little downcast, and the veterans couldn't help but frown.
Mike Brown even rubbed his palms until they were hot, and his stomach was full of tangles.
They all see their own shortcomings.
Only Fan Xi was calm.
He was interviewed by tnt during halftime.
Facing reporters' questions, he said bluntly: "We felt a little cold in the first half, and we also had some problems on the defensive end. But this is normal. Young players on a young team are suddenly facing the playoffs, especially the Thunder.
With this level of intensity, some discomfort is expected.”
"This shows that the Thunder are well prepared."
"I'm not worried about losing this game."
Fan Xi left a very confident smile.
Then he walked into the locker room and looked at the silent atmosphere. He clapped his hands and said with a smile: "Why aren't you happy? The Thunder tried their best in the first half and only led by 1 point. And we still have a lot more.
I haven’t used my strength yet, this wave, the advantage is mine!”
Fan Xi motivates the team members and mediates the atmosphere.
And then he hugged Leonard, who had never changed his emoji, and said to him: "I'll give you two choices. Either you tell a joke now and make everyone laugh, or you go and make Kevin Duran laugh in the second half."
Specially locked."
ah?
"I..." Social terrorist Leonard couldn't tell a joke. He quickly said: "I choose to lock Durant."
This is right.
Fan Xi patted him on the shoulder: "Smile and celebrate success."
Leonard tried his best to open the corners of his mouth and made a strange sound: Hey! Hey! Hey...
As soon as this sound came out, the entire locker room couldn't help it, and laughter spread everywhere. The atmosphere suddenly became lively.
Fan Xi then walked over and said to Jordan: "If you can't grasp the scale in the second half, you have to be tougher and play harder. Even if you get a technical foul or something else, I will pay the fine and the salary will still be paid."
Fan Xi cheered for the timid little Jordan.
This is teaching students in accordance with their aptitude.
Butler on the side quickly said: "Then how should I control the scale in the second half?"
"Just hold back and hit a little bit." Fan Xi encouraged Butler.
This remark made everyone laugh again.
Because Butler was too reckless, he got four fouls in less than a minute and a half.
He is the most reckless among reckless men.
He doesn't have the problem of nervousness as a rookie, he just lets himself go too much.