Chapter 326: The dust settles and the warriors are eliminated
(Second update)
After lying on the ground for a while, Durant then limped off the field with the support of his teammates.
Judging from the fact that he could barely walk, his injuries were not serious.
But there is a high probability that he will not be able to return to the field for this game.
Without Durant's scoring output, the Warriors were immediately at a disadvantage. Although Curry + Thompson are still the league's top perimeter combination, they are obviously more than a little bit weaker without Durant. Moreover, Curry + Thompson are still the league's top perimeter combination.
The feel of the game between Lee and Thompson was very average.
More importantly, Durant's accidental injury also made the Warriors players panic and absent-minded. Even if the current game is the most critical battle at Tianwang Mountain, they cannot muster all their energy to deal with it.
In this case, the Lakers took the initiative in the second half of the third quarter, and in the fourth quarter, under the leadership of Wang Feng, they launched a 12:2 attack wave, widening the point difference in one fell swoop.
to more than two digits.
The game completely lost its suspense. In the end, the Lakers won the crucial battle of Tianwangshan 106:98 and took the lead in winning the match point 3:2.
This result surprised everyone.
No one could have imagined that the plot would develop like this.
Barkley couldn't restrain his ecstasy in the live broadcast room and laughed wildly on the spot.
"Shaq! Did you see that? Shaq! Is this considered karma? I probably won't be able to use the evening dress you prepared for me, but it doesn't matter. You can change it to a few sizes larger for your own use!"
The Warriors' unexpected loss in the Battle of Tianwangshan is not the most fatal thing. What everyone is most concerned about now is Durant's injury.
That night, Durant's MRI report came out.
Fortunately, Durant's injury was not a serious injury, but unfortunately, he sprained his ankle, and it was a relatively serious grade three sprain, which required him to be sidelined for about six weeks.
Six weeks, nearly a month and a half, but G6 of the Western Conference Finals will be held in one day. In theory, Durant has been reimbursed for the season and will miss all games in the next Western Conference Finals and possible finals.
.
This is undoubtedly a heavy blow.
Durant is the Warriors' most stable offensive firepower and one of the main reasons why the Warriors have swept the league.
Once Durant is missing, the Curry + Thompson combination, although it is also the league's top team, is no longer the favorite to win the championship, and cannot even compare with the Lakers in terms of hard power on paper.
The Warriors are finished.
Who would have thought that at the beginning of the season, Cousins came to shoot at a low salary and formed the five-star Warriors who shocked the entire league with five true All-Star players. The Warriors, which countless fans called the NBA finale, would actually collapse.
On injuries.
Cousins was reimbursed in the conference finals, and Durant was reimbursed in the Western Conference finals. This is too unlucky!
But Wang Feng knew very well that this was already settled.
In another time and space, after Cousins and Durant were injured one after another, the Warriors still made it all the way to the finals. Then on the finals stage, Durant forced his return from injury. As a result, he suffered a ligament injury in just a few minutes of playing.
The tear resulted in a season-ending injury for the following year.
And it was not just Durant who was unlucky. Thompson also suffered a torn cruciate ligament in the Finals G6 game and was seriously injured. After that, he was unable to appear in the NBA for two and a half years.
After one round of playoffs, three stars were retired for the season. This is the Warriors in the 18-19 season, a collapsed dynasty.
…
Durant's injury did not make Wang Feng feel too happy. Although from a rational perspective, the Warriors' lack of a general is indeed a great thing for the Lakers.
Now holding the match point, the Lakers are more than 80% certain to eliminate the Warriors and successfully advance to the finals.
But for Wang Feng, it is still a bit regretful that he did not have the opportunity to defeat the strongest Warriors team in full condition. After all, it will be difficult for such a super aircraft carrier team to appear again in the league in the next few decades.
This may be what is called worrying about gains and losses.
On May 25, in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals, leading 3:2, the Lakers, who had already gained match point, came to the home court of the Warriors, but did not give the Warriors any chance.
119:108, total score 4:2, the Lakers upset the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals. After 9 years, they returned to the finals stage and will face the Toronto Raptors, who also eliminated the Milwaukee Bucks 4:2.
.
At the post-game press conference, Lakers head coach Walton was high-spirited and proud, while Warriors head coach Kerr looked quite helpless.
At this moment, looking at Wang Feng, Kerr and most of the Warriors' coaching staff and management staff have the same thought in mind, which is regret.
At the beginning, they took the initiative to give up renewing Wang Feng's contract for Durant. As a result, in the 16-17 season, the Warriors lost to the Cavaliers and lost the championship.
They finally returned last season and won the O'Brien Cup again, and they wanted to defend the title again this year, but they never expected that they would be defeated by Wang Feng again.
If...just if, the Warriors had chosen Wang Feng, what would the Warriors be like now?
First of all, the championship in the 16-17 season will definitely not be lost. After all, the Cavaliers have absolutely no salary space to sign Durant. Durant can only choose to join a relatively strong team, but it will never be as good as the Warriors.
level with knights.
As a result, the Warriors have now won four consecutive championships, and have great hopes of winning five consecutive championships this year!
It's a pity, it's really a pity...
With this in mind, Cole did not express his feelings when being interviewed by reporters.
"No one can predict or avoid injuries to key players in advance. We can only say that we are a little bit unlucky. Congratulations to the Lakers for returning to the finals. As for the Warriors, we really need a good rest.
Soon, the contracts of Kevin and Drummond will expire. Our first priority is to retain the main players and continue to remain competitive."
Having said that, after this disastrous defeat, will Durant continue to renew his contract with the Warriors?
Unknowingly, Durant has played for the Warriors for three seasons, but in these three seasons, he has sacrificed personal data, sacrificed salary, and been burdened with countless infamy, but all he has received in exchange is a total building.
Championship trophy and FMVP.
Is this kind of exchange really a good deal for a top star in the league like Durant?
More importantly, if the Warriors, whose salary cap is exploding, want to keep both Durant and Green at the same time this summer, both of them will need to make appropriate salary cuts, and the extent of the salary cuts is not low.
Durant, who has had his salary cut for three consecutive seasons, will continue to cut his salary after experiencing failures. How many top stars can accept such treatment?