Forward to the basket

No one likes to play road games, especially from the East to the West, and with the damn back-to-backs, no one likes to accept such an arrangement, but the Celtics really don't have much choice right now.

The entire regular season is such a long time, and many arenas have to host many other activities, so even if you make it difficult for those who arrange the schedule, they can only arrange it like this.

Of course, it is unavoidable that these guys who arrange the schedule are constantly cursed behind their backs. At least the head coaches of those teams will do this, back to back and continuous battles. This is really not something ordinary people can bear.

However, for these guys from the Celtics, apart from being able to scold a few mothers on the plane, Rivers and his players can only hurry up to recover their physical strength. Three hard battles cost them too much. physical fitness.

This kind of continuous running, even Thibodeau, a workaholic who likes to analyze other teams' tactics and personnel on the plane, can't hold it anymore. Although the flight distance is not too far, everyone is exhausted.

Since they boarded the plane, almost all the people in this group have been in a state of instant sleep. No one is talking about playing cards or chatting. These guys even lost their mind to listen to music, and they all fell into a deep sleep. .

No one knows what awaits them in New Orleans, but the Hornets are definitely tough.

Don't look at the Celtics' double play opponents last season, but the Hornets' competitiveness in the Western Conference at the moment has long been different. They have the energy to hit the Western Conference Finals, and they are in good form recently.

Many people are now predicting that the Hornets are likely to create their best record in the regular season this season.

Of course, this is all speculation. The games have to be played game by game. No one can guarantee that there will be no accidents in the last two months of the game. Maybe a single injury can destroy a team. confidence.

The New Orleans Hornets attracted a lot of attention last season, but this season they obviously kept a low profile. Maybe they also know that excessive ostentation may really bring them some kind of trouble.

Just like at the beginning of last season, I thought the Hornets could really fly the bumblebee. In the end, when they met the Celtics, they lost their troops. West's injury dragged on for two months, and everything was delayed. up.

Originally, last season might have been the best time for the Hornets to rise. As a result, the repeated injuries of West and Paul directly destroyed the team's spirit, and the results also declined.

Even if Paul pays later, with this new generation of top point guards as the core of the team, there is one less main scoring point inside. The Hornets' offensive ability has been weakened by at least [-]%, and their offensive ability has become very fragile. Paul There is always a limit to what a person can make up for, and there is nothing he can do.

And without David West on the inside, their defensive strength dropped by an order of magnitude.

Don't look at Chandler supporting the inside, this guy is sometimes too rough, especially when it comes to controlling fouls, he always makes mistakes, and he is often seen sitting helplessly on the bench as a spectator in the last quarter.

The offensive and defensive ends were affected by West's injury, and Paul himself was injured for more than a month. As a result, after such a toss, the results of the Hornets in the end were completely in stark contrast to the performance of the previous season.

Such a fragile Hornets team simply couldn't survive in such a tough competitive environment in the West. Therefore, the higher their expectations last season, the harder they fell, and they couldn't even make it to the playoffs.

You can say it's because of injury or bad luck, but you can't change the ending.

The Hornets failed last season, and in the end they could only win No.10 in the Western Conference, reluctantly staying away from the playoffs.

Many people actually thought that Paul might not stay in the team, or that West was going to leave.

However, after one summer passed, the rumors of the transaction did not come true, but the Hornets became a lot more low-key.

This season, the Hornets' offensive posture is still very fierce. In the past month, they have suddenly started to exert their strength. The Jazz have been overthrown by them from the fourth position in the West. Paul and West teamed up to bring the team into the top four.

Chandler and Stojakovic have also played their best form in the past two seasons. The Hornets have rushed to the top four in the Western Conference just like this, and judging from this momentum, they are far from planning to stop .

"The rebirth of New Orleans, after last season's slump, the bumblebees are finally flying."

This is an accurate evaluation of the recent crazy performance of the Hornets. After a sluggish season, these guys started to start at high speed.

New Orleans may be one of the few teams that can stay out of it when the transfer market is in full swing.

Others have turned the world upside down. Many teams have been forced to tear down and rebuild because of such a big deal, and some teams have reaped benefits, but the process of team integration has also caused them to lose their steady rise in their respective league rankings. The Hornets just seized such an opportunity, and the winning rate has remained very stable.

The main core is not involved in any transaction, and the Hornets themselves do not have many positions to fill.

It can be said that their tactics have become a system, and the cooperation between the players is also very familiar.

In addition, Paul is in charge of ball-handling organization, and Stojakovic's mid-range and long-range shooting ability. It can be said that the Hornets' back line is the root cause of their rapid rise in the West.

Especially Paul, who is becoming more and more experienced on the court. Although he has only entered the league for a few seasons, his ball-handling skills at both ends of the offense and defense, and with more experience, he can completely compete with Kidd and Nash.

Many people say that Paul and Rondo, together with Deron Williams who played for the Jazz, are the best of the new generation of point guards. Their ball control is very stable, and they can also connect the team. firepower network.

Looking at the data alone, the assist data of Rondo and Paul may be even crazier. These two guys can both rank in the top ten in the assist list, and they are also offensive boosters for their respective teams.

The only difference may be the scoring ability. Paul wins in this area. His small throws and three-point shots have good shooting percentages. Compared with Rondo's negligible shooting ability, he absolutely wins.

But in terms of assists, Rondo, who has no desire to score, is obviously more focused. This guy is now addicted to assists and fast brushes, and only Nash can stabilize Rondo on the assist list.

One is in the East and the other is in the West. This kind of competition may continue for a long time, but in this season's All-Star Game, these two guys will have the opportunity to face off in a skill competition and who will be the king.

But before that, the New Orleans Hornets can take the lead at home against the dusty Celtics.

It's really dusty. The Celtics are like nightclub girls who are rushing to the scene. From the day they set foot in the West, the biological clocks of these guys are almost reversed, and they are almost catching up with crossing half the world.

The journey of the battle may not be that exaggerated, but it is definitely not easy if you count all the fights on the basketball court.

Rao, the sturdy beasts of the Celtics, also felt a little tired in such a charge.

Counting from San Antonio, they have been rushing all the way, fighting all the way, leaving aside the game of the Heat, just on the Spurs, Nuggets and Rockets, they consumed a lot of physical energy.

Especially in the first and third games, the winner was decided at the last moment, and the impact of the Nuggets also made them have to work hard in the opening stage. This kind of consumption, most people can't bear it .

It is conceivable how much consumption this kind of game intensity will cause. Even if the team doctor of the Celtic team tries to help each player relax, it is impossible to recover from physical fatigue so easily.

The season has already played fifty games, and the Celtics' injuries have never taken shape. However, the high-intensity games during the recent period have caused the Celtics to have a lot of non-combat attrition.

Even Rivers and Thibodeau began to pay attention to controlling the intensity of training, lest these guys suffer from injuries.

But such an adjustment can't hold up to the NBA's dense schedule and high-intensity confrontation. Now the Celtics' injury list has expanded to five people, which is a bit beyond Rivers' expectations.

Cassell and Webber, these two old guys will have to rest for at least two weeks, and Ray Allen's wrist also needs a temporary rest due to the recurrence of an old injury, but fortunately, the time may be about three to five days.

But Perkins also sprained his ankle in the game against the Rockets. He and Hayes fought so hard at the basket that the two guys ended up injured because they grabbed a rebound.

"Fatty Two" needs a truce for two to three weeks, and Hayes' side is about the same, and Novak's exemption card has to be hung up for about a week. This wave of battles in the West can be regarded as a toss for the Celtics. up.

"Well, it's really a big loss this time." Seeing the continuous expansion of the injury list, Rivers really felt that the gain outweighed the loss. The result of this trip to the west was good, but the cost was also Not small.

Fortunately, these old patients are not the kind of fatal injuries that will be reimbursed for the season. They can recover after a few weeks of rest, which should not affect their preparations for the playoffs.

But this kind of injury for no reason is entangled with you, no matter who it is, it will be very annoying, and this damn road trip is not over yet, and the last game has to be against the Hornets in back-to-back situations.

It is impossible to restore physical fitness to a full state for twenty hours. Don't forget, during this period, the Celtics will have to go through a long flight.

Even after getting off the plane, they still have to go from the airport to the hotel. After everything is done, how much time is left for these guys to recover?Even Rivers had two dark circles under his eyes when he hit the court.

Thibodeau's kind of lunatic who can't move for hours after watching the game video, can't bear it this time.

So, when the Celtics arrived at the New Orleans arena, they probably felt nothing but tiredness, but this was the last game, and these beasts wanted to grit their teeth fight down.

With three wins and three wins, you can't stumble before finally leaving the West. Although Rivers didn't give an order that must be won, the Celtics did charge very hard after the opening, and they seemed to eat their opponents in one bite.

It's hard to see that these guys have experienced three away games, and they had just played a fierce battle [-] hours ago.

If you haven't watched the previous games, you will feel that these guys came to New Orleans after recharging their energy.

A wave of 11:2 start really shocked the more than 5000 Hornets fans in the New Orleans Arena. They all knew that the Celtics were the number one in the league, but I really didn't expect that these guys would be like this Vigorous.

Rao Paul's ball control is very stable and his mind is very calm, but in this kind of confrontation, he was also entangled by Rondo and made two turnovers, not to mention Chandler, Garnett stared at him, how can he still Is there a chance for him to fight back?In the first 5 minutes, this guy only got one backcourt rebound and nothing else.

Comprehensive suppression, comprehensive attack, scoring points blooming everywhere, looking at the posture of the Celtics, the collapse of the Hornets seems to come in the next second, and Boston's swift attack really gave the home team a blow.

And this is after going through a back-to-back game, how can it be so fierce?At the end of the first quarter, the score of 31:27 seemed to tell the supporters of the Hornets that the opponent was very tough!

"Those boys are too tired. Don't look at them scoring 31 points, but the shooting percentage is not even half of the usual. If the physical fitness continues to decline in the second half, the Hornets will definitely seize the opportunity to counterattack."

Although the New Orleans fans were shocked by the Celtics' fierce attack, Murphy, who came with the team, said this to Xie Miaomiao beside him with a worried face. He, an old fritter, understood it very well.

"Three away games, and they were all against the top eight teams in the Western Conference. After going through this kind of intense confrontation, even a group of iron men will have metal fatigue, let alone these guys, they are not machines."

Xie Miaomiao also could see why the Celtics attacked their opponents so hard in the first quarter, because those guys knew very well in their hearts that their state would not be able to last four quarters in a protracted game.

This is not to say that there is a problem with the physical reserve of the Celtics. Under such a high-intensity schedule, even if you are fully prepared, such a situation must occur. After all, it is a continuous battle, and no one can withstand this kind of consumption.

The four opponents are all top eight in the Western Conference, and they are all at home. When you come to the door, the Celtics have the right time, the right place, and the people. They all know that you are the number one in the league. The ruthless role of the Assassin King?The opponents are fighting you with the idea of ​​overthrowing the Celtics. This game is quite difficult.

If you are not afraid of thieves stealing, you are afraid of thieves thinking about you. There are 29 teams in the entire league thinking about you. How much pressure is this?

Even if the guys from the Celtics are strong and vicious enough, they are really not omnipotent robots.

It would be perfect if it were a bunch of Terminator like Arnold Schwarzenegger, but unfortunately, they won't transform yet.

So being able to fight for three victories is already a blessing from God. Rivers does not expect to win four consecutive victories, but if he can win, no one will give up voluntarily, but as Murphy said, he can only be a soldier It's a risky move.

Going up to the opponent, this is obviously different from the steady and steady attitude of the previous few games. Rivers is considering the team's excessive physical consumption. If it really drags on, then he must be dragged down.

If that's the case, then it's better to do the opposite, don't think that this is the opponent's territory, then go up to them!If you can stun your opponent and lead the score, this game may be easier to play.

Moreover, the team's offense in the first two quarters can be guaranteed to be sharp enough to put pressure on the opponent and give the opponent a head-on blow. If the score can be opened, the game will be easy to play, but the reality is that Rivers did not give so much preferential treatment.

Rivers still ignored the erosion of fatigue on the team. Under the impact of this storm, they all ran out of opportunities, but the overall shooting percentage of the team dropped too much.

Pierce's two counterattacks were already unmarked, but the shot still hit the basket.

And Garnett also made a tip-up that was so simple that it couldn't be easier, so close at hand, he couldn't press it in!

If this kind of mistake is normal, it is impossible to happen. Let alone not being able to press it, Rivers might scold the street if he presses it badly. But when this scene appeared, Rivers could only shake his head slightly. .

This is the trouble caused by physical problems, and the shooting rate of less than [-]% made Rivers' risky move fail. Regardless of the score, the Hornets' pursuit is actually very tight, and they did not relax at all. Son.

This is not the Celtics playing against a team like New York or the 76ers, the Hornets are fourth in the West!Their toughness is quite fierce, it doesn't mean that you can kill them with a wild charge.

They will use their shooting, running, interspersed, and screens to consume you slowly. This is the old nest of the Hornets. As long as these guys can keep calm, they can always find opportunities for comebacks.

Three minutes before the end of the first quarter, the Celtics were still leading by 3 points. In the last three minutes, Paul was forced to chase for 11 points in a row. A wave of 3:7 attacks chased the score just a little bit. return.

If this is flat, the Hornets may be dragged down by the Celtics just by controlling the rhythm.

But now, it was the Hornets who controlled the rhythm. When the second quarter ended, the owners of New Orleans had already overtaken the score. Although they only led by three points, it was enough.

The reversal of the score has given hope to the Hornets supporters. The Celtics, who wear the league's No. [-] shirt, are becoming breathless, and their fatigue cannot be concealed at all.

However, the Celtics still slowed down a little during the ten minutes of the intermission, especially the bald wild boy. He still made the Hornets break out in a cold sweat in the first 5 minutes of the third quarter.

Originally, they thought that the Hornets would take advantage of the victory to pursue and open the score in one go, but as soon as the game started, Chen Feng activated it, and Rondo sent him a precise assist. This guy grabbed the basketball and plunged into the hoop.

West, who had been facing off against Chen Feng, had lingering fears. After all, the lesson of last season was a bit too tragic. As a result, in the first three quarters, David West, who has always been very aggressive, played awkwardly.

He wanted to fight back to get back the humiliation of last season, but when they actually bumped into each other face to face, West was still a little scared. Chen Feng, the bald man, poured two shots on West's head in the first quarter. Second-rate.

Moreover, these two times were one-on-one strong attacks, and West failed to block Chen Feng's cutting footsteps both times.

Then, he can only watch the guy who hurt himself last season, dunk on the head.

It was these two slam dunks that made the Celtics' assault in the first quarter very crazy. Although the Hornets chased very tightly in the second half, the main point of chasing points was not West. Attacker's.

In the offensive and defensive matchups, West is still in a state of being overwhelmed, but he is as strong as Chen Feng, and he will feel a little tired. The consumption of the first three games still makes him a little weak.

However, at the beginning of the third quarter, Chen Feng grabbed the basketball and rushed to the basket, completely ignoring West. His sturdy inside attack was completely relying on strength to force the Hornets into the three-second zone!

West's interception couldn't stop it at all, even if Chandler was around to help defend, it couldn't stop Chen Feng's attack!

Four times in a row, all of them were strong attacks at the basket. Not to mention the success of the four attacks, the Hornets fans were terrified just by making West commit two fouls. This kid led the Celtics to a counterattack, and West had to go back to the bench very depressed.

However, the explosion of one person still cannot make up for the huge physical energy consumed by the Celtics.

When the fourth quarter started, amid the shouts of [-] fans, the Hornets' offense suddenly surged like a tide. The shooting percentage of these guys reached about [-]% at one point.

The shots that fell like raindrops made the scores of the two sides swipe the screen, but compared with the madness of the Hornets, the Celtics' scoring speed was significantly slower.

Even if Rivers doesn't want to accept this fact, he can only endure it. He can see that the players have tried their best, but the exhaustion of physical energy has affected their shot accuracy, and no one can blame this.

At 98:89, the Hornets' flying in the fourth quarter was very deadly. No matter how flexible Rivers' deployment of troops was, there was still no chance of reversal in this stormy offensive tide.

When the cheers erupted in the New Orleans arena, the Celtics' trip to the West also came to an end. The record of three wins and one loss is not shameful, but a little bit unwilling.

After all, they still lost, but in six days and four games, they can still win three strong opponents in consecutive away games.

Such a result is enough to make these Boston beasts leave the West with their heads held high. The more intense the tempering, the more terrifying this group of fierce guys will become.

As Rivers said after the game, such a loss is not considered a failure, you just lost in front of the schedule, not your opponent.

Now they have lost, but the cold light oozing from this knife that is getting sharper and sharper is becoming more and more dazzling.

Especially that vicious bald boy, the four fights in the west made more people remember this guy...

(McGrady returned to the NBA and then joined the Spurs? Uh, is this a prelude to the dark Spurs? Duncan, are you sure you can stand it?)