start with scouting

Chapter 477 Two Ten Minutes of Sadness
After simply celebrating his promotion to the Western Conference Finals, Millsap's injury examination results came out: a second-degree contusion on his right index finger.

Specifically, it happened at the end of Westbrook's layup when the three kings encircled Westbrook. Amplitude affects shooting percentage.

It takes about ten days for the initial recovery. If you are injured again in the middle, it is not easy to say what the result will be.

According to previous experience in dealing with similar injuries, it is the best way to rest for a week without participating in training and competitions, and then to observe.

But the Western Conference Finals between the Kings and the Spurs will start after 72 hours. If it is handled according to past experience, it will take at least two rest games. In the absence of Thomas Jr., it is basically equivalent to losing two games first, which is really difficult. .

The point is that the Kings in their heyday played against the Spurs at [-]-[-]. After a [-]-[-] start, it is too difficult to come back.

After Millsap listened to the report, various expressions flashed across his face, as if he was considering how to deal with it.Seeing this, Su Yang said: "Refer to Tom's report, I personally will let you rest and observe, but if you want to play, I will support it, and you decide."

Millsap nodded, but did not make a decision right away, probably because it involved the free market in the summer. If the injury worsens, it is very likely to lower the value of the free market. It involves several million dollars, and it should be discussed with the agent team first. Fan.

Su Yang also really wanted Millsap to make his own decision, rather than words to lure him. After all, Millsap's role in the starting lineup was to support and score, and to assist Cousins ​​in defense. The remaining defense is useless.

At ten o'clock in the morning of the next day, Su Yang rushed to the training base and began to study the video of the Spurs vs. Clippers, so as to prepare for the game.

Millsap then arrived and said, "Coach, I've decided to take one game off and play the second game to see what happens."

"Okay!" Su Yang immediately formulated a new rotation plan, considering that Antetokounmpo should be promoted to the power forward position, and Gay will be the starting small forward to ensure that the starting stage can be equal to the firepower of the Spurs. As for the substitute stage, he can only learn from Thibodeau's dead grass. player.

Anyway, even if you lose two games first, you have to go all out, and you will never take the initiative to admit defeat, let alone the players will not agree.

In the twinkling of an eye at two o'clock in the afternoon, the news that Millsap will be absent from the first game was once again revealed by WOJ, which immediately sparked heated discussions.

But compared to the absence of Thomas Jr. before, those voices who predicted that the Kings would lose the series were much less.

'American Yang Yi' Stephen Smith tweeted: "Have you seen it? This is Su Yang's prestige! He can always create miracles, so that those who like to question do not dare to open their mouths. There has never been a better player in the NBA than him." A more domineering person!"

At the end of the three-day break, the Kings team flew to San Antonio to start the first game of the Western Conference Finals with the Spurs at the ATT Arena.

Millsap and Thomas Jr. were absent from the game at the same time. The King's offensive firepower was seriously insufficient. The first quarter was barely tied. Take turns with Duncan.

The king entered the fourth quarter with 29 points behind. Su Yang instructed the whole team to launch a crazy three-point tactic according to the plan, and quickly played a wave of 15 to 4. Popovich was so scared that he asked for a timeout and dispatched the main force in advance. He also died Grass Duncan and others to the end.

In the whole game, the Kings lost 98 to 112.

Everyone was excited, mainly because Millsap and Thomas Jr. will come back in the second game, and the team's strength will usher in a huge improvement, but Su Yang is not so optimistic, because the Spurs have already reached the peak, and the Kings will be killed if they are not careful. Will be beaten up.

The next day, the NBA held a lottery.

Seeing that the Cavaliers won the No. 28 pick again with a very low probability, Su Yang was quite speechless, while the Kings only got the 12th pick in the first round based on their record in the regular season. As for the original second-round pick, it was managed by the predecessor as early as the summer of [-] layer traded to the Raptors.

Fortunately, the Kings have an excellent record in the regular season this season, and the second round became the 58th pick, which will not affect the draft plan.

After two days of rest, the King will fight the Spurs again on the 21st.

Considering the full lineup to play, Su Yang didn't lose his main force, replaced Thomas Jr. on time, and finished the first quarter with a three-point loss.

During the break between quarters, Millsap took the initiative to say that he couldn't find the rhythm when shooting, and asked for points to go out of his hands.Su Yang decisively adjusted the plan on the spot to allow Thornton to take more shots. Unfortunately, Danny Green and Leonard broke out, and the Kings lost 7 points at halftime.

Fortunately, Thomas Jr. was in good condition and had a chance to play in the game. During the intermission, Su Yang further adjusted the defensive details.

The main reason is that Thomas Jr. encountered Parker on the defensive end, which was a bit tragic, and it was difficult to cause damage to Parker on the offensive end.

The game started in the third quarter, and the King struggled to reduce by 1 point, but was accompanied by 9 fouls, including 3 times by Antetokounmpo.

After three years of growth, Leonard has offensive skills with the ball and positioning skills without the ball, and his feints are very coherent and bluffing.

The game remained unchanged in the fourth quarter. The Kings were able to score more efficiently, but they couldn’t defend against the Spurs and could not further narrow the gap. With 1 minute left, they made consecutive three-pointers and finally lost 117-122, a big score of 0 2 behind.

The result was acceptable. The whole team hurriedly boarded the plane and flew back to Saskatchewan, and got a full four days of rest to catch their breath.

ESPN and other media have reported the probability of losing 0 to 2 in the playoffs, and there are very few cases of comeback.

Su Yang didn't have a replay video, the lack of players in the first game was worthless, and Millsap didn't find his status in the second game, so he directly told the Kings and generals: "Don't care about the probabilities of promotion, just play one game, we beat the Spurs , we just play ball..."

After all, Su Yang also knew in his heart that there was already complacency in the team. After all, there were only two veteran players, Gay and Millsap, and the others were rookies. They didn't have such a strong obsession with winning the championship. In the final, the mentality was passable.

The best rookie lineup was announced at the same time, Antetokounmpo and Covington were selected together, and the media praised the king for winning the future.

Sam Hinge won the General Manager of the Year Award for the draft, Gay Big Trade, free agency signing Millsap.

On the 25th, the Kings played against the Spurs at home.

The main players of the two teams are still hard to distinguish, and the king's bench is also performing normally, but the Spurs' bench has not exploded like the previous two games. Diaw, Belinelli, Bonner, Mills and others are all pulling baskets. Score a small victory to get back a game.

After winning the next game, Cousins ​​celebrated wildly, showing his youthful heart, unlike Millsap and other old fritters with a firm heart.

Su Yang didn't feel very good, but he didn't stop him forcefully. After all, young people, if they are not arrogant, can they still be called young people?
If you should be crazy, you have to be crazy.

One day off on the 27th, the King will fight the Spurs again.

The situation was the same as in Game 13, the main players and the Spurs were not divided, and the substitutes played the Spurs all over the place, and finally won [-] points.

Cousins ​​played particularly well, scoring 31 points in the game, Gay also scored 28 points, Millsap scored 25 points in two consecutive games, Thomas Jr. scored 20 points + 7 assists in two consecutive games, but the Kings others Total score is very small.

The whole team flew to San Antonio overnight, took a day off on the 29th, and challenged the Spurs away, and finally lost by 8 points.

Su Yang resumed the game after the game and confirmed that Millsap was deliberately relaxed by the Spurs, causing Cousins ​​to be under more defensive pressure. Cousins ​​repeatedly passed the ball to Millsap, made three turnovers, and had several strikes. Yu less one to participate in the competition.

Because of the early return to participate in the second game, Millsap's finger injury did not fully heal, and he did not find his form in the fifth game.

The key was also discovered and used by the Spurs.

The team had no choice but to admit defeat, and flew back to Sacred City overnight. After a day's rest, they played the sixth game against the Spurs at home.

The Kings won by 3 points in the first quarter, 4 points in the second quarter, and entered the second half with a 7-point advantage, but then thought that the Spurs went super rampant in the third quarter. Diaw and Leonard made 9 of 7 shots combined, and Duncan grabbed the lead. To 3 offensive rebounds, beat the king.

The Kings trailed by 10 points to start the fourth quarter, chased all the way to the end, and finally defended Manu Ginobili's lore, dragging the game into overtime. With Millsap's two iron-blooded three-pointers, they beat the Spurs 122 to 119 , turning the series into a tie-break.

The king flew to San Antonio overnight and took a day off to start the seventh game. The ratings of the game were as high as 2128 million.

The game was quite miserable. In order to prevent Leonard from scoring efficiently, Antetokounmpo committed 6 fouls and left the field. After the game was dragged into overtime, he could not continue to play. Yi could not resist.

Cousins ​​was sent off immediately, and the seasoned Duncan gave him a good shot, which greatly reduced the King's offensive firepower.

In the end, the Kings lost 108 to 113 to the Spurs. The series was eliminated 3 to 4 and stopped in the Western Conference Finals. Antetokounmpo cried on the spot.

Su Yang led the team back to the locker room, comforted and encouraged the whole team, he was sad for 10 minutes, and then prepared to start the recruitment work.

(End of this chapter)