super small forward

Chapter 223 223. The playoffs are approaching 2
If you want to win 60 wins, it's time for the Lakers coaching staff to prepare for their playoff opponents.

On April 4, the gorgeous April Fool's Day, D'Antoni called the players together to watch the game between the Spurs and the Thunder starting at 1 pm.

Both teams are the main competitors of the Lakers in the playoffs.

The Thunder and the Rockets have won the last few games, with a record of 51 wins and 22 losses. The league has three more 50-win teams, and the other is the Heat with 50 wins and 23 losses.

Unlike the Lakers' tragic ten games plus three back-to-backs, the Spurs only have nine games, and only two of them are playoff teams. One of them is their current opponent, the Thunder, and the regular season finale. Similarly, the Lakers' opponent in the final game is also the Spurs.

Popovich's heart was so big that when he played against the Thunder, all the troikas had a truce, letting Leonard lead the team and bring a group of substitutes to fight against the Thunder.

And the most frightening thing is that the Spurs actually won the Thunder by relying on the bench!

"Everyone has seen that the Spurs are very strong! Although we won the last time they played against us, they definitely still have more energy and did not fight us head-on. We can't be complacent because of a victory. This year we want to win the championship. Their opponents are them!" D'Antoni commented after the game.

Needless to say, D'Antoni, the Lakers already feel the huge pressure. Under Popovich's system, even those who couldn't play before are as confident as superstars. Mills and Danny Green played Just like Paul and Ray Allen, Westbrook, who had just returned, was blown away by Mills!
The Spurs' resting of the troika did not affect the intensity of the game, but because they deliberately lowered their strength to make the game more interesting. It is conceivable that if the troika played in the game, it is estimated that the Thunder, the third in the West, would be tortured to death by the Spurs .

What surprised Liu Ren the most was that Leonard, who had been depressed for a few games because of his relationship, has now become very confident, and seems to have broken free from the edge of self-denial.

"As expected of the guy I'm optimistic about, it seems that there will be another strong competitor in the future!"

The Thunder lost to the Spurs and fell one step behind the Rockets on the road to the third place in the Western Conference, changing from tied for third to fourth.

……

The Lakers want to perform well in April and guarantee home court advantage in the playoffs. It is a bit difficult to catch up with the 57-win Spurs, but it is still very promising to guarantee the home court advantage in the first two rounds.

But the Lakers lost to Waterloo in their first game in April.

Time: May 2014, 4.

Location: Staples Center.

Event: Aldridge scored 55 points.

Reason: Lillard "learned badly".

Before the game between the Lakers and the Trail Blazers, Lillard called Aldridge aside and said something: "Lad Marcus, I know you want to go to the Lakers, I know your thoughts very well. But you don't Show off your skills and let them know how good you are, will they want you? Don't worry, listen to me! You really surprised them in the last game, but you start to relax in the second half, they will think you are just A player who breaks out occasionally and can't contribute consistently, you know what I mean?"

After hearing this, Aldridge was engrossed in the whole game when he played the Lakers, making the Lakers howl inside.

However, the Lakers are now focused on how to deal with the Spurs. They don't care about the Trail Blazers who have lost to them three times this season. Ladd was caught off guard.

It was a good idea for D'Antoni to let the Lakers watch the Spurs game, but it unexpectedly made the players focus on the Spurs. They played against the Blazers with the mentality that they could win whatever they wanted, and they were beaten by the Blazers. exploded.

115比102，开拓者客场力克湖人，阿尔德里奇全场35投22中，拿到55分8板，利拉德29分15次助攻。

The Trail Blazers became the fifth team in the West to win 50 wins because of the victory in this game, surpassing the Clippers, who had finally ended their losing streak, and climbed to fifth in the West.

……

Losing to the Trail Blazers is not a bad thing for the Lakers. This game gave them a big blow, and every opponent cannot be ignored, otherwise they might not even have the chance to meet the Spurs in the playoffs!
In the following games against the Kings, Mavericks, and Clippers, the Lakers were all motivated. Liu Ren was the first to stand up as an offensive arrow. He averaged 31 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists in the three games, leading the Lakers to three games. The winning streak improved the record to 57 wins and 19 losses.

The King is not the opponent of the Lakers who are fully focused. They beat the Lakers easily. The Mavericks put some pressure on the Lakers, but Nowitzki is old after all. Without enough helpers, he fought until the fourth quarter and finally lost to the powerful Lakers. Come on, the Clippers continued to be in the team's troubles. At the Staples Center, they were booed as soon as they got the ball and even let them get out of the NBA. They were slaughtered by the Lakers for 40 points.

The predicament that the Clippers are in is even worse than Liu Ren remembers. It is estimated that Sterling will be expelled from the NBA before it can be relieved. However, this is not a matter of a day or two. The boat auction lawsuit lasted for two full months, and it was not until the end of the draft at the end of June that the court was under pressure to rule that the Clippers' sale was valid.

After the three-game winning streak, the Lakers' second position in the Western Conference has become more and more stable. The Rockets' record of the third in the Western Conference is 53 wins and 24 losses. It is almost impossible for them to surpass the Lakers with 5 games left.

So D'Antoni made a decision that was beyond everyone's expectations, letting Nash, Kobe, Liu Ren, and Gasol take turns in back-to-back home games between the Lakers, the Rockets, and the Thunder!

What is even more incredible is that the Lakers won both games!

Green, who came back, didn't play much in the first four games. He was re-adapting to the feeling of the game. Ray showed unexpected strength together.

Thackeray knows his role and is willing to do all the dirty work. As long as he can do it, he can also play singles on the offensive end. Antetokounmpo and Green seem to have a natural understanding. The seamless switching fit between points is pretty amazing.

Needless to say, Whiteside is a BUG playing a center like Howard. He has excellent height, wingspan, and good awareness, and he stole all the rebounds of the former No. [-] center.If it was Howard during the Magic period, it might not be so miserable. Just like howard played Yao Ming at that time, although he was suppressed, he could still play some role on the defensive end.

(End of this chapter)