super small forward

Chapter 231 231. Next Opponent Thunder

The Knicks' turbulent season at the end of the season, coupled with the black eight in the playoffs, attracted everyone's attention to them.

In addition, they were originally the second in the Eastern Conference last season. Everyone thinks that they have finally recovered the state of last season, and no one dares to underestimate them.

For a while, the odds of the Knicks winning the championship skyrocketed!
The Knicks were originally a team with a tradition of counterattacks. In the shrinking season of 1998-1999, the Knicks completed the Black Eight as the eighth in the Eastern Conference, and a Black team did not meet the invincible Duncan until the finals. Step down.

Now the aura of the dark horse is once again shrouded in the Knicks, especially the transformation of Zen Master's last game, showing the coaching ability not to lose to Popovich, and the Knicks have once again become a popular team.

Now Master Zen couldn’t stop smiling. He even put aside the grievance that he didn’t get Cole. He happily accepted the interview, saying that his team still has a long way to go. Nothing.

Pacers fans hate Zen Master and the Knicks even more now. They hate Zen Master because this is the second time that Zen Master led his team to beat them at the "peak" of their team. The last time they won the regular season division championship was 2000. That year they lost to the Lakers led by Zen Master in the Finals.

As far as hating the Knicks is a regular Indiana hate, Indiana people just hate New Yorkers.

Followed by the Trail Blazers and Wizards who advanced 3-1.

The Trail Blazers and Wizards are much stronger than their opponents, and they are basically playing against each other. After the first game, everyone knows that there is not much suspense in the series.

Leaving aside the Lakers and Heat that swept their opponents aside, the series of the Blazers and the Rockets, the Wizards and the Bulls, which were originally considered to be of equal strength, and people thought they would play very anxiously, ended early, and the series between the Knicks and the Pacers Because of the tight schedule of the competition, there was basically a competition the next day, and it ended early.

And those teams that were considered to have a significant gap in strength, instead played to the seventh game!
The Spurs were strong and weak, and were dragged to the seventh game by the Grizzlies. The angry Raptors abruptly dragged the Nets to the tiebreaker.

It’s finally the glorious May Day. The first round of the playoffs, which has been going on for No. 13 days, is finally over. After seven games, the Spurs defeated the Grizzlies and met the Trail Blazers in the second round. The Nets are still experienced. Easily beat the Raptors in Game [-] to advance to the second round against the Heat.

At nine o'clock in the evening on May [-]st, the last game of the first round finally came to an end. The Thunder struggled to defeat Curry, who was almost invincible, in the tiebreaker at home. Body shocked!
Liu Ren let out a long cry: "The opponent is finally here. It's Durant's team. It's been too long!"

"Hey, it would be great if the opponent was the Warriors. We have a better chance of winning against the Warriors." Nash said regretfully.

"Why Steve?" Liu Ren asked curiously, "Isn't the more powerful the opponent the more challenging?"

Nash rolled Liu Ren's eyes and said, "It's good to be young! My old bones can't stand the toss."

so?Liu Ren obviously did not believe Nash's words.

Liu Ren didn't believe that Nash was a guy who wanted to challenge weaker opponents. He believed that the older Nash was, the more he wanted to fight against the strongest opponents, because the opportunities were getting less and less.

It was Kobe who solved his doubts: "It would be different if we met stronger opponents in the Finals or the Western Conference Finals, but it would be no good to win if we met opponents like the Thunder and Spurs before the Western Conference Finals. A waste of physical energy and energy may instead allow the final opponent to take advantage. If it is the final opponent, of course they want to meet the strongest, but it is only the second round. And even if we are not afraid of Thunder, we probably won't have any chance if we fight them with all our strength It’s too big a problem, but beating them will also attract the attention of other teams and analyze us thoroughly!”

"That's right, that's how the playoffs are. Didn't you see that the old guys in the Spurs deliberately lost a few games to keep people from noticing them?" Nash said with an air of experience.

Liu Ren's brain circuits are always so clear, and he immediately added a knife: "How do I remember Steve, you don't seem to have won the championship? It seems that you have never played in the finals..."

"..." Nash felt a sudden angina. He realized that talking to Liu Ren was a test of his heart, so he retreated decisively.

Liu Ren didn't hurt the veteran's self-knowledge at all. He packed his things and went home on his own. The next day it was time for the second round. On the following day, he had to watch the Thunder's game video to prepare.

There are advantages and disadvantages for the team that enters the next round first. For a team like the Lakers with a core lineup of veterans, it is naturally good to take more rest. Three veterans like Kobe, Nash, and Gasol have had so many days of rest. They have played in the league for more than ten years and know how to maintain their state. They like this long rest time the most.

But there are also disadvantages. If the opponent in the next round plays too late, like the Thunder and the Warriors, the Lakers will not know which opponent to prepare for. Arrange tactical drills, because the Warriors and the Thunder are two very different teams.

The next morning, Liu Ren came to the Toyota Center early in accordance with D'Antoni's instructions, and everyone else also arrived.

D'Antoni called everyone into the conference room for a meeting.

"Our opponent in the second round has come out. Of course, I believe that no matter who the opponent is, we can win, because we are the best team!" D'Antoni first made an official opening speech emphasizing the strength of his own team. Everyone was confident, and seeing that everyone had no objections, he continued: "However, the Thunder is an opponent that cannot be ignored. We can't be careless. For us, the real playoffs are only now beginning!"

Everyone in the Lakers nodded. This is quite right. The Clippers did not show their strength in the series. The first round of the game did not feel like a playoff game at all, but it made them relax. Fortunately, there is Kobe Bryant The paranoid is here, organizing everyone to train every day, putting pressure on everyone, so they don't play off.

D'Antoni was very satisfied seeing everyone's concentration. It's good to have a veteran like Kobe on the team. The Suns back then were not good, they were always arrogant.

D'Antoni began to analyze the Thunder: "Our biggest opponent in this round of the series is Durant! He is undoubtedly one of the strongest players in the league..."

(End of this chapter)