The strongest champion puzzle

Chapter 120 Returning to the Top of the West
It may be that he used too much force. Duncan was not accurate at the start, but in terms of defense and rebound protection, it can be seen that the old Shifo was ruthless.

He and Splitter really restricted Randolph and Gasol Jr. at the beginning.

When the Twin Towers are restricted, what else does the Grizzlies have? In fact, they don't have many options. Take advantage of the defensive appeal of the Twin Towers to the Spurs, just shoot from the outside, and the success depends on the sky.

The Spurs played very clearly here, combining inside and outside, focusing on outside, and Parker shot very resolutely.

The Grizzlies' outside line really depends on the sky, but Parker is skilled. After a few small mid-range shots, the Spurs took the lead and took the initiative.

In the first quarter, the Spurs led by 24 points at 14:10, and the Grizzlies' fighting spirit was severely hit.

But the Grizzlies are an iron-blooded team, and they will not admit defeat easily. It would be embarrassing to be swept away.

Rotation things Ginobili did not play well, gave them a chance.

Manu Ginobili's performance is still a mystery now. If the main player plays smoothly, he may be strong. If the main player plays hard, he can often make a few magical strokes after playing. It is also a test for Popovich's old heart.

Mike Conley's touch recovered a bit, and several shooters on the bench also played normally. Darrell Arthur, who hadn't played much before, also hit a shot.

The Grizzlies are still chasing points, but the Grizzlies still have no touch on the offensive end. If this Grizzlies team can't play inside, it won't be a Grizzlies team that can reach the Western Conference Finals.

What Randolph and Gasol can do is to grab rebounds desperately, so that the outside teammates have more chances to shoot.

But just relying on a few rebounds is not enough, after all, the Grizzlies' shooting is still solid.

At the end of the first half, the Spurs usually led by 6 points and suppressed the Grizzlies' scoring to 38 points.

At the beginning of the third quarter, Gasol and Randolph scored points respectively.

The halftime break will change the state of the players many times. I don't know what kind of energy they are replenishing, but the Spurs will not give the opponent a chance like this.

Parker's coquettish small mid-range pitch still feels the same, and the Grizzlies lamented that they couldn't prevent it.

The head coach of the Grizzlies is also in a hurry. The defense is not sure what the use of your main players is. Just over two minutes into the second half, Lionel Hollins took Randolph, Tony Allen and Prince It was replaced.

The last three who can shoot from the outside are not strategizing. Lionel Hollins is going crazy. He is more excited than the players. He thinks he is quite talented. The team owner wants to save money. The team took to the stage of the Western Conference Finals.

He still has greater ambitions, so the old man started scolding while standing on the sidelines.

The players are irritable when they are talked about too much. It's not that they don't work hard, but the Spurs are too difficult.

Under the pressure of being swept at home, the coaches and players are not happy, and it is difficult for them.

But the effect is still there. Their outside shooting rate has really improved. Maybe some players, like elementary school students, just need to be scolded.

But there is a problem. Their lineup is more accurate on the outside, but their defense is also worse.

The Spurs played very well with the cooperation. There was only one insider left in the Grizzlies. They cut inside, broke through, and suddenly felt relaxed.

As a result, everyone played lively, but the Spurs still maintained the lead in the score.

Can't the Grizzlies have both offense and defense like some teams? The answer is obviously no.

After calming down on the bench for 7 minutes, when Randolph came on to replace Gasol to lead the team, he once again showed a fierce side. In this series, Randolph was defended very badly. He is not a blue-collar.

Even the penalty shot made the Spurs tight inside for a while, and the Grizzlies took the opportunity to score two three-pointers from the outside. Not long after the start of the fourth quarter, the Grizzlies caught up with only three points.

It wasn't that Randolph suddenly raised his level again, it just happened to be the time when the Spurs' main insiders were resting.

After playing for 2 minutes in the fourth quarter, Popovich also quickly adjusted. The time for Ginobili to lead the bench also ended, and the Spurs entered the final rotation period.

The opponent has only one inside line, and it happens that the Spurs play one big and four small ones. Danny Green, Leonard and Zhang Xiaotian play together. This lineup restricts the outside line very well, but Zhang Xiaotian will definitely not be able to do it if he does not attack.

However, Zhang Xiaotian did not live up to the coach's expectations. He scored one assist at a time, and the Spurs led by 7 points in an instant.

There is nothing more cruel than seeing hope being smashed down with a hammer just now. The Grizzlies have no ink marks.

The Spurs also replaced Danny Green. When there is no need to mark any specific perimeter, Danny Green's role is much smaller.

It's just that the Duo Bears are no longer the dominating Duo Bears before the Western Conference Finals. Duncan Gaspritt and his defensive shrinkage are effective.

Parker is still accurate, and with the threat of Zhang Xiaotian, the Grizzlies, both players and coaches, are not calm.

They feel extremely aggrieved, they feel that the Spurs are actually not that strong, they are very close many times, but they just can't pass the last hurdle.

A slight difference is a thousand miles away, and there is a gap in the strength of the two teams.

At the moment of the decisive battle, the Grizzlies still worry about gains and losses. They will replace Jerry Bayless for a while to strengthen the offense, and then use Tony Allen to strengthen the defense.

The Spurs are also switching between Leonard and Ginobili, but they are on the leading side. No matter who they use, they will not suffer on both ends of the offense and defense.

On the stage of the Western Conference finals, although Zhang Xiaotian didn't get any bluffing numbers, he was indeed reused at the last moment, thanks to the Grizzlies' twin towers and outside strikes.

Entering the last 4 minutes, the defense of both sides is getting more and more desperate. The Spurs still lead by 6 points. As long as they finish the last moment, they can rest as much as they want.

In a hurry, the Grizzlies were repeatedly intercepted by Zhang Xiaotian and Leonard, and Splitter also showed his might and gave the opponent two hats.

When it came to that point, the Grizzlies failed for a full 3 minutes.

When it was almost the last minute, Randolph won a foul from Duncan.

Only one of the two free throws was made, and in front of this, the Spurs led by 8 points.

The Grizzlies are not reconciled, but this is the cruelty of competitive sports.

Entering the last minute, the Spurs went up to Danny Green and began to defend the opponent's three-pointer.

Gasol Jr. hit two points in the interior, which was completely meaningless, and the Spurs immediately returned a mid-range shot.

Conley made a strong three-pointer from the outside and missed. The Grizzlies have completely lost the courage to win at this time.

Routine foul tactics, Parker made two free throws.

The Grizzlies continued to have outside chances, but still missed, they could only give up.

As the whistle sounded for the end of the game, all the Spurs players, including the coaching staff, cheered heartily. Whether they were on the road or not, after 2007, they finally returned to the top of the Western Conference.

(End of this chapter)