The strongest champion puzzle

Chapter 431
The season came to February, and fans began to look forward to the All-Star, but for players, the regular season is more important.

Zhang Xiaotian also has a big baby at home, so he almost cut off any other activities during this period.

The preparations have been made in advance, and two more nannies have been hired. This needs to be summed up. It is much easier to solve the problem with money.

In the first game in February, the Spurs were relatively easy, playing against the 76ers at home.

As a wonderful team, the 76ers adhere to the iron rule that rookies must be reimbursed, and their champion Ben Simmons has also been reimbursed honestly, so they are still fat.

There is no attack, no defense, a real belly.

Of course, they still have a lot of talented players. For example, last season's No. [-] pick Embiid, who came back this season is still more experienced, but it is a pity that he was injured again.

They still have a bunch of high-ranking picks, but they are completely useless as a group.

In this game, Aldridge took a break, and the starting lineup became Dedmon's first and fourth juniors at the fifth position.

Regarding the move of resting the inside line without an inside line, the Spurs can only say that the record is very willful.

However, the newly signed soy sauce insider Joel Anthony appeared on the 13-man list. According to the Spurs' consistent selection, this veteran will definitely have a chance to perform.

Without one strong point, the Spurs did not get a crushing start, but instead allowed the opponent's power forward Eisen Ilyasova to perform at an All-Star level.

Fortunately, Zhang Xiaotian and Leonard stabilized the situation and taught each other how to behave after the intermission.

The game completely entered the rhythm of the Spurs in the second half, especially in the fourth quarter. The 76ers were almost prevented from crying. Of course, they didn't really cry because they were used to failure and extremely lacked fighting spirit.

The Spurs' schedule during this period is relatively easy, and then they are still at home, and their opponent is the Nuggets.

The Nuggets are working hard towards the top eight in the Western Conference, but there is just a taste of not being able to find the right way.

The Spurs settled the battle in three quarters, turning the last quarter into garbage time, and Zhang Xiaotian rarely scored 20 points.

Popovich is very satisfied with the performance of the team's six players in double figures. This is the team basketball he likes.

The Nuggets coach Mike Malone is completely convinced, "Every time I play the Spurs, it is the same story. We are defeated. Popo is undoubtedly the greatest head coach in the history of the league. He It has had a huge impact on my coaching career."

"The Spurs are one of the most difficult teams to defend in the league." Nuggets guard Mudiay said.

It's just that the Spurs' winning streak didn't last long this time, and they lost in Memphis two days later.

The healthy Grizzlies are still difficult to deal with, especially their defense and interior.

With Leonard on truce, Zhang Xiaotian played the most difficult game of the season.

He usually uses physical confrontation to deal with other players, and this time the revenge came.

The inside line was suppressed, and he was attacked by all kinds of entanglements, so he had no choice but to disarm.

Originally, I wanted to take advantage of Leonard's truce to score points, but I didn't expect it to be so miserable, and I didn't score many points.

Gasol Jr. said after the game, "Our selflessness and dedication on the defensive end are sufficient, and our chemical reaction on the offensive end is still good."

"Being able to beat such a strong team is a very important victory for us." Grizzlies coach Fizdale is also very happy.

In sharp contrast to him, Popovich summed up the team's performance: "It is impossible to win the game with so many mistakes."

Obviously, Popovich obviously cares more about how the Spurs are playing than the Grizzlies aiming at the Spurs' game mode.

Of course, Zhang Xiaotian thinks that this is just a way for famous coaches to compare themselves.

On February 2, the Spurs played against the 8ers in an away game.

The 76ers performed well at home, and the battle with the Spurs reached the last quarter.

However, they never had the slightest advantage. Under their fragile defense, Zhang Xiaotian and Leonard were unsolvable existences, and the fierce competition was always like acting.

But Popovich still praised the opponent, "They pass the ball better than us. very good."

Parker also expressed surprise, "Oh my God, this is really a world of difference. They play much better than before. Knowing what to do on the court is the best, such as passing the ball, high defensive intensity, and they play very well on the court. Positive. I think they're going in the right direction, and if they each stay healthy, they'll be competitive."

For a winner, praising the opponent is sponsoring themselves, but the reporters are still paying attention to the Spurs' wins. They have only lost three games, and they can theoretically improve the winning record, which is crazy.

But no one in the Spurs is thinking about that now. They have already broken a record and released their passion very well.

Next, it is time to pursue the championship.

On February 2, the Spurs played against the Pistons away.

The Pistons are also working hard for the top eight now, but the team's weak offensive power makes them very tired.

The Spurs had an advantage at the start of this game, and Dedmon played the role of a surprise soldier, overwhelming Drummond in the starting lineup.

The Pistons haven't played well at their strongest points, and they must be cold.

Dedmond can only shock the opponent, but Zhang Xiaotian and Leonard are difficult problems that ordinary teams cannot solve.

The current strong team will have at least two stars who are obviously better than the average All-Star, making them invincible in the regular season.

The Spurs are the strongest team that has used its strength to the fullest, thanks to Popovich's methods.

Strong players, strong coaches, of course there will be no extraordinary record.

In the second half, the awakened Pistons tried to counterattack, but they reversed from a team with Zhang Xiaotian. That was the difficulty of hell, and the Pistons obviously did not have the strength to solve this difficulty.

After easily taking down the Pistons, the Spurs started their winning streak again.

It's just that their Eastern Expedition is far from over. Before the All-Stars, they will play away games in the Eastern Conference.

This kind of flying outside is really uncomfortable. Compared with playing at home, it is a hundred times more troublesome. Fortunately, the players have made a lot of money from this, so they should bear it.

On November 2, they came to New York.

The Knicks also did work in the summer. They signed deals and signed a large number of people. Rose, Noah, Courtney Lee, and Anthony, Porzingis and others in the team have more than tens of millions of people. Also tough.

But it just looks like it, in fact their grades are a mess.

Not to mention such things as premiums, there were a lot of them last summer.

The key is that there are some stars who can't play, and it feels like a cancer party. The Knicks will not be able to do it unless they are completely pushed to rebuild.

(End of this chapter)