The strongest champion puzzle

Chapter 450 Helpless Struggle

The home and away game changes still have an impact on the performance of the players.

Home court advantage is very important, but there are exceptions. For example, in the game between the Celtics and the Bulls, the Celtics lost two home games, but when they came to the away game, they simply defeated the Bulls.

The Celtics played very team this time, and the absence of Rondo on the Bulls also had a great impact.

After the game, Rondo's problem became the focus, but Celtics player Bradley said another episode.

"Isaiah Thomas played a recording of Garnett before the game, and it shook our hearts quite a bit. Garnett said some encouraging words, reminding us that the Celtics are the worst in the league. The team that played. We should fulfill the wishes of Thomas' deceased family and work hard for him and his family, and that is what we will do tonight."

Bulls coach Hoiberg said, "Rondo's inability to play has an impact on us, but this is not a reason to lose. We should be able to do better. I believe the players will find their way after the end."

After the Thunder returned to the home court, they also managed to get back a round in a thrilling manner.

Westbrook still got a triple-double, but this time it was Harden who scored more, and the result was the opposite.

Thunder coach Donovan praised Westbrook for his comprehensive performance and excellent game after the game. At the same time, he also questioned that the referee gave Harden too many free throws, thinking that Harden's movements were extremely unnatural.

Westbrook said in an interview: "I gave my teammates more trust and they also played a good game."

Regarding Harden's missed lore in the end, the coach and teammates expressed their trust in him.

Louis Williams said in an interview, "They are all in the penalty area. It is obvious that we have a chance to win the game. We will choose to shoot that three-pointer at any time, and that three-pointer is just short."

In another matchup in the West, after the Clippers went to the away game, they also took back the home game they had lost before.

Paul turned the tide at the last moment, overwhelming Hayward's 40-point performance.

As the team coach, Rivers was full of praise for Paul's performance. "He has unbelievable willpower, he's a tough, tough player, even a bit paranoid, and a lot of great players have that, they're tough enough to never give up on themselves, that's what he gave me Feel."

Hayward scored a career high and set the Jazz's single-quarter scoring record, but he said, "Losing makes it all meaningless."

"They played with so much energy that we couldn't stop them from scoring until the end of the game, which was our biggest problem. On the defensive end they also made targeted arrangements, making it difficult for us to attack... We will try solve these problems."

Jazz coach Schneider praised the team's core Hayward and then praised Paul, and also expressed his expectations for the next game.

"At one point in the game, Paul took control of the game. He just put a lot of pressure on the defensive end, he opened up the floor for the team. All you can do is play different defensive strategies on him, when When you only use one defensive strategy, he will eventually crack it."

"For us, G4 is an important game, we have to have a better performance. Hayward needs to have this performance again in the fourth game of the series, which is why the series has a total of 7 games .”

On April 4, the Spurs also ushered in their first away game.

The Blazers, who returned to their home court, gave them a "surprise" at the beginning.

Lillard started to explode when he came on the court, and the Spurs replaced several players in a row to limit the effect, but the effect was not obvious.

And because of Nurkic's comeback, the Spurs' inside line has also been affected.

However, as a team aiming at the championship, their offense is still no problem.

But under Lillard's super performance, the Spurs still fell behind to double digits in the first half.

If it was the regular season, the team would not care much, but the playoffs are different. Whether it is player time allocation or tactical arrangement, they will do the best, just for victory.

What they did in the second half was to limit the Blazers' double guns.

Although Nurkic came back, he still couldn't let go of the game, and the main impact was on the defensive end.

If the Spurs want to come back in the second half, they must do two things. One is to limit the opponent's backcourt firepower, but to strengthen the team's offense.

There is definitely no problem with the offense. The Blazers' defense is mediocre, and Nurkic can't do his best.

In terms of defense, if there is really a problem, the Spurs will resort to a defensive lineup without a number one. Danny Green will switch defenses, and Zhang Xiaotian will be responsible for the control work.

Of course, that is a relatively extreme method, and it is not bad to put Mills in the first position to enhance the attack.

In fact, after confirming that the opponent's inside offensive power is not afraid of any threats, the Spurs expanded their defense and kept a close eye on Lillard. The Blazers' offense was not as smooth as in the first half.

Winning is afraid of halftime, and Lillard's physical strength has also been affected by playing too hard at the start.

There is no problem for the Spurs. It is very difficult to defend strikers like Zhang Xiaotian and Leonard.

Moreover, when their defensive end worked, the three-pointer also opened up.

There was no crazy burst of points, but in the case of ebb and flow, the Spurs still narrowed the score gap to single digits in the third quarter.

"We must guard against him and not let him shoot."

Trail Blazers head coach Storst was also ruthless. At the beginning of the fourth quarter, he not only kept Lillard on the court to attack, but also let Evan Turner and Aminu deal with Zhang Xiaotian.

Aminu's main defense was mediocre before, but this time they used Evan Turner as the main defense, and if the situation is wrong, they will attack.

Then, Lillard felt cold at this time.

The Spurs players all hit Zhang Xiaotian's pass after being flanked twice.

The Blazers only played for more than a minute in the final quarter and then entered the adjustment. CJ McCrum and Nurkic also played.

They really can't afford to lose. If they are beaten 3:0 by the Spurs, they can only fight for honor in the rest of the game.

Of course, the Spurs are already stronger, so they have to fight to win.

The Blazers were still ahead at this time, but they were already panicking.

Popovich calmed down at this time, and he trained the players during the intermission, which was a little tiring.

He didn't immediately replace the main force, but the Blazers also failed to seize the opportunity.

The Spurs' substitute hit several three-pointers in a row, and they overtook the score without feeling any pressure.

Then Leonard and other main players came on the court, and the aggressive momentum made the Blazers breathless.

The opponent completely lost the momentum they had at the beginning of the game. They still wanted to win, but they lost their composure, much like a desperate struggle.

(End of this chapter)