The strongest champion puzzle

Chapter 510 First in the West
After the Spurs adjusted the lineup again, the Jazz's pursuit of points ended in failure.

The Spurs won again, but they did not slack off, and the Rockets continued to triumph.

In order to make the other two first-tier teams fight to the death, the two sides are competing with each other.

In fact, many people think that the Spurs are stronger because they suffered injuries and won games at the beginning of the season, so they didn't get rid of other teams at the beginning.

At this point, however, any argument is meaningless.

It is the safest thing to win the first place in the Western Conference, and then laugh and watch the situation change.

On March 3, the Spurs played away against the Bucks.

This is definitely a striker duel. The Bucks have a large number of strikers, but they are not as high as the Spurs.

However, today Antetokounmpo's unexpected mid-to-long distance felt good. The Spurs were caught off guard in the third quarter, but fortunately they adjusted their defense in time to block it.

Then it was the Bucks' turn to feel uncomfortable. The Spurs put up a double inside line to play with them. Suddenly, no one from the Bucks stood up and scored.

Antetokounmpo is also strong in all aspects, and its scoring ability at critical moments is completely inferior to Zhang Xiaotian and Leonard.

So in the last quarter, the situation of the Bucks took a turn for the worse.

The Spurs seized the opportunity to play an offensive that combined inside and outside, and took the game in one fell swoop.

The two away games that the Spurs will play during this period are against opponents in the East. After the Bucks, they will play against the Wizards.

The ranking of the Eastern Conference teams has hardly changed much, and the desire to win is not as strong as that of the Western Conference teams.

But sometimes you can play a good game with a relaxed mind, and the same is true for the Wizards.

The Spurs weren't expecting trouble when the game started.

During the rotation period, several Wizards substitutes suddenly broke out, and the Spurs were suddenly at a disadvantage.

Fortunately, the situation happened earlier, and the Spurs still have time to adjust.

During the intermission, the old man lost his temper again.

In the second half, Zhang Xiaotian, Leonard and Aldridge all increased their playing time.

In the critical period, you have to fight hard if you want to be the main force.

The Wizards' defense is not very bad, but their ability to assist in defense is not good. Zhang Xiaotian and Leonard broke through their defense abruptly.

The fans were hooked. This kind of tough confrontation is rarely seen at this time.

The score was tied in the third quarter, and it was taken away in a wave in the fourth quarter.

The outside world exclaimed that there are so many strong teams that are more serious than the playoff-level teams. There is no suspense for several first-tier teams in the league to skip the first round of the playoffs.

"Victory, victory, victory!" Zhang Xiaotian said in an interview, "Every game, I will not think of other results, and strive for it with all my strength. This is the charm of competitive basketball."

Back at home, the Spurs have to face the Thunder, which is desperately trying to gain home-court advantage.

The Spurs' opponents in the final stage are actually not easy to play, but they are strong enough, and those who are difficult to play become opponents.

In the strong duel, what the Spurs are best at is the front line duel.

The combination of Zhang Xiaotian and Leonard is really not afraid of anyone, and it is safe to beat Paul George and Anthony.

Of course, the Spurs are already a notch better than the Thunder.

The opponent that the Spurs feel more troublesome now is still a team with strong inside and help defense, and a team with three-pointers outside.

But to play against a team like the Thunder that has several strengths, they have to show their real skills.

The Thunder must also plan to fight hard. They spent a lot of effort last summer, but they don't want to meet a strong opponent in the first round of the playoffs.

This time the Thunder opened with three tricks. Westbrook played very well in front and made a good outside basket.

But when it came to the rotation period, the Thunder had problems again.

No one on the bench stood up and was beaten by the Spurs' rotation.

After the main players play again, there is no chance to reverse the disadvantage.

The main reason is that Anthony was overwhelmed by Zhang Xiaotian, and Thunder couldn't use it at all.

Zhang Xiaotian was also a little embarrassed. After Anthony lost so many possessions, the problems on the defensive end were also magnified.

This is also the last battle for the Spurs in March. After they win, they will face a direct battle to reach the No. [-] throne in the Western Conference, playing against the Rockets at home.

The Rockets are absolutely unwilling to lose the position of No. [-] in the West.

Only the winner can sit in this position, and the fans of both teams are excited.

This kind of excitement is no less than a key battle in the playoffs. They are all ambitious this season.

It's just that the Rockets encountered a problem, that is, Paul was injured.

Gordon is on the starting lineup, and his offensive power is not bad, but he is far behind in other aspects.

Of course, the Rockets still plan to fight, maybe whoever rushes out from the West will watch this battle.

If you don't get the first place in the Western Conference, you may not be able to pass the Warriors. After the battle with the Warriors, you may consume too much, and the possibility of failure in the Western Conference Finals is also very high.

Although this is only a possible advantage, both sides are willing to strive for it with all their strength.

The Rockets were ready, but they didn't expect the Spurs to be uncharacteristically, and they didn't stay strong when they came up.

By the time they reacted, they were already nearly 10 points behind.

And if Gordon starts, the Rockets' rotation will lose their offensive power.

Harden worked hard to keep the point difference between the two teams in single digits before the intermission.

To be honest, in the second half, the consumption of the two teams was not small.

But the Spurs are the leading side. They have put on a posture to slow down the rhythm and prepare for the fourth quarter, but the Rockets can't do it. They can only strengthen their offense to have a chance to win the game.

Anyway, the Spurs want to guarantee one point, strengthen the blockade of the three-point line, and let the Rockets do the rest. Anyway, the Rockets can't defend their positions, and they have offensive power inside.

Being dragged like this, the Rockets are in a hurry.

It's useless to just worry, the Spurs are pinching the Rockets' lifeline right now.

In the fourth quarter, Harden's physical strength also had some problems. Zhang Xiaotian directly fired the rocket and couldn't resist it. D'Antoni saw that it was not good, so he simply replaced Harden, so as not to lose his wife and lose his army.

After the Rockets surrendered, the home fans were all excited.

On the Internet, Zhang Xiaotian's fans were also rejoicing. Zhang Xiaotian led the effort of the first quarter and the end of the last quarter. His strength made the tactical execution easier.

Although Rockets fans think that it is mainly due to injuries and refuse to admit defeat, the Rockets understand why they fell to the No. [-] throne in the Western Conference this time.

"He played so well." Rockets coach D'Antoni sighed after the game. "We should be able to do better defensively. This is a lesson."

At the end of the regular season, the Spurs finally came to the first position in the Western Conference.

But the season is not over yet, a win is not guaranteed.

They can't get carried away, they just need to get the No. [-] throne in the West.

Of course, their final opponent was not so difficult.

(End of this chapter)