The strongest champion puzzle

Chapter 513 Performance in the First Battle
The state shown by the Spurs made the Thunder soldiers feel tremendous pressure.

Thunder coach Donovan counted the time, let Paul George go down to rest for a while, and then waited until Zhang Xiaotian went down to rest before coming up to attack with all his strength.

And because of Anthony's footwork problems, Paul George had to switch to Zhang Xiaotian in the fourth quarter, and he had to work hard on both offense and defense. Fortunately, he has good physical strength.

Relying on playing time to make a fuss, the Thunder still bit the score for the time being.

But Donovan also knows that this is not enough. The players' fighting spirit is the strongest in the first game. If there is no good result, it will definitely damage the players' confidence.

It doesn't have to win the game, at least show that they are also a team of that level.

Ideals are beautiful, but reality is cruel.

The Thunder's defense cannot be said to be bad. Paul George and Jerami Grant are barely able to deal with Zhang Xiaotian, but they are still not as good as a team with a strong defense inside.

More importantly, they have less offensive and defensive players like Paul George. If Anthony is at the peak, they still have a chance to fight. Now they can only let Zhang Xiaotian score, but that's it, they are on the offensive end. Can't keep up.

After finding out that it was not working, they quickly replaced Adams. Adams' defense ability is average, but he is better with height, and Westbrook also played early, otherwise the firepower would not be enough.

However, in the face of a big battle, Zhang Xiaotian scored the ball very freely and Gerald Green hit a three-pointer. The point difference came to double digits, and the Thunder quickly paused.

After the timeout, the Thunder had replaced all the main players and were ready for the final fight.

But the effect can only be said to be mediocre, and the Spurs have also switched back to the main lineup. It is not easy for them to chase points.

After another 2 minutes, Coach Donovan gritted his teeth and went to Ablins to play No. [-] from Adams.

The five-small lineup is now used by many teams as a sharp weapon for chasing points, but it really depends on who uses it and who the opponent is.

The Thunder's top five means that the inside line is undefended, and Zhang Xiaotian and Leonard can overwhelm their defense.

However, they were also forced to use extreme tactics. They scored a three-pointer, but it didn't really help the victory at all.

In order to show determination, the Thunder let the main players play until the last second.

The result of the game couldn't be changed, and the Spurs took the opponent lightly by 13 points.

Anthony was very helpless after the game, "I don't know what happened, and I don't want to make any excuses for our performance. We just couldn't make it."

In another game in the West, the Trail Blazers played against the Pelicans, but the Blazers overturned at home.

Such a result is not surprising, especially as a professional.

The Pelicans' two guards, Rondo and Jrue Holiday, both defended well, and happened to be on the Blazers.

Although both teams rely on the main throwing type, the Pelicans are still balanced inside and outside, and it is difficult for the Blazers to have the means to limit Anthony Davis.

In this game, Davis killed the Quartet, but Lillard and CJ McCrum got lost under the defense.

In fact, the Pelicans' overall defense is not very good at all, but the Blazers' double guns are the type that likes to throw outside, so it can only be said that they are somewhat restrained.

Lillard was very depressed after the game, after all, he was defended badly today.

In the East, both games were fierce.

The Celtics injured Hayward at the beginning of the season and Irving later in the season. The Bucks lost the last game against the Celtics. I believe they are secretly happy.

The Celtics now have no players who can play star football, and the Bucks have Antetokounmpo.

There is a gap between the regular season records of the two teams. In fact, many people think that their strengths are similar, and the Bucks have a chance to hack their opponents.

Antetokounmpo and Middleton are really hard to defend the Celtics, but they scored all five points.

The Celtics have no obvious weaknesses on both the offensive and defensive ends. They can score what they should score and defend what they should defend. Team basketball has been played to the extreme.

At the last moment, the Bucks' fairy ball dragged the game into overtime, but the overtime belonged to the Celtics.

The problem with the Bucks is that their outside ability is a little bit worse, and they have strengths but no supporting lineup.

In terms of tactical maturity, the Celtics are stronger.

But when the two sides hit overtime, it's just a matter of time, and it's really hard to say who wins and who loses.

However, the few young Celtics are really surprising. There are already many young people who have performed well in the playoffs this time, which seems to indicate that the league will gradually enter a new era.

It's just that the league is already in a chaotic era. It's too difficult for new competitors to surpass players at the level of James, Durant, and Curry. Of course, there is also Zhang Xiaotian, a rapidly rising king.

Speaking of these top players in the league, one of them overturned in the first game.

The Pacers showed their top defense in the playoffs, reminding fans of when they reached the Eastern Conference Finals.

Then Oladipo exploded and pierced the Cavaliers' back line.

The Cavaliers' defense this season is really bad enough, they really need to make changes.

James played 44 minutes and entered emergency mode early, but the effect was only average.

After losing the game, James can only continue to fight (facing reporters) after the game.

He answered questions as usual, "I think on the defensive end, we did a good job, and we need to make some adjustments to improve our offense."

"We're going to find a way. I mean, we've got players who are playing in the playoffs for the first time, and the environment in the playoffs is special, you know, experience is the best teacher. After some series , they will become calmer and more precise about what they want to do. We will be more prepared for the next game."

"We didn't have to make a lot of adjustments. Offensively and defensively, we were really in a good position."

"The intensity of the playoffs has increased a lot compared to the regular season. The change is very sudden. You will always hear the word 'playoff atmosphere' in the regular season, but it can't be simulated. Today against us Some of the youngsters are a good test, as I said before, they will improve. The same is true for the older players. I also want to get in better, we have to tap our potential, Can't lose two of the four home games."

The situation of the Cavaliers, other teams should learn from it.

But this season's Cavaliers may not be considered a strong team.

The current training of the Spurs does not have too much intensity, nor does it put forward higher requirements for tactics. It mainly focuses on execution and concentration. They are very experienced.

(End of this chapter)