The strongest champion puzzle

Chapter 515 Influence
In less than 2 minutes of the final quarter, Zhang Xiaotian led the team to score 7 points, while the Thunder did not score a single point.

Westbrook was replaced early, but Westbrook lost his touch at this time.

Maybe it's the reason why I played so well in the third quarter, and I couldn't find the feeling at all after taking a break.

When the Thunder replaced all the main players, the Spurs led by double digits.

This is the problem of rhythm. The Spurs' rhythm in the first three quarters is actually very stable, but it will become aggressive in the final quarter, and all teams that cannot respond in time will fall.

In fact, at this time, the Thunder was able to score on the inside Adams.

But inside scoring is the master of helplessness. According to their rhythm, it is impossible to chase points.

In the end, the Thunder took a risk to beat the fifth team, and they had no other choice. In many games between teams, even if they knew that there was little hope, they could only choose a lineup that might produce a miracle.

It can be said that Thunderclap's choice is not a big problem, it's just that the strength has not reached it.

This time they were more helpless than they were on the court. The fifth team not only had problems with defense, but also failed to shoot a three-pointer on the offensive end. Amidst the sound of iron strikes, the Thunder lost another game.

"We haven't failed yet and we will come back at home."

Except for the voice of unwillingness, the Thunder failed to leave anything in San Antonio.

With the current strength of the Thunder, it is too difficult to challenge the Spurs.

For the West that can enter the second round, the three first-tier teams can be said to have reserved three seats.

Of course, there may also be dark horses in basketball, but the Thunder don't have that kind of temperament.

In the game between the Warriors and the Timberwolves on the same day, the Warriors did not have any problems like the Rockets, and they simply won the game without Curry.

The Timberwolves have obviously worked hard on defense this time, and their defensive tactics are very targeted, but Durant and Klay Thompson still played well.

The performance of the Warriors is only one aspect, and the main reason is that the Timberwolves' own offense has a big problem.

Other teams have at least no problem with the main force against strong teams in the first half. It is also strange that the main force of the Timberwolves cannot play at all, especially at the beginning of the season they are still highly anticipated.

Jimmy Butler is not a rookie in the playoffs, but in the Timberwolves, he played very hard.

Downs, who performed well in the regular season, also withered a lot at this time.

The players can't play at all on the offensive end. If Joe Platti wants to take the blame for the Bucks, Thibodeau's blame will be bigger, and the Timberwolves' offensive fans will feel wrong.

After the game, Thibodeau can only make an official statement, "We still need to study the game carefully. Losing will definitely make people feel disappointed, but at any time, the important thing is the way you treat the loss, and you need to learn from it. .”

In the last group of the second game of the first round of the Eastern Conference, the Cavaliers and Pacers are in the game.

The Cavaliers gained an advantage in the first half and narrowly beat the Pacers.

In the second half, the Pacers counterattacked frantically, and the Cavaliers were blown out of the backcourt, which also shocked them into a cold sweat.

The Cavaliers put Korver in the starting lineup this time, which still played a good role.

Korver's defense can't keep up, but he is a shooter type who is most suitable to partner with James. If the offensive end can help the team, the advantages still outweigh the disadvantages.

The Cavaliers' changes can also be used as a reference for other teams that are playing hard. Making the core players play more comfortably can improve combat effectiveness.

Of course, some teams have no one to change at all, so there is no way.

The situation of the Spurs is very good now, but there is a problem in the old man's family, and his wife was born.

He may not be able to play with the team next, and the emotions of the Spurs players have also been affected.

After leaving, Popovich endured his grief and told everyone to play well.

Zhang Xiaotian also expressed comfort to the old man. He reassured Popovich that the team will definitely win.

After encountering grief, victory will definitely help the old coach recover. No matter how much it works, as a disciple, the best Zhang Xiaotian can do is this.

The third game in the first round still started from the 76ers and the Heat. Embiid finally came back, but the Heat did not make any changes.

So the Heat were blown inside and lost again.

It's a bit of an exaggeration to say that, but in fact, the gap in the first three quarters is nothing.

In the fourth quarter, the situation changed suddenly, and the Heat were completely torn apart.

Their biggest weakness was also exposed, that is, players who did not hit key shots.

Dragic's level is not enough, and it is not normal to play and win.

When the 76ers have a complete lineup, to be honest, the Heat have nothing to do.

In the third game between the Rockets and the Jazz, the Rockets once again took the initiative.

This time they relied on defense. In the playoffs, the Rockets' defense became more targeted.

The Rockets' performance this season is not only because of Paul, but also because of defense.

When the Rockets strengthened their defense, the weakness of the Jazz's lack of offensive power was fully revealed.

They didn't withstand the Rockets' offensive in the first half, and they couldn't do it after chasing points.

The Rockets belong to this kind of play that directly hits the sap. The Warriors usually play in the third quarter, and the Spurs usually play in the fourth quarter.

Jazz coach Schneider also knew that they did not start well, "I feel that the Rockets scored in many ways, the most important of which was the three-pointer in transition. They hit two three-pointers very quickly in the opening game, which also caused us some shake."

In the third game between the Blazers and the Pelicans, the Blazers were still restrained to death.

I'm afraid no one would have thought before the start of the playoffs that the match between these two teams would be one-sided.

Four words, complete restraint.

Focus, no substitutes.

The two-gun mode has fallen behind in this era, and the Blazers have very few offensive methods that do not use two people.

The Pelicans happen to be able to block the back line, and a strong team like the Spurs can do it better. With the configuration of the Trail Blazers, it is impossible to go far in the playoffs.

Moreover, the most critical point is that their dual guns are not strong enough.

The Bucks returned to the home court and showed different strengths. They beat the Celtics to get back a game.

They played really well this time, allowing more people to participate in the offense. Eric Bledsoe was in a much better state, and the substitute players also stood up, which was completely different from the previous two games.

The Bucks players said that they worked harder than before, but this must not be the reason for hard work.

It is estimated that the two teams will enter the period of fighting for details and the status of individual players, which also makes the game more suspenseful.

In fact, when the game changes home and away, it is the time for the lagging team to seize the opportunity to counterattack.

This is the case every time in the playoffs, and everyone knows it in their hearts, but knowing it doesn't mean they can stop it.

For the Spurs, no matter whether it is home or away, no matter what difficulties lie ahead, they will not have any weakness or mercy, because the Spurs are now Zhang Xiaotian's team.

(End of this chapter)