Basketball's best forward and guard

Chapter 65 64 [Basically over]

No one doubts that the Spurs, who already hold 3 match points, cannot advance to the Western Conference Finals.

So, before Game [-] of their series against the Trail Blazers, everyone is basically talking about the Western Conference Finals.

This made the Spurs players a little helpless. When the fourth game of the series began, when they walked into the arena, almost everyone started to shout the slogan of the Western Conference Finals.

This is crazy.

Jiang Hao shook his head.

"Boys, for us, it's a blessing to be recognized by the fans, but I have to remind everyone that the semifinals with Portland are not over yet, and I don't want to go to Portland again. , so please remain in awe.”

Assistant coach Messina said to Jiang Hao and the others in the locker room.

Popovich nodded at Messina, who said what he wanted to say.

"Don't worry, we don't want to go to Portland more than you, I hate flying"

Manu Ginobili ran over and hugged Messina, they looked more like flirting friends.

Half an hour later, when the large electronic screen above the arena showed the starting lineups of the two teams tonight, many fans were surprised. It was No. 35, who had been performing very well since the playoffs, and Jiang Hao was the substitute for this game. up.

Because Jiang scored 30+ in the last game, he was triggered passively and was directly put on the bench?
Many fans said it jokingly, but they obviously also knew that this was not what Gregg Popovich really thought.

"Greg Popovich's thoughts are always unpredictable. Maybe he has a lot of sophistication in doing so, but one thing is certain, it must be related to the upcoming Western Conference Finals"

In the stands, Sean said carelessly to the surrounding fans, frankly speaking, because of his relationship with Jiang Hao, Sean now appears to be very present in the Spurs fan club, and his remarks quickly won the support of many people.

Yes, Popovich is preparing for the Western Conference Finals.

Everyone quickly reached an agreement, and everyone also recognized Popovich's approach very much. There is nothing wrong with preparing for the Western Conference Finals in advance.

What's more, if Jiang Hao didn't start, couldn't the Spurs handle the game?If this is the case, it may be useless for them to advance to the Western Conference Finals.

The big score was 0:3 behind. On the field, when the game started, no one could see the smiles on the faces of the Blazers players. Everyone has a sense of shame. Obviously, for the Blazers players, they can It is acceptable to be out, but it is absolutely unacceptable to be swept out.

So, in the locker room before the game, led by Lillard, everyone gathered together, and they will fight for honor in this game.

so.When the referee blew the whistle to start the game, McCallum, who performed very poorly in the entire series, took the lead. Dejounte Murray, who replaced Jiang Hao in the game, scored a three-pointer.

Swish!
Spurs fans didn't even see any celebration from the Blazers' characters when the ball was securely hit.

"It can be seen that the pioneers who were forced to the edge of the cliff have already understood their situation very well. In this case, perhaps their state will be the best"

Before Matt Bonner's voice fell, Lillard immediately confirmed his remarks with a three-pointer from the left corner.

Well, the atmosphere in the entire AT&T Center was a little quiet, and everyone didn't want to see any surprises.

Since Kawhi Leonard's comeback, he still feels that his strength is still there, but he is always a little bit stuck, and he doesn't feel as solid as he used to give everyone.

Therefore, in this case, when he faced the menacing Blazers' double guns and immediately responded on the offensive end, the atmosphere of the entire arena was instantly mobilized.

At the top of the arc, after crossing from the left baseline, facing Aminu who was following up, Leonard directly chose to shoot.

Swish!
He helped open up the Spurs offensively.

The rest of the story is very simple.

Even though the Trail Blazers team performed very well, under the leadership of Leonard, the Spurs have always firmly controlled the game situation.

After the second quarter, 53:41!The Spurs maintain a 12-point lead. As for Leonard, he has scored 19 points in the half, which is very efficient.

The home fans let out a long sigh of relief. Leonard is still the same Leonard. When he goes all out, even the Trail Blazers seem to be on a different level from him.

"So Kawhi is also accumulating energy for the Western Conference Finals?"

Some fans raised such a question.

Needless to say, after careful consideration, everyone felt that this was really possible.

To say that he regretted being out of the Western Conference Finals last season, the most uncomfortable person should be Leonard.

Leonard is a very competitive player. It is impossible for him to have no memory of the scene of getting injured. On the contrary, many years later, he will always think of that scene.

With the strength of the team improving this season, it is really normal to make some preparations in advance for things that were not done last season.

When the fans think about this level, they are undoubtedly looking forward to the upcoming Western Conference Finals.

Jiang Hao only played 5 minutes in the entire first half of the game. It wasn't that he didn't want to play, nor was he in a bad state, but that Popovich didn't let him play.

Of course, Jiang Hao also understands the good intentions of the old man in doing this, he just needs to cooperate well.

After the start of the third quarter, Jiang Hao, who only played 5 minutes in the first two quarters, started the game, while Leonard sat on the bench.

Everyone doesn't know what is sold in Popovich's gourd.

But what can actually be seen is that under the leadership of Jiang Hao, the Spurs quickly played a 9:0 offensive climax, and quickly expanded the point difference to 20+.

And that means the series is basically over.

The Portlanders, who had no intention of fighting, gave up the game in the second half of the third quarter. Whether it was Lillard or McCallum, they hadn't played since the Blazers' third timeout in the third quarter. Trail Blazers head coach Stotts is like a defeated attack, sitting on the bench in despair.

For him, it was a difficult experience, the players had the players against the mages, and the manager also had the game between the managers.

There is no doubt that he has completely become the loser in the Gregg Popovich game. Throughout the series, from beginning to end, he felt that he was being led by the nose by Popovich.

Maybe next season he will no longer be the head coach of this team, and Stotts is full of unconfidence in his continued stay in Portland.

(End of this chapter)