NBA: I am the card dealer

Chapter 349: Elements of the Championship!

After defeating the Jazz, the Knicks were able to set sail again and achieved another three-game winning streak.

only.

Some media made such a sound: The Knicks are the weakest at this time. They cannot destroy each other as devastatingly as before. Oladipo's injury has had an extremely huge impact on the Knicks' offense.

In fact, this is indeed the case.

Now if the Knicks want to win, they need to hold on to the score until the last moment. Only then can Xue Liancheng step up and harvest. Only then can they win.

When Oladipo was here before, they were almost always in the lead in the first three quarters, which made Xue Liancheng more calm.

It was different now. Xue Liancheng had to use his % hit skills in the second and even third quarters before he could barely hold on to the score with his opponent.

This is the gap.

Another point is that Xue Liancheng's offensive rhythm has also changed unconsciously.

In the past, he mainly focused on passing the ball. Even if Tyronn Lue told him to play more aggressively, he would subconsciously pass the ball first on the court, and then find an opportunity to take action himself.

But recently, he is no longer allowed to do this.

They had no room for mistakes. When his teammates repeatedly failed to make shots, he subconsciously began to increase his aggressiveness.

This is how 40+ and 50+ come about.

This is a natural process and everything goes as planned.

But next.

They will face challenges.

Because they are about to face the Los Angeles Clippers at Madison Square Garden at home, starting another devilish schedule.

The Clippers' situation is actually very clear. Since Paul came to Los Angeles in the 11-12 season, the Clippers have been a strong force in the Western Conference.

Although they have never touched the floor of the Western Conference Finals, they have occupied the top half of the playoffs all year round and are a truly powerful team.

Coupled with their gorgeous style of play and constant alley-oop dunks, they were known as the city of alley-oops, and their limelight once overshadowed the Lakers next door.

of course.

This kind of overshadowing is just superficial. The Lakers' historical depth cannot be compared with that of the Clippers.

The current Clippers have also reached a bottleneck.

The combination of Paul + Griffin + DeAndre Jordan has been together for four years, but has yet to make a breakthrough in the playoffs. Under such circumstances, it is difficult for any boss to not be interested.

And even leaving aside the boss, the fans can't stand it anymore.

This is Lob City's fifth year, and if they haven't already performed as expected this season, they're among the best.

So……

This famous alley-oop city is likely to be disbanded.

It can be said that this is their last chance, and they will naturally try their best.

So in the offseason, the Clippers brought in Pierce and Wesley Johnson to strengthen the offensive and defensive front.

But they have become a receiver. Pierce is old and in extremely poor condition this season. His shooting percentage is only 35.8%, which is simply a disaster.

Another striker, Wesley Johnson, did not meet expectations, and his shooting percentage was only over 40+%. On the offensive end, he could only shoot one three-pointer. On the defensive end, due to his thin body, he was not very good at resisting others. It's simply embarrassing.

To make matters worse, Griffin missed many games due to a left quadriceps muscle, and he was definitely absent from this game.

In this environment, they can still achieve a record of 28 wins and 15 losses, which is quite remarkable.

It has to be said that the 58-gun has something to offer, and its fundamentals are quite stable.

But before the game, no media brought up topics such as the battle for the league's No. point guard.

Because Xue Liancheng's current height is nowhere comparable to 58.

Let’s not talk about last season’s championship and double MVP. Let’s talk about this season. Xue Liancheng averaged 30.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 12.8 assists per game, leading the Knicks to the top spot in the Eastern Conference. They have only lost 9 games so far this season, which is normal. One of the most powerful competitions for the game MVP.

It can be said that in terms of data alone, no player can compete with Xue Liancheng this season.

The closest ones may be just a few people, Westbrook, James, Durant, Harden and Curry.

Westbrook averaged 23.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 10.5 assists per game. He was simply a replica of Xue Liancheng last season, extremely popular.

James averaged 25 points, 7.6 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game, still as stable as ever.

Durant averaged 28.3 points, 8.4 rebounds and 5 assists per game. The little prince is still very strong in singles.

Harden averaged 29.1 points, 6 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game, and his statistics are already explosive.

Curry averaged 30.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game. His statistics are also very gorgeous and impeccable.

But all of them could only sigh at themselves in front of Xue Liancheng.

30.2 points + 12.8 assists + 6.7 rebounds. Such data is truly shocking to the entire league.

After all, the score is only one step away from the scoring champion, and 12.8 assists has been the ceiling for the past two decades.

The historical data of averaging 12+ assists per game can be traced back to the 94-95 season. That year, Stockton averaged 12.3 assists per game and became the assist king that year.

In the next twenty years, even though there were many excellent point guards, such as Kidd, Nash, Paul, Rondo and other great players, no one could reach such a height.

One can imagine how valuable 12+ assists per game is.

and so……

He averaged 30+12+6 per game, which is still very scary, and it puts a big gap between others.

Curry, who is also the strongest contender for MVP, cannot shake Xue Liancheng's edge.

Than data?

Curry is absolutely incomparable.

After all, Xue Liancheng's average assists per game is almost twice that of yours, and his rebounds are just as overwhelming. Everyone shoots the same number of three-pointers, and his efficiency is higher than yours. How can you compare?

There's no comparison at all...

Needless to say, Paul.

So far, Paul is averaging 19.6 points, 9.9 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game.

Just looking at the data level, it is really clear that they are not on the same level at all.

But in fact, Paul averaged 20+10 per game, which is not bad.

If you want to blame it, Xue Liancheng is too outrageous. 30+12+6 is the most terrifying data monster in recent years.

If it weren't for the sharp decline in assists in recent games, Xue Liancheng is actually expected to average more than 13+ assists per game. You can imagine how shocking this performance is...

Xue Liancheng averaged 12.8 assists per game, firmly sitting on the throne of assists king.

Next, Rondo has 11.9 assists this season, which is only one step away from 12+, but he is still quite far away from Xue Liancheng.

Then came Westbrook's 10.5 times, followed by Wall's 10.2 times.

Then came Paul's 9.9 times.

So in the assists list alone, Paul didn't take advantage.

Last season, there was still momentum for a point guard battle. After all, the data between the two were very close, or to be more precise, Xue Liancheng's lead was not that big.

This season, the battle for the No. point guard has been completely thrown into the trash can.

Because Paul can't even compete with Westbrook now, let alone touch Xue Liancheng.

The MVP list is the most realistic list. It basically reflects the players' combat power and can also reflect their height this season.

Xue Liancheng and Curry are basically the best candidates this season.

Leonard and Westbrook are ranked in the top three and four respectively. One relies on the team's record, and the other relies on super data similar to Xue Liancheng's last season. They are both running with them.

The fifth person is James, and the sixth person is Durant.

It was Paul's turn on the seventh day.

In other words, Paul can't even make the top five this season, and he's not even qualified to run with him.

Let's not talk about best of the season.

This is the gap visible to the naked eye.

When it comes to performance or high-level data, Xue Liancheng is far ahead. No one can compare with Xue Liancheng.

This is the current situation between Xue Liancheng and Paul.

but……

Although the gap is obvious, Paul still has strength. No one can deny this. As the top point guard in the league, his basic base is still very stable.

This game showed it.

The Knicks, playing at home, were beaten by Paul as soon as they came up. They started 5-16, which made all the Knicks a little confused.

Especially the smooth coordination between Paul and DeAndre Jordan in the pick-and-roll, it was really smooth...

of course.

In fact, Xue Liancheng reacted quickly and used the pick-and-roll move, but Lopez's athletic ability was simply not as good as Jordan's, which allowed the Clippers to seize the opportunity to continuously expand the score.

After Xue Liancheng confirmed that Lopez could not be used in this way, he immediately changed his strategy to help Feng Lai frequently break the frame.

The Knicks also recovered.

Next, the two sides entered into a battle.

Xue Liancheng led the team in a fast whirlwind, setting off wave after wave of attacks.

And Paul was not to be outdone, using pick-and-rolls again and again to create very good space.

Coupled with Pierce's recovery in this game, substitutes such as Schick and others stepped forward one after another.

Both sides were locked in a tight fight in the first three quarters.

And halfway through the fourth quarter.

Because of his height, Paul finally showed signs of fatigue. As a star player, he could no longer score goals.

His mid-range is no longer so stable under the super strong defense.

The Knicks also took the opportunity to complete the lead.

So far...

It basically declared that the game was over.

Because Xue Liancheng still has three % hit skills that are useless.

The result was no surprise.

With more than a minute left before the end of the game, the Knicks began to strengthen their defense. At the same time, Xue Liancheng fired a shot. In three consecutive shots, the Clippers were stunned.

<divclass="contentadv">No one from the Clippers could stand up and respond, so the game naturally ended like this.

The score is fixed at 116:128.

The Knicks won a lot, but they mainly won because of Xue Liancheng's consecutive three-pointers.

In fact, many strong teams cannot handle this move.

After all, three consecutive three-pointers, sometimes four if you are lucky, and five if you are in great condition.

This is so...

Who can bear it!

There is no way he can bear such devastation.

Slowly, many teams discovered this problem and began to defend desperately at critical moments, but they just couldn't.

This is how fear of a player arises.

And a player's dominance also comes from this...

Xue Liancheng was in pretty good shape, making 24 of 14 shots and scoring another 44 points, plus 14 assists and 8 rebounds.

In contrast, Paul made 15 of 6 and only scored 16 points, plus 13 assists and 6 rebounds.

Is the difference big?

Very huge...

It can also be said that it is not big.

It is said to be huge because the score is 44 to 16, and the efficiency is 24 of 14 compared to 15 of 6. If this gap is not big, then what is big?

It's not a big deal, but after adding three 18% hit skills to Paul, Paul's shooting rate reached 9 of 25 and he scored points.

Look at it this way...

Is the gap still big?

If the number of shots is expanded to 24, Paul's score will also rise to 30+.

and so……

The difference between them is just in these three % hit skills, or if other skills are added to it, Xue Liancheng may be better at catching opportunities, score more stably, have better hitting skills, and open three-pointers. More powerful.

This is where Xue Liancheng is better than Paul.

These differences may not seem big, but when added up little by little, they will invisibly widen the distance.

Then he compared Paul's biggest advantages, assists and passes, vision, and overall view.

What else does Paul compare to Xue Liancheng?

Lopez now leads the bench more, with 19 points and 7 rebounds, which is not bad.

Feng Lai made 11 of 7 shots and scored 18 points again. He looked a bit like Xue Liancheng's right-hand man.

of course.

The main reason is that the Clippers don't have the right person to curb Vonleh's pick-and-roll, just like the Knicks can't contain Jordan's pick-and-roll.

Only then did Feng Lai and Jordan break out.

And Jordan was even better, scoring 7 points and 7 rebounds on 20-for-8 shooting.

Others in the Knicks also performed well.

Crowder scored 10 points, and now he only focuses on shooting three-pointers and defense.

David West once again showed his superb mid-range skills and low-post skills, with 16 points and 6 rebounds.

Tyler Johnson had 9 points, P.J. Tucker had 6 points, Galloway had 4 points, and Rooney had 2 points.

As for the Clippers.

Pierce had 13 points, Redick had 7 points, and Mbah a Moute, who started as the power forward, had 4 points.

The bench was in full bloom. Wesley Johnson had 14 points, Jamal Crawford had 13 points, Cole Aldridge had 12 points, Pulijinho had 7 points, and Rivers Jr. had 8 shots. Scored 2 points in 6.

I have to say, it’s great to have a father as president and head coach.

Just the performance, he can still play for 22 minutes, it is really his father who supports him to play the rhythm!

The so-called father's love is like a mountain, but it's nothing more than that...

After beating the Clippers, the Knicks' winning streak came to 4 games.

The next game is also a test.

After a fierce battle with the Clippers, they need to go to Charlotte non-stop to challenge the fading dark horse Hornets in back-to-back games.

After a few days of time difference, the Hornets improved their record to 20 wins and 23 losses, which still looks promising.

Unfortunately.

They met the Knicks.

The result was no surprise, but the process was thrilling.

Maybe it was because they were too tired from the last game against the Clippers. In this game, the entire Knicks team was not in good condition, including Xue Liancheng.

It may also be because the defense intensity of both sides is too high.

This resulted in them falling behind.

Starting from being 11 points behind in the first quarter, they started to chase, fell behind by 7 points in the second quarter, and fell behind by 5 points in the third quarter.

Finally, in the fourth quarter, they finally turned the score over. Xue Liancheng used his last % hit skill at the end to kill the game.

In the end, the Knicks only won by 102 points, 97:5, which was very thrilling.

of course.

The most important thing is to have help.

And the man who helped the Knicks win was none other than Hornets head Kemba Walker.

This guy played the whole game and kept going undercover, helping the Knicks get the score back bit by bit.

And he made 25 of 7 in the game and only scored 9 points with 26 free throws. He really staged a scene of hurting himself with a sharp knife.

Jeremy Lin is back, and his efficiency is not very good, but he is much better than Kemba Walker. He made 17 of 7 and scored 26 points, plus 5 rebounds and 5 assists.

This was the first time Xue Liancheng met him since he entered the league. As a yellow-skinned Chinese player, Xue Liancheng took the initiative to greet him after the game.

PJ Hairston took over as the starter and scored 14 points and 7 rebounds on 20-of-10 shooting.

Marvin Williams languished, shooting 8 of 1 and only scored 4 points.

Hawes also languished, shooting 7 of 1 and only scored a pitiful 2 points.

Kaminsky on the bench scored 9 points, and the others were not worth mentioning.

The Knicks are not much better.

薛连城21投9中，也凭借超高碰瓷功底砍下30分，外加9助攻7篮板。

Lopez made 19 of 8 shots, and his efficiency was also not very good. He scored 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Except for the two core members, the others were even worse.

Feng Lai made 8 of 2 and only scored 5 points.

PJ Tucker made 5 of 1 and only scored 3 points.

Crowder made 9 of 1 and only scored 6 points.

On the bench, it was David West who ultimately carried it all. He made 17 of 9 shots and scored 22 points and 7 rebounds, proving his worth again.

It is also worthy of Xue Liancheng's hard recruitment in the summer.

Especially in the suffocation defensive stage, David West is still of great use.

Tyler Johnson was also inferior, scoring 10 points on 3-of-8 shots.

Galloway scored 6 points and Rooney scored 2 points.

It can be said that this game would have been a dead end without the support of David West.

It can also be said that without the strong support of Kemba Walker, the Knicks would not have been able to win.

It can be seen from this that Oladipo is still very important.

After Crowder became the starter, his athletic ability was gone, and so were his fast break advantages and defensive counterattacks.

This makes the Knicks very passive.

Xue Liancheng's superb ability to read the game is completely useless in such a game rhythm.

The most important thing is that even if he breaks through and pulls the defense, without a super explosive player to intervene, his breakthrough will be useless and become a useless breakthrough.

Crowder is not very good, and Taylor Johnson is not very good either. He is also following in his footsteps.

As for Feng Lai?

Because of his height, his speed is definitely not as fast as Oladipo's.

In addition, this guy is very afraid of talented players of the same size leading the defense. When the pick-and-roll is followed or the attack fails, Feng Lai's offensive role is almost gone.

Such as this one.

When you meet Marvin Williams, you immediately lose any advantage and you can't play ball anymore.

And Marvin Williams seems to have this problem too. Under Vonleh's defense, he repeatedly ran into obstacles.

and so……

Even though they can still win now, without Oladipo as an important part of the team, it is simply a fantasy for them to go further in the playoffs.

When competing for the championship, you are competing not only for core players or overall strength, but also for luck.

Many times, there are situations where one ball determines life or death.

For example, in the historical trajectory, Leonard defeated the digital man.

For example, in the historical trajectory, Durant made a desperate three-pointer to kill the Bucks, but found that he had stepped on the line.

This is luck.

Including injury factors.

Therefore, luck is still very important.