Chapter 563: Alternate Climbing
It was a very intense game, with a lot of physical contact between players on both sides on the pitch and a lot of action. Pen ~ fun ~ pavilion www.biquge.info
The Spurs know they can't go back to San Antonio with a 2-0 scoreline, and the Trail Blazers don't want the Spurs to win in Rose Garden. Both teams possessed a high level of technical and tactical skill and determination, and as a result, a game that was a little too intense was born.
The clash between the Trail Blazers and the referees in the fourth quarter was undoubtedly the epitome of the intensity of the game. Flying pounces, swinging elbows, unear-catching trash talk, and, of course, the referee's controversial blowing penalty.
This eye-catching factor has become the main theme of this game, and all the reporters also hope to dig into something deeper. However, at the moment, the Spurs and Trail Blazers are all changing clothes in the locker room. There is no way, the reporters can only start from outsiders.
However, of those who did not compete, Morris was undoubtedly the most popular. As a player who is on the same page as Anjie and has just been eliminated by the Spurs, reporters believe that this black guy must have a lot to say.
Therefore, Morris, who originally wanted to wait for Anjie outside the court, inexplicably became the focus. The reporters first asked some questions about his options to renew his contract, and then went straight to the point.
"The turning point of this game can be said to have started when Anjie was about to pause when he saved the ball, but the referee ignored it. What do you think about the referee's blowing?"
Morris used to be very reckless, always saying things that shouldn't be said. Although he was much better now, Morris decided to stand up and say a word for his brother.
"It was a completely correct misjudgment, I can guarantee it, and even after everyone saw through the replay that Ann did call a timeout, the referee insisted on his decision and handed the ball to the Spurs. I don't know if today's referee on duty particularly hates the Trail Blazers, or if he's actually a Spurs fan? Morris smiled and answered the reporters' questions, and the guy didn't seem to know how sharp his words were.
No, of course he knew, that Morris had deliberately said it so harshly. He supports An Jie all the time, even if it requires him to go against the entire alliance.
In the Trail Blazers' locker room, the players weren't discouraged by the loss. None of them were able to calm down for a long time, especially Anjie, who scored a game-high 34 points and 15 rebounds today, and Duncan, the best player in the Spurs, only scored 17 points and shot more than 50% from the field.
Arguably, he was undoubtedly the best player today. But in the end, the Trail Blazers didn't win.
In the last few minutes of the game, An Jie was violated under the basket several times, but the referee did not react, maybe they thought An Jie was faking a fall. If you add those few free throws, maybe the outcome will be different?
Ricard naturally saw the unwillingness of his players, and he himself was very hot, otherwise he would not have applied for a technical foul for himself. It's okay to be angry, but Ricard wants the players to use their fire. Sometimes, getting too angry can make you lose your judgment, but other times, getting angry gives you extra strength.
"Well, I know you're all very angry. The victory in this game was completely stolen by that Popovich guy!" Riccard said, and everyone stared at him with hot eyes.
"Hah, this guy ......" Divac smiled, he probably already knew what Ricard was trying to do.
'But it's over and we can't change anything. The Spurs thought they had earned? How wrong! These guys have to pay the price! They stole a win in the Rose Garden, and we're going to double it back! Next time, in San Antonio, at the ATT Center, no one can afford to be soft! Think about what you've been through today, and if we fail at the ATT Center, we deserve to be bullied!" Rickard yelled, making the door to the locker room, which was so soundproofed, that it couldn't be blocked.
"The boss is right, this game is over and it's useless for us to continue to be angry here. Keep our anger in our hearts, and when we get to the ATT center, we can let the Spurs see what happens to the Trail Blazers!" An Jie shouted in response, and the entire locker room seemed to be turned into a den of bandits. There are no millionaires in it, just a bunch of thugs who want to go to San Antonio to burn and loot.
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Morris, who wore the Trail Blazers No. 00 jersey, sat in the front row of the ATT Center, and he stood out in front of a crowd of Spurs jersey fans. But this guy ignored everyone's disgusted gaze, and was still cheering for An Jie and the pioneers.
It's not often that you see a star in the NBA cheering for another team in public, even if the person playing on that team is his best friend.
But Morris and Angel, the relationship between these two guys has gone beyond the relationship of ordinary good friends. Morris is now on vacation, and he is no longer Anjie's opponent, but Anjie's brother!
Under the cheers of Morris, Aldridge suddenly turned around and passed French power forward Burres Dior in one step.
The cunning Dio immediately grabbed Aldridge's clothes, but Aldridge did not give up running, he forcibly jumped and buckled under the huge pulling force of Dior.
Seeing this, Dio quickly let go, for fear that the matter would be revealed. Aldridge yelled hard and dunked the ball into the basket. A huge boo from the ATT center hit instantly, but Aldridge turned a deaf ear.
Maybe it's because the last game was so embarrassing to lose, today, although it was at the home of the Spurs, the Trail Blazers played more actively.
Not only Aldridge, Lillard, Iguodala, Matthews, but even Batum and Contney Lee on the bench were like crazy excited.
The words of Ricard and Anjie in the dressing room clearly had an effect. Today, the Trail Blazers were not blinded by anger, but relied on that anger to teach the Spurs a good lesson.
When a team's stars explode at the same time, even Popovich and GDP can't prevent defeat from coming.
Anjie and Aldridge scored 26 and 24 points, respectively, while Lillard and Iguodala added 15 each. These four people alone have already contributed 80 points to the Trailblazers.
Popovich laid out a myriad of defensive strategies, but none of them could limit the firepower of four opponents at once.
Duncan and Anjie fought until the last minute, and the fans at the ATT Center were in awe of Duncan. Not to be outdone, Parker and Ginobili stepped up to help the Spurs.
It's just a pity that it's not the Spurs that can't do it today, it's the Trail Blazers who played too well.
120-108, the Trail Blazers defeated the Spurs by 12 points on the road. After losing to the Spurs in the last game, Anjie immediately returned the favor to Popovich at the ATT center.
"Don't mess with the Trail Blazers!" this is the summary of the game report made by various media after the game.
A day later, however, it was at the ATT center. The Trailblazers, who had just won a big victory, fell again.
Tony Parker forced a layup against Ann's defense, and Ann knocked Parker away, Parker lost his center of gravity, and he could only throw the basketball up with his hands...... Oh my! The ball went in, an incredible goal, a three-point opportunity, Tony Parker earned the Spurs a three-point chance! This guy, almost parallel to the ground, scored this goal!" Mike Brin grabbed the microphone and shouted uncontrollably, such an incredible goal, you can't put too much passion into it.
And this goal is also the epitome of Parker's magical performance in this game. The Frenchman didn't rely on three-pointers or foul tricks today, but helped the Spurs stay ahead of the curve with a steady mid-range shot and a variety of incredible goals under the basket.
Anjie guaranteed that his form was fine, and Duncan's 46% shooting rate of only 15 points was the best proof of Anjie's defense. But when God is on Parker's side, even Angel can't stop it.
With this three-pointer, the Spurs' lead instantly became nine, and the game time was less than 30 seconds.
Anjie and Iguodala tried to save time by shooting quickly from mid-range and three-point line, respectively, but neither guy could make the final hit.
In the end, with Parker's magical performance of 37 points and 6 assists on 15-of-21 shooting, the Spurs kept a home court with the Trail Blazers in the limelight. The aggregate score was moved to 2-2 again, and the draw was repeated.
That's what's terrible about GDP, don't look at the usual tepid three old wagons. But as long as one suddenly erupts, it's a fatal thing.
An Jie's performance today was not bad, with 24 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks, which is a good statistic. But this level still can't stop Parker, who is playing at a super level.
In the fifth duel between the two sides, the battlefield was once again brought back to the Rose Garden. This is also the first time that the Trail Blazers have played their fifth game so far this season, because before, the Trail Blazers have solved their opponents in only four games. It's a pity that Spurs are really different from those generals. To win them, AnJie and the Trailblazers will have to put in enough effort.
Hard work, that's the biggest advantage the Trail Blazers showed on the court today.
Perhaps because of the dense schedule and back-to-back games against the same opponent, neither the Spurs nor the Trail Blazers were very efficient today. The two sides not only frequently struck iron, but also made mistakes one after another. The difference between the two teams is that the Spurs seem to have not recovered, while the Trail Blazers, led by Anjie, have persevered until the last minute.
An Jie played a full 45 minutes in this game, which means that on average, he didn't get even a minute's rest in a quarter.
This was not a deliberate arrangement by Ricard, but An Jie strongly took the initiative to fight, so that Ricard had to let him go.
It was with this method that An Jie used to smash himself to drive the whole team. He felt a pain all over his body every time he came into contact with Duncan and Split, but Anjie always gritted his teeth and leaned back again.
In the final minutes of the game, the Spurs players almost collapsed. Their shots started to get worse and their passing balls started to get hesitant.
But what about the Trail Blazers? They're still fighting, as if if they win this game, the NBA will give them 10 million each.
In the end, An Jie still spelled out a victory. 96-99, Anjie used his never-flinching defense to keep the last three-point advantage to the end. The Trail Blazers kept their precious home court, even if Anjie suddenly lay on the floor after the game, but for this time, Anjie's hard victory was very worthwhile.
3-2, the Trail Blazers took the lead again and earned a match point. Of course, Spurs fans did not despair, because the total score of both sides alternated from start to finish.
Back in San Antonio, the Spurs will surely win and win Game 7 in one go.
The two sides come and go, and there are wins and losses for each other. The score is climbing, and the ratings for this series are also high.
Who can take the lead in getting two straight wins over the opponent and upset the balance? The Spurs want to do it, and so do the Trail Blazers.
The Western Conference Finals are really not so easy to fool around......