The city of Russia is a sea of blue and white tonight.

The last time they reached the finals was not long ago, in 2012.

It's a team full of anticipation and talent.

Since leaving Seattle, in just a few years, the Thunder have taken one step at a time, from the eighth round of the West to the Western Conference Finals, to the Western Conference Finals, and then to the Finals, they only took three years.

In just three years, the dynasty was beginning to take shape, but unfortunately a stupid deal ruined everything.

Before the start of the 2012 Finals, many thought the Thunder would be the winner.

Among them is both an affirmation of the Thunder's talent and an abomination of LeBron James.

Especially in the first game, after the Thunder defeated the Heat at home.

But everyone knows the plot behind it, and young people pay the price for their youth.

And James, after sacrificing a part of his spirit, finally got what he wanted.

After that, history drew a break in 2012, and in 2013 ushered in an inflection point - Li Liang parachuted into the NBA, opening a new era.

Nomadic times.

The shadow of the times hung over the Russian city, and the fans here waited for 4 years.

4 years is not a long time, but it is too long for them.

I thought that after 2012, it would be the world of thunder.

As a result, I waited for several more years, waiting for a big savior.

Before the game began, Jeff Van Gundy was discussing the strength of the two teams with his partner Jackson.

Van Gundy believes that the strength of the Warriors is above the Cavaliers, but the Thunder will not necessarily be as devastating as the Warriors.

After the Western Conference Finals, many people realized that the Thunder had a strong restraint on the Warriors' lineup.

The Warriors' proud front line and small lineup are simply not enough to see in front of the Thunder's front line.

Curry was targeted by Westbrook and didn't play well throughout the series.

The Warriors' passing cut looked sluggish and dull in front of the Thunder's lineup that can defend big and big and small, and it didn't show its power at all.

The strength of the Warriors' defense is built on the high-intensity control of the opposition's passing lanes by the five-man lineup.

However, the Thunder's offense does not rely on moving the ball, but relies on the strong singles ability of the Big Three.

After four games, the Warriors' vaunted killer Death Five Little barely made any difference.

It also served as a reminder to the Cavaliers not to try to use a small lineup against the Thunder.

"The situation of the Cavaliers is different from the Warriors, the Cavaliers also have a strong ability to carry the ball from the outside, and Irving and James are the best ball-handling attackers in the league. The presence of Paul George gives the Cavaliers a better defensive base to withstand the onslaught of Kevin and Bruce, and as for the interior, I think this is always the most overlooked and important place. While the three-point shot has become increasingly important, I would say that the Warriors' failure to gain an advantage on the inside was one of the key factors in their tragic loss of the series. ”

Van Gundy gave a simple analysis in which he believes the Cavaliers and Thunder will be evenly matched.

Pre-game predictions, everyone was overwhelmingly optimistic about the Thunder.

After all, the Western Conference finals swept the 70-win team 4-0, and the last two games were 20-point sweeps at Oracle, which is really a big surprise.

The strength of the Thunder makes people feel intimidating.

Even with the Cavaliers' excellent roster, people don't think the Clevelands have a chance to get a win against the Thunder.

However, as a professional commentator and veteran basketball person, Van Gundy has a different understanding of the matchup between the two sides.

The knight will not be restrained.

The starting lineups on both sides were the same as always, and Li Liang still came to the starting position.

Before jumping the ball, Li Liang walked to the technical table and greeted Jeff Van Gundy, "Hey Jeff, what is your predicted score for the series?" ”

Van Gundy took off his headset and replied to Li Liang's question, "4:2, I'm still optimistic about you thunder!" ”

Before the finals, many experts and commentators made predictions about the series.

The vast majority believe that the series will be split in five games, with the winner going to be the Thunder.

There are only a handful of people who think the Cavaliers will win, but the score is also 4:3.

Van Gundy believes that the Thunder will win 4-2 based on his professional judgment.

At the time of the Western Conference Finals, Van Gundy thought that the Thunder would solve the Warriors in five games.

At the time, the vast majority of pundits were expecting Game 7, and a significant number thought the Warriors would win.

As a result, the Thunder, who had a similar lineup, beat the Warriors to pieces.

Van Gundy also made people see that the vision of professionals is different because of his accurate predictions.

As a result, Xiao Fan became a small hit on social media.

Van Gundy is a well-known "blues fan" and has a pretty good relationship with Li Liang.

The two often have a lot of exchanges off the court about basketball.

Xiao Fan is a typical player who can't play ball, but he loves basketball and engages in basketball.

His basketball knowledge, vision and practical experience are not comparable to ordinary fans, or some half-baked experts and media people.

Hearing Van Gundy's prediction, Li Liang smiled and said, "Jeff, I want to tell you that your prediction is completely wrong. ”

Van Gundy listened, "Completely wrong? You mean the Thunder will lose? ”

Mark Jackson, who was partnered with Van Gundy on the side, covered his mouth and smiled, and Li Liang was rarely generalized.

Li Liang only hated that he didn't have magnesium powder in his hands, otherwise he would definitely pat Xiao Fan in the face.

"Your score prediction is wrong, and we'll sweep the Cavaliers."

If the Thunder sweep in the Finals, they will have the best playoff record in NBA history.

The newcomer has won 16 consecutive playoffs.

The Lakers in '01 came close to winning 15 in a row, but were single-handedly stopped by Allen Iverson.

So although Iverson was only the overall runner-up that year, and there was no suspense in losing 1:4, he was one of the most impressive runners-up in history.

Li Liang said this, and Van Gundy really couldn't refute it.

Because Li Liang has always been true to his word in the alliance.

Especially in the finals, he said that he swept and never broke his word.

This thing's control of the situation in key games, as well as the ability to turn things around at key nodes and critical moments, has always been incredible.

Li Liang dared to say this, which shows that he has sufficient confidence in the series.

After speaking, Li Liang returned to the court, and the game was about to start.

LeBron James wore a black away jersey with braces crossed over his waist and George standing next to him.

And Kyrie Irving propped his hands on his knees and waited for the jump ball.

The Thunder Triumvirate stood opposite.

Li Liang just calmed down, he knew in his heart that the knight was indeed difficult to deal with.

But for the team of how to play James, Li Liang is too experienced.

Unless James joins the Warriors this summer, he may not be able to beat Li Liang in his life.

At this point, the referee stood in the middle of the field and threw the ball into the air.

In the opening remarks of "the start of the game" with strong lights, harsh noises, and different languages from various countries, the fourth finals of Li Liang's career began.

His career reached a peak here that no one else could match.

But beyond the peak, there is still a mountain behind it, a mountain that no one has ever climbed.