Chapter 196: Playoff Predictions
The NBA's logistics were efficient, and the basket that was smashed by O'Neal was quickly repaired and the game restarted.
The Jazz were humiliated by O'Neal alone, sleepwalking throughout the second half, they were beaten through the box by one man, and their defense was useless in front of one man.
Li Zhi finished the third quarter, but in the third quarter, Li Zhi did not brush the score, but handed the stage to Milicic and Jordan Jr.
Milicic and Jordan Jr. were stimulated by O'Neal and broke out in the third quarter, Jordan Jr. scored 10 points, Milicic scored 12 points on projection and breakaway, and Li Zhi brushed up 4 assists.
Seeing that the tide was gone, the Jazz did not continue to struggle, and came off the bench in the fourth quarter, and the Warriors won their most win of the regular season. The final score was 99:70, which was a big win, but the process shocked everyone.
Even O'Neal at his peak did not do this, at most he used his physical strength to dunk the defender, but few people saw O'Neal perform dream dance moves.
In this game, the most eye-catching thing for the Warriors is Jordan Jr., he scored 23 points and 20 rebounds, in the history of the NBA, double 20 data is rare, he is the traditional sense of excellent interior access card, O'Neal, Howard, etc. have won double 20, the most is Charles Barkley's 53 times.
Milicic was also not far behind, although he was substituted in the first quarter, he performed well in the second half, with 21 points, 6 assists and 6 rebounds, all 6 assists were given to Jordan Jr., which made Nelson cry out.
Commentator Ross Barkley praised Jordan Jr. and Milicic for their performances, saying that this fight was a turning point in their careers, and their future is limitless.
The battle between the Jazz and the Warriors was wildly reported by major sports media, with O'Neal playing five, Jordan Jr. and Milicic's interior combination, which won unanimous praise from the media.
The reporter interviewed Jordan Jr. and asked him why he behaved so well in this competition, and Jordan Jr. only said one sentence: "Shaq taught me." Milicic, who was also interviewed, replied: "I was so good. ”
Although the personalities of the two madmen are a little worrying, the media is still very optimistic about them.
Sloan said in an interview: "They have two excellent inside lines, and we are convinced to lose. "If you don't accept it, the Jazz lost confidence by O'Neal's one-shot, and these players may need to do a psychological counseling.
Olajuwon commented: "Shaq's goal has surpassed his peak, he is good, and his two disciples are also good. ”
"Admiral" David Robinson commented: "There are always people who say that the NBA is going into the era of fast small ball, but you still have to wait, don't you? ”
"Gorilla" Ewing said, "I don't know how Shaq did it, but I think very well of his two disciples. ”
There are various comments on the Internet, and many netizens have also expressed their opinions.
Netizen Stephen Mourning said: "O'Neal subverted my understanding of basketball, at the age of 36, there are Jordan Jr. and Milicic, I don't know what other teams will be like when they meet the Warriors again." ”
One Jazz fan commented: "Even though I'm a Jazz fan, O'Neal really shocked me. ”
Warriors fans are extremely excited at this time, with the Warriors boasting O'Neal, Jordan Jr. and Milicic, and the Warriors' playoff journey this year is a source of imagination.
Some people are happy and some are sad, the Jazz were psychologically shadowed by the Warriors, and Carlos Boozer will definitely not stay this season, even if the Jazz keep it.
The Warriors are on the league's radar, and many are speculating about how the Warriors will play in the playoffs.
At the end of the regular season, the teams that didn't make the playoffs go home early to fish, and the teams that made the playoffs seize the time to recuperate and try to make the playoffs in the best condition.
Western Conference Regular Season Standings: 1 Los Angeles Lakers, 2 Denver Nuggets, 3 San Antonio Spurs, 4 Portland Trail Blazers, 5 Golden State Warriors, 6 Houston Rockets, 7 Dallas Mavericks, 8 New Orleans Hornets. The Jazz didn't make the playoffs, Durant's Thunder finished 14th in the West, and his playoffs agreement with Lee Chi didn't materialize.
Eastern Conference Regular Season Standings: 1 Cleveland Cavaliers, 2 Boston Celtics, 3 Orlando Magic 4, Atlanta Hawks, 5 Miami Heat, 6 Philadelphia 76ers, 7 Chicago Bulls, 8 Detroit Pistons
The pattern of strong West and weak East continues, with the Jazz 47-35 and not making the playoffs, and the Pistons ranking eighth in the East with 39 wins.
While the teams were recuperating, the media and pundits were making predictions about the NBA playoffs.
The most anticipated in the West is the Trail Blazers VS Warriors, both teams are full of talent, if it weren't for injuries, the Warriors should be in the top four in the West this season, on par with the Trail Blazers.
In the past, the Trail Blazers had the advantage on the inside, but the sudden rise of Jordan Jr. and Milicic pierced the Trail Blazers' hardest ribs like two bayonets. The Warriors' strengths are obvious, but the point guard flaws cannot be glossed over. In the Trail Blazers, Roy is a pseudo-quarterback, playing the point guard position, very restrained by the Warriors.
Of course, both teams have a lot of newcomers who are playing in the playoffs for the first time, which is something that many are concerned about, and there may be players who make mistakes.
Overall, experts are still more optimistic about the Warriors to advance.
Spurs vs Rockets is a duel between old rivals. The Houston Rockets and the San Antonio Spurs are in the same state in Texas, as sworn enemies in the same state and division, the Rockets and the Spurs have many grievances and grievances, and they are also one of the most gimmicky sworn enemies in the NBA. Maddie's classic 35.13 seconds was scored on the Spurs.
On December 10, 2004, this game is destined to go down in history. Seeing that the Rockets were behind by a large score and the defeat was about to become a foregone conclusion, Maddy stepped up at the last moment, scored 13 points in 35 seconds, hit a total of 4 three-pointers, plus a 3+1 on Duncan's head, and finally staged a super reversal of 81-80, which was also one of the most unbearable losses in the history of the Spurs.
The battle between Duncan and Yao Ming, the two centers, is also expected by many fans, the two have played each other many times in the regular season, but have not yet played each other in the playoffs, and who is the best big man in Texas may be decided in this series.
Most pundits are bullish on the Spurs, who have a full roster and a lot of playoff experience, and the Spurs trio are often surprising in the playoffs. However, Li Zhi feels that the Rockets have hope of winning and should never underestimate the heart of a champion, right?
There is no suspense about the Lakers vs Hornets, 90% of experts predict that the Lakers will advance, and only 10% think that Paul will play well and lead the Hornets to the "Black Eight".
Nuggets VS Mavericks, experts are generally optimistic about the Nuggets, Nowitzki's performance in the playoffs in recent years makes people doubt him, but it is the Nuggets, after joining Billups, they have a good chance to break through from the West.