Chapter 260: Hitting the Playoffs One

Not to mention, the Cavaliers are facing a big problem like the Pistons.

At this stage of the regular season, the Pistons and Pacers are in first and second place in the Eastern Conference, and the Nets and Heat are third and fourth.

Now the Cavaliers are ranked 5th in the Eastern Conference, because, with successive victories, the Cavaliers position is also blowing up the New York Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks in front of them, and is ranked fifth in the Eastern Conference.

And because the Cavaliers' record is far from the Pacers' record, and the league's regulations stipulate that the top three in the East and West must be held by the first place in each division in the East, and it is precisely because of this rule that it is restricted.

No matter how hard the Cavaliers struggle this season, because they belong to the same Southwest Division as the Pacers, the Cavaliers are most likely to reach the fourth position in the Eastern Conference this season.

If the Cavaliers can keep it, then the Cavaliers have a good chance of facing the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs, and it could be big.

If the Cavaliers don't do their best in the follow-up, and they fall to sixth, or even seventh, then they won't have such a good time.

They could face the Pistons, or the Nets, or even the Pacers, and it's not impossible, in the first round.

It's hanging.

But in any case, if the Cavaliers enter the playoffs and want to win results, the Pistons and Pacers are also problems they must face.

Because in the second round, even if they don't face the Pistons, they will have to face the Pacers, who are the first in the Eastern Conference.

This season, the Pacers and Pistons are two teams with similar records. The style is similar, and they are all known for their defense across the league.

The Pacers and Pistons are on the way to the Cavaliers' championship. The biggest obstacle is that unless the Cavaliers don't want to win a championship, then the Pacers and Pistons are their inevitable problems for the next few years.

Still, it's the same sentence, saying this. It's still a long way off.

Now for the Cavaliers, it's still a matter of getting into the playoffs, not being able to make the playoffs. It's a lie.

Three-quarters of the regular season, now on, and a quarter of the schedule remains. It's also known as the playoff battle.

Before the start of the season. The teams in the league will still have reservations, but when it comes to the white-hot stage, no one will keep the teams that have the ability to enter the playoffs and impact the good positions in the playoffs.

Everybody is out of the way.

Have the ability to make the playoffs and fight hard for the playoffs.

It's more capable. It's for a better playoff spot.

At this moment, no one will let anyone.

And at this stage. Before the season, fans who have already laid the groundwork can also lock up the playoff spots in advance.

For example, the Indiana Pacers on the East Side, the Minnesota Timberwolves on the West Side, and the Los Angeles Lakers are all very typical representatives.

And the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have won 22 in a row, are one of them.

However, compared to the above teams, the Cavaliers are clearly lacking.

For no other reason, the Cavaliers started too late this season and the foundation was not strong enough, which is also the biggest problem for the Cavaliers.

But fortunately, there is this wave of wins, otherwise the Cavaliers would have to struggle for a playoff spot.

Now the Cavaliers are okay, there is no problem in getting into the playoffs, whether they can get a good seat, and getting a good place in the playoffs, this is the most important issue for the Cavaliers at the moment.

For the current Cavaliers, the first Pacers in the East Coast in front of them are categorically unable to catch up, and they are also the fourth in the East Coast, which is also the best position for the Cavaliers.

And now in fourth place in the Eastern Conference is the Miami Heat, so the Heat is also an opponent that the Cavaliers need to catch up.

Another point is that if the Heat are pulled down, then the Cavaliers can gain home-court advantage in the playoff matchup.

In the playoff matchup, whether there is home court advantage or not will affect the team's performance to a certain extent.

For example, the home team's training ground is the playing field, and the players are very familiar with the temperature, humidity, and turf conditions (the path of the ball), and the home team will play relatively well.

That's a point.

There is also a more obvious difference is the difference between the north and the south, the northern team has a slight advantage at home in the winter competition, and the southern team has a slight advantage at home in the summer, if the temperature difference between the north and the south of the league country is not large, it is not particularly prominent.

For example, you used to stay in the southern plains, but when you were competing, you went to the highlands, and altitude sickness alone was enough for you to drink a pot.

Other than that, it's fan support.

At home, of course, there will be more fans supporting the home team, and it is very easy to boost the team's morale and play at a high level.

Finally, in the league, there are "home bugs, away dragons", "home dragons, away bugs" featured teams.

Therefore, home advantage has an undoubted impact on a team, and some of them are even more fatal.

Therefore, in the league, many teams will also pay more attention to this.

This is for the Knights, and for Cao Jian, whether the Cavaliers can enter the fourth place in the Eastern Region will also have a great impact on him.

The system has rules that the rewards for the fifth place in the regular season and the fourth place in the regular season are also very different.

The fifth place is rewarded according to the system, Cao Jianneng can only get 2 million, while the fourth place can get 3 million, which is 1 million more, just a difference in position, there are so many more experience points.

Cao Jian has no reason not to work hard.

There is also an extremely important point, the Cavaliers' performance is also directly related to whether Cao Jian can be selected for the league's best team.

This is Cao Jian's third task.

The effects are all cascading.

Cao Jian didn't want to miss it, if he missed this village, he might not have this store.

Although the Knights' 22-game winning streak was something worth celebrating, Cao Jian didn't have time to celebrate.

There's another crisis on the knight's side.

After the team's 22-game winning streak, the Cavaliers also used up all their vitality in the game against the Pistons.

And. After the Cavaliers defeated the Pistons, they also left the Detroit Pistons overnight and headed for Indiana. Face off against the Pacers.

It's knights back to back.

After a series of easy schedules, the Cavaliers have another wave of devilish schedules, and the Pacers are at the forefront.

The Pacers have already locked up the playoffs ahead of schedule, and they are a stronger team than the Pistons.

Moreover, it was a back-to-back game for the Cavaliers.

Winning the Pistons on the road, the Cavaliers are tough enough.

If. The Cavaliers can still take down the Pacers under the premise of back-to-back, which is really against the sky.

So. In the battle against the Pacers, outside experts and the media are also not optimistic that the Cavaliers can take the Pacers.

Outside experts also have enough reasons to think so.

Don't talk about the away. Also back-to-back.

Not to mention the defeat of the record. The lineup is also invincible.

There is no single reason why the Cavaliers can beat the Pacers.

Even all experts and media believe that the Cavaliers will lose more than 20 points in this game.

This battle is also a battle that must be lost.

However, no one paid attention to this, and the Cavaliers' 22-game winning streak has already exceeded people's expectations.

The Cavaliers have done well enough that no one will blame them even if they lose.

Ultimately. After the Cavaliers finished playing against the Pistons, they immediately switched to the Indiana Pacers. The Cavaliers were also defeated as experts predicted, and the Cavaliers' winning streak was ended at the Pacers' home court.

Although the winning streak was ended by the Pacers, the way the loss was not as predicted by experts, losing by more than 20 points.

The Pacers vs. Cavaliers battle, for the Cavaliers, it is difficult, difficult, even if they lose by a large margin, they will not be ashamed, because they are good enough.

Even if it were the Los Angeles Lakers, the strongest team in the league now, first against the Pistons, and then against the Pacers, who had been resting for three days, they would not be able to pack a ticket and say that they could win.

Since the Lakers can't do it, no one will blame the Cavaliers for not being able to do it.

But it was such a team, but it shocked the Pacers in a cold sweat.

The Cavaliers vs. Pacers game, although the Cavaliers are the second game in a back-to-back, although it is an away game, but the Cavaliers are not as vulnerable as some experts predicted.

At the beginning of the game, the sleepy knight also played his own rhythm, and at the beginning of the game, under the leadership of Cao Jian, he achieved an 8-0 attack wave, which also blinded the eyes of some expert titanium alloy dogs.

As a result, the Pacers also had to ask for a timeout to make adjustments, and the adjustment effect was still extremely good.

Pacers in sharpshooter Reggie. Under the leadership of Miller, he also began to fight back and tied the score.

I thought the knight would surrender.

The Pacers still underestimated the strength of the Cavaliers, and in the moment of crisis, James, who was stimulated by Cao Jian, once again showed his superior basketball talent, and successively hit the Pacers' interior line, among them, there were two fouls by O'Neal Jr., the Pacers' interior pillar.

The Pacers also lacked a fierce player on the inside, missing O'Neal Jr., Boozer also let go of his hands and feet, and scored 8 points in a row, and the Cavaliers were able to take a 10-point lead in the first quarter of the game.

Such a start was also unexpected by everyone in the Pacers.

Shouldn't it be a Cavaliers, you can surrender in the first quarter, and you don't have to play the game?

After that, the Pacers also had to raise their spirits to play, the defense was unprecedentedly fierce, and they also played against the Los Angeles Lakers and the Detroit Pistons, a team of this level will put on defense.

Even so, the knight still had no intention of surrendering.

At the end of the first quarter, the Cavaliers still had a five-point lead.

And the second section.

The Pacers already knew that the Cavaliers were weak on the bench, like a soft persimmon.

This time, however, the Pacers were wrong again.

The Cavaliers bench, under the leadership of Jeff, also put up stubborn resistance, which led to the Pacers' plan to chase points during the rotation period, which directly failed, and when the Cavaliers Cao Jian and other main forces returned to the court again, the Cavaliers still had a 5-point difference.

And in the second half of the second quarter, the main generals of the Cavaliers, who had been well rested, also launched a counterattack.

Under Cao Jian's three-point shot and breakthrough, the Pacers' defense was also directly pierced by Cao Jian, and Cao Jian personally won 8 points, and under the leadership of Cao Jian, the Cavaliers once expanded the score to 13 points.

If it weren't for the Pacers' three three-pointers in the final minute of the second quarter. The Pacers are likely to go into the second half with a 13-point margin, but even so, the Pacers went into the entire first half. Still lost by 8 points.

At the end of the first half, the margin between the two sides was also fixed at 48-56, and the Cavaliers led by eight points.

In the second half of the game, the Pacers thought they could get up, but they still started a tug-of-war with the Cavaliers.

Reggie. Miller makes a three-point shot. The ball goes in.

And the Knights, on the other hand, relied on the inside line to cover and come out from the inside line. got an open three-point opportunity, the hand went up and down, and the three-pointer hit again, and the ball went in.

O'Neal Jr. made a strong hit to Boozer for a basket.

Cao Jian played blocking and dismantling with Boozer. Cao Jian is enough Boozer. Two-point arc top, hit a mid-range shot.

Artest forced his way through James' defense and made a layup.

James also made a counterattack, forced through the Pacers' defense, and made a layup.

The main forces of both sides stood up, you came and went, and began to fight against each other.

In the third quarter of the game, the Pacers and Cavaliers also fought to a tie again.

The Pacers are still eight points behind.

Now the walkers are also in a hurry.

Pacers coach Carlisle is also determined to win this game. The fourth quarter of the game should have been a normal rotation time. However, the Pacers still kept all their main players on the court and continued to fight.

In order to win the game, Carlisle also started the playoff rhythm.

The Pacers are working so hard, although the Cavaliers are also extremely desperate, but there is still a big gap between the Pacers' main force and the Cavaliers substitutes, not to mention others, just the money they get is different.

The Cavaliers bench was also quickly defeated.

The Pacers quickly tied the score.

The Pacers tied the score, there was no way, the Cavaliers asked for a timeout again, to be exact, it was Cao Jian who asked for a timeout, and he also took the initiative to ask to return to the court and go to the game.

This is Cao Jian's regular season break, Cao Jian should have rested, but for the sake of the team, there is no way.

Cao Jian came back, James was also unwilling to be a reluctant, and then the main players of the Cavaliers also shortened their rest time and returned to the court to fight again.

The knight's character of never giving up until the last moment is good.

It's worth learning.

However, the reality is often harsh.

At the end of the battle, the knights may have forgotten that this is the second game of back-to-back.

Still running without getting tired.

However, it is inevitable that the body is severely depleted, the pace is slow, the movement is slow, and the physical strength is exhausted.

But even so, the knights gritted their teeth and persisted, as did everyone.

Everybody is doing their best for every offense, every defense, for the Cavaliers.

Until the last two minutes of the fourth quarter, the Cavaliers and Pacers were also tied.

And when there was 1 minute and 58 seconds left before the end of the game, Cao Jian hit again at the top of the three-point arc and also stretched the score to 3 points.

Cao Jian's three-point shot also made Pacers fans tighten their hearts again.

And after the Pacers failed to attack in the next round, some fans even hugged their heads.

Or Cao Jian, Cao Jian holds the ball, Cao Jian also attracts everyone to defend, he also sent a wonderful pass again, the basketball was handed over to Boozer under the basket, Boozer held the ball, jumped directly, this should have been a wonderful dunk.

However, Boozer ended the offense with a very ordinary shot.

It's ordinary, but that's the best Boozer can do.

After this goal, Boozer had cramps on the spot and could no longer play, and was directly carried off the field by the staff on the Cavaliers' side.

The Cavaliers have one less main player, which is also a dark relief for the Pacers players.

However, the heart is still in the throat.

And while Boozer was not there, Xiao Ao also took the opportunity to steal 2 points under the basket.

Knights attack.

This time it was James, in the face of Artest's defense, the person was in the past, but the ball did not pass, and it was still cramping.

James rushed very hard in the first three quarters of the game, and it was normal for him to have cramps in this style of play, and in the first half of the fourth quarter, he had already twitched once, but he still held on.

By the end of the game, he couldn't hold on.

After Boozer went down, James went down again.

All of a sudden, the Pacers also lost two generals in a row, which is not a good sign for the Knights.

At this moment, Miller hit another three-pointer and tied the score directly.

At this time, Pacers fans secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but they were not at ease, although there were two main forces missing on the Cavaliers' side, and moreover, the Knight Twin Stars, the most powerful killer knights, were still one less, but because there was Cao Jian, Cao Jian stood on the court for a moment, and they could not relax.

I didn't dare to relax for a moment.

The Pacers tied the score, the Cavaliers had the ball, and Cao Jian still held the ball.

As soon as Cao Jian took the ball, the boos next to the stadium overflowed, and some extreme fans even pointed to Cao Jian, who was holding the ball and dribbling through the half, and roared: "Stop him." ”

"Stop him for me!"

Cao Jian's 35.13 seconds, which happened yesterday, impressed them very deeply.

Pacers fans, think so, the players on the Pacers' side also think so, the eyes of Cao Jian, the main defender Cao Jian, also rushed up to defend at the first time after Cao Jian's half, sticking very tightly, not giving Cao Jian a chance.

And at this moment, Cao Jian's legs also began to disobey the call, and like James and others, Cao Jian's legs also cramped.

Although Cao Jian has good physical strength, he is not an iron man.

He also had times when he was tired, so to speak, and he was the sleepiest among the knights.

Yesterday's battle against the Pistons, he was the one who contributed the most, and he was the one who ran the most in this battle, and he was the one who scored the most, and almost all of the Cavaliers' offense was instigated by him.

Consumption is not ordinary.

Like James, he had smoked several times before, but in the end, he still pushed hard and endured.

However, this damn cramp was committed again at such a critical moment.

At this moment, Jamal is still defending so closely, Cao Jian has no way to be defended, and the white eyes suggest that Cao Jian's shooting rate at this time is only less than 10%.

Having said that, Cao Jian is at this critical moment, but he is ...... (To be continued......)