On January 12th, the focus of the league tonight was no longer about MVP ownership, but about whether Popovich, a bad old man, had left his hand in the previous game.

85-105, the Spurs defeated the Lakers at home, and the Spurs had already established the victory in the first half, and in the absence of Gasol due to injury, Duncan efficiently cut 25+13+4, single-handedly destroying the Lakers' interior line.

The Spurs had 29 assists in the game, perfect teamwork, blossoming inside and outside, the Lakers were almost helpless, and although Bryant was 7 of 10 in the first half, he scored 16 points efficiently, but it still couldn't prevent the Lakers from trailing by 14 points at halftime.

As a result, the second half entered garbage time very early, and the depressed Kobe Bryant stopped shooting, silently watching the people on the bench clang.

When the Lakers' rotation players saw Kobe's resolute eyes, they were so frightened that they entered the Mamba mode ahead of schedule, almost smashing the Spurs' home team's basket...

The Lakers lost, and the Thunder were of course very happy, once again widening the gap between the wins and stabilizing their position in the first place in the West.

Li Ze saw the interview clip of Popovich after the game, and he was speechless, this bad old man didn't say a word of truth.

"The Spurs are going to Russia City next game to challenge the Thunder away, and the Thunder have an injury situation on the inside, will you still choose to rest Duncan?"

The media reporter who did the matter asked a more pointed question after the game, the league has always discouraged rotational rest, after all, the audience buys tickets to see the star, but Popovich has always gone his own way, and all kinds of injury reasons have been used almost all over again.

'Duncan is still going to start, he's in great form and of course, as you know, playing away from home, there's always going to be some downside, and I just want my players to be healthy."

Popovich talked a set of scenes, ignoring the provocations of the reporters at all, and did not say a word of rotation, he did not want to pay the fine directly.

When Li Ze saw this, he was also a little unsure of Popovich's personnel arrangement, and always felt that the other party was going to do something, this game with the Lakers was not very expensive, and everyone didn't like to lose to the same team in a row.

"I hope this bad old man will take Duncan off quickly, so that the game will be much better!"

Li Ze saw the post-game news report of the Spurs, and couldn't help but pray silently in his heart that as long as he beat the Spurs, Kostic would almost be able to come back, and the games would be much easier to play in the future.

There is no meat shield inside line these years, and I really can't withstand the impact of these star power forwards and centers in the west.

On January 13th, in the afternoon of the Thunder team's training session, Durant was in high spirits, not in a good state, the basket was as wide as the sea, how to shoot and how to score.

In the MVP candidate list, Durant ranked 3rd with his outstanding performance, if nothing else, he can continue to win the best award this week, people are in good spirits at happy events, and Durant's state has naturally improved a lot.

"The media has finally added Kevin to the MVP ranks, and if we can play well, maybe Kevin can really win this award."

Jeff Green, as a die-hard supporter of Durant, certainly has to blow up for his boss at this time and brush up on his presence in the locker room.

"Actually, ESPN, on the other hand, has been making high-profile claims lately that Kayce will win the MVP, these media are really boring, if the record is similar, I think the league will definitely award the MVP award to LeBron James, and it may also be awarded to Kobe Bryant."

"It's hard for a rookie to get this award, but it's a shame that Kayce's All-Star votes are in third place in the Western backcourt."

Turtle Turtle also has to help his good brother Li Ze build momentum, which is related to the position of the team's boss.

"Okay, just move your body, Kostic won't play in the evening's game, the medical team advised him to rest for a few more days, so, tonight we will continue the rotation of the last game, come on, boys!"

Coach Brooks didn't talk much about the tactical arrangement, but simply announced the rotation for tonight's game, and the coaching staff was ready to lose against the in-form Spurs.

Li Ze noticed that the mood of the coaching staff was not high, and he could only sigh helplessly in his heart:

"Hopefully the Spurs will really rotate their roster tonight!"

Time flies quickly, in the evening, the Russian City fans entered the Ford Center Arena early, this is the last game of 4 consecutive home games, the Thunder team has a 2-1 record, which the Russian City fans are very satisfied, after all, the team has injured two interior players!

The Celestial Empire on the other side of the ocean, today is Thursday, Sina Sports broadcast the game, which is called a strong dialogue by the media, before the game, the host Ke Xiaofan and guest Yang Yi are also discussing the topic of the Spurs defeating the Lakers.

"The Lakers are in very good shape this season, they were second in the West, only two wins behind the Thunder, but they lost to the Spurs in the last game, Mr. Yang, do you think the Spurs have any hope of winning the championship this season?"

The host Ke Xiaofan helped the Spurs fans ask a question that everyone is concerned about.

"The Spurs are really getting better and better, but it's a little early to talk about championships! A large part of the Lakers' loss was due to Gasol's failure to play, which had too much impact on the Lakers' offensive and defensive ends. ”

"If the Spurs want to break out of the West, not to mention the Lakers, even if they face this young Thunder team, it is enough for the Spurs to drink a pot, the GDP combination is very powerful, but Jefferson did not play the expected effect, he did not contribute his outside firepower on the offensive end."

Yang Yi is not very optimistic about the Spurs this season, each team in the West has its own characteristics and strength, and it is obvious that the Spurs have not crushed the hard power of other teams.

"Since Mr. Yang mentioned the personnel problem, let's talk about whether the Thunder can add an interior player before the trade deadline, Mr. Yang, do you think this is possible? Personally, I think the Thunder are just short of a big man with a basket. ”

Regarding the issue of personnel replenishment, the fans of the Celestial Empire have long been discussing it hotly, and even the enthusiastic Thunder fans have also provided four or five trading plans, and the host Ke Xiaofan's question is also a concern of many fans.

"Haha, tell you the truth! It's hard for the Thunder to make personnel changes, and I don't even think the coaching staff expected that their results would be so good in the new season that personnel trading would be almost impossible, but we can continue to look forward to Li Ze's performance. ”

"In fact, everyone can see that Li Ze is constantly improving, in the first few games, that explosive style of play, fast passing, slamming and rushing is almost invisible, this is not to say that Li Ze's ability has declined, but he has adapted to the rhythm of the NBA game."

"Li Ze is playing with ease now, his control of the rhythm of the game, and his choice of personal offense have made significant progress, so our fans don't have to look forward to the adjustment of the Thunder team's personnel, Li Ze can stay healthy and play more and more, which is the team's biggest gain."

The host Ke Xiaofan really didn't expect that it was obviously discussing the issue of personnel transactions, but it turned out to be Yang Yi's commendation meeting for Li Ze, and he was stunned for a moment, did he really confiscate the money...

"I agree with Mr. Yang, although it is difficult for rookies to win the MVP, I hope Li Ze can be successfully selected for the best team this season, and I believe this is also something that many fans are looking forward to."

"The starting lists of the two teams in front have come out, although it is a back-to-back game, but Coach Popovich did not choose to rest the main players this time, and the last time they lost the game, the Spurs are estimated to go all out in this game."

"Head coach Popovich continued the starting lineup from the last game against the Lakers, with Tony Parker and Keith Bogans in the starting backcourt, Richard Jefferson and DeJuan Blair at front, and Tim Duncan at center."

"On the Thunder's side, Kostic is still not back, Russell Westbrook and Li Ze in the backcourt, Kevin Durant and Sergi Ibaka in the front, and Nick Collison in the center."

The host Ke Xiaofan quickly introduced the starting lineups of the two sides.

"The Spurs do have a very strong lineup, the last time the two teams met, the game was not decided until the end of the fourth quarter, to see if the Thunder can still play their offense, it is difficult for them to limit Duncan's play on the defensive end."

Yang Yi also briefly commented on the starters of both sides, and seeing that Popovich did not take turns to rest Duncan, he knew that the Spurs must have prepared seriously for this game.

In the final warm-up stage before the game, Li Ze saw the Spurs' lineup of one big and four small, and felt a little helpless, the opponent must have encountered cover again and directly changed the defense, such a defensive strategy is indeed very effective for the Thunder team.

"Don't worry, guys, I'm hot tonight, we're going to win this game!"

Durant is a little inflated, after all, he has rushed to the third place on the MVP candidate list, the media touted, the fans praised, he even feels that he is omnipotent, directly incarnated as a contemporary Jordan.

"We're going to be a little bit more patient tonight and be mindful of the opposition's defense."

Before going on the court, Li Ze briefly reminded his teammates that unlike the previous abuse, the Spurs are not soft persimmons, and since Popovich's bad old man has chosen to play in the main force, he will definitely not simply paddle.

The referee motioned for both players to come to the center of the court, and Ibaka and Duncan prepared to jump the ball in the center circle.

"At the beginning of the game, Duncan jumped to the ball for the Spurs, and after Parker dribbled across the halfcourt, he immediately gave the ball to Duncan in the waist position."

After Duncan received the ball, the others cleared one side, Parker quickly cut along the baseline, the turtle's defense was very focused, closely following Parker, Duncan noticed that there was no passing opportunity, and after the three threats, he immediately jumped and shot.

"Whew...", a steady hit from mid-range.

Ibaka was a little helpless, he didn't dare to go too far forward, because Duncan could really pass him in one step, and after the opponent's three threats, his defensive center of gravity instinctively shifted back, and as a result, he could only watch Duncan shoot easily.

Ibaka is destined to be taught a good lesson by Duncan in this game...

The Thunder quickly sent the baseline ball, and after the turtle dribbled through the half, it was found that the Spurs were still the same defensive strategy as before, and quickly changed defenses after covering, and after a few runs without the ball, the Thunder team never got an easy chance to shoot.

At this time, Li Ze and Ibaka made a cross-cover of the bottom line, and De Juan Blair switched over and pushed Li Ze desperately outward, but Li Ze still successfully received the ball near the paint area with the bonus of the [Card Master] badge.

After receiving the ball with his back, Li Ze took advantage of the situation, turned around dexterously, got rid of Hood Blair's defense, and accelerated the breakthrough along the baseline with the ball in his left hand, noticing that Duncan had returned to the defensive basket, and with a flick of his wrist, he gave the unguarded Collison.

After the latter received the ball, he quickly threw his right hand and hit the two-point ball steadily.

"Roar!"

The crowd at Ford Center immediately cheered, the team scored, and everyone sat down to watch.

"Li Ze's ball is really powerful! Everyone pay attention to his action of turning around and wiping the bottom line after receiving the ball with his back, which is very similar to Jordan, the rookie has such a skill, it is incredible, ESPN has always said that Li Ze is Jordan's successor, this statement is really not an exaggeration! ”

Yang Yi was full of firepower, and the first goal of the opening game was blown violently against Li Ze, and the host Ke Xiaofan couldn't interject on the side, he really couldn't answer it, he blew it too much, and he must be black...

The Spurs' offense, all the tactics started from Duncan's point, playing in the low post, cutting without the ball, covering the upline hand, Duncan's all-round skills, making the Thunder's defense stretched, and Collison was about to be blown up.

Coupled with Parker's fast break after blocking and dismantling, he can always tear apart the Thunder's interior defense, and after more than three minutes of the opening game, 12-4, the Spurs hit all the shots, and the Thunder's offense also had problems.

The defensive strategy of switching defenses on cover makes Durant have defenders in front of him every time, and it is difficult to have empty opportunities after covering, and as in the last meeting, no three-point shots are given, and the Spurs accept Durant's mid-range pull-up jump shot.

And Durant faced the Spurs' forward line, and after the opening, he continued to play iron, and it was obvious that he had not adjusted from the abuse mode, and several shots were not in the offensive rhythm.

Coach Brooks saw that the situation on the court was not good, and immediately called a timeout.

"Guys, be patient, we have to find better shots, get the ball through, Spurs are a mature team, don't oversimplify the game."

"Kayce, control the tempo of the attack, we have to play smarter! We're going to find holes in the opponent's defense, don't think about ending the game quickly, come on, boys! ”

Coach Brooks didn't emphasize too much tactical play, and this timeout was just so that everyone could calm down and quickly adjust their mentality, and the opponent was not a fish belly team.

After the timeout, the Thunder attacked, Li Ze made an offensive gesture, and after the double cover of Ibaka and Collisson, Li Ze received the ball smoothly, facing Hudan Blair, who had switched defenses, and gave a look at Durant in the bottom corner while holding the ball.

When Durant moved to the line, Li Ze saw the opportunity and passed the ball in advance, and the moving Durant broke through in an instant after receiving the ball, pulled back with the ball in his right hand while he was moving, and made a jump shot.

"Whew...", a steady hit from mid-range.

The efficiency of holding the ball alone is low, and Durant still has a huge advantage in the moving curl and cut the ball and shoot, after all, he is tall and has long arms, and it is difficult for Jefferson to interfere with his shots, reduce dribbling, and shoot quickly, which is what Durant should do.

Although the Thunder's offense gradually found its senses, the Spurs always played the response ball, and the margin was never narrowed.

In the remaining minutes of the first quarter, the Thunder trio was on fire, and the turtle made a quick stop jump shot after blocking and dismantling in the high position, hitting a solid shot from mid-range, and turning around, Parker did the same, with the help of Duncan's block, and responded quickly with two points.

Li Ze faced Jefferson who changed the defense outside the three-point line, dribbled back with his left hand, changed his right hand to the crotch backwards, and dribbled behind his left hand with a large amount, pretending to break through, making Jefferson's defensive center of gravity move back, exert force under his feet, and quickly retreat and jump shot.

The three-point shot hollowed into the net.

The Spurs attacked, scored and played continuously, broke through the ball, and after Manu Ginobili, who was replaced on the court, he shook off Li Ze with a realistic feint, and after taking a step outside the three-point line, he immediately jumped and shot.

"Hmmm...", the response ball is easily scored.

Durant came out to cover and catch the ball, accelerated his breakthrough with the ball in his left hand, suddenly dribbled behind his back in the middle of the journey, and scored two points on a pull-up jumper.

But the Spurs served the ball quickly and passed it directly to Duncan in the low post after halftime, who faced Collison's defense, relied on two hits, and then turned and made a layup.

The two sides went back and forth and hit extremely high shooting percentages, but the Thunder were never able to close the gap, and by the end of the first quarter, the Spurs had an eight-point lead at 35-27.

During the intermission, in the Sina studio, the hosts Ke Xiaofan and Yang Yi also adjusted their tones, the game was really good-looking, and the previous commentaries of the two couldn't help but be a little excited, and they simply calmed down their mood at this time.

"The Spurs are too powerful, the Thunder three less Bang Bang scored in the second half of the quarter, and the momentum has already risen, but he was forced back by the GDP three, or a defensive problem, the Thunder team really can't prevent Duncan inside, otherwise this game will definitely catch up."

Yang Yi began to brag about the Spurs' GDP combination this time, and the Spurs' methodical offense is indeed worthy of praise.

"I have to praise the Thunder trio, it was really too strong, it didn't start well, and then quickly adjusted, Li Ze read the Spurs' defense, and then slowly found the opponent's weak point, and used his athleticism to crush the Spurs' outside line."

"Li Ze also showed his ability in the first quarter of the game, no matter who defends, one-on-one can't limit him, the dribbling rhythm is really good, slow and fast, full of feints, just this ability, you have to enter the All-Star Game!"

After the host Ke Xiaofan saw the NBA league announcing the paper voting data for the third phase, he began to continue to hold grievances for Li Ze, it is obvious that there are unspoken rules in this!

"Haha, don't talk about it, let's stop this topic, after all, the votes on our side won't be counted, otherwise there will be no suspense at all, Li Ze is the all-star vote king, let's continue to watch the game!"

Yang Yi also came to a strange sentence, secretly satirizing the voting rules of the NBA league.

At the intermission, everyone on the Thunder bench looked serious, and the feeling of this game was very bad, and the Spurs used their excellent defensive rotation and skillful offensive coordination to steadily suppress the Thunder.

"Fack, I don't believe they're going to be that accurate the whole game!"

Durant scolded a little depressedly, he really didn't expect that the Spurs responded with all the balls.

"Hard to say! I had a bad premonition. ”

Li Ze looked helpless, smiled wryly and complained.

"I don't believe they have the stamina to keep up this kind of defense, they just finished a back-to-back game against the Lakers!"

Turtle is still full of energy and energy, and he believes that the Thunder will definitely turn the game over and play at home, and they have a physical advantage.

But NBA games, sometimes it's so magical, once the other party finds the rhythm of the game, then they will not be able to stop, the Spurs are like this game, and the rest of the time is directly crazy!

Duncan's mid-range and basket continued to score, and Parker and Ginobili's three-pointers continued to bloom inside and out, and after a wave of the game in the second quarter, the difference came to 16 points.

Just hit a few irons in a row in the second half of the second quarter, and the game was directly gone, Li Ze was also a little dazed, and he collapsed too quickly, he didn't even react...

When the Spurs took a big lead, the game was basically closed, the Thunder fought back several times to no avail, and in the end, the time ran out, 110-96, the Spurs successfully got revenge and easily defeated the Thunder away.

After the game, Coach Brooks smiled wryly and hugged Popovich, and the Thunder's coaching staff had little choice but to watch the team lose.

"Greg, I wish you had Duncan rest this game, you played so well!"

Coach Brooks has also turned on the business blow mode.

"The Thunder are just affected by injuries, your players are very physical, and honestly, I love the way Lee plays, he's such a genius!"

After the win, Popovich coach chess was in a good mood, and the two of them exchanged harmonious business blows on the sidelines, in summary, hello, hello, everyone...

After the Thunder lost to the Spurs, they seemed to have eaten Xuanmai and couldn't stop at all, and when they went to Dallas to challenge the Mavericks, they were once again broken down by the opponent's violent three-point shot.

Kidd, Barria, Terry, Nowitzki can each make three-pointers.

Ibaka is very bitter in his heart, Nowitzki is simply not a person, mid-range, three-point shot, breakthrough with the ball, back-to-back singles, a fancy attack, and there is no scum left of his explosion.

101-112, the Mavericks were at home, shot the Thunder, and successfully got revenge.

The biggest reason for the Thunder's loss is that the defense is stretched, and the interior defense is really unbearable, but there is good news, Kostic can come back in the next game.

In both games, Durant scored 30+, and after playing the Mavericks on the road, the Thunder flew back to Russian City overnight, and they will face the Heat at home in the next game.

Durant, who came home late at night, had some difficulty sleeping, and in desperation, he had to brush his YouTube pipe and look at his sister's paper, but when he saw ESPN's basketball channel, he couldn't help but click on a video discussing MVP.

"Durant can't lead the Thunder to victory, he's not a qualified leader, and even, his high scoring is hurting the team!"

When Durant saw this, he immediately scolded angrily:

"Falk squid! Scoring can't help the team? Can this also be black? ”