On the night of May 19, with the Clippers beating the Spurs by 21 points, Amerika's ball critics finally shouted the classic slogan:

"Clippers championship!"

The huge point difference shows the dominance of the Clippers, and sports reporters from all walks of life are also a little incredulous, after all, in the Western Conference semifinals, the Spurs played too well!

Is it the Thunder team? Or is the Clippers too strong?

Everyone couldn't say why for a while, so at the post-game press conference, everyone enthusiastically asked Coach Popovich questions:

"We noticed that the Spurs were already trailing by 12 points in the first quarter, can you talk about the defensive strategy that the team developed in this game?"

Popovich, who was in a bad mood, heard such a question and immediately replied:

"It's a strategy we set up before the game, and the reason why it didn't work was probably because we didn't follow through with our defensive strategy."

The ESPN reporter seemed to hear Popovich's voiceover and immediately asked with interest:

"In the next game, will the Spurs continue to follow the defensive strategy they did tonight and continue to flank Kayce?"

"We'll go back and re-watch the footage, and as for the tactical choice, you can pay attention to the game the day after tomorrow."

The media can't wait, even if they make something out of nothing, they have to follow the trend.

Compared with what happened to the Spurs, the Clippers who won by a big score were unanimously praised by critics!

Chris Paul was 7-of-15 from the field, including 1-of-3 from three-point range and 3-of-4 from the free-throw line, with 18 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal and 2 turnovers.

Griffin was 12-of-19 from the field and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line for 29 points, nine rebounds, one assist, three blocks and three turnovers.

The two attended the press conference with Li Ze after the game, and in the face of crazy praise from various sports media, the two of them were still relatively strict and did not say anything excessive.

G1 may be a test for both sides.

Li Ze and Griffin were not asked strange questions, but the media dragged Paul down.

"Paul, if you continue to reach the Finals this year, this will be your second meeting with LeBron James! If you defeat your opponent again, will it affect your intimacy? ”

Paul, dressed in a gray suit, was asked a question mark, this is the press conference of the Western Conference Finals, and he came up and helped him loan a division championship

"I haven't thought about these issues yet, and I'm completely focused on the Western Conference Finals right now!"

The media reporters at the scene burst out laughing, and what was even more outrageous was that some sports media also took the opportunity to ask Paul about LeBron James' offseason selection

If there is no hot spot, then create one out of nothing!

On May 20, America's sports media still helped the Clippers loan a championship, and everyone directly bragged.

For an entire day, the toss and turns were about the dominance of the Clippers.

On the evening of the 20th, the Eastern Conference Finals, the Heat and Pacers G2 officially started.

Coach Vogel desperately needed to protect the home team, and the main team of the night was dead, and all four players in the starting line-up, except for David West, played more than 40 minutes

In the end, it was the Heat who won, 87:83, after the game, Jammy was relieved, and the Pacers brought their own crotch pull buff

Wade played well, shooting 10-of-16 from the field and finishing with 23 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 turnovers.

LeBron James was 9-of-18 for 22 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 3 blocks and 3 turnovers, while Bosh was 4-of-9 for 9 and finished with just nine points.

Winning the game and grinning, after the game, everyone didn't mention the previous mockery of the Heat, and once again frantically sent praise.

On May 21st, the NBA league announced the best defensive team in the 2013~2014 season, and a team of 5 people were:

Li Ze, Chris Paul, Paul George, Sergi Ibaka, Joaquin Noah.

The five people in the second formation are:

Patrick Beverley, Jimmy Butler, Kawhi Leonard, LeBron James, Roy Hibbert.

After the list was announced, it immediately caused an uproar, and LeBron James actually fell to the best defensive second team?

"Shady, absolutely shady!"

On Reddit, Jamie frantically complained about the results of the poll, and the TNT reporter who smelled the big news even found LeBron James:

"LeBron, can you talk about not being selected to the All-Defensive Team this year?"

Hearing the TNT reporter's question, James was a little powerless to complain, and the offensive and defensive ends reached full output, what else should he do?

"I don't care about the results, I'm completely focused on the Eastern Conference Finals at the moment!"

Compared to LeBron James, Chris Paul is in a good mood and is once again named to the All-Defensive First Team, which can not only activate some add-ons, but also solidify his position as the league's No. 1 point guard.

In the alliance, no one can escape the word fame and fortune

On May 21, the Western Conference Finals G2 officially began.

The media in Los Angeles have been celebrating the success of Li Ze and Paul in the defensive team for the past two days, and the title of the league's strongest backcourt has once again been thrown on the heads of the two.

In the night's game, Coach Popovich completely changed his previous defensive strategy.

Although Li Ze will still be included in individual rounds, the Spurs will use Leonard alone defense most of the time.

At the end of the first half, the two sides were tied at 50-51, with the Clippers leading by just one point.

Unlike the Clippers, the Spurs began to change players frequently in the next games, and even gave many opportunities directly to Jordan Jr.

With 3:36 left in the third quarter, Chris Paul once again fought Jordan Jr. with a high pick-and-roll.

In this round, the Spurs suddenly wrapped, Split's delay was very large, and Paul, who was holding the ball in his right hand, faced such a defense, first accelerated the dribble, came to the right elbow area of the free throw line, and immediately sent a high throw pass!

Before little Jordan could eat the cake, he was pulled down by Duncan, who had switched up.

"Squeak!"

The referee immediately signaled for a hand-handling foul, and Jordan Jr. made two free throws.

"Shh

The fans at the scene were very dissatisfied, everyone wanted to see a wonderful open dunk, and no one wanted to see Jordan Jr.'s free throws.

Taking a deep breath, Jordan Jr., who was standing at the free throw line, kept making shooting movements, and finally lost both free throws.

The rebound was protected by Split, and the Spurs halted the Clippers' scoring momentum.

In the next few rounds, the Spurs, who expanded their rotation, began to foul Jordan Jr. frequently, and the referee blew the whistle continuously, and the game was blown to pieces.

Coach De Nagro frowned as he looked at Jordan Jr., who was constantly standing on the free throw line, and after a few rounds, the Spurs actually overtook the score.

At 70:66, relying on Jordan Jr.'s consecutive free throws, the Spurs quietly led by 4 points.

In the next two minutes, the Spurs were still fouling, but fortunately, Jordan Jr. hit one of two free throws, and the shooting rate began to rise, and the Spurs played iron themselves, and the difference remained at 4 points.

Li Ze on the court already felt that something was wrong, and the Spurs finally hit a tough response after taking the lead.

Seeing that Popovich was about to send Jordan Jr. to the free throw line, Coach De Nagro finally couldn't stand it anymore and was forced to rotate and replace Tucker with a big and four small lineup.

After that, the Spurs also took advantage of the situation to replace Split and took Dior, who was also one big and four small.

After conceding two more rounds of backcourt rebounds, the margin quietly came to 6 points.

When Jordan Jr. came on the court, he was directly fouled, and at the end of the third quarter, Matt Bonner, who played 4 minutes, directly contributed four fouls

At Staples Arena, fans began to boo the Spurs' defensive strategy, it was so ugly! On top of that, Jordan Jr.'s free throws were really pulling.

In a single quarter, 12 free throws were 4 hits, relying on the tactics of slashing Jordan Jr., after three quarters of the game, 80:74, the Spurs overtook the score.

In the final quarter of the game, the Clippers' rotation became shorter and shorter, and head coach De Nagro tried to increase the playing time of the main lineup and chase the difference.

On the Spurs' side, Popovich continued to make personnel adjustments, always maintaining a large area of rotation, so that the main lineup could get enough rest.

Jordan Jr. sat on the bench with a depressed face, and at the most critical moment of the game, Coach De Nagro chose a small lineup.

But the 4-point difference was maintained until the end, 112:108, and the Spurs, who were playing away, stole a victory.

The game kicks off at 21 o'clock in the evening, but it is almost 23 o'clock at the end of the game

Coach Popovich smiled after the game and shook hands with Coach De Nagro with a smile.

After watching this game, the sports media at the scene all looked at each other, and this is a win?

On the commentary bench of ESPN on the spot, Jeff Van Gundy looked at the technical statistics in his hand, and was also a little speechless, the Spurs played averagely, but the Clippers, who lost the offensive rhythm, also failed to play well.

"If you look at it from an ornamental point of view, this game is definitely not qualified, but the Spurs have done their job, 1-1, they have taken the initiative."

"After lowering the height, Duncan performed even better, shooting 8-of-13, cutting 21 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 block and 1 turnover."

"Leonard didn't shoot very well, but he cut inside in a row, 5-of-16, 8-of-10 free throws, and got 18 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 turnovers."

"Coach Popovich seems to have found a way to win!"

Commentator Mike Brin noticed that the Spurs were 31-of-37 from the free-throw line and the Clippers were 23-of-36 from the free-throw line, and finally shook his head with a smile and said:

"But the fans definitely don't like a game like this, and the boos at Staples Arena rang out all tonight."

After the game, in the locker room of the Clippers, everyone's eyes were straight, this game was not only free throws, but also 7 of 23 from beyond the three-point line, Li Ze and Ray Allen combined 7 of 12, and other teammates 0 of 11.

Li Ze no longer looks at the technical statistics, Jordan Jr. has tried his best in 6 of 16 free throws, and the loss is just a problem with the details of the game.

"The playoffs start with a win away from home, go to the road, win a game and we'll get the initiative back!"

"Andrew, don't think too much, at least you let Matt Bonner and Aaron Baines both get off the court with six fouls, didn't you?"

Hearing Li Ze's words, little Jordan, who was sitting in his position obediently, pulled out a reluctant smile, but as long as he made the free throws on time, the game would have been over.

As soon as the game ended, the Los Angeles media immediately bombarded the Spurs, and the column of Fox Sports immediately updated an article:

Ugly Victory! 》

Clippers fans scolded the Spurs for playing a free throw game and no one likes to watch 1 point!

But the Spurs don't care about this after the win, and after more than two days of rest, the old men who took back the initiative will not give up easily, and it is predictable that after returning to the home court, the Spurs will still adopt the same strategy

On May 22, the NBA league announced the best players in the 2013~2014 season, and the five members of the first team were:

Chris Paul, Li Ze, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Blake Griffin;

The five members of the second squad are:

Stephen Curry, James Harden, Kevin Love, Joakim Noah, Dwight Howard;

The five members of the third squad are:

Tony Parker, Damian Lillard, Paul George, LaMarcus Aldridge, Al Jefferson.

In the best team, Wade and Bosh are no longer there, and at the same time, the 96 golden generation has officially gone offline with Kobe's injury.

The league seems to have entered a new era, and the players of the class of '09 are starting to make their mark.

Except for some dissatisfaction from the Heat fans, the best team is well deserved.

However, Amerika's sports media are more concerned about the follow-up Western Conference Finals at this time, and on TNT's show, host Ernnie Johnson began to talk about the tactics used by the Spurs in the last game:

"Shaq, I think you're going to have a way to deal with free throws, how do you think the Clippers should adjust?"

O'Neal seemed to have something funny in mind, and spoke in a slightly mocking tone about Jordan Jr.'s performance:

"As I said a long time ago, the center must have the ability to attack independently, and it is very simple to deal with free throws, in addition to scoring the ball, try to complete the attack as much as possible, and 2+0 is much better than two free throws."

"It's a shame that Andrew Jordan doesn't have that kind of dominance, so the Spurs can feel free to make bold fouls, and the easiest way for the Clippers to deal with this kind of tactic is to replace this big man with rough skills."

Charles Barkley immediately agreed and took over:

"I've said a lot long ago that the Clippers don't have a lot of dominance on the inside, and taking PJ Tucker and strengthening the backcourt rebounding protection will be the only way for the Clippers."

"At the same time, I don't think Coach De Nagro is going to stick with Andrew Jordan."

Kenny Smith heard the two of them's point of view, but shook his head:

"The Clippers need rebounding, and only with rebounding can they switch offense, and Jordan Jr. is a very important part!"

Kayce scored 35 points on 12-of-20 shooting, including 5-of-9 three-pointers and 6-of-6 free throws, and as things stand, he needs to take over the game as soon as possible.

"If you can take the lead at half-time, a lot of problems will be solved, and of course, it is not ruled out that Coach Popovich has used such tactics from the beginning."

Hearing Kenny Smith tease, the three of them immediately burst into laughter, if they really fouled at the beginning, maybe the referee couldn't see it.

On May 24, the Clippers set off for San Antonio, and tomorrow night, the Western Conference Finals G3 officially begins.

On the plane, everyone on the Clippers looked serious, and after losing a home court, everyone was very nervous.

If tomorrow night's game loses again, then the series score will come to 1:2, and G4 will become a life-and-death battle.

Coach De Nagro ultimately chose to shorten Jordan Jr.'s playing time, and Jordan Jr.'s free throw shooting percentage will not suddenly rise, and the coaching staff's reaction was half a beat slower in the last game.

In the subsequent games, as long as the Spurs frequently foul Jordan Jr., the Clippers will take advantage of the situation to replace the small lineup.

Li Ze still looks relaxed, as long as he wins an away game, the battle of Tianwang Mountain will return to Los Angeles!

Towards the end of the season, the badges on his body also ushered in a bumper harvest, and after the last game, Li Ze once again harvested two purple badges.

Achievement Badge [Sticky Hands] :(can be fused)

Enhance the ability to receive difficult passes and quickly place the ball on the floor, and enhance the shooting rate of direct shots after receiving difficult passes, reducing the impact of frontal defenders.

Achievement Badge [Defensive Deterrence] :(Fusion)

Deter opposing offensive players, make them more likely to miss, reduce the physical exertion of defensive actions, and increase the chance of players blocking frontally.

Li Ze, who was watching the gossip magazine, soon heard Griffin's complaint that he had turned into lemon essence:

"The winds in the media have changed too quickly, and they have started to advocate for the Heat again in the past two days."

"These reporters know that they go around LeBron James in circles, and they have never won a championship, but they are always the focus of the league."

Matt Barnes heard Griffin's words and immediately jokingly said:

"If you're a player this summer, the media will be going around you in circles, and honestly, even I'm very curious about James' options."

"Chris, should we try to recruit LeBron in the offseason, we actually lack an All-Star No. 3 spot!"

Paul smiled and waved his hand, and then said solemnly:

"LeBron is going to be the number one in the team, and most of the teams in the league will raise their hands in welcome, but we don't lack a core."

Li Ze also took over with a smile, and said in the same seriousness:

"I don't mind teaming up with LeBron, but given the reviews, I don't think the Clippers are the other side's choice."

When it comes to LeBron James's comments in recent years, everyone in the Clippers team shows a smile that we understand, if he fails to join the Clippers in a row, then James will definitely explode his reputation.

If you can't play, you can join, and the fans won't support such a player

On the evening of the 24th, the Eastern Conference semifinals G3 officially started, and the Heat, who returned to their home court, taught the Pacers a lesson.

At 87:99, the Heat easily defeated their opponents, and the series score came to 2:1.

However, for Coach Spo, although he won, Bosh was injured, and considering the team's overstretched interior, the Heat's coaching staff was a little overhead for a while.

On the night of the 24th, at the AT Center Arena, Spurs fans shouted excitedly.

The Clippers launched a frantic comeback in the fourth quarter, with Li Ze hitting consecutive shots, and Leonard continued to respond.

Contrary to everyone's expectations, in this game, the GDP combination performed a stretch, but Leonard carried the team's offense.

Back at home, the Spurs' whistle was immediately much looser, and compared to G2's frequent whistles, G3 almost didn't blow to the death

Seeing that the margin was back to four points, Coach De Nagro called for another timeout.

Praying for an opponent's mistake at a critical moment is an unreliable thing in itself.

With the Spurs defending, completely draining the Clippers' timeout, the game finally ended.

At 96:100, the Spurs playing at home went to the next game, and the series score came to 1:2.

Spurs fans screamed with excitement, this year the team is more mature, as long as they win one more game, they will get match point!

After the game, the players on both sides briefly greeted each other, and Li Ze walked back to the players' tunnel with the Clippers.

The Clippers didn't have much room to adjust, dropped in height, didn't have the rebounding advantage, and had no problem with their tactics, but they couldn't get the ball to the basket for two consecutive games from the outside.

patted Little Jordan, who only played for 26 minutes in this game, Li Ze walked to the locker room with a calm expression, but he thought helplessly:

"In the end, I still need a few bloody C!"

Thank you all for your subscription support~

At night, it is still a double watch~

By the end of the month, there was no manuscript in storage.

In February, I will strive to save more manuscripts, and when I double the monthly pass, I will be in the double watch~

(End of chapter)