It's May, and the NBA playoffs have experienced the first round of fighting, and half of the teams have been swept out, becoming the first backdrop of the year.

The Clippers and Mavericks fought six games, which was a surprise, but the final result was still as expected.

Anyway, the Clippers were prone to napping in the first round, and they lost to the Jazz in the first round last year, and only began to become unstoppable in the second round.

The Clippers' opponent in the second round was the San Antonio Spurs, who easily eliminated the Memphis Grizzlies with a score of 4:1 in the first round, once again showing people the old spiciness of the Black and White Army.

The Grizzlies were originally full of ambition this year and wanted to show their skills in the playoffs, but they didn't know that the Spurs, an old immortal, were still an obstacle for most teams.

Last year, the Spurs were eliminated by the Grizzlies, and Duncan, who was one year older, was dead, although Griffin overtook Duncan in terms of statistics, but looking at the role of the game, you can find that Griffin's game influence is still not as good as that of the aging Duncan.

Last year, the two sides endured a hard-fought tie-break in the first round, and this year the Spurs learned their lesson and used a sharper offense to make the Grizzlies dizzy and unable to fight back.

In the case of the Spurs' lack of talent, Popovich tried his best to squeeze the last surplus value of GDP on the one hand, and on the other hand, he made every effort to tap the potential in tactics, tacit understanding, and cooperation.

They are like an old airplane with insufficient engine thrust, and they can only work the aerodynamic layout and control software, striving for a small horse-drawn cart and a small machine pushing a large machine.

The Clippers are very different from the Spurs, they have too much thrust, especially at the forward position, which makes Popovich cry in his mouth.

Not to mention Leonard, George and Butler, even if the Clippers are willing to give the Spurs a PJ Tucker, Popovich will be very happy to be able to make up for the Spurs' lack of defensive ability at the No. 3 position.

There is nothing wrong with playing the Grizzlies in the first round, the Grizzlies' attack power at the No. 3 position is not good, Tony Allen, if you let him attack, he may not be able to score.

But the Clippers? To be honest, Popovich couldn't think of any way to beat the Clippers in a series before the game, and there was already a gap in hard power between the two sides.

If Duncan can be 10 years younger, Popovich can still try to use defensive battles and quagmire tactics to drag the series into a slow-paced abyss and survive the Clippers with hard fighting.

But the Spurs themselves can't go back, they don't look back on the road of acceleration and offense, and they can't play like they did in the past championship period.

On May 4, the Spurs arrived in Los Angeles to prepare for the game the day after tomorrow.

And tonight, there is one more game in the Staples Center, and that is the Lakers facing the Warriors at home.

The first round of the two sides is not over, and the two teams have played all the way to the tiebreaker, and the Lakers, who are ranked third, were forced to a desperate situation by the Golden State Warriors.

In the evening, the game between the Warriors and the Lakers is about to begin, because it is a tie-break battle, and the audience is full tonight.

But compared to the past, there is obviously no such starry light on the sidelines, and there are not many celebrities in Los Angeles.

There are only a few hardcore Lakers fans, and there are almost no new stars who want to use the Lakers game to get on camera.

The Lakers handed out yellow T-shirts to fans at the scene to unify the color of clothing to support the Lakers to win the tie-break.

This is a very common operation at the home court of other teams, but at the home court of the Lakers, it is an unprecedented first.

As Hollywood's show-time corps, what is particular about is a bells and whistles, competing on the sidelines, and you can wear whatever you want.

This kind of "low-end" behavior of fans uniformly T-shirts has always been the work of small cities and small teams.

For example, the Pacers, Thunder, and Warriors like to unify their outfits to create atmosphere at home.

Big city teams, such as the New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, and Chicago Bulls, don't bother to do that.

The Lakers are doing this to show that the management is trying to unite the hearts of the fans and gain the support of more Los Angeles fans.

This season, the Lakers' regular season attendance and support rate are not bad, after all, the third place in the West, led by Paul, Joe Johnson, Iguodala, Lopez and other powerful factions, plus deep history, die-hard fans all over the world are countless.

If the Clippers are still the same as they used to be, then the Lakers can still sit back and relax and continue to dominate the Los Angeles area, even if it is a few bad seasons.

But the Clippers rose rapidly and entered a glorious state, with three consecutive championships just around the corner, the Lakers' market share in Los Angeles gradually declining, and a strong sense of crisis loomed over the Buss family.

This season, there have been several voices within the Buss family to sell the Lakers' shares, but Jeanie Buss has always opposed it, and frequently appeared in the media to stand up for the Lakers and the Buss family, hoping to firmly bind the Buss family and the Lakers brand.

It's just that from inside to outside the Lakers, there are always several powerful forces that want to sell this biggest NBA sign to change the owner to maximize value.

It's been the toughest season for the Lakers, and if they can survive this season, last two more seasons, play some great results, and develop one or two bright new stars, then the Buss family can continue to stand on their feet.

Otherwise, the capital predators who are eyeing each other will definitely find an opportunity to make a move and swallow this huge piece of fat.

Before the game began, in a VIP box in the Stamp Center, Min Congda and two old men sat on the sofa waiting for the jump ball.

The two old men, one is Mike Dunleavy, the team advisor of the Clippers, and the other is Greg Popovich, the coach and manager of the Spurs.

Popovich found Min Congda through Dunleavy and said that he wanted to watch the game together at the Stamp Center tonight, Min Congda was surprised, what is this?

The two armies are about to fight, but the commander meets privately, does Popovich want to surrender?

No problem, surrender and lose half, die early and overlive.

Min Congda knew that Popovich had always been a good drinker, and since the other party came to vote, it was naturally a good drink.

He asked Christopher to bring a bottle of Robert Montavian 20-year-old Cabernet Sauvignon to entertain the general.

Min Congda poured a glass of wine for Popovich and Dunleavy for him, and Popovich smelled the Cabernet Sauvignon and knew that it was a very good wine, and took a sip very intoxicated.

"It's a great taste, Smart, and you're just as good at picking as you are at picking people." Popovich's words were slightly flattering.

Min Congda thought to himself, if you have something to say and fart, why are you complimenting me? If you want to surrender, I will take care of the Spurs according to the actual situation and not let you lose too ugly.

But Popovich took another sip and watched the game on the court have begun, the Lakers and Warriors tie-breaker, and the fans at the scene are wearing bright yellow T-shirts, which makes people feel that this is not the Stamp Center, but the Oracle Arena.

"The Lakers have even started to wear jersey-colored T-shirts at home, is this still the same Los Angeles Lakers?" Popovich sighed.

In the '00s, the Spurs and Lakers were old rivals in the West, and the battle between the two teams continued throughout the last era, when the West was basically a Lake-Horse rivalry.

The two teams have divided 11 Western Conference championships in 12 years, this number is very terrifying, don't look at the stars in the 00s in the eyes of many fans, in fact, the West is ruled by the Lakers and horses, and many stars struggle for a lifetime, either to die by the Lakers or to the Spurs.

As a result, in the new era, both the Lakers and the Spurs died at the hands of the new king of the Clippers.

Being blacked out in 11 years was a pretty fatal blow to the Spurs and to Popovich.

However, the most lethal is that the Clippers snatched Bonner in the 10-year free market, and Leonard was cut off by the Clippers in the 11-year draft, and Danny Green, who the Spurs like, was also left by the Cavaliers, causing the Spurs to find a way to get Rudy Gay.

But Gay worked well in the regular season, but the defense in the playoffs was never able to meet Popovich's requirements, resulting in the Spurs always having a huge hole in the forward position.

Since the retirement of Bruce Bowen in 2009, the Spurs have racked their brains at the No. 3 position, trying to find a way to fill the gap, hoping to find a player who can support the team offensively and defensively and match the GDP perfectly.

Constrained by the owner's wallet, Popovich can do nothing more than search for a low pick, or dig for gold among some fringe players, hoping to find a good player.

Popovich, for example, has tapped a player like Mason into a fringe player and made him a decent striker, but it is clearly not enough.

Later, he tried his best to get Richard Jefferson, but unfortunately Jefferson and the Spurs' system was not suitable, or Popovich couldn't use it, and he didn't achieve the desired effect, and he was blackened.

It was easy to take a fancy to Leonard, and tried his best, cautiously, to dig up this good seedling, but it clicked and was cut off by the clippers.

Originally, Popovich could only say that he was angry, and he didn't particularly care, because he didn't realize Leonard's value at that time, after all, it wasn't he who recommended Leonard.

But as Leonard continued to grow and play well against the Spurs on a few occasions, Popovich realized that this was the forward he wanted, the best No. 3 position for the Spurs.

Not to mention anything else, just his little expression, at first glance, he is the heir of the stone Buddha, and the new title is here, the stone bodhisattva.

But it has been taken away by Los Angeles, and Popovich can only watch with greed.

Today, for the sake of the future of the Spurs, Popovich did not hesitate to deign to come to the Staples Center to meet with the general manager of the Clippers before the series began.

If this thing gets out, it's quite embarrassing, the two armies are about to fight, but you watch the game and chat with the opposing coach, what kind of heart do you have?

Popovich really pulled down his old face and didn't care about anything.

The three of them chatted, watched the game, and drank at the same time, at which time the Lakers had trailed the Warriors by 5 points in the first quarter.

The Warriors, who were playing away from home, started the game quite well tonight and were very open-handed, with extremely decisive shots from the outside.

Lillard, Barnes, and Thompson hit consecutive jump shots, which were crisp and neat, and the Lakers' scalp was numb.

In comparison, Paul's Lakers played hesitantly, Joe Johnson and Lopez were too slow, and Paul tried to help the team with individual offense, but Paul injured his palm in Game 6 and was later diagnosed with a torn ligament in his left hand.

This is undoubtedly very bad news for the Lakers.

It stands to reason that the third in the west and the sixth in the west should be relatively easy.

But throughout the series, the Lakers gave people the feeling of twilight.

Obviously played well in the regular season, but when it came to the playoffs, he seemed to become an old zombie after a few games in front of the young Warriors.

They unexpectedly lost to the Warriors in the first game of the series, losing the lead and falling into passivity.

After that, the Lakers won one game at the Warriors' home court, tied the score 2-2, and relied on Joe Johnson's stunner to win the crucial fifth game.

In Game 6 of what could have ended the series, Paul was injured and swept by the Warriors at Oracle Arena, losing by 19 points.

As the series entered Game 7, the Warriors were visibly more morale-boosting and playing aggressively.

And the Lakers seem to have been drained of energy, and even if Paul is injured, it can't arouse the fighting spirit of the players.

In the second quarter of the game, the Warriors further opened the score, and the maximum point difference once reached 10 points.

If the Lakers continue to play like this, they risk being defeated by the Warriors in Game 7.

Min Congda looked at the Lakers' style of play, and then looked at Rivers' lineup and tactical command, shook his head, and said: "Rivers is a little too old in terms of play, he obviously has Iguodala in his hands, but he doesn't pay attention to his role, just use him as a three-point shooter and defensive gate on the wing, it's really a waste." ”

Popovich agreed, saying: "Yes, in the current NBA era, those who win the front line win the world, and Rivers is indeed outdated. The Clippers are so abundant in the forward position, which is really enviable, and the future must be the world of the Clippers. ”

In the face of Popovich's praise, Min Congda thought to himself, if you want to surrender, just say it, stop slapping sycophants, I won't be useful at all.

Popovich took another sip of the Cabernet Sauvignon in the cup, as if he had made up his mind, and said to Min Congda: "Smart, when the game starts tomorrow, we will be opponents, and we will definitely find a way to defeat each other with all our strength at that time." But today, we are still friends, or we can be friends, friends in business. ”

Min Congda frowned, damn you're not here to surrender, and you want to be friends with me? Who TM wants to be friends with you, you are so old, it is better for you to recognize me as a father-in-law.

Min Congda still had to be polite, and said: "After the series is over, we will also be friends, and there is not much time to be opponents." ”

Popovich said: "Actually, you know, the Spurs have always had a big flaw in the forward position, and our team is very hopeful to add a talented, capable small forward to improve our system. ”

When Min Congda heard this, what do you mean, first praised us for having abundant fronts, and then said that you are short of people, so you are looking for someone to ask for someone?

I really didn't expect it, I thought I was here to surrender, but it turned out to be begging, how can there be such a thing.

"So, Greg, you mean, let me give you a small forward?"

"Oh no, of course not, of course not." Popovich shook his hand repeatedly, "I'm just here to say hello to you, no matter what the playoffs turn out, we're going to go all out for Paul George this summer." I know it's going to be tough for the Clippers to re-sign George, and we're going to fight for it. I didn't have to come and talk to you about this, because it's business, and everything will be clear in the summer. But I see you as a friend, Smart, and I think it's necessary to say hello to you in advance. ”

What Popovich wanted turned out to be George.

And he wanted to use the space to eat George naked in the summer of 14.

So why did he go out of his way to say hello to Min Congda before the series began?

Because Popovich knows Min Congda's style, it's likely that he will keep George on a big contract in the summer, despite the luxury tax.

In fact, the Clippers' salary space is already very, very tight, and if George is given a big contract, their luxury tax will explode.

Unless George takes a pay cut, or the salary cap skyrockets, it will be very difficult to give George a satisfactory salary.

As a 10-year rookie, George is the most mature, statistical, and all-round of the Clippers' outside three.

This is his contract year, and he is already averaging 16.7 points, 5 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game, which is quite impressive.

And his data was obtained when the shots were occupied by Curry and Harden, and when he was alone, he could score 20 points in a single game, which was very easy.

In the market, many teams are willing to give George a maximum salary.

If the Clippers win the championship this year, George will have a triple crown in hand, and the honor is already full at a young age.

It's completely possible to pursue a salary cap and personal honors, so he didn't renew his contract with the Clippers early, and he could test the free market in the summer of '14.

Although the Spurs can talk to George again in the summer, Popovich, who knows Min Congda's style of doing things, knows that it is better to say hello first.

Otherwise, you can easily negotiate a contract, Smart gritted his teeth and must force it to stay, even if he does not hesitate to pay a huge amount of luxury tax, this person is completely capable of this kind of thing.

Therefore, Popovich is a good learner, he doesn't want to be half angry and call Dunleavy again.

Min Congda held the red wine glass in his hand and played with it repeatedly, thinking about Popovich's words in his heart.

If it had been before, Min Congda would have begged for it, and he would definitely let George go.

But now it's different, Min Congda and every player of the Clippers have a deep affection.

George doesn't say anything else, the fishing level is first-class, and he is a good fishing friend of Min Congda.

George's family lives in Los Angeles and are die-hard Clippers fans, and Min Congda has even eaten at their house — basically every Clippers player has been to dinner.

Maybe giving up George won't have a big impact on the Clippers, because their front line is really overflowing, and George probably really wants to go outside.

The child who chose the school because it was close to home has grown up to be a general who has the ability to take charge on his own.

But Min Congda thought for a while, and still said to Popovich: "I'm sorry Greg, I appreciate your respect." But this group of the Los Angeles Clippers ...... For me, no one is missing. ”

(End of chapter)