The Clippers, who won the fifth game, returned to the hotel, joined Min Congda, and flew back to Los Angeles together.

Min Congda gave everyone a big hug, his sacrifice was not in vain, and the players seemed to come back to life.

Min Congda especially hugged Tyronn Lue tightly and said, "Tyronn, you are amazing, amazing, you deserve to be the best coach." ”

In the past, Min Congda more or less looked down on Tyronn Lue, after all, if you want to say that there is nothing, this guy really has nothing.

But every time it comes to a key game, when it's time to reverse, he really has something.

The sudden gamble-like defense that came back from a fourth-quarter timeout, as well as the two-minute break that gave Curry a rest, were crucial.

So, while Tyronn Lue can be a tactical idiot at times, he feels really good on the court.

When it's important to play, he knows what to do and how to do it to get the benefits.

This is the experience of a champion member who has played ball.

Cole, on the other side, had the same experience, but was slightly inferior in his last-minute adjustments.

The confrontation between the two sides is so fierce that any slight deviation will have an impact on the outcome of the outcome.

It can be seen from this that Tyronn Lue is really capable.

Tyronn Lue, who was in danger, was also greatly relieved, and he said, "Fortunately, there is a note left by you, Mr. Smart, which is okay." ”

Min Congda said: "Your improvisation is also very important, especially the sudden joint defense arranged by Ling, and the fast attack to grab two points is decisive." ”

Tyronn Lue looked dazed and said, "Huh? I... I didn't put them on guard. ”

"None? At that timeout, we suddenly defended a joint defense. ”

Mike Malone on the side said: "It was a decision made by the players themselves on the field, and they improvised a joint defense, changed the tempo, and prevented the opponent from being caught off guard...... A good decision, caught off guard, worked out. ”

Min Congda: "......"

Regardless, the Clippers got through a hurdle and took the game back to Los Angeles.

Of course, many people believe that the Clippers are nothing more than a suspended death sentence.

Many teams that have fallen behind 3-1 have dragged on to the sixth or even the seventh, but it will be difficult to turn the situation around.

In particular, the Clippers only have one home court left, and even if they hit a tie-break, they still have to return to Oracle Arena.

That's when the home field advantage that comes with more wins in the regular season comes into play.

There must still be some advantages in playing the seven battles on your own field.

But for the Clippers and Min, it doesn't seem like a big deal.

"We've had three championships, two on the road. In 2012, we won three games in a row at home and then won the championship in Cleveland. In 2013, we won all three away games! Statistically, we have a better chance of winning away from home than at home in the playoffs. Of course, I know who will win in the end, the home and away factors are not as big as we think, but our away win rate will definitely put psychological pressure on the Warriors. Our publicity department must focus on promoting this, boosting the morale of the team and putting pressure on the opponent. ”

Before the game, Min Congda specifically mentioned the media propaganda war at the meeting.

During the past three consecutive championships, the Clippers have not made any off-the-road moves along the way.

The post-match interviews, pre-match remarks, media promotions, etc., are all very neutral and peaceful.

First, Min Congda didn't want to win at that time, and second, the Clippers were stronger than their opponents, so they didn't need to engage in these small tricks.

It's different now, the Clippers are still at a huge disadvantage, and any factor that affects the balance of victory and defeat must be taken into account.

In this kind of high-end game, the psychological state of the players has a crucial impact on the outcome of the game.

As early as the regular season, Min Congda paid close attention to the team's public opinion control.

He did not wantonly belittle the Warriors to stimulate James and Durant, and did not give the Warriors a reason to unite their hearts.

But when it comes to the Western Decision, when the bayonet is red, Min Congda will not be polite.

The sixth game came quickly, the two teams only rested for one day, and the sixth game between the two sides started at the Huawei Center.

Min Congda was interviewed by the Los Angeles Times before the game and was asked what he thought of James and Durant's collaboration.

"They are two of the best small forwards in the league, and the fact that they complement each other in terms of playing characteristics, one is all-round and the other is super scoring, it's a match made in heaven," Min said. They've caused us a lot of problems in the series, and to be honest I haven't found a good way to deal with them until now. ”

The reporter asked, "So in your opinion, who is more of a threat to the Clippers?" Who are the bigger troublemakers? ”

Min Congda thought for a while and said, "Kevin is very good, his presence makes the Warriors' offense extremely sharp, and he is the fastest knife in the league." But I must say that LeBron is the cornerstone of this team, and his arrival has taken the Warriors to the next level. He's changed his style of play, and I actually reminded him more than a year ago to take a more holistic route, and he's done a good job. I believe his ability and the difference he can make to a team are essential, he's a foundational player. If, I said if, even though the series isn't over yet, and I had to choose the best player in the series, I'd go with LeBron. ”

The remarks were quickly posted on social media such as Twitter before the game and were widely disseminated.

In fact, there has always been a debate about who is the number one star of the Warriors, James or Durant.

Externally, both say that they are equals, cooperate with each other, and don't care who is the real boss.

But over the course of a season, Durant is the one with the higher scores, but James is significantly higher than Durant in terms of leadership.

And, James won the most important award of the regular season MVP.

Because Durant is several years younger than James, it is believed that the ideal situation is that James will be the boss for three years and the Warriors will achieve their long-cherished championship aspirations.

When James gets older, Durant matures and reaches the real peak, and he will take over as the next boss of the Warriors.

Truth be told, if the Warriors can ensure that the two-man small forward Durant James has a stable roster, then they will be a strong contender for the championship for the next five years.

However, the results of the first year of cooperation between the two sides are particularly important.

Min Congda's remarks were quickly pointed out as sowing discord.

"Smart, this guy is engaged in sabotage and public opinion warfare! Shet. I'm telling you, our goal tonight is to win this game and go back to Auckland for the Grand Final! As for who is the boss and who is the stronger one, it doesn't matter at all, we are the strongest! ”

In the Warriors' locker room before the game, Kerr whipped Min Congda's interview in the afternoon, as well as the Clippers' official remarks.

He knew that the Clippers were disturbing the morale of the Warriors, and unlike the Clippers, a group of young players who grew up together, the two super cores on the Warriors' side were outsiders.

Including Kerr, who has just joined the Warriors this season, everyone is united not by feelings, but by a strong belief in revenge and a desire for a championship.

This belief and desire is like a stimulant, its potency is very strong, but the time limit is relatively short, it must be used well within the validity period to rush to the goal.

It's a sprint now, and once the Warriors beat the Clippers, the championship is in the bag.

Neither the Wizards nor the Hawks in the East will be a match for the Warriors.

Even if the Warriors let one James or let one Durant, the chances of winning are big.

But once it can't be rushed, the effectiveness of stimulants has passed, and the contradiction will gradually become prominent.

The question of who is the boss of James and Durant alone is enough for the coaching staff and management to drink.

American players, especially black American players, take the team leader and the team boss very seriously.

This is typical of American locker room culture, where the United States itself is a liberal country where individual heroism is rampant.

Therefore, for an excellent team, the coach should keep repeating the clichés of "unity", "mutual assistance" and "sharing".

These qualities are taken for granted by Asian or European players, because they are taught from an early age.

But you can't see it in black players in the United States, they don't have such an education, and they have always been exposed to a more primitive environment of "the strong is king".

Just like a group of monkeys, there must be a monkey king who comes out to take the lead, otherwise no one will obey anyone, and the monkeys themselves can fight with themselves.

Kerr knows in his heart that Kevin Durant has always been unconvinced by James in his heart.

Because at the beginning, the Warriors were traded by Durant, and there was no matter about James.

At that time, the Warriors' lineup was David Lee, Durant, Bogut, Thompson, and Lillard.

The bench has Green, as well as more than 20 million free agent signings.

Durant is only 27 years old, this roster is very young, very potential, and it is no problem to compete for a championship in five or six years.

Durant came to the Warriors, both in terms of ability and qualifications, he is a proper boss.

But seeing Durant coming, James also said that he wanted to join, and of course the Warriors would not refuse.

Immediately let go of David Lee, signed James, and formed a super team.

NBA teams don't talk about first-come, first-come, first-come, James has been pressing Durant as the No. 1 small forward before.

Okay now, let's put together a team, and we still have to press on the Warriors.

It's just that for the championship, in order to beat the Clippers, Durant endured.

The two have also worked very well together during the season, they are indeed a good fit, and James has successfully transformed into a super support.

But tactically it is supportive, James is still the boss in terms of status, MVP votes, and the media still votes for James.

To say that Durant has no ideas in his heart and is not unconvinced, it is impossible.

Before he entered the league, he was suppressed by James.

James is the champion, he is the eye.

Both of them have Nike contracts, and James is just bigger than him.

James is judged to be chasing Michael Jordan, and Durant is being rated as chasing James.

Durant is a person who cares more about the evaluation of external public opinion, can he not care in his heart?

Of course, as a member of the Warriors, he also knows in his heart that the Clippers are engaged in a war of public opinion.

At this time, he will definitely not have a conflict with James, but will concentrate on playing the game first.

It's just that this kind of thing is like a poisonous weed, no one mentions it, it is silently buried in the heart and does not sprout.

Once someone mentions it, and it is mentioned over and over again, and the seed is watered, it will quietly sprout.

I don't know when, this poisonous weed will release his poison, erode a person's rationality, and make him make irrational decisions.

In fact, the loss of the fifth game was still a relatively big blow to Durant, and he could have ended the series in the last attack, but was stealed by Tucker and buried the opportunity to drag it into overtime.

Although everyone comforted Durant after the game, their emotional dissatisfaction could not be hidden.

This is the embarrassment of "outsiders", everyone works together, not playing together and growing together.

In the Thunder, Durant has also failed and made mistakes, but that's his team, and he has the final say.

Now in the Warriors, is this James' team? It seems to be, and it doesn't seem to be, it's not his anyway.

After speaking in the locker room and calming everyone's emotions, Cole led the team to the field to warm up.

Standing on the side of the stadium, the dome of the Huawei Center looks particularly high, because it can accommodate 25,000 spectators, so the venue is particularly grand, and the pressure is very high.

Looking at the Clippers players who were warming up on the other side of the court, as well as Min Congda, Kerr couldn't help but feel sincere admiration in his heart.

He admires that the Clippers team culture established by Min Congda is unique in the league and has the style of the old-school NBA team back then.

As the league players have more and more money in their pockets, it is becoming more and more difficult to balance a locker room, otherwise how can Phil Jackson be so good, or Popovich will not be able to accommodate the thorns in the locker room.

And Min Congda is clearly superior, building the Clippers into a solid team, and the players are willing to give and sacrifice on the court, which is a bit incredible in the league at the moment.

At this moment, Cole actually gave birth to a poisonous weed in his heart - he still doubts, he won't be overturned, right? Can you really beat the Clippers?

Cole immediately erased the thought from his mind and focused on his pre-match preparations.

At half past seven in the evening, the game between the two sides started on time.

After the Clippers injured Pau Gasol Jr., Jokic became the team's starting center.

The adjustment was tough for Kerr, as he found that Green wasn't doing well defensively against the Fat Guys.

Jokic is tall, has good playing habits, excellent hand work, and good mental quality, and Green's various tricks are not very effective for him.

And Green is the key to the Warriors' five-small lineup, which can be described as the tactical "eye", he is not the strongest one, nor is he the core, but he is the foundation for this style of play to be established.

Originally, Gasol Jr.'s injury was a great benefit to the Warriors, Anthony Davis was restrained by Green, Randolph was old and couldn't defend well, and he was misplaced and missed on the court, Bonner is just a functional interior line, it's okay to top for a while, but it's definitely not okay for a long time.

As a result, Kerr didn't expect the Clippers to have a little-known Jokic rise.

In the last game, his consecutive goals on the offensive end led to a sharp decline in the interior defensive efficiency of the five smalls, which was a devastating blow to the five smalls.

Kerr prayed in his heart that Jokic was just playing well on the court in the last game, and this one was adjusted so that Green could hold him down one-on-one.

At the beginning of the game between the two sides, the two teams no longer had tactical secrets, no temptations, and attacked each other at the beginning, one-on-one single defense, and fought for the ability and willpower of the players.

The two teams were inextricably matched in the first half, and the Clippers led the Warriors by one point at 45-44 to end the second quarter.

This score is not high, and it can be seen that the physical consumption of both teams is very high.

As the series progresses, injuries and fitness issues will become apparent.

It's time to test the depth of the squad and the willpower of the players.

And these two are precisely the Clippers' strengths.

In the third quarter, Kerr unsurprisingly got on the five-man lineup and attacked the Clippers.

The Warriors suddenly accelerated on the offensive end, and LeBron James increased the speed of offensive and defensive transitions, leading the team to a wave of 7-0 mini-climaxes.

The Warriors took the lead in one fell swoop, and the Clippers immediately called a timeout, and Min Congda replaced Harden, who was prone to lag behind in defense, and replaced Butler.

The Clippers had a big and four small-for-tat, Jokic replaced Davis and stayed on the court, and after the timeout came back, Jokic received Curry's pass and hit a mid-range jumper from the baseline!

"This guy can score in the middle distance?" Kerr was surprised that the Clippers had chosen all of them.

Then, the Clippers suddenly used the half-court tight defense to disrupt the Warriors' pass and force Durant to play one-on-one.

As a result, he didn't score, Jokic got a backcourt rebound, a fast break counterattack, Curry received the ball and hit a three-point shot, and the score quickly caught up.

The momentum shifted to the Clippers, and the Warriors needed a player to step up and break the game with an unreasonable goal.

But Durant doesn't know if it's because of his poor fitness tonight, or if it's due to public opinion, or if Tucker's six consecutive bites on him have finally had an effect.

In short, Durant's breakthrough was blocked by the two-man defense, and the throwing missed, and the Clippers once again got the backcourt rebound to counterattack.

Jokic made a bold super long pass to the frontcourt, and Butler received the ball, feintmed to dodge Thompson's block, and scored an easy two-pointer.

The Clippers quickly returned a 7-0 run to the Warriors to regain a one-point lead.

The situation of the game is different from the first four games.

The five-small offensive blaster no longer took the Clippers out of breath.

Jokic did not fall behind in the face of Green, and the young Serbian boy showed amazing ball ability, excellent basic skills, and mental quality.

He played the whole third quarter and suppressed Green many times in offense and defense, especially after he received the ball inside, Green's height of 198 simply couldn't stop Jokic from putting the ball in the basket.

Jokic scored 10 points in the third quarter to help the Clippers take a six-point lead over the Warriors at 80-74 at the end of the third quarter.

At this time, some fans, as well as critics, began to criticize Kerr for being stubborn, why put Green on the court?

But Kerr is also bitter in his heart, without Green, playing a normal lineup, whether it is Bogut or Speights, the offensive flexibility is even worse.

The Warriors can't grasp the initiative on the offensive end, and even the initiative of the entire series has to be ceded.

Of course, in the fourth quarter, the Warriors still had a chance to turn the tide by relying on the individual abilities of the players.

It's a pity that Durant felt really bad tonight, missed one after another from the outside, and missed two good opportunities to chase points.

The fourth quarter was already physically exhausting, and scoring became more and more difficult, and the Clippers took the opportunity to extend their lead to 10 points in one fell swoop.

At 92:86, two-thirds of the fourth quarter had been played, and neither side had scored more than 100, which showed the fierceness of the confrontation.

At this time, James finally stepped up and scored under the basket in a row, and also caused Jokic to foul the free throw line.

But this turned out to be the Warriors' last athletic score of the game.

In the last three minutes of the game, the two sides entered a tug-of-war.

It was difficult to score on both sides, and the intensity of the defense was at its peak.

The Clippers relied on Leonard's mid-range to score two points.

And the Warriors only relied on Thompson and James' free throws to score 4 points.

In the end, as Curry missed a three-point shot, Durant got the ball and threw a three-point miss.

The score was fixed at 94-90, and the Clippers won a not pretty, difficult, but important win at home.

The big score was equalized to a 3:3 draw, and the two sides are about to enter the tiebreaker.

(End of chapter)