At 10:30 pm on April 15th, the Lakers will face the San Antonio Spurs at home at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Half an hour before the game started, Staples was packed, and the entire Los Angeles was now waiting for the end of the game and the Lakers to create a new history.
This is the last game of the season for the Lakers. The Lakers' current record is 72 wins and 9 losses. As long as they defeat the Spurs in this game, the Lakers will set a new NBA regular season record, giving the Bulls 72 wins that year. The 10-loss record passed away.
Before the start of this season, the Lakers were not favored this season because several core players such as Kobe Bryant, Maizi, Yao Ming, and Roy suffered injuries and lost their fighting spirit.
Before the start of the season, ESPN's NBA team strength rankings ranked the Lakers 25th in the entire league. With this record, let alone breaking the Bulls' record, it is impossible to even enter the playoffs.
But a season has passed.
Now the Lakers stand high in the league's first position.
Now there is even a chance to break the Bulls' all-time record.
This is indeed incredible.
Even people feel surprised, it is no longer incredible, but full of respect.
How unbelievable it is to reach this level with a team that can only rank 25th in the league in terms of strength.
Therefore, when the on-site cameras scanned the guests for the game, they soon saw Michael Jordan on the sidelines.
At this time, Jordan was talking and laughing with Kobe, Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming and others next to him.
As the NBA regular season record holder, Jordan, who has always been strong, is now so relaxed when faced with such a situation, and the smile on his face is so bright. This actually speaks volumes.
That is, Jordan is obviously very much looking forward to the Lakers breaking his own record tonight.
This is actually what most viewers across the NBA think.
The Lakers are not a super team.
This team has encountered many difficulties this season.
It is really not easy to get all the way to this point. After overcoming so many difficulties, we finally reached the position where we are only one step away. Of course, everyone hopes that this dream can be better.
Although the sweet dream may be followed by a nightmare.
The first team in NBA history to achieve 73 wins and 9 losses.
The first team in NBA history to have a 73-9 record and be hacked.
may follow.
However, even the most die-hard Lakers fans know that their team is about to face the worst nightmare in NBA history, but Lakers fans are still willing to accept such a nightmare for the sake of an epic record of 73 wins and 9 losses.
Well, this question is actually a good choice, because a score of 72 wins and 10 losses will also be the worst score in NBA history.
Therefore, instead of doing this, it would be better to have 73 wins and 9 losses. At the very least, enjoy the first record in NBA history and gain glory first.
Therefore, many people are thinking about the Spurs' choice in this game.
Because the Spurs have already determined their playoff position before this game begins.
The difference is just seventh or eighth.
If the Spurs lose, then regardless of the outcome of the Thunder and Timberwolves, Trail Blazers and Mavericks games on the other side, the Spurs will be eighth in the Western Conference and will play the Lakers in the playoffs.
This is the best choice for the Spurs.
Therefore, in this game, many people said that the Spurs will definitely let the Lakers go and let the Lakers complete a record of 73 wins and 9 losses at their home court.
Moreover, letting the Lakers get 83 wins and 9 losses is obviously more humiliating than 72 wins and 10 losses.
So if you were Popovich and the Spurs, you might as well give the Lakers a break at the Lakers' home court.
It is precisely because of this that this game really moved the whole of Los Angeles, the entire NBA, and even the whole world focused their attention.
Even CCTV has extremely high standards for this game.
I wish I could have the whole thing live broadcast 24 hours a day.
"Teacher Zhang, will the Spurs really let go in this game, and will the Lakers really win smoothly?"
"If I were Popovich, there would be no reason not to let him go."
Teacher Zhang Lili was always asked this question by colleagues around him before the competition started, which made Teacher Zhang himself very uneasy.
He really doesn't know what Popovich's choice will be like.
However, if he is Popovich, he really has no reason to work hard for the Lakers.
If they win against the Lakers, the Spurs may be ranked seventh in the Western Conference, or even sixth in the Western Conference. This is definitely not a good thing for the Spurs.
This means that even if the Spurs successfully defeat the following in the first round, they will still have to play the Warriors in the second round. This is really a disadvantage.
only……
The reason why Teacher Zhang Lili is not so sure.
That's because everyone knows that subjectively speaking, the Spurs are definitely not willing to let the Lakers break the record.
Take the relationship between Popovich and Coach D, and the relationship between the Spurs and the Lakers.
Let the Lakers complete the NBA regular season and first glory?
What a joke!
It's shameful enough that the 72-10 Lakers were hacked!
You don’t need 73 wins and 9 losses.
Therefore, the game has not started yet, and everyone is anxiously waiting for the results of the previous two games between the Lakers and Spurs.
One is the Mavericks and Trail Blazers, and the other is the Timberwolves and Thunder.
In the game between the Mavericks and the Trail Blazers, the Trail Blazers collapsed in the first quarter. Aldridge made 3 of 12 in the first quarter. His poor touch directly led to the collapse of the Trail Blazers.
In the third quarter, Aldridge once again made 1 of 6, and the Trail Blazers lost by more than 10 points in a single quarter. After three quarters, the Trail Blazers were already determined to lose.
The Mavericks defeated the Trail Blazers. The Mavericks are expected to rush to fifth place in the Western Conference and replace the Grizzlies.
As long as the Grizzlies lose to the Pacers in the last game, however, on the Grizzlies side, the Grizzlies have already defeated the Pacers in the second quarter with Paul George retiring this season, Finson leaving, and falling apart.
Therefore, the Mavericks failed to reach fifth place and could only remain in sixth place.
As for whether the Trail Blazers can hold on to their fourth position, it depends on the game between the Thunder and the Timberwolves.
If the Thunder defeat the Timberwolves, the Trail Blazers can keep first place in the Northwest Division and fourth place at the same time.
If the Thunder lose and the Timberwolves win, the Timberwolves will rush to fourth in the Western Conference, while the Trail Blazers will drop from fourth to seventh in the Western Conference.
It's so fucking exciting.
Therefore, the ongoing game between the Thunder and Timberwolves really determines too many things.
Therefore, don't look at the players on both sides of the Lakers and Spurs warming up at this time.
But when the live cameras were focused on the coaches and players on the sidelines of the two teams, they found that the coaches, players and staff on both sides were paying attention to the game between the Thunder and the Timberwolves.
Next to Coach D, Nash clenched his fists nervously.
And this game between the Timberwolves and the Thunder is really exciting!
The Thunder team, playing away from home, really worked hard to enter the playoffs, and the one who worked the hardest was Westbrook.
Westbrook hit 7 of 8 in the first quarter, 2 of 2 three-pointers, and 7 of 8 free throws. He scored 23 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists in a single quarter, leading the Thunder to a 47-29 quarter. score.
The Timberwolves' Wiggins made 5 of 6 in a single quarter, 2 of 3 three-pointers, and 6 of 6 free throws. He also scored 18 points in a single quarter, but LaVine was beaten by Westbrook. This problem is very fatal.
In the second quarter of the game, Timberwolves head coach Flip Saunders also discovered the problem. LaVine, a UCLA junior, is now too thin. Although he has excellent athletic ability, the thing Westbrook is least afraid of is defensive players like LaVine.
The one-on-one showdown between seniors and juniors ends first, and it’s up to Rubio to defend.
If Rubio is not good, there is still Wiggins. In short, LaVine cannot be allowed to come.
In the second quarter, Westbrook's efficiency dropped, but he was still 4-for-8, scoring 11 points in a single quarter. Coupled with Carter, who scored 12 points in a single quarter, the Thunder still won the second quarter, 29-25.
After half the game, the Thunder had beaten the Timberwolves 76-54, leading by 22 points at halftime.
Seeing this, Lakers fans were relieved.
The Thunder defeated the Timberwolves, and the Timberwolves fell out of the playoffs. The Spurs passively rose to seventh place, and the Thunder was eighth.
Although the Lakers had no advantage against the Thunder in the regular season and were defeated by the Thunder twice in a row, compared to the Spurs, it is definitely better to beat the Thunder.
This is the first point.
There is a second point.
That is, the Spurs, who were passively promoted to seventh, want to drop to eighth, they can only lose this game.
so.
For Lakers fans, the Thunder's victory over the Timberwolves was a friendly one.
The Spurs didn't want to lose in this game, allowing the Lakers to win 72 and lose 10, and beat the Thunder in the first round.
The Spurs want to lose this game. Although the Lakers have to play the Spurs in the first round, they have achieved a historical record of 73 wins and 9 losses.
No matter which result, it is actually a win, at least not a loss.
Therefore, after half the game between the Thunder and Timberwolves, the Lakers fans online were really happy.
Until the second half of the game between the Thunder and Timberwolves started.
Lakers fans were completely dumbfounded.
At halftime, the Timberwolves players already knew what was going on with the Mavericks and Trail Blazers.
The Trail Blazers are going to lose, and the Timberwolves have a chance to rush to fourth!
If the Timberwolves lose this game, they will be replaced by the Thunder and fall to ninth in the Western Conference.
If you win, you can rush to fourth place in the Western Conference!
If you were a Timberwolves player, what would you think?
There was no need for Timberwolves head coach Flip Saunders to mobilize at all.
The Timberwolves players are simply crazy!
Leading by 22 points in the first half, the Thunder team never thought that the Timberwolves not only did not collapse in the second half, but actually played with such great intensity!
The Timberwolves are originally a team composed of a bunch of young people, and this team is inherently motivated.
The intensity comes up very quickly.
What's even worse is that Westbrook, who scored 34 points in the first half, suddenly lost his touch in the third quarter!
Throughout the third quarter, Westbrook made 0 of 7 goals in a single quarter, without scoring a single goal. He scored 3 points on free throws and made 3 turnovers.
If Carter and Ibaka hadn't combined for 21 points in the third quarter, the Thunder would have collapsed in the third quarter!
Even if the Thunder didn't collapse in the third quarter, they still allowed the Timberwolves to catch their breath.
Westbrook's zombie jumpers are not as simple as making a shot. After making a shot, they are all opportunities for the Timberwolves' fast break.
Wiggins and LaVine both went crazy in the third quarter!
Throughout the third quarter, the Timberwolves shot 60% from the field and 100% from three-point range. In the end, in the third quarter, the Timberwolves beat the Thunder by 41 points in a single quarter, 41-25. In the third quarter, the Timberwolves recovered. 16 points.
The Timberwolves, which originally trailed by 22 points, fell behind by 6 points after the third quarter.
The game continues in the fourth quarter. Although the Thunder are in the lead, the momentum has completely come to the Timberwolves playing at home.
The Timberwolves have been chasing points, while the Thunder have been shaky.
At this time, that was the reason why the Lakers fans were silent and why Nash was so nervous.
The Thunder are going to collapse in the fourth quarter!
"Westbrook is already on top, Westbrook hasn't scored yet, Westbrook is already about to blow himself up!!!"
In the fourth quarter, the intensity of the game between the two teams reached its extreme.
It is difficult for both teams to score, but the most difficult thing is the Thunder.
"Oh my God, Westbrook is still shooting, and Carter is standing outside the three-point line and is already jumping up and down!!!"
Although Du Kang was not watching the game and had been keeping his eyes closed, as if he was resting his mind, Nash's voice next to him was really trembling at this time.
It was impossible for Du Kang not to know what the situation was like over there.
"The lead came back. With 35 seconds left in the game, Westbrook failed to make a three-point shot. Wiggins counterattacked and dunked successfully. The Timberwolves took the lead!!!"
Hearing Nash shout this, Du Kang sighed.
The Thunder like to rush for shots. Westbrook, Durant, and even the departed Harden all have this habit.
A successful shot will not only score points, but also provide one more chance.
It can indeed maximize benefits.
But the result of a failed rush shot is also very terrifying.
Leading by 1 point, with 35 seconds left, James Harden will not rush to shoot, but Durant and Westbrook may rush to shoot, especially Westbrook.
If you enter, you will be a god. If you don't enter, you will really be crazy.
Not only the fans are crazy, but the teammates will also explode.
"Coach, Vince, he was on the field, kneeling."
"..."
Du Kang opened his eyes and looked at the mobile phone handed over by Nash.
On the screen of the mobile phone, Carter, wearing a Thunder jersey, was kneeling on one knee and beating the floor crazily.
And Westbrook, who just failed to take a shot and finally let Wiggins complete the fast break, still pouted with a stubborn look on his face, as if the Timberwolves were lucky, next time, I will definitely be able to hit!
"This is a player who truly inherits the Mamba spirit!"
Jordan said with a smile on the sidelines, and Kobe next to him felt a little embarrassed.
"I usually rarely get so conceited, haha."
"Really? I don't believe it."
After Kobe finished speaking, Maizi next to him made a remark in a disrespectful manner, and Kobe glared at Maizi fiercely.
But Westbrook played so well in this game that Kobe didn't know what to say.
He was the god in the first half.
In the second half, the Timberwolves disrupted the rhythm, and it was he who turned into a ghost after being beaten randomly.
He was the one who led his teammates and played perhaps the strongest basketball in the first half.
It was he who led his teammates to defeat in the second half and made Carter kneel down and beat the ground in anger.
“The upper limit is terrifyingly high, and the lower limit is also terrifyingly low.”
Dayao sighed.
Thunder, lost.
Sure enough, the Thunder's final attack.
Westbrook once again did not prepare for a good attack, but chose to rush the attack. With 24 seconds left, the rush failed and there was still a chance.
However.
How could the Timberwolves give the Thunder a chance?
The attack failed, the Thunder fouled, the Timberwolves made free throws, Wiggins made two free throws, and the Timberwolves immediately took a penalty kick.
In the end, the Timberwolves defeated the Thunder 128-127 with great difficulty at home.
The Timberwolves rushed to fourth place in the Western Conference.
The Trail Blazers dropped to seventh in the Western Conference.
As for the Thunder…
The moment the game ended, although Westbrook's proud head was held high, his eyes were visibly blank.
As for the other Thunder players, at this time, they are all confused and desperate.
As the big brother in the Thunder locker room, Carter felt like he was about to explode.
"I've never played a game like this with the Lakers!"
"No, even in the Raptors, Nets, and Mavericks, I have never played in such a game!"
Carter looked at Westbrook's back, and finally sighed.
"This kid is too difficult to take care of!"
It should be said that it cannot be carried at all!
This is the way to play!
Even if Jordan comes, he can't take him with him!
Perhaps, in the whole world, only the coach can save this kid from playing like this!
In this game, Carter felt like he was more angry than in his entire career.
Finally, after looking at the score on the sidelines, Carter finally closed his eyes.
"Coach, I really tried my best..."
Carter knows what it means when the Trail Blazers lose, the Mavericks win, and the Timberwolves win.
That is.
Regardless of whether they win or lose, the Spurs are eighth in the Western Conference!
In other words, the Spurs don't have to think about their own ideas at all.
If you want to beat the Lakers, beat the Lakers.
Can the Lakers, who now have to rely on key shots until the last minute to win, beat the Spurs?
The last time the Lakers and Spurs faced off, Seth Curry made 2 of 20 shots and the Spurs almost defeated the Lakers.
This time, can the Lakers win?
Will the legend of 73 wins and 9 losses finally stop at 72 wins and 10 losses?
The game between the Timberwolves and the Thunder is over, and the game between the Lakers and the Spurs is about to begin.
Logically speaking, at this time, the entire Staples should be bustling with joy and laughter.
However, Staples and few Lakers fans at the scene had smiles on their faces.
On the contrary, Popovich on the sidelines had a smile on his face.
"Coach D, did you see it? This is the smell of despair."
Popovich looked at the Lakers fans on the sidelines and then looked at Du Kang, smiling and continuing.
"It seems that Lakers fans understand football, so the question is, Coach D, do you think I will let you go in this game?"
Du Kang didn't speak, just watched Bobo perform alone with an expressionless face.
Seeing Du Kang's expression, Bobo, who was about to pretend to be beeping, felt a little embarrassed for a moment.
In the end, Bobo laughed loudly to relieve his embarrassment.
"Hahahaha, of course not. The Spurs will win this game, and they will win a lot!"
"You are too weak!"
Bobo finally had the opportunity to pretend to beep in front of Coach D. Of course, he had to fill it all up at once!
However, when you do this to our great Coach D at our home court, the Lakers fans at the scene immediately burst into crazy boos!
However, the booing didn't last long.
After the opening, Duncan hit all three consecutive singles under the basket, directly blinding the five small Lakers.
6 to 0!
This opening also made the entire Staples silent!
"You see, they are so weak!"
Watching Pop yell at the Spurs players on the court.
This time, Staples, lost the boos!
(End of chapter)
