Tucker's hard work is indeed lacking in the Clippers players.
Most of the Clippers players come from different backgrounds than Tucker.
Although they are all NBA players, there is a big gap in their backgrounds.
Lottery picks are at the top, first-round picks are in the middle, second-round picks are average, and undrafted picks are at the bottom.
Although the Clippers have not been very strong in the past two years, they have had many high-ranking players because of their poor record.
Moreover, the Clippers' previous signing and trading strategies were based on the draft and talent.
Curry, Baron Davis, and Gordon are all lottery picks.
Randolph and Ricky Davis are all first-round picks.
No matter how they play after entering the league, their basketball journey is generally smooth.
Before entering the NBA, they were all-powerful figures in their respective cities, states, and universities.
Although Gasol is a second-round pick, it is not because of his strength, but because he is a European player.
He has a great brother who is also a top talent player in Spain, growing up in aura and expectations.
Among such a group of players, PJ Tucker seems mediocre.
Although he was a second-round pick, he was waived after playing only a few games.
Then he began to wander overseas, working part-time to hone his skills and strive to return to the NBA.
Last summer, he had no hope of entering the NBA and was already preparing to play in Israel.
Unexpectedly, he was signed by the Clippers at the end of the summer.
The experience of traveling and playing overseas made him particularly cherish this opportunity.
He doesn't know if he can continue to stay in the NBA after this two-year contract ends.
Which city will you play in your next job? Will you be traded? Will he be laid off?
In the NBA, there are a large number of low-level players in this precarious life and playing state.
Once they are laid off or traded, they have to change their lives in another city and find a new job.
House, family, friends, trainer, food, clothing, housing and transportation are all issues to consider.
Unlike those top stars and stable role players, they have more money and a more stable working environment.
A strong sense of crisis keeps players like Tucker tense at all times.
As long as you are on the court, you must concentrate 100% and play with all your strength every moment.
And this is exactly what the playoff teams need, and this is exactly what the Clippers need now.
You are facing the Lakers, the defending champion and the strongest team in the league.
Where is the distraction, where is the possibility to relax a little, where is the opportunity to show off your skills?
Curry, who was sitting off the court, looked at Tucker's tiger-like eyes and was thoughtful.
In the first three games, Curry made a lot of mistakes and missed three-pointers. He needs to learn lessons.
The Clippers' defensive intensity has reached another level.
The cooperation between Kobe Bryant and Fisher on the Lakers outside line had no chance.
Give Gasol to the middle and hit Randolph from behind.
Randolph tried his best to resist Dajia, but Dajia's turn shot missed.
PJ Tucker once again grabbed a backcourt rebound.
Although he is short in height, Tucker's blocking position is very fierce.
And he is not afraid of Artest at all in the matchup.
Artest has always been known in the league for his fierce play.
He has a surly personality, a violent temper, and violent behavior both on and off the field.
At the beginning of this playoffs, he dyed his hair yellow, like Dennis Rodman.
However, the NBA has never been short of tough guys, and Artest is not someone who can bully anyone.
He is somewhat of a bully.
The famous Palace of Auburn Hills incident in 2005.
He had a conflict with Ben and ran to the technical stage to lie down.
After being thrown a drink by a fan, he rushed into the stands and punched and kicked the fans.
But if he is really a tough guy, why not just fight the one who pushed him?
It’s not like he knows he can’t beat the odds, so he can only take it out on the fans.
Although Tucker doesn't have the terrifying strength and upper limbs of Big Ben, he is still a strong man.
He has a shaved head and looks like Lu Zhishen. He is not easy to mess with at first glance.
Therefore, Artest can't take advantage of Tucker at all.
The Clippers got backcourt rebounds and counterattacked. Baron Davis faced Fisher and missed a forced three-pointer.
There was a crowd under the basket, and Tucker popped up again. He was less than 2 meters away, but he was the first to touch the ball among the long players.
Point the ball out and pass it to Gordon on the outside, who then passes it to Baron Davis.
Davis took a step forward and took a mid-range jumper, hitting it!
16:10, only 6 points difference.
This opportunity was created by Tucker.
Tucker in a few minutes of the first quarter.
With his positive performance, he stirred up the whole team like a catfish.
The game began to enter a period of high-intensity confrontation.
The score of 16:10 lasted for more than three minutes.
Both sides' offense failed in various ways.
The Lakers relied on their inside height advantage to hinder the Clippers' several near-basket attacks.
Tucker grabbed three offensive rebounds in a row, but none of them converted into points.
Height is still an insurmountable advantage in basketball.
The Lakers were also unable to score, and the Clippers' defensive intensity increased greatly.
Moreover, the referee's whistle was obviously biased towards the Clippers, encouraging the Clippers' confrontation.
But soon, the Lakers broke the deadlock on the court.
Fisher pretended to pass the ball to Gasol from the outside.
But suddenly he took a three-point shot and shot a cold arrow.
The three-pointer helped the Lakers break their three-minute scoring drought.
Then, at the basket, Gordon still missed when he tried to hit the basket.
The Lakers' basket protection in the three-second zone is like an iron wall.
During the counterattack, Gasol received a pass from Kobe and missed the throw.
But he got the rebound in the second attack and dunked with one hand!
Scored 5 points in a row, 21:10, widening the point difference again.
The Clippers wanted to play fast, and Baron Davis quickly counterattacked and rushed to the basket.
But he was blocked by Bynum and missed a layup, still trailing by 11 points.
The wave of momentum that relied on Tucker's hard work began to leak downward.
Min Congda looked at the Lakers' advantage in height inside and sighed in his heart: "Basketball is a giant's game. The advantage of two long men in the inside is too great. That's right, you must not choose big men in the future, or you must choose neither three nor four."
Min Congda further strengthened his draft strategy.
If they lose this game, the Clippers' season will be over and they will prepare for the draft.
When there were 4 minutes left in the first quarter, the Clippers made substitutions.
Curry replaced Baron Davis, and Ricky Davis replaced P.J. Tucker.
Their basic tasks have been completed.
Tucker did a great job and his defense led the team.
His three-pointers and offensive rebounds on the offensive end caused big trouble for the Lakers.
Although not all offensive rebounds were converted into goals.
But it effectively hindered the Lakers' counterattack.
Baron Davis' performance was mediocre, and his explosive power really declined too much.
Breakthroughs in the middle were frequently blocked, and he had to rely on mid-range shots.
However, the bigger purpose of Min Congda letting Baron Davis start is to protect Curry.
Let the thin Curry play more of an offensive role.
Kobe missed another outside shot, and Gordon's defense against Kobe was in place.
Randolph got the rebound and passed the ball to Curry.
Curry quickly advanced along the left sideline, three on one in the frontcourt!
Curry was not greedy for credit, hitting the ground and passing the ball to Ricky Davis.
The two players who were taken out of the starting lineup and sat on the bench have long been holding their breath.
Ricky Davis caught the ball and jumped high, glided in the air, and dunked with both hands!
Clippers fans dressed in red waved their white towels wildly.
Cheer the Clippers with loud noise and get the players even more excited.
21:12, the Clippers are still lagging behind.
But the atmosphere at the scene finally felt like a real Clippers home court.
(End of chapter)
