At the end of the first quarter of the game between the Clippers and the Spurs, the score was 24:26, with the Spurs leading the Clippers by 2 points.
The Clippers did not take advantage at the beginning. The Spurs were obviously very well prepared before the game.
Playing seventh against second is an absolute disadvantage, but the Spurs are a tough team and their desire for revenge is very strong.
Being hacked last season was a huge shame for Duncan.
Popovich's reconstruction plan has been repeatedly interrupted, which makes him full of hatred for the Clippers.
It stands to reason that in interviews before the game starts, everyone should be polite and say nice things.
As a result, when Popovich was asked what he thought of the Clippers' lineup depth, he shrugged at reporters and said: "I don't watch Clippers games very much. I don't know much about it."
He said this half-jokingly, half with a bit of disdain.
As we all know, Popovich is a coach who hates three-pointers.
He never hides his dislike of three-pointers in public, believing that the existence of three-pointers destroys the beauty of basketball.
Of course, on the court, Popovich's use of three-pointers is definitely pioneering, and his suppression of three-pointers is also master-level.
In the first quarter of today's game, the Spurs took advantage of their defensive strengths and guarded the low post and wing three-point positions very tightly.
After Duncan lost weight, he moved faster on the defensive end, covered a larger area, and had a stronger delay ability.
Facing the Clippers' pick-and-roll, the Spurs must delay the pick-and-roll, destroying the Clippers' ball speed.
Split has grown inside, and he has a good effect in defending Randolph in the low post, without allowing Fatty Lan to penetrate him.
On the wing, Richard Jefferson was unable to do much, so Popovich asked him to play as a forward, and then sent James Anderson as a substitute at No. 3, using strong outward pressure defense to suppress the Clippers' three. Point shooting percentage, not giving the Clippers a chance to easily take three-pointers.
Of course, the most feared part of this defensive strategy is the mid-range.
The large open space between the three-point line and the three-second zone will be the stage for top midfielders to perform.
But no one on the Clippers stood up in the mid-range.
Curry was tightly guarded and could not open up inside, and the Clippers' offensive efficiency was low.
During the break, Tyronn Lue and Steve Kerr discussed what tactics and lineup to use in the second quarter.
The regular season and playoffs are completely different.
In the regular season, big rotations can be played, the personnel status is relatively relaxed, and the offense feels very important.
If there is another major rotation in the playoffs, problems are likely to occur. Once the players cannot find their form, the entire game may collapse.
Therefore, Jeremy Lin, who performed well in the regular season, was not sent to play at a fixed time.
Originally, the middle of the first quarter and the beginning of the second quarter were the times when Jeremy Lin led the second lineup.
Now, after the first quarter, Jeremy Lin didn't even get a chance to play.
He is still eager to try and prove himself in the playoffs.
However, there were some differences of opinion between Cole and Director Lu.
"Playing Jamie is not a good idea. He has no advantage against the Spurs. It would be better to use Golan."
Cole believes that Dragic or Fisher are better choices. Their playing style and experience are more suitable for dealing with the Spurs.
Coach Lu had a different view. He said: "The rhythm of the game has been robbed by the Spurs. We have to get the rhythm back. In the first quarter, we should go to Jamie and let him bring up the speed and let the game resume." Get into our rhythm.”
The advantage of dual-headed coaches is that they complement each other, but the disadvantage is that sometimes they don’t know who to listen to.
In this game, the Clippers obviously did not do a good job of coordination before the game.
It should be said that the leak of Sterling's recordings still had some impact.
Both the coach and the players were a little wandering, not as hungry as the opposite Spurs.
After a brief debate, Steve Kerr respected the coach's intentions and made concessions.
Therefore, Tyronn Lue asked Jeremy Lin to come on the bench, replaced Curry, and partnered with Harden in the backcourt.
Coach Lu's idea is very clear, using Jeremy Lin's impact and speed to drive the offensive rhythm.
For the Clippers, offense is their foundation. They are younger and better able to run than the Spurs.
Jeremy Lin's performance in the regular season went from amazing to gradually stabilizing.
Coming off the bench, he can contribute about 15 points and 5 assists per game.
As the Clippers' offensive gearbox, he can often bring changes and surprises to the Clippers after he comes on the court.
He stepped up to the plate tonight under pressure, appearing in the playoffs for the first time in his career.
The opponent is still the veteran Spurs, and I have to say that Director Lu still has great trust in Jeremy Lin.
Many rookies who perform well in the regular season will not understand what a real NBA game is until the playoffs.
The intensity of the game is not at the same level as the regular season.
Jeremy Lin took a deep breath and appeared confidently.
He was thinking about Tyronn Lue's arrangement just now in his mind.
It is required to drive the team's offensive rhythm and increase the speed.
This is Jeremy Lin's specialty, fast-paced offense.
Five minutes later, the Clippers called a timeout. The score on the field was 34:37, and the Clippers were still 3 points behind!
The situation on the court did not change. Jeremy Lin was covered in sweat and returned to the sidelines to drink water.
In five minutes, Jeremy Lin failed to score a point and missed two outside three-pointers.
There was a mistake during the fast break and a missed layup. The only gain was an assist for Harden to catch the ball and layup in the position battle.
There were several blood marks on Jeremy Lin's arm, which were caused by collisions with his opponents.
The confrontation in the playoffs was so fierce that the referee did not give Jeremy Lin a whistle.
Although he caused Linsanity in the league, he is not a star after all and will not have a whistle to protect his body.
The Spurs' defense on the outside was extremely tight and full of aggression. The game did not go as Tyronn Lue thought, and Jeremy Lin easily set the pace.
In the playoffs, a player will not be given too many opportunities for trial and error.
Jeremy Lin was immediately put on the bench, and Tyronn Lue sent the experienced Fisher on the stage.
The two sides were locked in a tough positional battle, which was the rhythm of the game that the Spurs were accustomed to.
Duncan set up a good barrier inside, and Split kept an eye on Randolph.
Until the end of the second quarter, the Clippers were still 45:48, 3 points behind the Spurs.
If it weren't for the Spurs' insufficient offensive power and the strong individual defense capabilities of the Clippers' players, the Clippers would have fallen further behind.
Seeing such a competition process, Min Congda was very satisfied.
"Don't mention it, the Spurs are still quite capable of fighting. Maybe they can get revenge on Black Seven? That would be fun!"
Seeing the Spurs' suppressive performance in the first half, Min Congda began to wonder whether the Clippers could be eliminated in the first round.
If so, this result is simply fantastic.
Last year it was Black Eight, and this year it was Black Seven. The ups and downs in life were so exciting.
Shelley Sterling looked at the Clippers' performance in the first half and said: "The Clippers' performance today was not very good. It seems that the Spurs are not easy to deal with."
"The Spurs are certainly difficult to deal with. Which team in the NBA is easy to deal with?"
"It's much better than the previous Clippers. By the way, Smart, I heard that you have been raising funds for the construction of a new arena recently. How is the progress?"
Shelly suddenly changed the topic to the construction of the new arena.
This is a problem that Min Congda has always had a headache. If it weren't for this, he wouldn't have gone around in such a big circle thinking about changing the owner of the Clippers.
"Uh... I don't have a clue yet. It would be great if you could provide some help."
Min Congda just said this casually, he didn't expect the Sterling family to come up with any money.
At that time, Sterling will just sign the various agreements and that will be it.
Shelly Sterling said: "If the Clippers can grow rapidly, investing in fixed assets may not be a bad thing. Real estate is always the most worthwhile investment project. Smart, in Los Angeles, wants to raise 1.2 billion dollars, it’s not that difficult.”
The Sterling family made its fortune in the Los Angeles real estate market. Shelly followed her husband in the business world and was a very discerning woman.
She realized that although the investment of US$1.2 billion would cost a lot, once completed, it would be beneficial to the Clippers and Sterling's personal wealth appreciation in the long run.
The main thing that needs to be concerned about now is the risk issue.
The Sterlings cannot afford $1.2 billion.
Financing, debt, and even some agreements must be introduced.
If the Clippers can maintain an excellent record in the future and the team's commercial value continues to increase, then building a luxury arena for $1.2 billion will be a good deal.
I just don’t know how the Clippers will fare in the playoffs this year.
Min Congda turned his head and thought that Donald Sterling would not be of any help if he became a puppet.
But Shelly Sterling is different. This woman has skills and connections, and may be a good help.
Min Congda suddenly realized that he had made a mistake. He was looking far away from the near and went to the president for help with financing, hoping that Silva could help.
But isn’t the ready-made sponsor right in front of us?
Sterling can't do it, but his wife can!
Min Congda said he was deceived, and wife politics has always been very important.
Shelley Sterling, the low-key and hidden second boss, has been ignored by Min Congda.
Therefore, Min Congda was more inclined to let the Sterling family keep the Clippers.
"Mrs. Sterling, if you have any suggestions or ideas, please feel free to put them forward. I work for the Clippers, and even more for the Sterling family."
Min Congda said it nicely, but he thought in his heart, don't blame me if the team goes bankrupt in the future, I will leave you a super luxurious arena at least.
Shelly said: "I don't know how Donald negotiated with you and wanted to build an arena, but it turned out that he didn't provide you with any financing channels. The banks that serve the team probably can't raise that much money. I can recommend it. One way is to issue bonds. You need to unite multiple banks to issue a bond for this Clippers project, and use something as a target. I will give you a specific method... But you have to wait for this crisis Just go over there.”
Shelly Sterling, as the legal wife of a billionaire, is not a beauty.
Instead, she used her status and wealth to build a rich network of connections and connections in Los Angeles.
To a certain extent, Shelley Sterling has stronger connections than Donald Sterling.
Because Donald Sterling is really not a likeable guy.
The elegant and decisive Shelly has better popularity.
The two reached a preliminary intention to cooperate on this issue.
The second half of the game has begun.
The Clippers, who were 3 points behind, wanted to make adjustments in the third quarter to reverse the situation on the court.
However, once a trend is formed, it is not easy to change it.
The pace of the game has been controlled by the Spurs.
It can be seen that these old guys really want to take revenge.
At the beginning of the third quarter, Duncan succeeded with continuous attacks in the low post.
The 45-degree wipeout, the little hook when turning around, they all have it.
When the Clippers wanted to strengthen their defense inside, the Spurs' offensive focus immediately shifted to Parker and Ginobili.
Ginobili has recovered well from his injury after recuperation.
Both he and Parker are fast, smart defenders.
To say fast, it is indeed fast, but it does not rely entirely on speed.
They have rich experience and tenacious fighting will, and can always find gaps in the Clippers' defense, tear them apart, penetrate, score or cause damage.
The two took turns leading the Spurs' offense, and Duncan steadily performed pick-and-roll, support, and defense work.
Although the parts of the Spurs' machine are somewhat old, some parts are still defective.
But the machine is running smoother and smoother and smoother.
The Clippers didn't run smoothly from the start, and throughout the first half to the third quarter, their play lacked focus.
Although there are many attack points, there is no single focus.
During the regular season, you can play as a team.
But in the playoffs, it is not easy for the whole team to perform.
There must be a sharp spear to pierce the opponent's strong defense.
Curry and Harden can both be this spear, but their performance tonight was mediocre.
Curry made 1 of 6 three-pointers from outside, and Harden made 2 of 11 shots.
Harden is a guy who performs very well when he is strong, and when he pulls, he pulls to the end.
Harden had a problem tonight. I don’t know if it was because the regular season went so well that he drifted away, or if he went to a party in the villa yesterday and drained his energy.
However, even if the Clippers performed mediocrely in 2009, the Clippers still clung to the score. The two sides entered the fourth quarter evenly divided at 74:74.
Dragic and Fisher's two three-pointers helped the Clippers and Spurs return to the same starting line.
But in the fourth quarter, the game was still at the Spurs' pace.
The offensive rhythm of both sides is extremely slow and the offensive efficiency is very low.
The game continued until the last 3 minutes, and the score between the two sides was only 83:83.
In other words, neither team scored in double digits in the fourth quarter.
At the critical moment, Tim Duncan stood up again, held the ball in his ribs and beat Randolph alone, and made a jump shot after turning around!
This key ball gave the Spurs the lead.
Then Duncan successfully blocked Curry's layup on the defensive end!
On offense and defense, Tim Duncan still showed his superstar qualities.
At the same time, he also told everyone that although he looks stupid, he is actually very vindictive!
The Clippers tried a three-point shot from the outside at the last moment, but Curry made 1 of 8 three-pointers and missed!
Randolph can't hit the inside either. He hasn't been the core for a season, and now it's so easy to ask him to play key ball tactics.
As a result, the Clippers, second in the Western Conference, lost to the Spurs 84:89 in the first game!
The Spurs, who were hacked last year, are temporarily relieved of their bad temper!
And when Min Congda saw the Clippers losing at the end, it was really an unexpected surprise!
It's not easy to see the Clippers lose a game now.
If Shelly Sterling wasn't in the VIP room, he would really be dancing.
Shelly was obviously dissatisfied with the upset result. She reminded Min Congda: "Smart, I can tell you that whether the arena construction can be successfully financed is closely related to the Clippers' record. If the Clippers pass If you go out early, I don't think any bank will be willing to underwrite your bonds. But this is the first game, so cheer up the boys."
Xie Li's words suddenly put Min Congda in trouble.
It's not possible to win, and it's actually not possible to lose.
Why is it so difficult to complete this task?
(End of chapter)
