Harden made a buzzer beater, and the Clippers won the crucial third game, which caused a major reversal in the series.
This is not an ordinary victory, but a desperate counterattack and a great reversal.
The Clippers' key employment in the fourth quarter played a vital role.
Leonard played a huge role on the defensive end and filled the Clippers' defensive holes.
Although he only scored 2 points, he had three steals and two blocks on the defensive end, which can be said to be a dominant performance.
He liberated Curry and Harden on the defensive end, allowing Curry to have the energy to hit consecutive three-pointers, which is the basis for the Clippers to chase points.
Harden's mid-range, singles with the ball, organization, and final kill became the key to killing the game.
At the end of the game, the Clippers players hugged each other and celebrated to relieve the huge pressure caused by the game.
The Clippers have been relatively smooth throughout the regular season this year, and they have basically won easily.
After all, the Clippers do have a lot of players with high talent, and their opponents will fall with just a little effort.
Most of the games lost were regrettable defeats, players were in poor condition, tactics were restricted, etc.
There is no defeat by a big score, and there is no game like this that comes from behind by a big score.
This may not be a lack of experience for this group of young people.
Because NBA games cannot be smooth sailing, there will always be ups and downs, and adversity needs to be faced and resolved.
Tonight is undoubtedly an excellent training for the young people of the Clippers. The confidence and morale of the players have been greatly improved.
After returning to the locker room, the players were still excited.
Everyone came up to hug James Harden one by one and poured ice water on Harden's head.
Harden was shirtless and roared loudly, venting his inner emotions.
This is not the first buzzer beater in Harden's basketball career, nor will it be the last.
But it's definitely a significant one.
This was the first time he hit a buzzer beater in a key playoff game.
The Clippers are behind, the ball is scored, they win, they are not scored, they lose, and winning or losing is right between this line.
It can be said that the most exciting and charming part of basketball is this moment.
Harden grasped it and tasted the supreme passion and joy.
At this time, in Harden's heart, this kind of happiness even surpasses the girls in the strip club and the beauties in the villa, and it will become the most profound moment in his memory.
While everyone was celebrating heartily, Min Congda entered the locker room.
Tyronn Lue and Steve Kerr came over immediately, and Tyronn Lue even knelt down to express his admiration for Min Congda.
"Mr. Smart, your note is so crucial and useful!"
Cole couldn't help but admire him. He really had a brilliant plan to settle the world. Mr. Smart probably didn't want to be a coach because he thought it was too boring.
Min Congda waved his hand, indicating not to get too excited, it was just a routine operation.
But he thought in his heart: "If I didn't want to get an investment loan, I wouldn't help you at all! This useless thing can't even beat the seventh-place Spurs, but it's going to reverse? It seems that the Clippers I built are also useless. That’s it, don’t worry about having a big future!”
Before, Min Congda felt that he had formed a top-notch team, but after one game, he felt that the team was no longer good.
This mentality is similar to that of some fans.
The team you like is going crazy every game.
When he was a god, he punched Kobe and surpassed Jordan. When he was a ghost, he couldn't pull anymore. He didn't want to read any news related to the team or players all day long. He just wanted to curse people.
In fact, this is just normal in the playoffs. Unless the team is outrageously strong, like the Bulls in 1996 and the Lakers in 2001, there will always be times when the hips are stretched.
For the Clippers, the sooner this kind of push comes, the better.
Moreover, under Min Congda's "ingenious plan", the Clippers successfully reversed the situation and completed a mental leap.
When the Clippers players who were celebrating saw Min Congda come to the locker room, they all became quiet and wanted to listen to Min Congda's lecture.
Because Min Congda's expression was not very good, he was obviously not particularly satisfied with the performance of the Clippers players tonight.
"Guys, I don't want to say much about this game. We won, but we didn't win completely. The series is far from over, and the Spurs are a difficult opponent. As you may know, in the final stage, I gave the coach The team handed over a note and arranged the lineup, but in the end you reversed, so is it my credit for winning?"
"Sorry, it's not the case. Winning is the result of your own efforts. And being behind by 15 points in the first three quarters was also caused by your failure to build a good performance. I made a little contribution to the comeback in the fourth quarter, but more of it was due to Yourselves, and a little bit of luck. I want to tell you, luck is not always on our side. To win, take advantage of every ball, every possession."
"Remember, even if luck is no longer on our side and we become the unluckiest team in the world, as long as you try your best, there is still a possibility of winning."
After Min Congda finished speaking, applause broke out in the locker room.
He rarely played a "positive role". Thinking that the Clippers could win, of course he had to give everyone chicken soup!
Not to mention, Min Congda's level of chicken soup is really unparalleled.
Tyronn Lue thought to himself that Mr. Smart's speech was even better than Rivers'.
In terms of resourcefulness and vicious vision, Smart is comparable to Jackson, and in terms of making chicken soup and passionate speeches, he surpasses Rivers.
He has a 100% winning rate in his coaching career, but he hides his merit and fame and does not want to coach again. Smart is indeed a legend to ordinary people.
Min Congda's words not only inspire the Clippers players, but also impart some life experiences to these young people.
Career competition is the same as life experience, it will not always be smooth sailing, there will always be bumps and tumbles.
Failure is the norm in competitive sports. Even the God of Basketball has lost more than 300 games in his career.
Failure is not terrible, what is terrible is not knowing how to face failure and how to stand up again after failure.
The current Clippers have been on a very smooth road since the 2009-2010 season.
Losing to the Lakers in the first round in 2010 and losing to the Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals in 2011 were all expected. Winning was a surprise, but losing was no big deal.
This year everyone's mentality is different. They are second in the Western Conference and are already looking forward to the finals and even the championship.
As a result, they faced the Spurs, the traditional powerhouse in the Western Conference, in the first round, but they stumbled, which would damage their confidence.
As Min Congda said, sometimes luck may not always be on your side. A truly top team can still win despite various objective factors.
Two days later, the fourth game between the two sides continued at the At@t Center.
The Spurs are a very experienced team. Although they lost the third game very humiliatingly, they suffered a reversal and a decisive victory.
But they have encountered this situation many times, whether in the regular season or the playoffs, so they have experienced a lot of failures. They know how to face failure and then stand up again.
In terms of talent, because the Spurs owner is too poor (last in wealth in the NBA), except for Duncan, they can only pick up the slack and be careful.
Therefore, during Duncan's peak period, the Spurs were never able to win consecutive championships and were only a small step away from the top dynasty.
In 2004, he was defeated by Fisher in 0.4 seconds. In 2006, Ginobili made a mistake at the last moment and was equalized by Nowitzki and lost in overtime.
It is a pity and a very lamentable loss.
Imagine if the Spurs could afford the luxury tax and equip Duncan with stronger teammates. With the Spurs' stability, it would be entirely possible to win four championships in five years, including three consecutive championships.
That kind of Spurs will be a more powerful dynasty team, not just a small dynasty in odd years.
But on the other hand, this regrettable defeat also created the Spurs' tough and powerful team temperament.
The Lakers were once so strong that they won three consecutive championships, but because of the arrogance of the talented players in the team, they fell apart after the failure.
Kobe stayed in the Lakers and wasted many years in his prime before ushering in his own Lakers era.
Therefore, a reversal of a decisive defeat did not bring down the Spurs players.
And their tactical strategy in Game 3 was correct, the Clippers didn't really find a way to contain it.
Leonard's performance in the fourth quarter was due to luck. After all, he was still a rookie and his performance was not that stable.
In the fourth game, Tyronn Lue still let George start, and at the same time asked George to help defend more and pay more attention to the breakthroughs of Parker and Ginobili.
As a result, in this game, the Spurs' three-pointers from outside exploded.
Gary Neal, Richard Jefferson, and George Hill all hit difficult three-pointers.
The Spurs played smoothly from the outside and once again established a double-digit advantage in the first half.
This makes the Clippers coaching staff and players feel anxious. Can they really not beat the Spurs?
In the third quarter, the Clippers, with experience from the previous game, began to focus on defense to contain the Spurs' rapid attack.
The Spurs' outside three-point shooting rate began to decline. When the inside attack force was weakened, the outside rhythm was gradually disrupted.
It can be said that starting from the fourth game, both sides gradually found the main theme of this series of confrontation:
Can the Clippers contain the Spurs' offensive power on the defensive end; on the offensive end, can the creativity of the two-gun backcourt be unleashed.
Can the Spurs protect the basket and three-pointers on the defensive end? On the offensive end, how much fuel does the Spurs have in their backcourt?
Putting aside this main theme, the rest of the players' on-the-spot performance or the coaching staff's tactical games are all small ups and downs.
The cornerstone of the Spurs is Duncan, but Parker + Ginobili, a pair of unique international perimeter players, have indeed always been underestimated.
In fact, their combat effectiveness in the playoffs is quite strong, and many teams are helpless against both of them.
In the third quarter, the Clippers gradually stabilized their position and gradually narrowed the point difference to 5 points.
At the end of the third quarter, the Clippers suddenly used foul tactics to kill Duncan!
In two minutes, Duncan stood on the free throw line three times, made 6 free throws, and only made 3 goals.
For the Clippers, this means that the Spurs failed once every two possessions.
The Clippers seized the opportunity and Harden hit consecutive three-pointers from the outside!
Harden's three-pointers were not particularly conspicuous in the regular season and were not as accurate as Curry's.
But when facing the Spurs in the playoffs, Harden's three-point shot was extremely accurate, which simply made the fans at the scene numb.
At the last moment, Harden also assisted Milicic in the basket for a layup, and the Clippers tied the score!
The two sides returned to the same starting line again, and the Spurs were a little unable to hold on.
After the start of the fourth quarter, the Clippers changed their strategy, and Randolph in the low post began to attack Duncan and Split.
Fatty Blue has reached his peak state in the past two years. He made consecutive low-post shots and established the Clippers' lead.
Once this advantage was established, the momentum of the game was almost reversed.
Min Congda felt that the Clippers were going to win this game.
However, the Spurs' toughness was beyond imagination. Under the desperate situation, Duncan showed his fangs and also launched a low-post attack. He turned around and went to the baseline to get a layup, and hit a front-on push shot.
On the defensive end, Harden was given a big block as he broke through. During the counterattack, Gary Neal hit a difficult three-pointer, and the Spurs once again took the lead!
The two sides entered a fierce battle, and the Clippers players' psychology, skills and tactics were severely tested.
At this time, Min Congda did not hand another small note, because he knew that this time was not a matter of tactics or staffing, but a physical and mental decisive battle between the players.
The Clippers players must not have the delusion that "throwing three-pointers will lead to a big victory", nor can they think that last season they beat their opponent eight times and this year they are only seventh. Instead, they should go all out on both offense and defense to fight.
At the last moment, both sides contributed to an extremely exciting and high-quality duel.
Curry's decisive three-pointer after a single block from the outside tied the score again.
Manu Ginobili immediately responded with a snake-shaped breakthrough.
Leonard continued to play in the fourth quarter, but this time he failed to steal the ball from Ginobili.
He was also called for a walk on offense... a turnover at a critical moment, but Tyronn Lue did not replace him.
Then, Parker hit a simple mid-range jumper and the Spurs expanded their lead.
Spurs players are very tough at critical moments.
Harden also made a mid-range jumper from the top of the arc to seal the score.
In the last minute, the score between the two sides reached 99:97, with the Clippers trailing by 2 points.
It can be seen from the score that this game was generally at the Spurs' pace.
The Clippers' offense did not usher in a big explosion, but they were still led by the Spurs.
At this time, the Spurs showed their experience as a dynasty team at critical moments. Duncan provided support from the high post and passed the ball to Parker after the pick-and-roll.
Parker broke through with the ball in the middle and passed it to Duncan who was following. Duncan caught the ball and dribbled in, took a step forward and faked Gasol away, and then easily put up the basket!
A very simple pick-and-roll tactic, Parker's breakthrough, and Duncan's layup, incredibly stable.
With a 4-point difference, the game situation became difficult for the Clippers.
Tyronn Lue called a timeout to lay out the key offensive tactics.
The Clippers have many tactical options. Harden, Curry, Randolph, and Gasol can all perform the main attack.
Tyronn Lue chose Harden this time. Harden was very effective against the Spurs in this series.
Harden lived up to expectations. After the timeout, he cut into the pick-and-roll and scored two points!
He has scored 27 points in this game, the highest on the team.
But Duncan then assisted Ginobili to cut into the basket for a layup.
This time Leonard still made a timely defense, but when he blocked the shot, the referee called a foul!
Leonard felt helpless, and Min Congda was so angry that he chanted the Three-Character Sutra at the referee on the sidelines.
Tonight, Min Congda really devoted himself to hoping that the Clippers would win, but the referee really didn't give him face.
Ginobili made two free throws, 103:99, and the point difference returned to 4 points.
But Harden passed the ball to assist Curry, and Curry hit a three-pointer!
103:102! The accuracy of the Clippers' 09 double-gun in the backcourt is terrifying.
Curry has also scored 25 points, and the old Spurs' scalp was numb with two shots.
But the Spurs were very sophisticated and called a timeout without giving the Clippers any more chances.
There was no mistake in serving, and the Clippers fouled and sent Parker to the free throw line, making both free throws.
The Clippers had a chance to equalize the score in the end, but Harden missed the three-pointer after catching the ball. The Clippers unfortunately lost 105:102.
The score of this game was very close to the previous one, except that the Clippers lost this time. The strength of the Spurs cannot be underestimated.
The Clippers had to return to Los Angeles and play Tianwangshan with the Spurs to compete for match points.
Min Congda cursed and left the arena. It was a pity that the referee did not dare to do anything to him. Naturally, it was difficult to impose a fine.
However, Min Congda knew in his heart that although the Clippers lost this game, they had completed a psychological sublimation.
Harden and Curry will become the absolute core of the Clippers, both tactically and personally.
Last year, the Clippers defeated the Spurs. The main focus was Randolph and the explosive Baron Davis.
Harden and Curry are tactical supporting roles and serve as the icing on the cake.
The situation is different this year. Harden and Curry have become the protagonists. Randolph still plays a big role, but Duncan, who has recovered, has proven that he is a top star in history. Randolph and he are not on the same level. Influence is not on one level.
If the Clippers want to win now, they must rely on the performance of both outsiders to completely defeat the Spurs.
The schedule did not keep fans waiting too long. Three days later, the Clippers and Spurs faced off in Game 5 at Staples Center.
Harden and Curry teamed up to score 81 points and led the Clippers to a victory over the Spurs at home!
Show the tough Spurs what true talent is.
(End of chapter)
