There are always different situations in the playoffs every year.
Some years the first round is very competitive.
Sixteen teams, eight-round series, maybe half reach the sixth or even seventh game.
In some years, the first round series is quite boring, there is no suspense, and it basically ends in 4:0 or 4:1.
This is related to many factors, such as the tightness of the whistle, the disparity in strength between teams, and the overall style of play and style of the league.
Generally speaking, once the referees start acting evil, the first round series will often be played longer, after all, for the sake of ratings and attendance.
The playoffs are different from the regular season. The league takes the majority of the box office in the playoffs. If you play one more game, your income will be much higher.
The ticket revenue alone is in the millions. If it is a key battle, such as a tiebreaker between a popular team, the box office revenue plus advertising fees will be even more.
And relatively speaking, the manipulation of the first round of games is relatively easy. The strength of the two sides is quite different. If the strong team loses one more game, it will not have much impact on the outcome of the series.
The situation will be different in the semi-finals. The two strong players are competing, and the outcome of one game is likely to determine the trend of the final series.
If you're not careful, it will have a big impact on subsequent ratings and box office.
So generally speaking, there are many games in the first round and the gap in strength is large, which is a good opportunity for the league to control the field and win over Mimi.
Min Congda did not expect that the league would control the Clippers again, and they started to control it in the first game.
The strong Clippers faced off against the disciplined Utah Jazz in the first round of the playoffs. The first game between the two sides at Staples Center was a surprise.
The Clippers were absolutely overwhelmed by strength, but were dragged into overtime by the Jazz, who had a fantastic touch. In the overtime, the Clippers made mistakes at critical moments. Harden and Curry made consecutive mistakes. The opportunity to overtake the score was missed.
The Clippers were upset in their first game, losing to the Jazz by 1 point, 109:110.
Min Congda didn't have much hope for this competition. The US$12,000 had already been deposited in his account, waiting for the system to deduct the money.
Who would have expected that he would escape in the first game, allowing Min Congda to see a glimmer of hope that the Clippers would be hacked!
The long-suppressed emotions were released at the end of the game.
It's been three years. Once the playoffs arrive, it's Min Congda's nightmare moment.
I can't beat him. My opponent really can't beat me.
They played the Lakers in the first round of 2010 and were able to claw back two games from a 0:3 deficit.
In the first round of 2011, they advanced to the Western Conference Finals, and then in 2012, they directly won the championship.
Everything goes so smoothly, which makes those stars and teams who have worked hard throughout their careers without getting a hair ashamed.
Unexpectedly, the Clippers, who had such a strong performance in the regular season this year, would capsize in the first game of the first round.
After the game, Min Congda participated in the team's post-game press conference for the first time.
In most cases, as general manager, Min Congda has little interest in press conferences.
I was already feeling very uncomfortable, but to be asked questions and praised by reporters, wouldn't that just rub salt into the wound?
It's rare that the Clippers overturned today. Min Congda, who knows how to drink now and get drunk the next, hurriedly attended the press conference to have a good time.
Min Congda, who has experienced many years, knows that the Clippers' loss is definitely an accident. He will never be as naive and full of dreams as before.
When I see my team lose a game, I feel like this series is going to be over. I open champagne in advance to celebrate, but I always get slapped in the face.
He has experienced hardships and understands that the Jazz won because the referee blew his whistle loosely. Not only did he give the Jazz a lot of free throws, but he also turned a blind eye to some of the Jazz's excessive fouls.
In addition, the Clippers' young players did underestimate their opponents, which allowed the Jazz to get out of shape and lose the game.
When the reporters heard that Min Congda was attending the post-game press conference, they were all ready and ready to serve.
They know that when Manager Smart opens his mouth, it must be for big news.
When the league office saw Min Congda attending a press conference and making remarks, they all trembled and prepared for public opinion and public relations in advance.
Sure enough, Min Congda was the first to fire on the whistle of this game at the press conference, directly hitting the key points of the league:
"I have tolerated whistles from the league for a long time. Why don't I blow whistles for so many defensive fouls? Isn't it just to play more games and increase the league's income? I talk about refereeing issues every day and every month. I pay the fine for this. It’s quite a lot. Look, does the league have any intention to improve? Not at all, they just know the fine! I don’t know how many times I have to talk about the same issue and how many times I have to say it. Seriously, I'm tired, I feel very tired. I want to say, you can never wake up a person who is pretending to sleep! I know I said these leagues may impose fines again, it doesn't matter, anyway, I will say it again in the future, let the league fine you The big one, just... fine me US$50 million!"
Min Congda made this calculation, and the system could hear it.
A fine of 50 million U.S. dollars, but he can't figure it out. Are you a monopoly company?
The league cannot issue such a huge fine. It has exceeded their authority and is illegal.
Of course, Min Congda gave it a try with the mentality that if there were no dates but three poles, I would not lose anyway.
What if it succeeds? With the completion of the bankruptcy plan far away, relying on fines to make a fortune can be regarded as a good way to save the country.
After scolding the league for asking for a fine as usual, Min Congda encouraged the Clippers players, saying that they had played very well tonight and should continue to do so.
But to the ears of the Clippers players, these words were really more uncomfortable than scolding them. How could this be encouragement? It was obviously a roundabout way of criticizing everyone.
There was deathly silence in the Clippers locker room after the game.
Since March, the Clippers haven't tasted losing for a long time.
I didn't expect to overturn in the first game of the first round of the playoffs. This feeling is really uncomfortable.
The day after the game, the whole team conducted additional training at the training center to prepare for the second game.
During the training process, Tyronn Lue kept talking to the players individually to understand their mental state.
As a player who has experienced three consecutive championships, Tyronn Lue guides him. On the road to defending the championship, mentality is the number one obstacle.
It is said that it is easy to conquer a country, but it is difficult to defend a country. If there is no champion, on the road to compete for the championship, everyone has their heads held high and strives to climb up. Everyone's eyes are directed upward, upward.
But after winning the championship, it is different to defend the championship. You have to look back from time to time and watch others rush upward. The mentality is different. It is easy to slack off and more likely to be afraid.
When it comes to tactics, Tyronn Lue is dispensable in the Clippers. There is not much difference between him and without him. Anyway, everyone else can do what he knows, but what he doesn't... That's too much.
But when it comes to being a political commissar, building a good relationship with the players, and appeasing the mentality of the young players, Tyronn Lue really has a way of getting the true legacy of Jackson.
When Min Congda basically left the team alone and was always angry on the outside, Tyronn Lue did a good job of calming the players' emotions.
Two days later, the Clippers played the Jazz again at home. This time, the Clippers neither gave the Jazz a chance, nor were they impatient.
Some strong teams stole a game from their opponents in the first game, and then started to fight hard in the second game, hoping to beat their opponents by 30 or 40 points to relieve their frustration.
But in reality, even if you win by 100 points, the big score is still 1:1. The most important thing is to get back the initiative in the series.
The Clippers played steadily in the second game and did not rush for success. In the first half, they played evenly with the Jazz.
But in the third quarter, the Clippers suddenly exerted their strength, and both offense and defense suddenly put huge pressure on the Jazz.
The Jazz's offense and defense suddenly collapsed. They were only 3 points behind at halftime. In the third quarter, they were beaten by the Clippers and couldn't attack and defend. The point difference quickly widened to 15 points.
The Clippers did not pursue the game fiercely, but played slowly with the Jazz like a cat and mouse, controlling the opponent's points to death.
Because you massacre with a big score, you might inspire your opponents to resist when they return to home in the next game.
And this kind of complete control of the field can even more weaken the opponent's will to resist.
Not surprisingly, the Clippers easily defeated the Jazz at home in the second game.
Although the score difference is only 10 points, the strength gap between the two sides cannot be reflected by 10 points.
Regarding this result, Min Congda had already expected it, and he paid the fine of 3,000 yuan happily.
Unfortunately, after the last game, Min Congda's critical remarks did not receive any feedback.
Adam Silva didn't even make a call and ignored him. He said that no matter what he said, the fine would be useless anyway.
Min Congda knew clearly that the league's fine standards must be getting higher and higher.
In the past, a few criticisms after a game, or even some illegal behavior during the summer league, would result in fines.
What now? Even if the league squats and shits on its head, the league may have to endure it, and it will become increasingly difficult to make money through fines.
The Clippers-Jazz series didn't last long.
Although Salt Lake City is known as the home court of Devil's Plateau, the Clippers have always been better at away games than at home.
Unless you build your home court on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Utah's altitude is not a problem at all for the young Clippers.
At 110:101 and 112:97, the Clippers won the two games cleanly in Salt Lake City and got the match point of the series.
The Clippers didn't give the Jazz any more chances. They ended the Jazz cleanly in Game 5 in Los Angeles and sent them home.
4:1, the Clippers successfully entered the semifinals.
On the contrary, the Lakers, another user of Staples, struggled in the first round.
Facing the Denver Nuggets, the Lakers, who had no home court advantage, tied their opponents 1:1 on the road.
After returning home, the two teams tied at 2:2. In the fifth game, the Tianwangshan Lakers and Nuggets played two overtimes at the Pepsi Center.
The long overtime made the Lakers team very tired. In the end, the Lakers relied on Kobe's key layup to score 2+1 and win the game.
It was thought that the Lakers could end the series at home in Game 6 and enter the semifinals.
Unexpectedly, the Lakers, who suffered huge physical losses, were severely strained in Game 6, and were defeated by the Nuggets 107:100, and the series was dragged into a tiebreaker.
The situation is quite unfavorable for the Lakers. If they are eliminated in the first round, the conflict between Kobe and Paul will inevitably intensify further.
Although Kobe Tianwangshan played well, Kobe once again had an inefficient shooting rate in Game 6. In the fourth quarter, he even missed consecutive shots and wasted many opportunities.
It's not clear to the outside world what happened to the Lakers after Game 6. In short, in Game 7, the Lakers readjusted.
At the Pepsi Center, they organized tactics with Paul as the core. They defeated the Nuggets 98:94 with a 4-point advantage and reached the Western Conference semifinals.
From the perspective of Lakers fans, no matter what, the first round has finally passed.
And in Game 7, Paul scored 31 points, 11 assists, 3 steals and 5 rebounds.
It can be said to be a pretty perfect performance, completely dominating the game.
Min Congda's attention to the Lakers at this time has exceeded the Clippers themselves.
After the sixth game, he immediately activated the resources of the "Information Sharing Center" to inquire about the news within the Lakers team.
According to the information obtained, the Lakers held a small internal meeting after the sixth game. Some core players and management personnel attended, and Paul took the lead.
The purpose of the meeting is that the Lakers need to establish a playing system with Paul as the core, and they can no longer let Kobe go around alone, take up so many shots, and play such an inefficient game.
Although Kobe is the king of the Lakers, he is different from Magic Johnson in that he is not the kind of sociable player. Most of his appeal among players comes from his strength and infectious personality. I am not good at socializing and gathering people's hearts.
Paul is different. Compared with Kobe, Paul has better acting skills, is better at making himself look like a leader, and has a certain degree of motivation.
As a result, in this meeting, Paul received the support of Lakers management Jim Buss and some of the younger players on the team.
Kobe was deprived of power, and his tactical initiative and unlimited firing rights were restricted. The ball would be controlled through Paul's hands.
Although Kobe, who has entered the twilight of his career, is unwilling to give in, if he had fallen out with the team and Paul long ago when he was young, I won't fight, you can go and have fun by yourself.
But Kobe's mentality after going through ups and downs is very different from the past. He has learned to be patient during his two consecutive championships. This time he really has to endure it first and play the game well.
Of course, not everyone on the team supports Paul. Important veterans like Iguodala and Ci Shiping still side with Kobe.
Kobe took the initiative to give in, and then handed the team's tactical initiative to Paul in the seventh game. Sure enough, Paul performed well against the Nuggets, successfully won the tiebreaker in the away game, and advanced to the second round!
Winning this series is still very important to Paul. It would be unjustifiable if he loses after seizing the power.
Of course, the media does not know this information, and it usually takes many years for those who have experienced it to come forward and tell the inside story.
And Min Congda learned of this major internal change in the Lakers through his all-pervasive intelligence network in Los Angeles.
He immediately made a plan for the next step: beating the Lakers and Paul to death in the semifinals.
(End of chapter)
