The Warriors suddenly put up a small lineup at the end of the third quarter, and then in just three minutes, they beat the Clippers 11:4, once again widening the point difference.
This wave of attacks came so fast, the entire Warriors team was completely stretched out, and the space was huge. With the connection between James and Durant as the central axis, the Warriors' formation was like a sharp blade, easily cutting through the Clippers' always tough defense. Line of defense.
In recent years, the Clippers have not been known for their high-intensity defense, but for their toughness.
They have always adhered to a basic principle: it is okay to score goals, it is not okay to score easily, it is inevitable to score, and they will not give you this opportunity if you want to score continuously.
This season, with Min Congda's reasonable planning and the use of AI and computer technology, the Clippers' full-court suppressive defensive performance has become more obvious.
In terms of points allowed per game and opponents' field goal percentage per game, the Clippers are not the best in the league, or even only in the middle of the league.
But players who have played in the game know that it is difficult to flow smoothly when facing the Clippers' offense. There will be stumbling and stumbling. There will always be someone staring in front of you. The whole game will be pestering you from beginning to end. They just don't make you feel comfortable. They always maintain a medium intensity defense, and then When I looked at the game, I was five or six points behind and just couldn't catch up.
If you want to have an offensive climax to turn the situation around, it's very difficult. The Clippers' defensive formation has always been excellent.
Only tonight when facing the Warriors, the situation changed.
The offensive firepower of this Warriors lineup is too fierce. It spreads out all over the court and there are no blind spots in the court, fully bringing out James's ability to support and break through from the center.
On the defensive end, as a small man, Green's ability to protect the basket is insufficient, but he is already at the top level for his height.
He blocked Gasol under the basket. Although he failed twice, he was able to avoid a big loss and even successfully prevented Curry's breakthrough layup.
At the end of the third quarter, the Warriors suddenly led the Clippers by 15 points.
The Clippers' point chase evaporated in an instant, and the Warriors entered the fourth quarter with an absolute advantage.
The Clippers and Min Congda face the biggest challenge of the season.
If the game continues like this in the third quarter, Min Congda's first defeat after taking office will come.
Min Congda didn't really care. Losing was normal. There was no permanent winner.
Just losing in the Western Conference Finals would make the situation very unfavorable for the Clippers.
Min Chongda expected the Warriors to use this five-small lineup before the game. As early as when Cole was coaching the Clippers, the two discussed the feasibility of the small lineup.
It was from that time that Min Congda realized Cole's ambition. He was committed to establishing a sect in the league, surpassing his two teachers, and building his own basketball empire.
From that time on, Min Congda had a desire to "kill" Cole, and eventually sent him to the Cavaliers. As a result, the two had a grudge and hatred, so they wanted to settle it on the court.
After the start of the fourth quarter, the Clippers responded with a lineup of one large and four small, including Anthony Davis, Tucker, Leonard, Curry and Butler.
From a matchup point of view, this lineup can completely cope with the Warriors' five small players, and Anthony Davis still has an advantage in the paint.
So the Clippers fed the ball in at the beginning, trying to use Davis to penetrate the Warriors' three-second zone.
But Green actually withstood the basket, successfully defended Davis's strong attack one-on-one, and also got a backcourt rebound.
The Warriors counterattacked, and James held the ball through half court. In a fully open space environment, James ran like a tank, rushed into the basket and caused Tucker's foul.
Standing on the free throw line, James made both free throws. The point difference had reached 17 points. The situation was extremely unfavorable to the Clippers.
It may not be difficult for the Clippers' lineup to be evenly matched, but it is too difficult for you to catch up with the 17-point difference.
Although Anthony Davis has the absolute advantage of height, he is only in his third year after all and lacks experience inside.
Moreover, Davis' low-post singles ability can only be said to be average, and no one has the ability to penetrate the opponent's defense.
When Davis was fouled by Green for his second low post attack, the Oracle Arena was completely boiling.
After being pulled up by his teammates, Green roared with his mouth wide open, and the Clippers couldn't stand it anymore.
Min Congda did not replace Davis and continued to let him play on the court.
Every player has to experience this kind of adversity.
Davis was not in the team when they won the championship in 2012, and the championships in 2013 and 2014 were relatively easy overall.
He has never experienced such a difficult moment.
On the defensive end, the Clippers have no feeling of guarding the five small players. Whether it is one-on-one intensity or increasing rotation speed, the five small players can always find small gaps.
Even if there is no gap, the Warriors still have two hard solutions when the tactics are ineffective: Kevin Durant and LeBron James.
Superstar basketball and team basketball are well combined at this moment. Kevin Durant received a pass from Green during the offense and hit a three-pointer with his open hand!
The score difference suddenly reached 20 points. This exaggerated lead made the Clippers players a little confused.
Over the years, the team has never experienced such a huge deficit or such a desperate situation.
It's not that they have never lost before, but they have never lost so miserably. They were completely suppressed by the Warriors.
Min Congda called a timeout, his mind was running rapidly, and he quickly came to a conclusion: He probably wouldn't be able to win tonight.
The Warriors' tactics are unsolvable for the Clippers tonight. There are still 10 minutes left. If you want to turn the tide, the first step is to defend.
But with the current state of the Warriors and their morale, it is impossible to turn things around in 10 minutes. Even if Curry and Harden score three-pointers, it will probably be difficult.
Miracles may happen, but as a head coach, it is irresponsible to pray for miracles during the game.
Of course, it would be irresponsible to just give up. Not only must we not give up, we must also make effective adjustments.
Because this is a series, not a regular season. After tonight, we will play the Warriors in the next game and face the same tactics.
With 10 minutes left, even if a solution cannot be found, morale must be restored.
Therefore, Min Congda made a lineup adjustment, replacing Anthony Davis and replacing James Harden.
"Harden, you come to play the fifth position." Min Congda said to Harden.
"Huh? I have to play the fifth position again?"
Harden has also played as a center before, so there is no way anyone can make him fat.
"Any questions?"
"no problem."
Then Min Congda said: "There are still 10 minutes left. Don't think too much, try to chase points as much as possible. On the defensive end, take turns to foul James and send him to the free throw line. On the offensive end, make a quick decision!"
Min Congda decided on a foul tactic, and then arranged several passing and three-point tactics.
Winning or losing one or two games is not that important. The entire series must be considered from an overall perspective.
When the timeout ended, Cole saw Harden on the stage, and his heart skipped a beat. He thought to himself, Smart, this guy was doing the same thing, and he wanted to play in the fifth grade?
The fifth grade is not so fun, and Harden is not qualified as a center.
"Smart, it's not like you to follow other people's paths."
Cole thought with some pride in his heart. He knew that Min Congda had always been independent and full of ideas.
Thinking that he could overwhelm him tactically, Cole felt an indescribable feeling of relief, which might be even greater than winning this game.
After the timeout, the Clippers immediately cooperated, Harden and Curry's pick-and-roll, Curry wiped into the basket and threw a high rebound, avoiding Green's defense, and hit a two-pointer.
Then, the Warriors served, and Curry immediately fouled James. At this time, the number of fouls had not yet reached the number of free throws, but James already knew what was going on.
Curry, Leonard, and Harden fouled James continuously and sent James to the free throw line. James smiled and shook his head and shouted to Min Congda on the sidelines: "Is this all you can do?"
Then, James missed the first free throw.
The second free throw still missed, and Leonard got the backboard.
The Clippers quickly advanced to counterattack. Harden caught the ball and made a fake move. After getting past Thompson, he went to the basket and succeeded in an easy layup.
The Clippers chased for 4 points in a row, with a 16-point difference, and the pressure came to James again.
Continue to send him to the free throw line, and this time he made the first free throw.
But the second free throw still didn't go in...
Min Congda responded: "It seems like a good idea!"
The Clippers once again got a chance to counterattack. Harden broke through the middle and made a layup over Green!
When trailing by a big score, the Clippers players did not risk their lives on three-pointers, but instead steadily worked on their success rate.
It's a pity that the ball didn't go in. Green's ability to protect the basket is really good.
But Butler got the offensive rebound, grabbed it, and passed it to Curry. Curry caught the ball, shot a three-pointer, and hit!
The Clippers played a 7:1 wave, narrowing the point difference to 14 points.
Because of the foul tactics used against James, only more than a minute passed.
Cole saw that the situation was not good. If he fouled again, even if James made two free throws and the Clippers scored a three-pointer, they would be chasing points to narrow the gap.
The most important thing is that when Harden comes on the court, the Clippers' space is also completely opened, and four of the five players have strong breakthrough capabilities.
At the same time, continuous fouls also prevent Durant and Thompson from taking shots, and their touch will quickly cool down.
So Cole immediately called a timeout and readjusted.
But after the timeout, the Clippers still used foul tactics, and PJ Tucker went up and hugged James.
The scene was filled with boos. The Clippers' play was really a bit ugly.
But it was ugly, James stood on the free throw line and made one of two free throws!
And he missed the second free throw, and Leonard grabbed a backboard.
A problem arises with the Warriors' five small players. Their frontcourt scrambling ability is very poor.
If it's a tactical game where the Warriors throw three-pointers wildly from outside, it's hard to say.
Because the three-pointer missed and the ball crashed far away, the fifth grader had a chance to get an offensive rebound.
If this kind of free throw is missed, the ball will not collapse too far, and it is easier for the defender to get the backcourt rebound.
Leonard grabbed the rebound and passed it to Harden. Harden crossed the half court at an even speed. Facing Thompson who was guarding him, Harden accelerated and drove to the basket!
Harden had the most time to rest in front of him, so he was quite physically fit. He got to the basket and caused Thompson's defensive foul.
Thompson complained to the referee for a while, and Cole reminded Thompson to calm down, but Cole was actually not very calm either.
The situation is gradually improving for the Clippers. Min Congda's move is really vicious, erasing all the offensive and defensive advantages of the five small teams.
Although I knew that this unconventional tactic could not last long, with Harden hitting both free throws, the point difference had narrowed to 12 points.
The point difference suddenly reached a point where it could be pursued. The Clippers' morale was gradually recovering, and the championship spirit was restored.
The Clippers didn't foul James again. They were on a normal offense and defense. Durant received the ball from the outside and was double-teamed. When he passed the ball to James, he was still double-teamed.
Another point, Lillard, one-on-one against Curry, dribbling away continuously, but without success. When the attack time was about to come, he had to force a shot, but he failed...
There was a 24-second violation and the Warriors were a little flustered.
The Clippers seized the opportunity, Curry used a double screen from the outside, and Harden and Tucker came to the elevator door.
Received a pass from Butler and hit a three-pointer!
The point difference is only 9 points!
Cole saw that the situation was not going well and called another timeout.
The Clippers' morale was high, and Curry shook his head and high-fived his teammates in celebration.
There are still 6 minutes left before the end of the fourth quarter, and 9 points can be recovered.
But Min Congda was calm. He knew that the 9-point difference was still too big.
And the Clippers didn't really find a way to deal with the five small teams.
Even if Min Congda has it in his mind, the players may not be able to perform well.
The Warriors came back from a timeout, and Durant caught the ball in the low post and turned and hit a jumper to stabilize their position.
Subsequently, the Warriors used a half-court press to defend and suddenly increased their defensive intensity.
However, this trick is of little use against the Clippers. The Clippers can control the ball at all five points except Tucker.
Three passes and two leads gave Tucker a good opportunity to cut to the basket. Unfortunately, Tucker's layup was blocked by James who came from behind to defend!
But Butler picked up the offensive rebound and made a tip-in. The point difference was still 9 points.
The Clippers cling to the Warriors.
The game quickly presented a situation where no one could guard anyone.
The Warriors' five small men are indeed very efficient on offense, but the Clippers' five small men are also extremely capable offensively.
The problem is, the Warriors are in the lead, and the Clippers are in a hurry.
With 1 minute left before the end of the game, Curry assisted Leonard to hit a three-pointer.
The score between the two sides came to 109:104, and the Clippers were 5 points behind the Warriors.
With a 20-point difference, the Clippers caught up to 5 points.
In 1 minute, 5 points is not easy to chase.
But for Min Congda, even if he loses this game, it doesn't matter much.
The Warriors wanted to establish a psychological advantage, but were easily broken by a foul tactic.
Cole called another timeout and came back to Durant.
The Clippers decisively double-teamed, Durant passed it to James, and James broke through the basket and caused a foul.
This time James made two free throws, giving him a 7-point advantage in less than 1 minute.
As Curry missed a three-pointer from the outside, Green got a backcourt rebound.
The Clippers were able to commit a foul and send Green to the free throw line.
At this time, the Clippers' hope of winning the game was slim.
In the third and fourth quarters, I was distracted and was beaten twice by my opponent. The point difference was too wide.
When I came back to my senses, there was not enough time. If we played for another 3 minutes, the Clippers might have a chance to overturn.
Unfortunately, it was too late, and Green also made two free throws.
In the end, the Warriors won the first game of the Western Conference Finals at home 113:106 with a 7-point advantage!
Kevin Durant scored a team-high 33 points, and James had 27 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists, a triple-double.
However, he made 5 of 10 free throws, which was really subpar, which also caused the Clippers to launch a counterattack in the fourth quarter.
Curry and Harden, one scored 32 points and the other scored 31 points. Both were in excellent condition and completely dominated the Clippers' offense.
It's just not enough, not enough, especially when the Warriors opened up the score, neither of them gave enough response.
On the contrary, Kevin Durant can support the team with indiscriminate singles whenever the team's tactics fail.
It can only be said that in terms of talent, Durant's ability is really of a historical level, while Harden and Curry are still slightly behind.
In the past, the person who accomplished this task the most for the Clippers was actually Zach Randolph, who saved the team many times at critical moments.
But tonight, Randolph didn't get much playing time, because when he was on the court, the defense was too uncomfortable.
Min Congda pressed him on the bench and didn't let him get on. In fact, he made some mistakes. He could definitely give it a try.
Cole felt elated at the end of the game. He pursed his lips and took the initiative to go to the midfield to shake hands with Min Congda.
Min Congda ignored it. He patted Tyronn Lue on the shoulder and said, "Lu, go and shake Steve's hand."
Director Lu nodded. This was his biggest role tonight.
Seeing that Director Lu came over to shake hands with him, but Min Congda did not come, Cole felt unhappy, but when he thought about it, he had made Smart uncomfortable, and he felt much better instantly.
He felt more and more that he was right to come up with five small tactics early. Winning the first game was crucial. It played a positive role in the situation of the seven games and the confidence of the players.
After returning to the locker room, everyone was in a good mood, and everyone took an important step in their revenge.
But on the other side, the atmosphere in the Clippers' locker room was obviously much more solemn. They lost the first game of the Western Conference Finals and were suppressed by the Warriors in the second half. Facing the tactics of the five small teams, there was no good way except fouling.
These facts weigh on everyone like a dark cloud.
The most important thing is that this is the Clippers' first loss since February.
They haven't tasted defeat for too long.
This is actually not good. The lack of failure will make people lack reflection and make them prone to relaxation and paralysis.
No matter how united and excellent they are, there will still be flaws and areas for improvement.
Everyone remained silent, waiting for Min Congda to lecture. After Min Congda became the head coach, he became much scarier than when he was the general manager.
He will also get angry during the game, and once he fires, it will make people's scalp numb. He curses people in many ways and is quite cruel.
But this time Min Congda didn't say anything unpleasant. He just said: "Everyone didn't play well, and the opponents were very strong, which is different from the regular season. My pre-game preparations were still not sufficient. However, if the game continues again, If we play one more quarter, I think we can win, right?"
Everyone nodded. If they keep playing for a while, the Clippers will be in better and better shape, and they can indeed win, and their momentum is being regained.
"So the next game is a continuation of tonight's game. Everyone goes back to the hotel to have a good rest, relax and forget about tonight's game."
"This series has just begun."
(End of chapter)
