Losing in the first game is not good news for the Clippers, but it is not terrible either.
At least they flustered the Warriors in the fourth quarter and even saw hope of a 20-point comeback.
This is very important to build the confidence of the players, otherwise a 20-point defeat without resistance will be very damaging to morale.
Min Congda also made a serious summary after the game. He locked himself in the room and watched the video of the first game repeatedly with Fan Chen.
There is no doubt that this is a kind of mental torture. Watching your team lose, players making many mistakes in the game, and seeing your opponent play a beautiful, smooth, unstoppable offense... It is undoubtedly frustrating. of.
At this time, Min Congda missed the time when he was committed to messing up everything. At that time, losing was really a pleasure.
He tried to recall the time at that time. Basketball life always gave him a little sweet date, making him think that the Clippers were about to collapse and the mission was about to be completed.
Then give him a hard slap to wake him up - the damn Clippers still have to win!
What impressed him most was the 2012 Finals. At that time, they were trailing 0:2 and were about to end the series in Cleveland and lose the championship.
Now it seems that Min Congda hopes that the Clippers will still have the courage to turn the tide when facing similar adversity.
But now it is not 2012, but 2015, three years have passed.
The players have already worn three rings and countless victories. Using Tyronn Lue and Fisher's rings to motivate them in the locker room no longer works.
This is the biggest mental challenge a championship team faces – why do I have to win?
We have won, and won three consecutive championships, which Phil Jackson said is the ceiling of modern basketball.
"Three consecutive championships is the limit. Four consecutive championships are impossible."
At the beginning of this season, many people made such a conclusion.
Min Congda hopes that the team can achieve the impossible with the energy to break this conclusion.
He also worked hard during the season to help the team survive the turmoil caused by injuries, being targeted, and various unexpected incidents.
They are still very strong, very united internally, everyone has a good relationship, is passionate about the game, and has a desire to win.
However, after going all the way to the Western Conference Finals and encountering the Warriors, who were full of revenge, Min Congda and the Clippers players realized, "Our opponents may be more eager to win than we are."
This can be seen from the performance on the court. The Clippers are too stable, while the Warriors are more passionate, more surging, and more nervous.
Steve Kerr is very nervous, even panicked, but this is not necessarily a bad thing. Nervousness shows care and desire.
As long as the tension is overcome, it is like magma breaking through the obstacles of the earth's crust, and it will erupt with vigorous and even destructive power.
This kind of power is something that the current Clippers do not have.
Min Congda watched the video over and over again, his eyes were sore.
Fan Chen took notes and took a lot of notes. Of course, these records were not for him to see, but for Min Congda.
Min Congda looked at these records and combined them with the videos. He thought of several coping strategies in his mind, but it was not yet known whether they would be effective.
In the middle of the fourth quarter of the last game, a problem emerged with the five-little tactics, which was that this desperate offensive tactic was based on crazy offense and ultra-high offensive efficiency.
The Warriors actually started practicing the tactics of the five small teams as early as 2007, and achieved a certain degree of success. They successfully defeated the powerful Dallas Mavericks.
It's just that at that time, the Warriors' player abilities, configuration, and the tactical environment at the time destined their small lineup to be non-mainstream and unable to achieve great achievements for the time being.
In just six or seven years, small lineups and fast play have gradually taken over the mainstream position in the league and become a tactical trend, and the five small teams have taken this trend to the extreme.
Offensive efficiency is the lifeline of this lineup. It is even difficult for the two sides to enter a long stalemate. Entering the stalemate stage, the weaknesses of the five small teams on the defensive end will be magnified. Only by running and attacking can the five small teams' advantages be infinitely expanded.
Once James and Durant are trapped in the physical quagmire of blocking, protecting the basket, fighting for backcourt rebounds, and covering up defense, or taking the initiative to commit fouls and asking James to take free throws that are less efficient than three-pointers, it is easy for the five young players to stop moving forward.
Of course, if another coach replaced this weakness, he might not be able to see it so clearly in a series. They would simply regard the weakness of the five small teams as a void inside.
But Min Congda used his keen intuition to realize that the five small inside lines were not very empty. Green is a very good small inside defender, and his performance in the first game was crucial.
Durant and James are both very good inside assist and defense players. Durant is not short, and James' body is also strong enough.
If you just use twin towers, such as Gasol and Garlandov, Gasol and Anthony Davis, you may be able to cause trouble to the Warriors, just like Min Congda did in the first regular season.
But the presence of Durant will make the Twin Towers lineup exhausted on defense and the overall game rhythm. The Warriors can completely let go on the defensive end, then maintain a fast offensive rhythm, and finally wear you down with three-pointers and quick counterattacks.
To put it bluntly, without Durant, you can seize the initiative in the game with the Twin Towers. With Durant, the initiative lies in the hands of the Warriors.
According to Fan Chen's calculations, if they play like this, the Clippers can probably compete in two games and then be eliminated 2:4 - this is what many failed defending champions have experienced.
If Anthony Davis is used as the center to play one senior and four juniors, the key problem is that judging from the performance in the first game, Davis cannot handle Green one-on-one on the offensive end.
If Gasol is used to play one large and four small, it will be a big question whether he can cover the three-second zone well on the defensive end and withstand the impact of small players playing big players.
Or simply let Harden be the center and the two sides compete for offensive efficiency. However, this cannot effectively address the weaknesses of the five small lineups and drag them into a quagmire.
No matter how they are distributed and arranged, there are so many routines and ideas designed in the regular season, but when it comes to the actual showdown, it is found that none of them are very stable.
It has to be said that Cole's move was very powerful. Even though Min Congda had expected it, he only found out during the actual fight that it was indeed difficult to deal with.
If Paul George is here, with three small forwards who are both offensive and defensive, the Clippers will have a greater chance of winning, and they can suppress the Warriors in rhythm and maintain the initiative.
It's a pity that George cannot play. Even if he has resumed training now, it is impossible for him to participate in the high-intensity playoff games in his condition.
After repeated exchanges and deductions with Fan Chen, Min Congda asked Fan Chen: "Fan Chen, what do you think is our winning rate based on the current style of play?"
Fan Chen thought for a while and replied: "I think if nothing unexpected happens, if we continue to fight like this, our winning rate should be around 40%."
"Forty percent, can't it be higher? That's not what you said before the playoffs started."
"The Warriors are hiding their tricks in the regular season. They have never used the Fifth Primary School. We estimate that the Five Primary Schools are not powerful enough. You know, the key point is not how subtle this routine is, but..."
"But what?"
"Rather, it prevents us from taking the initiative. You must admit that this is the first series in the past few years that we have been unable to take the initiative and have to passively take over. In the past, all our games have always been based on We are the master, we make moves, and our opponents take their moves. The initiative lies with us. This time, we are the passive side and the disadvantaged side, and the situation is much more difficult."
Min Congda said nothing. Fan Chen was right. This was the first time in recent years that the Clippers had fallen into a passive position.
In their previous winning streak, they firmly held the initiative in their hands. Their opponents always danced with the Clippers. Unknowingly, after a game, their shots were a few percentage points lower and the game was lost.
But once they fall into passivity, the Clippers' winning logic changes. Those overall suppression and efficiency advantages no longer belong to the Clippers.
Now that you are the downward dog, you need to find another way and find a way to get out of the passive predicament.
This dilemma further expanded two days later. On May 21, the two sides played a second game at Oracle Arena.
Just like the first game, the evenly matched two sides fought extremely fiercely and entered into a high-intensity confrontation from the first quarter.
The two sides were tied at 54:54 in the first half. In the middle of the third quarter, Steve Kerr once again used a five-small lineup.
This time, Min Congda also sent out five players to deal with the situation. He still chose James Harden to form a lineup with extremely strong offensive firepower to compete with the Warriors.
The Clippers' five players were even better in terms of offensive power. Sparks flew from both sides, referee whistles sounded frequently, and the smell of gunpowder became stronger and stronger.
The two sides fought hard until the fourth quarter, and in the most critical last minute, Kevin Durant stepped forward and hit two consecutive three-pointers from outside the three-point line.
These two goals, which were purely based on personal ability, helped the Warriors instantly take the absolute initiative, while the Clippers offense was in trouble.
The physical exertion of a high-intensity game, as well as the Warriors' big moves on the defensive end - tonight, with the connivance of the referees, the Warriors' defense can be said to be highly skilled.
But even so, Min Congda still deployed two exquisite sideline ball tactics, once giving Leonard a completely open shot and hit a three-pointer.
Subsequently, Curry used the screen to get to the basket, received Gasol's assist and passed the ball, and easily succeeded in a layup. In the last 14 seconds, the Clippers were still 1 point behind the Warriors.
With a 1-point difference, the Warriors have the ball, and the initiative is still in the Warriors' hands.
After the timeout, the Warriors chose to hand the ball to James. James held the ball and forced a defensive foul on Leonard.
The penalty for this ball was very controversial. Min Congda cursed the referee on the sidelines, saying that there was no foul on the ball and that James did not start his steps cleanly.
However, the referee did not change the penalty. Tyronn Lue also came over to grab Min Congda and said that if he got a technical foul and had to add penalties, it would not be worth it.
Tonight's referee Blazer also said to Min Congda: "Smart, you are the coach now, and you are under my control off the court. You'd better restrain yourself!"
In the past, Min Congda was the general manager and could scold him as much as he wanted, but the referee could not eject him as a spectator.
It's different when he becomes a coach. If he is called for a technical foul or ejected, it will be very detrimental to the team.
Min Congda could only endure this sigh, and then James made two free throws. The Warriors led the Clippers by 3 points 113:110.
With only 3 seconds left before the end of the game, Min Congda called a timeout to arrange the last-minute winning tactic.
The tactic ran out successfully, Curry attracted the defense, Harden caught the ball and shot a three-pointer, but the ball missed due to Thompson's interference.
The Clippers lost the second game of the series, trailing 0:2, and the situation became extremely passive.
When the two sides are evenly matched, the Warriors' desire to win and their state of mind are even better.
Of course, there is also the referee's biased whistle at home, and the Clippers are facing the same situation as in 2012.
The difference is that in 2012, they were full of ambition and fledgling, and they would do everything they could to win the championship.
Now that the players have three championships in hand, their motivation is definitely not as strong as it was in 12 years.
Moreover, Min Congda has also been criticized for his employment. The Los Angeles media believes that the Clippers, who have been bold in hiring in the past, have become conservative when facing the Warriors.
Randolph, Dragic, Jokic and others did not get playing time in the second game, even if they were allowed to give it a try?
In fact, the Warriors' rotation is not much better. It is also an iron eight-man rotation, and the main players dare not give more rest time.
Because this is the strongest matchup in history, one minute of slackness, one omission in rotation, one or two rounds that are broken, may lead to the loss of the game, which will affect the entire series.
The situation has become even more unfavorable to the Clippers, and public opinion is also very unfriendly to the Clippers. Phil Jackson bluntly said on a talk show, "The Clippers are finished this year. Three consecutive championships is the limit, and four consecutive championships are impossible. "
Charles Barkley said, "It's not a shame to lose to a team composed of LeBron James and Kevin Durant. The combination of Durant and James is like the Philadelphia 76ers in 1983. This year they are Unstoppable.”
In 1983, Moses Malone and Julius Erving teamed up, and the Philadelphia 76ers won the championship in the regular season and playoffs like the autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves.
Although they were eliminated in the first round the following year and never recovered, at least in the 1983 season they were unrivaled.
The current Warriors lineup is more luxurious and powerful than the 1983 76ers, and they also have a strong desire to win.
And the 2:0 lead did not make the Warriors get carried away.
After arriving in Los Angeles on May 22, LeBron James told reporters: "We also led 2:0 in 2012, but you know the final result. This lesson is very, very profound. I will not let this happen again. .”
Steve Kerr also said: "The Clippers are very strong. Even if we lead 3-0, we will not relax until we win the fourth game."
The third game is indeed crucial for the Clippers. With this loss, the Clippers' dream of four consecutive championships is really over.
On May 23, all 25,000 seats in the Huawei Center were sold out. Everyone still hopes to see the Clippers' ability to turn the tide.
The Clippers did not disappoint the fans in this game. Min Congda started the game with one big and four small, using a super offensive combination of Gasol, Leonard, Butler, Harden and Curry.
This is obviously to fight the Warriors offensively to the end, and strive to take the initiative in the game before the Warriors use five small lineups, and then drag the game into a stalemate and suppress the Warriors.
This move worked. In the first quarter, the Clippers not only had a strong offensive lineup, but also the players were in excellent condition. They beat the Warriors 41:29 in the first quarter, leading the Warriors by 12 points.
This set the tone of the game, and the Warriors had to catch up in the later period. In the second quarter, Cole began to use a five-small lineup to catch up, but tonight the Clippers' three-point shooting rate was too high.
Curry, Harden, Leonard, Butler, and even Gasol all opened fire. They made 15 of 26 three-pointers in the game, which was far beyond the normal shooting range. The Clippers exploded, and the Warriors were You can't win for sure.
In the end, the Clippers defeated the Warriors 117:101 at home, with a 16-point advantage. Curry scored 40 points in this game, helping the Clippers pull back the score, 1:2.
However, after the game, the media and fans clearly stated that such an exaggerated three-point shooting rate cannot be achieved in every game.
Unless the Clippers can explode like this in the next game, they still don't seem to have found a good way to deal with the Warriors.
Basically, when the series reaches about the fourth or fifth game, the role of tactical adjustments will be greatly reduced, and player status will become more important.
Because everyone has played several games in a row, the routines that should be used are similar, and there will be no major changes. They are already familiar with each other, and the effectiveness of some strange and strange moves is decreasing.
As the game progresses, the performance of core players becomes more and more important. In this regard, both Cole and Min Congda have done a good job.
James, Durant, Curry, Harden, Thompson, Leonard and others all played at a high level.
The Warriors, especially Green, played an important role as the center of the five small teams.
On the other hand, the Clippers, who are proud of their inside line, did not exert enough suppression.
Whether it was offensive rebounds or inside scoring, they did not completely overwhelm the Warriors.
The Warriors used two of the league's best forwards to completely contain the Clippers' interior.
The crucial fourth game continued at the Huawei Center. This game was different from the third game, and the fight was extremely brutal.
The two sides fought fiercely for three overtimes, from a 101:101 tie to a 131:131 tie. In the third overtime, there was still no winner.
When Durant missed a mid-range jumper, the two sides entered the terrifying fourth overtime. Both teams' physical fitness was close to the limit.
At this time, both sides have a physical monster on the court - James of the Warriors and Curry of the Clippers.
The fourth overtime became a duel between the two. Curry hit a three-pointer first and took the lead.
After that, the two sides began to strike continuously, and the physical energy consumption was too serious.
James still had the stamina to rush to the basket, and his successful layup also caused a foul on Gasol.
What's worse is that Gasol not only committed a foul, but he also strained his thigh after falling and had to limp off the field with the help of his teammates.
James made an extra free throw, and the two sides were tied at 133:133. Only the two teams could no longer score, and it was about to enter the record-breaking fifth overtime.
At this time, the referee actually called Jokic, who came on the bench, a three-second violation...
Jokic may have played too many FIBA games and is not accustomed to the NBA yet.
Or maybe he was too nervous, he didn't expect Min Congda to send him on stage.
He originally wanted to show off himself well on the field and contribute to the team's victory.
Unexpectedly, a three-second violation gave the Warriors a free throw opportunity.
In this situation where both sides are exhausted, one point is decisive.
Min Congda roared angrily at the referee, and the fans at the scene booed. Why would such a foul be called at this moment?
As a result, Min Congda received a technical foul and gave the Warriors another free throw opportunity. Thompson made both free throws steadily.
Leaving the Clippers for the last attack, Min Congda knew that he had no physical strength and designed a three-pointer tactic.
The tactic came out, but the Warriors' defense was very tight and did not give Curry a chance to catch the ball and shoot a three-pointer.
Finally, it was passed to the basket, and Leonard's layup was blocked by Green!
The referee blew the whistle and gave Leonard the opportunity to make two free throws!
The two sides really seemed to be heading into a fifth overtime.
At this time, Green has been sent off, and the Clippers' Butler and Davis have also been sent off.
James, Harden, and Leonard all committed five fouls. It will be beneficial to the Clippers to continue playing.
Because the Clippers bench has more people who can play.
Leonard made the first free throw, but the second one hit the edge of the basket and missed!
The key rebound was grabbed by James. The moment he grabbed the rebound, James threw the ball forward!
Immediately after the game ended, the Warriors won the four-overtime battle 135:134!
They led with a total score of 3:1 and were only one step away from eliminating the Clippers and reaching the finals.
Trailing 1:3, not many people believe that this year's Clippers can still create a miracle and enter the finals.
Everyone believes that another dynasty has come to an end and that the era of the Clippers is temporarily over.
After the game, the entire Clippers team was very frustrated, especially Jokic and Leonard.
Two mistakes by the two caused the Clippers to lose the game with great regret.
Luck didn't seem to be on their side.
At this moment, a poem sounded in Min Congda's mind: When times come, heaven and earth all work together, and the heroes who are transported are not free.
There was nothing wrong with the Clippers' game. The problem was that luck was not on their side at the critical moment.
While waiting for the fifth game, Min Congda was a little frustrated.
His wife Ada, who accompanied him to Auckland, stayed with him and comforted him.
"We have created a dynasty. Even if we lose the series, our achievements are still great."
"The Clippers are still very young, very young. This year's experience will be their valuable asset. Next, they will attack the next three consecutive championships. It's like a spring. If you press it low enough, you can bounce high enough. , isn’t it?”
Ada's comfort made Min Congda feel a little better, but the series was not over after all.
Being behind 1:3 is a desperate situation, but it is not a complete dead end.
He asked Ada: "Ada, what do you think of me as a coach?"
"It's great. In fact, most coaches just fool people. You are different, you do a good job. But things on the court cannot be decided by the coach alone."
"Compared with the past, do you think I have any shortcomings?"
"Not enough? No, you are getting better and better. If I have to say..."
"If I have to say it, how about it?"
"You used to be very indifferent to winning and losing. Do you still remember? I remember that when we lost before, you were always very relaxed."
Min Congda thought to himself, it's not that I took it lightly in the past, it was because I wanted to lose in the past!
Who knew that I had reached this point, but I didn’t want to lose, because the feeling of losing is really bad.
"Back then...it was different from now. It's hard to go back to the mentality we had in the past."
"Maybe... Anyway, I think if you really want to win, you should do something, really do something."
"Do something? What to do?"
"It's to cheer up the players and let them feel that atmosphere again. That...I can't explain it, anyway, everyone feels that we can win. The situation is not very good now, everyone is very frustrated. Mark is injured Now, I think some people are even starting to think about how to spend the offseason."
Ada has always been with the team and understands the team atmosphere and the players' emotions very well.
Losing in the fourth game really hurt morale, and everyone's desire to win was almost exhausted.
What Ada said earlier is also very reasonable. There is no team that never loses.
Three consecutive championships have been achieved and a dynasty has been established. If they lose this season, it may really be a good thing for the Clippers.
They will learn lessons, accumulate anger, and create opportunities for the next three consecutive championships, just like Michael Jordan.
However, this idea of self-comfort always made Min Congda feel uncomfortable, like a small grain of sand in his shoe, which made him uncomfortable.
After arriving in Oakland, as long as I turned on the local TV station, basketball-related programs would be overwhelmingly celebrating that the Warriors were about to eliminate the Clippers and establish a new era.
At the entrance of Oracle Arena, huge Nike posters of James and Durant were hung on the stadium's curtain wall, staring at every enthusiastic fan who came here to watch the game.
The night before the game, Min Congda tossed and turned. He still couldn't sleep, so he took out his mobile phone and read over and over again the comments about the Clippers and Warriors on Twitter.
There is a lot of ridicule and criticism of Min Congda. Min Congda seems to use these criticisms to sting himself and make him think of some ways to change the current status quo.
The coaching staff has tried to bring the players together to give speeches and watch game videos together, but it is no longer of much use. This is not 2012 anymore. Too much chicken soup will always fail.
Among the many criticisms, one caught the attention of Min Congda, who said: "Smart is a shrewd general manager and a talented coach. But he has never been an NBA player or played on the court. , he will never be able to understand the feeling of being on the court. Although his sensitivity is very amazing, I think he just lacks that little experience. If he can play in the NBA for one or two years, even if he looks at the water cooler and experiences it, I think Things will be different.”
This is a reply from an ordinary fan. Under NBA-Batman’s tweet, Min Congda himself posted a tweet: If you evaluate Smart as a head coach.
This evaluation is quite accurate. It hit the heart of Min Congda. It is true that he has never really played in the NBA. Although he has experience in AAU games, it is different from the NBA after all.
Why can someone with Tyronn Lue's level be a head coach? Maybe his tactical level is not top-notch, but tactics are only part of the game, and the players are decisive.
Tyronn Lue has been a player, and he knows how to communicate with players and how to truly stimulate their energy - although it doesn't always work, it has worked after all, and it has made a big difference.
But there was no way, what could Min Congda do? After he came to the United States in 2009, he quickly knew that he was actually very suitable for playing basketball. Even though he was not tall enough, his talent was really good.
It's a pity that he didn't have this opportunity in China, and he never tapped into his basketball potential. By the time he was 30 years old, his potential was so high that it didn't work.
It's a miracle that he can play in AAU and even help the team advance.
If he could get into basketball earlier, even if he couldn't play in the NBA, maybe he could make a living in the CBA, right?
There was a lot going on in his mind at once, and he was completely unable to calm down and plan what kind of tactics he would use in tomorrow's game.
The tactics seem to be failing. Is there any other trick I can use?
Suddenly, Min Congda thought of something, and a bold idea came to his mind.
He quietly stood up so as not to wake up Ada, who was already sleeping soundly. Then he left the room and knocked on the door of the logistics department director's room.
"Oh~ Mr. Smart, you're not asleep yet? What's the matter?"
"Immediately think of a way to prepare a jersey for me. I want No. 4."
"What? What did you say?"
"I said, get me a jersey, the Clippers' away jersey. I want No. 4!"
"Uh...you want a set of jerseys?"
"Yes, it fits me, No. 4. When I get up this morning, I will see the jersey at the door of my room. Hurry up and get ready. You can also buy it in the store!"
"Okay...Okay, okay, I'll do it right away!"
(End of chapter)
