After winning Game 5, the entire Clippers team returned to the hotel, met with Min Congda, and flew back to Los Angeles together.
Min Congda gave everyone a big hug. His sacrifice was not in vain, and the players seemed to be alive again.
Min Congda especially hugged Tyronn Lue tightly and said: "Tylenn, you are great, great, you deserve to be the best coach."
In the past, Min Congda looked down on Tyronn Lue to some extent. After all, if you say he has nothing, this guy really has nothing.
But in every crucial game, when it comes to reversal, he really has something.
The sudden gambling zone defense after the timeout in the fourth quarter and the two minutes for Curry to rest were both crucial.
Therefore, although Tyronn Lue sometimes seems to be an idiot tactically, he feels very good on the court.
When the game counts, he knows what to do and how to make a profit.
This is the on-field experience that a championship member who has played has.
Although Cole on the opposite side has the same experience, he is slightly inferior in adjustments at the last moment.
The confrontation between the two sides is so fierce that any deviation will have an impact on the outcome.
It can be seen from this that Tyronn Lue is really capable.
Tyronn Lue, who was in danger, also breathed a sigh of relief. He said: "Fortunately, there is a note left by Mr. Smart. It's okay, okay."
Min Congda said: "Your adaptability is also very important, especially the sudden zone defense you arranged. Grabbing two points on a fast break was decisive."
Tyronn Lue looked confused after hearing this and said: "Huh? I...I didn't arrange for them to defend the zone."
"No? Then during that timeout, we suddenly defended a zone defense."
Mike Malone on the side said: "That was a decision made by the players themselves on the court. They temporarily discussed a zone defense, changed the rhythm, and caught the opponent off guard... It was a good decision, caught off guard, and it had an effect."
Min Congda: "..."
In any case, the Clippers overcame a hurdle and took the game back to Los Angeles.
Of course, many people believe that the Clippers are nothing more than a reprieve from execution.
Many teams that were trailing 1:3 have been dragged to the sixth or even seventh game, but it is extremely difficult to reverse the situation.
Especially since the Clippers have one home court left. Even if they reach the tiebreaker, they still have to return to Oracle Arena.
At this time, the home court advantage brought by more regular season wins comes into play.
Playing the tiebreaker on your own court definitely has some advantages.
But for the Clippers and Min Congda, this doesn't seem to be a big problem.
"Two of our three championships came on the road. In 2012, we won three consecutive games at home, and then won the championship in Cleveland. In 2013, we won all three away games! From the statistics, In the playoffs, our winning rate on the road is higher than at home. Of course, I know who will win in the end. The home and away factors are not as big as imagined, but our away winning rate will definitely bring psychological pressure to the Warriors. Our promotion The department must work hard to promote this, enhance the team’s morale, and put pressure on the other side.”
Before the game, Min Congda specifically mentioned the media propaganda war at the meeting.
During the past three consecutive championships, the Clippers did not engage in any off-the-table moves along the way.
Post-match interviews, pre-match remarks, media promotion content, etc. were all fair and peaceful.
Firstly, Min Congda didn't want to win at that time, and secondly, the Clippers were stronger than their opponents and didn't need to use these little tricks.
It's different now. The Clippers are still at a huge disadvantage, and any factor that affects the balance of victory must be taken into consideration.
In this kind of high-end game, the psychological state of the players has a crucial impact on the outcome.
As early as during the regular season, Min Congda paid great attention to the team's public opinion control.
He did not wantonly belittle the Warriors to stimulate James and Durant, and did not give the Warriors a reason to unite as one.
But in the Western Conference, when the bayonet saw red, Min Congda would not be polite.
The sixth game came quickly. The two teams only had one day of rest and adjustment. The sixth game of the two teams started at the Huawei Center.
Before the game, Min Congda accepted an interview with the Los Angeles Times and was asked what he thought of the cooperation between James and Durant.
Min Congda said: "They are the two best small forwards in the league. Their playing characteristics can complement each other. One is comprehensive and the other has super scoring ability. It is simply a match made in heaven. They caused us huge trouble in the series. , To be honest, I still haven’t found a good way to deal with them until now.”
The reporter asked again: "In your opinion, who is the greater threat to the Clippers? Who is the bigger troublemaker?"
Min Congda thought for a while and said: "Kevin is very good. His presence makes the Warriors' offense extremely sharp. He is the fastest knife in the league. But I must say that LeBron is the cornerstone of this team. His arrival makes The Warriors have directly risen to a new level. He has changed his style of play. In fact, I reminded him more than a year ago to take a more comprehensive route, and he has done a good job. I believe in his ability and The change he brings to a team is essential. He is a foundational player. If, I say if, even though the series has not yet been played, if I were asked to choose the best player of the series, I would choose LeBron James. Brown.”
The remarks were quickly posted on Twitter and other social media before the game and were widely disseminated.
In fact, there has always been a debate about who is the Warriors' number one star, James or Durant.
Externally, both say they are equals, cooperate with each other, and don't care who is the real boss.
But after a season, Durant is the one with higher scores, but James is significantly higher than Durant in terms of leadership.
Moreover, James won the most important award, the regular season MVP.
Because Durant is several years younger than James, people think that the ideal situation is that James will be the boss for three years and the Warriors will realize their long-cherished wish for a championship.
When James gets older and Durant matures and reaches his true peak, he will take over and become the next boss of the Warriors.
To be honest, if the Warriors can ensure the stability of Durant-James' double super small forward lineup, then they will be a strong contender for the championship in the next five years.
However, the results of the first year of cooperation between the two parties are particularly important.
Min Congda's remarks were quickly pointed out as sowing discord.
"This guy Smart is wreaking havoc and engaging in a war of public opinion! Shetter. Let me tell you, our goal tonight is to win this game and then return to Oakland to prepare for the finals! As for who is the boss and who is more important? It doesn’t matter who is stronger at all, we are the strongest!”
In the Warriors' locker room before the game, Cole took out the interview content of Min Congda in the afternoon and the Clippers' official remarks.
He knows that the Clippers are disrupting the Warriors' morale. Unlike the Clippers' group of young players who grew up together, the Warriors' two super core players are both outsiders.
Including Cole himself, who just joined the Warriors this season, what unites everyone is not feelings, but a strong belief in revenge and desire for a championship.
This kind of belief and desire is like a stimulant. Its effectiveness is very strong, but its effect is relatively short. You must make good use of it within the validity period to reach your goal.
Now is the sprint stage. Once the Warriors defeat the Clippers, the championship will be in their hands.
Neither the Wizards nor the Hawks in the East will be a match for the Warriors.
Even if the Warriors give up a James or a Durant, they have a high chance of winning.
But once it cannot be overcome and the effectiveness of the stimulant wears off, the contradiction will gradually become apparent.
Just the question of who is the boss between James and Durant is enough for the coaching staff and management to drink.
American players, especially black American players, take issues such as team leaders and team bosses very seriously.
This is a typical American locker room culture. The United States itself is a country that emphasizes freedom, and personal heroism is rampant.
Therefore, for an excellent team, the coach must constantly repeat the clichés of "unity," "mutual help," and "sharing."
These qualities are simply taken for granted by Asian or European players, because the education of these qualities begins in early childhood.
But you can't see it in American black players. They have not received such education, and the environment they are exposed to has always been a more primitive "strongest is king".
Just like a group of monkeys, there must be a monkey king to take the lead, otherwise no one will obey the other, and the monkeys can fight with themselves.
Kerr knew in his heart that Kevin Durant had never been convinced by James.
Because when the Warriors first came, Durant was traded, and there was no issue with James.
At that time, the Warriors' lineup was David Lee, Durant, Bogut, Thompson, and Lillard.
The substitutes include Green and more than 20 million in free agent signing space.
Durant is only 27 years old. This lineup is very young and has great potential. It will be no problem to compete for the championship in five or six years.
When Durant comes to the Warriors, he is the boss regardless of ability or qualifications.
But seeing Durant coming, James also said he wanted to join, and the Warriors certainly wouldn't refuse.
Immediately let go of David Lee, signed James, and formed a super strong team.
NBA teams don't talk about first come, first served. James has always been the number one small forward over Durant.
Now that we have formed a team, we still have to hold on to the Warriors.
But for the sake of the championship and defeating the Clippers, Durant endured it.
The two have also cooperated very well during the season. They are indeed a good fit. James has also successfully transformed and become a super support.
But tactically, he is an assistant, but in terms of status, James is still the boss. In MVP voting, the media still voted for James.
It is impossible to say that Durant has no thoughts and is not convinced.
Before he even entered the league, he was suppressed by James.
James is the No. 1 pick, and he is the No. 2 pick.
Both of them have Nike contracts, but James' amount is larger than him.
People's evaluation of James is to catch up with Michael Jordan, and their evaluation of Durant is to catch up with James.
Durant is someone who cares more about external public opinion. How can he not care about it?
Of course, as a member of the Warriors, he also knows that the Clippers are engaged in a public opinion war.
At this time, he will definitely not have a conflict with James, but will focus on playing the game well first.
It's just that this kind of thing is like a poisonous weed. No one mentions it, so it stays silently buried in the heart without sprouting.
Once someone mentions it, and mentions it again and again, watering the seed with saliva, it will quietly sprout.
I don't know when this poisonous weed will release its toxicity, erode a person's rationality, and make him make irrational decisions.
In fact, the loss in Game 5 was a big blow to Durant. He could have ended the series on the last attack, but was intercepted by Tucker, ruining the chance of going into overtime.
Although everyone comforted Durant after the game, the emotional dissatisfaction could not be hidden.
This is the embarrassment of "migrants". Everyone works together instead of playing together and growing together.
In the Thunder, Durant also failed to win a game and made mistakes, but that was his team and he had the final say.
Now in the Warriors, is this James' team? It seems to be, but it seems not to be, anyway, it's not his.
After speaking in the locker room and appeasing everyone's emotions, Cole led the team to the field to warm up.
Standing next to the stadium, the dome of Huawei Center looks particularly high. Because it can accommodate 25,000 spectators, the venue is very grand and the pressure on people is very high.
Looking at the Clippers players and Min Congda who were doing warm-up training on the other side of the court, Cole couldn't help but feel sincere admiration.
He admires that the Clippers team culture established by Min Congda is unique in the league and has the character of the old-school NBA teams back then.
As the money in the pockets of league players becomes more and more, it becomes more and more difficult to balance a locker room. Otherwise, how could Phil Jackson be so good? Otherwise, why would Popovich not tolerate locker room thorns? head.
And Min Congda is obviously better, building the Clippers into an impregnable team. The players are willing to contribute and sacrifice on the court, which is almost incredible in the current league.
At this moment, a poisonous weed actually grew in Cole's heart - he still had doubts, wouldn't he be overturned? Can they really beat the Clippers?
Cole immediately put the thought out of his mind and concentrated on pre-game preparations.
At 7:30 in the evening, the game between the two sides started on time.
After Gasol was injured by the Clippers, Jokic became the team's starting center.
This adjustment made Cole uncomfortable because he found that Green's defensive effect against Fatty was not very good.
Jokic is tall, has good playing habits, excellent hand skills, and good mental quality. Green's various tricks are not very effective for him.
Green is the key to the Warriors' five-small lineup, and can be described as the tactical "eye". He is not the strongest one, nor is he the core, but he is the foundation for this style of play.
Originally, Gasol's injury was a huge benefit to the Warriors. Anthony Davis was restrained by Green. Randolph was too old to defend well and was misplaced and missed when he came on. Bonner was just a functional inside man who could support him for a while. Yes, it will definitely not work after a long time.
As a result, Cole never expected that the Clippers would have the little-known Jokic rise up.
His consecutive goals on the offensive end in the last game caused a sharp decline in the defensive efficiency of the fifth primary school, which was a devastating blow to the fifth primary school.
Cole prayed in his heart that Jokic only performed well on the spot in the last game. After adjustments this time, Green can suppress him one-on-one.
At the beginning of the game, the two teams had no tactical secrets or tests. They attacked each other from the beginning, one-on-one defense, and competed with the players' ability and willpower.
The two teams fought hard in the first half, with the Clippers leading the Warriors by 1 point 45:44 to end the second quarter.
This score is not high, and it can be seen that the physical energy of the two teams is very high.
As the series progresses, injuries and physical problems will gradually become apparent.
The time has come to test the depth of the lineup and the willpower of the players.
These two items are precisely the Clippers' strengths.
In the third quarter, as expected, Cole entered the five-small lineup and launched an attack on the Clippers.
The Warriors suddenly accelerated on the offensive end, and LeBron James increased the speed of offense and defense transitions, leading the team to a 7:0 spurt.
The Warriors took the lead in one fell swoop, and the Clippers immediately called a timeout. Min Congda replaced Harden, who was easily hindered by defense, and replaced him with Butler.
The Clippers were tit-for-tat with one senior and four juniors. Jokic replaced Davis and stayed on the court. After returning from the timeout, Jokic received Curry's pass and hit a mid-range jumper from the baseline!
"This guy can also score from mid-range?" Cole was very surprised. Where did the Clippers choose their players from?
Then, the Clippers suddenly used a half-court press to destroy the Warriors' pass, forcing Durant to play one-on-one.
As a result, Jokic got a backcourt rebound and counterattacked on a fast break. Curry caught the ball and hit a three-pointer, and the score quickly closed.
The momentum of the game shifted to the Clippers. At this time, the Warriors especially needed a player to step up and break the situation with unreasonable goals.
But I don’t know if Durant is in poor physical condition tonight, or is affected by public opinion, or maybe Tucker’s six consecutive games of biting him finally had an effect.
In short, Durant's breakthrough was blocked by the double defense, and the floater missed. The Clippers once again got backcourt rebounds to counterattack.
Jokic made a bold super long pass to the frontcourt, Butler received the ball, faked a move to avoid Thompson's block, and easily scored two points.
The Clippers quickly defeated the Warriors 7-0 and regained a 1-point lead.
The situation of the game is different from the previous four games.
The five small offensive shockwaves no longer choke the Clippers.
Jokic did not fall behind in the face of Green. This young Serbian boy showed amazing ball skills, excellent basic skills and psychological quality.
He played the entire third quarter and suppressed Green many times on offense and defense. Especially after he received the ball in the paint, Green's height of 198cm was unable to stop Jokic from putting the ball into the basket.
Jokic scored 10 points in the third quarter, helping the Clippers lead the Warriors by 6 points, 80:74, at the end of the third quarter, and they had the advantage.
At this time, some fans and critics began to criticize Cole for being stubborn. Why should Green be put on the court?
But Cole is also suffering. Without Green, playing in a normal lineup, whether it is Bogut or Speights, the offensive flexibility is even worse.
The Warriors couldn't seize the initiative on the offensive end, and even gave up the initiative of the entire series.
Of course, the Warriors still have a chance in the fourth quarter, relying on the players' personal abilities to turn the tide.
It's a pity that Durant felt really bad tonight. He missed one after another from the outside and missed two good opportunities to chase points.
Both sides were already severely exhausted in the fourth quarter and scoring became increasingly difficult. The Clippers took this opportunity to expand their lead to 10 points in one fell swoop.
92:86, two-thirds of the fourth quarter has been played, and neither side has scored more than 100 points, which shows the fierceness of the confrontation.
At this time, James finally stood up and scored consecutively at the basket, causing Jokic to commit a defensive foul and go to the free throw line.
But this was actually the Warriors' final sports score of the game.
In the last 3 minutes of the game, the two sides entered into a tug of war.
It was difficult for both sides to score, and the intensity of the defense was at its peak.
The Clippers only relied on Leonard's mid-range score to score two points.
The Warriors only relied on free throws from Thompson and James to score 4 points.
In the end, as Curry missed a three-pointer, Durant got the ball and missed a three-pointer.
The score between the two sides was fixed at 94:90. The Clippers won a not pretty, difficult, but important victory at home.
The big score was tied at 3:3, and the two sides were about to enter a tiebreaker.
(End of chapter)
