Zhao Chen really didn't treat Durant like him off the court.
The main reason is that Durant himself doesn't have the boss style, and he often uses his trumpet to hack him...
This loser temperament leaks out from time to time, making it difficult for Zhao Chen and Westbrook to convince him.
Durant's performance on the court is okay, but off the court, he behaves more like an immature child.
Durant often didn't understand that Zhao Chen and Westbrook's dissatisfaction with him was not a matter of performance on the field, but purely a matter of temperament.
Of course, Zhao Chen and Westbrook both know that if the Thunder wants to succeed, they need Durant.
The difficulty of succeeding in the playoffs is huge and requires everyone to work together!
So for the time being, Durant is still the Thunder's star.
.....
Everything in the game is going according to procedure.
After the appearance ceremony, Paul George met Zhao Chen himself.
To be honest, after seeing Zhao Chen, Paul George didn't find Zhao Chen annoying.
Zhao Chen is handsome and charming. Regardless of men or women, their first impression of him will be good.
It's just that the media's portrayal of Zhao Chen is a bit arrogant.
Although Zhao Chen is pleasing to the eye, Paul George will not be merciful because of this.
Paul George also knows that if he doesn't try his best, he is more likely to be beaten by Zhao Chen.
Those words of looking down on Zhao Chen are just Paul George's psychological tactics.
........
Zhao Chen also has high emotional intelligence, which is why he does well in the locker room.
Many Thunder players take great care of Zhao Chen.
This trait of Zhao Chen is similar to Dayao. For Dayao to be successful in the NBA, physical talent and ability are only the foundation. His emotional intelligence and football intelligence can keep up with his talent.
If you look at Ah Lian, Sun Yue and others, you will know that there are actually many gaps in their playing personalities.
It’s not that they have good or bad personalities, it’s just that some people are better suited to playing ball and know how to get along with others.
Zhao Chen looked at the entire Pacers team.
This game is a bit difficult to play. In addition to the fact that the Thunder is the last game of five consecutive away games and is subject to a severe physical test, there is also the strength of the Pacers themselves. The current Pacers are very strong.
Judging from the lineup structure, the Pacers have the ability to compete for the championship.
The point guard position is George Hill, a player who has played under Popovich. His tactical literacy and ability to integrate the team system are extremely strong.
The shooting guard is Lance Stephenson. His physical talent is very strong, but his flaw is also obvious, which is his IQ.
This flaw of his was also criticized by many people, and was eventually completely blown away by "Flash" Wade, whose IQ was obviously suppressed by the Heat.
The Pacers' small forward is their strength, and current team member Paul George has been very strong in the past two seasons.
The power forward is veteran David West, who is the most stable scoring point in the Pacers. His back-up ability and mid-range shooting ability are among the best in the league. In the contest with the Heat, he is also a very stable scoring point. .
The Pacers' substitute was Scola. The Argentinian diamond became unknown after leaving the Rockets, and his ability and data declined sharply due to being on the bench.
The Pacers' center is Hibbert, who caused a lot of trouble for the Heat last season.
It's just that Hibbert didn't make much progress this season, but showed a downward trend. In the playoffs last season, Hibbert hardly played a stable game.
The center substitute is Bynum, who joined the team at the end of the season. This once-scrupulous player in one of the Lakers' twin towers fell into a trough after leaving the Lakers.
Injuries and attitude ruin a talented player.
The Pacers have always wanted to break through the Eastern Conference and win their championship.
They have prepared a lot for this.
The Thunder are a strong team in the Western Conference, and their recent performance is likely to win the Western Conference championship, so the Pacers have always regarded the Thunder as their imaginary enemy in the finals.
If they win, their confidence in the Pacers will be greatly improved.
Soon the game started.
Pacers starting lineup: George Hill, Lance Stephenson, Paul George, David West, Roy Hibbert.
Thunder starting lineup: Westbrook, Zhao Chen, Durant, Ibaka, Adams.
Coach Brix already likes to put Zhao Chen in the starting lineup in some key games.
After the game started, Zhao Chen's main opponent was (junior brother) Lance Stephenson.
Stephenson is 1.96 meters tall and weighs 95 kilograms, which is the standard height and weight for the No. 2 position.
Stephenson is an offensive guard who is good at breakthroughs. He is very strong, fierce in defense, not afraid of confrontation, and has a strong rebounding ability. However, his shooting is unstable. He can assist but will make wrong decisions in his hot head.
He is most famous for pestering James in the playoffs and blowing hot-headedly into James' ears. This action made the media and fans think that he was a little abnormal.
This season, Lance Stephenson averaged 13 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists per game. All statistics are the peak of his career.
He is one of the bases for Pacers head coach Vogel to defend Zhao Chen.
Judging from the effect of the first quarter, Stephenson did have a good effect.
Zhao Chen has no obvious mismatch advantage when beating Stephenson, and it takes a certain amount of effort.
In addition, with Durant and Westbrook in the starting lineup, Zhao Chen didn't get many opportunities.
Paul George's matchup with Durant was very smart. He often used pick-and-rolls to beat Durant. In the first quarter, Paul George made 5 of 7 shots and scored 11 points and 3 assists.
Durant encountered some problems when he played Paul George, and he was a little angry.
When he felt bad, he rushed inside to challenge Hibbert many times.
Going to the basket to hit Hibbert is not a good choice, and Durant also took risks twice.
Westbrook was also restricted by George Hill and played normally and did not go wild.
For the Pacers, the fact that they did not let one of the Thunder's Big Three go wild shows that their defense in the first quarter was successful.
In addition to Paul George's performance, David West also made steady contributions.
David West is definitely a player whose reputation is smaller than his ability.
His basic inside skills are too solid, and he shows off his various footwork and back-up skills.
In the first quarter of the game, with the Pacers' three armies working hard, the score was 28 to 32. They gained a 4-point advantage at home.
Coach Brooks of the second team did not let the Big Three play on the court.
The impact of five consecutive visitors is that Brooks changed the regular rotation and shortened the playing time of the Big Three.
The price paid for this was also heavy. At the beginning of the second quarter, Paul George and David West teamed up to blast a 10-0 climax to widen the point difference.
Brooks' face darkened.
The second team led by Zhao Chen has the illusion that the Thunder's second team has improved in strength.
Unexpectedly, without Zhao Chen in the second team, the substitutes showed their true colors.
Robertson can't attack, and Adams can't protect the frame...
At 9 minutes and 22 seconds into the second quarter, Brooks immediately called for a stop and quickly replaced Zhao Chen to put out the fire.
Zhao Chen was also confused when he came on the field, from being 4 points behind to 14 points behind...
It’s the familiar rhythm of wiping one’s butt again.
