at the pre-match press conference.
Westbrook said to reporters: "I will beat Zhao. I swear, this is the first time we meet as opponents in the playoffs. I will make him feel what it feels like to lose the series."
Durant also said: "We have overcome the biggest difficulty. I will not fall down here. My goal is to pursue the championship."
As Zhao Chen became more and more outstanding, both Westbrook and Durant encountered doubts. Fans questioned whether they won the first championship with Zhao Chen's thigh.
Many fans looked at the video of the year the Thunder won the championship and found that indeed in the playoffs, Zhao Chen showed more importance than the two.
As a result, more and more people agree with this doubt.
This made both Westbrook and Durant suffocate.
Both of them want to prove that they can still win the championship without Zhao Chen.
When Westbrook and Durant were being interviewed, Zhao Chen passed by and nodded at the two.
Although they are opponents, they are also friends. Westbrook and Durant also paid tribute to Zhao Chen.
............
The Thunder this season is known as one of the challengers to the Lakers.
The reason is that both Westbrook and Durant have completely gotten rid of their injuries and have returned to their peak condition.
Durant averaged 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 5 assists per game. His scoring average is second only to Zhao Chen and Harden.
Westbrook averages 23 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds per game. Among guards, only Zhao Chen has more rebounds than Westbrook.
The two had many savior moments in adversity during the game.
Westbrook and Durant are both super giants in their prime, and their combination is also known as the "King Combination."
In addition to the two super giants, the growth of Adams, Robertson and others is also a surprise for the Thunder.
Outsiders believe that the Thunder's combat effectiveness is probably just worse than the year when Zhao Chen was here.
...........
warm up!
Westbrook made consecutive hits from beyond the three-point line. This touch made him feel that he seemed to be in good condition.
Westbrook faced off directly with Zhao Chen today.
"Russell, how do you feel? Can you deal with Zhao today?" Robertson came over and asked.
"It's hard to completely guard against that guy. I can only limit it as much as possible," Westbrook said.
Westbrook trained with Zhao Chen in the summer and knew how powerful Zhao Chen was.
"Well, anyway, I will go over and attack at any time." Robertson said.
"It's best not to double attack and not let him drive the whole team," Westbrook said.
The Thunder have a lot of defensive heroes, and what they used tonight was to constantly switch defenses against Zhao Chen to wear him down.
"OK, I understand, you go and try to get him first." Robertson said to Westbrook.
Westbrook looked at Zhao Chen's back on the other side of the field at this time, his eyes full of fighting intent.
.........
The TNT commentary team came to Staples Arena for live broadcast.
Barkley said: "Although I like Zhao Chen very much, I have to support the Thunder tonight. Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant need to win this game more."
Smith said: "Charles, do you think the Thunder will beat the Lakers in the series?"
Barkley said: "No, I just said that tonight, in terms of overall strength, the Lakers are slightly stronger. Of course, the Thunder are not as soft as the Rockets. James Harden is not as good as Westbrook and Durant." The law is strong.”
"Let's talk about their tactics tonight," O'Neal said.
Miller smiled and said: "Do we still need to discuss the tactics of these two teams? They are superstar singles. The Thunder's number of singles rounds is higher than that of the Lakers. Of course, Zhao Chen's number of singles rounds is the first in the league, only Westbrook Together with Durant, it’s higher than him.”
O'Neal said: "Well, these two teams actually have no tactics."
...........
on domestic live broadcast platforms.
The support ratio between the Lakers and Thunder is 7 to 3.
The Thunder is one of the home teams of many fans who like Zhao Chen.
Such a game attracts enough fans' attention.
After warm-up, the home team's locker room.
Scott emphasized the tactics: "Try to control mistakes and don't let the opponent switch between offense and defense. Our tactics are still the same as in the first round, playing around Zhao Lai."
"All of us must not relax. This opponent tonight is different from the Houston Rockets."
"Everyone has to give their best on the court. If I see someone with a bad attitude, I will take him off."
Scott's words were very direct, and he didn't worry about anything.
As the playoffs enter the second round, the intensity of the competition will only get stronger!
"No problem!" Zhao Chen led the players and responded to the head coach.
Facing Thunder, Zhao Chen did not dare to be careless at all.
Westbrook and Durant are the top superstars of this era and have a great influence on the game.
Soon!
Appearance ceremony!
The starting lineups of both sides will remain on the court.
Thunder starting lineup: Westbrook, Robertson, Durant, Ibaka, Adams.
Lakers starting lineup: Zhao Chen, Kobe, Covington, Tucker, Jokic.
In terms of lineup comparison, the Thunder's lineup is younger, more impactful, and has better talent.
But judging from the actual record, the Lakers' starting lineup is the regular starting lineup for 75 wins. Their cooperation is more tacit and their roles are more complementary.
As the game time approaches, the Lakers home court is still noisy.
Lakers fans uniformly wore Lakers home T-shirts to transform this place into a golden battlefield!
Thunder players can actually feel numbness in their scalps.
The Thunder is only a small market, while Los Angeles is a huge market with extremely high attention.
Durant was also very jealous when he saw such an atmosphere.
Nearly two seasons have passed, and Durant also understands why Zhao Chen is willing to stay in Los Angeles longer.
Superstars can enjoy more glory in big cities.
Although they have enjoyed it many times, the atmosphere at home still makes Lakers players feel excited!
No player would refuse such a big occasion!
finally!
everything's ready!
Beep! !
The referee threw the ball up, and Jokic and Adams jumped up!
Jokic loses jump balls every day.
Adams passed the ball to Westbrook.
Westbrook did not let the ball stay in his hands, but passed it directly to Durant who was waving in front.
Passing through the wall, Durant took three steps after receiving the pass from Westbrook.
Durant's physical talent was on full display, and Covington didn't dare to foul because Durant was one position ahead of him.
Durant succeeded in a three-step layup.
2 to 0.
The connection between Westbrook and Durant tore open the Lakers' defense in the first round.
The atmosphere at the scene cooled down slightly.
Westbrook and Kevin Durant are not on the same level as Harden in the playoffs.
After Durant scored, he waved to Westbrook and provoked Zhao Chen.
Zhao Chen's eyes were sharp!
Tonight's game won't be that simple.
