After being beaten 5-0 at the beginning, the Warriors' subsequent offense can be described as cautious and cautious.
Curry advanced steadily to the frontcourt, his eyes flowing, and he devoted himself to observing the opponent's position and the movement of his teammates.
?Facing Lillard, he did not choose to play in singles. He seized the opportunity to pick and roll with Green. Green received the ball in the pick and roll and passed it back to Curry who ran outside the three-point line. Curry faced Matthews and Al changed defense. Derrick passed the second pass to Thompson, who cut in after Aldridge switched defenses. Thompson made a small throw from close range and hit the basket, scoring two points.
In this attack, the Warriors played very well, and Curry was used very well by Green and Thompson.
Curry chose to give it all to Green in advance, which also prevented his breakthrough with the ball from being blocked by Wang Zelin's defense and thus losing the space to pass the ball.
It can be said that he is the MVP winner in the original time and space, and his ability to adjust on the court far exceeds that of most members.
In transition between offense and defense, the Trail Blazers attack.
The Warriors have an obvious inside advantage. In the pre-game tactical meeting, Coach Terry and a group of assistant coaches repeatedly studied and analyzed and decided to use the inside as the breakthrough point in this series.
You know, even in the last round against the Clippers, who had the interior combination of Jordan + Griffin, Wang Zelin was still able to average 37 points, 16 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 4 blocks per game!
Although this has something to do with his playing status, there is no reason why Wang Zelin's inside dominance will decline when facing the Warriors, who are worse inside.
Next, Wang Zelin once again showed his intimidation under the basket. As soon as he received the ball, Barnes had to shrink and double-team Wang Zelin with Borgt. Sometimes he had to send Green to go with him.
In this way, Wang Zelin's broad vision has a lot to use. He can always find the vacant Batum and Aldridge and assist the latter to score continuously.
Tonight's game is all about Wang Zelin and Aldridge going crazy and passing to the outside for three-pointers when double-teamed. Without double-teams, the two of them can hit from close range or even in the low post.
The purpose is to suppress the Warriors' rhythm and force the opponent to fall into a positional battle. In the end, the Blazers slowly completed the stranglehold with their absolute inside advantage!
With this style of play, it would be difficult for Wang Zelin alone to keep the pace down. After all, the Warriors' strength is by no means comparable to their opponents in the first two rounds of the series. They are a truly championship-level team.
Therefore, Aldridge must step up and cooperate with Wang Zelin, relying on the two of them to work together to destroy the opponent's offensive rhythm.
Okay, even in the playoffs where competition is more intense, Aldridge is always a trustworthy partner.
From jump shots from 15 feet away to attacking with the ball in the low post and facing the frame, using your shoulders to squeeze away from the opponent's wall from behind the back to facing the frame, hitting the basket in a clever space to catch the ball and dunk...
His versatile offensive skills allow this silent man to quietly score more than 20 points every game day and night. His stable firepower output is one of the reasons why the Trail Blazers can continue to climb to higher heights. Great source.
At halftime, Aldridge had 15 points and 5 rebounds including three offensive rebounds, Wang Zelin had 11 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 blocks. In addition, Lillard and Matthews received three-pointers when the Warriors double-teamed Wang Zelin. Hit, the Trail Blazers lead the Warriors by 3 points 58:55!
On the Warriors side, two people also scored in double figures, namely Curry with 13 points and Klay Thompson with 11 points.
Only half of the intense game was played, and it was already unparalleled in its excitement.
After the two teams returned to the locker room, the coaches of both teams were racing against time to explain the next tactical arrangements to the players.
After 15 minutes, the second half continued.
Since both sides are very young teams, the biggest advantage of the young team is that they can always run tirelessly. They are not afraid of anything and everything on the court. Even if they poke a hole, it is very difficult for this group of passionate young people. It's possible.
However, after entering the second half, the Warriors also exposed some problems.
Not being calm enough, this may be one of the few faults that can be picked out after the Warriors have performed well this season in the playoffs.
Especially as they play further back and face higher-standard games and stronger opponents, they still seem a little impatient in handling the details of the ball at some critical moments.
Even though the Warriors are a veteran among the league's teams, the last time the team made it to the conference finals was back in the mid-1970s when Rick Barry led the team.
Since then, the Warriors have gradually become a mediocre team. For a long time, they could even be said to be a weak team that could not even make the playoffs.
The biggest topic about the Warriors in the past 20 years is probably the eight-year-old miracle.
Until this year, under the leadership of Stephen Curry, the Warriors returned to the conference finals after 30 years, rekindling the hope of the championship for countless old Warriors fans.
But behind the hope, there is also a layer of worry.
After all, their opponent in the first game of the Western Conference Finals after decades was the defending champion Portland Trail Blazers, who had just won 70 games in the regular season. This inevitably made them feel like facing the ultimate boss. feel!
Fortunately, after entering the third quarter, the baby-faced player wearing the No. 30 blue uniform on the court can always use his three-pointers to keep the Warriors winning when the Trail Blazers are about to open up the score. Blood transfusion!
Until the end of the third quarter, Wang Zelin and Aldridge, who still maintained their shooting form in the first half, showed surprise on their faces because they did not expect that their team could not lead the opponent by many points.
85:80, the Trail Blazers only led the Warriors by 5 points.
At this time, the data of the Warriors' best player tonight appeared on the big screen:
Stephen Curry played 26 minutes and made 8 of 16 shots in the three quarters, including 5 of 10 three-pointers. He scored a team-high 24 points, plus 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 steal.
At this time, Wang Zelin realized that Curry also performed well in the third quarter, scoring 11 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists in a single quarter! ?
At the same time, Curry, who played well, also radiated his advantages to other teammates. It is no wonder that tonight's game is so difficult to play.
"This is what a championship team should look like. I'm getting more and more excited now!"
Before leaving the field, Wang Zelin looked towards the opposite bench, and his eyes finally locked on Curry, who was wearing uniform No. 30. He stayed there for a while, and then walked back to the bench talking and laughing with his teammates.
It's all such a coincidence.
Just when Wang Zelin turned his head, Curry also turned to look at the Trail Blazers bench, and his eyes finally landed on Wang Zelin?
Curry saw Wang Zelin talking and laughing with Lillard, Aldridge, Batum, and Matthews, and it seemed that he could not find the nervousness that should be expected in a Western Conference Finals from them.
"Is this the mentality of the defending champion team? Be confident at all times!"
Although Curry didn't understand the content of Wang Zelin's conversation with his teammates, and naturally couldn't empathize with it, he could feel it from a distance - the strong confidence exuded by the Trail Blazers players!
This is the confidence of a championship team! ! !
Not only was the main player coming off the field after half a quarter, he also seemed very excited when he saw Beverley, Jokic, Morrow, and Will Barton on the bench welcoming the main player.
I don’t know why, but an inexplicable thought flashed through Curry’s mind—am I actually playing against such a team tonight? And it was only 5 points behind the opponent!
This was a thought that suddenly flashed through Curry's mind, having never won an MVP or a championship, and leading his team to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in his career.
In a flash, Curry immediately returned to the bench at the call of young coach Steve Ku and took the time to rest.
Because the competition becomes more intense as it goes on, and the real decisive moment is coming.
…
…
After a short break, the final game begins.
The two sides first sent out their second lineup to compete.
But what is surprising is that in the next few minutes, the battle between the substitute players of both sides was very similar to the main battle, and it was still inextricable.
This has also made many people more and more certain that this year's Western Conference Finals is definitely a high-quality matchup, because both sides are truly strong teams with the ability to compete for the championship, and the exciting fights presented on the court are far more impressive. Better than the previous rounds in the West.
This is a true championship-level battle!
Sometimes, it is precisely because of an opponent with similar strength that we can force ourselves to be stronger!
At 3 minutes and 45 seconds into the final quarter, Iguodala, who was not very good at three-pointers in his career, suddenly caught the ball at a 45-degree angle on the left wing and fired, hitting another three-pointer to tie the score. Coach Terry Called timeout without hesitation.
At this time, the score on the field reached 91:91, and the two teams returned to the same starting line.
In the first three minutes, due to the excellent defense played by both sides after coming off the bench, the score was not too much, and the Trail Blazers maintained a lead of about 3 to 5 points.
Coach Terry originally planned to let the main players rest for a few more minutes. If not, he would first force the Warriors to replace the main players, which would help the team psychologically attack the opponent.
But unexpectedly, after three minutes, in the next few rounds, Iguodala, who came on as a substitute for the entire game. Iguodala, who played 15 minutes in the first three quarters and only scored 4 points, suddenly began to fire frequently from the outside. , without exception, the two three-pointers so far in this game fell into the basket.
This completely disrupted the Trail Blazers' original plan, forcing Coach Terry to call a long timeout in advance.
In front of the Trail Blazers bench.
"Brothers, are you ready to end the battle?"
After getting the head coach's look, Wang Zelin's eyes were full of fighting spirit. He threw down the towel, stood up and looked at his teammates around him.
"Of course, look at the complacency on the other side! Isn't it just to equalize the score? Let's see how I kick their butts!"
Batum showed a ferocious smile and responded to his boss.
"This battle must be won!"
Lillard still had that ice face and replied to Wang Zelin with a serious expression, and he also said this to all his teammates and coaching staff around him.
Through Lillard's serious expression, Wang Zelin saw an indescribable enthusiasm and desire buried deep in his heart.
Not only the enthusiasm for victory, but also the desire for a championship!
"This battle must be won!"
Wang Zelin raised his right fist high and shouted with the loudest voice under the spotlight.
"This battle must be won!"
The surrounding teammates also shouted loudly.
Soon, the team's changes quickly ignited the entire home court. Tens of thousands of home fans in the Rose Garden Arena stood up, waved their palms, and shouted loudly:
"This battle must be won!!!"
The huge sound exploded completely, deeply shocking the entire Warriors team, causing Cole to immediately forget the arrangement on the tactical board.
At this moment, the hearts of everyone on the Warriors were inexplicably tense, and the joy they had just felt because of the equalizer disappeared in an instant.
What came instantly was an uncontrollable feeling of tension!
Especially when they saw the flag flying on the dome representing the honor of the NBA championship in the 2013~2014 season, the tension in their hearts became more intense.
At this time, I experienced the benefits of veterans holding the line.
"Don't worry Stephen, sooner or later we will hang a championship banner that belongs to us at Oracle Arena!"
Iguodala suddenly came over and put a hand on Curry's shoulder.
"Stephen, you are the best leader I have ever seen. Never doubt yourself, we all have confidence in you!"
Next to him, another veteran, Shaun Livingston, also came over and put his hand on Curry's other shoulder, his eyes full of anticipation.
"Um!"
After receiving comfort and encouragement from the two big brothers, Curry quickly regained his composure and looked towards the Trail Blazers bench with full confidence.
Beep~~~
The referee blows the whistle and players from both sides reappear.
Without any desire, both coaches fielded their team's strongest lineup.
"Fight the warrior! Fight the warrior! Fight the warrior..."
Before taking the court, a huge roar erupted in the Rose Garden Arena.
"Wang is back on stage! Next we will see how Wang destroyed the Warriors and entered!"
Watching Wang Zelin lead his teammates onto the field step by step, the commentator felt like he had goosebumps.
Since it was already the end of the quarter, after the timeout, the Trail Blazers served the ball from the frontcourt.
"Snapped!"
Lillard received Batum's sideline serve and then stopped in the logo area. Just when people were confused, he suddenly made a gesture of pulling away.
Does he want to do it himself?
The home fans speculated, but considering that Lillard is the team's strongest outside firepower output point, it is not impossible for him to handle this ball...
However, it is not.
When he saw Wang Zelin reaching the position in the high post, Lillard quickly advanced forward, and with Curry's preparedness, he raised the ball above his head and passed it in with both hands.
"Snapped!"
In the high post on the right, Wang Zelin received the pass.
So far in this game, Wang Zelin has assisted his teammates in attacking. He has a mediocre desire to attack independently. He has only scored 19 points and has not even reached the 20-point threshold. He is ranked second in the team, second only to Aldridge's 23 points. point.
But even so, no one dared to question his offensive threat.
No, as soon as he held the ball, Green quickly double-teamed him.
Another pass?
The home fans guessed in their hearts.
After all, Wang Zelin's assist data at this time has reached 8 times. With a little more play, a triple-double tonight is basically guaranteed.
However, Wang Zelin did not think so.
He didn't even make a fake move, he just dribbled the ball and turned around to break through!
Because he knew very well that in the previous battles, Bogt's courage had long been broken by him, and now he only looked like he was strong on the outside but strong on the inside.
With a strong push to open up a certain amount of space, Wang Zelin accelerated directly and rushed toward the basket! This simple and crude style of play seems to have no technical content at all, but it works really well on Bogt!
"Damn it!"
Seeing that Bogt was passed by in one step, Green cursed in his heart and rushed to catch up, but he seemed to have forgotten the previous lesson...
"boom!"
With a loud bang, as people imagined, Wang Zelin took off on one foot when he was still a few steps away from the basket, put the ball behind his head with both hands, and then dunked the ball into the basket vigorously.
As for Green, who jumped up to try to block the shot, all he could do was serve as a backdrop once again.
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