Two days of rest time passed, and on April 26, the day came when the Clippers faced the Mavericks at home.
This morning, the league announced three regular season individual awards.
The Most Improved Award was won by Tracy McGrady, who improved from averaging 15.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.9 blocks per game last season to 16.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 8.5 assists, 1.4 steals and 2 blocks per game, and his field goal percentage increased from 45.1% to 46.9%. , the three-point shooting percentage increased from 27.7% to 38.6%.
After receiving the core treatment from the outside, Tracy McGrady has improved in all aspects, and the magnitude is much higher than people expected last summer.
McGrady's seven-year, US$86 million contract was originally evaluated as the next Brian Grant, a dime a dozen contract.
But now, the Magic's sub-maximum contract is being evaluated as a waste of money.
However, McGrady winning the Most Improved Award is something that people have long expected. Compared to this, Duncan beat Nowitzki to rank fifth in the Most Improved Award vote, which is even more topical.
Duncan suffered a devastating injury. Although his jumping height and average speed were not greatly affected, his starting speed, bullet speed, and explosive power all declined significantly.
However, his performance has risen instead of falling. He has increased from averaging 23.2 points, 12.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.2 blocks per game last season to averaging 26 points, 12.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.5 blocks per game, and his shooting percentage has increased from 49.9% to 50.8%.
The only thing that has declined is the free throw shooting. The free throw shooting rate of 59.9% has dropped to the same level as the Sharks. He averaged only 5.1 free throws from 8.5 times per game.
Aaron McGee of the 76ers won the Best Sixth Man award over Tim Thomas of the Bucks. Aaron McGee averaged 11.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5 assists and 1.4 steals per game. His offense was stable and he shot 47% from the field. The rate, defense is online, and he is the true playmaker of the 76ers. When he is on the court, Iverson often goes to the bottom line and the wings to play off the ball.
For the Best Rookie Award, Li Ao was unanimously elected with 115 votes.
There is no such thing as 'I thought everyone would vote for him, so I chose the one I like'.
He averaged 25.3 points per game. Although in the past few days, the media has begun to attack him for scoring points, Mike Miller, the second highest scorer among this rookie class, averaged 12.9 points per game, and Kenyon Martin, who ranked third, averaged 12 points per game. The two of them combined were not as tall as him.
Li Ao successfully became the fifth unanimous Rookie of the Year in NBA history!
…
Li Ao didn't care whether the Best Rookie award was unanimously voted for, but of course he would be happier if it was unanimously voted for.
Unfortunately, it seems that being unanimously voted the best rookie is not a rare thing in the system's judgment. After all, there are already four in the front, and there is no achievement reward.
But it doesn't matter. He won all the Rookie of the Month awards and was elected as the Rookie of the Year. The task of 'Best Rookie' was completed, and he received a total of 32,000 achievement points.
Including the 20,000 achievement points of the Best Rookie award itself, the total is 52,000 achievement points. Adding the previous 139,000 achievement points, it finally broke 200,000 again!
Don’t worry this summer! The training tasks are fully activated and you train with maximum efficiency!
During an interview at noon, when faced with the reporter’s question of ‘Winning the Best Rookie Award’, Li Ao replied:
"That's all thanks to my coaches and teammates, without them I would have lost at least 10 points per game.
I have four point guards in Lamar, Greg, Earl, and Blevins who pass the ball well, as well as Jermaine and Corey. When they don’t have a good chance to score in the paint, the first thing they think of is passing the ball to Me, they trusted me and always gave me the ball and I had so many shots.
This kind of good thing is something that other rookies cannot envy.
I heard that the Warriors refused to trade the second pick with the Grizzlies for Hughes. Thank you so much to the Warriors management. Fans in the Bay Area don’t have to regret that I couldn’t go to your city to play. Los Angeles is very close to the Bay Area, and the highway is so If you are a developed country, it’s the same if you come here to watch the game..."
Fans saw Spider-Man's interview video and felt that what he said was right.
Even Clippers fans think their Spider-Man rookie season was really lucky.
The rest of the Clippers team is like a helper specially matched for Spider-Man.
Greg Anthony has rich game experience and a steady style of play. He appeared in the starting stage and can distribute the ball well.
Odom, who can play both inside and outside, is a top-notch offensive organizer. He is proficient in scoring in singles and off-ball support. He can also score, grab rebounds, and defend and counterattack.
Boykins has a sharp counterattack. His super speed can always attract most of the opponent's attention during counterattacks. He also has excellent vision when moving quickly and is also willing to pass the ball.
Brevin Knight is as good at organizing offense as Kidd and Stockton when he abuses his teammates.
Wing shooters, Big Q, Matt Halprin, and Piakowsky can help Spider-Man show his support ability.
Maggette, in the minds of Los Angeles fans, is the deluxe version of Sam Clancy of the Trojans. His playing style is basically the same as Sam Clancy, and he is smarter and more physically fit. The key is that he has 80% of the Free throw shooting percentage, Artest, who is of comparable physical fitness, has a free throw shooting percentage starting with 6 words.
On the inside, O'Neal Jr., who averages 3.9 offensive rebounds per game, allows Spider-Man to strike with confidence.
He averaged 22.4 shots per game and 9.4 hits per game. As a rookie, Spider-Man ranked third in the list of average shots per game, better than Anthony Walker and Jamison.
Only Iverson, who averaged 14.8 irons per game, and Stackhouse, who averaged 14.4 irons per game, can beat him.
Not only is the adaptation of teammates, the offensive system of the Clippers coaching staff is also built around creating opportunities for Spider-Man... to create shooting opportunities.
This is also the reason why Li Ao's performance is well recognized, his team record is praised, and his leadership ability is praised... but his personal offensive ability is questioned.
Clippers fans were satisfied with Spider-Man's acceptance speech with a clear understanding of his abilities and gratitude to his teammates.
But satisfaction is enough, the fans felt strange when watching the first half of the interview.
Seeing Spider-Man's bad words later, he couldn't help but start hurting others. Not only the Clippers fans, but also the Grizzlies, Lakers, and Warriors fans felt comfortable.
After a long time, they are not used to being insulted by Spider-Man.
…
At 8 o'clock in the evening, the Clippers' home game against the Mavericks begins.
After the game started, Gentry was thankful that their side was not careless after the opponent's internal strife.
The opponent's starting lineup plays harder!
The Mavericks are 'unanimous', Juwan Howard said that without him, the team can't win the game, and they have to win for this newcomer!
Nowitzki, who has such a good temper, couldn't be more angry. In an interview today, he said: "Before he came, we were already No. 1 in the division and No. 2 in the Western Conference."
Nelson did more ruthlessly than people imagined. He sent Juwan Howard to play for a few minutes at the end of the first quarter. After seeing this substitute play a few random games, he was not given a chance to play for a minute in the next three quarters.
The Mavericks were excited and wanted to prove that they could beat the Clippers without Juwan Howard. They played very well. Even if they were frustrated by Juwan Howard for 3 minutes in the first quarter, they still trailed the Clippers only 19-22 by 3. point.
In the second quarter, the Mavericks scored 18-12 in the first half of the quarter, leading the Clippers by 3 points 37-34.
However, the Mavericks are not consistent enough!
On the Clippers side, without Odom, they suffered one defeat after another. Even without Maggette, a striker, the Clippers' strength would plummet.
What's more, the Mavericks are missing a 15+ scorer per game.
This was obtained in exchange for three main substitutes: Christian Laettner, Hubert Davis, and Calvin Booth. Before being traded away, these three people averaged 22 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists per game. .
Of course, this deal will improve the Mavericks. Taking 3 small changes in exchange for a star player who averages 18 points per game, regardless of salary, is definitely a profit.
But Juwan Howard was abandoned, and the Mavericks' offensive continuity collapsed!
The Clippers scored 12-9 in the second half of the second quarter and tied the Mavericks 46-46 at halftime!
The Clippers seized the opportunity and scored 18-15 in the third quarter. Facing the Mavericks' weak counterattack in the final quarter, the Clippers steadily suppressed the game 23-20.
At 10:25 pm, the final whistle sounded.
The Staples Center burst into cheers!
Li Ao scored 14 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks, Odom had 13 points, 7 rebounds and 14 assists, O'Neal Jr. had 15 points, 15 rebounds and 3 blocks, Maggette had 12 points, Matt Halprin had 11 points...quickly Five members of the crew scored in double figures, defeating the Mavericks 87-81.
With a big score of 2-1, the Clippers got the match point!
…
He only scored 14 points with 4 of 13 shots and 6 of 6 free throws. G3 won, but Li Ao was personally beaten to a numb scalp.
As the playoffs progressed, he felt the qualitative difference between the playoffs and the regular season.
Being on the defensive even if you disagree is really effective!
Nelson abandoned Juwan Howard, and the Mavericks' offensive continuity has indeed plummeted, and they cannot easily score 30+ points in a single quarter like before.
But good defensive players such as Edondo Najera, Greg Buckner, Roy Ott, Mark Bryant, and Vernon Maxwell got more playing time.
Especially Vernon Maxwell, this defensive warrior who even Drexler was willing to give up his shooting guard position...no, he was a tough guy who gave Li Ao a headache when attacking.
Fortunately, they defended better!
Li Ao didn't block many shots tonight, but he, O'Neal Jr., and Matt Halprin locked up the Mavericks' scoring at the basket. Of the Mavericks' 81 points, only 16 were scored at the basket, accounting for less than 20%.
Getting match point sounds awesome, but in the first round, which is a best-of-five game, if you get match point 2-1, you may be directly eliminated by your opponent's two-game winning streak.
Taking the lessons from a certain No. 1 player in the original time and space who did not want to be named, Li Ao did not think about his opponents in the next round.
He may talk nonsense, but he is always steady in his actions.
Just as he develops a post-up game and replaces it with another rookie, after he has practiced post-up play for a month, he may be able to "show progress" in the game, start a wave of blacksmithing, and take the initiative to meet the rookie wall.
But it was only after he was close to a good level that he dared to play and fight hard in garbage time. He had to play from behind during regular time and also pick opponents and opposing players.
During the preparation training in the afternoon of the second day, he mentioned "be careful of being overturned" 60 times in three hours.
That is to say, he is always talkative and gives the impression to his teammates that "my boss is too cautious." The teammates have to resist, otherwise they will be annoyed to death.
Li Ao took the trouble to think about it, and the impetuous atmosphere that appeared after the team took a 2-1 lead was suddenly wiped out by him.
On April 28, the NBA officially announced the MVP, Best Defensive Player, and Morality Awards.
Iverson received 85 of the 115 first-place votes and won the regular season MVP with 34.1% of the total points. He had a huge lead and scored 50% higher than Duncan.
The best defensive player is different from the MVP scoring system voting. This one is selected by 115 voters, one person and one vote. Mutombo received 45 votes, which was better than the second place Duncan's 21 votes and the third place Garner. The special 20 votes add up to more.
When Li Ao saw the voting results, he complained crazily - Is this Spider-Man the favorite?
In terms of MVP, there was not a single first-place vote, with a total score of 45 points, ranking 10th.
The votes this year were very concentrated. Iverson, Duncan, O'Neal, and Webb accounted for most of the votes in votes 1-5, and the first votes were concentrated on these four people.
The total number of players who received votes was only 12.
Although the number of complaints does not match the title of 'popular', it is still 6 points higher than next door Snake.
Moreover, there is a surprise - the best defensive player received 4 votes and ranked 8th!
Is this considered a double candidate for MVP+DPOY?
At 8 o'clock in the evening, the Clippers ushered in Game 4 against the Mavericks at home.
The two teams were already struggling defensively. Neither team scored more than 20 points in the first quarter. The Mavericks led the Clippers by two points 16-14 entering the second quarter.
Different from the past two games, this time the Mavericks did not try to attack in the second quarter and continued to defend.
The Clippers are good at playing defense and are not afraid of the opponent's adjustment. They continued to fight hard and scored 18 to 17. At the end of the half, they chased the score to 32 to 33, narrowing the point difference by 1 point.
At this point in the game, not to mention the relief pitchers and pie-eating players, even Finley, Nash, Odom, Boykins, Maggette and other offensive points with the ball have poor shot opportunities.
At this time, two people are crucial!
Spider-Man and King Silverhorn!
The scorers of both teams have poor shooting opportunities, and their touch is also lost due to mutual wear and tear. Since they are all strong shots, it is natural to find the one who is best at taking the blame.
The two met for the first time in the playoffs, and Spider-Man won!
Li Ao made 3 of 8 shots in the third quarter, plus 2 of 2 free throws to score 8 points. He seized the opportunity when Nash and Finley switched defenses and made two mid-range shots, plus a cutting hook. Scored 3 goals.
Nowitzki was not so lucky. He was guarded by one of Spider-Man, Zuo Mo, and Captain, and it was one of these three who switched defenses to cover him. He shot decisively and without fear. But in a single quarter, he made 1 of 6, scored a three-pointer, and made 2 of 2 free throws, and only scored 5 points.
Under the leadership of Li Ao, the Clippers narrowly defeated the Mavericks 20-16 in the third quarter and overtook the Mavericks by 3 points 52-49!
At the end of the quarter, the two teams continued to fight defensively, believing that their own players could score, but the players on both sides were crazy...
At 10:22 pm, the Mavericks made their last attack with only 11 seconds left. Nash missed a three-pointer in a single under the defense of Big Q. Veteran Roy Ott rushed with his life to grab the offensive rebound and passed it to Nowitzki. , but Nowitzki was stuck by Matt Halprin after receiving the ball, and he still missed the three-pointer.
O'Neal protected the defensive rebound, and the Mavericks didn't have time to foul. The final whistle had already sounded.
The score was 15 to 15 in the final quarter! The Mavericks failed to equalize the score. The Clippers narrowly defeated the Mavericks 67-64 and advanced to the second round 3-1!
With 8 points in the third quarter, Li Ao only scored 16 points on 6 of 21 shots.
In 4 games, he scored 24 points, 25 points, 14 points, and 16 points. He was only 1 point away from the series average of 20 points per game. He was a little worried.
But, win!
After the final whistle sounded, Li Ao excitedly gathered around with his teammates to cheer and celebrate. The fans at the scene were even more excited. They reached the second round for the first time in team history!
On the other side, Nash, who scored 14 points tonight, and Nowitzki, who scored a game-high 17 points, were close together. The two of them glanced at the unreliable boss.
King Silverhorn said: "Steve, it's time for us to make changes."
Son of the Wind nodded: "Next season, we will do it ourselves!"
Asking for a monthly ticket!
(End of chapter)
