Target Center Arena.
This is the home court of the Timberwolves, and a heavyweight game is about to begin. The two participating parties are last season's championship Minnesota Timberwolves and last season's championship Golden State Warriors.
Because it was a contest between two championship-level teams, this game received enough attention. Not only did the American media broadcast the game in prime time, but in China, CCTV Sports also broadcast the game in prime time.
Fans stayed in front of the TV or computer screen early, looking forward to the start of this heavyweight showdown.
Before the official start of the game, fan groups in both China and the United States actively set up voting activities.
Surprisingly, this time there was not much difference in the voting results between the two sides. Almost 80% of the fans believed that the Warriors could win, while only 20% of the fans believed that the Timberwolves could win.
Such a clear support rate also made the Warriors the winner in the eyes of the fans from the beginning.
His eyes returned to the field.
Minutes before the game started, players from both teams walked onto the field to shake hands. When Zhao Feiyang saw Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, he took the initiative to say hello and high-five them. The two were equally excited and chatted with him about the recent gossip in the league.
The relationship between the few of them is still very good in private, so there is no smell of gunpowder about the competition at this time.
When he met Kevin Durant, Zhao Feiyang also paid enough respect to this man who was considered by the outside world to have "surrendered to the enemy".
"Kevin, long time no see."
"Hi buddy."
Durant looked a little glum.
Zhao Feiyang also knew that there must be a reason why the former was unhappy. He took such a big risk and went to the Warriors, and there were countless people who ridiculed him. In this case, the Warriors' attitude towards him is also quite strange.
Fortunately, Curry, Thompson and others are relatively easy to get along with. But Draymond Green is a big talker. He never gave Durant a good look when the team recruited him. Now even though the two have become teammates, Green still says some things in public. Things you shouldn’t say.
This undoubtedly makes Durant very embarrassed!
His situation is unique among the Warriors.
In terms of strength alone, he can be the boss of the team, but in terms of leadership, the Warriors only recognize Curry and will never recognize him. He said he would take a step back and become second in command, but Thompson might not agree. Besides, Green has always considered himself a leader. How could he let Durant steal his limelight?
For various reasons, it’s not surprising that Durant is unhappy!
But he chose the path himself. If he takes a shortcut, he must bear the consequences! Just like what LeBron encountered when he chose to join a team, it was not only the anger and ridicule of the fans, but also the shame that could not be washed away in a short time!
These cannot be shaken off.
call out.
The referee's whistle sounded and the game between the two sides began immediately.
Due to the absence of Zach LaVine and Derrick Rose, the Timberwolves can only continue to rely on the bench lineup. Of course, this time they did not send the substitute lineup to start the game. After all, the opponent was a super strong team like the Warriors. If they used the substitute lineup to play, I am afraid they would be violently beaten by the opponent in the first quarter.
"Ricky, you go and play the No. 1 position! Zhao, you still play the No. 2 position!"
"Andrew, No. 3...Serge and Gorgi will take positions No. 4 and No. 5..."
"Guys, although our record seems to be somewhat behind that of the Warriors, I have always believed in you! Don't be intimidated by their lineup! Think about how we defeated them in last season's championship!"
"Come on guys!"
Interim coach Eric briefly encouraged the players and then sent out the starting lineup.
At the same time, the Warriors' starting lineup also appeared.
The first and second positions are naturally Curry and Thompson, the third position is held by Durant, who just joined them this season, the fourth position is given to Draymond Green, and the fifth position is transferred from this season. Zaza Pachulia takes charge.
After both sides take their positions, the referee throws the ball high.
Snapped.
The basketball fell into Thompson's hands, and he handed the ball to Curry, who held the ball and advanced towards the half court.
The Timberwolves quickly moved to the half-court position. After Curry dribbled the ball across half-court, he did not rush to play it himself. Instead, he handed the ball to Durant who was standing on the wing.
Durant ran out of space with the help of the pick-and-roll. Facing Wiggins' marker, he feinted and dribbled away. He then rushed back into the two zones and made an emergency jump shot.
Uh-huh.
The ball went in.
Durant's mid-range shot fell steadily into the basket.
There were bursts of applause from the sidelines.
Although this is the home court of the Timberwolves, these superstars have fans wherever they go, so it is not surprising to gain support from some fans when they perform well.
It was the Timberwolves' turn to fight back.
Rubio held the ball past half-court, and as soon as he reached near the midline, Curry was already staring at him to interfere with his dribbling. Rubio didn't think much. Taking advantage of Zhao Feiyang's opportunity to run over from the wing, Rubio quickly transferred the ball to Zhao Feiyang.
Zhao Feiyang faced Thompson with the ball, and the two were one-on-one.
Thompson didn't wait for Zhao Feiyang to be fully prepared. He rushed forward and kept grabbing the ball from Zhao Feiyang. Zhao Feiyang first opened a little distance, left space, and then suddenly changed direction to shake Thompson away. After passing Thompson, he rushed to the basket and chose to shoot a jump shot before Green came up to defend.
Uh-huh.
The ball went in.
Zhao Feiyang also responded to the Warriors with a jump shot.
As soon as he scored here, Green immediately sent the ball out from under the basket.
Snapped.
A long pass was thrown directly into Curry's hands. Curry sprinted with the ball and handed the ball to Durant who followed up after halftime. Durant caught the ball while running, then jumped high and smashed the ball into the basket with a one-handed dunk.
boom.
The ball went in.
There was a burst of exclamation from the whole audience.
Although many fans think Durant's "surrendering to the enemy" behavior is shameful, one thing can be said, Durant is indeed very strong! As one of the best strikers in the league, his strength has always been unquestionable.
After the Warriors scored, the Timberwolves responded quickly.
Rubio advanced with the ball and wanted to give it to Zhao Feiyang, but Zhao Feiyang was tightly entangled by Thompson. Wiggins on the wing came up to catch the ball, and Rubio gave the ball to him.
Wiggins took the ball and hit it towards the basket. Durant positioned himself to guard. The two faced each other. Wiggins was unable to shake Durant away. Fortunately, he reacted quickly and passed the ball to the basket and ran out of space. In the hands of Ibaka.
After receiving the basketball, Ibaka hit Green under the basket, turned and pulled away, then made a mid-range shot and threw the ball into the basket.
The confrontation between the two sides in the first quarter was quite fierce.
Whether it's a breakthrough or a shot, as long as someone takes a shot, the defensive player will never miss a chance to reach out.
On the offensive end, the offense of both sides is also very smooth, and the touch is obviously good.
Therefore, at the end of the first quarter, the score difference between the two sides was only 2 points.
As time went by, the second quarter soon arrived.
In the first half, the Timberwolves could still rely on Zhao Feiyang to stabilize the situation. However, in the second half, the Timberwolves gradually fell into offensive difficulties.
Zhao Feiyang will be double-teamed from time to time and has fewer opportunities to catch the ball than before. Once he chooses to break through, he will always be targeted by the Warriors.
On the Warriors side, Curry and Thompson both have good touches, and there is Durant in the third position who is always looking for the right time to hit singles. As a result, the Warriors' firepower makes it impossible for the Timberwolves to compete.
By the time the second quarter was about to end, the point difference between the Timberwolves and the Warriors had been stretched to double digits.
Beep.
The sound of the timer stopping sounded.
Zhao Feiyang, who had played the first two quarters, was finally able to take a breath. He sat down on the chair with a tired look on his face. He first wiped the sweat on his forehead with a towel, and then drank several sips of sports drinks. After doing these things, he Slowly walked towards the players tunnel.
In the locker room, the players were not so optimistic about the situation of the game.
"It's a pity that Dwight is out for the season! Otherwise, we would not have lost so many rebounds in the paint... That guy Green is so mean! He will always spew trash talk and use various A dirty little move..."
"If Derek and Zach recover from their injuries, Zhao's pressure will be less... I really want to help Zhao share some of the pressure, but I really can't stand up to that guy Thompson..."
Teammates discussed.
As the core, Zhao Feiyang thought too much after hearing these words. He just continued to encourage everyone while listening to the analysis of interim coach Eric.
Off the field.
Fans are not the only ones paying attention to the battle between the two sides in the first two quarters. Likewise, other opponents trying to reach the finals are watching.
For example, the San Antonio Spurs are ranked second in the Western Conference.
At this time, a group of Spurs players were watching the live broadcast of the game in the team's conference room. The players were also communicating and discussing various things that happened on the court.
"That guy Kevin is indeed a threat. If we want to beat the Warriors, we have to guard him! Kawhi, do you think you can stop him?"
The speaker was Tony Parker.
After he finished speaking, he looked at Kawhi Leonard, who was sitting next to him. The latter was looking at the electronic screen and came back to his senses after hearing the question.
"It's hard to say. This guy's offensive style is too strong! Especially his singles... I can only limit him as much as possible..."
LaMarcus Aldridge on the side was not as cautious as Leonard, and couldn't help laughing when he heard what he said. He patted Leonard on the shoulder and said to the latter in a joking tone, "Kawhi, if you're not sure, why don't we change it!"
"I'm going to mark Durant, and you're going to mark that guy Green... I hate that guy's big mouth the most! Every time I touch him, he's like a repeater that makes people's ears hurt... ..."
