Vol 3 Chapter 449: Professional Face Slap Clippers

I have to say that this schedule is still very forward-looking. The Thunder vs. Bucks game became the last regular season of the league in 2018-19. The match between No. 1 in the West and No. 1 in the East brought a fairly satisfactory end to this stage.
　　 However, for a team like the Thunder, this season is far from over. The regular season is equivalent to the warm-up game of the entire season. The next playoffs are the real fighting moments. Moreover, there is not much time left for the Thunder and other 16 teams that have advanced to the playoffs to adjust. Only three days! Three days later, the playoffs will begin!
　　 The Thunder's opponent in the first round of the playoffs is the Los Angeles Clippers. Regardless of whether this team is strong or not, the Clippers are definitely the most legendary team this season.
　　At the beginning of the season, the Clippers once ranked first in the Western Conference! Although it has only been a few days, compared to another giant team in the same city, it is already quite an incredible thing. In the first half of the season, they consistently ranked among the top four in the West. In the team's strength list, the Clippers once rose to the fourth position in the league. You know, at that time, the biggest star of the Clippers was their coach Rivers!
　　 What cards does he have?
　　 Although Harris and Gallinari have good abilities, they are still far behind the All-Stars. Players like Lu Wei, Harrell, Beverly, Gortat, and Bradley all have obvious shortcomings. This has always been too ordinary to be in an ordinary civilian team. Before the start of the season, ESPN predicted that the Clippers will win between 33-35 games. Charles Barkley said directly that the Clippers won 33 wins at most. But in the end, the Clippers won 48. Of course, ESPN and Barkley were beaten in the face as normal.
　　The wind direction started to become more favorable to the Clippers. Even the players with the Clippers have risen. Harris is considered to have played the best season of his career. It is only a matter of time before he is selected for the All-Star. Gallinari, Bradley, Lu Wei and other players have also received praise from the league. Rookie Alexander is hailed as the future star of Los Angeles.
　　 But this time, the Clippers sent Harris to the 76ers, Bradley to the Grizzlies, and Muscala to the Lakers. From these transactions, the Clippers have come to potential new stars such as Shamet and Zubac, as well as a large number of draft picks.
　　 It can be seen that the Clippers chose the future between the present and the future.
　　 Although this kind of operation is a bit abrupt, it is still approved by industry insiders. The Clippers made a decisive decision to make a bad move, allowing them to get more this summer.
　　 At this time, the Clippers have been excluded from the playoff roster. Even if they are still firmly in the top eight in the West. But the industry generally believes that the Clippers will fall behind. After all, the previous Clippers still have a player who is about to enter the All-Star. After this wave of trades, there are no star-level stars in the lineup. With such a combination, it is almost impossible to go further in the west. Besides, it's normal to be left behind!
　　 As a result, the Clippers stepped up again!
"It's not our style to show bad. We won't spend a year or two to show bad. I think we have higher expectations of ourselves. We won't be inactive for 5-6 years like the 76ers. . If we do that, we’ll be sorry for the fans who support us. It’s a dangerous act to show up."
　　 Clippers owner Ballmer’s remarks represent the Clippers’ attitude. Next, everyone witnessed an almost crazy Los Angeles Clippers. The whole team is as aggressive as their boss.
　　 After the All-Star Weekend, the entire league has entered the sprint stage. At this time, the Clippers started the rhythm of crazy winning. They won 12 of 15 games in March. It is one reason to be strong, and it is also a reason for God to give opportunities. While the Clippers were desperately winning, their direct competitors began to fall behind. The Lakers in the same city were plagued by injuries and the Kings next door lacked experience, and slowly fell behind. The Clippers seized the opportunity and successfully secured a spot in the playoffs. In the final stage of the regular season, the Clippers once had a chance to rush to fifth place in the West, but after losing to the Rockets and Warriors, they fell to eighth in the West.
　　 When they defeated the Timberwolves to become the fifth team in the Western Conference to lock the playoffs, the entire locker room seemed to have won the championship. Head coach Rivers said excitedly to reporters: "ESPN predicts that we can only get 33 wins, Barkley said we can only get 33 wins, the casino handicap says we can only get 33 wins. Everyone Said we are going to start to suck. But now, we are going to prepare for the playoffs!"
　　 At this time, Rivers is naturally qualified to taunt everyone. After all, he did what others seemed to be whimsical. But this season ~EbookFREE.me~ the Clippers can only get this far. Compared with Thunder, the gap is too big! Of course, if they maintain the indomitable momentum in the second half of the regular season, it will not be completely lost. After all, the following things have happened in this alliance. Although it is difficult for the Clippers to beat the top-ranked Thunder in eighth place, the so-called "Black Eight Miracle" has happened several times.
　　 The most recent "Black Eight Miracle" occurred seven years ago. Moreover, that year was the second consecutive year in the history of the league that a black eight miracle occurred! The previous year, the Grizzlies, with black and white duo, had just overturned a 61-win Spurs in the first round of the playoffs. Of course, the 2011-12 season is a shrinking season. Although Rose was at his peak, he was injured during the garbage time and was reimbursed for the season. The 76ers that year crashed directly under the leadership of Iguodala, leaving an unforgettable scar for Rose and the Bulls.
　　 It is also worth noting that in the history of the Thunder team, there is a record of being hacked. The first team in the West to be hacked was the predecessor of the Thunder-the Seattle SuperSonics. The Sonics that season was not much worse than the Thunder this season. In the 1993-94 season, the Sonics ranked first in the Western Conference with 63 wins. The Nuggets weren't strong at the time, and the Sonics won two straight games in Seattle. But then, due to the supersonic speed being too anxious, it was finally defeated by the Nuggets. This caused a huge disturbance at the time. You know, the Sonics at the time was one of the most promising teams to win the championship.
　　 Of course, for the Thunder, such a thing is definitely not allowed to happen again. Even if the Clippers have created enough miracles this season!