Chapter 518: The way forward

After playing Dallas Mavericks, the next Clippers went to Houston to challenge the Rockets.
The Rockets team...the Rockets team really has nothing to say. The Clippers are vigorously beaten and beaten. The 120:109, 11-point advantage over the Rockets.
Harden scored 32 points, but the efficiency was not high, making 9 of 22 shots.
The Rockets are currently ranked sixth in the West, and did not sign Howard in the summer, which hurts the Rockets.
Although the added Jefferson and Josh Smith fit well with the team, the two have flaws in offense and defense and cannot be perfectly unified, resulting in the team's record.
This is an improvement from last season, but unfortunately the progress is limited.
Anyway, the Rockets team has never asked for progress, and has passed.
The management pretends to look like a championship one day, and then picks and pulls when it is time to spend money. When it is time to pay taxes, it is relying on the little money that Yao Ming left behind that year just like the Chinese bad money.
There is no shortage of various Chinese elements, but the crowning that has been promised since the Yao Ming era has always been a slogan.
Just like the people who chanted "Northern Expedition" during the Eastern Jin Dynasty, in fact, to seek political capital to consolidate their political status, there are also many chants of "Champion" slogans in the league, and then the main purpose is to earn money.
It’s not wrong to make money, but it’s not right that you always deceive the feelings of the fans. It is even more disgusting to use the feelings of the fans to achieve economic goals.
So the Rockets also sent an invitation to Li Liang in the summer, hoping he could join the Rockets.
Li Liang refused without thinking, not to mention that the Rockets' lineup didn't suit him at all, even if it fits, he didn't want to go.
The Rockets thought about coming up with a second Yao Ming, so that the team's market value could be further expanded and increased, the championship and so on... It's better to pass it, anyway, it's not shameful to call it out.
The Clippers easily crossed the Rockets and completed a sweep of the Houstonians this season.
Their wins came to 64 wins.
In the history of the NBA, only a few teams can reach such a high level, most of these super teams have won the championship.
But the Clippers didn't stop them.
Two days later, the Clippers approached the cold Minneapolis, and there was another big win at the target center.
At 119:104, Li Liang scored 41 points in the game and grabbed 22 rebounds.
Can you love it? I can also brush Li Liang!
The Timberwolves team has always been a gimmick. The players of their own team are better than their opponents. You can brush me with everyone, and be happy to get the data.
Therefore, a team like the Timberwolves is still necessary in the league, otherwise it will be too nervous and intense, and there will be less relaxation and cushioning.
However, the Timberwolves are a bit stronger than the Rockets. The Timberwolves never shout to win the championship slogan. They have delayed Garnett for so many years, but they are straightforward.
Because he gave Garnett a super contract.
Even if they shout, no one believes, who believes?
After winning the Timberwolves, entering the April, the Clippers 65 wins and 10 losses, closer and closer to 70 wins.
Now the entire league is paying attention to the Clippers' record and looking forward to the birth of the second 70-win team.
On April 2, the Clippers played away against the Sun.
It's still a game without much suspense.
Rivers put Paul on holiday in this game, because after this game, he will return to his home game on April 3 to play the Lone Ranger.
Fighting the Lone Ranger again and back to back is definitely a tough battle.
Li Liang led the Clippers, but the Suns played very well, the audience was very anxious.
At a critical moment, Li Liang's defensive achievements.
He blocked Dragic's outside three-point jumper, then grabbed the ball and assisted Crawford for a quick layup.
This ball changed the situation on the court, the Clippers changed from leading 3 points to leading 5 points, the Suns have little time, called the timeout and missed the attack.
Had to start foul tactics.
The Rivers decisively replaced Jordan, replaced Livingston with a good free throw, made a free throw in the end, and finally won the game at 108:101, defeating the Suns and winning 66!
66 wins, this is the best record in the regular season since 2007.
At the same time, they have the opportunity to create a better historical record.
Then after finishing this game, the Clippers rushed back to Los Angeles to meet the challenge of the Lone Ranger on the evening of April 3.
The two teams had just fought a week ago, and the smoke in the game had not yet dispersed, and there was another one.
Moreover, according to the current record of the two teams, the playoffs are very likely to meet in the first round.
This is why Rivers wants to hide Paul for a game, leaving Paul to play Lone Ranger tonight to make some psychological preparations for the playoffs.
The Lone Ranger is not a young team. A team with a low ranking but mostly old players is terrible in the playoffs.
The young team rushed into the playoffs in the regular season, and then was taught to be a man in the playoffs.
However, due to injury and fatigue, the elderly team barely entered the playoffs. The personnel were neat and the rest was completed, but they could burst out a strong fighting power.
Especially like the Lone Ranger, the team has the experience of winning the championship. The veterans have gone through hundreds of battles and must be taken seriously.
Like in 1993, Phoenix Suns, the No. 1 player in the league, almost turned over when meeting the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round.
The home was beaten 0:2, and then the final home game was also a win, otherwise Black Eight will be realized in 1993.
However, Rivers thinks it is very good, all the people attacked, beat the Lone Ranger, establish a psychological advantage, and prepare for the playoffs.
But he did not expect that the opposite Carlisle thought so!
This Lone Ranger is well-prepared, and they are not playing back-to-back. The players are full of energy. Unlike the Clippers who just returned from Phoenix, they slept for a night and had to play.
The Lone Ranger took the lead at 32:28 in the first quarter, and suppressed the Clippers in tactics and rhythm.
A problem with the Clippers is that the outside three-pointer is out of alignment.
The three-pointer is good, but it is not stable enough.
If you don't know which one of them feels out of touch, the game will be very difficult to play.
This is the case. Li Liang missed three three-pointers in the first quarter, which made the outside fire unable to open. The Lone Ranger can confidently carry out one-on-one markings, but not against Li Liang.
After the second quarter, the situation improved, and Collison made a three-pointer from the bench.
Clippers substitute Griffin led the next time overtake the score.
But after the main force came back, the Clippers failed several quick counterattacks.
The Lone Ranger suddenly defended a joint defense in the middle and second quarter of the second quarter. This is sure that the Clippers' three-pointer tonight feels bad.
As a result, the Clippers really couldn't make it.
Li Liang missed the fourth three-pointer and Paul couldn't follow.
At the end of the half, the Lone Ranger leads the Clippers by 1 point.
In the second half, the Clippers changed their style of play, no longer obsessed with three-pointers, began to grind their positions with the lone ranger.
This is exactly what Carlisle wants to see.
Nowitzki showed the general's style. When he was strong, he made a continuous mid-range jumper to hit and continued to maintain pressure on the Clippers.
The Lone Ranger seems to have returned to 2011. They used the high-efficiency offensive and tough defense to kill the Heat.
Li Liang wanted to stand up and take over the game. As a result, the Lone Ranger boldly took a double-team and did not give Li Liang a chance to catch the ball at all.
Paul did not disappoint Carlisle, and he scored 1 of 8 outside 3-pointers tonight!
You said that if you can't vote, you don't want to vote. You make a three-pointer, giving the Lone Ranger several chances to fight back quickly.
Of course, Li Liang didn't go much better. He made 0 of 5 3-pointers. This was the first time he entered the NBA without hitting a three-pointer.
Li Liang's record of hitting 3-pointers in 156 consecutive regular season games also came to an abrupt end.
This is the highest record for three consecutive games in NBA history, and Korver is behind him.
On March 2 this year, he was also a gold body, breaking consecutive hits in 127 games, nearly 30 games behind Li Liang.
In the end, Li Liang used a three-point hit rate improvement post and didn’t make it, because the Lone Ranger was really amazing at the last moment~EbookFREE.me~ Resolute double-teamer, regardless of whether other people can enter, Is not to give Li Liang a chance to hit.
At this time, Li Liang may realize Kobe's greatness.
Not to mention two people, there are seven or eight people in front of him, Kobe can be regarded as no one, he can fight alone, and can score.
Sometimes you can't accept it.
In the end, the Clippers lost at 111:115 at home and lost 4 points. They lost to the biggest potential opponent in the first round of the playoffs, the Mavericks.
After losing the game, of course, Li Liang was very discouraged, and the number of consecutive three-pointers hit the field ended.
But soon Li Liang figured it out, he thought it might be a good thing to lose this game.
Because of this defeat, Li Liang felt that he still had a great shortage.
Knowing the shortage, there is a way forward.
Li Liang knew that it was time to make himself stronger.