Vol 3 Chapter 185: The style of the old demon knife

From trailing a maximum of 23 points to tying the score, the Spurs showed their excellent tactical skills and high fighting spirit. I have to say that the Spurs are still very good. In the past two decades, they have accumulated a deep enough foundation.
In the third quarter, the Thunder exposed many problems. The depth of the bench lineup is too shallow, scoring too depends on the touch, Westbrook's offensive efficiency is too low, and so on. This is not the first time that the Thunder have had these problems. In previous games, the Thunder were able to cope with them because the opponent's hard power was too different. But once you encounter a really strong team, it is difficult to solve.
Judging from the current situation, the Thunder are basically in the same situation as last season. Among the three core players, only An Luo played relatively stable, and both Westbrook and Paul George are still adjusting to their new roles. Paul George needs the ball in his hands to maximize his strength. Westbrook sometimes struggles with passing and scoring. Although triumphant all the way, the running-in of this new Thunder actually did not reach the most ideal level.
There is another point the Spurs did better than the Thunder. That is the attitude towards the game. Perhaps it has been a month since the start of the game that they have been winning, causing the Thunder to feel a sense of self-inflation. Although it did not show up, it has grown quietly.
Before the game, Ginobili's remarks showed the Spurs' attitude: Even if the Thunder's record is not 14-game winning streak but 14-game losing streak, they are an opponent that needs to worry you. In the face of them, you must go all out to retreat. But you have to know that when a team makes a huge change, it takes a certain amount of time for the players to regroup. One month's time may not allow them to run in to a perfect degree. Therefore, it is not completely impossible to defeat them.
Before the start of the fourth quarter, Donovan sat among the players with a serious expression.
As the head coach of a team, he knows the current state of the Thunder best. Although they have been winning since the start of the game, their opponents this season are the Rockets, Warriors, and Cavaliers. However, so far, none of them have been encountered. He actually wants his team to lose a game, but this does not mean that he can accept that his team is reversed by the opponent under a huge lead.
He could feel the players' defensive relaxation in the third quarter. It was such a change that caused the previous huge advantage to be lost instantly. So he has been emphasizing defense during the break. In the first half of the game, the Thunder could always be on the leading side, and the lead was still a lot, because the defensive intensity increased. The Spurs lack the arrow players to fight tough battles, so there is no way to reverse the situation.
In the NBA, every team that regards the championship as a goal, the defense is not bad. The phrase "offensive wins the game, defense wins the championship" has not become impractical because of the change in basketball concepts.
In the last quarter, Westbrook teamed up with Anlo to take the lead while Paul George was resting on the sidelines.
The Spurs continued their usual style of play. They still insisted on allowing Aldridge and Gasol to end the offense. After all, in the entire lineup, only the insiders are in an advantage. The combination of Robertson and Adams, facing the Spurs' twin towers, is still a bit difficult.
Aldridge seems to be reborn this season. After Leonard's truce, he became the core of the team's offense. And carried the Spurs and achieved a good record. This season, he changed his style of playing on the outside in the previous two seasons and began to use his skills at the basket and precise mid-range to attack. The effect of this change is surprisingly good. It now appears that this season may be the best season since he left Portland.
Relying on Aldridge's mid-range and Ginobili's three-pointer, the Spurs hit the Thunder 7:0 to lead the score.
Westbrook arranged the first three shots of the final quarter. Including a three-pointer and two layups that broke into the penalty area. The rest of the game made him feel even colder when he was not good. Although he ran to the free throw line for his third offense, the referee didn't sound the whistle~EbookFREE.me~ which made him very angry and started roaring directly at the referee. As a result, he ate a T and Ginobili got to the free throw line and widened the point difference to 8 points.
The situation is starting to turn against the Thunder!
Maybe it was this T that calmed Westbrook, or maybe it was a roar, and the depression in his heart was gone. Anyway, Westbrook never made another basket in the next game.
After Ginobili took the free throw, Westbrook took the ball outside the three-point line and handed it to Anlo, who was standing on the right. As soon as the latter received the ball, Ginobili posted it. An Luo withdrew slightly behind, and then accelerated the start immediately. His first step took Ginobili's right side, but he couldn't get rid of the opponent. But this was just a flimsy shot, and when Ginobili retreated, he immediately changed direction. But Ginobili appeared like a ghost directly on his breakthrough route. An Luo couldn't help but ran into him directly.
"drop!"
Falling down at one touch! Of the four fouls Anlo has eaten in this game, Ginobili made three of them. Of course, Ginobili does not rely solely on his Oscar-winning flops to win fouls. He can always determine the direction of An Luo's breakthrough and then appear in the best defensive position just right.
The ball came to the Spurs. Mills held the ball to the front court and Aldridge pulled to the top of the arc to support. Very regular offensive formation, but the Spurs played steadily in this way, leading the score.
Mills, who burst in through the screen, plunged into the Thunder's defensive net. But at this time, Ginobili used his teammate’s off-the-ball screen to rush beyond the three-point line. After receiving a pass from Mills, he pulled it up directly and shot on the head of Robertson, who had changed defense. A three-pointer!