Vol 3 Chapter 465: Point guard clash

The Thunder and Rockets matchup is the second game of the Western Conference semifinals. The day before them, the Warriors lost their home court advantage at Oracle Arena.
It is not surprising that the Nuggets have won some games. But the first game was won, but most people did not expect it. In the game, the Nuggets were in surprisingly good form! As soon as they came up, they exploded with great fighting power. Under the guidance of Jokic, the basketball accurately found the Nuggets who ran out of favorable positions. Then it becomes a score. For this type of center player, it is difficult for many teams to deal with. This has to sigh Ma Long's coaching ability! His team, from position 1 to position 4, is all players who can run and shoot. They play well around Jokic, the ball-handling center.
The warrior who is waiting for work is a wake-up call for Thunder. Many things have two sides. The longer you rest, the better your physical reserves and preparations before the game. This is very important for the game. But if you keep playing the game, the players will be better. That's how the Nuggets are, they won't make it until the sixth game. After three days of rest, the game with the Warriors began.
The Warriors did not have the upper hand throughout the game. They have been working hard to close the score. Curry and Thompson were in very poor condition. Together they made 17 three-pointers, but only hit 3 of them! Durant played well, played 39 minutes, contributed 35 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists. But it's hard to be alone, and there are only a few players who can decide the outcome of the game on their own. Durant's ability is undoubted, but it is clear that he is still a little bit behind the top level.
The result of this game made Donovan vigilant. Compared with the Nuggets, their opponents are always in the game, and the state should be maintained better. On the other hand, the Thunder have not played for nearly ten days. This means that they are likely to repeat the mistakes of the Warriors.
Therefore, on the day of the game, Donovan brought his players to the Chesapeake Energy Arena for pre-match training half a day in advance. In fact, the Thunder have been doing the same thing for these two days. Donovan wanted to mobilize the players through training, so that they wouldn't be unable to find their status for a long time after the game started.
For a time, the entire Thunder was a little nervous. Of course, this is not a bad thing. There is a sense of urgency before the competition, which will make the players more cautious.
On April 28, at 8 pm, the Thunder and Rockets game began. In the warm-up session before the game, players from both sides exchanged greetings very friendly. Although they are opponents, there is no grievance between the two teams. The relationship between the players is pretty good, especially the relationship between Harden and the Thunder, not because of the original management problems. The star of the two teams, Harden and Westbrook have a very harmonious relationship. In the offseason, the two will meet together for training. In fact, in this league, most players have a very harmonious relationship. Even if they beat you to death on the court, they will not affect their personal relationships.
"Beep..."
As the referee's whistle sounded, the game officially began.
The starting lineups of both sides are the same as in the first round. The Rockets are Chris Paul, Harden, Gordon, Tucker and Capela, and the Thunder are Westbrook, Anlow, Paul George, Grant and Adams.
In the jump ball session, Capela is even better. He slapped the basketball to Chris Paul in the backcourt. The latter caught the ball, taking advantage of the Thunder's delay in returning to the defense, and directly accelerated into the penalty area. Although Grant chased him at the first time, he could not prevent the opponent from completing this attack. Chris Paul took off from the basket, his right hand holding the ball passed Grant's block in the air. Then he switched the ball to his left hand and completed a beautiful layup.
Seeing Paul who was a lot shorter than himself, An Luo couldn't help but shook his head. The ability to stay in the air and the strength of the waist and abdomen look like a veteran in his thirties. Speaking of it, Chris Paul was once a man flying in the sky to play ball! Although he gradually transformed after the serious injury and started playing basketball on the floor, it doesn't mean he can only shoot.
This ball should be counted towards Westbrook. After Paul received the ball, he did not appear in his defensive position the first time, giving the opponent a chance to rush.
For the first few seasons, he will definitely find the venue himself. But now Westbrook is not impulsive. He pushed the ball to the top of the arc, facing Chris Paul's endless trash talk, expressionless. Adams mentioned the top of the arc to give Westbrook a very high-quality pick and roll. UU Reading www. uukanshu.com blocked Chris Paul firmly behind him. Westbrook, who burst to the inside, faced Capella who had switched defenses and threw him behind him with a change of direction. However, even if Capella is over, his shot space is not good. After all, Capela is a big player, following behind him, it is easy to cover those players who dare to hit his own basket. But Westbrook didn't want to do it himself! He took the ball and rushed to the penalty area with the defensive attention of the Rockets, and then threw the ball out of the three-point line in a round with his right arm. At this time, Anluo just got a vacancy at the top of the arc under the double cover of Grant and Adams.
In the Thunder's offense, whether they hold the ball or not, they are constantly moving. Opportunities come out under constant running and mutual cover.
An Luo did not hesitate after receiving the ball. He had seen Tucker leaping towards him. Bent your legs to exert force, take off, and shoot. An Luo's shooting is not the most standard, but it looks very seductive. Be decisive, fast, and clean.
Looking back, Chris Paul assisted Capela to complete an empty dunk, and Westbrook assisted Grant in the same way for a more spectacular dunk. Then, Paul used the screen to get rid of the defense, flicked a shot from outside the three-point line, assisted Tucker and scored another goal; Westbrook made a hand-to-hand pass with Anlow directly at the top of the arc, using his body. Blocking out the space for the latter...
Westbrook and Chris Paul, the two leagues' rare combo guards who focus on organization and passing, have been so targeted from the very beginning. The contest between the point guards is silent. Especially traditional point guards, they are always trying to find the best teammates on the court. But the performance of these two people can affect the trend of the entire series to a large extent.