Vol 3 Chapter 526: Punch to the flesh

Because Donovan was very eager to win this game, they increased the intensity of the game in the second quarter. Before Leonard played, Paul George appeared in the game. This is different from the previous games. Perhaps Donovan wanted to regain the initiative while Leonard was not in the game.
Paul George has not had such an opportunity for a long time. In the regular season, he often led the rotation in the first half of the second quarter. His task is to consolidate the team's lead and even expand the lead while ensuring that Westbrook and Anlow get enough rest time as much as possible.
But in the playoffs, especially after the finals, he more often needs to be responsible for the defense of the opponent's arrow figures, such as Leonard. Paul George's playing time in the first few games is basically the same as Leonard. After all, in this Thunder team, no one except Paul George can give a stable defense to Leonard. Only he can effectively limit Leonard. As a result, Paul George's own performance has also been subject to some restrictions. This is one of the reasons for his poor performance in this series.
Now, Paul George can finally put his energy on the offensive end. Paul George himself was very excited. As soon as he came up, he received a pass from Felton, then swayed on the spot, with his shoulders short, slammed against McCaw, and squeezed away the opponent one step into the inside. Facing McCaw, he has advantages in all aspects. After rushing in, Paul George walked around Ibaka with a European step, then his left leg exerted force, the whole person bounced directly, his left hand buckled the basketball, and slammed into the basket.
31:31
The two sides tied again.
After Paul George stood firm, he jumped up on the spot. He was very excited, clenched his right hand and waved vigorously in the air a few times. Such a ball, Paul George rarely played in this series.
Looking back, Van Fleet shot a cold arrow at the top of the arc. He performed quite well in the last two minutes of the first quarter, and his shots from beyond the three-point line felt good. However, this ball was not scored.
Ibaka grabbed the rebound. He put Kanteka behind him and occupies an excellent position at the basket. However, just after he grabbed the rebound, Kanter and Patterson doubled up directly, and Paul George was not far away. Ibaka tried to find his teammates, but when he looked around, he couldn't find room to pass the ball. He kept the ball in his arms and moved from left to right, but he couldn't get rid of the defense.
With little time left on the offensive, Ibaka can only improve. He held the ball in his right hand, pulled it twice in the air, and then drove the ball out. Although the shot feels bad, it still managed to escape the blocking of Kanter and Patterson.
However, Paul George's subsequent slap made Ibaka very uncomfortable. But he was not stunned by this shot. When the basketball bounced off the backboard, Ibaka jumped up again and slapped the basketball beyond the three-point line in the crowd. Van Fleet, Felton, Ferguson and Powell rushed towards the basketball almost instantly. In order to grab the ball, the four directly collided. Powell took the lead in grabbing the basketball, but Ferguson was quick-eyed, and a carp flew past, and then hugged Powell's basketball.
"Beep..."
Seeing that the two sides could not quarrel, the referee blew the whistle decisively and the two sides squatted.
"Beep..."
Ferguson slid the ball into Paul George's hands. The latter ran straight to his own basket.
The Thunder's fierce defense aroused the fighting spirit of the Raptors. When Paul George launched a counterattack, Ibaka, McCaw and others quickly returned to defense. Especially McCaw, he was like a 100-meter sprint, and he posted Paul George in the blink of an eye. Although confident in his layup, Paul George is still relatively conservative. He paused at the free throw line, forcing McCaw to slow down. Then he speeded up again, and suddenly moved a little away from McCall. However, this distance does not allow Paul George to completely get rid of McCaw's defense.
McCaw is like a shadow, flying with Paul George. Paul George felt the danger after he came, but he did not choose to dodge. Instead, he stretched his hand higher, swiped his fingertips, and sent the ball into the basket. The flying McCaw can't stop it. After Paul George deliberately adjusted, he slapped the opponent's hand with a slap.
"Beep..."
The referee's whistle sounded immediately, but everyone was still paying attention to the basketball spinning on the hoop. Without wasting much time, the basketball eventually fell into the basket.
"Nice!"
Anlow waved the towel on the bench~EbookFREE.me~ Paul George's layup was perfect this time. Of course, if he was standing outside the three-point line instead of Ferguson, he might not think so.
Nas clapped on the sidelines. Although McCaw failed to control it and was called a foul, Nas was satisfied with his defensive attitude.
Paul George waved his arm that was hit by McCaw, stood on the free throw line, and steadily threw the ball in.
31:33
The Thunder finally took the lead again.
Next, the two sides played more defensively. This is obviously what Nass and Donovan told during the break. Whether it is the Raptors or the Thunder, the players are getting more and more defensive, and there are more and more physical confrontations. The referee's whistle blows. Also more and more frequently. The situation of the game became tense.
This situation has become more severe as the main players from both sides have appeared on the stage. Even when the players are attacking, they are constantly looking for physical confrontation. Guys like Westbrook, Paul George, Leonard and Siakam prefer to open the way with their own bodies. When they break through, they first look for physical confrontation, and then seize the space to get rid of the defender.
This feeling of punching to the flesh makes the referee extremely worried. They can only intervene in conflicts that are increasingly likely to occur between players through more stringent whistleblowing. But the effect is not ideal. On the contrary, this kind of whistle-blowing scale allows those who like to break through to taste the sweetness, rushing into the crowd with the ball, and frequently standing on the free throw line.
An Luo didn't make a lot of shots in the first few minutes after playing. As soon as he got the ball, the opposing players came around like crazy and forced him to pass the ball. However, his performance on the defensive end can also provide great help for the Thunder.