Vol 3 Chapter 713: A powerful enemy

"Super Heavy Artillery (
An Luo scored 13 three-pointers in a single game, and the enthusiasm for slashing 64 points lasted for a long time. The Thunder seemed to be in the same state as An Luo, and they began to frantically improve their record this month.
In fact, since they returned to No. 1 in the West, they have maintained a high-flying rhythm. Of course, they have not been able to get rid of the Lakers and Nuggets behind them. The difference between the three teams' wins is always between halftime and one game. Once who loses one or two games and another team wins the game, the top three rankings in the West will immediately change. .
These three teams can be regarded as the first echelon in the Western Conference and the first echelon in the entire league. However, what is different this season from before is that the Eastern Bucks have always maintained a sufficient lead, firmly sitting on the throne of the league. After playing the longest 18-game winning streak of the season, they are now entering a new streak. Antetokounmpo will play amazing all-around data every night. His personal ability and team leadership ability are finally fully released this season.
The time comes to mid-November, which means that the regular season of this season is almost halfway through. Many teams have started to formally prepare for the playoffs; many teams are still hovering on the edge of the playoffs and have not found the best form; some teams have fallen behind and went straight to the lottery.
Prior to this, the Thunder easily defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers and Brooklyn Nets on the away game, and beat Harden's Houston Rockets at home. Unfortunately, their winning streak was ended in Philadelphia.
The knight was completely transformed into an eastern belly. Even if the lineup they have now and the lineup that reached the Finals two years ago, it looks like they just lack a LeBron James. But what is missing is the most important part.
In fact, the Cavaliers have always participated in most of the seasons as the Eastern belly, except for the two years with LeBron James. It's no wonder they, after all, in a small city like Cleveland, being able to own James for more than ten years, God has taken special care. The current Cavaliers are waiting for the arrival of the next James. But this day, I don’t know how many years it will be.
The Nets finally officially announced Durant's injury, not the kind of huge injury that can affect his career, but he must rest for several months to ensure that he is completely cured before playing the game. It can be seen that the Nets did show enough patience and generosity in dealing with Durant. Of course, they got Irving and Durant this season to get results. This is a test of Irving's ability to lead the team. As long as he can lead the Nets to the playoffs, when Durant returns from injury, the Nets may still be able to do something.
Unfortunately, the Nets' record is not outstanding. Although they are now seventh in the Eastern Conference, the teams behind have been eyeing them, and they have been squeezed out of the playoffs without paying attention.
The Rockets can be said to be the most unpopular Western Conference team these seasons. Since acquiring Chris Paul, their lineup is at the championship level, but they have never been able to cross the threshold of the Western Conference semifinals. The year before, he fell at the feet of the Warriors and was sent out by the Thunder the next year. In the summer of a few years, the Houstonians have prepared to send veteran Chris Paul away, but the latter’s huge contract has discouraged many teams. This season, Houston is basically hopeless. Although they are still fifth in the Western Conference, they really have no advantage compared to the previous teams.
This game against the Thunder can be seen. The Rockets have been able to maintain a balance with the Thunder for a long time, but when the Thunder increased their defensive strength and Anlo began to take over the offense, they couldn't stand it.
Losing to the 76ers really made the Thunder feel powerless. The initiative of the game was firmly held by the opponent from the beginning, and the 76ers' strong starting lineup made An Luo feel powerless.
Throughout the game, 7 of the 76ers scored in double figures, starting five of them, Embiid 21 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists, Horford 16 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists, Harris 18 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists, Richardson 21 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists, Ben Simmons 17 points, 15 rebounds and 8 assists.
In fact, when judging the league's strongest starting lineup this season, the 76ers are a well-deserved first sequence. If it weren't for their benches to drag their feet, the Eastern Conference will definitely not be dominated by the Bucks this season. But there is no way. The 76ers have invested too much resources in the starting lineup. When they want to strengthen later, they don't have that ability!
However, in this game, the 76ers' bench players performed quite well. Trey Burke and Korkmaz became amazing soldiers. The two combined to contribute 28 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists when the time on the court was not too long, which not only won enough for the starting lineup During the break, even when the two sides rotated the lineup, they played a little advantage.
After playing these games, the West ushered in a heavyweight game. The two sides of the battle are the first Thunder in the West and the Lakers second in the West. This game is not only a battle between the two top Western teams, but also determines who can lead the Western Conference next.
There is no doubt that such a game must be broadcast nationwide. In the days before the game, the entire NBA circle became extremely lively. Everyone is discussing what the outcome of the game between the two teams will be, which directly caused a huge wave on the major forums and portals. Like all alternatives, the entire fan community is divided into three groups. Those who are optimistic about the Lakers, those who support the Thunder, and those who are purely watching the fun.
In addition to the people who eat melons, the supporters of the two teams are quoting and arguing on the Internet. You come and I do not give in. It feels like a big show. The supporting actors are already playing quite lively before the protagonist comes on stage!
This situation did not surprise everyone. For teams at the level of the Thunder and the Lakers, their attention is extremely high, and the base of fans is also large. Now that the two teams get together, it would be nice not to fight!
However, for the players on both sides, this game is not particularly different. It was just one of the 82 regular season games. The most is to compete for the first place in the Western Conference, but even the losing side will not care too much. After all, the season is still long, and a game cannot decide anything.
One point where the Thunder have the upper hand is that this game belongs to their home court. In the past few games, they have left Oklahoma twice, and this time they have spared a lot of trouble.
In the afternoon of the game, the Thunder players, who had rested at home for a whole day, came to the training hall early and under Donovan's arrangement, they conducted a series of recovery training.
Although it is only a regular season, the Thunder still want to win this game. After all, the last game against the 76ers was also at the Chesapeake Energy Arena, and the Thunder lost.
Of course, it does not mean that the game cannot be lost. Especially during the regular season, in addition to the time when life is met and the game that can determine the fate of the team, other games did not say that it is absolutely impossible to lose. But every team is reluctant to lose at their home court, and the feeling of being defeated by their opponents under the witness of their fans is really not good. What's more, the Thunder's loss against the 76ers was a bit ugly. If this game is lost again, the faces of the Thunder generals will be even worse.
But it is not the Thunder that can make a unilateral decision. The Lakers are not easy to follow! Therefore, Donovan still made a lot of preparations before the game started.
The first thing the Thunder need to solve is how to break through the Lakers' defense. You know, this season, the Lakers' defense is a headache for all 29 teams.
In fact, this season's NBA, whether it is in the East or the West, has no shortage of teams with excellent defense. The defenses of the Clippers, Thunder, Jazz, Bucks, Celtics, and Heat are all quite outstanding. After all, this alliance has not seen a flourishing situation for many years! Everyone has a chance. Those teams that are aspiring to the championship are very aware of the point that "defense wins the championship."
But the Lakers are still one of the most distinctive defensive teams. Their inside defense is unmatched in the entire league. The three big men Davis, Howard and McGee seamlessly connected in the game and surrounded the Lakers' penalty area like an iron bucket. If not most teams have developed enough outside scoring methods, the Lakers' current record should not be worse than the Bucks.
In addition to excellent inside defense, the Lakers are not inferior to the outside. The perimeter defense line composed of James, Danny Green, Bradley, Rondo, and Pope will allow the Lakers to face most of the league’s teams without a loss, and even many times the Lakers can be on the perimeter. Block the other party.
Looking at all the Lakers players, a total of 5 players have been selected for the best defensive team. These five people are James, Davis, Howard, Rondo and Bradley. Among them, Howard is also the only defender in the history of the NBA. Although not all players are in their prime, the lean camel is bigger than the horse, and the defensive skills experience is still there.
In contrast, the Thunder's defensive system is more flexible, but not as solid as the Lakers. The Thunder's ability to limit the opponent's offense well in the game depends on the players' active defense and rotation changes. It relies on ingenuity, and the Lakers rely on their players' excellent defensive abilities to fight their opponents head-on.
But there is no doubt that the Lakers' defense is more reassuring. After the Thunder lost Paul George, the defensive power of the defensive end has indeed dropped by a bit. This is not something that the system and Robertson, who is back from injury, can make up for. In most games, the Thunder seem to win easily, but in fact this is due to their strong offensive ability. Really more anxious tug of war, the Thunder is still relatively difficult to fight. Especially when encountering a solid defense team, it is not easy for the Thunder to win the game. And there is no doubt that the Lakers are a very solid defensive team.
Donovan's starting point is still on his offensive end. He knows that it is difficult to limit James and Davis in the game to play an advantage. What's more, the other Lakers players are not fuel-efficient lights. Once the Thunder put too much defensive power on these two guys, other Lakers players can easily stand up and end the game. This is not the situation Donovan wants to see. He has the same idea as the head coaches of most NBA teams. He would rather be killed by the opposing superstar than to lose to those unknown people.
For the Thunder to beat the Lakers, speed is a critical issue~EbookFREE.me~ After all, from the Lakers lineup, both McGee and Howard are relatively slow. It just so happens that the Thunder are the kind of team that can improve their speed. They are very good at playing fast-paced offenses. In addition, the Thunder are younger, stronger and more physically active than the Lakers. The Lakers have many veteran players, and the Lakers do not have the advantage of physical strength. As long as the Thunder speeds up, the Lakers will be difficult to keep up.
Once the game is brought into a more familiar rhythm by the Thunder, the Lakers will become passive. This is the time to test Vogel's tactical ability. He can remove the big man, but then he will lose his advantage on the inside defensive end.
I believe that such a situation will not be what Vogel wants to see. After all, there is no shortage of characters in the Thunder's lineup. Westbrook, Alexander, Gallinari and even Anlo are all players who can rush directly to the basket from outside the three-point line to create kills. Without players like Howard and McGee to restrict them, they might lose faster.
This can be regarded as a flaw in the staffing of the Lakers! However, even if they give up all reasonable tactics and only allow James and Davis to attack in turns, it is enough for the Thunder to drink a pot.
Therefore, this game is really not a small test for the Thunder. But such a test is a process they must go through. If they want to defend the championship again, they must face one after another as powerful opponents as the Lakers. Only after defeating all strong teams can you become the strongest.
Of course, as far as the Thunder are concerned, they are full of confidence. Especially for those players who have been in the Thunder since last season, last year, and this season, the Thunder, as the championship team for two consecutive years, will not make them feel intimidated by a strong team.