warrior godfather

Chapter 485 Where is the road
May 5, Los Angeles, Staples Center.

On the wooden floor in the center of the arena, the huge Clippers logo reflects white lights, showing every detail.

Game G6 between the Clippers and the Nuggets has progressed to the last minute of the fourth quarter. On the large screen in the mid-empty arena, the score displayed is 1:104. The Clippers lead the Nuggets by 96 points. The game has lost its suspense.

In the previous matchup, the Clippers had already achieved a 3:2 lead. As long as they win this game, they can eliminate the Nuggets with a big score of 4:2 and advance to the second round.

Although the game is still going on, the Nuggets players have not given up their last hope, they are still struggling to resist, trying to win the last chance of life in desperation, but the Staples Center has become a sea of ​​joy.

The Clippers fans all stood up from their seats, raised their arms and shouted, wantonly venting their excitement.

Seven years have passed since the last time the Clippers reached the second round of the playoffs.

For this team that has been underwhelmed most of the time, every breakthrough can make the fans ecstatic.

In fact, this year is the ninth time the Clippers have reached the playoffs since their establishment more than 40 years ago. The ancestors of the Clippers were too poor and there was nothing to praise.

Compared with the wealthy Lakers in the same city, the Clippers have always been an ugly duckling, reflecting the nobility of the Lakers as a white swan.

But now, the situation of the Clippers and the Lakers has been reversed.

After this game, the Clippers will be able to enter the second round, and the Lakers were swept by the Thunder Gentleman with a big score of 1:4 in the first round, and went home to fish.

Moreover, although the Clippers fans didn't mean to gloat, Kobe's serious injury was a heavy blow to the Lakers, and the decline of the Zijin Army was a foregone conclusion.

But the Clippers are sitting on Paul and Griffin, and their future is bright. From then on, the Clippers are the number one team in Los Angeles.

A victory, double happiness, the Clippers fans finally got rid of the heavy clouds above their heads and saw the light.

Finally, time came to the end, and the Nuggets failed to create a miracle after all, losing the game 100:108.

"Om-"

With a long beep of the buzzer, the red light was turned on, and the dome was full of fireworks and ribbons. The coaches and players on the bench rushed into the field, gathered together, jumped and shouted, and fell on their heads and shoulders. Full of colorful fireworks.

Paul and Griffin hugged each other heavily and laughed heartily. Griffin patted Paul's head and said:

"Chris, we won! Haha, we made it to the second round! We won!"

He shouted incoherently. Paul was much calmer in comparison, but he was also smiling:

"This is just the first step, we have to continue to win, we want to win the championship!"

Griffin nodded heavily and laughed loudly:
"Yes, we want to win the championship, and we will definitely win the championship!"

Griffin was extremely excited and turned to Jordan to celebrate the victory. Paul shook his head and laughed, and then clapped and hugged his teammates one by one, showing the demeanor of a big brother.

Paul is very satisfied with coming to the Clippers. Griffin is not a very ambitious person, and he will not compete with Paul for the position of the team leader because he is the "rooted and popular" champion.

As long as he gets a big contract, Griffin is content. He plays well on the court, is humble and polite off the court, and gets along very well with his teammates.

Paul is also very good at being a man. He never publicly advertises that he is the boss of the Clippers, but just silently does what the team leader should do, declaring that the Clippers are his Griffin's team.

Gradually, Paul became the de facto boss of the Clippers, and Griffin was not dissatisfied with this. He achieved a seamless transition from queen bee to captain.

Last year, the Clippers were unlucky. They fought seven games with the Lakers and lost to the Lakers.

This year, the Clippers broke through the first round, and Paul's ambitions are getting bigger and bigger.

Even if the next opponent is the defending champion, Paul's confidence has not been shaken in the slightest. He wants to touch the floor of the Western Conference Finals!

This is Paul's long-cherished wish, but also his heart disease.

Five years ago, the third-year Paul led the Hornets to the playoffs for the first time, and successfully advanced to the second round. He fought against the Spurs led by Peak GDP 3:4 before losing out.

At that time, although the Hornets lost the series, Paul's outstanding performance of 23+10 won him praise from all over the world.

He was pushed to the throne of the league's No. [-] point guard, and many people even believed that his ability to rule the league in the future would be the face of the league.

But things are fickle, and no one thought that that trip to the Western Conference semifinals was Paul's peak in the playoffs.

Since then, he has never been able to lead his team past the first round, let alone the second round.

Paul's aura as the league's number one point guard also faded with the rise of Rose and Curry.

In the past few years, Paul has been very quiet. He is a recognized master of organization and has the ability to turn decay into magic.

Some people even stubbornly believe that Paul is the best point guard in active service compared to players like Curry and Rose who are more inclined to combo guards.

But Paul has been unable to lead the team to match his reputation.

Rose led the Bulls to the Eastern Conference Finals for two consecutive years, and each time he was able to fight the Big Three Heat for seven games, and even gained an advantage in the series.

Curry even led the Warriors to win the championship, and won the MVP+ championship that Paul dreamed of in a single season. The voice of No. 1 in the league is getting louder.

Looking at the two juniors who are rising rapidly, it is impossible to say that Paul is not unwilling.

He never wants to break through the second round of the playoffs, touch the floor of the Western Conference Finals, and prove that he is the league's number one point guard.

Now, the opportunity is in front of Paul. As long as he leads the team to defeat the Warriors, he can touch the floor of the Western Conference Finals, and even the floor of the Finals and the championship. It is not illusory.

However, the Warriors are very strong. The Lakers who eliminated the Clippers in the tie-breaker last season were swept by the Warriors with a big score of 4:1. Paul wants to realize his dream of the Western Conference Finals and faces severe challenges.

However, Paul has no fear of this.

In narrow encounters, the brave wins, the playoffs either win or die, as long as you step on the stage of the playoffs, unless you win the cup, you don't want to leave with dignity.

Paul has lost many times, and his nerves have become tough enough. The 58 tragedy did not knock him down. What difficulties are there that he dare not face?

Even facing the defending champion, Paul has the courage to fight against him. He wants the world to take a good look at him. He is still the super point guard who competed with Kobe for MVP. He will use his own hands to regain the respect he once lost!

……

Iguodala leaned on his knees, let the sweat slip from his forehead, pursed his lips, and looked at the Clippers players who were celebrating wildly.

In this game, he played 42 minutes, made 15 of 7 shots, 8 of 5 three-pointers, and 6 of 5 free throws. He scored 24 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal and 2 turnovers. He tried his best and was the Nuggets' best player. .

But this still couldn't help the Nuggets win the game. Paul had 22 points and 12 assists, Griffin had 25 points and 11 rebounds, and both scored double-doubles. Iguodala had only Ty Lawson who scored 17+6.

而上一场比赛，也是伊戈达拉砍下25分12篮板7助攻2抢断1封盖的全面数据，掘金也依旧输掉了比赛。

Two fists are hard to beat four hands, which is the true portrayal of the Nuggets in this round of the series.

That's not to say Iguodala is the Nuggets' No. [-] star. Through the first four games of the series, the Nuggets' best player has been Ty Lawson.

But in G5 and G6, his state suddenly languished, and Iguodala had to carry the banner of the Nuggets' offense.

In every game, the Nuggets can have someone stand up, but no one can stand up in every game and score steadily.

This is the biggest dilemma for a team team. During the regular season, the Nuggets can still rely on their overall performance to achieve a good ranking.

But in the playoffs, there must be a superstar to stand up to solve the problem, but the Nuggets do not have such a superstar.

When Paul played with the Nuggets' defense, when Griffin ravaged the Nuggets inside, the Nuggets could only play tactics step by step, waiting for the player who broke out on the spot to appear.

It was Ty Lawson who played this role before, and Iguodala is now playing this role, but they have never been able to break out in the same game, and the Nuggets are not the Clippers' opponent.

Sighing helplessly, Iguodala straightened up and noticed George Karl who was cursing on the sidelines.

This grumpy old coach has tried various tactics and exhausted all methods.

But the upper limit of the Nuggets is there. They can win a game or two against the Clippers, but they can't be the Clippers' opponent in a round of series.

Iguodala smiled wryly, lowered his head, and walked slowly towards the player tunnel.

He never imagined that he, who was originally here to support the Nuggets, became the thigh that the team relied on at the last moment.

Although he did not complete this task, the series against the Clippers has fully demonstrated Iguodala's strength.

In these six games, he averaged 40.5 minutes per game, and the three shooting percentages were 50%, 48.3%, and 72%. He was able to score 18 points, 8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 2 steals. It is not too much to give up.

This is also Iguodala's only consolation. He doesn't like the city of Denver, nor does he like the Nuggets team. He has a very clear plan for his future.

Iguodala's contract has $1610 million left in the last year, and he holds a player option, and he will implement the player option during the offseason.

Compared to staying in Denver for another year, he wants to get a long-term contract in the market and go to a more competitive team.

Before leaving the Nuggets, playing such a performance in the playoffs was very helpful for him to sign a new contract.

Iguodala raised his head, his eyes slowly swept across the teammates around him, and a complicated feeling arose in his heart.

Where will his next stop be?

……

After the Clippers eliminated the Nuggets, the situation in the Western Conference playoffs was completely clear.

The next day, May 5, the Spurs narrowly defeated the Grizzlies 4:103 at home, eliminated their opponents with a big score of 98:4, and successfully advanced to the second round.

They will challenge the Thunder away on May 5.

On the same day, the Eastern Nets and Pacers also decided the final winner.

With a tougher defense, the Pacers eliminated the Nets in the tiebreaker and successfully advanced to the second round.

Their opponent is the Heat, who have been waiting for a long time, and this will be another tough battle.

The Bulls and the Knicks have already solved their opponents before. On May 5, the two teams will start the first contest of the series at the United Center.

So far, the first round of the playoffs is all over. Except for the Clippers who eliminated the Nuggets, in other matchups, the higher-ranked teams won.

Before the start of the second round of the playoffs, the league has also announced the major awards of the regular season.

The first is the best defensive player and the best defensive team.

Prior to this, the league announced the ownership of the Best Defensive Player award on April 4. Gasol received 25 first-place votes, with a total of 30 points, and was elected as the Best Defensive Player.

Ranked second in the best defensive player vote is James, who received 18 first votes and a total of 149 points.

This season, James' defense is very hard.

Originally, after James won the championship, his defense gradually relaxed. Since 2014, he has invested less and less energy on the defensive end.

In the finals, no matter who plays against James, he can always perform very well, except for Barnes who is so iron that he is crying ghosts and gods.

Even in the finals that James lost after 2013, the FMVP was all won by his opponents, without exception.

If this has nothing to do with James' defense, it is obviously impossible.

But it was after winning two championships that James' defense gradually deteriorated.

Now, James has failed in the finals twice in a row, and the losses are all unexpected opponents. His desire for the championship has become impatient.

Not only did his defense not decline, but it became more refined. His assisted defense and single defense were at the top level of the league, and he even reached the point where he could compete for the best defensive player.

For the first championship in his career, James is willing to give everything, especially seeing Curry's light-speed rise, which poses a great threat to his status, and James' idea of ​​winning the championship is even more urgent.

On May 5, the league announced the best defensive team.

James, Chandler, Ibaka, Paul, and Butler were selected for the best defensive team.

Gasol Jr., Noah, Conley, Bradley, Duncan, and Paul George were selected for the best defensive second team.

Among them, Noah and Gasol had the same number of votes and were selected for the best defensive second team together.

The news was announced and immediately aroused heated discussions.

This is the second year in a row that the best defensive player has not been named to the best defensive team.

The reason is also very simple. The best defensive player is selected by the media, and the best defensive lineup is selected by the coach.

There have always been differences between the two sides. Now it seems that this difference has become irreconcilable. The reform of the selection method of the best defensive team is imperative.

After all, it is impossible for the league to offend the media. In contrast, the coach, as the most vulnerable group in the NBA, can only be the one who is sacrificed.

After the best defensive team is released, according to the usual practice, the league will announce the results of the MVP selection.

And this season's MVP ownership has aroused heated discussions.

(End of this chapter)