The best teammates in the NBA

Chapter 152 Helpless Defense ([-] Chapter)

The cruelty of competitive sports is that the vast majority of people only pay attention to the winner or No.1.

Many people may not like a certain sport, but what they actually like is victory, gold medals, and seeing athletes they admire create unique records.

When the Thunder lost to the Suns, they lost the No. 11 position in the Western Conference and lost most of the media's attention, because the record of 72 losses showed that the Thunder could not break the Bulls' regular season record of [-] wins this season. .

The media once again shifted their attention to the Lakers. Everyone is discussing whether the Lakers have a chance to tie the Bulls' winning record, and discussing whether the Lakers can complete the defense and win the championship this season.

Facing the Spurs' defense, Li Ze scored 46 points efficiently, which only surprised the media, and then continued to discuss the competition between the Cavaliers and the Lakers, discussing 23 vs. 24, discussing whether this season will reproduce the yellow and green war
The highest scoring record for a rookie in a single game in 09 is Jennings' 55 points, and the regular season three-pointer record is Kobe Bryant and Marshall's 12 three-pointers in a single game.

Li Ze's score was not the highest, and the number of three-pointers made did not reach the single-game record. Therefore, after the media lamented, they put this matter behind them.

On the contrary, the Oklahoma City fans praised Li Ze crazily. He scored 20 points in 46 shots, which is even better than Durant.
On the 27th, the Thunder team had a holiday. Li Ze simply ate breakfast and then started surfing the Internet with salted fish. The back-to-back games made him extremely exhausted.

During the game against the Timberwolves, Li Ze even felt that he could not control his body perfectly. He obviously had plenty of physical energy, but he couldn't make the movements he expected. This also made him realize the limit of B+ functional drinks.

However, Li Ze gained a lot from the consecutive competitions, and three more badges were upgraded to silver.

Achievement Badge [Slot Master]: 3/500
Improve the player's positioning ability and reduce the physical exertion caused by actions.

Achievement Badge [Strong Shot Master]: 5/500
Unaffected by side defenders and less affected by frontal defenders.

Achievement Badge [Perpetual Motion Defender]: 1/500
Reduce the physical loss of struggling to defend, and reduce the physical exertion caused by actions.

[Strong Shooting Master] This badge is very useful. It can be combined with any shooting badge to improve Li Zeqiang's shooting percentage. The other two badges are more for his defense and reduce physical exertion. Very practical in the game.

Li Ze currently wears silver badges almost all over his body, but among the remaining copper badges, the two badges [Backward King] and [Circus Three Points] are not easy to upgrade.

After all, in the game, he relies more on step-back jump shots after shaking off the defense, and rarely shoots difficult three-pointers
Just as Li Ze was thinking about how to paint these two badges into silver, Chapman's phone rang. Today is the day to meet with Keds. He really doesn't want his first-generation signature sneakers to become rubber soles. sneakers.

"Kayce, I'm coming with Rick, we'll be there in five minutes."

Li Ze glanced at the time and found that it was not yet 9 o'clock, so he responded in surprise:

"It's so early, do you need to prepare a breakfast for you, have you brought your good friend into our camp?"

"Forget about breakfast. Rick will be the new president of Kedsd. Don't worry. He has worked in Converse for many years, and his ability is absolutely impeccable. Let's meet and talk later."

Hearing the busy tone from the phone, Li Ze curled his lips secretly. The same is true for Amelia, there are human relationships everywhere, and everyone still prefers to work with friends when they have similar abilities.

Five minutes later, Li Ze welcomed Chapman and his party to the mansion in Oklahoma City, and said with a sincere smile:

"Welcome everyone. The house is a bit shabby. After all, I'm not in Oklahoma City a lot of the time. I didn't take good care of this house. I just sit around. Chapman keeps telling me, Rick, you're younger than I thought!"

Rick Black Shaw, who has served as the vice president of Converse for many years, is mainly responsible for brand marketing. He is a typical American white man with short brown hair and piercing eyes. It can be seen that the other party must exercise regularly, and his body shape is not at all similar A 43-year-old man.

The designers and staff of Keds were a little speechless when they heard Li Ze's words. Is this house also called crude?
After Rick saw Li Ze, he immediately smiled and exchanged greetings. After all, this person in front of him is the real big benefactor. For Meidao's sake, he must serve him well.

"Kayce, nice to meet you, you've achieved something like this at the age of 20, you're really good, my daughter loves your songs very much, and I personally appreciate your performance in the NBA, you will definitely be Michael in the future- Just like Jordan."

After the two talked about business, they sat down and began to formally discuss the development direction of Keds.

"Kayce, let me talk about the sneakers first. Pro-Keds is Kedsd's sneaker brand. It had a glorious period in the 50s, and then this brand has completely become a niche street brand."

"The patent has long expired, and there is no technical reserve. We have discussed before whether to restart the line of basketball shoes. Now everyone wants to hear your opinion."

They're all their own people, Chapman went straight to the point, and said it simply and straightforwardly, which made the staff of Keds feel a little embarrassed. After all, after the new century, they really behaved too stretched.

"I think that what should be considered at the moment is the issue of profitability. Regarding sneaker technology, I have also learned about some simple patented technologies."

"To put it simply, I prefer the integrated weaving technology for the upper. For the sole, I can only take the joint research and development route. You are more professional than me in this regard."

"If you want to make money, you still have to rely on Taylor. Originally, Keds mainly focuses on the female market. We may continue this strategy, change the publicity channel, and do more activities. America always likes retro and nostalgia. The purchasing power of fans must be considerable. .”

Li Ze has a general understanding of the style and development direction of future sneakers, but the specific patented technology is his blind spot. As for the Keds canvas shoes, they have to cut leeks. The canvas shoes themselves are not expensive. If you want to pay a premium, Only sold to fans
"Integrated weaving? It is indeed a good direction, with low cost, less manual intervention, and more relying on machine program weaving. Nike, Adidas and PUMA have all increased their research and development efforts in this area."

"Everyone in Nike knows that Adidas is co-developing a technology with BASF, and maybe PUMA is also involved, but we definitely can't get along with each other. German companies, we don't have channels for this."

Rick has been the president of Converse for many years, so he naturally has his own news channel. After hearing Li Ze's words, he was a little surprised. This young man is really prepared.

"Maybe we can also carry out joint research and development with local chemical companies. This is also a good gimmick. Well, Dow Chemical, although I don't have any acquaintances, it shouldn't be a problem to contact them."

After Li Ze heard Chapman's words, the memory in his mind suddenly popped up a word, foam material, and he immediately understood that this is potential memory information, and there should be a market for this thing in the future.

"OK, try to get in touch with the other party. Maybe we can develop foam materials. Anyway, we pay for it. Dow Chemical should not refuse the beautiful knife delivered to our door."

"As for the Keds espadrille series, let Taylor choose the color and style, and the fans will pay for it."

"By the way, let Instagram help with publicity. We are also small shareholders. The advertising fee is calculated normally. Their user growth has exploded recently. Young people like to look at pictures. Remember to refine them after taking pictures. I think everyone will like them. Look at the long-legged blonde."

After Li Ze finished talking about IG, all the people present were stupefied. It was obvious that everyone couldn't keep up with the trend of the times. Chapman suddenly thought that IG was a small Internet company that he invested in before. , he has been complaining about the money-losing goods.

"Does that company's products actually have users? God, I really can't keep up with young people's thinking, but this is a good idea."

"Rick has a wealth of experience in offline activities, coupled with Internet publicity and Taylor's endorsement, profit may not be a problem."

Chapman is very confident about this. The purchasing power of female fans is absolutely super strong. In addition to the basic model, you can also add a joint model, fancy cutting leeks, which is what he is best at.

"If we really take the joint research and development route, the company's profits in the early stage may be invested, and the basketball shoe plan will be postponed. Kayce, do you accept this result? The research and development may take two or three years."

Rick reminded Li Zelai that it is not that simple to develop a material.

"Haha, don't worry, I can still afford to wait for two or three years. What's more, it doesn't involve mass production. I can try some experimental products in advance, which can be regarded as a warm-up for the sneakers."

Li Ze intends to officially launch his first-generation signature sneakers after ending his rookie contract. He is too impatient to eat hot tofu. The general direction has been clarified, and the development progress should not be slow.

"Then we've made a deal. We'll make a detailed plan when we go back. I can't wait to witness the resurgence of Keds."

Chapman saw that Li Ze was satisfied, and immediately knew that the matter was basically done. The next step was to discuss some of Li Ze's personal canvas shoes color and style issues. The staff of Keds finally came in handy.

Watching everyone discussing the company's future in full swing, Li Ze always felt that he had unintentionally borrowed the development route of a certain brand. After he couldn't remember the exact name, he put this idea behind him, feeling happy think:

"The butterfly effect doesn't matter anymore, the most important thing is to make money first!"

On February 2, the last day of February, the Thunder will face the Toronto Raptors at home. DeRozan also followed the team to Oklahoma City. Li Ze also entertained this good brother who had known each other since high school.

In a private restaurant in Oklahoma City, Li Ze looked at DeRozan who was wearing a black hoodie, and couldn't help but tease:
"Are the fans in Canada enthusiastic? I remember you had a bitter face after being selected, and it seems that you are doing well now!"

"Although it is a bit far from home, I can start in the Raptors and have a fixed playing time. As a rookie, I am really satisfied, and the Raptors fans are really enthusiastic."

DeRozan said that he had a good life in his childhood, he had a starting position, and he still had at least 20 minutes of playing time in each game. Compared with other rookies in the same class, he felt that he was still very lucky.

"Your team is about to become an international team, and there are not many American players. It seems that you get along very well. However, you should also increase some three-point shooting training. Harden's suggestion is correct. In the future, three-point shooting It will definitely come in handy.”

Li Ze took the opportunity to make a suggestion. He really hopes that DeRozan can develop in an all-round way, and his weakness of lacking outside long-range shooting is too fatal.

"I may not really have the talent for long-distance shooting. I have practiced a lot, but the effect is still very poor. The trainer suggested that I modify the power mode of shooting, but this will have to wait until the offseason. I really envy you and Harden feel."

When mentioning the three-pointer, DeRozan immediately complained. In high school, he was abused by the combination of Li Ze and Clay. He never won a game. In this regard, he and his good brother Harden have the same disease.
"You don't have to worry. Shooting is a thing. Keep practicing well and you will always get results. Will the All-Stars next year participate in the slam dunk contest?"

"Forget it, I always feel that this game is a bit embarrassing. It's good to experience it once. To be honest, there are really fewer and fewer innovative dunk moves, and every time after the All-Star Weekend, the fans will always be the first to complain. Slam dunk contest."

When DeRozan heard Li Ze's question, he immediately poured out his bitterness. After he participated in the slam dunk contest, he was scolded by many fans, and even some football critics kept teasing him.
"Haha, Bro, just be happy and watch less media reports."

After a holiday break, everyone in the Thunder team finally returned to a state of full energy. The regular season is still one and a half months away. Coach Brooks decided to start rehearsing the team's defensive tactics.

"We will defend a 23 zone defense at the beginning of this game. Kevin, on the defensive end, you have to pay attention to the transfer of the opponent's ball, pay attention to Hedo Turkoglu's three-point shooting, and communicate in time."

"The defense on the line does not need to be too big. The Raptors' outside shooting percentage is not high. Russell, you must pay attention to this. Kayce, remind him after you go on the court. Everyone protect your own area. echo each other."

Turtle looked a bit sad, he still prefers man-to-man defense, Jeff Green was overjoyed, could this be the power of the fortune talisman?Originally, he was still worried about the Raptors' low-post offense, but after defending the zone defense, his pressure will be much less.

Due to the existence of three seconds of defense, the Thunder's 23 zone defense is more like a 212 position. Everyone needs to judge the form on the field in order to successfully complete the zone defense.

"Guys, try to win this game and finish our February journey perfectly."

"Yeah! Come on!"

The Raptors currently have a record of 31 wins and 26 losses, temporarily ranking eighth in the East, but the 9th-ranked Bulls are only one game away from them. Therefore, in this game, Jane Triano The head coach still expects the team to win.

In the locker room of the visiting team, coach Criano once again emphasized the tactical play of the game.

"Jack, don't follow the opponent's rhythm. We have to slow down the offense, give the ball to Bargnani, and make good use of our inside advantage."

"The ball must be running, be patient on offense, make big ins and outs, and make decisive shots when there is an opportunity from the outside."

"Pay attention to the defense of Lee, he has been in great form recently, DeRozan, pay attention to his left hand, don't forget the defensive strategy."

"I'll watch out, Coach!"

Before the game, the home commentator Tewen also announced the results of the fans' votes for the cheering T-shirts in the playoffs. The simple OKC letter print got the most votes. Naturally, there is not much suspense about the color, and the blue and white still stand out.

"The game in February is coming to an end. Maybe the day after tomorrow, we will witness Kevin and Kayce win the Best of the Month award at home. This is really an incredible season. We are going to start preparing for the playoffs!"

"The starting five for the Raptors are: Jarrett Jack, DeMar DeRozan, Hedo Turkoglu, Andrea Bargnani and Rasu Nesterovic, Regular rotation, two big men over 5 meters, will test our inside defense."

"Hopefully the lads are fully recovered from the back to back games and the games are on!"

Since Li Ze scored 46 points, many Oklahoma City fans have discussed on Reddit who is stronger between Li Ze and Durant.

For this kind of topic, Durant will of course have to strike hard. Taking advantage of these two days of rest, he surfed the Internet intensively. Through the cooperation of his own discussion group, he easily defeated many opponents on Reddit and kept KD the strongest. title of
In the final warm-up before the game, Durant was also in a happy mood. Watching his brother Jeff Green strike iron again, he immediately smiled and said:

"Green, save a few shots before the game, calm down during the game, don't worry, I will find you, and remember to throw away your broken talisman!"

"Thanks, Bro, but I feel that the luck charm is still useful. In the game against the Spurs, you and Kayce shot very accurately. This luck charm may have helped a lot."

Durant doesn't think he got 32 points by relying on a broken talisman. Regarding Jeff Green's persistence, he can only answer helplessly:

"After defending the zone defense, your defensive pressure will be much less, your physical condition will also improve, and your three-point shooting percentage will definitely rise. Come on!"

At this point, the referee signaled Kostic and Nesterovic to come to the middle circle, and the two bent their knees, ready to jump the ball.

"At the beginning of the game, Nesterovic jumped to the ball for the Raptors, oh! In this game, the boys defended a position similar to a zone defense after the opening."

At this time, Li Ze and Guigui are standing in the elbow area on both sides of the free throw line, Durant is wandering on Turkoglu's side, Jeff Green and Krstic are sinking in the paint area near the baseline .

This kind of zone defense is actually very easy to crack. As long as you move the ball fast enough, shoot accurately enough from the outside, or let the big man come to the free throw line to support, it can produce good results, and even the transfer of the strong and weak sides will also form. Local 2 on 1.

In this situation, Jack immediately called his teammates to transfer the ball and mobilize the Thunder's defense, but unfortunately, DeRozan's outside line was let go by Li Ze. Simply transfer the ball, and the opportunity came out. DeRozan didn't shoot
Bargnani saw that the situation was not good, and quickly mentioned to receive the ball near the free throw line. At the same time, Nesterovic also moved to the basket, taking Durant's attention away and seeing Turkoglu's opportunity , Bargnani quickly passed the ball to the opponent.

After the latter received the ball, without hesitation, he immediately shot a jumper.

"Bang" hit an iron with anger.

As soon as the rebound popped up, Jeff Green blocked Bargnani ahead of time, and Li Ze retracted instantly. Coupled with Krstic and Durant under the basket, the three of them naturally grabbed a rebound with ease. .

After Li Ze controlled the rebound, he flicked the ball to the frontcourt. The fast-moving tortoise chased after the ball, rushed up in three strides, and easily dunked with one arm!

"哐" changed the hand to attack and dunk.

This is a kind of game strategy of the Thunder team. They try their best to protect the rebound and put the opponent's outside line first. Once the opponent fails to make a shot, they will stick to this defensive strategy. The first round, the effect is good.

"what!!"

The crowd at the Ford Center immediately cheered for Turtle's dunk.

When the Raptors attacked again, the Thunder still maintained the 23-zone defense position. Jack signaled Bargnani to go up the pick-and-roll, but found that after the pick-and-roll, he was covered by Li Ze and Jeff Green.

Noticing that DeRozan on the other side was empty, he immediately passed the ball to the opponent. After DeRozan received the ball, he immediately dribbled a step forward. After delaying this, Li Ze's defense also bounced out, successfully The interference to DeRozan's mid-range jumper.

"Bang" strikes again.

The rebound was protected by Jeff Green. Noticing that the Raptors had retreated quickly, after receiving the ball, the turtle slowly dribbled across the half court and made a tactical gesture.

Using the cross-cut tactics of double screens, Li Ze successfully received a pass from the tortoise at 45 degrees on the left side of the three-point line. The Raptors' defense directly chose to switch defenses, and Bargnani followed up in time.

After receiving the ball, Li Ze didn't deliberately lower his center of gravity. He dribbled the ball back with a cross step, quickly dribbled the ball behind his back with his right hand, raised his head slightly, and made a fake move of worshiping Buddha, which made Bargnani's defensive center of gravity move forward immediately.

Noticing the defender's movement, Li Ze quickly stepped down and changed direction, accelerated the breakthrough with the ball in his right hand, and after a big dribble, he made an emergency stop at the elbow area on the left side of the free throw line and shot a jumper.

"Shua" easily scored in the middle distance.

"Poor Bargnani, he seems to be turned into a stake by Kayce, but he really doesn't blame him. Facing a player with balanced left and right hands, it is difficult for you to guess his offensive choice."

The home commentator Tewen ridiculed Bargnani who was defending Li Ze.

This round is also the epitome of the Thunder's offense throughout the game. Whether it is single defense or switching defenses, the Raptors' defense has always been unable to limit the Thunder's outside line. On the offensive end, several outside shooting opportunities have not been grasped.

Only played for more than 6 minutes in the opening game, relying on Guigui's transition attack, Li Ze and Durant's outside shots, 17:8, the Thunder easily led by 9 points.

The Raptors scored all their points by attacking under the basket.
DeRozan was also extremely depressed. Li Ze knew his playing habits too well. The height and weight of the two were almost the same, but DeRozan's left hand was much weaker than Li Ze's. He was completely restrained by Li Ze.

Coach Triano naturally knew what the problem was. After the timeout, he replaced DeRozan with Jose Carleron, who had the ability to shoot. The offensive end had just improved, but he soon discovered this There are some problems with substitutions.

When Li Ze faced a defender who was shorter than him, he began to turn his back to get a position. After the upgrade of [Blocking Master], the energy consumed when he was entangled by the defense in the low post was reduced, and Li Ze became more relaxed in exerting strength and making movements.

After catching the ball with his back on his waist, Li Ze quickly leaned back, released the ball with his right hand, used his body and strength to hit it twice, then quickly turned back and shot a jumper.

"Shua" two-pointer hollow into the net.

After scoring the goal, Li Ze was calm on the surface, but he smiled in his heart. He planned to paint the [Leadback King] badge to silver in the rest of the regular season. At this time, he would use the fadeaway jumper more.

"Wonderful fadeaway jumper! Charles Barkley finally made a correct point. Kayce is the Tim Duncan of the back line. He has all the offensive skills and has no shortcomings! The only thing he lacks is game experience."

The commentator Te Wen finished playing Durant, and continued to play Li Ze, and the more he played, he couldn't stop
By the end of the first quarter, at 1:22, DeRozan, who was sitting on the bench, was desperate. The gap was too big. The Thunder were completely incomparable with some teams in the East, and their strength was not at the same level.

Li Ze made all 5 shots and scored 10 points in a single quarter. Together with Durant, who made all 6 shots, the two easily scored 22 points. In such a game, Durant didn't even start the Golden Wheel Fawang mode. With just a jump shot, he defeated the opponent.

During the intermission, Turtle and Jeff Green were also in a good mood. The former had a good transition and played well, while the latter threw an open three-pointer with a downwind shot. The two were in top form!
Coach Brooks is also very satisfied with the team's performance, but the zone defense has to continue to practice.

"Ibaka, pay attention to responding to your teammates in time after playing. You will be the defensive core in this lineup. You must bring what you have learned in training to the game. This can also help you practice your English."

"I'm fine, Coach, I can already communicate normally in English."

Ibaka quickly signaled that he was ready. As a rookie, he would naturally cherish every opportunity to play.

"Relax Bro, you're an absolute genius defensively, trust your gut."

Li Ze also patted Ibaka on the shoulder. The [Defensive Core] badge has always relied on Ibaka to gain experience. Among all the badges, experience has increased the fastest, which is enough to show Ibaka's progress.

After the start of the second quarter, Li Ze brought the Thunder's substitute lineup, and the defensive end still maintained a 2-point defense. The difference widened further.

Ibaka almost created a no-fly zone in the penalty area. With his excellent lateral speed and good bounce, he sent 2 big caps in the second quarter, which made the fans on the scene scream again and again. .

At the end of the half, at 52:73, the Thunder had extended their lead to 21 points. In the second half, the game officially entered garbage time.

Li Ze, who clocked in in three quarters, bargained efficiently for 24 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. He could feel that after the badge was fully upgraded to silver, he seemed to get rid of the state of a severely bankrupt Jordan.

In the fourth quarter of the game, Li Ze sat on the bench, watching Durant and Guigui still struggling to score points on the field, he couldn't help sighing:
"Perhaps after this season ends, media reporters and critics will complain that Durant, the leading scorer, is a little watery."

At 99:120, the Thunder once again showed their terrifying firepower and easily defeated the Raptors at home, perfectly ending the journey in February.

After the game, Li Ze saw DeRozan who was a bit disappointed, patted the opponent's shoulder lightly, and comforted him in a low voice:

"Rookies always have to experience failure. Losing is the best way to grow. Bro, remember to practice three-pointers during the off-season!"

After hearing Li Ze's words, DeRozan felt even more depressed. Damn it, let him pretend again!
"I know, but after losing to you, the Bulls have caught up. Hey, I'm starting to worry about the playoffs."

Li Ze and DeRozan exchanged pleasantries for a long time before finally embracing each other and walking back to the player tunnel.

3月1号这天，NBA联盟公布了月最佳球员获奖名单，雷霆队在2月份取得了9胜2负的战绩，杜兰特场均31.2分7篮板2助攻再次当选了西部的月最佳球员，东部获奖人则是勒布朗-詹姆斯。

Li Ze also continued to win the Rookie of the Month award with an average of 24.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game. The Oklahoma City fans knew that they would witness Li Ze and Durant winning the award at home tomorrow. Ze and Durant's avatars were also sold out on this day.
At noon on March 3, Li Ze hosted the bearded player Harden at his home in Oklahoma City. Seeing the haggard look on his face, he couldn't help but said with concern:
"There is no need to rush to practice three-pointers. Now the coach does not allow you to shoot three-pointers at will. You should give priority to polishing your ball-handling skills and don't push yourself too hard!"

"The girl last night was indeed a little different, what's wrong Kayce, why are you looking at me so weirdly?"

Li Ze was speechless. He thought that Harden would practice three-pointers after the All-Star weekend, but he didn't expect this guy to return to his original nature. It seems that the bad plan of the Kings really affected him.

"You should pay attention to your body first. You really can't change your taste. I hope you will not be weak in tonight's game."

"It's always losing anyway, I'm getting used to it, thanks, Bro, I know you care about me, this year's birthday, I'll give you a big gift, after all, I'm already a millionaire!"

Harden grabbed the Taco on the table and began to eat vigorously. He had exhausted a lot of energy last night, so he had to replenish it at this time.

"Haha, after the tax is deducted, you won't have much money left. We'll just have a big party and call Clay."

"It seems to be back in high school, life in the NBA is not as exciting as imagined!"

On the night of March 3, Harden witnessed the scene where Li Ze and Durant won the best of the month award at the Ford Center. Feeling the cheers like a tsunami, the bearded golfer showed envious eyes.

As the second-to-last in the Western Conference, the Kings have achieved a record of 20 wins and 39 losses. This season is used for Harden's leveling.

With the support of the fiery atmosphere at home, the Kings collapsed in the first quarter of the game. At 20:36, the players of the Kings stopped playing directly, and they were completely open.
In the end, at 97:113, the Thunder beat the Kings at home. Harden performed well. Although his shooting percentage was lower, he still scored 22 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 turnovers.

Li Ze continued to clock in three quarters, with an unremarkable 24 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. For him, this kind of game was just a shooting practice game.

After the game, Harden didn't feel too much frustration, and pulled Li Ze to whisper:

"I have found a venue that suits us. Next time I come to Sacramento, I will take you to enjoy it."

"Blessed to share, good brother!."

On March 3, it was another back-to-back game. The Thunder flew directly to the Denver Plateau. They will challenge the Nuggets away.

The situation of the playoffs in the Western Conference has become clear. The Lakers and the Thunder usually have obvious advantages. If there are no major accidents, they will lock the top two, while the 5th to 8th teams are very competitive. The difference between wins is small.

The Nuggets, ranked 6th in the Western Conference, currently have a record of 40 wins and 20 losses, and are only two games away from the 5th-placed Jazz.

In the final stage of the regular season, head coach George Karl also wanted to raise the team's record. In the bottom half, there is no home court advantage, which is very fatal at certain moments in the playoffs.

Once you hit Tianwangshan, playing at home and away from home is a completely different experience. The atmosphere on the scene and the referee's whistle are all advantages that the home game can bring.

Coach George Karl doesn't think the Nuggets will lose to the Thunder because of their strength. They reached the Western Conference finals last year. The team is full of experienced veterans. Tonight's game, the team will naturally try their best to win.

Before the game, in the Nuggets locker room, coach George Karl told Chauncey Billups:

"If the opponent continues to defend the zone defense, Chauncey, if there is an opportunity from the outside, he must make a decisive shot. At the same time, add some bottom-line air cuts, and you can master it yourself after you go on the court."

"Melo, let's attack. Just like the previous fights, we have to keep rebounding. Come on, boys, there are not many games. We want to get into the top 4 and get home court advantage."

"Ow!!"

Head coach Brooks has a difficult feeling facing an opponent like the Nuggets. The Thunder is currently afraid of a team full of vitality inside. Once they cannot quickly protect the backcourt rebounds, the Thunder will lose their transition offense.
Coupled with the opponent's offense, it relies more on Carmelo Anthony's personal ability, which makes the Thunder's defense very uncomfortable. After all, in the case of single defense, it is difficult for the Thunder's perimeter to limit Anthony's performance. .

The outcome of the game depends more on the touch of the star players on both sides and the competition for rebounds.

In the locker room before the game, Coach Brooks was also emphasizing the tactical strategy of the game. To be precise, it should be the strategy of defending Anthony.

"Kevin, communicate with everyone on the field in time, switch defenses when covering, and rotate quickly. No matter who defends Anthony, try to give the opponent a left hand, drive him to the inside, and double-team in time."

"Rebounds, you must protect the rebounds in the backcourt, Kayce, Russell, you two must rush for rebounds in time."

"The last point is to ensure your health. In the last one and a half months, I don't want to see the team suffer from injuries. Come on!"

"yeah!!"

If you want to talk about zone defense, head coach George Karl played tricks on zone defense when he coached the Seattle SuperSonics in the 90s. At that time, the top teams would exploit loopholes in the rules.

The Thunder did not adopt a zone defense in this game. After all, the Nuggets have Chauncey Billups, Afflalo, Carmelo Anthony on the outside, and JR-Smith on the bench. Yeah, the game must be gone by now
Returning to the traditional man-to-man defense, the Thunder were a little passive after the opening game. Due to the home game, the Nuggets played very aggressively in this game, and Carmelo Anthony was even more in top form.

The Nuggets attacked, Anthony directly asked for the ball in the low post, faced Durant's defense, and made a dry jumper after a tentative step.

"唰" made a steady hit in the middle distance.

The Thunder quickly sent out the baseline ball, Turtle quickly used half court, and immediately passed the ball to Durant who came out of the screen. Facing Kenyon Martin who came over from the defense, after a cross-step breakthrough, he stopped and shot a jumper.

"Shua" two-pointer hollow into the net.

Billups quickly crossed the half court. At the top of the arc outside the three-point line, he played a pick-and-roll with Nene. The moment he opened it, he hit the ground and passed the ball to Nene. Kostic hit with a right-handed throw.

The Thunder attacked. Li Ze and Jeff Green made a cross screen on the baseline. Li Ze quickly came to the low post to ask for the ball. When Li Ze received the pass from the turtle, Afflalo's defense was also in place. Standing behind Li Ze firmly.

Li Ze leaned back, dribbled the ball behind his back suddenly with his right hand, quickly combined the ball, turned around and shot a jumper.

"唰" made a steady hit in the middle distance.

"Shh!"

The home audience immediately booed Li Ze, they didn't want to see such a gaudy goal from the away team.

In the first quarter, the offensive rhythm of both sides was very fast, and the score took the lead alternately. At 1:30, the Thunder temporarily fell behind by two points after finishing the first quarter.

Head coach Brooks is also very satisfied with the performance of the players. Although there is no opportunity to switch offenses, the rebounds in the backcourt are protected very well. He thinks there is still hope for victory in this game.

After the start of the second quarter, coach George Karl directly used Nene and Anderson in the interior collocation. As soon as these two energetic interior players came on the field, the situation between the two sides changed immediately.

The combination of Jeff Green and Ibaka gradually lost control of the backcourt rebounds. After Brooks coach replaced Collison, the situation still did not change much.

Under the referee's relaxed whistleblowing, the Thunder's backcourt rebounds were robbed in the second quarter. Coach George Karl's simple and rough shooting tactics once again achieved miraculous results.

After halftime, at 57:64, the Thunder trailed by 7 points. Even if Durant turned on the golden wheel mode, it didn’t have much effect. After all, Carmelo Anthony also had a whistle at his home court.
The third quarter of the game was almost a replica of the second quarter. Anthony, who was crazy, would throw himself into the game. Coupled with the various disturbances between Nene and Anderson, the Thunder completely lost the rhythm of the game and were kicked out by the opponent. There was a wave.

The counterattack in the fourth quarter also failed. Under the opponent's high-intensity defense, the Thunder's outside shooting percentage began to decline. In the end, the Thunder lost to the Nuggets at 4:99.

Carmelo Anthony, who scored 34 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists in the game, was smiling. After winning the game, they narrowed the gap with the previous team.

After the loss, Durant turned around and left. He didn't want to see Anthony's smiling face after winning. The opponent scored crazy points under his defense. This also made Durant feel a little uncomfortable. The combination of offense and defense is really too difficult up!

Li Ze did not leave the field directly, but sat on the bench, staring blankly at the data in front of him, feeling a little helpless in his heart:

"8 rebounds behind the opponent, the opponent almost converted every second rebound into a score, I hope the Nuggets will not meet in the playoffs"

　Thank you for your subscription support~
　　
　
(End of this chapter)