NBA: Start by torturing Jordan and add points to upgrade

The reason why the Lakers were easily defeated by the Nuggets was not only because the Lakers lacked firepower and only had Kobe as a reliable weapon, but also because the Nuggets played exceptionally well!

Billups once again displayed the same flair he displayed in the Finals when he defeated the Lakers, averaging 20.4 points and 7 assists per game in the series, leaving Fisher helpless and crying out in despair.

Team leader Milicic completely dominated Kirilenko, leaving him questioning his existence. In this Eastern European derby, Milicic averaged 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 blocks, with shooting percentages of 53%, 100%, and 77%, while Kirilenko averaged only 8 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block, with shooting percentages of just 41%, 29%, and 70%.

Of course, Milicic only scored one last three-pointer in five games, which he converted at the last minute, so he didn't suddenly evolve into a super sharpshooter.

In short, the combination of Billups and Milicic has finally brought the Nuggets back to the Western Conference Finals!

This is their third time reaching the conference finals since joining the NBA, and their last appearance in the conference finals was in 1984-1985.

Can they defeat their opponents and advance to the finals this time?

As for their opponents, at least when they successfully advanced, they didn't know who their opponents were.

Because the other match was incredibly intense!
Paul led his team to the playoffs for the first time in his career, facing the Spurs who were aiming to win the championship!

Paul vs. James!
These two guys, who don't play the same position and have completely different playing styles and physiques, met for the first time in the playoffs!

Many people believe that LeBron James will become the best player in the league after Lin Tian's retirement, while Chris Paul will succeed Lin Tian as the best point guard in the NBA after him.

Meanwhile, almost all of the key players on both teams came from the draft after 2000.

Steve Jackson, who entered the league in 1997, and Steve Francis, who entered in 99, are the only two players among their respective starters and rotation players who entered the league before 2000.

Martin, who entered the league in 00, can already be considered a veteran.

Besides those two, the Warriors' Richardson entered the league in 01, James and Bosh were both in 03, Paul in 05, and Aldridge in 06.

Both teams have a youthful squad!

Once again, everyone noticed that, without anyone noticing, the younger generation in the league had begun to seize power!

Back then, Lin Tian took the torch from Jordan, Olajuwon, Payton, Ewing and others, and changed the shape of all the players who entered the league in the 90s into his image.

Now, these players born in the 00s who have entered the league are showing off their own style.

The matchup between LeBron James and Chris Paul, two future superstars, is sure to attract a lot of attention. Many people also see this matchup as a head-to-head confrontation between the top teams in the Western Conference for many years to come!
They all believe that these two teams will definitely dominate the Western Conference for many years to come!
This series is definitely worth watching!

The performances of both teams in the series certainly did not disappoint the fans!
Whether it's Paul or James, Richardson or Bosh, they all delivered some truly outstanding performances and games!

In the first two games of the series, at the Spurs' home court, James scored 33 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists and 37 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists respectively, leading the team to two consecutive victories and a dream start!

But when both sides moved to Jinzhou, everything changed.

It's Paul's turn to unleash his power with his Warriors!
In the third game, Paul exploded for 25 points and 14 assists, while Aldridge added 22 points and 11 rebounds!

The two young core players combined to contribute double-doubles, helping the team win a crucial game and successfully level the score.

In the fourth game, it was Steve Jackson's turn to shine.

这家伙这一场仿佛是找到了詹姆斯的命门，将前三场场均30多分的詹姆斯防的24投8中，只拿到22分11篮板12助攻，可詹姆斯虽然拿到3双，却也出现了7次失误！
With James' performance so erratic, it was naturally difficult for the Spurs to win. In the fourth game, the Warriors won again, successfully tying the score at 2-2!

The two sides will enter the ultimate showdown mode of best of three!

The pivotal Game 5 was held at the Spurs' AT&T Center.

This match is crucial for both sides; the loser will face elimination at any moment.

The performances of both teams in this match were mixed.

马刺这边是弗朗西斯表现失常，只有10投3中，只拿到了8分还有4次失误，而勇士队那边他们的头号射手理查德森3分线外6投0中，全场比赛也只拿到了7分！
In addition, Martin and Biedrins, the two blue-collar starting centers, also had a competition of who had the worst shooting performance. Martin went 0-for-5 and got 1 point and 7 rebounds, while Biedrins was slightly better than Martin, going 1-for-5 and getting 2 points and 8 rebounds!

These two guys are both a liability on offense!

For this reason, in the final five minutes of the game, both coaches chose to substitute their center forwards with a striker to allow their respective star players to play more freely.

After all, whether it's James or Paul, their ability to penetrate and pass is top-notch in the league, if nothing else!
Adding a marksman to their side would definitely be beneficial!

With one minute remaining in the game, the score was tied at 98-98.

Then James dribbled and drove hard to the basket, scoring the team's 100th point of the night and giving them the lead.

But less than 15 seconds later, Paul created an opportunity for himself at the top of the arc with a screen, and he took a three-pointer without hesitation, and the basketball went in accurately!

101: 100!

The Warriors led by one point with 30 seconds left!
The Spurs then called a timeout. After the timeout, James set a screen and successfully switched onto Paul to guard him. James immediately backed down and tried to force his way into the paint to overpower Paul with his height advantage.

But he clearly forgot that his post-up skills were probably not even up to par, and Paul's strength was not comparable to James', nor to the three big men in the backcourt: Lin Tian, ​​Deron Williams and Baron Davis.

But he's just not as good as those three.

When James was pushing the ball up the court, Paul held on like crazy, not giving him an easy chance to get into the paint, making James look incredibly helpless!

Paul's defensive strategy is to lower his center of gravity and completely disregard James's position above the waist. He lets James shoot or pass as he pleases, but he just won't let him get close to the basket!
Paul's strategy was clearly successful. As for James' shooting skills now, well...

He himself doesn't believe it at all. In such a crucial moment, unless he has no other choice, he will never easily take a mid-range or long-range shot.

With the shot clock running out, James didn't shoot. Instead, he made a sudden lateral pass to JR Smith on the other side.

After Smith got the ball, there were only 3 seconds left on the shot clock. He had no choice but to force a shot!

"Boom!"

With a muffled thud, the basketball bounced off the rim. Aldridge grabbed the backboard and began to assess the situation.

With only 7-8 seconds left in the game, he had to be careful! He was observing the court while being ready to call a timeout at any moment.

He will make his next decision based on the Spurs' choice.

Logically, Aldridge should have given the ball to Paul or Jackson, the two players on the team who are most reliable at free throws, because the Spurs would definitely have fouled.

But the cautious Aldridge remained calm. If he couldn't find a suitable and safe passing spot, he would rather take the free throw himself than risk a turnover by forcing a pass.

Less than a second later, Bosh rushed over, grabbed Aldridge, and sent him to the free-throw line.

There are 6 seconds left in the game.

At the free-throw line, Aldridge, who has a 75% free-throw percentage, wasn't in a hurry. He let out a long breath and then raised his hand to shoot.

"Shh!"

"Shh!"

Two crisp sounds rang out in succession as Aldridge made both free throws, extending his team's lead to 3 points!
The Spurs called a timeout immediately; it was their last timeout and their last chance!
After the timeout, the Warriors, who only needed to defend 3 points, took out Aldridge, the hero who had just made 2 free throws, and picked up Biedrins, who had a better rebounding ability. The remaining four players were all perimeter players.

Their strategy is clearly to completely shut down 3-pointers, while allowing you to focus on 2-pointers and aggressively grab rebounds.

With the referee's whistle, Bosh, outside the sideline, ignored Biedrins, who was jumping around and constantly interfering with his passing, and passed the ball to James at the top of the arc.

James dribbled the ball and attempted two consecutive crossovers but failed to shake off Jackson, who then made a lateral pass to JR Smith on the other side.

With only one second left in the game after Smith got the ball, the "erratic" Smith had no time to aim or hesitate. He pulled up and shot a three-pointer over Richardson!
"Boom!"

After a muffled thud, the basketball bounced off the rim and missed, while the rebound was contested. After the free throw, Biedrins rushed back to the three-point line and grabbed the ball.

"Buzz!"

The final whistle blew at that very moment, and the Warriors, after a hard-fought battle, narrowly won the pivotal Game 5 on the road!

3-2! They have a match point, and the upcoming Game 6 will be held at the Warriors' home court!
The chance to advance has fallen to the Warriors!

Two days later, Game 6 of the series began.

The Warriors had a terrible start to the game. Jackson, who had been effective in defending James in the previous games, picked up two fouls in the first six minutes and had to leave the game early. These two fouls became the turning point of the game!

Without Jackson, a defender whose height, size, and skills could hold off James, the Warriors simply couldn't find another suitable matchup against him.

So, James went completely on fire!

This guy drove inside and shot outside, constantly attacking the basket, and even his three-point shooting touch was on fire. He hit three three-pointers in the first half, which is a new high for his playoff career in a half!
18 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists!

James racked up an incredible stat line in just the first half!

At this point, the Warriors were still able to barely withstand James's offensive firepower.

After all, Richardson and Aldridge played quite well tonight, and Paul contributed 10 points, 5 assists and 2 rebounds in the first half.

In the first possession of the second half, James successfully drew a foul from Jackson by taking advantage of a driving opportunity!

Jackson accidentally touched James' hand while blocking the shot!

Fourth foul!
The referee didn't hesitate to give Jackson his fourth foul!

He was definitely out of the game in the third quarter, so Warriors head coach Mike Dunleavy had no choice but to bench him again.

This foul also tolled the death knell for the Warriors!
接下来，内突外投无人能挡的詹姆斯在第三节彻底爆发，他单节比赛狂轰20分2篮板2助攻，3节比赛就拿下38分7篮板7助攻的数据！
Tonight was absolutely a masterpiece of LeBron James' playoff career!
He was invincible on the road, tearing the Warriors' entire defense into disarray!

During James's incredible third quarter, the Spurs pulled away as expected, extending their lead to as much as 17 points!
Given the offensive capabilities of these two teams, it's only a matter of time before the Spurs win on the road and force a Game 7.

In the fourth quarter, with the Warriors trailing by such a large margin, they naturally couldn't afford to let their starters rest. Paul, Jackson, and others were all on the court from the start.

James on the other side did the same. Obviously, the Spurs didn't want to give the Warriors any chance. They wanted to blow the game out of proportion!
In the fourth quarter, when the Warriors deployed a large number of players to defend James, he suddenly started passing the ball again!

He repeatedly matched up against Jackson, then drew double teams before finding teammates to pass him the ball.

His vision and passing skills are absolutely unmatched among current NBA small forwards!

Few people can possess his physique, speed, and vision all at the same time!

From this perspective, it seems perfectly acceptable for a player to be slightly lacking in shooting and technical details.

In short, after James's series of plays, the Cavaliers' lead not only did not shrink, but actually gradually widened!

On the other hand, the Warriors were stuck in a scoring drought.

When the team needed someone to score the most, no one could provide the response.

Paul can ensure he doesn't make mistakes, but his size makes it difficult for him to score consecutively at this point.

Aldridge and Richardson both need to be fed the ball. Although Jackson has good individual offensive ability, he was hampered by foul trouble, and his performance tonight was really mediocre. In addition, he didn't have many options against James' all-out defense.
In short, the Warriors were in a serious scoring drought, and they really couldn't keep up with the Spurs' barrage of attacks!
The gap between the two sides is widening, and the Spurs' chances of winning this game are increasing.

With four minutes left in the game, James grabbed an offensive rebound under the basket and slammed it forward, assisting Smith for a three-pointer. The gap between the two teams had now reached 30 points!

It was after this round that Dunleavy called a timeout; he surrendered!

After the timeout ended, all the Warriors' starters left the court, while James and Bosh remained on the court for the Spurs.

Clearly, Popovich was somewhat uneasy, fearing that the Warriors might put up a fight, so he kept the two players on the bench to prevent any unexpected incidents from happening to the team.

Two possessions later, James grabbed another defensive rebound, then drove the length of the court to the frontcourt and passed the ball to Bosh, who was following up in the middle. Bosh then jumped up and dunked!

"boom!"

After this basket, the gap between the two sides reached 32 points, and Popovich was obviously finally satisfied. He had his players commit fouls and quickly took James and Bosh off the court at the same time.

It's time to rest!

101: 78!

Ultimately, with the rest of the game becoming garbage time, the Spurs, despite being narrowed down by a few points, easily secured the sixth victory, forcing a Game 7 and bringing the series back to their home court!

The biggest contributor to the victory tonight was undoubtedly LeBron James!

He had a perfect triple-double tonight with 46 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists! In the third quarter, James almost single-handedly widened the gap, and in the fourth quarter, he focused his energy on rebounding, defense, and playmaking, trying every possible way to share the ball.

The all-around LeBron James brought victory back to San Antonio as he had hoped!

Meanwhile, the Warriors once again faced the critical problem of failing to score in crucial moments.

The team can only play when they have the advantage; no one can be relied upon in crucial moments to score those unreasonable, tactical, star-studded goals.

No one on the Warriors team can do this, but LeBron James on the other side does it exceptionally well!

The back-and-forth action, both inside and outside, led to the huge gap between the two sides tonight and the Warriors' defeat!
Many people have been saying that if the Warriors want to go further, either Paul and Aldridge need to continue to improve and quickly develop into scoring masters who can score in isolation at any time and place, or they need to find a way to bring in a master who can score in isolation at any time and place.

Relying solely on Jackson and Paul to break through is clearly not enough.

Paul was limited by his physique, and Jackson's level and ability weren't quite up to par.

If the Warriors want to improve, they must bring in another star-level offensive specialist!
But of course, that's something they need to consider during the offseason. Right now, they need to focus on winning the final Game 7!

After a two-day break, the Warriors, as the only second-round matchup to go to a Game 2, will once again visit San Antonio for their final showdown!

The match was very close from start to finish, with little difference in the performance of the players on both sides, and both teams' efficiency was negligible.

This was a positional battle with very low scores!
Both sides played very cautiously, so although neither side had a high shooting percentage, they also had very few turnovers.

Cautious, calm, steady, and slow are the best words to describe this match.

When the game entered the fourth quarter, the score was still only 61-62!

The Spurs are only leading by one point.

In the fourth quarter, the score remained close, with the difference between the two sides lasting only one possession for most of the time.

The turning point for both sides came with four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

At this point, the score is 74-74!

A draw.

Then, JR suddenly erupted. He first received a pass from James and hit a three-pointer, and then drove into the paint and forced a layup over Biedrins for a 2+1!

These six consecutive points gave the Spurs their biggest lead of the night!

6 points!
Meanwhile, Monta Ellis, who was highly anticipated by the head coach and fans tonight and was considered the most likely to complete the offensive task, faltered at this crucial moment for the Warriors.

JR on the other side made both of his shots, but he missed both of his shots in a row due to his lack of composure and haste.

One team won a series of matches, while the other won a series of matches; the gap between the two sides widened just like that!
Instead of targeting JR Smith, who was heavily guarded by the Warriors, James then set up two more passes for Bosh using pick-and-rolls.

Ellis of the Warriors, however, continued to get carried away at this moment. He was obviously trying to make up for the two shots he had missed, but he suddenly lost his touch and missed shot after shot on attack.

With only 2 minutes left in the fourth quarter, the gap between the two sides had widened to 11 points!

Given the success rate and form of both teams tonight, the Warriors can basically surrender and concede defeat. (End of Chapter)