Chapter 208 Getting old after all

Author: a hint of divination

Chapter 208 Getting old after all

"Harden continuously changed directions with his hips, stepped back for a three-pointer, and scored! Oh, my God, Harden felt hot tonight and has already scored 13 points!"

Popovich didn't expect that, but Harden, who came off the bench, performed very well, not only helping the Thunder overtake the score in the second half of the first quarter.

At the beginning of the second quarter, Harden and Ibaka, who returned, beat the Spurs 7:2, opening the point difference to 10 points in one fell swoop.

Popovich was forced to call a timeout.

Obviously, there is a problem with Popovich's strategy. After he puts Ginobili into the starting lineup, there will be problems with the substitute lineup.

Whether it's Stephen Jackson, Splitter or Gary Neal, no one can match Harden!

Seeing that this lineup could not win, Popovich quickly replaced Danny Green and Matt Bonner.

The performance of the two of them tonight was extremely poor. Let's not talk about whether they can make three-pointers from the outside. The defense alone made Popovich very dissatisfied.

After the timeout, Popovich got Parker and Duncan back on the court.

When the game got to this point, even Popovich, who was a very talented and bold player, did not dare to use a ten-man rotation, but instead reduced it to an eight-man rotation.

As a result, in order to avoid core players playing too much playing time, he must use GDP separately.

But in this way, the team loses the power it had in the starting lineup, both on offense and defense.

Just like that, at halftime, the Thunder led the Spurs by 8 points 52:44.

When they fell behind the most at the beginning of the first quarter, the Thunder fell behind by 7 points. But now, after halftime, the Thunder lead by 8 points. One mile and one mile away, that's 15 points.

The fans at the scene were very satisfied with this result and kept shouting "OKC" to vent their joy.

The first two games of this series really depressed them.

Spending the most money on tickets and watching a game in which your own team is beaten is simply a waste of money.

But now, even those fans who support the Thunder the most did not expect that these young guys from the Thunder are really trying their best!

At the home court of the Spurs, they pulled two games in a row and brought the game back to Oklahoma City.

Moreover, judging from the results of this half of the game, the Thunder are obviously stronger than the Spurs. They are increasingly convinced that their Thunder can break out of the Western Conference and reach the Finals this time!

The half-time break of just 15 minutes was over in the blink of an eye.

The game soon entered the second half.

However, things were changing and the game took a new turn in the second half.

Parker, who rushed inside, faced Li Pu's defense and missed the throw.

Duncan relied on his experience to grab this valuable offensive rebound and pass it to Ginobili on the outside.

Ginobili made a three-pointer and hit it again!

This is his fourth three-pointer tonight!

Ginobili, who started today, was really strong and scored a team-high 25 points.

In comparison, Parker's hips were stretched, and he only made 3 of 10 shots.

The main reason is that the Thunder's defensive focus tonight is on the inside. It is too difficult for a small guard like Parker who finishes at the basket to face such a defense.

On the contrary, it created a lot of big openings on the outside. No, this is part of the reason why Ginobili was able to score four three-pointers.

With Ginobili's three-pointer, the point difference returned to 3 points again, a point difference that could be tied in one round.

At this time, the situation on the field is very anxious, the game has entered a fierce stage, and every point is crucial.

Durant once again took the initiative to take over the ball and came to the frontcourt with the ball, allowing his teammates to open up and prepare for singles.

Obviously he is ready to take over the game and activate death mode in advance!

Leonard lowered his center of gravity, his eyes not only serious, but also mixed with a little fear.

In this round of the series, I have already used all my defensive capabilities, but looking at Durant's statistics, he still shot over 50% and averaged 28+ per game. Whether it is efficiency or production, he is very good!

This gave Leonard the same mentality that he was on guard as if he wasn't on guard. Fortunately, Leonard's spirit was relatively tough and he could withstand such a blow. But if it were anyone else, his mentality might have collapsed!

But mentality alone is not enough for Leonard to guard Durant.

Sure enough, in just the next second, Durant didn't even make a fake move, he chose to take a three-point shot directly from outside the three-point line.

Leonard was caught off guard and was a step late, allowing Durant to complete the shot.

The dark grass in the forest is frightened by the wind, and the general draws his bow at night!

The basketball obediently got into the basket, "shua", and hit a three-pointer!

The point difference returned to 6 points again.

In the stalemate stage of the game, this kind of answer ball is the most fatal, because it is not just a score, but also a blow to your heart.

Even for veterans like the Spurs, their mentality will change.

No, in the next round, Ginobili wanted to take advantage of his good touch and took another outside shot, hoping to continue his firepower.

It's a pity that I didn't get in!

But at this time, it was Duncan again, grabbing the offensive rebound under the basket.

This is the fourth offensive rebound he grabbed tonight. With such a performance, it can only be said that he is worthy of being the No. 21 rookie.

Li Pu failed to protect the rebound, but he had no time to blame himself. He quickly stepped forward to block Duncan and prevent him from directly attacking the basket.

Duncan first looked to the outside. Obviously his first choice was to give the ball to the outside.

However, the scene from the last round is still fresh in my mind, which made the Thunder's perimeter defense very tight, and neither Ginobili nor Parker could catch the ball.

Therefore, Duncan first signaled for his teammates to pull away from the strong side, and then chose to play Li Pu in singles again.

To be honest, this is not a good choice.

Because this series has proven that Duncan's success rate against Lip is not high.

If possible, Duncan wouldn't want to play Li Pu alone like this, but there is no other way. The team needs him to step up now!

The master of basic skills started dribbling, fighting, shaking his shoulders, turning around, all the movements were smooth and smooth, and they were all well-refined moves!

However, plantar fasciitis in the past two years has long taken away his jumping and explosive power. All skills are based on physical fitness.

Duncan's static talent is not as good as Li Pu's, and now that he has no explosive power and speed, Li Pu can actually come from behind and touch the basketball after Duncan completes the shot.

The basketball finally popped out of the frame, but it didn’t go in after all!

This time, Lip blocked his position and never gave Duncan another chance to grab the rebound.

Duncan seemed to know this, and this time he did not choose to forcefully take off. Even after discovering that the blocking position was unsuccessful, he left first and returned to defense.

In the end, the rebound was protected by Li Pu.

Looking at Duncan's leaving figure, Li Pu actually felt a sense of desolation.

People tease him by saying he is the No. 21 pick, but everyone knows that he is really old.

No one knows how much sweat and effort he put in to maintain his competitive status.

But Li Pu knew that what he paid was not only sweat, but also his tenacious spirit after falling from the altar!
Chapter completed!