Chapter 663 [Top in the West, fierce in January]
On the 17th, the Suns' winning streak was ended, losing back to back 110-111 to the Wizards.
Not only did they lose, they were also beaten by Wizards star point guard Arenas, and the "general" hit a deadly three-pointer against Guo Xu.
This time, Guo Xu did not let go, and the others of the Suns were also very focused on their defense, but they did not defend themselves. The trident composed of Arenas, Larry Hughes, and Antoine Jamison was extremely attacking.
Arenas played for 44 minutes, made 15 of 24 shots, 5 of 9 three-pointers, 6 of 10 free throws, and scored 41 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists. The only shortcoming of the United States is the inaccurate free throws and 5 turnovers.
Guo Xu played for 43 minutes, made 15 of 33 shots, 6 of 16 three-pointers, 7 of 8 free throws, and scored 43 points, 3 rebounds and 6 assists.
The two stars' competition made the fans very excited, but unfortunately Guo Xu's three-pointer was not accurate in this game, otherwise the Suns would have a chance to win.
The inside competition is both sides, and they are both defensive.
The Wizards are looking for a deal, hoping to get a 3D small forward who is good at defense. Kwame Brown and Brandon Haywood are both meat shield centers with overlapping positions. If the Wizards want to go further in the playoffs and need to complete the transaction in the mid-term, the chips given by several teams are currently not favored by the management.
The Suns lost another game before Christmas, losing 87 to 101 away to the Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies have become the Suns' miserable this season and have won two games. The Suns have not defended well in the inside of the "Two Bears" attack, both of them have the ability to score in 2010.
Paul Gasol plays pick-and-roll with his outside teammates, which can not only help his outside teammates create breakthrough space, but also score points by themselves, and also play and organize attacks.
Gasol and Randolph cooperated with the inside through the inside. It was a very difficult move. Gasol had height advantages and low-post steps, and his shooting range reached outside the three-point line. Small ball tactics emerged in advance, and Gasol began to try to attack from a further position.
The "Black Bear" is very tough, with most of the offenses at low posts and at the basket, assisting in mid-range shooting, and having high singles efficiency.
Haslem has no problem with most power forwards, and his defensive ability has been well received, but he is very proud of his head when he meets Randolph. The opponent is taller than him, stronger than him, and his touch is softer.
What's more alternative this year is that the league did not arrange for the Suns to play the Christmas game. Guo Xu got a rare holiday and only played away against the Timberwolves on the 26th.
The league only arranged two gimmick games for Christmas, Spurs vs Cavaliers, Heat vs Lakers, both teams have stars that the league wants to support.
Stern felt that there was no need to arrange a Christmas battle to increase Guo Xu's exposure rate. Moreover, Guo Xu's performance on several Christmases was amazing, either defeating his opponent or terrifying data. He didn't want to see someone be beaten to cry on important festivals again.
Alliance officials have generally figured out Guo Xu's character. He is a person who loves to show off. He is more likely to break out in the game that is highly anticipated. It is impossible to count on him to save face for his opponents.
The opportunity to show his face has no effect on Guo Xu's popularity. The All-Star voting is in progress. As expected, his votes are far ahead and he is sure to win the vote leader.
On Christmas Day, Guo Xu and Megan Fox's family went to Phoenix to celebrate the festival, rather than in Los Angeles like in previous years. In order to cooperate with Guo Xu's time, he had to fly to Minneapolis with his teammates in the early morning to prepare for the away game.
Guo Xu had a very happy day. Everyone didn't talk about anything about work, they just chatted.
In his past and present, he has been a person who is particularly lacking in family warmth. Since joining the NBA, he has returned to participate in the Christmas battle during the Lakers and has not celebrated the festival with his family. This time he finally has time to experience the festive atmosphere.
People are just rich, but success in their career is not enough. Being cared for and loved by others is the winner in life.
The group flew to Minnesota at night. The sun did not arrange training. Guo Xu slept in a lazy sleep. After getting up, he used the hotel computer to browse the news.
In last night's game, the Cavaliers defeated the Spurs at home 91-76, and the Lakers defeated the Heat 102-93.
This is the sixth game of the Spurs' loss this season. The Suns' record surpassed the Spurs and ranked first in the Western Conference. Although the Suns lost to the Grizzlies twice, the Grizzlies' overall record has lost seven games, ranking third in the Western Conference.
Guo Xu didn't play the game, and many fans mentioned him online because this year's Christmas battle was a bit boring. The offensive rhythm of the four teams was very slow and there were not many exciting goals.
The Spurs lost because of the uneven lineup. Ginobili's right ankle sprain will be missing for two to four weeks. This is the turning point of Ginobili's entire career. From this season, an ankle sprain has bothered him, causing him to not be able to play for too long.
As an outside star, Ginobili has only two seasons in his entire career and has played more than 30 minutes per game. He played 31.1 minutes in his peak season, and has never scored 20 in a single season.
There is no advantage in competing with the Cavaliers in the interior. Finley and Bowen are obviously not as good as LeBron James.
In another game, Kobe played 44 minutes, made 12 of 30 shots, 0 of 8 three-pointers, 13 of 19 free throws, and scored 37 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. With such inefficient performance in the core, Butler did not make a comeback, and the Lakers still won.
Odom, Cook and Bogut scored in double digits and hit more than 55.
Bogut performed better against O'Neal on the defensive end. O'Neal made 8 of 18 shots, 2 of 5 free throws, and his shooting percentage was only 44.4.
Guo Xu knew that O'Neal's condition was about to begin to decline seriously. He received devil training from Pat Riley and performed well last season, but now the negative impact has begun to show, and his physical strength has been overdrawn. Not only O'Pang, but the power forward Baxter, who has performed well for two seasons, has also declined seriously and has no longer scored.
The Heat without Payton and Haslem could not break out in the East. However, O'Neal has already seen it out. Even if the Heat enters the finals, he will not be confident of winning the championship. The league has always been in a strong West and weak East. At least he has made money, and the high salary signing with the Heat in the summer is a serious premium.
That night, the Suns easily defeated the weak Timberwolves. Now the Wolves' offense depends on two players, and they are not harmonious. Garnett hopes that the management will trade Szebiak.
The Suns did not lose again in December, and their performance in January was even more fierce. After defeating the Spurs at home, the Hawks ushered in a favorable schedule.
Although the competition for the rankings of Western Conference strong teams is very fierce, the only teams that can threaten the Suns seem to be the Spurs and the Grizzlies.
There are not many teams in the East that can compete with the Suns. The Suns' double-guard style has become the key to winning. It is easier for the two organization points to launch a fast attack. After the position war, Guo Xu can also switch freely between having a ball and not having a ball.
The Suns lost only one game this month, and lost 100-111 away to the Magic.
The Magic's lineup is not strong, but Tekglu was in a draw in this game, shooting 6 three-pointers, scoring 35 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Francis also scored 20 points and 6 assists, and Dwight Howard scored a large double-double with 14 points and 18 rebounds.
Dwight made great progress in the second season. His offensive skills are still rough, but he deserves the nickname of "Warcraft" by the Magic's substitute center is Bynum, who has equally outstanding physical fitness. He performed well in a limited time and can attack with a strong screening.
It will be a matter of time before Bynum is traded. He is too similar to Howard's style, and the areas with high offensive efficiency are at low posts.
Chapter completed!