rpbooks Chapter 421 Old Spurs Hard Nuggets
Chapter 421 Old Spurs Hard Nuggets
Chapter 421 Old Spurs Hard Nuggets
After winning against the Trail Blazers, the Thunder breathed a sigh of relief.After losing the game in Portland last time, the media and commentators talked a lot about them.This time, it can be regarded as blocking the mouths of those people!
Next, the players of the Thunder can rarely rest for a few days.However, after a short rest, they will start to work again.
The last two games in March were back to back.The Thunder need to give birth to Antonio to challenge the Spurs first, and then return to Oklahoma to face the Denver Nuggets.
The Spurs are really "old".This powerful team that has been in the West for nearly 20 years has had a hard time this season.Almost all the older generation of Spurs players have left the game, but the new generation leader Leonard has almost been reimbursed for the season.Although I have been talking about a comeback, but there is no action.I don't know how many stories there are!
Although they had a big battle with the Thunder in the last game, when the Thunder really tried their best in the third quarter, they still exposed their shortcomings of lacking a leader at a critical moment.But in this game, they faced a different situation.Most importantly, the Spurs must fight to keep their playoff tickets.Of course, the top four in the Western Conference are not without opportunities.But everything depends on the result of this game.If they win, they have a chance.If you lose, you will get closer to the next few teams.Therefore, Spurs general Aldridge was injured in the last game, but he still insisted on playing today.At the critical moment of competing for tickets, the Spurs could no longer afford to lose.As usual, Popovich will definitely let Aldridge take turns.
At the beginning of the game, both sides played with all their strength.The two teams played inextricably at the beginning, and no one could widen the gap too much.Aldridge and Mills played aggressively.The two of them, one inside and one outside, cooperated quite tacitly.In addition, the Thunder lost another An Luo who was absent "due to injury", so the Spurs have never fallen behind.It wasn't until Paul George hit two consecutive three-pointers with 2 minutes and 53 seconds left in the game that the Thunder began to widen the gap.However, then Aldridge made up a goal, Mills scored 3 free throws, and the Spurs quickly approached. In the end, the Spurs only trailed 27:29.
Not only did An Luo not play in this game, he also did not go with the team to give birth to Antonio.After all, after this game, the Thunder will return to Oklahoma City immediately.So there is no need to go.However, he still has been paying attention to the game.It can be seen that the basic formation of the Thunder has not changed.Brewer, the cavalry company commander, took the second position. Although his deterrence was not as good as that of An Luo, his performance could be regarded as a qualified starter.Brewer's offense is obviously stronger than his defense, but his defense is still much better than Ferguson's.
In the second quarter, the two sides came off the bench.Because of An Luo's absence, Paul George did not bring a substitute to play alone.In this case, the Spurs counterattacked the Thunder in this quarter, leading the Thunder by 5 points at halftime.But they can only do so much.In the second half, Westbrook and Paul George were fully fired. After a quarter and a half of the battle with the Spurs, the Thunder stabilized the point difference at 20 points.Subsequently, Donovan directly removed his main players and let the substitute finish the game.After all, you still have to save some energy for the next game!
After returning to the Chesapeake Energy Arena, An Luo "recovered" and returned.However, Paul George missed the game again.He pulled a muscle in his leg against the Spurs.Donovan will naturally not let his players play with injuries.Such a thing has never happened since he took over the Thunder.
The life of the Nuggets during this period is really not easy.Their record looks good, 39 wins and 36 losses.If such a record is placed in the Eastern Conference, a place in the playoffs must be secure.But this is in the West, the sixth to tenth teams are all about the same, and the biggest difference is only 1.5 wins.Therefore, if the Nuggets want to make the playoffs, they have to continue to work hard.Unfortunately, they have lost consecutively recently, and the road to the playoffs has become increasingly difficult.Moreover, in this game, facing the Thunder, the No. [-] player in the Western Conference, they really don't have much chance of winning.And in the last season, the Nuggets were killed by Westbrook at the last moment, and then they were sent out of the top eight in the Western Conference, missing the playoffs.
Although the game is difficult to play, they don't want the old things to repeat themselves.So in this game, the two teams were tit-for-tat from the beginning, and they were entangled until the last moment.In the last 25 seconds of the regular game, the game entered the most exciting stage.
At this time, the Thunder led the Nuggets by 112 point at 110:1, but the ball was in the hands of the Thunder.As long as they tie the ball, the game is basically a win.At this time, Westbrook shot himself.After using Adams' cover from outside the three-point line, after continuous cross-step dribbles, he suddenly accelerated past the defender, and then swayed Jokic with a European step, flew directly, and dunked the ball. 114: 110!Westbrook ran back beyond the three-point line with a bully step.With 12 seconds left in the game, the Nuggets basically had no chance.
However, Jokic is really stable.After he gave Murray a pick-and-roll, he slipped outside the three-point line on the right, and received a pass from Murray looking back at the moon, which was a three-pointer.Hands up and down, very decisive.This attack took 5 seconds.Next, Westbrook was sent to the free throw line.One of two free throws gave the Nuggets a chance.
Subsequently, the Nuggets repeated the previous tactics.They knew that Thunder had taken precautions, but they used their tricks.Jokic pulled it out and made a bait. After he caught the ball, he hung it to Millsap under the basket with a shake of his hand.The latter shakes Roberson away with a feint and puts the ball in the basket with ease.
115:115!With 2 seconds left in the game, the Nuggets successfully used foul tactics to tie the score.
It seems that this game has to be played for 5 minutes!Westbrook shook his head again and again. After he dunked that goal, he thought the game was over.Unexpectedly, the Nuggets were so tenacious.Of course, he's not afraid of overtime, he's confident of winning the game.
Only An Luo and Donovan were thinking about how to use these two seconds.Facts have proved that opportunities are reserved for those who are prepared.When An Luo slipped from the cover of Adams and Robertson to catch the ball in the bottom corner, all the Nuggets players felt a familiar feeling in their hearts.Just like last year, Westbrook caught the ball from outside the left three-point line, and An Luo threw the ball before the time ran out.
(End of this chapter)