rpbooks Chapter 619
Chapter 619
Chapter 619
I have to say that this schedule is still very forward-looking.The game between the Thunder and the Bucks became the last regular season game of the entire league in 2018-19.The match between No. [-] in the West and No. [-] in the East marked a fairly satisfactory end to this stage.
However, for a team like the Thunder, the season is far from over.The regular season is equivalent to a warm-up match for the entire season.The next playoffs will be the real fighting moment.Moreover, there is not much time left for the Thunder and other [-] teams that have advanced to the playoffs to adjust.Only three days!In three days, the playoffs will begin!
The Thunder's opponent in the first round of the playoffs is the Los Angeles Clippers.Regardless of whether this team is strong or not, the Clippers are definitely the most legendary team this season.
At the beginning of the season, the Clippers once topped the Western Conference!Although it was only a few days, compared to another giant team in the same city, it was already quite a big deal.In the first half of the season, they have been ranked among the top four in the West.In the team strength list, the Clippers once rose to the fourth place in the league.You know, the biggest star of the Clippers at that time was their head coach Rivers!
What cards does he have?
Although Harris and Gallinari have good abilities, they are still a bit behind the All-Stars.Players like Lu Wei, Harrell, Beverly, Gortat, and Bradley all have obvious shortcomings.This is completely too ordinary to be in an ordinary civilian team.Before the start of the season, ESPN predicted that the Clippers would win between 33 and 35 games.Charles Barkley directly said that the Clippers won a maximum of 33 wins.But in the end, the Clippers won 48 wins.Of course, it is normal for ESPN and Barkley to be slapped in the face.
The wind started to turn in the Clippers' favor.Even the players with the Clippers have gone up.Harris is considered to have played the best season of his career, and it is only a matter of time before he is selected as an All-Star.Players such as Gallinari, Bradley, and Lu Wei have also received praise from the league.Rookie Alexander is known as the future star of Los Angeles.
But at this time, the Clippers sent Harris to the 76ers, Bradley to the Grizzlies, and Muscala to the Lakers.From these transactions, the Clippers got potential new stars such as Shamet and Zubac, as well as a large number of draft picks.
It can be seen that the Clippers chose the future between the present and the future.
Although such an operation is a bit abrupt, it has been approved by the industry.The Clippers decisively chose to play badly, allowing them to get more this summer.
At this time, the Clippers have been excluded from the playoff list by everyone.Even if they still rank among the top eight in the West.But the industry generally believes that the Clippers will fall behind.After all, the previous Clippers also had a player who was about to enter the All-Star.After this wave of transactions, there are no star-level stars in the lineup.With such a combination, it is almost impossible to go further in the west.Besides, it's normal to be left behind!
As a result, the Clippers stood up and slapped the face again!
"It's not our style. We don't take a year or two to do nothing. I think we have higher expectations for ourselves. We don't do nothing like the 76ers for five or six years. . If we do that, we will be sorry for the fans who support us. Playing poorly is a dangerous behavior."
Clippers owner Ballmer's remarks represent the attitude of the Clippers.Next, everyone witnessed an almost crazy Los Angeles Clippers.The whole team is like their boss, domineering.
After the All-Star weekend, the entire league has entered the sprint stage.At this time, the Clippers started a crazy winning rhythm.They won 15 of 12 games in March.It is one reason to strive for self-improvement, and it is also a reason for God to give the opportunity.While the Clippers were desperately winning, their direct competitors began to fall behind.The Lakers in the same city were plagued by injuries, and the Kings next door lacked experience and slowly fell behind.The Clippers seized the opportunity and successfully secured a place in the playoffs.In the final stage of the regular season, the Clippers once had a chance to rush to the fifth place in the West, but after losing to the Rockets and the Warriors successively, they fell to eighth in the West.
When they defeated the Timberwolves and became the fifth team in the Western Conference to lock in the playoffs, the entire locker room seemed to have won the championship.Head coach Rivers said excitedly to reporters: "ESPN predicts that we can only get 5 wins, Barkley says we can only get 33 wins, and the casino says we can only get 33 wins. Everyone Said we were going to start shitting. But now, we're getting ready for the playoffs!"
At this time, Rivers is naturally qualified to mock everyone.After all, he has done things that others seem whimsical.But this season, the Clippers can only go so far.Compared with Thunder, the gap is really too big!Of course, if they maintain the indomitable momentum in the second half of the regular season, it is not completely impossible.After all, there are many things that happened in this alliance.Although it is difficult for the Clippers to beat the number one Thunder with Yi No.8, the so-called "Black Eight Miracle" has happened several times.
The most recent "Black Eight Miracle" happened seven years ago.Moreover, that year was the second consecutive year in the league's history that the Black Eight Miracle occurred!The year before, the Grizzlies, with black and white duo, had just overturned the 61-win Spurs in the first round of the playoffs.Of course, the 2011-12 season was a shortened season.Although Rose was at his peak, he was injured in garbage time and was reimbursed for the season.That year, the 76ers collapsed directly under the leadership of Iguodala, leaving an unforgettable scar for Rose and the Bulls.
It is also worth noting that there is a record of being hacked eight times in the history of the Thunder team.The first team in the Western Conference to be hacked was the Thunder's predecessor, the Seattle SuperSonics.The Sonics that season were not much worse than the Thunder this season. In the 1993-94 season, the Sonics ranked first in the Western Conference with a record of 63 wins.The Nuggets were not strong at the time, and the Sonics directly won two games in a row in Seattle.But then, because the Sonics were too anxious, they unfortunately lost to the Nuggets.This caused a huge disturbance at the time.You know, the Sonics at the time were one of the teams most likely to win the championship.
Of course, for the Thunder, such a thing must not be allowed to happen again.Even so, the Clippers have created enough miracles this season!
(End of this chapter)