Chapter four hundred and sixteen: chasing points by defense
Even at night, there is no cold air in the Oklahoma air. Compared to Minnesota and Toronto, the climate in Oklahoma is very gentle and suitable. Therefore, even if you go out now, you only need to wear a short sleeve.
What's more, the atmosphere of Oklahoma tonight can be described directly as fanaticism. In the square at the entrance of the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma, the Thunder officially built a giant screen stage there. Thunder fans who cannot grab tickets to enter the court to watch the game will be able to watch everything inside the field through the huge Led screen outside the Chesapeake Energy Arena in the professional dJ atmosphere set off.
Now the game is about to enter the fourth quarter in a blink of an eye, and the Thunder has now achieved a 7-point lead. In the first three quarters, the Thunder was tied at most and has never been passive. The fans of Oklahoma City are very confident about the fourth quarter competition between the two sides. They won the first three quarters, and the powerful Thunder has no reason to lose the fourth quarter!
Durant, the scoring champion, is in the limelight today. He scored 19 points in just three quarters. Westbrook's impact not only forced Anger to leave the field early, but also made him score a high score of 21 points! Although his efficiency is not as good as Durant, such a high score is indeed the main reason why the Trail Blazers are now in a passive position.
Bledsoe and Batum have been stifling the confidence of the Trail Blazers' second team, and Ibaka and Morris' defenses are also pretty good. In short, from any perspective, the Thunder have the advantage. Today, at their home court, Oklahoma City fans can't wait to meet the Thunder's first victory in the Western Conference Finals.
Anjie? Anjie's performance is indeed worthy of respect. Many of Anjie's wonderful goals in this game also won the applause of Thunder fans. It's just a pity that Anjie had to sacrifice for the victory of the Thunder.
"Beware of their passes and breakthroughs, now I want you to defend one-on-one. Force them to make mistakes and force them to give in! It's time, it's time to let the game come to our hands!" Ricard looked at the Thunder's bench on the other side. It's good, these guys were not complacent because of the 7-point lead.
In this way, anxiety will definitely spread across the young Thunder. Fate mistakes will definitely appear frequently in the next game. Ricard arranged everything and was silent for three quarters. Now, it is time for fans all over the world to see the strength of the Trail Blazers!
"An, they will definitely continue to attack you later. Pay attention to your fouls, I want you to last the last second!" Before playing, Ricard also reminded Anjie that his fouls had accumulated four times. If you lose Anjie, even if they have Aldridge in good shape, they will not be able to compete with the Thunder team that is fully dispatched.
"I understand, don't worry." Anger blinked at Ricard and turned to the stage. Westbrook was staring at Anger at this moment. Seeing that Anger also saw him, he turned his head and spread his hands.
"It's over Russell, your performance time is over." Anjie muttered in his mouth. He must do what he couldn't do in college today!
This time, Van Gundy directly let Westbrook and Bledsoe be on the court at the same time. With Durant's pull, Ibaka and Morris' assistance, the Thunder's offensive firepower is unprecedentedly powerful.
Bledsoe and Westbrook are both guards with abnormal physical fitness and full of impact. Their successive impact on the basket will definitely not make Anjie feel too good.
After borrowing Ibaka's high pick-and-roll, Westbrook "stormed wildly again." But this time, the person who made up for defense was no longer Angel, but Aldridge!
"Are you planning to help An with this attack?" Westbrook originally wanted to pass the ball back to Ibaka and let the Congolese man complete the shot. But the guy suddenly changed his mind and decided to play Aldridge!
Although Aldridge's defense is not bad, it is still a clear gap compared to Anger. Using a goal to force Anger to defend himself is Westbrook's plan!
Raymond Felton felt that his legs were almost broken, but he could only watch as Westbrook got wider and wider. This time he could not do anything to defend, and could only pray that Aldridge could stop this damn No. 0 defender.
Westbrook did not dodge at all. He leaned against Aldridge's body and planned to make a layup. Aldridge was afraid of fouls and did not jump. He just stood there with his hands raised, slowing down Westbrook's impact and difficulty in attacking the frame as much as possible.
"It's too soft!" Westbrook, who had physical contact with Aldridge in the air, was disdainful of this level of blocking. He continued to increase his strength, forced Aldridge out of the air, and shot the ball!
Westbrook smiled before he landed. He was bound to win this ball!
However, just before the basketball shot by Westbrook fell, a long arm and a big palm suddenly appeared behind Aldridge. Westbrook's smile gradually solidified. He knew who this was. In this field, except Ibaka, only this guy could block such layups.
"Bang!" A powerful blow! The basketball flew over Westbrook's scalp. Wesley Matthews had already rushed to the frontcourt at this moment. When he received the basketball, everyone was still looking behind him!
Westbrook looked at Angel in disbelief, so that Wesley Matthews over there did not react at all.
"You can't hit this guy again, I won't let you succeed again." Angel patted Westbrook on the shoulder. Ricard was right. The frivolous Westbrook could easily be careless at critical moments! Angel had long been ambushed behind Aldridge. Aldridge went forward and only helped Angel with Westbrook's impact.
When Westbrook put his guard down and thought he could force himself to eat Aldridge, Anger's chance came.
The blocking was completed through Aldridge, which was the most ornamental one in the center's defense. O'Neal used this method to kill his opponent's attacks. Now, Anjie perfectly reproduced those scenes.
"You always stay behind us like this before... wait, I won't be fooled!" Westbrook's competitive spirit is no worse than Angel. He retreated outside the three-point line and was ready to start his next round of attack.
Inadvertently, Angel had already used his words to arouse Westbrook's score in his heart. Doing so will indeed make Westbrook, who is already very dangerous, even more dangerous. But the advantage is that it can make Westbrook's calm disappear!
Westbrook gave the basketball to Durant this time. Durant was preparing to break through Gerald Wallace's defense, but suddenly a sudden stop and jump shot during the breakthrough.
In the first three quarters, his trick was tried and tested. But Gerald Wallace is not a fool either. After being fooled by Durant so many times, how could he not have any alertness?
So Durant's jump shot was greatly disturbed by Gerald Wallace. The basketball failed to enter the frame gracefully again, but bounced out.
Morris jumped with all his strength, but under Anger's position, he did not catch the offensive rebound as he wished, but instead clicked the basketball again.
Just when Morris was unable to complete the second jump after landing, Anjie jumped high, stretched his long arms, and controlled the backcourt rebound. It was not until everyone in the Thunder retreated to the other half to defend, Anjie handed the ball to Raymond Felton. To force the Thunder to make mistakes, they cannot make mistakes by themselves first. Therefore, Anjie played very cautiously.
The position attack, but this time Anjie no longer stayed in the low post as soon as he came up. He played more flexibly, mentioning the high post for Felton's pick-and-roll.
Felton took advantage of the pick-and-roll and was about to break through, but he found that Westbrook was still entangled with him. When Westbrook was practicing pick-and-roll defense, he practiced with Angel. Therefore, in this league, the one that Westbrook was most absent from Angel was Angel’s pick-and-roll!
However, Felton, who was stopped, was not in a hurry. He shook his wrist calmly, and Morris quickly turned around, but Anjie had already received the ball and broke through!
"Defend!" Morris shouted, no matter what, Anger could not be allowed to get close to the basket. So Durant stretched out his long arm, but did not cut the basketball. Ibaka moved horizontally to the basket, but the Thunder still scored.
There is no doubt that when Ibaka was attracted to the basket, Aldridge was naturally empty. Aldridge, who was hot today, added another assist to Angel's data.
The Trail Blazers scored two more points, but the Thunder did not respond for a long time.
In the last attack, Durant's forced breakthrough shot failed to get much time for Westbrook to control the ball. He thought Durant would pass it back to him, but he didn't know that KD actually took action directly.
Westbrook, who was eager to score and was eager to defeat Angel, is now even more impatient. When he was in the Thunder, Angel lost a lot because of Westbrook's head. Now, Westbrook's problem has not changed. Maybe this guy's personality is like this, and it will not change in any time.
Westbrook attacked the penalty area guarded by Angel for the second time, and Aldridge moved to the basket as usual, but Westbrook didn't care about that much, and he threw himself into the air again.
However, before jumping to the highest point, the ball in Westbrook's hand suddenly lost control!
He lowered his head to the basketball in panic. Westbrook only found that Gerald Wallace had been ambushing here for a long time. He just waited for the moment he made a layup to cut the basketball away!
"Westbrook's mistake at a critical moment, the Trail Blazers' conversion offense! Raymond Felton chased for three points!? With that! Hoho, Felton's condition must have been greatly inspired by their current performance! Now the Trail Blazers are blooming at multiple points. The Thunder's seven-point advantage since entering the fourth quarter has disappeared in an instant!" Mike Blin couldn't believe that the Trail Blazers, which have been committed to playing slow-paced positions, can even tie the score quickly in a short period of time.
But unlike other teams who score fast, the Trail Blazers can score fast not by offense and fast pace, but by their defense!
Continuously forcing Westbrook and Durant to fall into the defensive trap, this is the effect Ricard hopes to get!
"Hmph, do a good job, keep going." Ricard held his hands and looked at the masterpiece he created with satisfaction.
The Trail Blazers, who were low-key in the first three quarters, did not intend to continue to be satisfied with keeping the score tight in the fourth quarter.
Winning the game, that's why Ricard and his children stood here!
During the retreat, Angel slapped Aldridge and Felton in succession. This big oo-sized man wearing a black jersey has gone from being guarded by the Chesapeake Energy Arena to the most dangerous destroyer of the Chesapeake Energy Arena!
"Boy An... Come on, he is not unbreakable!" Durant patted Westbrook's butt. Westbrook took the baseline ball from Morris and rushed towards the frontcourt again.
Chapter completed!