NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 475 The Inside Line Has a Weakness

Parker dribbled over, facing Beverley's relentless defense.

Beverley was furious; his pass had just been ruined by this old guy.

Parker dribbled very steadily, and after dribbling to the frontcourt, he passed the ball to the big sister in the low post.

The eldest sister-in-law tried to force her way past Art Mayor in the low post, but her hook shot was blocked by the latter!

Art Mayork roared and pounded his chest, igniting the passion of the fans in the paint with his manly action, and the arena erupted in cheers.

After Jia Fei received the ball, he launched a counterattack, and his first pass found Pao Jiao, who was making a quick run down the court!

Paul George quickly changed direction and dunked, completing the entire fast break in just 3 seconds, perfectly embodying the concept of "fast, accurate, and ruthless."

The Clippers are leading by 3 points at 35:38. Jia Fei and his teammates started by focusing on defense, and the effect was immediate.

Parker dribbles over and passes to Manu Ginobili!

However, Jia Fei stretched out his long arm and intercepted the ball!

Jia Fei intercepted the ball and launched a counter-attack, leaving everyone else in the dust. The old sports car looked at Jia Fei as if he were seeing his former self.

Nobody can catch up with him!

Amidst the screams of the fans, Jia Fei, on a whim, tossed the ball towards the backboard...

Then he caught the ball in mid-air and slammed it home with a between-the-legs dunk, igniting the entire arena!

Staples Center erupted in cheers. The Clippers led by 5 points, 35-40, and the Spurs called a timeout!

Popovich was dissatisfied with the team's offense, but he didn't have a good solution. It's like Popovich is a master strategist, but even a skilled cook can't make a meal without ingredients. He's only human; ultimately, the players are the ones playing the game. Even the best coach can't make the GDP trio (Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili) 10 years younger. If you had a fully-fledged team, even a coach like Walton could achieve a phenomenal winning streak. This is no joke!

Once the Clippers' starters entered the game, the difference in strength between the two sides became apparent. Without Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell to exploit, the Spurs' offense entered a period of stagnation.

When the Spurs missed a shot, the Clippers would grab the rebound and launch a counterattack. The Clippers' high-pressure perimeter defense forced the Spurs to commit more turnovers.

The Spurs' numerous turnovers led to counterattacks, not because of poor tactical discipline, but because the opponents' perimeter defense was too outstanding.

Jia Fei led his team on a 17-2 run, completely crushing their opponents.

At halftime, the score was 48-65, a difference of 17 points.

This mini-climax in the second quarter completely set the tone for the entire game.

Although the Spurs were still able to close the gap in the second half against Lou Williams and Harrell, the huge deficit prevented them from doing so.

Ultimately, the Clippers easily defeated the Spurs 97-120 at home, securing their first victory in this season's playoffs.

贾飞全场砍下30分12个篮板12次助攻5个抢断3个盖帽，全面强悍的表现是球队获胜的基石。

Popovich, known for his pre-match jinxing, refused to give interviews after the game, appearing somewhat helpless. The vast difference in strength between the two teams made his strategies largely ineffective. The premise of the "Tian Ji's horse race" strategy is that your medium and superior horses can defeat the opponent's inferior and medium horses. But in reality, only your superior horses can defeat the opponent's inferior horses; the superior horses can't even defeat the medium horses. The game is no longer something that can be decided by mere strategy.

There was surprisingly little discussion about the game afterward. There was no way around it; the gap in strength between the two teams was too great. The Clippers, when they went all out, were even stronger than in the regular season, and this team hadn't even maximized the playing time of their key players!

On April 17th, Game 4 of the Clippers vs. Spurs series.

The Spurs made a lineup change for this game!

Kyle Anderson, who started in the last game, was benched in this game and replaced by Rudy Gay in the starting lineup.

Gay and Hammer have completely different playing styles. Gay is an offensive-minded forward with a primary scoring attribute, while Hammer is a more supportive playmaking forward. Neither of them is consistent with their three-point shooting, but relatively speaking, Gay is at least less likely to be left open by teams, while Hammer is left open more freely. Defensively, Hammer is better, whether in help defense or one-on-one defense, in terms of defensive awareness and tenacity.

Clearly, in order to counter the opponent's defense, Popovich's choice was to intensify his offense.

So we shouldn't over-mythologize Popovich. He's only human, and when he doesn't have a strong roster, he has to make choices. Clearly, if they can't match the Clippers' offense, the game is over. But to match their opponent's offense, their defense has to take a backseat, because they have too few players who excel on both offense and defense.

Unlike the previous game, the Spurs were determined to attack the basket in this game.

It wasn't just Aldridge constantly attacking the basket; the other players were doing the same.

Aldridge returned to his peak form in this game, scoring a whopping 30 points and completely dominating Olynyk.

However, the Clippers shut down the Spurs' outside shooting, and the Spurs only made 6 of 19 three-point attempts throughout the game.

Jia Fei remained unstoppable, scoring 39 points. Paul George contributed 25 points, becoming Jia Fei's most reliable teammate.

The Clippers won 107-116 at home, taking a 2-0 lead in the series.

The Spurs' performance in this game also highlighted the Clippers' defensive weakness: their interior defense.

But the Clippers' defensive weaknesses are known to almost everyone in the league, so it's hardly a secret.

The best outcome for the Olynyk and Gallinari duo in interior defense is simply not to become a liability; that is an objective fact.

The problem is, how many playoff teams in the league still have a dominant center?

Both the Warriors and Rockets in the West are perimeter-oriented teams. The Raptors in the East have a center like Valanciunas, but can he really make it out of the East? Other teams like the Celtics and Cavaliers are also perimeter-oriented teams.

Furthermore, the Clippers have a Plan B; they can field Art Mayok and pair him with Olynyk in a big lineup. Art Mayok has also developed a three-point shot, so it would still be a five-outside lineup with twin towers, making it difficult for opponents to penetrate their interior.

On April 20th, Game 4 of the Clippers vs. Spurs series.

The Spurs didn't change their lineup for this game, sticking with the same starting lineup as the previous game. Popovich simply adjusted the rotation, abandoning the relentless drives to the basket that plagued the previous game and increasing the use of a combination of inside and outside play.

But faced with overwhelming strength, no amount of changes could make a difference. The Clippers won Game 3 112-102, taking a 3-0 lead in the series.

With a 3-0 series lead, the Clippers have essentially secured their place in the semifinals.

On April 23, the Clippers faced the Spurs in Game 4 of their series. Without any suspense, the Clippers swept the Spurs 4-0, advancing to the second round.

At the end of the game, the big screen showed Parker and Ginobili's faces. Everyone was wondering if these two would also choose to retire next season.