warrior godfather

Chapter 488 The Runaway Paul

In the evening, at eight o'clock, Oracle Center.

The game between the Warriors and the Clippers started on time. Since Curry was just elected as the MVP of this season today, the Warriors fans were enthusiastic, and the atmosphere at the scene was very warm, as if they were participating in a celebration.

But as the game progressed, the cheers of the fans gradually subsided, and the atmosphere in the arena gradually became dignified.

Paul's state in this game is surprisingly good. Not only does he handle the ball as steadily and accurately as ever, but he also has a strong desire to attack. The most important thing is that he feels very good.

Clay has done his best to guard Paul in this game. After three seasons of training, his defense is enough to rank among the top guards.

Moreover, Clay is 2 meters tall and is big enough to cover Paul, who has slowed down a lot after a serious injury, and his interference is very obvious.

In fact, in the 2014 playoff match between the Warriors and the Clippers, Paul was very embarrassingly defended by Clay. The overall shooting percentage was only 42.3%, and he averaged only 17.4 points per game in seven games. He averaged 5.3 three-pointers per game and made 45.9% of his three-pointers.

Paul can only barely maintain his dignity by relying on long-range shots after pick-and-rolls. As long as he enters the three-point line, he will be closely monitored by Clay, and his efficiency is extremely low.

But in this game, if Paul has divine help, he can raise his hand. Even if Clay has no problems in defending, he still can't limit Paul's scoring.

Against Clay's defense, he made a lot of fairy shots in a row, which woke up all the Warriors fans who participated in the "celebration".

Curry is the focus of attention today, but Paul, who is in an abnormal state, stole Curry's limelight on the court.

But it is impossible for Zhang Yu to flank Paul. He would rather let Paul score alone than see him feed Griffin and Jordan with exquisite passes.

He insisted on the defensive strategy that the Warriors have been implementing since the beginning of the game, which is to shrink the inside line, go around the defense when encountering pick-and-rolls, test the Clippers' long-range shots and Paul's scoring ability, and try not to give Griffin and Jordan a chance.

If Paul is the captain of the Clippers, then Griffin and Jordan are the sharp corners of the Clippers. Under Paul's command, they tear apart the opponent's inside defense.

Generally, when a team encounters the Clippers, it is difficult to deal with the impact of Griffin and Jordan Jr. on the penalty area. Their physical fitness and athletic ability are too strong. As long as they have a chance, they can finish in the crowd and grab offensive rebounds. The ability of the two is also very good, and the combination of the two is enough to overwhelm the opponent's penalty area.

But the Warriors also happen to be a team with a very strong inside lineup. The combination of Chandler and Green is enough to create an iron wall for the Warriors' inside line that Griffin and Jordan can't break through.

Although Chandler was accidentally injured in the regular season, he enjoyed better treatment than Curry, taking turns every back-to-back.

Especially after Chandler returned from injury, Zhang Yu used him more cautiously. He averaged only 29.4 minutes per game and maintained a good physical condition.

After the start of the playoffs, Chandler's playing time has increased significantly, reaching 34.7 minutes. Although it is not a lot in the Warriors, it is already Chandler's playing time in all past playoffs. Longest playing time.

Chandler, who went all out, completely locked up Jordan, and he was also in place for Griffin's defense, recreating the demeanor of last year's playoffs.

Green's progress this season is also huge. After three years of unremitting training and weight gain, his strength and confrontation have reached the league's first-class level. Compared with Griffin, he is not inferior to Griffin, but his explosive power is slightly inferior.

But he relied on his excellent defensive sense and fierce positioning to restrict Griffin uncomfortably.

And with the full cooperation of Chandler and Green, the Warriors' backcourt rebounds were well protected, and the two could even turn around and grab a lot of frontcourt rebounds in the Clippers penalty area.

When both Griffin and Jordan are restricted, the Clippers' offense can only rely on Paul.

He was also very competitive tonight, carrying the Clippers' offense with his own strength, and started a confrontation with Curry, who had just won his second MVP, without losing the wind in the slightest.

If Paul is the only one who explodes, the Clippers have little chance of winning.

After Paul scored consecutively, Zhang Yu decisively handed over the ball to Curry, let him enter the ball-holding mode, let go of the swing, and the pick-and-roll targeted Jordan and Griffin, and the effect was very good.

De Nagro did not flank Curry and adopted a strategy of switching defenses. Curry scored consecutive points as if he was in no one's land.

In fact, Jordan and Griffin's footsteps are not slow among the inside players, and they can completely switch to ordinary outside players.

But Curry's ability to play small and big is unparalleled in the world. Even thick eyebrows will inevitably be trained by him, and Jordan and Griffin cannot avoid this bad luck.

Butler's offense is also undefendable by the Clippers. Whether it is Caron Butler or Barnes, their athletic ability has declined a lot, and Butler can have the upper hand in front of them.

On the contrary, Clay was relatively quiet. He put all his energy on defending Paul. Although he failed to defend Paul, he consumed a lot of physical energy and his shooting performance was relatively average.

Relying on the performance of Curry and Butler, the Warriors are even better on the scene. Following the normal trajectory, the Warriors will eventually be able to win the game.

But Zhang Yu made a mistake, which seemed small, but turned into a big mistake.

Out of the idea of ​​implementing offensive tactics, in the use of the rotation lineup, Zhang Yu did not send Tony Allen, but let Danny Green serve as the backup second guard, in order to make the transition space better.

After Danny Green came on the court, he did score two three-pointers, providing space support for the Warriors' bench lineup.

But his defense is far inferior to Tony Allen, especially in the single defense of outside ball holders.

Under the defense of Danny Green, Crawford showed great power, came off the bench for 31 minutes, made 18 of 10 shots, 8 of 5 three-pointers, 2 of 2 free throws, scored 27 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists, helping the Clippers It has an advantage in the transition section.

During the halftime break, Zhang Yu realized his mistake, and sent Tony Allen in the second half to mark Crawford.

But it was too late for Zhang Yu to adjust. Crawford is a very brave player who plays downwind. After he develops his touch, he can play an offensive performance comparable to that of a superstar. Tony Allen can no longer restrain him.

Under the unreasonable scoring of Paul and Crawford, the Clippers have maintained a slight lead in the score.

At the critical moment at the end of the game, Paul did not lose the chain. When Curry scored a goal, he responded with a goal. With Curry's key three-pointer at 12.3 seconds in the fourth quarter, the game lost its suspense.

In the end, the Clippers narrowly beat the Warriors 109:103, leading 1:0 and getting a good start to the series.

保罗全场出战41分钟，24投13中，三分6中3，罚球8中7，砍下36分12助攻5篮板2抢断的大号两双。

Not only did he feel hot tonight, but he didn't forget to use giant loops and other methods to make fouls, which made Clay feel ashamed.

Curry ushered in a night of mileage grief. After receiving the second MVP trophy, he regretted losing the game.

His performance tonight was no worse than Paul's. He played 38 minutes, made 23 of 12 shots, 13 of 6 three-pointers, 4 of 4 free throws, scored 34 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds and 1 steal. His efficiency was even higher than Paul's.

巴特勒的表现也不错，18投8中，三分8中3，罚球5中4，砍下23分5篮板4助攻1封盖2抢断，攻防一体。

The only fly in the ointment is that the Clippers are guarded by Jordan Jr. and Griffin inside. It is difficult for him to find scoring opportunities in the penalty area. The impact on the Clippers' basket is not strong enough and does not cause much damage.

Curry and Butler's scores were not low, but the Warriors couldn't resist the explosions of Paul and Crawford, and finally lost unexpectedly at home.

In the post-match interview, Zhang Yu admitted his mistakes:

"I don't have enough respect for Jamal Crawford. He is a very sharp scorer. We neglected to defend him and lost the game... Chris's explosion was also unexpected. He It's been a long time since I played like this. I think many people, like me, have forgotten that he used to be a combo guard known for his attack power...I want to say sorry to Stephen, I ruined his MVP. Night, but I still have full confidence in this round of the series. We will win four games ahead of the Clippers. Maybe there is a team that can stop the Warriors from defending the title, but it is obviously not the Clippers..."

When it was the Clippers' turn to be interviewed, Paul, who scored 30+10 tonight and stole Curry's limelight, was in high spirits, and he laughed:
"Today's victory is just the beginning. We are still three victories away from the Western Conference Finals. We will fight one by one. This is a battle, and we are ready to fight. If the Warriors want to defend their title, they must start quickly." It's definitely not going to be easy!"

……

After the game, the aftermath of the Warriors' loss spread rapidly, and those media who had called James wrong before suddenly began to praise Paul wildly:
"The god of point guards came to the Oracle Center, Paul scored 30+10 and led the team to beat the Warriors!"

"The battle for the No. [-] point guard is not over yet. Curry suffered a defeat on the MVP night, and the Warriors encountered great challenges in defending their title."

"..."

When the Warriors lost and Paul's data was superior, Curry immediately ushered in countless ridicules:
"Is this the MVP? Is this the league No.1?"

"Paul is the number one point guard. Curry is still far behind. He knows how to shoot three-pointers every day. Paul gets 10 assists like a game. Can Curry do it?"

"This MVP shouldn't be given to Curry. James beat the Pacers. Curry missed the last three-pointer. He couldn't hit the key ball at all. Let's judge!"

Curry was elected as the MVP. Although the popularity has increased, the rise of a superstar will inevitably step on the bones of other superstars. Many star fans are very hostile to Curry, especially the one who was robbed of the championship and MVP by Curry. James fans are the most.

Especially on the same day that the Warriors lost to the Clippers, the Heat defeated the Pacers 103:102 at home. James hit a layup in overtime and shocked the entire league.

This made James' fans extremely excited, and they went all out online, which meant to demote Curry to nothing.

But the Warriors fans are not jealous, they immediately launched a counterattack, and very cleverly did not mention the G1 with the Clippers, but pointed the finger at the James fans who fell into trouble:

"It's proud to win the Pacers with a lore, right? The record of the Pacers in the regular season is not as good as that of the Clippers!"

"Curry can't hit key shots. You played for him in G6 of the finals last year? James is so good at key shots, why didn't he stand out in the finals? He can only play key shots in the second round, right?"

"I don't understand. What does the Warriors' loss to the Clippers have to do with you? Let's talk about the Heat making the playoffs first. Do you really think they can reverse the Bulls every time? Winning the Pacers is hard work!"

Not only that, but many media suddenly focused on James' lore, discussing whether this layup was a walk.

After frame-by-frame analysis, these media came to the final conclusion, that is, James moved the pivot foot at the start, and this lore was actually an invalid lore.

Under the spare no efforts of these media, the saying of "James' lore move" quickly spread. Warriors fans immediately took screenshots of James' pivot foot movement when he started, and looked for James fans to line up.

But this kind of analysis is actually untenable. James' walking can't be seen in the animation and video, and of course the referee can't see it in the game.

In fact, this level of walking exists in every game in the NBA. It is impossible for the referee to blow this kind of ball at any time.

And just before James' lore, Paul George's wonderful 2+1 was also a walk. He completed the shot when the third step landed, but the referee didn't blow it.

Therefore, the James fans are not in vain, and they started a line-up with the Warriors fans. The two sides fell into a debate about whether James' lore was a walk, and whether the referee's whistle was reasonable, and even James fans gradually gained the upper hand.

However, the focus of fans' attention has thus shifted to James' lore. The Warriors' loss to the Clippers is no longer so eye-catching. The No. 1 alliance's name is in vain, and the popularity has naturally decreased.

Of course, behind this is not the media's spontaneous transfer of firepower for Curry, but the promotion of Rick Wirtz.

He contacted the public relations department of Under Armour, and then contacted the media familiar with the Warriors, as well as the many media resources accumulated in his long career before, and suddenly launched an offensive against James.

It's not that he wants to target James, but that the enemy must be saved. It is Nike that suppresses Curry in public opinion, and James is Nike's top card. The attack on James is the protection of Curry.

Curry and James have no personal grievances with each other, but they are in a position where they have become each other's biggest competitors, both from a business perspective and a competitive perspective.

As long as neither party is completely defeated, the struggle between the two cannot be stopped.

　Thanks to the leader of Yuqingfeng for the reward!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)