With three points at the start, Nash begged for a maximum salary to renew his contract

Among the Nets players, Wang Chao is most worried about Jokic.

Therefore, in the tactical layout, targeted arrangements were also made. Lopez, who faced off against Jokic, did not need to consider the issue of assisting defense at all throughout the game. He only needed to follow Jokic throughout the whole game and let the opponent completely It’s okay if you can’t catch the ball.

This is really not difficult for Lopez. After all, Jokic is not the core of the Nets' tactics. Whether it is Paul or other players holding the ball, when they find that Jokic is as close to Lopez as brown candy, The option to pass the ball to Jokic will be skipped directly.

This is exactly what Wang Chao wants.

Moreover, facing the Nets, whose offense mostly focuses on mid-range shots, the Clippers do not rely so much on Lopez's ability to protect the rim.

Whether Paul, Durant or Booker want to break through with the ball and attack the basket, let them break through.

Although Durant in this time and space did not suffer a serious injury like a ruptured Achilles tendon in another world, as he got older, the number of breakthroughs with the ball on the wing that he liked to use in the early years became less and less, and the lethality of breakthroughs was no longer as good as before. forward.

As for Paul and Booker, the power of breakthroughs is limited.

Paul is a player who is good at using skills and rhythm to find breakthrough opportunities. Although his various dribbling and passing moves are very exciting, his real lethality is a step away from those of peak Wade, Rose, and Westbrook who use speed or explosive power. Players who pass their opponents and go straight to the basket in an instant are not in the same class at all.

The same goes for Devin Booker, who is better at mid-range catch-and-shoot jumpers and pick-and-roll shots.

There is one thing to say, purely from the perspective of technical characteristics, although the Nets' lineup is very luxurious, it is not very suitable.

At least the positions of Durant and Booker are highly overlapping. Durant is equivalent to a larger version of Booker with a more stable offense and stronger singles ability with the ball.

It sounds somewhat strange that Paul and Jokic, a point guard and a center, would have conflicts over the ball.

The biggest problem for the Nets team is defense.

Paul could be considered a defensive warrior when he was young, and Durant's defense wasn't bad either, but that was all.

Neither Jokic, Booker nor Bogdanovic are players with outstanding defensive abilities.

In the past season when the Nets won the championship, they had Wang Chao, who played a decisive role on the defensive end. Without Wang Chao, the Nets' defensive system would be a complete mess.

Perhaps relying on the star's personal ability, one-on-one defense is not particularly bad, but once it involves team cooperation and the need to assist in defense, pick-and-roll, etc., this weakness is exposed.

In the game between the Clippers and the Nets, not only did the defensive end make targeted arrangements, but the offensive end also did so. A large number of pick-and-roll and off-the-ball running tactics made the Nets defense overwhelmed.

After half the game, the Clippers held an 62-point lead at 54:8.

Immediately afterwards, as substitute players from both sides came on stage one after another, the situation became even more unfavorable for the Nets.

I think back then, the Nets had the most luxurious bench lineup in the league, and their bench players alone could compete with some of the teams at the bottom of the league.

But now, with Durant, Bogdanovic, Paul, and Jokic signing big contracts with the team, the Nets' salary space has skyrocketed, and they have no ability to leave strong substitute players at all.

Instead, they got Wang Chao's Clippers and the league's top bench lineup.

The combination of Lou Williams + Harrell is enough to sweep all the substitute lineups in the league, and there is also Alexander who has basically not had many opportunities to perform this season.

As soon as the substitute players from both sides came on the scene, the Nets collapsed. Lou Williams and Harrell took turns attacking the basket and scoring frequently, and the point difference began to widen rapidly.

Within just a few minutes, the Nets called an emergency timeout to adjust, and after the timeout, they sent two starting players to stabilize the situation.

But it was a bit late at this time. With the performance of Lu Wei and Harrell, the point difference between the two teams had been widened to more than 15 points.

In the second half of the third quarter, Durant reappeared and tried to score consecutive points with his personal ability to help the team catch up with the score difference.

But how can Wang Chao let Durant get his wish?

Durant caught the ball and made a shot from mid-range.

Wang Chao broke through with the ball and rushed into the basket to score a layup.

Durant faked a move outside the three-point line to deceive Gallinari's center of gravity and then shot again and scored a three-pointer.

Wang Chao hit a super long-range three-pointer after borrowing his teammate's pick-and-roll.

For several consecutive rounds, no matter what method Durant used to score, Wang Chao could respond immediately, and the point difference never showed signs of narrowing.

Before you know it, the game has arrived in the fourth quarter.

In theory, a 15-point difference is not an irreversible huge difference, especially for a team with strong offensive capabilities like the Nets, which may only take a few minutes to catch up.

But the problem is that they are facing the same offensive ability that is unique in the league, and can even be said to be the only Clippers.

The result was that the Nets' onslaught failed to narrow the point difference much.

With only 2 minutes left in the game, the two teams still had a double-digit point difference.

The Nets chose to give up and replaced all their main players in advance.

In this way, the Clippers won the first game at home 118:107, leading 1:0.

In the high-scoring battle between Wang Chao and Durant, due to the latter's lack of physical strength, Wang Chao still won.

王超整场比赛22投14中，罚球8中8，得到42分11篮板14助攻大号三双。

In comparison, Durant's 18-for-10, 32 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists are not bad, but they are obviously inferior to Wang Chao.

In addition to Durant, Paul, Booker, and Bogdanovic also scored in double figures for the Nets. The only one among the starters who did not score in double figures was Jokic, who scored 7 points and 8 rebounds.

Jokic's performance in this game was quite depressing. He basically didn't catch the ball a few times in the game. Lopez on the opposite side seemed to have a grudge against him for killing his father. He followed him closely throughout the game. Holding him, not giving him a chance to catch the ball at all.

Compared to the Nets, which has four players in double figures, the Clippers have significantly more players scoring in double figures.

Gallinari, Harris, Lopez, Lu Wei and Harrell, plus Wang Chao, a total of six people scored in double figures.

From this point of view, in terms of offensive firepower, the Clippers are stronger than the Nets!
Of course, as mentioned before, this Clippers team is good at playing downwind games. When the game becomes smoother, no one can match its offensive firepower. But once the game falls into a headwind, such as when the outside shot is inaccurate, the outcome will be determined. It’s hard to say.

Fortunately, the Clippers have Wang Chao, which ensures the team's minimum limit.After winning the first game, the Clippers won another game in the second game of the Finals on June 6, winning both home games and taking a 2-2 lead.

In the four rounds of the playoffs so far, from the first round to the finals, the Clippers have never lost a single home game in the first two home games of the series. Only the Warriors have defeated the Clippers in a home game in G5.

The Clippers, who are leading 2:0, have an absolute advantage, but the Nets are not without a chance. As long as they can win the next two home games and chase the score to a 2:2 tie, then at least they will still have a chance. Can compete with the Clippers in the Battle of Tianwang Mountain for match points.

Everyone knows that the Nets returning home will definitely launch the most ferocious counterattack against the Clippers, including in the post-match press conference after losing the second game. Will bring victory to the team and will never sit still.

In the third game of the finals on June 6, Durant did.

这场比赛杜兰特火力全开，27投15中，三分球7中5，罚球14中13，全场轰下48分8篮板7助攻，光论表现甚至压盖住了44分的王超。

It's just that in addition to 44 points, Wang Chao also had 14 rebounds and 11 assists.

With the explosion of Durant's little universe, the Nets successfully regained a victory at home, and the total score reached 2:1.

The victory in this game made Nets fans breathe a sigh of relief. As expected, the Nets still held on to a glimmer of hope.

But just when they were looking forward to the next fourth game of the Finals, when the Nets could continue to win the game and tie the score, a piece of bad news was like a bolt from the blue, which directly confused the Nets fans.

Durant, who turned the tide in the last game as if death was coming, felt discomfort in his calf not long after the game. After examination, it was determined to be a calf strain.

This is not a particularly serious injury, but it does take time to heal.

But now the Nets are still on the way to the Finals with the Clippers. If Durant, the main core, is missing, how can they compete with the Clippers?
The fans were worried, but it didn't take long for new news to come.

Although he was diagnosed with a calf strain, Durant decided to play through the injury in order to win the game and preserve the Nets' chance to win the championship.

When others saw the news, they were only moved by Durant's desire and persistence for victory, but Wang Chao was stunned.

"Damn, what the hell is this?"

In the original 18-19 season, why did the Warriors lose to the Raptors in the Finals and lose the chance to win three consecutive championships?

The reason is simple, Durant is injured.

Durant suffered a calf strain in the second round of the playoffs against the Rockets and missed the entire Western Conference Finals. Then during the Finals, he chose to come back early in order to win the game. As a result, he only played 12 minutes before being injured again. , and it is an Achilles tendon tear, a serious injury that can ruin a player's career.

At that time, almost everyone thought that Durant's career was over. Unexpectedly, Durant was resurrected with full blood two years later and could still perform super strong personal performance. Of course, that was all a story later.

Since Wang Chao came to this world, the butterfly effect has changed many things in this world. Some players who should have been destroyed by injuries were not injured, such as Cousins ​​of the Lakers.

He thought that Durant, who was not in the Warriors, should also be able to avoid this major injury in his career.

Unexpectedly, it is a blessing, not a curse, but a curse that cannot be avoided.

Durant suffered a calf strain during the Finals and decided to continue playing with the injury after the injury, which seems to have foreshadowed the fate he will encounter next.

Although Wang Chao and Durant don't deal with each other, he still doesn't want Durant to get injured. After all, he will lose a strong competitor in the next two years.

After thinking about it, Wang Chao chose to make a special call to Durant, trying to persuade him to take his injury seriously.

But obviously, this method cannot persuade Durant.

He originally had a grudge against Wang Chao, and the two are still direct rivals in the finals. Even if Wang Chao has really good intentions, from Durant's perspective, it will become Wang Chao's attempt to win the game. trick.

Seeing Durant's resolute attitude, Wang Chao didn't waste any more words.

He has said everything that needs to be said. If the other party refuses to listen and insists on self-destruction, then you cannot blame him for his inaction.

On June 6, at the home court of the Brooklyn Nets, Game 7 of the Finals went on as scheduled.

Durant played with an injury and is still the team's starter.

At the beginning of the game, Nets fans were already sweating for Durant, but it seemed that Durant was not affected by the injury and was in good condition as always.

Durant played 9 minutes in the first quarter and made 4 of 3 shots, including 3 of 3 three-pointers and 2 of 2 free throws. He was efficient and accurate. He scored 11 points in a single quarter, helping the Nets take the lead in the first quarter.

Just when all Nets fans breathed a sigh of relief and began to become optimistic, they believed that the Nets could win this game and tie the score to 2:2.

But in the second quarter of the game, things took a sudden turn.

Not long after the game started in the second quarter, Durant held the ball with his back to the basket and made a fadeaway jumper. He missed the shot. When Durant landed, he fell directly to the ground with a look of pain on his face.

This scene made the Nets head coach's heart skip a beat, and his heart sank involuntarily.

He is also opposed to Durant playing injured.

Although the championship is very important to the Nets, the opponent is Wang Chao after all. The Clippers have the upper hand. Even a healthy Durant is not sure that he can definitely win the Clippers, let alone an injured Durant. special?

Now, the worst thing has happened.

When Durant landed on the ground just now, he did not have any physical contact with anyone. It was a flat fall. This is the most dangerous thing because there is no way to judge the severity of the injury.

From the way Durant fell to the ground in pain, we could actually guess that his injury was definitely not serious.

A moment later, Durant limped into the tunnel with the support of his teammates, leaving the Nets home fans who were confused and had not yet recovered from the impact of Durant's injury.

In the next game, whether it is the fans of the Nets or the players on the court, all of them have no intention of playing.

In just a few minutes, the Clippers caught up and took the lead after falling behind in the first quarter, winning the game in one go and rewriting the total score to 3:1, taking the lead in winning the match point.

The Nets have half-stepped into the cliff, but no one cares at all. From media reporters to ordinary fans, there is only one question that everyone is concerned about. How is Durant's injury?Can we still play the next game?
One day later, the Nets' official inspection report was released.

Durant ruptured his Achilles tendon and was confirmed to be out for the season and will miss all subsequent Finals games. (End of chapter)