Start coaching the Thunder, starting with Westbrook

Chapter 194 Heat, that's it?
In the game on the evening of the 24th, Durant's body detected discomfort before the game, mainly due to muscle fatigue, which may be related to the continuous high shots.

Although it was because of his good condition that the whole team played for him to help him get high scores. At least Westbrook was not as lonely as Carry in the previous four games when sharing the pressure, but it was still a bit tiring to play like this.

And this season, Durant has maintained full attendance in 43 games so far, and most of the games are still on the court. With a record of 39 wins and 4 losses, he at least has the same credit as the coaching staff. Together, they account for at least 80%, and the remaining 20% ​​are other players and the logistics team.

Especially when Westbrook didn't play at the beginning of the season, although the rookies have developed their strength, and Li Sheng's tactical arrangements and presence are also good, but without Durant's thighs, it is impossible to really hit such a wave of victories, even with the welfare schedule.

Durant already has hidden dangers in physical strength. Although he has saved it this season, considering future injuries, Li Sheng did not dare to be careless, so he was given a rest against the Celtics and then handed over to Westbrook to lead the team.

This is also Westbrook's first time personally leading the team this season. In fact, it is hard to say whether he can be counted as leading the Thunder's lineup.

As for the team's starting lineup, Li Sheng also made adjustments. Antetokounmpo played at the third position and replaced Durant.

On the side of the Celtics, Rondo has returned from injury and served as the starting point guard in this game. As a result, the Celtics also put up a lineup of four big players and one small player, with four forward players besides Rondo.

In the first quarter, they could barely top the game, and even took the lead at the start. The effect of this first start seemed to be okay, but from the second quarter, or from the beginning of the rotation stage, they have been entering the rhythm of the Thunder.

Today Durant is not here, but Westbrook did not make more shots, but used his own breakthroughs to thread the needle. On the one hand, this is Li Sheng's request, and on the other hand, it may be because he also likes the feeling of swiping data like this?
Of course, it's not the same as his MVP season. At that time, it felt like the whole team became his marionettes, and he could play whatever he wanted. Now at least Li Sheng is holding him down, and Antetokounmpo and others stand up to help control the ball.

Antetokounmpo in the starting lineup is to allow the two to cooperate more smoothly, especially when Ibaka comes up as a screen, and then quickly pulls out of the three-point line.

Ibaka subconsciously shrunk to the basket and got a chance directly. Although his three-pointers are not as fierce as the start of the game, they are still stable at 39%. This is already the efficiency of a qualified open shooter;

Although the stature and position are very different, but in terms of playing style, Westbrook and Antetokounmpo are really similar. They are both not good at shooting and rely on breakthrough impact to make a living.

And these two people really can't rush up, so that no two people can't stop them from rushing up.

At the end of the game, the Thunder did not show an absolute strength, but Westbrook, Ibaka, and Lamb all scored 20+, Antetokounmpo, Reggie, and Gobert also scored in double figures. Westbrook was only one rebound away from a triple-double.

But I don't have to look at the data board. I guess I'm having a blast today, and I don't think so, but it's not bad.

Li Sheng sometimes really feels that some statistics in the NBA are harmful, such as triple-doubles, which may not be the most helpful to the team, but they will always attract people to swipe stats for the sake of swipe.

Thanks to Westbrook's actual actions, he has proved that the gold content of triple-doubles is just like that. He has averaged triple-doubles in three consecutive games. Is it true that other people's triple-doubles must have higher gold content than his?

We still have to have the last laugh, the one who wins the championship is the real big winner.

Although Rondo has made a comeback in this game, such a lineup is useless even at his peak. After all, he is still a support position and needs to be led by the old Big Three. The team is really built around him. This kind of point guard without a basket, then wait for death.

In this game, he made 8 of 2 shots and did not pose a threat to the Thunder at all.

The next day, after another test, Durant proved that there was no problem and he could continue to play.

Considering that the opponent is not strong and it is an away game, Li Sheng decided to let him continue to rest.

Against the 75ers back to back, the Thunder still won lightly. The situation of the 75ers and the Celtics is actually similar. McAway's first show was the peak, and now he is slowly returning to normal.

In this game, he made 13 of 4 shots, 3 of 0 three-pointers, and only scored 8 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists. He used his actions to prove that he is not the core material for building a team. It is no wonder that even if he won the best rookie in his previous life, he was quickly abandoned by the team.

Of course, it is very difficult for McAway to get the best rookie of the season now. The best rookie does not look at the team record, but at individual performance and statistics, but from this point of view, Antetokounmpo is obviously more suitable than him.

Although Antetokounmpo has also experienced some ups and downs some time ago, but the team has Durant and other big bosses, his growth environment is obviously better, and the pressure is much less.

So after Li Yong matched him with suitable tactics, his performance also slowly recovered.

In fact, he can shine with Reggie on the same field, so as long as Westbrook puts his mentality on the field, there is no big problem for the two of them to be on the field together-Li Sheng himself uses Reggie as a substitute for Westbrook, and many tactics are directly used.

Although the 75ers' role players are not weak, but there is no one who can raise the upper limit. Facing the Thunder, they will be successful in a stalemate for one quarter, then they will be taken away in the second or third quarter, and they will play casually in the fourth quarter.

Facing McAway this time, Li Sheng also asked Westbrook to fight more, because it is difficult for McAway to guard against him in terms of body shape.

McAway is a forward in stature, and he can directly cover and restrict the short and dexterous point guard, but Westbrook doesn't play with him, and just rushes directly, but he is helpless.

He is at a disadvantage in terms of speed and strength, not to mention that Westbrook is not blindly reckless, and will ask his teammates to help with pick-and-rolls.

Let him play more and not have to play singles every ball. A little lesson will knock the opponent's confidence away, and it is enough to remove one obstacle for his little brother Antetokounmpo to win the best rookie.

最终威少23投13中，拿到34分7篮板6助攻，完爆了迈卡威。

Antetokounmpo also scored 15 points and 6 assists, defeating his competitors head-on.

After the end of the game, the Thunder's record came to 41 wins and 4 losses, still ranking first in the league, and it has already widened the gap with the Spurs.

And with only four losses in the half, the Thunder still maintain a good competitive state, and even had a combination of absent players. Facts have proved that they are really strong.

The media naturally began to exclaim, is it possible for the Thunder to break the Bulls record of 72 wins and 10 losses?

Judging from this trend, it is very possible. Although their schedule in the second half of the game is relatively difficult, they have basically played against the top teams in the league at present, and they have not fallen into a disadvantage.

At least according to this situation, the probability of them rushing out of the West is very high.

Of course, the regular season and the playoffs are two different concepts, and it may be overturned. It can only be said that the Thunder already has this strength, and we still have to continue to watch the performance later.

But there is no doubt that they have become the most promising team now, and there is no suspense.

On the NBA's official power rankings, the Thunder have been on top for consecutive years.

However, if you are hot, you will die. Li Sheng does not want to be the target of public criticism, so whether it is the coaching staff or the players, they are still relatively low-key under his restrictions.

Li Sheng clearly remembers how the Warriors' 73-win season was consumed a lot. It's hard to say that their potential injuries in the playoffs have no reason for the regular season.

And winning all the time can keep you motivated, but it may also make the team look helpless in the face of adversity, because they have never encountered it before and it went too smoothly, but they tend to panic when they encounter adversity.

Although they were only one step away from going to the end, and the failure was caused by many factors, Li Sheng still felt that it was not worth paying too much and consuming too much for the record in the regular season.

The record can be fought at any time, and it may be better next season after they get used to it.

So he also thought about it, and he still needs to learn from the Spurs in the future, take a proper rotation, or even let go of some games altogether, so that he can maintain the lead in the record and have home court advantage in the playoffs without being pressured by the record-breaking incident.

In addition, try to change the lineup more, train with various lineups, and prepare for the playoffs in the second half of the season.

The next game against the Eagles was like this. This time Durant came back, Li Sheng arranged for Antetokounmpo to rest, and the starting lineup remained unchanged.

Durant scored 40+ again, Westbrook had 23 points and 10 assists, but the Thunder relied on Reggie and Lamb's substitutes to gain an advantage in the fourth quarter before finally winning.

In the first three quarters, the Eagles have been overwhelming the Thunder, mainly because their inside line is in such a good state today.

The Eagles are trying to enter the playoffs this season. They snatched Millsap from the Jazz, which completely suppressed Ibaka.

In terms of rebounds, Gustavo Ayon, Millsap, and Carroll jointly scored 24 rebounds, including 7 offensive rebounds. Ibaka and Perkins were severely beaten.

Gobert was troubled by fouls today, and he didn't play for long. Thabeet was disappointing again, and he was so soft that he was outrageous. Anyway, the Thunder must have given up on him this season. Before the playoffs, they have to let him go directly, and see if they can find another replacement.

The three-pointers of the two teams are actually very accurate. On the defensive end, it can be said that they exploded each other, basically fighting offense.

There were not many fouls and free throws in general, and the game seemed relatively smooth. In the end, the Thunder narrowly beat the Eagles 115:111.

This game actually showed a little hidden danger, that is, in the rotation stage, without Antetokounmpo, and Gobert was troubled by fouls and couldn't play, the team's organizational points were gone. You can't expect Reggie or Fisher to play, they are not that material either.

Reggie and Lamb are in good form, but it's impossible to count on their style of play to be stable every game.

Lamb himself is crazy. Reggie has become more stable this season, but he is still under Li Sheng's system, and most of them are under the circumstances that someone attracts defense and they don't have much offensive pressure.

Of course, the probability of this kind of situation happening at the same time is still relatively small, not to mention that Li Sheng also intends to try something more this time.

But when he faces the Heat, he won't let it go easily.

On January 1, the Thunder played away against Miami, which was also the first time they played against the Heat this season.

The Heat's recent state is mediocre. They have lost four of the past ten games, and there is a wave of three consecutive losses.

However, relying on James' brave performance, he can still be ranked in the top three in the Eastern Conference.

This regular season basically depends on James C. Wade has been plagued by injuries this season, and the consumption in the finals has been too high in successive years, so the decline is very obvious. After all, he is also a 31-year-old veteran.

It's okay if it's a normal transition to 30 years old, but Wade has suffered a serious injury. At this time, it is naturally difficult to maintain his state, and even this season's role in the team is faintly inferior to Bosh.

However, Bosh has played the fourth position in space for three years, and he has lost all his advantages. Now he is just a mediocre insider, and he may not be comparable to Ibaka.

At least from the data point of view, the two are not much different.

In this game, all Thunder players played, and the Heat seemed to take it seriously, and no one was absent.

After all, they are all potential opponents in the finals. If they only meet twice in a season, they have to get a feel for the situation in the regular season.

As soon as the first quarter came up, Bosh was in a good state and brought out a wave of 12:6 consecutively. James obviously knew that he had to give his teammates a little more play to play more easily.

It's a pity that he can't get involved on the outside when his teammates are playing. After all, Riley's outside shooting is good for the Heat in the past few years, but it's only relative to himself. As long as he doesn't move, the Thunder can really let him go.

He really didn't go in when he was really empty. Bosh attracted double-teams and passed him an outside three-pointer and hit the iron directly. It also became the clarion call for the Thunder's counterattack.

After Durant directly responded with a three-pointer, the Thunder quickly overtook the score after a few rounds.

At this time, James was obviously in a hurry, so he simply chose to go up by himself, and the inside and outside shots narrowed the point difference to 1 point. He played the entire first quarter and scored 9 points.

The Thunder temporarily fell behind by one point at 29:30, and Durant played much more easily. Today, his teammates are in good shape, especially for three-pointers.

At the end of the first quarter and the beginning of the second quarter during the rotation stage, Fisher and Lamb also exploded. The two hit three-pointers one after another, quickly overtaking and pulling the score apart.

Wade is also in good form today, with one shot and one shot, but Battier and Ray Allen's three-pointers from the outside line are both off target, making it very difficult for them to chase points.

In the last half minute of the half, Westbrook broke out suddenly, with one attack and one defense to open the point difference to double digits. In the end, Wade received a pass from James in the half and rode a horse to shoot a three-pointer.

The Thunder entered the second half with a 62-point lead at 52:[-].

Seeing that the Thunder played a little easier, and everyone is a soldier, everyone can play, James' face looks a little stern.

This is the last year of his contract with the Heat. After this season, he will also face a new choice, whether to leave or stay.

Perhaps where they can go in the end of this season will play a decisive role.

In the second quarter, James scored 9 points again, 18 points in the half, but Durant also scored 15 points for the Thunder, Ibaka had 10 points and 6 rebounds, and Westbrook had 7 points and 5 assists.

The biggest gap today is on the side of the role players. In the first half, the Thunder scored from the bench and beat the Heat 17:9.

The three-pointers of the two sides are also very different. Only James hit a three-pointer for the Heat, and all the shooters are misfired. It seems that everyone in the Thunder can make three-pointers.

They failed to widen the point difference further, and it even made people feel that it was because they didn't try their best, just like they were playing.

Probably at this time, the Thunder's thinking is: Heat, that's it?

(End of this chapter)