Start coaching the Thunder, starting with Westbrook

Chapter 204 The first round against the Mavericks

Wednesday, April 4th is an ordinary day, but it is not easy for Oklahoma City fans, because this game is the team's final game of the regular season this season.

The playoffs are approaching, and the fans are also very excited.

The team has performed well this season and has firmly occupied the No. [-] position in the Western Conference and the league so far. At the same time, their record is about to tie with the Dynasty Bulls. That is the team of Jordan and Pippen.

Although they lost some more games due to rotation and other reasons at the end of the season, which made them unable to break the record, Li Sheng was also contaminated with a lot of controversy, and there was a lot of criticism under his INS.

But the fans have already let Li Sheng lead the team to conquer this season. As long as he doesn't mess around in the playoffs and can lead the team to win another championship, it is enough for them to completely forget about Brooks.

Who is Scott?
Those who don't know say...

The Thunder's opponent this time is the Pistons, No. 11 in the Eastern Conference. It has been determined that they will not be able to enter the playoffs.

This practice made Pope come out.

In this game, the Pistons were aggressive. The rookie Pope got the chance to start and hit 5 three-pointers to score 30 points. Drummond, Singler and Monroe also scored 20 points.

But the Thunder team is more stable here. Durant seemed to be warming up for the playoffs in the last game, scoring 47 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists. Westbrook also scored 19 points and 8 assists. Ibaka grabbed 17 rebounds.

Antetokounmpo was a bit eclipsed today, only 7 points on 4 of 9 shots, but Reggie scored 15 points and 5 rebounds. The team basically performed well. The Thunder easily defeated the Pistons by 11 points and achieved a successful end to the regular season.

Their record is 72 wins and 10 losses!
In 96, under the leadership of Jordan, the Bulls lost only 82 games in 10 regular season games, creating a record that was considered almost impossible to surpass.

Who would have thought that after only 17 years, there would be a team tying this record, and it was very hopeful to break it.

This caused a lot of regretful voices from the outside and inside, even the players, only Li Sheng himself was unmoved.

In his opinion, the team will be able to maintain a stable lineup next season, and the 14-15 season will be even better than this season. At that time, their rookies were stronger and their style of play was more mature, and they could really win easily in rotation.

So what is more important to him this season is the playoffs and the championship. If he breaks the record and then loses, wouldn't he be nailed to the pillar of shame?

Even so, if you lose, you will be nailed to the pillar of shame. After all, this record is the only one in the league today, and it seems to mean that the team's strength is the only one in the league.

Since there is only one file, how can you lose?

There is no other way. The 73-win total runner-up left a deep impression on Li Sheng. He doesn't want to bear such a title.

Moreover, that Warriors team always felt that the regular season was at the end of their strength, far from being as comfortable as the Thunder now. The whole team seemed to be shrouded in a record-breaking pressure, but when they really broke the record, they seemed to lose their direction for a while, and it became more and more difficult to play later.

Although the Thunder did not break the record, the players were obviously holding a sigh of relief in their hearts, and they wanted to vent it in the playoffs.

The Thunder's opponent in the playoffs also came out, and it was the only Mavericks who defeated them twice in the regular season.

At the same time, all the Eastern and Western playoffs are also released, the Eastern Pacers vs. Eagles, Wizards vs. Bulls, Heat vs. Hornets, and Nets vs. Raptors.

In the West, the No.2 Spurs are facing the Grizzlies, and the rest of the matchups are the same as in the previous life. The Clippers are still playing against the Warriors, and the Blazers are still playing against the Rockets.

In this way, there is another advantage for the Thunder, that is, they leave their tougher Grizzlies to the Spurs.

In fact, this is also the reason why the Thunder must try their best to compete for the first place this season. The Spurs are difficult for them to avoid. The most difficult remaining opponent is the Grizzlies.

Although some fans will feel that it is a pity, and hope that the Thunder can successfully avenge the Grizzlies this season, and it will be refreshing to send them out, but the best way for the team is not to encounter them.

Of course, many fans against the Mavericks also feel that it is difficult for the Thunder to play, because the regular season record of the two teams is 2:2. It seems that the Mavericks are not as weak as the record shows.

In their previous life, they played against the Spurs in seven games in the first round, and they seemed to be very strong, but firstly, the Spurs have a problem with slow development, and secondly, the Mavericks are too targeted against the Spurs. Carlisle's on-the-spot command and the performance of the players are also very important.

In particular, Carter's lore became the key to extending the series. If the Spurs can win the third game, the series may not be able to drag the seventh game.

Not to mention Alice's performance, he was a sharp knife that pierced the Spurs' chest. His performance helped the Mavericks win three games, and with the tie-break restricted, no one could cause trouble for the Spurs, and the Mavericks were doomed to be out.

But against the Thunder, many of the Mavericks' advantages will no longer be advantages. First of all, the Thunder have more abundant defense against guards than the Spurs.

Because they are younger and more athletically talented, and in terms of defensive mobility, whether they are guards or strikers, the Thunder can keep up with the footsteps of the Mavericks guards, and the restrictions on Alice will be more in place.

The old Carter also has to face the care of Durant and Antetokounmpo. Although Nuo Tianwang has recently regained his youth, whether it is the veteran defensive combination of Ibaka and Perkins, or the rookie lineup of Gobert and Antetokounmpo, it will cause him a lot of trouble.

When the outside world commented on this group of confrontations, they gave a very pessimistic inference for the Mavericks, thinking that they are likely to be swept out.

This is actually the general consensus of the outside world except for the Mavericks.

The Mavericks are the only team in the top eight in the Western Conference to enter the playoffs with less than 50 wins. As for the Thunder, another team with 72 wins after the new century, the outside world has already called the Thunder "If you don't win the championship, you will fail."

Is there any comparison?

Incomparable, do you know?
The owner of the Mavericks, Cuban, refused to accept it at this time. He stood up and said that they would definitely defeat the Thunder, and at least they would be able to play a tiebreaker. Other teams have players or coaches with big mouths.

Before the game, the two sides began to fight wildly. The media was also happy to help them stir up the heat. The fans also started to fight. You said I was swept away, and I said you were a pseudo-strong team.

But after all, we still have to see the real chapter on the field!

……

"The predictions for this year's playoffs are here, what do you think?"

Domestic basketball forums are also very lively at this time. Not only the media likes to make predictions, but the fans also like to play this game.

Although each has a position, support and favorite team, from the starting point, it is definitely hoped that the home team will win, but many of these predictions still have to be based on strength considerations.

Therefore, many Mavericks fans also expressed pessimistically before the game that they would win if they were not swept, and winning two games was comparable to a championship.

It's really that the current momentum of the Thunder is too terrifying, and it feels like an understatement for them to win.

The media also likes to exaggerate. At the end of the season, the Thunder team rotated and changed. They criticized it at the time, turning their heads as if they had amnesia.

Many people even think that the Mavericks have won two games in a row against the Thunder. The Thunder deliberately let the water go to play the Mavericks in the playoffs.

In this case, if Thunderclap loses the game, it will definitely be a huge wave of condemnation, but if it wins, everyone has the foresight.

As for other predictions, there are all kinds of predictions, because from the perspective of the regular season, this season belongs to one super team and many teams. Except for the Thunder, there is no absolute superiority over other teams.

Although the defending champion Spurs also won 60 wins, they did not show a level of competitiveness in the regular season. Instead, they were considered to be on the same level as the Clippers, Pacers, and Heat.

The West is still a melee. If it is not clear, then in the East, apart from the Pacers, who are considered to cause trouble for the Heat, everyone still agrees that the Heat are more likely to break through.

After all, the playoffs are the stage for superstars, and the Heat are the most indispensable.

It depends on whether Wade can go further in the playoffs. If he can't stand up, relying on James alone and the doctor who is always suppressed by the inside, they may not be able to beat the Pacers.

(End of this chapter)