The strongest champion puzzle

Chapter 344 Absence
The scoring in two consecutive games was not ideal, and Zhang Xiaotian was not happy enough.

For things like data, once you reach that level, you won't want to fall down.

Fortunately, playing back-to-back away games against the Nets, Zhang Xiaotian finally scored 20+ again.

The Nets are completely discouraged now, and they are probably already thinking about a good pick for next season.

So after passing the Raptors level, the next Nets were given away, and the 22-game winning streak was achieved in this way.

At the beginning of the Warriors' winning streak, the outside world was still discussing who could end them. Now everyone is too lazy to say, and they all go to the gambling company to place bets.

I originally thought that under the scientific training of modern basketball, it is impossible for a team to be so strong that it can be crushed, but the Warriors this season have shaken this view.

Zhang Xiaotian worked hard these days and finally fed his wife.

President Yang also quickly transformed into a fan manager and began to canvass for Zhang Xiaotian.

On December 12, the Warriors continued their Eastern Conference road trip to Indiana to challenge the Pacers.

The Pacers' lineup has changed a lot this season. The original inside twin towers Hibbert and David West both left. The team promoted Ian Mahinmi and played a major and a junior.

But Paul George is fully healthy and stronger, and the Pacers are off to a good start.

They won Monta Ellis in the summer, together with George Hill and CJ Myers, they have successfully transformed from a strong inside team to a strong outside team.

However, the changes in the interior have made the Pacers' defense ability much worse. Although their overall defense is still very strong, it is no longer at the same level as it used to be.

When the Pacers played first and fourth, Paul George went to the fourth position, so that the Warriors' main defense became Draymond Green. Zhang Xiaotian only needed to switch defenses part of the time, and the task was much easier.

At the beginning of the game, Zhang Xiaotian, Curry and Klay Thompson showed their power at the same time.

No way, the Pacers' three players in the backcourt were thinner and completely suppressed.

In this way, only Paul George is left to score. Of course, the key is that their defense is not enough.

When the Warriors blossomed more, they led by double digits in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, the Pacers adjusted their defense, but in terms of matchups, even if they switched defenses, they could not completely withstand Zhang Xiaotian and other three main attack points, so they had to make a choice.

The result is that although Curry only hit one three-pointer, Klay Thompson hit four.

In the first half, he hit eight three-pointers and scored 29 points. Curry always exploded, and Klay Thompson finally couldn't help it.

And let the Warriors score 79 points at halftime, the Pacers' defense was helpless.

Klay Thompson was still accurate in the third quarter, and the game quickly turned into garbage time.

Zhang Xiaotian also quickly scored 20 points, but Klay Thompson was so happy that he sprained his foot.

Although the post-match inspection was not serious, the team decided to give him a rest.

After all, the Warriors have already won 23 consecutive victories, so there is really no need to fight with players.

"Can you predict how long the Warriors can keep the start undefeated?"

"It's hard to predict, why don't I predict the championship this season."

In front of the reporters, everyone is already familiar with Zhang Xiaotian's answer. Even if someone is upset, they have to hold back. Whoever let him play for three seasons has three rings, which can really piss off a large number of people.

Next, the Warriors played back-to-back away games again, and they continued to win like this, as if the schedule could not pass.

The first back-to-back opponent this time is the Celtics. The Celtics only made some simple adjustments in the summer, exchanging rubbish contracts with other teams, and by the way, making the team's configuration more reasonable.

The biggest change is that Isaiah Thomas impressed the head coach with his outstanding performance and became the core of the team.

The basketball core of 1 meters has greatly amazed the outside world.

The current results of the team are also good, and Brad Stevens' ability to build a good team without any top players has also amazed many people.

The acquisition of Amir Johnson at a premium has slightly improved the Celtics' defensive ability, but they mainly rely on overall defense.

The Celtics' overall defense is mainly one word, that is to fight.

If Klay Thompson doesn't play, the defensive treatment Zhang Xiaotian and Curry enjoy will be tighter.

Curry needs to adjust his touch, so does Zhang Xiaotian, and Jae Crowder's defense is not bad.

On the Celtics side, Bradley rushed hard. Without Klay Thompson, it is not only the offense that is affected, but also the Warriors' perimeter defense.

But when Iguodala is replaced, the situation will change.

Unlike the Celtics playing against the Warriors' weaknesses, although Zhang Xiaotian and Curry were heavily watched, they still had a certain scoring ability, and Draymond Green also increased his shots.

The tactics of the two sides were different, but the results were similar. The Warriors only relied on the performance of the main force to outperform the opponent by 1 point in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Bradley was locked by Iguodala, and the Celtics also began to use Isaiah Thomas as the axis to increase the inside attack.

Regardless of whether Klay Thompson plays or not, the inside must be a pain for the Warriors.

The Celtics are not very strong inside, but they have a strong ability to seize opportunities.

Coach Stevens can be appreciated by so many people and is also an extremely capable coach.

Under the pressure of the opponent, the Warriors increased the playing time of Livingston and Iguodala, constantly switching between the first four and five small lineups.

The Celtics were indeed very targeted, but after Curry gradually recovered some touch, two three-pointers made the opponent's hard work for a few minutes in vain.

In the first half, the Warriors still led by 4 points.

Even without two main rotation players, their strength is beyond doubt.

In the third quarter, the Celtics changed their strategy again. The big man pulled to the outside to shoot. In fact, it has the same effect as the Warriors' small lineup.

On the Warriors side, Zhang Xiaotian began to exert his strength. The brilliant effect of his new skill champion was not as obvious as other skills, but it was still very effective from his average of more than a little assists per game to almost five.

Coupled with his enhanced strength, the singles success rate is still good.

When Curry doesn't feel good, he can attack with the ball to help the team.

For the Celtics to attack big men who can shoot three-pointers, the inside defense is a lot worse. It's the right time for Zhang Xiaotian, a striker with status, to break out.

Although the scoring was not as fast as the three-pointer, the Warriors maintained a steady lead.

Coach Stevens squeezed his chin. At this point in the game, none of the tactics worked so well. To turn the score in the final quarter, a star player must stand up. This is the NBA.

(End of this chapter)