The strongest champion puzzle

Chapter 456 The Second Opponent

To be honest, the gap between the first few teams in the Eastern Conference is actually not that big, especially for teams without players who can determine the outcome of the game.

The Celtics and Wizards fought fiercely in the first half, but in the third quarter, the Celtics seized the opportunity to expand the score advantage and took advantage of the situation to win the game.

After the game, Wizards coach Brooks could only admit that the opponent performed better, "Isaiah Thomas is one of the best winners in the league, and he contributed everything to play."

"Al Horford is one of the best big men in the league, one of the best passers in the league, and he can shoot the [-]."

Celtics coach Stevens also praised the general, "He did a great job in moving the ball. Horford's performance infected the whole team. As long as he is on the court, the team's performance will be improved. building."

"It always takes some time for a new player to integrate into the team system. Now I am getting more and more used to it, and I feel more comfortable." Horford said in an interview.

"This victory is the result of the joint efforts of the whole team. The level of Thomas Jr. is impressive. If it were me, I don't know if I can be like him. Crowder's performance is also very good, whether it is three Whether it's scoring or defending, he can do it very well."

Crowder, another Celtics player who performed well, is also full of confidence, "Shooters should shoot. I never don't shoot because of a slump or other reasons, because one of my tasks on the court is to shoot the ball. , my teammates and my coaches believe in me, so I need to keep shooting and making it.”

Otto Porter of the Wizards said, "When our opponent is the Celtics, we have to play tougher in the game. Once we make a mistake similar to the first game, we will fight for it. This pays the price."

After the second round of the playoffs, the battle between the Clippers and the Jazz finally came to an end.

Surprisingly, it was not the Clippers who won the game at home. The seven Jazz scored in double figures, well restricted Paul, and successfully advanced to the next round.

"Quinn was a great coach, whether he made the playoffs or not. I think that's outdated. If you can coach, you can coach, and he can coach. He's one of the best coaches in the league, and I've been praising him for years," Rivers said after the game.

"They're ready, their whole front office did a great job last summer, bringing in smart, experienced players who have given them a hand and been through these series, guys who know how to The game. Joe Johnson alone has been a headache for us, they have always put players in the right position."

"They won the series, we gave it our all and Snyder did a great job. I thought it was a good series."

Snyder said in an interview: "This round of the series is a valuable growth opportunity for us. We have been facing difficulties throughout the season, but we will focus on seizing these opportunities."

"All the players were ready, we had energy on the court, and it was an honor to play against a tough, experienced team like the Clippers."

As the core of the Jazz, Hayward is happy to advance, "We have experienced troughs, but this community and this city have always supported us, so it is very important for us to be able to return to the playoffs and reach the second round. It really feels great. Salt Lake City is a city with a deep playoff tradition, and the fans have supported us all the way, and they must be very excited right now, and it means a lot to play in the second round in front of them."

The first round of the playoffs is completely over, and the time has come to May.

In the face of the Raptors, the Cavaliers once again showed an invincible posture, taking their opponents lightly.

James scored the highest score in the game, overwhelming.

James said after the game, "We have a lot of energy in this game, and we didn't lose the rhythm of the game because of the 8-day rest. Not only did I feel good today, but my teammates were very good. We sent a total of 26 assists in the game, and the opponent did not show. Show real strength. But we will be better in the end, try to minimize mistakes, strive to end the series faster and get more rest time."

"We didn't play the intensity we needed tonight," Raptors coach Casey said in an interview. "Defensively, we didn't press very hard. That's the biggest difference in the game. Offensively, we rarely got open opportunities."

DeRozan was a little helpless, "The Cavaliers are that kind of team. Once the game starts, you fail to guard against their attack wave. After you let their touch come out, their touch will infect each other and kill us."

Lowry also feels a little bit, "This seems to be back to last year's playoffs. We must find more ways to restrain them."

The game between the Warriors and the Rockets also started on May 5. The two sides played a wonderful battle, but it was the Warriors who had the last laugh.

Draymond Green performed well on both ends of the offense and defense, and was praised by the Warriors acting coach.

Green said after the game, "I just deal with the ball according to the opponent's defense against me. Obviously, they focus on the defensive end. Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant, so I got A lot of open shots."

Livingston, who performed well in his comeback, said: "Obviously both sides have different game plans. They want to play their basketball, and we also want to play ours. The key is who can impose their own rhythm on the other side."

"Of course, our players are very flexible. It's not impossible to play according to their rhythm, but we want to bring our own rhythm."

Rockets coach D'Antoni just said after the game: "The Warriors are very good and their execution is very strong. Now it's our turn to make adjustments and counterattack. We can't lose in the next game!"

In fact, the only thing the Rockets can do is attack. Their defense will definitely not be able to restrain the Warriors, and to beat the opponent on the offensive end, Harden must have a big explosion to do this, and ordinary explosions will not work.

And on May 5, the Spurs, who have been resting for a long time, will finally make their debut.

They waited for work with ease, and played at home against the Jazz, who had fought seven games in the first round.

Compared with Hayward, the core of the Jazz, and the veteran Joe Johnson who has made great achievements, it is actually George Hill and Rudy Gobert who are more threatening to the Spurs. Unfortunately, their own offensive power is not particularly strong. .

Both sides have fine-tuned the starting lineup, but they thought of going together.

(End of this chapter)