NBA's strongest prince

Chapter 97 Need someone to stand up

Russell took over the All-Star MVP trophy and couldn't stop smiling.

He really didn't think about fighting for trophies before, because scoring is not what he is good at, but things are often so dramatic. No one in the All-Stars scored high scores this time. Of course, this honor should be given to Russell, who performed the most on the field. .

"It's great," Russell told reporters. "It's been a dream weekend. I think I'm lucky. Now our team has enough strength, but it takes a long time to go further in the playoffs." With a little luck, it seems that we will not be short."

"In the All-Star Game, it's very cool to work with other All-Star players. They all have great athletic talent, they all performed very well on the court, and they helped the team win. I really like and their cooperation."

"Next, the Suns will do their best to prepare for the playoffs. No matter whether others accept it or not, the new Suns are coming! Here we are!"

After the All-Star round ended, the Suns did not have a game on the second day, and Russell and others also had an extra day to adjust their time.

The first All-Star Weekend was a great harvest. He is still a rookie, but he has envied countless people.

Not to mention others, the Suns players were very envious. Russell returned to Phoenix and invited everyone to have a meal, the top steak set meal.

Then everyone should calm down. Although he kept talking about the playoffs, the team must still play the regular season honestly.

The No. [-] in the Western Conference must be stable, and they must have home court advantage, which is very important for young teams.

The Suns' first game after the All-Star Game was at home. The players were relatively relaxed, and everyone's physical fatigue in the past few months has also recovered a lot.

It is the Clippers who came to challenge them. The Clippers have a better record this season than last season, but they have not yet entered the top eight in the Western Conference. Their current winning percentage does not mean that they have no chance, but it is more difficult.

So the Clippers will not be bad now. They mainly plan to train the players. They will be happy if they have a good record. It is acceptable to continue the current state.

Their players are calm now, but their strength will not become stronger because of it.

In order to face Stoudemire, the Clippers directly let Brand play five this time, or they are in order to face Marion, so as not to make the Suns two players too easy.

However, the sun's outside line took the lead and directly gained the advantage.

In fact, they made a mistake. Stoudemire hadn't trained well these days, and he had to find his way up. However, the Sun's outside line rested for a few days, his body was more refreshed, and his attack power was full.

Of course, the problem of the Clippers' own offensive power has not yet been solved. They are also a type with not very strong offensive power, and they are very tired when they meet the Suns.

The Clippers started with a small lineup, so the sun did not rush too much, but Brand was also limited.

Coupled with the fact that the Clippers don't like shooting three-pointers, they can only watch the Suns gradually consolidate their lead.

In the second half, they still chose the real No. [-] position, and Brand couldn't stand it at all.

However, it still had little effect, and their own offense couldn't play at all under the Sun's defense.

Naturally, the Suns won this game steadily.

In this case, the Suns will only have one back-to-back game left in February, first away and then at home.

The team adjusted for another two days, and then came to Dallas to face the powerful Mavericks.

The Mavericks here Dampier has not come back, but they still on a center, did not let Nowitzki top inside as last time.

They clearly won last time. It can only be said that the coach will consider more. In addition to tactics and players, they are probably also worried that Nowitzki will increase consumption in the paint.

At the beginning of the game, the Suns turned aggressively against the guest.

Iguodala has a good touch since the All-Star, and he has a good three-pointer in the game, and he also has it in this game.

The Mavericks and the Clippers are still different. Although they didn't limit the Suns, their offense was not bad.

Nowitzki at the peak is almost impossible to completely restrict, and Terry is also a representative of attacking guards. When he feels good, he can play Russell casually.

None of the strong teams in the West can crush their opponents in terms of strength, and the outcome often depends on their respective performances.

Although the Suns have a few All-Stars, the Mavericks' quasi-All-Star players are not afraid at all, and their bench is stronger.

After trading with the Bucks for Van Horn, the Mavericks' bench lineup should be the best among the Western Conference teams.

The Suns led by outside firepower, but another accident happened at this time.

Russell was hit hard on the wrist in the confrontation with the opponent, and there were some problems.

For the sake of caution, he did not continue to play.

After he went down, the Mavericks immediately showed their strength, and a wave of offense overtook the score.

Russell was really worried that the team would not be used to him losing in the next game, but the Suns played much better this time.

It was mainly halftime that saved them, and then played again in the third quarter, and Marion broke out.

After experiencing the All-Stars, the temperament of the players feels different. This time Marion and Stoudemire feel much more dangerous and have a bit of a star flavor.

The Mavericks also want to take the opportunity to win the game. Now the competition for the top four in the Western Conference is very fierce, and no one wants to fall behind and lose their home court advantage in the playoffs.

Both sides come and go, biting the score to death.

Now it depends on the performance of both sides in the final quarter. Russell has not left yet, and he is also very nervous sitting on the sidelines.

His absence last time proved his importance to the Suns, but that situation is actually not good for the team. The team needs someone to stand up and lead the team forward without Russell on the court.

Only then will the Suns have the ability to resist risks and grow into a truly strong team.

In the fourth quarter, Marion didn't have so many opportunities.

He is an all-around player, which also means that he is not so proficient in every aspect. It is impossible for the Suns to rely on him to take over the game at the last moment. At this time, Stoudemire can only stand up.

Stoudemire didn't succeed during Russell's injury before, and he performed mediocre during the All-Star period, but it doesn't mean he doesn't have this kind of fighting spirit.

After a few minutes of rest at the end of the third quarter, Stoudemire didn't rest when he played again.

Barbosa's pass is not so subtle, so he will hold the ball and rush in.

Stoudemire showed his attitude, and at this time the Mavericks' inside line did have some flaws. Without Dampier, Nowitzki alone could not withstand the impact of Stoudemire.

The peak Nuo Tianwang's defense is not bad, but his physical fitness still cannot keep up with the little bully.

Stoudemire, who has an all-star body, is also a little different. He hits the inside continuously and causes damage, abruptly helping the team withstand the Mavericks' offensive.

The game entered the final lore moment.

Who wins and who loses is no longer determined by tactics, but by who has a bigger heart.

(End of this chapter)