The Way of the Center

The Trail Blazers are in a very good state today. Facing the team that eliminated them in the playoffs last season, the Blazers and the Thunder's starting five are on par. It can even be said that they have a slight advantage. .

It's just that Ricard and Divac didn't expect that the Blazers would suffer from the second team. It was thought that without Batum and Fisher, the Thunder's second unit would pale in comparison. But the extraordinary performance of Bledsoe and Reggie Jackson is indeed beyond the estimation of Ricard and Divac.

In the second quarter, Ricard's goal was to prevent the team from entering the second half with a disadvantage. Continuing to launch onslaughts with Lillard and create pressure on the Thunder's guard line is the only way to suppress this group of crazy guards.

"Damien, you will play at the beginning of the second quarter. I want you to play with the team's second team for a while. Your task is to tie the score for me!" Ricard did not intend to let his starting Go back soon, but if you send a full bench lineup, the point difference will definitely not be narrowed. Therefore, letting Lillard lead the second team and let him be a temporary core is the way Ricard came up with.

"Don't worry boss, we will let everyone in the Thunder team have a good time." Lillard smiled confidently, making Ricard couldn't believe that this was only Lillard's second NBA game!

After the start of the second quarter, the Thunder also had four substitutes plus one starter. It's just that the starter Jeff Van Gundy sent to the field was not Westbrook, but Kevin Durant, who seemed to be doing nothing in the first quarter but actually played well.

Jeff Van Gundy is very confident at small forward. It is true that Nicolas Batum is an excellent young man, but last season he could only serve as a substitute for Durant. This is also true.

"Are you so relieved to let that kid take the lead?" An Jie was on the bench next to Ricard and Divac. At this time, seeing Reggie Jackson aggressively controlling the ball towards Lillard, An Jie Jay couldn't help asking.

"This is the person you personally selected, Ann. If he wants to be your right-hand man, he must pass this test!"

With the excellent performance in the first quarter as the foundation, Reggie Jackson, the combo guard, is very confident.

Although this guy's draft pick is far inferior to Lillard's sixth, but don't forget, creating miracles in the draft is Presti's unique skill.

Reggie Jackson was not afraid of Lillard, because the guy in front of him didn't look as intimidating as Westbrook.

Almost the same height, Reggie Jackson looks much smaller than Lillard. In the current league, the advantage of physical fitness is becoming more and more important.

Reggie Jackson was just about to use his greater weight to charge forward, but found that Lillard also rushed towards him.

"What is he going to do!?" The inexperienced Reggie Jackson was still thinking about Lillard's intention of rushing towards him, but Lillard bowed and sprinted, and quickly took the basketball from Reggie's hand!

Reggie Jackson, like Westbrook, likes to rush forward fiercely, but Westbrook's ability to protect the ball during the advancement process is indeed something that Jackson does not possess.

After experiencing the baptism of Westbrook in the first quarter of the game, Lillard is now very handy in dealing with Reggie Jackson.

Seeing that the basketball was taken away, Reggie forcibly changed his center of gravity and turned around to chase after him, but he slipped and fell to the ground. At the same time, after Lillard succeeded in stealing, Bledsoe and Durant chased after him, but they still couldn't get close to Lillard, who was fully speeded up.

An Jie, who was sitting on the bench, seemed to see that lightning bolt again in the Chesapeake Energy Arena. But today, the person who became the Lightning changed from Westbrook to Lillard.

As soon as Lillard stepped into the free throw line with one foot, he took off suddenly! With a height of 1.92 meters, he soars into the air like a ufo! After that, he raised the ball with one hand, separated his legs slightly, and dunked the ball vigorously into the basket!

"bsp; The dunks of short players are always the most exciting. Unlike Anjie and others who rely on their strength to gain beauty, the dunks of small players are completely terrifying in terms of flying height. What's more, Lillard's dunk is also full of Got power!

Lillard landed without any expression or celebration. He quickly ran back to his half court, ready to defend at any time!

"Calm down Reggie, they should be in a hurry!" Bledsoe had to remind his teammates before Reggie Jackson took control of the ball again. Although Bledsoe only played one more year in the NBA than Jackson, Bledsoe, who played a lot of playing time, is much more experienced than Reggie Jackson.

Reggie Jackson nodded lightly. The steal just now really made him lose face. This guy, Lillard, is very different from what I imagined!

Then the Thunder's offense was obviously much calmer, and Reggie Jackson threw the ball to Bledsoe as soon as halftime passed. When Bledsoe faced Courtney Lee, he always wanted to break through with his own speed, and he did succeed. But j.j. Hickson's big risk in the middle made Bledsoe's breakthrough ultimately fail. If you want to say which big man is the most athletic on this Trail Blazers team right now, it's Hickson.

Durant gritted his teeth anxiously on the court. Indeed, the three guards of the Thunder are very aggressive. But when a team's main rotation guards are scoring-oriented, the guard's teammates will suffer. Now even Durant doesn't get much possession time, let alone others.

The game went back and forth like this for several minutes, Lillard's performance completely conquering the Blazers players. During this period of time, compared with the Thunder with Durant as the core, the Blazers with Lillard as the temporary core are not at all inferior.

Although Lillard failed to complete the task of equalizing the score in a limited time, he still chased the point difference to only 4 points left. If it weren't for Durant's consecutive shots in the next few minutes, Lillard might have led the team to overtake the score!

After more than four minutes into the game, Ricard called a timeout first. When he was off the field, Reggie Jackson, who played miraculously in the first quarter, had his head down, while Damian Lillard was striding forward.

"You played well." An Jie greeted his new partner with a smile.

"The next step is up to you, four points, isn't it difficult?" Lillard patted An Jie's thigh, this guy has gradually begun to integrate into the team!

"LaMarcus! Is there a guy here who is questioning our ability?" An Jie shouted at Aldridge, who was three seats away.

"Then what are you waiting for? Let's go!" Aldridge shook off the towel around his neck, Lillard completed his task, and now it's time for him and Anjie to take over.

Since Lillard had just left the field, Ricard did not send him up again. Derek Fisher served as the commander of the four starting players. For the experienced old Jianghu, "Old Fish", it shouldn't be a problem to control this Trail Blazers team with excellent tactical training.

The biggest shortcoming of the 38-year-old Derek Fisher is that he can no longer run on his feet. This guy has to take his time no matter if he is attacking or defending.

But when Ainger and Aldridge are on the court, the Blazers need a slow pace. From the perspective of Anjie and Aldridge's playing style, Fisher is even more suitable in the starting lineup than Lillard. If Fisher was not too old, Ricard would really do this.

Although it was slow, Fisher's body was as strong as ever. He knew that as he got older, a decline in athletic ability was inevitable. But a strong body is within Fisher's controllable range.

The bearded guy has never relaxed his physical training, so when Westbrook wants to go up and steal, Fisher can always hold him up cleverly.

At the same time, the Blazers' offensive tactics have been fully rolled out. When Andre Iguodala was positioned outside the three-point line on the wing, Fisher passed the ball unhurriedly. After receiving the ball, Iguodala immediately turned the battlefield with a quick ground pass. Get inside.

Fisher couldn't pass the ball calmly under Westbrook's strong interference, and Iguodala, although excellent in passing, had no ability to organize offense. In order to minimize the possibility of mistakes, Ricard's solution is to use Fisher to organize the offense, and after the tactics run out, Iguodala will complete the pass.

Aldridge held the ball firmly against Ibaka, and the Thunder players knew that the real offense of the Trail Blazers was coming!

Aldridge knew he couldn't shake the established Ibaka, a Congolese defense that was as hard as a rock. But Aldridge is not in a hurry, and now this distance is already within his attack range. What's more, his teammates are still trying to find ways to support him.

Aldridge just stood there in a back-to-back state without acting rashly. Even so, Ibaka did not dare to relax. Aldridge is very likely to shoot suddenly. This guy's shooting skills Ibaka has learned enough in the playoffs last season.

suddenly! Aldridge makes a hook! It is also a bit inappropriate to say that the ball is a hook, because Aldridge has neither a face frame nor a take-off.

Ibaka subconsciously jumped up to block the shot, only to find that it was not a shot, but a pass!

The basketball goes over Ibaka's head and flies into the paint from midrange. An Jie was standing in the three-second zone at the moment, and behind him was Morris who never left.

An Jie was within the three-second zone before catching the ball, which meant that An Jie had to shoot the ball immediately after catching the ball. Otherwise, he is likely to be called an offensive three-second violation.

With this layer of restriction, Morris's defense is much easier. He only needs to take off and block the shot at the moment Anjie catches the ball, and he can stop all this!

An Jie didn't turn around to face the frame after catching the ball sideways to the basket, but just kept this direction towards the hook shot! Morris's take-off was very timely, but he forgot that his good brother was a tricky old man. An Jie strenuously leaned towards Morris while hooking his hands. Due to the fierce confrontation in the air, An Jie changed the direction of his movements, but the hand holding the basketball up did not change at all.

An Jie landed, fell, and curled up to protect himself. The basketball fell, hit the net, and the referee's whistle sounded in time!

"Beautiful offense! Successful three-pointer! Ann's sense of the ball is really great. Under such circumstances, he can still hook the basketball."

"Fuck you." Morris came over and pulled Angel up together with Aldridge, but his mouth was not very friendly.

"You taught me this, Morris." An Jie walked to the free throw line, and with just one attack, he chased the point difference to only one point!

After the Thunder's offense, Westbrook broke through and gave Ibaka a chance to dunk. However, what Ibaka did not expect was that Anjie's second take-off would be so fast! Anjie, who jumped up to block the block just because of Westbrook's breakthrough, jumped up again just as soon as he landed, and slapped the basketball out of Ibaka's hands.

Wesley Matthews on the defensive wing just received the basketball. Last season, he could only play the position honestly, but today, the Trail Blazers have a better choice.

I saw a long pass from Matthews, and the basketball flew towards Iguodala who had already rushed forward. After Iguodala received the ball, he had already stepped into the free throw line, and behind him were Westbrook and Sefolosha who were chasing him.

Iguodala knew Westbrook's terrifying athletic ability. After holding the ball, he took two steps in and made a layup, but actually swept beyond the three-point line with his peripheral vision.

Iguodala suddenly threw the ball behind his head, and Derek Fisher appeared in the position where the basketball flew. At this time, the Thunder's fast players all rushed into the penalty area, and all the slow players also entered the three-point line. What Derek Fisher got was an open three-pointer!

Fisher's "shoulder cannon" shooting action reappeared. Perhaps at the age of 38, he no longer had the sharpness of the 0.4-second lore that year. But how could a "big heart" let go of an open three-pointer?

The basketball went into the net, and the Trail Blazers took advantage of the fast break to score three points, instantly turning a four-point lead into a two-point lead!

After chasing for so long in the second quarter, it is finally overtaking now. But everyone in the Trail Blazers will not stop there.

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