The Way of the Center

"We may become the best team in the East, or even the best team in the league! As long as we train harder and unite together, we can take this team to the next level." In an interview after the game, Walk Orlando shooting guard Lance Stevenson said.

While the Blazers beat the Lakers, the Pacers had just wrapped up their battle, and the dudes had a clean 48-minute win over another team also from Los Angeles.

100 to 105, the Pacers successfully defeated the ambitious Clippers. The strength of this Eastern upstart has made everyone have to face them squarely.

"For tomorrow's game, what are your thoughts and preparations? How will you deal with the powerful Trail Blazers?" The reporters continued to ask Stevenson. This guy always speaks very directly. Maybe, they Maybe some explosive information can be obtained from this defender.

"The Trail Blazers are very strong. The Heat beat us in the playoffs last season, and the Trail Blazers beat the Heat. Ainge is a great player. It was because of his goals last season that the Trail Blazers won. Championship. But..." Stevenson changed his tone. "No matter how strong the opponent is, we are very happy to wrestle with each other. You know, this season, we are also one of the best teams in the league!"

Stevenson did not disappoint the reporters. Tomorrow's battle has not yet started, and Stevenson's words made the game full of gunpowder.

Stevenson is not arrogant. After defeating the Clippers, the Pacers' record has become 16 wins and 1 loss. There is only a slight gap of one win between them and the Blazers who have maintained a complete victory. Only lost one game at the beginning of the new season, which is already a very remarkable achievement.

It's no wonder that Rickard will strictly control the playing time of the starting five tigers today. Tomorrow's hard fight is the moment when the Trail Blazers must go all out to win.

The two teams are playing back-to-back games, and both teams are currently the teams with the best records in the league. This early December duel is destined to turn into a bloody war.

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Ricard has not racked his brains for a game for a long time. So far this season, except for the San Antonio Spurs and the Houston Rockets with a "modern" combination, the Blazers have not encountered any strong opponents.

But this time, Ricard must take this opponent from Indiana seriously to avoid capsizing the gutter.

The Trail Blazers have one more win than the Pacers, but it doesn't mean they must be stronger than the Pacers. Paul George's growth has exceeded everyone's expectations, and Roy Hibbert has gradually matured.

David West? This guy is going to be very active on offense. Coupled with Luis Scola introduced by the Pacers this summer, the Pacers' bench firepower will also be greatly improved.

There is no doubt about the strength of the Pacers, so Ricard brought the players to the locker room early today to make some arrangements before the battle. Only by ensuring that they do not make mistakes, they have a chance to beat the Pacers.

"Our offense today must be patient enough. The Pacers are the team that ranks first in defensive efficiency so far this season. That's right, first! Our defensive efficiency can only rank second. Especially in the Outside the three-point line and under the basket, they restricted the opponent's three-point shots this season to the second fewest in the league, and restricted the opponent's three-point shooting rate to only a pitiful 32.7%. And at the basket, David West and Roy Hibbert is both very good frame protectors, and these two guys are also very mature in switching defenses. It is not easy to break through their defense!" Before the game, Ricard first gave the players Emphasizes the opponent's defense. This is a very rare situation, because usually, no team can defend better than the Trail Blazers. But this time, things are different.

"But their defense in the mid-range is the weakest point. Now many teams have almost abandoned the offensive method of mid-range shots. They either shoot three-pointers or go straight to the basket. But we will not , Although the mid-range shot is not gorgeous and quite basic, it is definitely a very efficient offensive method. More opportunities are sought in the mid-range, and the Pacers' defense will be powerful and useless!"

The locker room of the home team in the Moda Center hadn't been so tense for a long time. The players listened carefully to Ricard's arrangements, and An Jie also put away his previous arrogant attitude.

Facing other teams, Anjie is really confident that he can win the game as long as he plays. But in the face of the Blazers, I have to admit that even Anjie, the double MVP of last season, can't guarantee that he will definitely win the opponent.

The Pacers roster may not look flashy, but this group of guys, like the Blazers, likes to win as a team.

And the Pacers team is definitely the top existence in the league.

At the same time, at the visiting team's training ground, the Pacers, who came to Portland early, have already had an hour of free training.

After an hour of training, Paul George, a fan of Anjie, was drenched in sweat. When he was standing on the sidelines of the training ground in the Moda Center for an interview, beads of sweat rolled down Paul George's head in clusters.

Paul George's standing position is very interesting, because behind him is a huge poster of An Jie, and in his upper left corner is a fake championship pennant hanging in the training ground.

Half a year ago, this young swingman almost overturned the Big Three of the Heat. And the powerful Heat had to change tactics against him.

It can be said that George has transformed from an unknown rookie with an unsatisfactory draft to the next superstar.

This season, George's progress is very obvious. This all-around attacker has a greater grasp on the offensive end, and there are no offensive dead ends.

If you only talk about offense, this guy is at best the next Rudy Gay. But George's defense is as good as his offense.

Last season, he was also one of the contenders for the best defensive player award. Being able to compete for this award also shows George's contribution to the team on the defensive end.

The camera focused on this young swingman, he showed his white teeth to the reporters, every time he played against Anjie, George would be extra excited.

People are looking forward to whether this young man who appeared to defeat James can trip An Jie!

"How do you feel, George?" An ordinary question made more than a dozen microphones appear on George's lips in an instant.

"Pickled Pepper" licked his dry lips. He hasn't had any water after training for so long.

"It feels great to be able to play on a championship court!"

"The Blazers are currently undefeated, how about it? Are you going to give the Blazers a surprise?"

"Anjie is my idol. To be honest, I don't want to see them lose. But if the Blazers insist on losing, I hope they lose to me, to the Pacers!" George did not forget his love for Anjie Love, when he was hit because of the unsatisfactory draft pick, he ate and waited to die on the Indiana bench. It was Anjie's story that inspired this guy.

Since then, he has become as diligent as An Jie, and as unwilling to succumb to fate as An Jie.

He trains hard, and he bravely challenges those enemies who are stronger than himself on the basketball court. So now, he has become a Paul George who makes the entire league fearful.

"Beating the person you like is the dream of every NBA player. Therefore, no matter how difficult the process is, I am ready to fight to the end with Anjie! Yes, to the end. Before the last second, I will I will not give up the game!" Paul George's last words undoubtedly aroused the interest of the reporters.

One had no formal basketball training before high school, and the other was a mischievous kid on the streets. A player who played in a low-level university for two years, but couldn't even play in a high-level league like the NCAA. A player who was drafted 10th overall to get disappointed looks and boos from Pacers fans. In a rookie season, he played on and off, averaging only 7+3 players per game.

The heart of such a guy is stronger than everyone else imagined. He said that he would fight to the death with An Jie, and he would definitely do the same when he played later.

With the right amount of hype, the ratings for this game are sure to be the best of the day!

Of course, if An Jie heard Paul say such a thing, he would not be happy. Because this indicates that today's battle will be more difficult than I imagined.

When two guys who are unwilling to give up and have the same strong heart confront each other on the field, the outcome of the game will often be very bumpy.

Are you ready? An Jie, what you are about to face is a guy who is as difficult as you!

Both Anjie and George walked out of the training ground. Now, they are going to warm up for this doomed and anxious game...