The Godfather of Basketball

89 to 82, the Grizzlies played an iconic defense in the fourth quarter, and scored 18 to 15 in a single quarter, but they were unable to close the point difference, and finally lost by 7 points.

The moment the final whistle blew, the audience still found it inconceivable that they lost against the Thunder, which had 9 players without a main force!

But the fact is right in front of our eyes, the players of the Thunder gathered together after the end, encouraged each other, and could feel that they were more like a team than ever.

Middleton was the biggest contributor to the victory in this game. He fully demonstrated his strength on the offensive end. He made 9 of 19 shots, including 4 of 7 three-pointers, and scored a game-high 24 points. This score also set a new record. His NBA career scoring record.

Tucker contributed 14 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists, Kidd had 11 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists, Livingston had 10 points and 3 assists, Brown and Bazemore also scored 8 points each.

The absence of the four minor players and facing a strong opponent is a challenge for the Thunder, but the result of the game shows that this is also an opportunity for role players, and they seized it.

The media after the game also reported the results of the game.

"We have all forgotten that Tang Tian is the king of Taobao. Khris Middleton is the player they won with the 25th pick. This is the player Tang Tian has selected with the highest pick in so many years. Facts have proved that his vision is still unparalleled. "

"In a fierce game, what shocked us was not only Middleton's outstanding performance, but also the Thunder's calm coaching staff. They were very calm about the players' performance, as if they thought These role players should play like this!"

"The Thunder team is more terrifying than all of us imagined. A fight is not a challenge for this team at all, but an experience. When the main force returns, they will become even more terrifying, or their strength will be stronger than that of the Eastern Conference. A stronger Heat team!"

...

After being slapped in the face by Tang Tian N times, these media have all learned how to do it this time, and they can blow it up as much as they can.

Although there are many facts in those contents, it is rare to tell the truth.

However, there are always people who are unwilling to be left alone. FOX Sports chose to compromise last time, but now it can't help but jump out.

"One game can only show that the Grizzlies are not in shape, but the Thunder just happen to be in shape. Too many one-game theories are proved to be wrong in the end. Maybe the trouble will come in the next game."

After the away game with the Grizzlies, the Thunder returned to Oklahoma City, and they will face the New Jersey Nets two days later.

Since the disintegration of the Trident, the record of the Nets has plummeted, and they missed the playoffs for five consecutive years. Until two years ago, the new owner Prokhov was fed up with the team's messy situation and began to make big signings. The Trail Blazers and Hawks traded for Deron Williams, Gerald Wallace and Joe Johnson, and their record has finally improved this season.

They are currently ranked fourth in the Eastern Conference, basically locking a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

It's just that this position is not stable yet. The Bulls and Eagles behind them are chasing after them. If they want to gain an advantage in the playoffs, they must win more victories in the remaining seasons.

Facing the remnant Thunder is their very good opportunity.

When the reporter interviewed before the game, the team core Deron Williams also expressed his willingness to win the game: We are here to win the game.

Back at the home court, the momentum of the Thunder players was significantly higher. During the opening ceremony, everyone seemed very excited.

For the Nets, Deron Williams and Joe Johnson were on the perimeter, Gerald Wallace and Reggie Evans were on the front line, and Brook Lopez was the center.

For the Thunder, Bazemore, who performed well in the last game, replaced Sefolosha in the starting lineup. The other four positions are still Kidd, Middleton, Tucker and Brown.

Brown jumped to win the ball for the home team, and Kidd took the ball to the frontcourt.

The last time Middleton showed his power, the Nets obviously made targeted defenses against him. Not only Gerald Wallace was close to marking, but Joe Johnson was also ready to double-team at any time.

However, the Thunder's offense was not the same as on the field. They opened up space to create opportunities for Middleton. They have changed their tactics.

Tucker and Brown are creating space for Bazemore.

Compared with Sefoloza, Bazemore is not superior in terms of defensive ability, three-point shooting, and even experience, but he has one thing that Sefoloza cannot compare to, that is, the ability to attack with the ball .

This is also the only guard with this ability in the 9-man Thunder.

Bazemore used the pick-and-roll air cut to catch Kidd with the ball and go straight to the basket.

Lopez is a center with strong offense and weak defense, and he was passed by a few steps after the pick-and-roll.

Bazemore drove the ball to the rim before Evans could help.

Looking back at the Nets' offense, Deron and Lopez's pick-and-roll burst to the basket.

The Thunder shrank directly to the free throw line.

Deron points to outside Joe Johnson, who misses a three-pointer and the rebound is accepted by Brown.

Every team has its own weaknesses, but most of these weaknesses are difficult to transfer to the field without in-depth research.

The absence of the four minors forced the Thunder to do so.

This Nets team has excellent strength on paper, but its weaknesses are obvious.

The center's ability to protect the basket is extremely poor, and there is almost no outside three-point ability in the offense.

From the opening two rounds, it can be seen that all of these were played by the Thunder.

And back at home, the Thunder's young players are working hard on the field, playing aggressively on both ends of the offense and defense.

Deron's breakthroughs are always like entering a swamp. Johnson's backs are always double-teamed by Tucker. Even if Lopez wants to drop low, it is difficult to do so. Moreover, the Thunder emphasizes defensive counterattacks in this game. Once the Nets The team didn't score, and Bazemore and Middleton pierced into the Nets' hinterland like sharp knives.

The head coach of the Nets, PJ Carlesimo, yelled anxiously on the sidelines, but he couldn't stop the Thunder's wave after wave of counterattacks.

The Thunder did play a different game. Instead of stalemate with their opponents at halftime as in the last game, they used a defensive counterattack to beat the Nets 27 to 16 in the first quarter.

If you hadn't seen it with your own eyes, it would be hard to imagine that this is the 9-man Thunder with all the main players absent!

In the end, the Nets played by the Thunder were in a state of confusion and beat their opponents 97 to 81, winning two consecutive victories.

Middleton was limited in this game and only scored 13 points and 4 rebounds, but Bazemore scored a career-high 18 points, Tucker had 12 points and 4 assists, and Livingston and Collison both came off the bench. Contributing 14 points, the Thunder team played more blooming.

"This is the Thunder team that is cheating!"

The main players are absent, and they have defeated strong opponents. After the game, the media can only use such comments to describe the Thunder team.