On April 20, 2012, the Warriors ushered in the challenge of the Thunder at Oracle Arena.

At this point in the season, each team has only four or five games left to play.

Although the playoff spots and final rankings have not yet been determined, there is little possibility of changing the positions of most teams.

The Bulls' first position in the Eastern Conference is basically okay.

Although Rose is absent, the Bulls continue to win with their excellent defense.

Even if they lose one or two games, it is due to the opponent's extraordinary performance and has nothing to do with the Bulls themselves.

Under the leadership of Thibodeau, the Bulls are very cohesive and the players work hard.

Regardless of whether Rose is here or not, you can trust the Bulls. Such a team will have no problems in the regular season.

Of course, if Rose never comes back, the Bulls will be in danger in the playoffs.

Because the playoffs are the stage for superstars!

The Heat are second in the Eastern Conference. They are four games behind the Bulls. With four or five games left in the season, it is basically impossible for the Heat to surpass the Bulls.

The third place in the Eastern Conference is the Pacers. They introduced David West in the offseason. This transaction is very important to them.

David West has good defense and a very stable mid-range shot on the offensive end. Most importantly, David West has a calm and resolute personality and is a very competent locker room leader.

Only when the locker room is harmonious can a team have cohesion.

And experienced veterans play a very important role in the locker room.

In addition, the Pacers and Spurs traded George Hill during the offseason, and his presence has a great role in supplementing the strength of the Pacers' bench.

With a good starting lineup and a strong bench, the Pacers have suddenly emerged this season and have firmly occupied the third position in the Eastern Conference.

Fourth to eighth in the Eastern Conference are the Celtics, Hawks, Magic, Knicks, and 76ers respectively.

Each of these teams has its own problems, and the gap between them is not big. Although the season is coming to an end, the competition for ranking is still fierce.

The ninth team in the Eastern Conference is the Bucks. They are 4 games behind the eighth-place 76ers. With 4 games left, the Bucks have no hope of the playoffs.

The number one player in the Western Conference is the Warriors. They have only lost 4 games so far and have the best record in the league. They have already secured the number one spot in the Western Conference.

The second in the Western Conference is the Spurs. Their current record is 47 wins and 15 losses. Like the Bulls, the Spurs rank second in the league due to their small points advantage.

The third place in the Western Conference is the Thunder, whose current record is 44 wins and 18 losses.

At this stage of the season, it is impossible for the Thunder to catch up with the Spurs.

Similarly, there is a 6-game difference between the Lakers and the Thunder, who are fourth in the Western Conference, and there is no possibility of overtaking.

However, the gap between the Grizzlies, Clippers, and Lakers, who are fifth and sixth in the Western Conference, is very small. The winning or losing of each game may change the ranking.

The Nuggets and Mavericks are seventh and eighth in the Western Conference. There is a two-game difference between the two teams. It will be difficult for the Mavericks to overtake.

The Jazz, who are ninth in the Western Conference, have the same record as the Mavericks, but they are ranked ninth because of their disadvantage in the matchup.

There is a two-game difference between the tenth-placed Rockets and the Jazz, and there is basically no possibility of the playoffs.

There is no pressure on the Warriors and Thunder in today's game because neither team is pursuing record.

But when it comes to the Warriors, there is really no pressure, but the Thunder is different.

The Warriors are the defending champions and have won two championships in a row. Their current record is incredible and they don't need to prove themselves.

The Thunder are different. They are a young team. Although they have a bright future, the team is not stable and has never made it out of the Western Conference. They still need to prove themselves.

How to prove yourself?

The playoffs are about defeating your opponents, and the regular season is about defeating strong teams!

Winning a few games against weak teams in the regular season is not as good as defeating a strong team.

Which team is the best in the league right now?

Of course a warrior!

The Warriors have only lost four games this season, and among them, the Bulls are a strong team.

Rose also missed the game due to injury in the loss to the Bulls.

In other words, whenever they encounter a strong team, the Warriors never fail!

If you want to prove yourself, the best way is to defeat the Warriors!

Although the outcome of this game has no impact on the ranking, all members of the Thunder team gave 100% energy!

The game got into a fever pitch right from the start. Both teams tried their best, hugging each other and getting stuck. Every possession of the ball was fiercely fought for, and referee whistles kept ringing.

I have to say that the Thunder are still very strong.

The Thunder's starting lineup is Westbrook, Durant, Safolosha, Ibaka, and Perkins.

Westbrook, Durant, and Ibaka have excellent athletic ability, Safolosha has rich defensive experience, and Perkins is a bad guy, standing in the penalty area is still a great threat on the defensive end.

The Thunder's starting lineup is very strong, and most teams have a headache.

But the Warriors are not afraid.

On the offensive end, Perkins is just a rough guy, without any threat, and on the defensive end, there is nothing he can do against Yao Ming, who has three-pointers.

As for Westbrook, just let him vote!

Others don't know it, but Deng Fang knows very well that the best way to deal with Westbrook is to let him shoot!

Especially for three-pointers, as long as Westbrook stands outside the three-point line, just pretend he doesn't exist.

The more Westbrook takes shots outside, the fewer Durant takes, and the easier it is for the opponent!

Westbrook has no three-pointers, Perkins is completely useless on the offensive end, Ibaka doesn't have much shooting ability at this time, and Safolosha's three-pointers are not reliable. This Thunder team is not terrible.

Once the Thunder's starting lineup was announced, the Warriors' defense became very easy.

Shrink, shrink, shrink again!

Yao Ming stood in the penalty area, and Kirilenko was also waiting near the free throw line. Except for Prince, who kept staring at Durant, Curry and Clay were both two steps inside the three-point line!

If Durant doesn't have the ball in his hand, Prince will follow him alone. If Durant attacks with the ball, then everyone in the Warriors will be staring at Durant!

To put it bluntly, it means one stare at the four links.

Just bully you for not having an outstanding shooter on the outside, and bully you for not having enough space on the court!

Westbrook's three-point shooting percentage is only 27.71%, Ibaka's three-point shooting percentage is only 25%, and Safolosha's three-point shooting percentage is only 32.7%!

With the addition of Perkins to these three people on the court, the Warriors' defense will not be too easy.

After missing three wide-open three-pointers in a row, Westbrook became anxious, picked up the ball and rushed to the penalty area.

The result is no surprise, as long as they come to the penalty area, Yao Ming and Kirilenko will take care of them!

He is so much taller than you, waiting for you to come in in the restricted area,

No matter how good your jumping is or how great your physical fitness is, it’s useless!

The Thunder's offense is not smooth, but the Warriors are raining three-pointers.

Five minutes into the first quarter, the Thunder fell behind by 10 points.

Thunder coach Brooks quickly called a timeout.

After the timeout, the Thunder replaced Harden and Fisher, and replaced Westbrook and Perkins.

Suddenly the Thunder had space on the court.

Harden's three-point shooting percentage is as high as 41%, and Fisher's three-point shooting percentage is also 37.5%. These two are still very reliable.

The Thunder can finally compete with the Warriors.

After another two minutes of play in the first quarter, the point difference between the two teams narrowed to 8 points.

It seems that the Thunder have found the feeling and the game is a little more suspenseful.

Unexpectedly, during a breakthrough, Durant sprained his ankle and had no choice but to withdraw from the game.

Without Durant, Brooks had to bring Westbrook up again.

Misfortune never comes singly. After Westbrook came up, he collided with Ibaka during a breakthrough, twisted his knee and exited the game.

Suddenly the burden of the Thunder's offensive end fell on James Harden.

This situation has never happened before!

Thunder head coach Brooks also made a big move. He brought in shooter Dwyane Cook, plus Fisher, Safolosha and Ibaka to give Harden a highly offensive lineup.

Although Ibaka can't shoot well at this time, he is extremely athletic and poses a great threat to the basket after picking and rolling with Harden.

Brooks placed his bet on Harden, and Harden did not live up to the coach's expectations and performed very well.

Breakthroughs, three-pointers, drawing fouls, passing the ball to assist teammates in scoring, Harden organized the Thunder's offense in an orderly manner.

Seeing both Durant and Westbrook exit the game, the Warriors players suddenly relaxed, and the Thunder took the opportunity to even the score!

Deng Fang quickly called a timeout.

Others don't know how powerful Harden is, but Deng Fang does.
To be continued...