756: Two troubles
During the game stage, Jordan Jr. expressed his determination to win with his terrible bounce.
Although his height and wingspan are not as high as Gasol, Jordan Jr. still used his athletic ability to fill these disadvantages.
Jordan Jr. was really angry. He still remembered that last season, he also faced the Grizzlies, and Gasol Jr. stole his best defensive player. In the playoffs, Jordan Jr. also tried his best to face Gasol.
This season, Gasol Jr. has never made the top five in the prediction of the best defensive player. DeAndrew Jordan thought he would definitely be stable this time.
Little did they know that the Best Defensive Player Award was stolen by the Grizzlies players for the second consecutive year!
Anyone who is angry if he is ruined by the same opponent for two consecutive years will be angry.
Last year, Jordan Jr. lost to Gasol in the selection of the best defensive player and in the playoffs. But this year, Jordan Jr. thinks he is completely different.
He thinks he has made a lot of progress, and has undergone earth-shaking changes compared to last year. So this year, Jordan Jr. also thinks he will not lose anymore!
Whether it is Gasol or Link, as long as they dare to enter the penalty area, Jordan Jr. promises that he will definitely want them to look good!
After the Clippers won the basketball, Chris Paul immediately entered attack mode.
Paul's scoring is very strong today. As a point guard who has always been based on the principle of "passing first", Paul wants to put the score first today.
If you say that you want the Grizzlies to pay the price, you must not just talk.
Paul called Griffin to cover outside the three-point line, while Redick and Barnes respectively pulled to the bottom corners on both sides, not giving Grizzlies players a chance to defend Paul.
I have to say that since Doug Rivers joined the Clippers, the Clippers' tactical strategies have been much better than those during Denagro's coaching period.
It is actually more of a joke to say that Rivers is just a "chicken soup coach". He is still a bit real.
Paul was very fast, and after bypassing the pick-and-roll, he jumped into the three-point line like a bullet!
Since Griffin also shoots mid-range shots now, Randolph dares not let Griffin go, so he did not switch to Paul's defense.
Conley tried his best to chase back, but Paul suddenly stopped at half a step inside the free throw line and then jumped!
Paul completed the entire action very smoothly and quickly, and did not give Conley a chance to react at all.
Conley rushed over because of inertia. When he turned around and blocked it, it was too late.
"brush!"
Paul's mid-range emergency stop jump shot is pleasing to the eye. As long as he sees him taking it easy, basketball will basically be able to make it.
In the first attack at the beginning, Paul scored a goal based on his personal ability. After scoring the goal, he couldn't help but look at Link.
What team with the best defensive efficiency in the league, what's the best defensive player... Today, he is going to destroy all these titles of the Grizzlies!
When the Grizzlies attacked, cheers in the Federal Express Arena immediately rang out.
As the defending champion, the home atmosphere of the Grizzlies is definitely not to be said. Just hearing this sound is enough to make the home team players' adrenaline soar.
After receiving the basketball, Link fought with Conley again, teasing the Clippers' defense.
When everyone's attention is focused on Link, Conley's sudden ball breakout often achieves miraculous results.
Link is different from Paul, and he is not in a hurry to score himself. After all, he doesn't need to prove himself urgently.
Conley easily threw away the match and jumped up to make a layup. In the stands, countless fans had raised their arms to celebrate the goal.
But just as Conley just started to jump, Jordan, who was originally pulled to the middle distance by Gasol, quickly returned to the basket!
Then, he was like a mountain that suddenly rose into the air, completely covering the thin Conley!
Jordan Jr. waved his thick arm hard and fanned Conley's basketball raised up directly out of the baseline! Because of inertia, Jordan Jordan also knocked Conley away in the air.
Conley is 1.85,79 kilograms tall. Jordan hits him like a big truck hitting a chick.
In the end, Conley was blown out of the baseline by Jordan Jr. Since Jordan Jr. first encountered the basketball and then met someone, the referee did not call the foul.
For the first time in the opening defense, Jordan Jr.'s rough and domineering blocking seemed to instantly pull people back to the era when the big center dominated the league!
"A beautiful block, for a guy like DeAndrew, his movement ability is really amazing! He was obviously pulled to the middle distance by Gasol, but he quickly retreated to the basket and completed the defense! Jordan Jr. ranked third in the best defensive player evaluation this year, second only to the award-winning Link and the Bulls' Noah. Now it seems that his defensive ability cannot be underestimated."
Jeff Van Gundy, a guy who has coached two great centers, Ewing and Yao Ming, was inexplicably excited when he saw this scene. Has the big man’s dominance over the penalty area been seen in many years?
Jordan Jr. slammed his chest twice to celebrate the cover.
Link rushed to Conley and pulled him up.
"Is it okay?"
"You can still fight!" Conley replied gritting his teeth.
"Be careful, the entire Clippers team was infused with blood today." Link patted Conley on the shoulder and then re-entered the attack.
Link was still calm and seemed not to be fooled by Jordan's "violent law enforcement".
Paul believes that Link is just pretending to be calm, because this will happen if Link enters the penalty area later! Link knows this very well.
The Grizzlies' second attack, Randolph defended by Griffin in a low post.
It has to be admitted that the Clippers have indeed made great progress compared to previous years. Last season's playoffs, the Grizzlies defeated the Clippers without any blood. Jordan Jr. and Griffin, two inside players, were as young as a three-year-old in front of the Black and White Bears.
But this year, both Jordan and Griffin have matured a lot. This can be easily seen from the defensive perspective.
The Grizzlies' offense failed to score in the first leg, which made the Clippers players even more excited.
Paul quickly advanced with the ball and bravely leaned against Conley into the penalty area. Gasol Jr. had to make up for defense at the basket when he saw this, but Paul finally defeated Conley and Gasol at the same time with a throw!
You know, Conley and Gasol were both selected for the best defensive team last season. Paul's offensive form today is obvious.
Paul scored four points in a row and played the momentum that the league's first point guard should have.
After scoring the goal, Paul quickly retreated. When he passed by Link, he naturally had to squirt about Link.
"The 74 win will be your biggest shame, because you will be eliminated in the Western Conference semifinals!"
Paul's mouth is famous for being broken, and many people cannot tolerate Paul's trash talk. For example, Rondo, who is also the trash talk king.
But Link had no feeling of Paul's abuse, and such trash words were really too unreasonable.
After two rounds of attack, the score became 4-0. The Los Angeles Clippers not only have a lot of anger, but also have a great improvement in tactical cultivation, maturity and strength compared to last season.
The Clippers are one of the few teams that have defeated the Grizzlies in the regular season this year. Although the record of 1 win and 3 losses is not good, they have beaten the Grizzlies at least once.
And one surprising statistic is that Link, who averaged 29 points this season, scored less than 20 points against the Clippers twice.
But that's not because Link was so defensive that he couldn't score, but because Link often didn't have to exert force, the rest of the Grizzlies were enough to kill the Clippers!
Today, the Clippers look stronger than they did in the regular season. The tiebreak battle with the Rockets may indeed have pushed the Clippers' limit.
So today, just work hard...
"Mike, I'll do the next attack." So just after Conley received the bottom line, Link shouted at his All-Star teammate.
Then, Link's eyes passed by Paul and fell on Jordan Jr.
Today, Paul and Jordan Jr. are the two biggest troubles on the field, because they were the worst angry with Link's picture last night.
Link decided to defeat them one by one.
Chapter completed!