Grab Curry at the start

Chapter 355
"Westbrook's shooting ... is just unspeakable, he's not like that."

"Westbrook fell into the defensive trap of the Timberwolves, and his shooting percentage was too low."

"Thunder changed players, and the lineup became one big and four small."

"The Timberwolves' offense also encountered difficulties. At the beginning of the second half, the defensive intensity of both sides increased to an unbelievable level. Fortunately... Curry still hit a three-pointer."

"Oh, Perkins has fouled four times, I don't know what the Thunder's next option is?"

The Timberwolves' strategy was extremely successful in the first game of the Western Conference Finals. Westbrook is a very energetic player. He saw that the Timberwolves' defense was deliberately giving him outside opportunities, and his choice was to shoot decisively.

If the shooting rate is higher, Westbrook can definitely force the Timberwolves to change their defensive strategy, but he is only showing his strength now.

The Timberwolves have used this trick against many players. Most players will choose to back down and give the ball to their teammates. Westbrook is fearless, but sometimes it is a double-edged sword.

However, after Harden played, the Thunder still stabilized the situation.

Harden was the Thunder's strongest player in the first half, much worse than Westbrook, but by the second half, Harden had adjusted and was a bit slower than Durant, but he was indeed a player who could shoot.

Harden's improved touch is of tactical significance to the Thunder.

With him, the Timberwolves' defense will be in trouble. They can't completely lock Durant or Westbrook will take more shots from the outside. They can only do half at most now.

However, not long after the Thunder stabilized the situation, Perkins ended up with a foul problem.

The Thunder play one big and four small, and Perkins is really the most suitable insider in the team, because the tonnage can withstand it.

It's good for Ibaka to help defend, but if he hits five, he won't be able to withstand any insider of the Timberwolves.

So after Perkins left the field, Thunder coach Brooks did not immediately put Ibaka on the top, but Collison, hoping that the team could play more flexibly and overtake the score with a wave of counterattacks.

However, expectations are often the opposite of reality.

The Thunder's small lineup did not achieve very good results on the offensive end, but it was blown up by the Timberwolves' big and four small lineups.

The Timberwolves' combination of backcourt and wing players is really useful to choose.

When the Thunder couldn't stand the inside line, they didn't just lose the inside line.

The Timberwolves combine inside and outside, break through and divide the ball, and their shooting percentage from the outside is much better than that of the Thunder.

In this case, even if Durant plays on the court without rest, the Thunder can only watch the Timberwolves gradually control the rhythm of the game.

Three minutes after the start of the final quarter, Thunder coach Brooks saw that the score gap between the two sides was about to widen again, approaching double digits, and immediately replaced Perkins.

In order to chase points, Ibaka, who performed well on the defensive end, did not have a chance to play.

Ibaka's defense is excellent, and the offense is better than Perkins, but because he has no tonnage and three-pointers, he can only sit on the sidelines and worry.

This also reflects the strength of the Timberwolves from the side. The Thunder can't play what they are best at in the face of them. They can only use their tricks to resist the Timberwolves' attack.

Halfway through the final quarter, the Thunder were still 9 points behind, and they felt the pressure.

The Timberwolves are too stable on both ends of the offense and defense, and they didn't find any opportunities throughout the game.

Now that time is running out, Thunder can only put all their eggs in one basket.

At the critical moment, Durant was also desperate, causing Paul George to bear the fourth foul, and the Timberwolves had to let Leonard come up for a while.

But because of the Timberwolves' strict defense against Durant, it is actually much more difficult for him to get opportunities on the offensive end.

On the defensive end, Durant has actually made four fouls because of the need to limit Love.

Unlike the Timberwolves, the Thunder don't have a good rotation player to top them off.

Perkins has committed five fouls, but he can only bite the bullet and stay on the court.

With DeRozan's 2+1 success in Sefolosha's singles, the Timberwolves led to double digits.

So, the Thunder began to choose to shoot three-pointers wildly.

Durant missed, but Harden made one.

In the case of flanking Durant, the defense against Harden is only average, and Harden's ability is obviously more than that. He seized some opportunities.

After Harden hit a three-pointer, Westbrook also hit.

In the last few minutes, the Thunder came to a little feeling, and their fans also saw hope again.

The score gap between the two teams returned to single digits, and Zhang Sixin also called a timeout, not because he was worried that the Thunder would explode, but because he habitually interrupted the opponent's attack.

As the head coach, there must have been some reactions on the spot. Seeing that the opponent's momentum did not indicate that he was absolutely unqualified.

After the timeout, Harden really missed the shot, but the Timberwolves' offense was not so smooth.

Time quickly came to the last minute, and the Timberwolves led by 1 points.

No accidents happened, they were about to win this game, so the Thunder only had one choice left.

The Timberwolves' offense and the Thunder's defense are very tight.

However, Curry still took a step ahead, relying on his speed to squeeze past the Thunder players who were about to close the door.

Durant stepped up to help and picked up his fifth foul.

Curry made two free throws, and the score made the opponent even more desperate.

But the Thunder didn't give up yet. Harden hit a three-pointer again. This time he hit the defense, and he has initially demonstrated the potential of a superstar.

But the game time was not enough, the Timberwolves began to control the time, and the Thunder had to choose foul tactics.

With Harden hitting a three-pointer again, his performance has been amazing.

If it wasn't for the lack of time, Zhang Sixin would have considered flanking Harden and giving others a chance to shoot.

Yes, it was too late for Harden to break out at this time. His two consecutive three-pointers did not help the Thunder narrow the score gap to within 5 points.

The Thunder then tried their best to prevent Curry from receiving the ball and fouled Love.

It's a pity that Love didn't pull his hips when he stood at the free throw line, and then the Thunder still shot a three-pointer. After the miss, the game ended directly, and the Timberwolves won the first game of the Western Conference Finals.

After the game, Thunder coach Brooks took the responsibility for the loss. He thought it was a mistake to use a small lineup in the second half. He said: "Every decision you make, if it doesn't develop as you expected, you will ask yourself, why do you do that? I really hope that Ibaka will play at the critical time."

Westbrook said: "Chasing points is very difficult, especially in the away game. But we are a tenacious team, and I hope we can show enough willpower."

Durant also said: "We lost the first game, but it doesn't mean we won't win the second game. I hope we can win the next game. We must go all out and concentrate."

(End of this chapter)