super heavy artillery

Chapter 707 Ups and Downs
After the end of the first quarter, the two sides were basically in an even situation.Under Gasol's outburst, the Raptors chased back the Thunder's point difference in the final stage.

In the second quarter, the situation of the game did not change much.Whether it is the substitute or the main force, whether it is the Raptors or the Thunder, they have not played a one-sided offense.

In the beginning, Nurse only left one of Siakam's main players on the court.After all, players such as Gasol Jr., Danny Green, and Lowry played almost the entire first quarter, exhausting a lot of energy.Leonard got a lot of rest time in the first quarter. He basically played and ended at the same time as Paul George.Now that Paul George doesn't play, Nas doesn't let Leonard play.However, the player who played better was not Siakam.Ibaka and Van Fleet carried the Raptors' offense inside and out.For the remaining two players, Powell is barely quite satisfactory, and McCaw basically has no sense of presence.

For the Thunder, Donovan put both An Luo and Grant on the court.Basically, the Thunder's possession of the ball was concentrated in An Luo's hands. He did play a very good offense, but it didn't have a big impact on the overall situation of the game.Especially for shots from beyond the three-point line, Van Vleet can always return a goal when An Luo makes a goal.

However, although Donovan's inner expectations were not achieved, the final situation was not worse.At least, when the main players of both sides returned to the game one after another, the Thunder still maintained a 5-point lead.For the Thunder, which has always played a strong offense in the third quarter, this situation is completely acceptable.

Looking at the Thunder's performance throughout the season, the third quarter is undoubtedly their strongest stage.A third of their games came in the third quarter.Among them, the games that took the lead in the first half accounted for only a small part.

The third quarter was a period of time that all teams that played against the Thunder were very afraid of.Of course, for Thunder fans, as soon as the second half of the game starts, all worries will disappear.The Thunder themselves are brimming with confidence.After all, defeating opponents in the third quarter is a rhythm they are quite familiar with.Unfortunately, the Thunder did not perform well.They were caught off guard by the Raptors early in the third quarter.

In the second half, both the Thunder and the Raptors were the main players.After a rest period of about [-] minutes, the players had regained enough stamina to gear up for a big fight.

The Raptors took the lead in attacking.Lowry took the ball from the baseline to the top of the key and stopped.He wasn't in a hurry to break through, the Thunder's line of defense had already been built, and rushing in blindly would easily put him in a helpless situation.After thinking for a while, Lowry lobbed the ball to Gasol Jr. standing under the basket, and then went straight into the left elbow from the free throw line.At this time, Danny Green, who was originally on the left, immediately took a step forward and made a pick-and-roll.Lowry used this cover to get rid of Westbrook and pull him to the bottom corner.At the same time, Gasol under the basket tried a few times, but was still not sure to score the ball under Adams' defense, so he simply passed the ball back to Lowry.The space in the bottom corner is too small, and Danny Green alone can block a comfortable shooting space for Lowry.Lowry shot immediately after receiving the ball, and his position had already been adjusted.

"Shh!"

The ball went in!This is actually a very simple cooperation, as long as the three people participating in the attack have a tacit understanding with each other, it can be completed.Of course, the more important thing is to be able to invest.

The score narrowed further, but the Thunder had the right to attack and they could respond.

Looking back, Westbrook passed Lowry beyond the three-point line, but instead of rushing in, he took a step back to the left. After pulling away from Lowry, he pulled up and shot the ball.Such a hasty way of attack caught everyone by surprise!You know, in this season, Westbrook rarely shoots three-pointers.Especially when An Luo and Paul George are on the court, he hardly shoots outside the three-point line.It's not that he can't make three-pointers.His three-point shot is okay, just too inconsistent.When the hand feels good, not to mention a hundred hits, six to seven out of ten are very common.But when the hand feels bad, no matter how you shoot, you won't make it.

Tonight, Westbrook didn't feel good.

The basketball was thrown to the edge of the basket, bounced high, and was snatched away by Gasol Jr.Then, he raised his hands and threw the ball to Siakam outside the three-point line.The latter shot the ball forward and rushed towards the penalty area.

Grant retreated quickly, and Paul George followed closely behind Siakam.But the latter didn't panic. He controlled the ball steadily and rushed to the free throw line. He protected the basketball with his right arm and stretched out his left arm to block Grant.Paul George followed suit, jumping high and slapping the basketball with his right hand.

"Snapped!"

If Paul George caught the basketball, it was a perfect defense.It's a pity that Siakam suddenly stretched his hand up and "sent" it directly to Paul George.At this time, it is impossible for Paul George to take his hand back. He can only use greater strength to prevent the opponent from hitting two plus one.

"Di!"

The whistle sounded, Siakam walked to the free throw line, and under the boos of the sky, he made two free throws.

Subsequently, Westbrook broke through and scored a layup.But this time the score did not fully release the Thunder's offensive firepower. After the Raptors improved their defense, it caused a lot of trouble for the Thunder.Of course, the Thunder's defense is equally tough.But the Raptors' offense has not been greatly affected.They've always been able to score the ball no matter what.

For a game, as long as the difference in strength is not particularly large, ups and downs are perfectly normal.What's more, when both sides are in a situation where they can win the championship as long as they win the game, everyone will do their best.

One ebbs and another ebbs and flows, and the situation takes a turn for the worse.The little score that the Thunder had originally led was quickly wiped out by the opponent, and they took the lead.When Leonard made an ultra-long three-pointer from the three-point line with the cover of Gasol, the Thunder's trailing score broke through to double digits for the first time.

Donovan finally called a timeout.At this time, he had to interrupt the opponent's rhythm.But how to adjust to make the Thunder's offense play out is not an easy task.

(End of this chapter)