super heavy artillery

Chapter 873 Ups and Downs
The entire November schedule is quite difficult for the Thunder.Before that, apart from the Spurs and Bucks, Daigo, Magic and Warriors were all heading for the lottery.In the 11 games that have ended, although the Thunder lost one game, they won all that should be won.

As the Spurs lost the game against the Celtics, the Thunder once again reversed and reached the top of the West.However, the Lakers and Nuggets behind them are very close. These two teams are only half a game behind, and they will fall directly to third or even further behind if they don't pay attention.

Relatively speaking, the competition in the past half a month was relatively easy.Among the opponents behind them, the Clippers, Lakers, and 76ers are all championship-level teams; the Pacers and Trail Blazers are also playoff-level teams; there are also the Warriors and Pelicans. The Thunder have lost all their matches, but they are not easy to deal with.

However, in this season, encountering opponents of comparable strength is indeed more frequent than in previous seasons.This is the change brought about by the changes in the league structure, and everyone is adapting.

On November 11, An Luo and others moved to Conseco Arena in Indianapolis.

As a team full of tragedy, the Pacers have always maintained enough competitiveness.But even so, they haven't tasted a championship after joining the NBA.The closest time was in the 1999-00 season, when the Pacers advanced to the Finals under the leadership of Reggie Miller.But in the end, they lost to the Lakers 2:4 and missed the championship.

Since the beginning of the new century, the Pacers have risen repeatedly, but they have all fallen under the blow of injuries.The Pacers seem to have been cursed by the wizard. Whenever they want to flap their wings and do a big job, the team's leading star will be seriously injured and reimbursed.Grant, Paul George, Oladipo...

Luckily for the Pacers, every time people thought they were going to bottom out, there were players who stepped up.Last season, Sabonis Jr. seized the opportunity to play out.Let the Pacers remain competitive without Oladipo.

This season, the timing of Oladipo's comeback is still unknown.However, they got TJ Warren from the Suns, Brogdon from the Bucks, and the more mature Sabonis, the Pacers are still an opponent that cannot be underestimated.

Donovan never underestimated the enemy, but they still lost this game.Perhaps the battle with the Bucks consumed too much energy and physical strength, and the one-day rest did not let them recover. In addition, they went to the east and played away games, which made them not in this game. Didn't show enough fighting power.

Except for An Luo, the performance of other Thunder players is very average.Especially Westbrook, Gallinari, and Alexander, who everyone has high hopes for, these players did not perform in a state that satisfied everyone.

On the other hand, the Pacers played very well at home.Five players scored in double figures throughout the game, and three scored more than 20.Among them, TJ Warren scored the Pacers' highest 23 points, Brogdon 20 points, and Sabonis Jr. 21 points.

Judging from the entire process of the game, this game is definitely the most beautiful game played by the Pacers since the beginning of the season.Facing the Thunder, Indiana players dared to fight.Under Brogdon's tandem, TJ Warren and Aaron Holiday took turns hitting the Thunder's penalty area, and neither Adams nor Noel could hold it.On the contrary, the Pacers restricted area with Sabonis Jr. and Jakarl Sampson is rock solid.The Thunder's offense within the free throw line was not effective, which put An Luo and Gallinari under greater pressure outside the three-point line.

After the game, An Luo and Aaron Holiday hugged each other.The two guards, who led UCLA to the NCAA National Championship four years ago, are now separate masters and have developed very differently in the league, but their relationship remains the same.

After returning to Oklahoma City from Indianapolis, the Thunder repelled the 76ers who came all the way from Philadelphia.

It was very difficult for the Thunder to win this game. For this reason, they fought each other for 53 minutes before finally deciding the winner.

Perhaps the performance in Indianapolis was really bad. Back home, Westbrook, Gallinari and Alexander played their best form.

An Luo 32 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists, Westbrook 19 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists, Gallinari 21 points and 7 rebounds, Adams 7 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists, Grant 17 points, Alexander 23 points.I have to say that the depth of the Thunder's current lineup has indeed increased a lot. Whether it is a starter or a substitute, there are people who can stand up and do things.

The players of the 76ers played not badly.All five starters scored in double figures, Richardson 28 points, Simmons 16 points, 11 rebounds and 8 assists, Embiid 31 points and 12 rebounds, Harris 21 points and 6 rebounds, Horford 12 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists.This season, the 76ers' starting lineup is quite strong, and it is difficult for the entire league to find a few stronger teams than them.

If it weren't for the rotation lineup being too stretched, they have a high possibility of being the final winner of this game, and they don't even have to be dragged into overtime by the Thunder.The five of Neto, Scott, Korkmaz, Ennis and Sable played more than 70 minutes combined, but only contributed 11 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 steal.

Unfortunately, after the 76ers formed their luxurious starting lineup, they were unable to expand the depth of the bench. The reason why the 76ers lost this game is that no one on the bench can stand up.

After repelling the 76ers, the Thunder moved to Los Angeles.This trip to Los Angeles is probably the most difficult away game since the start of the season, including for a period of time afterwards.Because, the Thunder will play against the Clippers and the Lakers successively at the Staples Arena.What annoys them even more is that this is another back-to-back away game.

Two days later, the results were similar to what everyone expected before the game.The Thunder first beat the Clippers with all their strength, and then lost to the Lakers cleanly.

This situation is the inevitable result after Donovan made a choice.Now, the two teams in Los Angeles are full of momentum. After the stumbling at the beginning of the season, they finally showed the appearance of a championship-level team.There's no way the Thunder can beat these two teams in back-to-back situations.So Donovan made the decision without thinking too much about it.

(End of this chapter)