657:Fight at best (2/5)
Bill. Simmons is not very vocal now, and when the Clippers led by eight points in the final three minutes of the game, he never thought the Clippers would lose.
Link's sudden return shattered the dreams of all supporters of sailing. They thought it would be a beautiful revenge, but in fact, everything before that was just a foreshadowing for Link's heroic return.
Chris. Paul was still unwilling to accept this result, and he was still desperate. He couldn't believe that the game that was originally in hand was going to be won by Link like this.
At this time, there were only 32 seconds left in the game, and Link's appearance made the Grizzlies go from trailing by 8 points to now leading by 3 points.
So this offense is almost the last chance for the Clippers, and if they can't score the ball in this round, then the game will be out of suspense.
Link's performance in the final three minutes left Staples completely silent. His back-to-back scoring, steals and assists made it a complete individual show.
The black and white bear, while ferocious, is not deadly. And the king of Memphis has always only killed killers!
Chris. Paul is hoping he can salvage the situation, and now the Clippers have himself, Redick and Dudley on the court, all of whom have the ability to shoot three-point shots.
Paul then began to organize an attack, hoping to open an empty space.
Dudley was scared enough by Link's style today, but he is really old, and he will not drop the chain at critical moments. According to the tactics, Dudley was precise in his position.
Eventually, Dudley and Griffin gave Paul a double cover near the three-point line.
This time the double cover tactics played very beautifully, which not only made Conley unable to get rid of easily, but also made the Grizzlies' change of defense prone to holes.
After Paul held the ball and bypassed the cover of two people in a row, he completely shook off Conley and prepared to shoot three-pointers!
The Clippers' three-point shooting percentage today was actually not very good, and even during Link's absence, the Clippers' three-point shooting was very struggling.
Paul was 0-of-2 from beyond the three-point line, J.J. Redick was 1-of-7 and Crawford was 2-of-6...... So far, the Clippers' team-wide three-point shooting rate has just reached 30%.
But even so, Paul was full of self-confidence. Bill. Simmons is also confident in Paul, and the superstar may not play well in the first few minutes. But at critical moments, they will not be relentless! This is true for Link, and so is for Paul.
After rounding the two-tiered block, Paul was unguarded. He didn't hesitate, it's time to take responsibility!
The humiliation of being swept in the playoffs last year must not be left at that!
Paul jumps and shoots, and this time, he still feels like he feels great about shooting! And he's pretty sure there's no way Link can't suddenly hold down a shot from behind his back again.
But just as Paul was about to make a three-point shot, a large hand suddenly appeared in Paul's field of vision, interfering with his aiming.
Paul didn't have to look to know who it was, and who else could it be? Link, that's not going to give up.
"Link's idea of changing the defense is very clear, he is not stumped by this double cover, the change of defense is very decisive! Chris. Paul seems to have turned up the arc of his shot and dodged Link's block, but will the ball go in? ”
Bill. Simmons' heart is in his throat, and this ball will be directly related to his reputation!
The basketball flew at a very positive angle and Paul definitely took aim. Now, it's up to the basketball flight arc.
While most people were stunned and waiting for the results, Link rushed to the basket as soon as possible.
Whether this goal is scored or not, Link does not intend to give the Clippers a second chance to attack!
The basketball eventually shortened and smashed into the front of the basket! Link's interference worked, if Link hadn't blocked it, Paul's goal would have been scored!
The moment the basketball hit the basket, Link seemed to suddenly turn on the "switch" of his legs, jumped high, and held the rebound steadily.
Bill. Simmons covered his head in annoyance, it's gone, it's all gone!
After Link grabbed the rebound, Simmons immediately heard the referee's whistle. There's no doubt that the Clippers will have to use foul tactics to gamble once now.
In the history of the NBA, there are many examples of losing because of a free throw rollover. But the fact is that once a team starts using foul tactics, it proves that they are cornered.
Link, wearing a black mask, slowly walked to the free throw line after being fouled, like a grim reaper with a scythe, slowly approaching the Clippers who had no way out.
"It's a great game, isn't it? Bill. Van Gundy wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled at Simmons beside him.
The director's big reversal in the last three minutes after Link's return made Van Gundy feel like watching an upbeat action movie.
Of course, Bill. Simmons was left with nothing but depression in his heart. Predicting the outcome of a match only to be slapped in the face is the most embarrassing.
The most important thing is that Link not only won the game today, but also showed the exact opposite image of the word "softie".
When he was kicked by Barnes, Link didn't roll on the floor to gain sympathy, but stood up as soon as possible to find the culprit. Of course, the moment Barnes was blinded by Link with a basketball must not have been comfortable.
In the end, Link also endured the pain and wore a mask, which was even more of a manifestation of Link's tough style.
This game made Bill. Simmons' evaluation of Link seems to be a little black for the sake of black.
"Link played really well today, if he can win in the end...... Well, I'll admit, this time I was taken by him. ”
Seeing that the situation is irreparable, the famous Bill. Simmons relented.
As a villain in the media world, there are also many people waiting to see Bill. Simmons made a fool of himself. Bill. Simmons knows that after today, there will be news mocking him all over the United States.
During this time, he can be very sad. Link is right, the cost of annoying him is indeed significant, but it is also very interesting.
Simmons smiled in annoyance, he would continue to play this "game" with Link!
On the court, Link hit both free throws, which completely broke the Clippers' dream of winning.
In the next round, the Clippers tried to grab a three-pointer, but J.J. Redick's poor hand did not come back to life in the crucial round.
When Redick's three-pointer stumbled out like Paul's, there was a dead silence in the Staples Center.
In the 2009 Western Conference semifinals, Rockets VS Lakers, after Yao Ming left the court with an injury, he refused the trainer's request and simply stretched and returned to the court. His actions even touched Lakers fans, with the sound of applause for Yao Ming rang out inside the Staples Center at the time. Yao hit a key jumper as soon as he returned, and eventually helped the Rockets snatch a crucial first win at Staples.
That scene is definitely a great picture lingering in the hearts of many Chinese fans, and it is also the last glory of Chinese players in the NBA.
Now, 4 years later, it is still Staples, and Link has once again reproduced Yao Ming's legendary performance at that time.
Although this is not a playoffs, Link's injury is nowhere near as serious as Yao's. But at least this game made Chinese fans all over the world find that pride again.
The electronic beep ended the fight, and Chris. Paul swore and ripped off his arm guard and threw him to the ground.
106-102, the Memphis Grizzlies finally won the Clippers in Staples without danger, winning 11 consecutive wins in the opening game!
Today, the Grizzlies' best performance was the Black and White Bears. Gasol had 20 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists, and as a center, he scored a quasi-triple-double, which is very remarkable!
Randolph even let Griffin know what you call your uncle or your uncle, and his performance of 26 points and 15 rebounds made the young champion Lang's face gloomy.
It was the strong performance of the black and white bears that allowed the grizzlies to survive to the end, to the moment Link returned.
In the end, Link had 16 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Don't look at this statistic, it's not comparable to usual, but considering that Link only played 12 minutes of the game, this efficiency is already quite scary!
"12 minutes and 16 minutes, even if God comes, it can't stop Link." Jeff. Van Gundy rarely praises a player like that, because he doesn't think anyone can match God.
But today, he's changed.
After the game, no one cared about the furious Paul or the penny Barnes.
Link, who wears a black mask, has become a favorite for reporters.
'I'm thankful to my team-mates and you can see how good they were today. I only played one game today, and the remaining three quarters were all on their back. To be honest, I feel like they have a lot more credit than I do. I thank them and I love them. ”
When asked what he thought of the comeback victory, Link didn't mention his own performance and instead put all the credit on his team-mates.
The reporters were very surprised, and it was clear that Link single-handedly directed the big reversal at the critical moment. But in the end, Link doesn't need to be wooed.
It's no wonder that the atmosphere for the Grizzlies is so good.
"So what do you think of Bill. What about Simmons? You did cost him dearly today, and his credibility will certainly be greatly diminished after that. Do you think you've already won a duel with him? ”
Faced with this problem, Link is not so gentle.
"It's not a duel between me and him, it's a fight at best. Really, Bill. Simmons is only at the level of a fight in my eyes. I'm looking forward to the day when he comes to interview me in women's clothes. Hopefully, when the time comes, he won't forget about it. ”
Link grinned at the camera, he would always take the slam dunk contest to heart.