On Dec. 18, less than a day after the Clippers lost to the Thunder, they will challenge another young team, the Chicago Bulls, who have the top draft pick in this year's draft.

Delhi. Kroos, the top pick in the 2008 draft, is another talent no less talented than Durant, and the Bulls clearly want to defend against the Thunder at home to hand the Clippers a loss. But they forgot that even if Rose exploded in the first season, he couldn't blow up the Clippers.

Although the Bulls sniped the Clippers at home, they were unable to pull off a win even when the Clippers were back-to-back on the road.

With a score of 96:92, the two teams were deadlocked on Union Center Court for three and a half quarters, and finally the Clippers' twin brothers hit key shots in a row at critical moments, but no one from the Bulls could step up, including their champion who had no chance under the Clippers' playoff-level defense.

In this battle, Ji Guoqiu got 20 points, 20 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 blocks, and Ji Guoqiu got 31 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks.

After defeating the bulls, in a blink of an eye, this year's Christmas is coming again, and the birthdays of the two of them are not far away.

For NBA players, Christmas every year also means that the Christmas war is just around the corner!

Since the beginning of this year, the NBA has begun to broadcast the Christmas War on all platforms and all times on ABC, ESPN, and TNT.

Christmas in the United States is roughly similar to the Chinese New Year. It also pays attention to family happiness and family sharing. But there is nothing to do when a large family stays together, and they don't know how to play mahjong, and there is no national TV station to hold a party. What to do?

Luckily, they have a Christmas fight.

The Christmas War is every Christmas, and the NBA schedules only a few heavyweight games, which are known as the Christmas Wars. The NBA is the only of the four major leagues in North America to have a game every year on Christmas Day. Since the '40s, the NBA has had a tradition of launching heavyweight games on Christmas Eve, and this business idea was quite ahead of its time at the time.

There's a reason to be ahead of the curve. At that time, the NBA was also the most unpopular, unprofitable, and unattractive league in the professional sports leagues in the United States. If you are poor, you will think about change, and the league boss will unite with the New York Knicks boss. is planning to stage an NBA game on Christmas Eve, and with New York City's "people are stupid and have a lot of money", the audience is absolutely "coming quickly".

That's it, since the 40s of the last century, in order to make money -- uh. No! It is to give back to the majority of basketball fans - and the Christmas game has gradually become a spiritual feast for basketball fans all over the world.

When it comes to the origins of the Christmas War, you have to admire the commercial sensitivity and talent of Americans (and New Yorkers in particular), who have always been able to extract every bit of commercial value from their players with an astonishing sense of smell and an almost insane execution ability. It's this kind of creativity that led them to hit crazy taglines like "McCann vs Knicks."

In fact, in the 40s of the last century, in that era when there was no TV and no Internet, how many people would run to watch live broadcasts. How many people can the gymnasium accommodate?

Just like you don't want to go to work for Chinese New Year, those players are also human beings and don't want to come out and play at Christmas. So. This competition was the first to complain a lot. In the 90s of the last century, this situation got a 180° turn, not because of anything else, but because of the superstar Michael at that time. Jordan is popular, the four centers and four forwards are also surging, coupled with the maturity of TV broadcasting technology, the NBA globalization is becoming more and more effective. It gave birth to a series of classic games, and this period was also a period of explosion in the commercial value of the NBA. The "Christmas War" has become a flavor meal in the league every year after the Finals and the All-Star Game.

For the blockbuster NBA Christmas War, the director is the league uniform team, and the script was prepared long before the season started. So, with a director, there must be actors, and what criteria are the actors selected according to?

The answer is: big, big, big, or big!

The Christmas game and the Chinese New Year blockbuster casting are slightly different in that the NBA has to think about the ball market. For example, the reason why New York has become the most photographed Christmas war is because it is an international metropolis! In a cold ghost place like Minnesota, it's not even qualified to get a supporting role.

Since it is linked to the Chinese New Year blockbuster, there should be no less elements. How can you get to the level of a blockbuster?

"Watching NBA games at Christmas has been a tradition for about 70 years, and our goal every year is to provide fans with the most engaging games, from the stories that happened between the two teams to the history of each other's encounters, from two rival teams to two rivals who don't like each other, the Christmas game has always been one of the most popular NBA games," said Shaw, senior vice president of the NBA. ”

First of all, a top superstar is a must. Looking back on the previous Christmas wars, there are indispensable first-line superstars in the league, and if you don't believe in checking history, if any of the top superstars has not played in the Christmas war, they are embarrassed to enter the Hall of Fame.

Second, business is important.

Television organizations that spend huge sums of money to buy NBA broadcasts are not charities, counting on the Christmas Game to boost ratings every year, except for the playoffs, Finals and All-Star Game. In 2007, the Christmas War sold $300,000 per 30-second advertisement, which is not much lower than the NFL Super Bowl, but it is enough for television broadcasters to make a lot of money. It is said that this year's advertisements bought an unprecedented 30 seconds of 600,000, and the demand is still in short supply.

The high advertising cost is based on the large audience. The 2007 Christmas game between the Lakers and Cavaliers attracted 12 million viewers, and all of the Christmas games that year attracted more than 30 million viewers. With such a large viewership as a guarantee, selling ads is not the same as playing.

Speaking of the game itself, the NBA still has to try to create a wonderful game on this day. How can you have a good game to watch? Grievances, runners-up revenge, and historical rivals are naturally the best ingredients.

Since 1984. The Christmas War has always been a stage for performances by various "rival" teams. This kind of "old enemy", especially in the playoffs, has been one of the protagonists of the league's Christmas war.

"Yellow-green battle" and "24vs23" are the most attractive themes of the last two years. A little earlier, there were "Kid No. 3 singled out the Purple and Gold Army", "Shark Journey to the East" and so on, these stories can always attract the attention of fans at Christmas, relying on the rivalry effect.

Last year's Christmas War, when the two brothers were not yet eligible to participate, was scheduled for a 24vs23 focus battle. But this year, it is clear that the league will not continue the same old ways. Fans will be aesthetically fatigued and the ratings will drop, and this year's Lakers regular season record is not impressive. Despite an eight-game losing streak of wins, their record is shaky, often winning a few games and losing a few games, and so far they are only in sixth place in the West.

The top eight in the West: 1 Clippers (22-3), 2 Spurs (19-6), 3 Trail Blazers (18-6), 4 Hornets (18-7), 5 Mavericks (16-9), 6 Lakers (14-10), 7 Jazz (14-11), 8 Rockets (14-11), 9 Thunder (14-11).

Top eight in the East: 1 Cleveland Cavaliers (21-4), 2 Boston Celtics (18-7), 3 Orlando Magic (18-6), 4 Atlanta Hawks (16-9), 5 Miami Heat (14-11), 6 Philadelphia 76ers (13-12), 7 Chicago Bulls (12-12), 8 Detroit Pistons (12-13), 9 Indiana Pacers (11-14).

Now the fans want to see the animal world the most. The alliance is also arranged, and only by conforming to the will of the people can it develop.

On December 24, the Los Angeles Clippers will host the Cleveland Cavaliers in a high-profile battle. At the same time, after the game between the Clippers and the Cavaliers, the league also arranged a Los Angeles Lakers vs Boston Celtics aristocratic match; Finally, the New York Knicks vs San Antonio Spurs, there were only three games in the league that day, and the Los Angeles team undoubtedly carried the ratings banner.

The Clippers and Cavaliers haven't played each other this season, and barring the odds, the two teams will be the Eastern and Western champions in the first half of the season. It is likely that it will also be the champion team in the East and West this season.

The Clippers, in particular, have lost just three of their 25 games and 60 wins seem to be a certainty. Now many people are optimistic about their 70-win record, and whether they can win against a strong team like the Cavaliers at this time is very crucial.

Last season, the Clippers didn't have a high win rate against strong teams, and they barely managed to make the playoffs by relying on a super high win percentage against weak teams. But if they want to get 60 or even 70 wins, this season will not only have to have a high win percentage against weak teams, but they can't afford to miss against strong teams.

Ji Guoyi talked about the Christmas battle after the game. "It's an honour to be the only six teams to play on Christmas Day, and it means we're the six most favoured teams in the league," he said. But we don't just want to be one of the best six. We're going to be the best one because there's only one champion. ”

Ji Guoqiu has always been subtle, he said: "The Christmas game is a test for our body, because the other teams are rested, and teams such as the Spurs and Magic are not necessarily worse than us, such a game is a test for us, and if we look good, we will suffer physically." ”

The two brothers had very different views on the war of jihad, a week before Christmas.

On Dec. 19, the Clippers played the Indian Pacers on the road. Granger scored a three-pointer to drag the Clippers into overtime.

The Clippers also used a stunner to kill the Pacers in overtime, and Brother Panda personally sent the Pacers back to the West with a long-range hook that was uncharted, and Dunleavy Jr. failed to kill his old man this time.

Ji Guoqiu got 24 points, 18 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 blocks, and Ji Guoqiu got 29 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks.

On December 20, the Clippers defeated the Milwaukee Bucks by a big score, and in this back-to-back game on the road, the Clippers made a risky move, using Crawford as the starter, and used a devastating offense to kill the opponent in the first half of the game.

The elder Dunleavy knew that if the opponent could not be quickly eliminated in the first half and dragged into the second half by the Bucks, the Clippers players had just finished overtime the day before, and they would definitely lose the game today. So there is no suspense in wanting to play. Then the only way to defeat the opponent in a short time with a blitzkrieg is not to give the opponent any hope of winning.

With twin brothers plus Billups and Crawford, the Clippers have run in nearly three decades this season. The offensive power of both inside and outside is not inferior to any team in the league at the moment, even against defensive powerhouses such as the Spurs and Magic, they have the ability to play a wave to take away opponents, not to mention the Bucks, who can't make the playoffs in the East.

Ji Guoqiu only played half a game in this game, got 10 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block, Ji Guoqiu got 12 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block, and the Clippers blitzed the Bucks and won easily.

December 22nd. The final game of the Clippers' Eastern Conference tour, away to the Toronto Raptors. In this game, the elder Dunleavy put the two brothers and Billups on a rotational basis, which was to prepare for the Christmas game on the 24th, which was a tight schedule, and the main team had to be rotated to ensure their fitness.

The Clippers are missing three main players at once. Everyone thought that they would be powerless, but they didn't expect that the Clippers' all-bench lineup still didn't lose the game.

Dragic, Garcia, Barnes, Amir. Johnson, Jordan Jr., and the Clippers' main lineup was beaten by the Dragon King on the inside! But the outside line did not fall behind, and Crawford scored 35 points in this game, and the Clippers once again relied on the strength of the final quarter to kill the opponent, and Crawford's contribution of 12 points in the final quarter was a great contribution.

The Clippers are finally back in Los Angeles after three consecutive road games, and the players have a two-day rest for the much-anticipated Christmas game, with the Cavaliers and Clippers having three games this year. It can be seen that the league does not want to face for the sake of ratings. The East and West teams have always played only two games a season, and the Clippers have unwittingly set another precedent.

The protagonists of the Christmas War, LeBron. James and the twin brothers are both the MVP players who have been the most vocal MVPs this season. With Elton. Brand and Mo. The arrival of Williams, the Cavaliers both inside and backcourt strengthened, the current record of the first place in the East can fully show how terrible the Gorilla will be once he has a helper, his dominance has unconsciously become the first in the league, Kobe Bryant gradually can't suppress the gorilla, and the twin brothers are too young. The NBA formation entered the era of the gorillas.

Elton. Brand's arrival this season has been far more effective on the Cavaliers' defense than the aging Ben. Wallace is remarkable, and the Cavaliers' anti-pick-and-roll problem has been completely solved. When the old captain and the Brazilian actor are on the field at the same time, they are among the top five teams in the league in terms of pick-and-roll defense. And the old captain made the Cavaliers no longer afraid of Howard and Garnett in the East, and Elton was still in his prime. Brand is good enough to fight these two guys. If the Cavaliers want to reach the Finals, both the Magic and the Celtics must beat opponents, and Brand undoubtedly adds weight to their journey to the Finals.

The old captain is averaging 18.9 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game this season, and in terms of personal numbers, Brand has actually begun to decline, but his role cannot be fully reflected in the number jù, and Brand has become James' most competent helper, the second leader of the Cavaliers.

This season the Cavaliers have signed Elton. Brand, another important signing, is Mo. Williams, this point guard is not the traditional No. 1 position, his playmaking skills are average, but his offensive ability is first-class, and he prefers outside projection, which is exactly the right point guard for the Gorillas, and the organizational task in the Cavaliers has always been LeBron. James is in charge.

Xiao Mo has excellent ball control ability and likes to shoot outside, but his breakthrough ability is also above the level, and he is not soft at critical moments, so he is a suitable target for throwing pots.

Of course, add to the fact that there is not much money, few turnovers, excellent defense, and an okay shooting percentage. West.

The Gorillas have a right hand and support this season, and are currently only one less win than the Clippers, ranking second in the league.

Ji Guoyi joked a few days ago: "Last season, I'm afraid Cleveland fans didn't expect that the championship team with a soul figure so close to God would return home in the division semifinals." I think for them, that season was a nightmare, a demon that pierced the hearts of all the Cavaliers and lingered. Well, having said that, actually I would say that if the Cavaliers still can't win the championship this season, then it's likely that in the summer of '10 they're going to lose their whole heaven. At that time, if you wanted to see gorillas, you had to go to the zoo. ”

Many fans and media in the United States said that Dead Fox's words were too much, and this was already suspected of personal attacks, and there should be a scale for jokes.

LeBron. James was very generous, and in the face of Ji Guoyi's attack, he smiled when facing reporters: "It's nothing, we still have phone numbers in private, and I look like a gorilla?" Isn't Ewing more like me than I am? After joking, the little emperor said: "There has been a lot of news about Fox recently, I have often seen it in Cleveland, it may be that the news that the media has always exposed Fox having an affair has made him feel bad, and his love seems a little abnormal, I can understand his mood." ”

Ji Guoyan was disgusted now, and the gorilla's words made him almost be Taylor. Swift punished kneeling on the keyboard, he didn't expect the gorilla to be so vicious, and it would be better to cause less trouble in the future.

Ji Guoqiu said about the open and secret fight between the two: "LeBron did a good job, some people just owe a beating, I support him." Then the Panda commented on the gorilla, saying: "You don't need to comment on a player like James, his desire and hard work will make him play MVP level every new season, and his improvement can be seen more clearly in every new season."

James was embarrassed by the panda's praise, the two of them were indeed friends, and the little emperor hurriedly responded: "I'm flattered, I can return these words of panda to him as they are, I think he is the new king of the younger generation, and of course his younger brother is also very good." (To be continued) R580