NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 626 Both lineups crushed the opponent.

The game was a back-and-forth affair, but the Clippers' defense was relatively better. The Trail Blazers' offense was performing exceptionally well, with Lillard and Carmelo Anthony both making several shots. Even Gabriel hit a three-pointer, and Nurkic completed a hook shot over an opponent. However, the score was 17-22, with the Trail Blazers still trailing by 5 points.

In Yang Yi's words, "The Clippers haven't really stepped up their game yet. Once they increase their defensive intensity, the Trail Blazers' offense won't be as smooth."

Halfway through the first quarter, the Clippers made a roster change, removing Gallinari and Beverley and bringing in Dillon and Bridges.

These two players came in to provide aggression and defense, and as soon as they were on the court, Carmelo Anthony and Damian Lillard's offense began to falter. The Clippers also started double-teaming the ball handlers, not giving them easy opportunities to switch and exploit them.

The Trail Blazers' offensive efficiency began to decline, and the Clippers grabbed rebounds and launched fast breaks, quickly forcing the opponent to call a timeout.

The Trail Blazers fielded their second unit, but their second unit was simply unplayable. Trent was alright, at least he could score, but Whiteside, aside from racking up blocks, was a disaster on both offense and defense.

Hezonja couldn't stop Jia Fei, and he was prone to fouling Paul George. He got two fouls in just two minutes and had to go back to the bench.

The Trail Blazers had to bring in Anfernee Simmons, the 24th overall pick in the 2018 draft.

Anfernee Simmons is only a second-year rookie and quite skinny, but he can score. As for defense, his defense is worse than Coach Billy's; it's practically like he has no defense at all.

The Trail Blazers had no choice; their bench depth was too poor. They couldn't beat the starters to begin with, and now they couldn't beat the bench either. The balance of the game was quickly lost.

Brunson was the Clippers' primary ball handler in their second unit, and it was quickly discovered that he was even better in the playoffs than in the regular season. He led the Clippers' second unit to a dominant victory over the Trail Blazers' second unit, further extending the Clippers' lead.

At the end of the first quarter, the Clippers led by 13 points, with a score of 26:39.

At the start of the second quarter, the Clippers' second unit continued to dominate the Trail Blazers' second unit, forcing the Trail Blazers' starters to come on early.

Even after Coach Keli took over, he still couldn't solve the team's defensive problems. They were able to score, but they couldn't stop the opponent, and the score couldn't be narrowed.

Even after the Clippers' starters returned, the situation didn't improve. At halftime, the Trail Blazers trailed 54-70, a 16-point deficit…

The Clippers scored 70 points in the first half, a terrifying offensive display that was truly explosive. Keep in mind this is the playoffs; to score 70 points in a half is astounding, while the Trail Blazers' abysmal defense only adds to the frustration.

The Trail Blazers' defense was simply too poor, so poor that it didn't seem like a playoff team at all. In fact, their defense was weak throughout the regular season, and their playoff appearance was largely due to their offense. Lillard's explosive performance after the restart gave Trail Blazers fans a glimmer of hope for a championship. But this first half extinguished those hopes instantly…

贾飞半场得到20分6个篮板7次助攻2个抢断1个盖帽，表现极为全面。他上半场给人的感觉仿佛都没有怎么发力，可轻轻松松的给人感觉要30+三双了。

Even when the Trail Blazers double-teamed him, they couldn't stop him from breaking the double-team with off-ball movement and transition offense. Regarding breaking double-teams, Jia Fei has specific solutions regardless of his teammates' performance, making it clear he's getting stronger and stronger.

Halftime break, Tencent studio.

"Teacher Yang, if the Clippers keep playing like this and the Trail Blazers don't have a way to counter it, I think Jia Fei will be out of get off work after three quarters. Your title of 'Yang Huahua' is really going to be well-deserved!" Wang Zixing joked.

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it. Who told us to have that 'flowery' vibe? Hahaha..." Yang Yi laughed. "But then again, the Trail Blazers can't beat the Clippers anyway. The Clippers' perimeter defense is too strong. And this is before they've even really gone all out. If they really went all out, the Trail Blazers would have a hard time scoring more than 50 points in the first half!"

The third quarter began quickly.

Lillard dribbled the ball across half-court and passed it to CJ.

CJ faced Jia Fei and used the crossbow as a shield.

Jia Fei squeezed through the screen, and CJ took a step back and jumped to shoot...

But Jia Fei came from behind and blocked the ball!

"What terrifying defensive coverage!" Wang Zixing exclaimed in amazement!

Beverley grabbed the ball and obediently handed it to Jia Fei!

Jia Fei receives the ball, dribbles it over, and faces CJ.

CJ was a little embarrassed. He hadn't expected to get blocked, but being blocked like that made him lose face. The truth is, if it weren't for the pick-and-roll, he really couldn't beat Jia Fei. There's nothing wrong with admitting that. He's not fast; he's a technical combo guard. Against Jia Fei, who's 201cm tall, has a 220cm wingspan, and moves like a cheetah, he simply couldn't shake him off!

It's not shameful to admit that someone is better than you, but that doesn't mean it's easy to accept. After all, CJ is an All-Star level guard!

Gabriel came over to double-team, but Jia Fei calmly flicked his wrist, and the ball flew straight into Gallinari's hands!

Gallinari drew his bow and shot the three-pointer—and it went in cleanly!

54:73, a difference of 19 points!

Gallinari wasn't shooting well in the first half, making only 1 of 5 three-point attempts. But he's a renowned shooter, living up to his reputation as the "Italian Cannon." If you keep giving him open looks, can he keep missing?

But the Trail Blazers had no choice. If they didn't double-team Jia Fei, it would be as easy for Jia Fei to kill CJ as it was for Chang Wei to kill Lai Fu!

The Trail Blazers were on offense. Lillard was double-teamed while running a pick-and-roll, so he passed the ball to Melo on the other side.

The Clippers rotated their players, and Carmelo Anthony drove to the basket before pulling up for a mid-range jumper, but missed!

Carmelo Anthony's ball-handling threat has diminished considerably. His ball-handling speed is too slow, and he lacks the ability to attack the rim effectively. His biggest threat now is catch-and-shoot jumpers. It's undeniable that he's getting old…

Not everyone is like Michael Jordan or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, able to maintain All-Star level performance at 35. Melo is also aging naturally, not one of the superstars whose careers decline the fastest.

Jia Fei grabbed the rebound, brought the ball over, and facing a double team, made a one-handed through pass to Gallinari who was making a run into the back goal!

The latter receives the ball and scores a layup as a minor player!

54:75, a difference of 21 points...

Trail Blazers head coach Stotts immediately called a timeout!

There were no cheers or screams from the stands, only the sounds of Art Mayork and other members of the atmosphere team from the substitutes' bench, and the huge arena was inevitably filled with these sounds.

“Teacher Yang, the competition looks like it’s going to be decided by a lot of people…” Wang Zixing said with a smile.

"If the Trail Blazers can't even get their offense going, then the game is pretty much over!" Yang Yi said.