NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 406 Returning to Oklahoma City for an Away Game

The second half of the game was not too eventful. The Thunder's success and failure both depend on Westbrook. To beat them, let their "ice-cold shooters" shoot, let Westbrook shoot too, and don't let them launch counterattacks or pick-and-roll drives to the basket. Their offense is not that threatening.

The Clippers' roster perfectly exploited the Thunder's weaknesses. They boasted one of the league's top perimeter defensive lineups (Jacques Jordan and Patrick Beverley), a top-class drop-in center (DeAndre Jordan), and a roster of athletic and physically imposing wing and interior players. Aside from their second unit having a defensive sieve like Lou Williams, it was incredibly difficult to exploit their defensive vulnerabilities at other times.

The Clippers' offensive ceiling isn't high either, and they weren't particularly efficient against the Thunder's defense; some players were really bad at shooting. But NBA games aren't about who has the most offensive firepower; as long as you score more points than your opponent, you win.

In terms of overall strength and targeted approach on both offense and defense, the Clippers are clearly the stronger team than the Thunder.

The Clippers defeated the Thunder at home with a score of 89-99, winning Game 1 of the series!

贾飞全场贡献36分12个篮板9次助攻3个抢断2个盖帽的准三双数据，他在场上的存在是球队能击败对手最大的底气。

Tencent studio after the match.

"Jia Fei is really amazing! He's so versatile, he can do everything. He's great on offense and defense, he's just too good!" Wang Meng kept praising Jia Fei, sparing no words of praise.

Yang Yi appeared very calm: "I said before the game that the Thunder couldn't beat the Clippers, right? Now it's come true! Jia Fei is better than the young master. Jia Fei is the best player on both teams. Hey, don't you believe it? It's a fact!"

On April 20th, Clippers vs. Thunder series Game 2.

The Thunder did not change their lineup, and the Clippers naturally did not change their starting lineup either.

The Thunder did not change their starting lineup, but they did make some changes.

At the start of the game, the Thunder changed some of their offensive strategies, starting by exploiting the mismatch at power forward Gibson, and executed it very decisively.

In terms of rotation, the Thunder brought in shooters earlier, increasing their playing time. Therefore, in this game, several big men had less playing time, while McDermott and Abrines had more. Clearly, the Thunder knew their poor offensive spacing was a major reason for their offensive struggles.

On the defensive end, the Thunder began to double-team Jia Fei, no longer hoping to leave him to Roberson alone, abandoning that unrealistic fantasy.

The Thunder's combination of attacks worked, and their offense was better than in the first game.

The Thunder's problem is that their offensive players can't defend, and their defensive players can't offensive. McDermott and Abrines can shoot, but their defense is truly abysmal. They increased the playing time of their shooters, which obviously reduced the playing time of their defensive wings and big men, indirectly affecting their defense.

The reason the Warriors are so dominant isn't just because they have the league's best shooting trio, but also because of their defense. Teams without defense won't go far; Nash's Suns have already provided a prime example.

Jia Fei was double-teamed, but the Clippers' pick-and-roll combination was still effective. The others took decisive shots and fought hard for the ball, using his attraction to score steadily.

In the end, the Clippers won another game at home, taking a 2-0 lead in the series!

Based on the performance in these two games, the Thunder are facing a significant disadvantage. The Clippers, on the other hand, didn't have a particularly explosive shooting night; their wins relied more on defense and the leadership of their key players. These two factors are less affected by home-court advantage or other factors.

Those who were pessimistic about the Clippers' prospects in this series have fallen silent. Jia Fei's outstanding and consistent performance in the two games has once again proven his strength. He's not just dominant in the East; he's unstoppable in the West as well.

With a 2-0 lead in the series, the Clippers' chances of advancing to the second round have been estimated by the media to be over 85%.

Jia Fei has never believed in this kind of thing. Last season's Western Conference Finals and NBA Finals taught us that even if you're leading 3-1, you can still be reversed. Unless you're leading 3-0, it's not a sure thing.

The game still needs to be played one match at a time, and you need to eat one bite at a time.

Clippers fans were happy, but they didn't dare to be careless, knowing their head coach was Doc Rivers, the "essence of human comebacks." His protégé, Tyronn Lue, is nothing like him; he led a comeback against the 73-win Warriors, showing promise in the world of motivational speeches.

Clippers fans are quite confident about advancing to the second round, and their confidence doesn't stem from the score or Coach Doc Rivers, but from Jia Fei. Throughout his career, Jia Fei has never faltered in the playoffs. He has lost series, of course, but those losses were due to the overwhelming strength of his opponents. And even against strong opponents, his own performance has been flawless. He has never been upset by an underdog.

After Game 2, the Clippers players boarded a private plane to Oklahoma City to prepare for the challenges of Games 3 and 4.

Upon arriving in Oklahoma City and settling into their accommodations, Jia Fei, Art Mayork, and Beverly went out for a meal together.

"Jay, what would you do if the fans booed you at the game here?" Beverley asked curiously.

"I will accept it calmly! Whether others want to boo me or despise me, that's their business. I won't act like I'm going to die because they boo me. I haven't let OKC down, I haven't let the fans of Oklahoma down, and I don't need to feel guilty," Jia Fei said.

Jia Fei truly feels no remorse. If anyone should feel guilty, it's the Thunder's management and owner. He's just an employee; are you expecting him to work for love all day long and only receive a base salary?

Is a one-person-one-city award really more attractive than a multi-million dollar annual salary?

Before we knew it, it was April 22nd, Game 3 of the Clippers vs. Thunder series.

For the Thunder, trailing 0-2 in the series, Game 3 is a do-or-die game that comes early. A win could extend the series and keep the suspense alive; a loss would essentially eliminate any suspense, leaving them to fight only for pride.

On the evening of the 22nd, at the Ford Center, the home arena of the Thunder.

In the visiting team's locker room, Coach Li was still enthusiastically encouraging everyone. Assistant Coach Cassell was discussing the game with Jia Fei. The atmosphere in the locker room was quite good; the Clippers' situation was still very promising.

The team is currently in good health, and apart from Redick having some foot soreness, everyone else is available to play in this match.