On April 11, the Warriors came to Los Angeles. This was their second back-to-back away game.
The current Warriors also have a "high or low" record. They are currently ranked sixth in the Western Conference. However, it is difficult to rise to fifth in the Western Conference. It is also impossible to drop to seventh in the Western Conference.
For the Warriors, sixth in the Western Conference, they will face the Clippers in the playoffs; fifth in the Western Conference, they will face the Rockets in the playoffs. The two opponents are similar. They are both teams with inside, outside and benches. There is no one They are soft persimmons, and the Warriors' victory against them is only between 50 and 50.
Curry was very excited to see his idol Zhang Guan, but his hands were not soft at all. He scored a triple-double in the whole game.
Klay Thompson, another member of the Splash Brothers, had a poor touch and only made 2 of 5 free throws. As a person who relies on shooting for a living, free throws are like this, so there is no need to count on normal shooting.
The current Warriors mainly rely on the shooting of the Splash Brothers. This type of team is actually not terrible. The Warriors have always been the best from the early years of the bearded Davis era to the later Monta Ellis era. Playing like this, the large group of pitchers back then brought the Warriors the "Black Eight Miracle."
As for the reason why this Warriors team was able to win the championship, Draymond Green's role was indispensable. Green can be regarded as the "glue" of the team. In the future, Green will average more than 7 assists per game, which also proves from the side that Green is the "true core" of the Warriors.
Now, Green has not yet grown up. The Warriors' starting striker is still Iguodala. During the years when Iguodala was injured, Green had to compete with Harrison Barnes for the starting spot. Enns also has more tricks and playing time than Green.
Steve Kerr has not yet become the head coach of the Warriors, and the Warriors do not have a three-point shooting system for the future. The current head coach of the Warriors, Mark Jackson, trusts David Lee more. In this Warriors team, David Lee averages 14.2 shots per game, which is about the same as Klay Thompson. This also proves that the Warriors have a lot of offense. All from the inside. In the future, under Steve Kerr, David Lee's number of shots will be reduced to 6.4, and the number of shots he has reduced will basically be given to Green.
The same is true for this game. David Lee took more shots, but his shooting percentage was not as good as Curry. As an inside player, his shooting percentage is not as good as that of an outside shooter. David Lee's performance today was considered bad.
There is no problem for the Warriors to make the playoffs, so the players are not as desperate as the Lakers. What's more, the Lakers had two days of rest, waiting for work, and they were playing at home, so they had an advantage in terms of physical strength and momentum. On the contrary, the Warriors were playing the second game of back-to-back games on the road.
A team like the Warriors that shoots three-pointers is difficult to beat with one stick. If you don't pay attention to a few three-pointers, the score will change quickly, so this game also went to the last minute, back-to-back. In the second game, the Warriors were unable to defeat the Lakers, who were waiting for work at home, and lost the game 116-112.
On April 12, the Mavericks defeated the Suns 101-98 on the road. This was the Suns' 33rd loss in the regular season. At this time, the Lakers also had 33 losses, which meant that they would not be able to compete in the playoffs. In the competition for tickets, the Suns and Lakers are already on the same starting line.
The Lakers have the last three regular season games left. The next opponent is the Grizzlies. The Grizzlies are currently at 32 losses. If the Grizzlies win, they will basically lock in a playoff spot, and the Lakers will basically lock in a playoff spot. Say goodbye to the playoffs; but if the Lakers win, the Grizzlies, Suns and Lakers will also all lose 33, and it is still unclear who will get the last playoff ticket.
So for the Lakers, this game is a life and death battle. As long as they win, it will be equivalent to successfully knocking the Grizzlies down.
The Grizzlies also know the importance of this game. The whole team looks prepared, as if they have entered the playoffs ahead of schedule.
…
"Conley shot and missed! Gasol grabbed the offensive rebound and attacked again! Still missed! Kaman controlled the rebound. Do you want to foul? Foul! Randolph's foul! This is Randolph's sixth foul. Come on!"
Randolph walked off the court with a helpless look, and Kaman stood on the free throw line.
"I must make free throws. If I make these two free throws, I will have a 5-point lead, and we will hopefully enter the playoffs!" Kaman's face showed a trace of persistence.
Although Kaman has been in the NBA for many years, he has only made the playoffs once in 2006, so he is extremely eager for the playoffs.
"Whizzing!"
Kaman scored two free throws. The Lakers were 103-98, leading the Grizzlies by 5 points, and there were only 23 seconds left in the game.
"23 seconds, there is still a chance!" Conley took the serve and moved forward. With a 5-point difference, he had to make a three-pointer.
However, a figure suddenly appeared next to him, and then a hand suddenly stretched out.
"It's Zhang Guan!" Conley hesitated at this moment. He didn't know whether to move on or pause for a moment. It was this hesitation that made Zhang Guan intercept the ball.
"Oops!" Conley looked at the basketball going away, knowing that the situation was over.
…
The Lakers won this key battle, which brought the Grizzlies to 33 losses. At this time, the Suns, Grizzlies and Lakers all had 33 losses. They were standing on the same starting line, and there were only the last two games left in the regular season. field.
On April 14, the Lakers challenged the Jazz away from home. The Jazz were last in the Western Conference, but they still had to compete with the Boston Celtics for fourth in the league. For a bad team, worse results mean that there is a greater chance of getting a higher pick during the draft lottery. So the current Jazz team is completely here to lose, so the Lakers defeated the Jazz easily. The Lakers' record also became 48 wins and 33 losses.
On the same day, the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Phoenix Suns on the road 97-91. Randolph scored 32 points to help the Grizzlies win, and the Suns' record became 47 wins and 34 losses. , bid farewell to the playoffs completely.
After the Grizzlies defeated the Suns, their record became 48 wins and 33 losses, the same as the Lakers. At the same time, the Mavericks have a record of 49 wins and 32 losses, currently ranked seventh in the Western Conference.
The last game day of the regular season will become extremely critical. On this day, the Lakers will go to the road to challenge the Spurs, and the Grizzlies' opponent is the Dallas Mavericks!
With three teams competing for two spots, the situation becomes complicated.
Let’s talk about the Lakers and Grizzlies first. Their records are both 48 wins and 33 losses. According to NBA rules, if the two teams have the same record, they will compare each other’s records. This season, the Lakers beat the Grizzlies with 3 wins and 1 loss. Occupy a dominant position, so if the Lakers and Grizzlies win or lose at the same time, the Lakers will get a playoff spot.
If the Lakers lose and the Grizzlies win, or the Lakers win and the Grizzlies lose, the losing team will be eliminated because of one more loss.
The Mavericks' record is 49 wins and 32 losses. If he can win against the Grizzlies, he will definitely advance and will also allow the Lakers to advance.
If the Mavericks lose to the Grizzlies and the Lakers win, then the three teams' records will all be 49 wins and 33 losses, which will form the most complicated situation.
First, compare each other's records. This season, the Lakers are 3 wins and 1 loss against the Grizzlies, the Lakers and Mavericks are 2 wins and 2 losses, and the Mavericks are also 2 wins and 2 losses against the Grizzlies. The Grizzlies will be eliminated.
From this perspective, as long as the Lakers win, they will be able to advance to the playoffs. The only possibility for the Grizzlies to advance is to defeat the Mavericks and hope that the Lakers will lose.
As for the Mavericks, regardless of winning or losing, they have actually locked up a ticket to the playoffs, but whether they will be ranked seventh or eighth is a question.
If the Mavericks win, they can rank seventh in the Western Conference by losing one less game. If the Mavericks lose, they will have 2 wins and 2 losses whether compared with the Lakers or the Grizzlies. The two sides have the same record.
When the mutual records are the same, the division champion will be ranked first. There is obviously no division champion among these teams, so the next item will be compared, which is the division record.
Intra-division records are limited to two teams in the same division. That is to say, only the Grizzlies and Mavericks can compete. They are both in the Southwest Division.
The Southwest Division is the most competitive division in the league. In 2015, five teams in the Southwest entered the playoffs at the same time. In the Southwest Division, the "Texas Big Three" of the Spurs, Rockets and Mavericks are not only regulars in the playoffs, but also teams that can't escape the NBA championship, and the strength of the Grizzlies cannot be underestimated. The four teams don't want to compare their records. The Spurs are definitely the best, and the older Mavericks are the worst. If the Grizzlies and Mavericks advance at the same time, the Grizzlies will jump to seventh place in the Western Conference, while the Mavericks will move to eighth place in the Western Conference.
The Lakers are in the Pacific Division and are not in the same division as the Mavericks and Grizzlies, so this rule does not apply.
Teams in different divisions need to compare the records within the division, that is, compare the records with the Western Conference teams. If the Lakers and Mavericks advance at the same time and compare the division records, the Mavericks will have an advantage. The Lakers' poor record in the first half of the season is also related to the fact that they played more Western Conference teams, so the Lakers will be eighth in the Western Conference, while the Mavericks can keep seventh in the Western Conference.
Experts have already analyzed the situation in the West quite thoroughly. Whether the Grizzlies can advance to the playoffs depends on the faces of the Lakers and Spurs while winning the game. Whether the Lakers can advance to the playoffs, their destiny is in their own hands.
If they defeat the Spurs, the Lakers will advance to the playoffs; if they lose to the Spurs, they can only pray that the Grizzlies will also lose to the Mavericks.
At the same time, the Spurs also face a choice.
The Spurs' current record is first in the Western Conference, three games behind the second-place Thunder, and they have already secured first place in the Western Conference.
If the Spurs are willing to let the Lakers go, then the Lakers will be ranked eighth, and the Spurs' opponent in the first round of the playoffs will be the Lakers.
If the Spurs are unwilling to let the Lakers go, if they can defeat the Lakers and the Grizzlies can also win the Mavericks, the Spurs' first opponent in the playoffs will be the Mavericks.
When it comes to whether they can enter the playoffs, the Lakers will definitely fight hard in the game. If the Spurs want to win, they will have to fight the Lakers. This is certainly risky for the Spurs.
But from another perspective, the current Lakers are definitely much more difficult to deal with than the Mavericks. The Mavericks are a group of veterans who are not weak in strength and have rich experience. It will be difficult for them to perform extra without them. In addition to Zhang Guan, the Lakers are also a team that plays bombardment. The team has a lot of mental knives. Once these mental knives show their power, the Spurs really can't stop them.
For the Spurs, playing the Mavericks in the playoffs will be more stable than playing the Lakers, at least less likely to capsize.
…
April 16th is the last game day of the 2013-2014 NBA regular season.
Tonight's game will determine whether the Lakers can advance to the playoffs.
And during the day, a troublesome guy appeared in the media with troublesome news...
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The first chapter has arrived. The monthly tickets are about to be sold out. I beg you for your support. We are in the last month, so don’t be kicked out!
(End of chapter)