One Thousand One Hundred and Sixty-Two: Three Standing Standing

On May 3, 2017, the second game of the series between the Grizzlies and Rockets.

Today, the tone of the entire game was significantly different from the previous one.

In the last game, both sides spent most of the time chasing each other, and the fight was very intense.

If Link hadn't scored 10 points in the last minute, the final score would have been much closer.

But today, everything has changed.

The fierce pursuit of each other turned into a one-sided one without any suspense.

The Houston media and fans who were looking forward to the Rockets' comeback also completely shut their mouths.

"I've said it before, those Houstonians are dreaming! Win? They're taking it for granted! I said the Grizzlies won't be in trouble until the conference finals. Now, let's see who is right and who is wrong Bar!"

For the second time in a row, Bill Simmons appeared in the commentary box at FedEx Arena as a special guest just to witness this moment with his own eyes.

Today, the Rockets' three-point shooting percentage is only about 34%. This kind of shooting rate is naturally not bad, but it is still far behind the exaggerated 44% in the previous game.

When the Rockets don't have the protection of that magical three-pointer, they will become vulnerable.

Facts have proved that relying too much on the three-point touch is not a good thing.

Indeed, the "Magic Ball Theory" is based on a large amount of data analysis and selects the most efficient offensive means for tactical arrangements.

But things like shooting feel can never be analyzed by data analysis!

On the Grizzly side, Link is in high spirits today. Since the problem of insomnia disappeared, Link quickly found the feeling of shooting.

Today, as soon as he came up, he showed the fiery touch he had in the last few minutes of the last game, and he played like a fish in water on the offensive end.

Without the Rockets' accurate three-pointers, the Grizzlies performed better than the previous game.

The final result of the game can be known.

After four quarters, the Grizzlies scored 121 points, a few points less than the previous game.

However, the Rockets only scored 96 points in this game!

The Rockets took 34 three-pointers today and only made 11 of them.

Harden made 2 of 9 shots from beyond the three-point line, Beverley made 1 of 5 shots, and Ariza missed all 4 shots!

If it weren't for Ryan Anderson's extraordinary performance, the Rockets' three-point shooting percentage might not even reach 30% today.

Of course, facts have also proven that the extraordinary performance of guys like Ryan Anderson has little impact on the game.

In the end, it is the star players who can really decide the game.

Link's shooting wasn't accurate in the last game, but he continued to affect the game in other ways. Today, Harden's shot was inaccurate, but he failed to hand in his answer sheet.

Indeed, Harden has played the best performance of his career this season. But he still has a long way to go.

After tonight's game, there are no more Houston media or fans clamoring that the gap between the two sides is not big.

The Rockets' style of play is okay in the regular season, but in the playoffs where tough battles are required, you can't go further just by relying on touch.

The total score of the series became 2-0, and the Grizzlies' offense this year was much faster than last season.

In the next two games at Toyota Center, the Rockets will definitely make a last-ditch effort.

But whether it can resist the winner is not certain.

In this game, the Grizzlies have fully made Houstonians aware of the real gap between the two sides.

From the beginning of the regular season to the playoffs this season, the Rockets played against the Grizzlies a total of 6 times, and all 6 times ended in defeat!

Faced with such a record of fighting,

Even the most optimistic Houston fans couldn't stop laughing.

The Warriors are also playing smoothly.

Although because of Pachulia's stepping down, the Warriors have been criticized by the outside world. However, the fans' saliva cannot stop the Warriors from moving forward.

As Link said, without Leonard, the Spurs instantly lost the strength that a 60-win team should have.

In a basketball game, a single player has a huge impact on the game. It's not surprising that a team's strength drops by half after losing its star player.

Therefore, in the second game of the series, the Warriors only need to keep an eye on Aldridge to directly cut off the Spurs' offense.

Parker, Green, Ginobili? It is a pity that now it is difficult for them to influence the trend of the game by themselves.

In fact, Ginobili and Parker only played 5 and 15 minutes respectively today.

Aldridge went crazy under the tight defense of the Warriors. He took 11 shots in the game, but only hit 4 of them. The scene was quite tragic.

Aldridge was unable to drive the offense, and the Spurs simply relied on a bunch of low-ranking young players and the aging Gasol to effectively score.

Looking back at the Warriors, without Leonard as a defensive gate, the Warriors' offense is easy.

The final score of 136 to 100 also faithfully demonstrated the gap between the two teams.

The Warriors lead 2-0. With the Spurs in such a vulnerable state, it is certain that they will reach the Western Conference Finals.

A fierce battle between the Grizzlies and the Warriors is inevitable!

Finally, the fierce competition between the two sides during the regular season will continue in the playoffs.

In the next two games, the Grizzlies and Warriors both entered the away game stage.

However, even in an away game, the two teams' rampant pace still did not stop.

For the first time back in Houston, the Rockets' three-point shooting continues to be low, only 30.8%.

So, for the second time in a row, the Grizzlies easily killed the Rockets, causing them to completely lose hope.

Memphis fans couldn't help but joke: "When the Rockets can't make three-pointers, you know they're in the playoffs."

As for the Warriors, it was also very smooth. 120 to 108, the third game was still a big score win.

Aldridge's shooting percentage is still very low, blocked to 41.7%.

The No. 12 forward has always been known for his stable and efficient mid-range shots, but in this round of the series, the Warriors completely made Aldridge lose his signature.

The Grizzlies and Warriors both turned the total score to 3-0. The two sides seemed to be secretly competing, and no one wanted to lose to the other.

It's just pitiful to the Spurs and Rockets. They are obviously teams playing in the conference semifinals, but they have completely become backgrounds.

It seems that the only meaning of their existence is to highlight the power of the Grizzlies and Warriors!

In the fourth game that decided life and death, the Rockets and Spurs still didn't make any waves.

On the Spurs' side, Aldridge, who was heavily targeted, continued to have a low shooting percentage, only 36.4%.

As for the Rockets, they had completely given up on the game and barely made any resistance!

Capela made 3 of 11 shots and Harden made 2 of 11 shots. The Rockets made only 22 of 77 shots in the game, with a shooting percentage of only an appallingly low 28.6%!

Such a shooting rate resulted in the Rockets only scoring 75 points after the game.

As a team with the top five offensive efficiency in the league, it is undoubtedly a shame to only score 75 points in a single game.

You know, in the first game of the series, they scored 66 points on three-pointers alone.

114 to 75, the Grizzlies beat the Rockets for the third consecutive time.

They played against each other 4 times, and were thrown into garbage time for the first time. Maybe this is what the Houston media calls "evenly matched."

So far, both the Grizzlies and Warriors have swept their opponents with a total score of 4-0 to advance!

The Grizzlies' journey this season is much easier than last season. Of course, it also proves that they are indeed ready to return to the throne.

In the East, the Cleveland Cavaliers also swept the Toronto Raptors with a total score of 4-0 and advanced to the conference finals.

The Grizzlies, Warriors and Cavaliers have also become the last three teams that have not lost a game in the playoffs.

The situation of the three pillars of the alliance is very clear!

Gradually, the day of the three-party melee is getting closer and closer.

The Grizzlies and Warriors will first meet in the Western Conference Finals.

The feud that lasted for a whole year finally came to an end.

Another year in the Western Conference Finals, another year between the Warriors and the Grizzlies.

Everything seems to be no different from last year.

But everyone knows that compared with last year's results, this year's results are likely to deviate significantly.

The ingredients are still the same, but the food cooked this time may not have the same taste.

It is not an exaggeration at all to lack a key team and directly lose half of its combat strength.