NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 763 Clippers vs. Heat, Game 2

As we all know, a 2-2 series score and a 3-1 series score represent two completely different worlds...

In this game, it was obvious to everyone that the Clippers were playing aggressively... and everyone also saw that even a team as strong as the Nuggets, which could dominate the Clippers' interior and bring down their outside shooting, still couldn't win the game when the Clippers were playing aggressively.

The Clippers' defense is outstanding. They don't completely collapse; they can let your core players score, but they won't let your role players do whatever they want.

"Defense wins championships" is not just a saying. When your offense is unreliable, defense is truly your greatest asset.

The Clippers can win through defense, so many experts believe that not only are the Nuggets out of the game, but the team that emerges from the East will also have a very difficult time. There's only one Jokic, and the East doesn't have a star player like him who can completely dominate the Clippers' paint. And on the perimeter, the Clippers have never been afraid.

May 26th, Western Conference Finals Game 5!

Back on their home court, the Clippers gave the Nuggets no chance, sweeping them to a 4-1 victory and advancing to the NBA Finals!

This marks the Clippers' sixth consecutive year reaching the NBA Finals, and they have won the championship in each of the past five years!

The Clippers' winning percentage in the Finals is an astonishing 100% so far!

In the East, the Heat took a 3-0 lead in the series, but the Celtics tied it 3-3. However, the Celtics were unable to pull off a miracle and lost in Game 7, thus missing the chance to meet the Clippers in the Finals!

The Finals matchup will be Clippers vs. Heat!

The Clippers and the Heat will meet again after two years!

Whether the Heat can pull off an upset or the Clippers can sweep through to win back-to-back championships, we'll have to wait and see in the Finals.

The Heat's story is truly inspiring, while the Clippers are undeniably strong. Everyone wants to see the Heat pull off an upset, but considering the Clippers' strength and Jia Fei's unstoppable performance, most people believe the Clippers will successfully defend their title.

On June 2nd, Game 1 of the Finals, at the Clippers' home arena, IntuitDome!

The NBA Finals are about to begin, and the Clippers' Finals tickets sold out instantly as soon as they went on sale.

Clippers owner Steve Ballmer arrived at the game early, visibly excited, as the team was just four wins away from their sixth NBA championship. This wasn't the Clippers' first title, yet he was as thrilled as if it were their first. That's true love for basketball!

Besides Ballmer, the Clippers' de facto leader, the man with the logo, was also present, and Heat president Pat Riley, sporting a slicked-back hairstyle, watched the game like a godfather.

With the Lakers eliminated, many Lakers fans and NBA legends flocked to the Clippers' home arena to watch the game. Lakers legend Kobe Bryant brought his family to the game, and his household was indeed somewhat dominated by women. Vanessa and her four daughters attended, resembling a women's basketball team – quite a sight! Many people hope Kobe can have a son, otherwise his 0-for-4 shooting performance was rather embarrassing.

But Old Ke is not young anymore. His eldest daughter is old enough to get married. Is it a bit inappropriate for him to have another son?

Of course, sometimes you don't have to care about other people's opinions. Not to mention your 40s, you can have children even your 50s. For example, a certain bearded director in China is still "making babies" at his age!

This match was broadcast live on Tencent, with commentators Wang Zixing and guest Su Qun providing commentary.

"Teacher Su, the Finals are here, the Heat and the Clippers. These two teams met in the Finals two years ago, and the Clippers swept the Heat in that series. Do you think the Heat have a chance this year?" Wang Zixing asked.

Su Qun adjusted his glasses and replied, "The Heat have been truly inspiring this year, making a remarkable comeback all the way up. But the Clippers aren't the Celtics or the Bucks; they're least afraid of teams with strong perimeter shooting like these. The Heat's zone defense is formidable, while the Clippers have experience breaking through zone defenses. It's going to be too difficult for the Heat to pull off an upset all the way up."

The starting lineups for both teams have been announced.

The Clippers' starting lineup, playing at home, consisted of Jia Fei, Bridges, George, Grant Williams, and Hartenstein.

The Heat's starting lineup for the away game is Gabe Vincent, Caleb Martin, Max Strauss, Jimmy Butler, and Dilraba Dilmurat.

The Heat's run to the NBA Finals owes much to Vincent, Martin, and Strus. The Heat are indeed adept at unearthing potential stars; two of these three were undrafted and one was a second-round pick, arguably among the least talented, yet they still managed to give the Celtics, with their two young stars, a crushing defeat in the recently concluded Eastern Conference Finals.

The Heat have a lineup of one big man and four small men, and the "big man" is not big at all. Dilraba is said to be 206cm tall, but when she stands next to Jia Fei, the difference between the two is very small.

The Clippers' roster is significantly taller than the Heat's, and their five-forward lineup combines height, shooting ability, and defense, making it a truly top-tier roster.

Dilraba and Hartenstein are preparing for the jump ball near the center circle; the match is about to begin.

The jump ball began, and Hartenstein won the jump ball against Dilraba, giving the Clippers possession for the first offensive possession.

Jia Fei dribbled the ball over, and Vincent was guarding him.

Vincent is only 185cm tall, and he doesn't jump very high or run very fast, but he has a very stable lower body and his defense is also excellent.

As Jia Fei dribbled the ball over, he found that the Heat were playing a zone defense.

The Heat's zone defense is unparalleled in the league. Their zone defense is of high quality, bringing team discipline to the extreme, and to some extent masking the lack of talent among their players.

The Clippers have a fixed routine for breaking the zone defense: Jia Fei passes the ball to Paul George, who comes out to receive it, and then cuts into the vicinity of the free-throw line!

Paul George passed the ball to Jia Fei near the free-throw line. Jia Fei made a few passing fakes and took a step inside. Dilraba had to worry about both Jia Fei's jump shot and Hartenstein, who was waiting to score in the paint. Before she could react, Jia Fei had already released the shot...

"Swish—" The very crisp sound of the basketball going through the net signaled the Clippers scoring first!

Vincent dribbled the ball over.

The Clippers' defense employed man-to-man marking, with Bridges guarding Vincent, Jia Fei guarding JB, Paul George guarding Martin, Grant Williams guarding Strus, and Hartenstein guarding Dilraba.

The Heat move the ball very quickly. As a center, Dilraba can move up to the high post to hand off the ball. She can face up and shoot, and she can also shoot mid-range shots. Apart from her three-point shooting not being very accurate, she is quite well-rounded on the offensive end.

As a small-ball center, Dilraba can act as the offensive pivot, easily controlling the ball, shooting, driving, finishing plays, and launching fast breaks, making her very versatile; defensively, she can switch on defense, protect the rim, and rebound, making her even more versatile.