NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 480 Clippers vs. Warriors Western Conference Finals, Part 2

On May 14, the Warriors defeated the Rockets in Game 7, setting up a Western Conference Finals showdown with the Clippers for the second consecutive season.

The Clippers have finally got a chance for revenge. If they want to get revenge and create a new record in team history, then the Warriors are an opponent they have to overcome.

For the Warriors to defend their title, they need to defeat the league-leading Clippers, which will definitely be a thrilling series.

Many fans predict this is a premature Finals. In the East, both the Celtics and the Cavaliers are generally weak, and their chances of winning the championship are slim, as they're essentially just there to make up the numbers.

58's mindset at this moment was also very complicated. He lost to the Warriors and hoped that a team could help him defeat them, but he didn't want the Clippers to be the team that could help him defeat the Warriors.

In other words, neither the Clippers nor the Warriors want 58 to win. The best outcome would be for the team that advances to the Finals to be eliminated by the team from the East.

The problem is that the Eastern Conference is too weak this season, and the teams that break through will find it difficult to defeat either the Warriors or the Clippers.

This is also a reality that the 58 institutions do not want to face.

As for Blake Griffin, he didn't watch the playoffs. The news of the Clippers' consecutive sweeps to advance to the Western Conference Finals felt like his wife had cheated on him. This made him even less willing to watch the live broadcasts, yet people would occasionally tell him live updates on the playoffs.

Charles Barkley, TNT's star commentator who has always been critical of Jia Fei, stated during a show with his partner Kenny Smith that the Clippers' good days are over, the Warriors will sweep them, and the Clippers' ambition to set a new franchise record is nothing short of a pipe dream. He added that Jia Fei will falter against truly strong teams.

Green, chasing after the balls: "Barkley, you son of a bitch, don't you want your balls anymore?"

Barkley lay on the sofa, feeling an involuntary pain in his testicles and a tightness in his anus...

Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals will be held on the evening of May 17 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, where the Clippers, who had a better regular season record, will have home-court advantage.

The Clippers coaching staff has been very busy lately, studying the Warriors and developing game strategies. Coach Budenholzer has had several discussions with Jia Fei during this period, hoping to refine their game plan.

There are no secrets between the Clippers and the Warriors, but Coach Budenholzer was still with the Hawks when they faced the Warriors last season. So, strictly speaking, many players on the Clippers' current roster are playing a series against the Warriors for the first time.

On May 17th, in Los Angeles, California, Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals is about to begin.

Before the match, the two coaches made jinxes on each other, and Zhui Dan and Gou Ge threatened each other to teach the other a lesson. The atmosphere was already very tense even before the match started.

On the evening of the 17th, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Staples Center was packed that night. Many celebrities were there, including the entire family of Los Angeles darling Kobe Bryant. Since retiring, Kobe has gained weight, proving that middle-age weight gain is a natural part of life, even for men who wake up at 4 a.m. Of course, Kobe certainly wouldn't get up at 4 a.m. to practice anymore. He and Vanessa are busy raising their son and don't need to get up that early. Breaking through a tight defense with both hands is too physically demanding, and at Kobe's age, he can't sustain that for long in one night.

Vanessa remains as alluring as ever. In the City of Angels, where spotlights abound, her belly seems to attract more attention from fans than her cleavage.

Another focus of fans' attention is Jia Fei's romantic life. It's been many years since his breakup with Sharapova, and this eligible bachelor remains single, which makes one wonder how he has managed to resolve his personal issues all these years.

There's been a recent rumor that Jia Fei has been with his best friend Art Mayork all these years, from the University of Connecticut until now. The only time they weren't together was during Jia Fei's two years with the Thunder. After he joined the Hawks, the two started hanging out together and have been together ever since.

Many people are speculating whether these two are playing Brokeback Mountain.

Art Mayork is already in his thirties and doesn't have a girlfriend. The fact that the two are always seen together makes one wonder.

Jia Fei and Art Mayork went to the practice site early, knowing that the real challenge was about to begin.

Neither the Spurs without their stoic demeanor nor the Trail Blazers with their offensively strong but defensively weak backcourt duo could possibly be a match for the Clippers. The Clippers' real rivals are the Warriors and the Rockets.

There is no doubt about the Warriors' strength. This team has reached the Finals for three consecutive years. They are the defending champions, and since acquiring Durant, they have not lost a single series.

Everyone was hoping to see who could defeat the Warriors and end their undefeated streak. The Rockets almost succeeded, but ultimately fell short.

Now this heavy responsibility falls on the Clippers' shoulders, and with Jia Fei, arguably the league's best player, they are clearly the most likely to accomplish this task. Last season, Jia Fei was isolated and helpless, with DeAndre Jordan and Doc Rivers holding him back. This season, however, he has gained a powerful teammate like Paul George, and the familiar coach Mike Budenholzer is there to help him—this is the best opportunity he could have.

The home team's locker room before the match.

Jia Fei made a rare pre-match declaration in the locker room.

"Brothers, we lost to our next opponent in the Western Conference Finals last season. To be honest, I'm very unwilling to accept it. We came back from a lead to win last season. I don't want to experience that kind of defeat a second time. I will sprint with all my might later, and I hope everyone can keep up with me and help me. I will also help everyone. This opponent is very strong, but we will definitely win!" Jia Fei said resolutely.

Jia Fei's words ignited a fire in the hearts of the Clippers players; no one present didn't want to defeat the Warriors. The Warriors were like a giant dragon, an anchor for the other 29 teams in the NBA, and everyone wanted to beat them and reach the top.

Clearly, defeating a team like that would be enough to make a name for oneself in NBA history.

This match was broadcast live on Tencent, with commentators Wang Meng and guest Yang Yi providing commentary.

"Mr. Yang, the first game of the Western Conference Finals between the Clippers and the Warriors is about to begin. Please give us a preview for the fans!" Wang Meng smiled and looked even more like Isaiah Thomas, who was watching the game live at the time.

Isaiah Thomas has been in a slump ever since he was traded to the Cavaliers, and then traded to the Lakers. It seems that it will be increasingly difficult for him to return to his peak and earn a truckload of dollars.

"It's really hard to analyze. Either team could win; they're both very strong!" Yang Yi chuckled. "But if you ask me who's likely to win this game, I think it's the Warriors. The Clippers are a bit overconfident!"