Chapter 208 Isn't He Really Tired (Ninth Update!)

Durant didn't have a good chance with or without the ball, and he began to cooperate with Westbrook.

After the empty cut, he made a layup with a big loop, or a direct jump shot after catching the ball and turning over, and he scored again.

But it is very intuitive that he is not comfortable playing on the court, and his scoring efficiency is significantly lower than in usual games.

Throughout the first quarter, Tang Tian was a piece of brown candy that he couldn't shake off, which made him feel uncomfortable all over.

His performance also put the Thunder at a disadvantage. When the first quarter hit about 9 minutes, the Thunder had fallen behind 12-20.

At this time, the two sides entered the rotation one after another. The Spurs' Duncan and Parker both came off the court to rest, and Ginobili came off the bench.

The Thunder also got Westbrook and Harden.

These are some regular rotations, but Durant still stays on the court for the Thunder.

Scott Brooks is Durant's mentor. He wants his favorite disciple to stay on the court and continue to find his status.

And Brooks has a little more to think about.

Durant is good at running without the ball, and has always been the core of the team. He has averaged more than 38 minutes per game in his career, and this season is approaching 40 minutes. Physical strength is not a problem at all.

On the opposite side, Tang Tiancai played the second game of the starting lineup, and he also watched the video of the Spurs' last game before the game. Tang's physical strength declined in the second half and his performance fluctuated a lot.

If Popovich keeps Tang Tian on the court, Durant will definitely have more and more room to play;

Conversely, if Popovich replaces Tang Tian, ​​then Durant will have more room to play.

Durant's giant loop layup caused a foul by Tang Tian and got two free throw opportunities.

At this time, Popovich called Tang Tian to the sidelines and asked about his physical condition.

"completely fine."

Tang Tian gave an affirmative answer.

Mask Man's skills are worthy of being at the blue level. He basically defended Durant with all his strength this quarter, but he still feels full of physical strength so far.

This is really equivalent to having a spare stamina gauge.

Durant made two free throws to help the Thunder narrow the point difference to 6 points.

Looking back at the Spurs' offense, Ginobili snaked through Harden and scored a layup, which was still 8 points away.

With Durant on the court, Harden didn't have many shots. He dribbled the ball to the frontcourt and saw Durant beckoning.

Although I was a little unhappy in my heart, I still had to pass the ball.

Durant continued to play Tang Tian with the ball. He broke through very resolutely, but Tang Tian's defense was also very tight, and he was forced to stop the ball.

Tang Tian had no chance against him, the attack time was approaching, and he made a difficult turnaround and missed a jumper.

The defensive rebound was accepted by Splitter, and the Thunder's offense failed again.

"How did he do that?"

Barkley shouted with his mouth wide open.

Both Smith and O'Neill looked at him suspiciously, wondering what was so surprising about this ordinary round.

"Didn't you notice? His defense just now was so...perfect."

Barkley continued to speak.

"Charles, he did that in the opening."

Kenny Smith reminded.

"That's the problem, he's been doing it all quarter, and he's still playing this high-intensity defense!"

Barkley's words reminded Smith and O'Neill, and the two reacted one after another.

This kind of stalking defense consumes a lot of stamina, it's really unbelievable that Tang Tian can persist until now.

"He must have given a lot off the field."

O'Neill made an explanation that he dislikes training the least, so he has a lot of physical problems in the later stages of his career, which can be regarded as a feeling after retirement.

The game on the court continued. Durant continued to attack in the last two minutes, but the effect was similar to before. Although he still scored, the efficiency was still very low.

After the first quarter, the Thunder trailed the Spurs by as much as 12 points 18 to 30.

Durant scored 12 points in the first quarter, but only hit 4 goals in 11 shots, which is completely incomparable with his usual game efficiency.

He was really in trouble tonight.

In the second quarter, Durant came off the field, and the Thunder's main attack point shifted to Harden.

Harden's state tonight is completely different from the preseason game. Whether it is a breakthrough or a goal, he is obviously decisive and decisive, and the finish is perfect, which is a great improvement compared to the beginning of the season.

The Thunder also narrowed the point difference a little bit under his leadership.

Harden played the entire second quarter, contributing 13 points and 3 assists in a single quarter. Under his leadership, the Thunder continued to chase points and trailed the Spurs by 6 points 40-46 at halftime.

"Kevin, keep the rhythm, he can't follow you the whole game."

In the locker room at halftime, Brooks encouraged Durant alone.

Among the four young masters, Durant's talent and upper limit are the highest, and he is also the one he relies on the most.

In his eyes, Harden's outstanding performance was just a temporary explosion. If the team wants to win, it still needs Durant to regain his form.

Harden was on the side at this time, and he had some thoughts in his heart when he heard what Brooks said.

To be honest, he is a No. 3 pick, and he is only one pick less than Durant.

Back in the second half, the Thunder adjusted their strategy and focused on Westbrook as soon as they came up.

Westbrook kept attacking the Spurs' inside line with explosives, forcing the Spurs' defense to shrink.

Until this time, Durant used the pick-and-roll to get the opportunity to hit consecutive mid-range and long-range shots, and he scored 5 points in a row.

Brooks really relies on Durant, and Westbrook's strong suddenness is to pave the way for him.

However, Westbrook regards Durant as a brother, and he is very determined when executing tactics.

Tang Tian noticed this, he completely ignored the others, and directly pressed close to press Durant.

Durant can't pass the ball now, secondly, he has limited ability to play singles with the ball, and thirdly, his dribbling level is not high.

This kind of game continued for another whole quarter, and the situation on the field was exactly the same as it was at the beginning.

Durant scored in an inefficient way, and the Thunder once again fell into a passive position.

On the last attack of the third quarter, Durant held the ball outside the three-point line and continued to step forward from the left.

Tang Tian's dynamic vision was accurate enough this time, and he made a direct save to steal the ball away.

Durant directly turned into a man and the ball was passed, the man passed, and the ball was gone!

Tang Tian stole the ball very suddenly, and the others didn't react at all. He directly held the ball and scored at the buzzer.

The ball also helped the Spurs lead the Thunder by a full 15 points at the end of the three quarters.

"Is he really not tired?"

Seeing Tang Tian who was still running fast after the steal, Barkley couldn't help but swear. This is the person who has been fighting against Durant for three full quarters!

Tang Tian is not tired, Shui Ke is a little tired... I feel my body is hollowed out, but it is impossible to give up! There is one last update!