Chapter 1969 The Crucial Centimeter

Game 3 between Lakers and Thunder!

This game was equally intense. The Lakers took the lead in the first half. They successfully locked down Westbrook. So although Durant scored 26 points in the half, he still could not get the score advantage. After all, the Lakers were All Bian players were online tonight, and four players had already scored in double figures at halftime. Artest, the substitute, even made 3 of 3 three-pointers, and was in excellent condition.

However, the Lakers, who had the advantage, ran into trouble in the third quarter. In the previous two games, Harden, the younger brother who basically drank soup behind his elder brother, became the spoiler.

He scored a crazy 18 points in the third quarter, which was also Harden's highest score in a single quarter in the playoffs. This performance directly reversed the situation and the two sides returned to the same starting line.

In the fourth quarter, Harden was still brave. His performance was a bit like a super giant. Not only could he score by himself, but he could also assist his teammates. The Thunder turned out to be Harden's one-man show on the court, and it was Harden's assists that helped the Thunder. Evened the score!

What's even more outrageous is that at the last moment of the game, it was Harden who stood up again!

A crucial and priceless offensive rebound!

Originally, in the last minute, the Lakers still had a 1-point lead through previous operations. After the timeout, the Lakers' defense was very tight. Ji Feng locked Durant so that he could not receive the ball, and the ball had to be given to Westbrook. , Westbrook's state in this game was average. He only scored 18 points before. Westbrook broke through and was double-teamed. Ji Feng and Kobe made Westbrook can only make desperate backward shots!

The slow motion shows very clearly that Ji Feng's fingertips are only 1 centimeter away from Westbrook's basketball!

How much distance is one centimeter?

In many situations, this is a distance that can be omitted or ignored. In the stadium, many people will ignore such a small distance. However, one centimeter really affects the outcome of the entire game!

Of course, the ball was hit hard. No one could score the ball easily when surrounded by JK. This season, when surrounded by JK, the opponent's shooting percentage was only a terrible 17.8%, the turnover rate was as high as 49.8%, and the ball was stolen. The rate is 33.4%. These statistics are crazy. This is also in line with the title of the best defensive combination in JK history. Westbrook is already very good if he can shoot.

However, it was this one centimeter distance that changed the situation. The ball that popped up flew a little far. This position happened to be in a neutral position. This was also the inevitable result of choosing a double attack. Bynum was closest to the ball, and he was excited to prepare. Taking off this rebound ensured victory, but Harden suddenly came out from the wing to control the rebound!

"Harden~!" the on-site commentator roared, as if he saw victory waving to them!

But the Lakers are really good. As soon as Harden picked up the rebound, Ji Feng immediately abandoned Durant and chose to fill in. That position was too dangerous, let alone a guy with a shooting percentage like Harden. The character is also very confident in sending the ball into the basket, then the Lakers are too passive!

But Ji Feng was fooled. Harden didn't even think about coming by himself. He directly passed to Durant in the low corner, and Adu took the shot without anyone guarding him.

Uh-huh!

Durant hits the go-ahead goal!

The whole court cheered, and the Lakers called a timeout. Durant only gave the Lakers the last 4 seconds.

The Lakers gave Kobe the last shot, but this time Kobe failed to save the team like he did in the second game. His three-pointer bounced out of the frame. Although Gasol hit the rebound, he failed due to interference. Being able to take action immediately, the final time ran out and the score was fixed at 109-108. The Thunder defeated the Lakers with a 1-point advantage!

The Thunder won, and the Lakers suffered their first defeat in the playoffs this season. The big score between the two teams also became 2-1, returning to a relatively balanced situation.

After the game, Harden, who scored a game-high 32 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists, excitedly hugged Westbrook, who had 19 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. The two seemed very excited. If they were not at the scene, they would probably have directly Take off your clothes and run wildly.

Durant, who hit a sure-shot winner and scored 31 points in this game, lay on the floor for a long time without getting up. Under the ups and downs of his shoulders, his eyes were probably red from crying.

Ji Feng shook his head and turned away with regret. When he walked near Adu, he pushed aside everyone and patted Adu's shoulder on the floor. Before he could get up, Ji Feng took the lead and left.

To be honest, Ji Feng understands the pressure on Adu. Although he has always been called the 2007 double star, everyone knows that the gap between the two has become wider and wider. Although Adu's growth is higher than expected, it is already better than expected. Most people in this league are stronger and more powerful, but Ji Feng, who has only played for 5 seasons, has firmly established himself as the number one player in the league, and has a place in history, with 4 consecutive championships and 4 consecutive regular games. Game MVP, 3 consecutive Finals MVP, 4 consecutive Defensive Player of the Year, 5 consecutive double teams, plus various other honors, such honors are firmly in the top ten, even top five, in history. In this position, his honors have surpassed Pippen and Bird, and he is only one step away from the god of basketball Jordan. What he lacks now is nothing more than the accumulation of time. If we only look at the first five years of his career, The peak is an existence that no one can touch.

How could such a gap leave Durant indifferent? Ji Feng's pitiful 10-game losing streak in the playoffs was like a mountain, weighing him down. Until tonight, he finally tasted victory. The mountain that represents pressure has finally become shorter.

This is undoubtedly a very important night for Durant.

Three years later, the Thunder finally defeated the Lakers in the playoffs!

"Tonight is of great significance to the entire Oklahoma City. They finally defeated the mountain in front of them. Although it was only a small game, they were still behind by a big score, but this is undoubtedly very important to the Thunder. On this day, this is also the first time they have tasted victory in the Western Conference Finals since coming to Oklahoma. Cheers, friends, at least tonight, the victory belongs to you," O'Neal said in the live broadcast room.

Ji Feng, who scored 24 points, 16 assists and 8 rebounds in this game and was close to a triple-double, also praised the Thunder's performance after the game: "They did a good job. We were a little unlucky, but they deserved this victory."

Ji Feng's mentality is still very good. In this game, the Thunder were obviously stimulated by outside comments. They played well overall and it makes sense to win in the end. They are not pursuing a complete victory and the championship, so losing one game is not a big problem.

Kobe also took the initiative to take responsibility after the game: "We played very well. It is my responsibility not to hit the buzzer beater in the end. We will fight back in the next game."

Lakers fans also sent condolences, but Heat fans gloated that it seemed that the Lakers were still some distance away from the finals.

However, just one day later, they could no longer laugh...