Warriors vs. Thunder: Game 7
The Warriors played a very smooth and fluid offense, dominating the Oklahoma City Thunder throughout the game.
Li Chen was very satisfied with the result; this was the Yu Zhou Yong he had in mind.
However, Li Chen knew that the Miami Heat were stronger. If the Warriors could get past the Miami Heat, then the Warriors would be ready to set sail.
If they can't overcome the Heat, then the launch of this super team will be delayed by several years.
Although Li Chen knew that transformation takes time, he didn't want to wait. He hoped his team would be like him, reaching their peak right from the start.
As he pondered this, Li Chen chuckled to himself. He realized he was overthinking things, because there was still a decisive Game 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. If they lost, what would be the point of talking about a super team setting sail?
On June 11, the Western Conference Finals began.
In the TNT broadcast room.
"We have a new member in our live stream today, and that's none other than O'Neal, the fattest center in NBA history!" Barkley shouted dramatically.
At this moment, O'Neal waved repeatedly at the camera, as if he were a leader on an inspection tour.
A moment later Barkley O'Neal O'Neal Kenny Smith.
"Haha! Shaq, I never thought you'd join the commentary industry," Barkley remarked.
"No, no, no, Charles, you also said it's just a side job, a hobby."
O'Neal's words surprised the two men. "So what kind of work do you do now?" Barkley asked curiously.
O'Neal gave a military salute and said solemnly, "I am a proud police officer."
The two men were both taken aback. Then, Kenny Smith laughed and said, "Shaq, I must say, with your physique, no police officer would dare to cause trouble within your duty area."
O'Neal gave a thumbs up, proudly displaying his large, white teeth.
A moment later, Kenny Smith began to introduce the starting lineups for the two teams in the decisive Game 7.
Oklahoma City Thunder starting lineup:
Westbrook (Point Guard)
Thabo Sefolosha (Shooting Guard)
Durant (Small Forward)
Ibaka (Power Forward)
Perkins (center)
Warriors starting lineup:
Curry (Point Guard)
Korver (Shooting Guard)
Leonard (Small Forward)
Garnett (Power Forward)
David Lee (Center)
The Warriors started the first quarter with an offensive attack.
After receiving the ball, Curry crossed the frontcourt and immediately attempted an unreasonable three-pointer, but Curry's shooting touch wasn't on point, and the ball bounced off the rim. Oklahoma City Thunder's Perkins grabbed the rebound.
The Oklahoma City Thunder launched a fast break, and he delivered a long pass across the court to Westbrook, who made a layup.
The Oklahoma City Thunder, playing at home, lead 2-0.
In the transition between offense and defense, Curry matched up against Westbrook, and he repeatedly used crossovers to stop the ball.
Korver set a screen for Curry, who then Curry and passed back to Korver, who took a step back and made a mid-range jump shot.
Swish! The basketball swished through the net. That was a flawless play, definitely a great shot.
Seeing this, Li Chen felt reassured; barring any unforeseen circumstances, the match should be fine.
Oklahoma City Thunder on offense.
Thabo Sefolosha handed the ball to Durant.
Before Durant could even decide how to handle the ball, Leonard clung to him like a leech.
After a brief tug-of-war, Durant, seeing no good opportunity, bounced a pass to Ibaka, who then passed it to Westbrook.
Westbrook drove in to try and draw a foul, but the referee didn't call it.
Garnett grabbed the rebound and passed it to Curry, who then passed it to Leonard. Leonard, without waiting for Durant to help defend, decisively launched a three-pointer, and swish! The ball went in.
The Warriors currently leading 2-3.
The first quarter was a fierce battle between the two teams.
The fans were already captivated by the outstanding performances of both teams.
The intense competition on the field was dazzling, with every attack filled with thrills and excitement.
Fans are eagerly anticipating the continuation of the match, wondering which of these two strong teams will gain the upper hand in the upcoming games.
The tense atmosphere on the field was palpable, with players keenly observing their opponents' movements, trying to find an opportunity to break through.
Every play on the field showcased their excellent teamwork, and the fans applauded their attacks, eagerly anticipating further success.
The game entered a crucial phase of the first quarter, with both teams' players showcasing their best form.
They ran and fought hard on the field, constantly posing a threat to the opponent.
At the end of the first quarter, the Warriors led the Warriors 30-26 by 4 points.
Moments later, the second quarter began, with Perkins and Durant resting for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
For the Warriors, only David Lee remained on the court; all other players were substituted in.
But at that moment, Curry said to head coach Keith Smart, "Coach, I don't need to rest."
"This..." Keith Smart frowned, then looked at the bored Li Chen, "Chen, look..."
At that moment, Curry also looked at Li Chen.
Li Chen rolled his eyes and said, "Case, remember, you're the acting head coach. My words are just suggestions; whether you listen to them or not is up to you."
Keith Smart was slightly taken aback, then thought to himself, "You spoke up. If I dared not listen to your advice, I guarantee you'd fire me."
As his thoughts wandered, Keith Smart nodded, agreeing to Curry's request.
With Curry joining the team in the second quarter, the Warriors' bench offense became even more potent.
With less than five minutes remaining in the second quarter, the Warriors were already leading the Oklahoma City Thunder 48-37 by 11 points.
Seeing how formidable the Warriors' bench was, the Oklahoma City Thunder's head coach immediately substituted all his starters into the game.
Durant is still very strong when his mentality isn't severely damaged.
After he came on, he scored five consecutive points, narrowing the gap to single digits.
So when the first half ended, the Warriors trailed by two points, 58-60.
The third quarter begins with the Warriors on offense.
Curry lobs the ball to Garnett under the basket, who forces a shot over two Oklahoma City Thunder defenders but misses, drawing Ibaka's second personal foul. The Warriors get the ball inbounds.
Seeing this, Li Chen sighed slightly; Garnett was indeed not the best piece of the puzzle.
Korver was wide open just now; if he had been given the ball, he would have definitely made a beautiful three-pointer.
It's clear that Garnett's vision is poor, but that's understandable given he's Power Forward.
Korver takes the throw-in.
Curry received the ball and immediately attempted a three-pointer, but it missed.
David Lee grabbed the rebound and passed it to Curry. This time, Curry didn't choose to shoot a three-pointer. He dribbled towards the basket, then suddenly stopped and quickly turned around, dodging the defender's defense. His movements were as fast as lightning, dazzling the eye.
He jumped up and threw the basketball in his hand. Like a shooting star, it drew a beautiful arc and landed accurately in the basket.
60 to 60.
Fans watching on television immediately erupted in thunderous cheers, celebrating Curry's brilliant goal.
Oklahoma City Thunder on offense.
Westbrook passed the ball to Thabo Sefolosha, who used Ibaka's screen to make a layup.
He missed a layup against Garnett; frankly, that was a very difficult shot. It truly shows the saying, "A newborn calf is not afraid of a tiger!"
Fortunately, Ibaka grabbed the rebound, Oklahoma City Thunder a second chance.
Ibaka used a series of crossovers to shake off David Lee, and then hit a mid-range jumper.
60 to 62.
The ball sent the stadium into a frenzy of cheers. Ibaka's dribbling and change of direction was a masterclass in style, leaving Li Chen with only one thought: Is this really a center forward's move? It looks like a striker or defender's move!
Curry drew a foul from Perkins, Curry to the free-throw line, and swish! He made both free throws.
Curry's free throws are just as accurate as Li Chen's.
At the same time, both sides began making substitutions.
For the Oklahoma City Thunder, Perkins is out, and Collison is in.
For the Warriors, Harden replaced Curry, who hadn't rested for a minute in three quarters.
Westbrook passed the ball to Durant, Durant a two-point jump shot, but Leonard interfered and the shot missed.
Although Leonard struggled to defend against the taller and longer-armed Durant, he still managed to do some work.
Garnett grabbed the rebound and made a long pass to Harden, who made a successful layup.
The Warriors extended their lead to 64-62.
Westbrook passed the ball to Collison, who was open in the corner. Collison took the three-pointer decisively, but unfortunately, the shot bounced off the rim.
At that moment, the whistle blew, and the referee called a foul on Garnett.
The Oklahoma City Thunder had a baseline pass; Collison passed the ball to Ibaka, who then passed it to Westbrook, who in turn passed it to Durant.
Durant's deadly jump shot.
Thump! The ball bounced several times on the backboard but didn't go in; Durant's shooting touch seems to be off lately.
However, the Thunder still Oklahoma City Thunder.
But the next moment, Leonard's suffocating defense reappeared as he stole the ball from the Oklahoma City Thunder and launched a fast break.
Westbrook and Durant reacted quickly, sandwiching Leonard between them like a sandwich filling.
Harden yelled from behind, "Kawhi, behind you!"
Leonard understood immediately; he tossed the ball towards the backboard, and it bounced back.
Harden leaped high and slammed the basketball into the hoop.
66 to 62.
Westbrook's subsequent zombie-like jump shot missed again.
Harden hit a step-back three-pointer.
The Warriors the Oklahoma City Thunder 69-62 with an 11-2 run.
At this point, the Oklahoma City Thunder's head coach couldn't sit still any longer and immediately called a timeout.
In the TNT broadcast room.
"Oh! That damn Li Chen, he stopped Shaq from winning his fourth championship, and now his team is doing so well too. This bastard shouldn't be in the NBA. Why doesn't he play football or baseball?"
"Hahaha! Shaq, you should say why he doesn't play soccer. I heard they're terrible at it," Barkley joked.
Kenny Smith was speechless; these two had completely gone off-topic.
"Charles, Shaq, which team do you think will win this game?"
"The Warriors, of course," Barkley said without hesitation.
"No, no, no! Charles, I think the Oklahoma City Thunder will win in the end."
"What do you mean?" Barkley and Kenny Smith asked in surprise.
"Because I don't like that lucky kid, Li Chen."
The two of them were speechless.
After the timeout, the Oklahoma City Thunder launched their attack.
Sefolosha got another Open Three-Pointer opportunity, but he still missed. The Oklahoma City Thunder's shooting touch was absolutely terrible during this phase.
Moreover, the Oklahoma City Thunder lacked rebounding ability, as seen in this instance where Garnett once again grabbed a defensive rebound.
The Oklahoma City Thunder quickly got back on defense, Warriors failed to launch a fast break. Garnett passed the ball to Harden.
The latter dribbled the ball up the court, and Harden chose to drive hard and take a mid-range shot, which went in again.
The score is now 71-62, a nine-point gap.
At this point, the Oklahoma City Thunder's head coach called another timeout, this time a tactical one. After the timeout, the Oklahoma City Thunder's head coach had to put Perkins back on the court.
The Oklahoma City Thunder's interior defense is simply too weak.
After the timeout, the Oklahoma City Thunder passed the ball to Durant again. This time, Durant was smart and didn't force a jump shot. He waited for Ibaka to set a screen before taking the shot.
Swish! That was a clean and crisp goal.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have finally opened for business.
71 to 65.
Korver of the Warriors hit an Open Three-Pointer.
However, the shot was thwarted by Durant's timely defensive recovery, but fortunately, it drew a foul on Durant, Korver to the free-throw line.
Korver made two of three free throws. The Oklahoma City Thunder got the win on that play.
73 to 65.
Westbrook moved laterally beyond the three-point line and then opted for a drifting three-pointer, which he considered Westbrook of a wasteful shot.
In the transition, Harden used David Lee's screen to drive directly to the basket, drawing a foul from Collison. The ball bounced a few times on the rim before finally falling in. He completed a crucial and-one play, and Harden made the difference.
Harden was also very excited; he clenched his fists and roared to the sky.
Swish! Harden makes the free throw.
76 to 65.
With one minute left in the third quarter, Durant passed the ball to Thabo Sefolosha, who dribbled up the court, while the Oklahoma City Thunder's head coach shouted something from the sidelines.
Thabo Sefolosha could only pass the ball to Westbrook, who was open and unleashed his signature zombie-style pull-up three-pointer.
That shot was very decisive, but the shot itself was terrible. It couldn't compare to Li Chen's Pull-up Jumper. Okay, even Tracy McGrady was miles ahead of him.
76 to 68, an eight-point difference. But for a team with a superstar scorer, eight points isn't really a big deal.
There are 40 seconds left.
The Warriors substituted Garnett for Curry.
Garnett's defense and rebounding are crucial for the Warriors, and he now needs ample rest.
The Warriors are on offense, Harden is attempting to drive to the basket using a screen from David Lee.
However, the Oklahoma City Thunder's interior defense was very tight, forcing Harden to come back and reorganize the offense.
He looked at his teammates' positions. Although Curry had just entered the game, the Thunder were still taking him very seriously and had effectively shut Curry down.
With little time left, Harden suddenly accelerated and drove towards the basket. He then passed the ball to Leonard with a Euro step, who caught it and shot decisively, the ball swishing through the net.
The referee then signaled that the shot was invalid and the Warriors had committed a 24-second violation.
There were 16 seconds left in the third quarter.
The Oklahoma City Thunder's final possession,
Westbrook dribbled the ball up the court, but did not attempt a three-pointer.
He passed the ball to Durant.
Leonard put pressure on Durant again, who opted to drive to the basket.
Durant acted like a magnet, drawing Warriors players towards his location.
At this moment, Durant passed the ball to Westbrook, who attempted a three-pointer with Pull-up Jumper, but the shot was too powerful and bounced off the rim.
Just then, the whistle blew to end the third quarter.
At the end of the third quarter, the Warriors led the Oklahoma City Thunder 76-68 by 8 points.