George Hill went 1-for-5, JR Smith went 1-for-6, and Clarkson went 3-for-10. That told you all you needed to know.
Tyronn Lue had visibly run out of ideas. Desperate, he'd tried everything, rotating through who knew how many players over the course of the game.
He'd even brought in players like Nenad Kristic, Deron Williams, and Osman, who'd previously been DNPs, hoping they might somehow make a difference.
But reality was cruel.
Those players hadn't been able to help the team.
The Cavaliers had still lost.
The Championship coach and tactical genius was now at a loss. Maybe all he could do was keep James on the floor as long as possible and use timeouts to give him a rest~~
May 24
Thunder-Rockets, G4
A crucial game.
If the Thunder won, they'd go up 3–1 and would be all but guaranteed a spot in the Finals. If the Rockets won, the series would be tied 2–2, and both teams would be back at square one.
Their fates hinged on this one game.
As the home DJ announced the players, Chen Xi came out second to last.
He jogged out of the players' tunnel, high-fived the substitutes lined up along the side, then went over to the crowd and enthusiastically interacted with the sea of passionate fans in blue.
Then he waited for the game to begin.
Oklahoma fans were always full of energy and never stingy with their applause—except when it came to Durant~~
The game began soon after.
After the opening tip, Paul dribbled the ball up the court.
He passed straight from the top of the key to Harden.
They came out swinging, going straight to a Harden isolation.
Of course, they might also have been testing Harden's touch that night before deciding on the pace of the