A True Matchup! To Decide the Winner and the Loser, and Life and Death!

A True Matchup! To Decide the Winner and the Loser, and Life and Death! The Thunder Five Young lineup meant Durant would not have to constantly carry the burden by himself throughout regulation.

He could conserve his energy for the crucial battle in the final moments.

Coach Billy Donovan understood this well, which was why his confidence in this year's team had soared.

He had coached the Thunder for several years and understood one pattern clearly.

When they faced weaker teams, they could crush them with ease and build huge leads.

But once they faced strong teams, once the game remained tight until the final moments, whether they lost depended directly on Durant's stamina.

If Durant still had energy in the final moments, he could step up and forcefully knock down baskets.

He could almost ignore any defense.

But if his teammates failed to deliver early on, and Durant had to attack and defend throughout regulation, burning through a great deal of energy—

His ability to break down defenses in clutch moments would decline due to exhaustion.

And the team would lose because of it.

Bringing Cousins in during the offseason allowed him to carve out a domain of his own in the restricted area, where he could do as he pleased.

That would greatly free up Durant's perimeter offense, giving him more time to rest and preserve his strength.

This way—

As long as it came down to clutch shots, Durant would have enough energy to take over the game.

That gave Coach Billy Donovan tremendous confidence in the team this season.

George could not stop Durant.

Likewise, the Thunder had no player capable of stopping Su Yan's offense.

When Su Yan first entered the league, his most powerful offensive weapon was the three-pointer, but now he was also