It's a bit vulgar to say this, but today against the sun, Wei Shao is standing and losing.
All things considered, I think this is the best game of Russell Westbrook's career — better than the 50+ triple-double against the Rockets in 2017 and the 43-point shot in Game 4 of the 2012 Finals to force LeBron to shoot from injury.
There is a typical moment today that defines a clipper:
In the third quarter, Durant's weak bottom corner, received Booker's cross, and shot from a long distance to score the Suns' 68th point - when the Clippers' Morris did not have the strength to rotate to defend him.
Durant will be put in an empty position.
Morris didn't have the strength to rotate him.
This is the typical moment for today's Clippers:
Their defense is completely crazy, from the beginning of the game to pinch the rotation together, leaking Paul, leaking Booker, leaking Durant, whatever, swooping.
In the first quarter, in addition to Booker, who could top the defense in the mid-range range, and also found gaps in the mid-range - the Suns shot 3-of-16 from the field.
But the Clippers are bound to be physically inadequate.
At the beginning of the second quarter, after Prenley stirred up the Suns, Paul came out of town: first calmly changed defense, burst Prenley for a layup, shot the first shot of the game, and then saw through the Clippers' sudden route, copied the ball, and let Durant chase him for a long-range shot.
Every Clippers is like this: a wave of wild rushes, then fitness goes down, then slows down, and is found by Booker, Paul and Durant.
At the same time, Coach Lu did something I didn't quite understand:
In the first half, Coach Lu ignored Batum and didn't look much at Covington, just letting Morris, who had been recovering from an injury for a month, play 14 minutes: 1-of-7 from the field, -14 - he didn't play well in the last game.
- It almost made me think that the following conversation might have happened:
Morris: Coach, do you see why my girlfriend's phone has your text messages?
Coach Lu: Hmm... That's what I sent you by mistake.
Morris: Coach, why are you still against the wind, originally this was a weathering case, and you were going to change workplace harassment so much...
Coach Lu: ... Is it okay to play the next game for a full 20 minutes?
In the third quarter, the Clippers began to lead strongly again, and then ran out of fitness.
When Durant's long-range shot gave the Suns a 68-66 lead, Morris didn't even have the strength to rotate him.
At the time, the Clippers were also exhausted: they were powerless to fight again without Leonard and George. Morris came off and Covington finally came out, but was immediately fouled by Durant. The Suns lead by four points.
Then in the next round, Wei Shao also made a breakaway layup, trailing by 2 points. When retiring, Wilson switched to Ayton - Ayton was a head higher than him - first to make a breakthrough, and then to the bottom line to pounce on Booker.
780,000 contract, what life do you play?
But Prenley, Mann and Highland were probably infected by Wilson.
As mentioned above, the Clippers' crazy rotation today turned the scene upside down, and there are all kinds of strange things:
What Durant was empty, what Paul grabbed three shots, what Mann grabbed three shots, what ball fell out of bounds in front of Booker's eyes, what Booker fast attack dribbler mixed garlic; Including Okogie in order to fight for the ball with Prenley, he rolled the ball to the feet of his teammates in a hurry...
This blood burns as gasoline, sweat washes the jersey, and once it is abandoned, the game is over.
At the end of the third quarter, Coach Lu said: Retire, grab the rebound, don't make a mistake - he was talking, and Prunley lost his balance after a block: but he covered Paul's shot.
The Clippers were still fighting: Prunley covered Durant, Covington stumbled through the score, and Mann made a long-range shot to make it 81-83. Then Wei Shao reappeared:
When he replaced Powell, the audience thundered with joy.
As soon as Wei Shao appeared, he faced Durant's mid-range shot, 83-85; Durant immediately faced the double defense of Prenley and Covington, and also made a 2+1.
Wilson vs Durant.
Who could have predicted this moment when they faced Paul of the Clippers side by side nine years ago?
I don't know if I was infected by Wei Shao, dreaming back to 2014, Paul found himself: sent a quick pass, the best pass of the game, faster than the Clippers' rotation, assisted Booker's three-pointer, and the Suns pulled away 8 points.
But Wei Shao still does not die:
After a sudden assist and another turnover, Hyland snatched the ball back, and Wilson chased two points on a three-pointer.
Paul returned with a signature and pulled back for 4 points, and Wilson broke through Durant's layup to score the 30th point and bite again.
——The Clippers' defense method of pounce and leakage, to put it bluntly, is to cut each other with the sun, who has a longer blood bar, harder than whose wrist, and who can stand to the end.
- The commentator at the time roared: "No Leonard, no George, but the Clippers have Westbrook!" ”
Paul made a Hornet-era shot, namely: no side jump, no retreat, strong in place, three-pointer, and the Suns led by 7 points — which really forced Paul out of 2014 and even 2009.
Wei Shao also turned over and made a shot.
Durant returned one and Wilson made another three-pointer to make it 96-100.
At this time, on the sidelines, Paul George applauded solemnly but seriously.
- He should understand Wei Shao's feelings. Two years ago, in the Western Conference Finals against the Suns, Leonard was injured and he scored 41 points in Game 5 with one hand. Same mood.
A leprechaun shot in the bottom corner of Paul stopped the Clippers and began to smile: old as he is, he can naturally feel that the game is over.
But Wilson didn't accept it: he fought back for a layup and chased down 11 points: it was his 37th point.
The last time he scored so many points in the playoffs, George was also his teammate:
But that was five years ago.
Without George, without Leonard, no one would have felt that the Clippers had a problem losing.
There were many moments in the game that could have ended there, but Wilson kept postponing it: attacking Durant, changing defenses for Ayton, carrying Booker raw, and chasing Paul for the last minute and a half: he did everything.
He wasn't even loved by the referee: he shot 12 of 18 from the basket today and didn't make a single free throw.
The second person in NBA history to make 37 points and 0 free throws in a single playoff game.
780,000 contract, what life do you play?
Wei Shao's playing style is not a winner. I personally think he's lost some of the best games of the playoffs — Game 4 against the Heat in 2012, Game 2 against the Rockets in 2017, and this one today.
I wouldn't be surprised if someone crossed back and told me that the next game he played a game of 4-of-22 and 8-of-2 turnovers.
But this is Russell Westbrook's most typical ball:
The background is a career low, a $780,000 contract, and a bleak playoff prospect due to injuries to the team.
The race has gradually tilted towards defeat; Even if he knew that he would definitely lose, he went against the current, but still did not stop, his blood burned like gasoline, and he infinitely postponed the arrival of the moment to admit defeat.
780,000 contracts, what life do you play!
When he came on the fourth quarter today, the audience applauded, which I think was the most moving moment of the game.
Clippers fans watched his stumbling play this little half season. They also know what Wei Shao is capable of. They also know they don't necessarily win the game. But they genuinely applauded him.
Records of honor and fame will be forgotten.
But the applause at that moment was the most real: the fans watched.
In the end, Russell Westbrook lost again, but everyone who watched the game understood:
He really lost standing up.