As far as this year's first round is concerned, there are all kinds of plots. Some teams were swept 4-0 to advance, others were 4-1, and some teams were able to chase another game when they were down 3-1. We can look at the Timberwolves and Thunder, they are not dragging their feet at all, and when facing a team that is stronger than themselves, it can be said that they beat their opponents quickly by dividing five by two, and they did not think about going back to their home court to earn tickets for a game. Of course, after a 2-2 draw, the Tianwangshan match was indispensable. The magic and the knights played Tianwang Mountain, and the two sides also played to the last moment, and the difference was only 1 point, which shows that both sides played their own characteristics.
Everyone knows that the Tianwang Mountain game has appeared frequently in the playoffs over the years. The reason why it is said to be the Tianwang Mountain game is because whoever wins this game will take the initiative, both psychologically and in terms of the overall situation of the series. There is also a set of matchups on the western side, and everyone has seen the Clippers and Mavericks in the Tianwang Mountain game. Some people may say, how can such a big score of 30 points appear in such a game? If you watch the game often, you will know that this is a very easy thing to happen. In a match like this, both sides are nervous, and it depends on who collapses first. Once you can't stand it, there will be a big score behind, after all, there will be no spare strength after a blow.
If you want to say why the Clippers lost G5, it is because Harden and George collectively pulled their hips. You can look at the game where the Clippers won, and Harden and George can't afford to have one of them hold back. In other words, Harden wants to be the Harden of the Rockets, and George wants to keep shooting efficiently. G4 Harden had 33 points and seven assists on 12-of-17 shooting, and George had 33 points and eight assists on 11-of-19 shooting. G5 Harden had 7 points and 7 assists on 2-of-12 shooting, and George had 15 points and 4 assists on 4-of-13 shooting. From the combined score of 66 points in G4 to only 22 points in G5, the gap is quite large. You can't expect a role player to step up, or the core can play and get the team up and in a comfortable position.
The Clippers G5 lost by a big score, which still had a big impact on the mentality of the players, after all, this is their home court, and the next game will be played on the Mavericks' side. Throughout the season, the Clippers are the epitome of a bad hand. In terms of renewals, either don't renew them or renew them all. The Clippers renewed Leonard's contract, and now Leonard can't play in the playoffs. did not renew George's contract, so what George thought in his heart, it can be said that he was treated differently. It can only be said that Leonard's injury made the rest of the players pay for it. As for the current Clippers, they are indeed missing a championship phase. There is no denying that Harden played well in the first four games, and George also contributed, but there was no such dominance in key games. Let's take a look at Doncic and Irving, one is a flying dragon in the sky, the other is galloping, and the two combined to score 49 points and 16 assists.
In the next game, the Clippers are not without opportunities, and it can only be said that the Mavericks have a bigger chance of winning. Let's see if Leonard will come back and if Harden and George can play efficient basketball. In any case, the outcome of this year's series will be related to the departure and retention of these core players of the Clippers. In addition, the team owner has invested so much that it is difficult to justify it if there is no breakthrough. If the Clippers want to drag the game into a tie-break, there are really not many options.