Thunder Finals: The Peak of Team History Rising in the Ruins
The Thunder eliminated the Timberwolves 4-1. After thirteen years, the second finals in the history of the Russian City team.
is only very different from the three young Western Conference champions thirteen years ago.
Thirteen years ago, the attack of the third young master.
The Thunder team's defense thirteen years later.
Today is the same as in the third game. After the first quarter, the game ended, but the side was changed:
Edwards beat the Thunder 16 points in the first quarter, and the Timberwolves 34-14. Today, Alexander scored 12 points and 5 assists in the first quarter to create 24 points in the team's 26 points, beating the Timberwolves alone, and the Thunder 26-9. In the last game, Walker and McDan scored the Timberwolves' team-high 23 points and 22 points. Coach Ma Dai understood.
In the first quarter of today, they made 0 of 10 shots.
The difference between a star and a character player is the stability of his home and away performance: they are not stars after all. And, Thunder took the initiative.
Seven feet long man Chett, guarding the wings of McDan.
196 cm Jewish went to guard Randall in the inside.
- Another replica of the "Cheter defends Braun" strategy in the last round of the series: Chet lets out McDan and protects the basket; Wats suddenly finds McDan, and Chet has time to rotate.
Medan was lucky enough to catch the frontcourt rebound, and Hartten was waiting for him at the basket.
Medan held it down.
Randall scored 34 points in the playoffs this year; scored 23 points in the 21-game shooting; scored 22 points in the 16-game shooting; scored 12 points in the 6-game shooting;
But hit Jewe, scored 9 points on 10 shots.
Old topic: Randall's back moves are not gorgeous but his flesh is heavy; the dough basket is not fast but he has dough basket moves, and he can eat it misplaced when he hits anyone.
But I encountered a defender who had both the lower set and the speed, and there was someone at the basket?
—Before Chet was injured and Hartten was out this season, Jewe stood at the No. 5 position of the Thunder ball.
Randall faced.
So Randall had to take the ball to find McDan, and McDan was covered by Chet.
Watz, in the last game, the Thunder had blocked and cut the middle with no ball, so he had no chance to take action.
The most obvious goal today: Conley tried to feed Walts, and Dort immediately jumped and blocked; Conley had to find Randall to play Jewish, and Caruso made a hand-by-hand copy.
The persecution of Randall is more than that. The fifth game of the
series reached the fifth game, and Alexander also understood the Timberwolves' layout. So:
left wing broke through Randall, attracting the Timberwolves to move sideways, and giving the weak side Chet a long shot.
The left wing faced Randle, Randle was so scared that he moved to the bottom line, and Alexander made a long shot.
At the end of the first quarter, Alexander faced the Timberwolves and tilted the line. He looked up at the weak side Caruso, led Wats to come, and then attacked the opponent's front foot, penetrated directly into the ribs, led Divincenzo to fill the position, and fed Carson to finish the long shot.
Alexander scored 12 points in the first quarter, 5 assists fed 12 points, and created 24 points in a single quarter.
So the timberwolves sank.
failed in the Western Conference Finals for two consecutive years, but this is still the peak of the Timberwolves' history: after all, the Timberwolves have had a team history for many years, and a total of three Western Conference Finals - last year, this year, two.
They probably have to figure out what to do next and organize the front line, but Edwards was 23 years old and had two Western Conference Finals, and his team history has never been seen.
After losing to Luca last year, Edwards became the three-pointer, but before the season complained that Jordan only had skills in the previous generation of players, which caused great dissatisfaction between the Assassins and Magicians.
lost to Luka last year (23 long shots in five games in the Western Conference Finals), and he became the three-pointer.
If he loses to Alexander this year, will he start practicing mid-range shots and breakout points?
In any case, these two years are still the best in the Timberwolves' history.
is just the Thunder's strong defense, which makes the Timberwolves not strong enough - before, the Lakers and the Warriors (missing Curry) did not defend themselves against the Timberwolves.
Of course, I have already said to people: "But the Thunder only surpassed the Nuggets in seven games" - but the Nuggets, especially Jokic, are also very strong...
"Then why can't the Clippers beat the Nuggets" - the Clippers are also very strong at the end of the season, with 15 wins in the last 17 games of the season. There is a practice in the comic "Fire Phoenix and Lantern Festival" that says to encourage the morale of this side. If the enemy general wins first, he blames the generals of his side for being reckless. If the enemy generals win more, he blames the military advisor for being ineffective. If the enemy generals win often, he scolds the enemy general for being brave but not making plans.
For many fans, it is probably better to think that the team you don’t like to win, and they are more accustomed to blame their opponents for being weak and refuse to admit that the team is strong - it is not difficult to understand. After all, it is more pleasant to scold the team that loses, and it is more difficult to admit that the team that wins is strong.
But Thunder is really strong.
And it is not the same as thirteen years ago.
The 2012 Thunder, we all remember: Durant, No. 2007, Westbrook, fourth place in 2008, and Harden, 2009.
The offensive league is second, and the defensive league is eleven.
The three young men attacked. Sophrosa defends monsters alone. Ibaka blocked the king. Perkins acts as the inside. Collison does dirty work. Old fish provide experience.
assists in the league. The league has the most mistakes. With the league's first block and the genius of the third young master, he made a strong attack and entered the finals and lost to the Miami Heat.
The Thunder in 2025 are third in the offensive league and first in the defensive league.
Dotter defended for a while. Jiewei defended the second team. And they weren't even the two best defenders on the team: that was Caruso and Chet.
Talents are also different.
Not to say that he is not as successful as the Wizards, the Thunder are not as No. 1 pick as the Timberwolves Watz; except for Chett, the highest draft pick? Carson Wallace, 10th - Randle's seventh pick from the opposite side.
Ace? The Clippers used the No. 11 show Alexander to exchange for George.
When Alexander came to the Thunder in 2019, the team sent Westbrook away and began to rebuild. Paul led Alexander into the playoffs and lost to the Rockets.
Pau will go to the Suns to enter the finals next year. And the Thunder are the ruined team with 22 wins. The two pillars that were there at that time and are still there: Alexander and Dortmund.
Gidey is here in the summer of 2021, and the Thunder wins 24.
Jie Wei is here in summer 2022, and the Thunder wins 40.
The next year, Chet finally played, the Thunder won 57 and lost to the Mavericks in the Western Conference semi-finals.
and then this season, 68 wins.
The team's maximum salary: Alexander's 35 million, followed by Harten's 30 million.
Of course, I took the low-paying bonus, but see who the Thunder are: Alexander, who was sent by the Clippers in the No. 11 show.
12 Xiu Jiewei.
The second-level Chett who was injured for only one and a half years in his three-year career.
Dotter, Caruso and Kenway were no one wanted in the draft.
43 pick, Harten was sent everywhere by the Rockets Nuggets Knicks.
10 show Carson. Show No. 49 Isaiah Joe. No. 55 Aaron Wiggins.
Except Harten and Caruso, they all produce and support themselves. The team's two best defenders - Caruso and Dortmund - were no one wanted the draft.
Russia City, with a population of less than 4 million and ranks 28 in the United States.
No big-name freeman. The cornerstones of the two Canadian team building teams were built from the ruins of 22 wins: 24 wins, 40 wins, 57 wins, 68 wins, and the finals.
Written in October last year:
It is said that defense wins the championship because of a basic truth: a strong offensive team does not necessarily mean that everyone is united, after all, everyone loves the offense; a hard-working team with dirty and tiring defensive work requires cohesion.
Just like the habitual after the Thunder: the whole team is interviewed together.
At the final award presentation today, it was mentioned that Thunder was very professional and did everything right, "Manager Presti has been here for seventeen years."
The two peak teams in history were both the ones he chose.
Thirteen years ago, the youngest scoring champion in history and fourth in the second place in Tanhua, the strongest offensive team in the West, went to the finals to compete for the championship.
Thirteen years later, more than a dozen draft picks, second round picks, no-draft picks and a second-tier team who was injured for a year and a half in three years. The first defensive team in the league, built brick by brick, is going to compete for the championship.