One Hundred and Nine: I Really Don't Have Time to Enjoy It (21/40)

106: More suitable candidates

2 points difference, 4 minutes.

The situation of the game became more delicate, and the Thunder's initiative was no longer stable. As a scorer-level scorer, it was almost a shame for Durant to have the basketball snatched from his hands by a defender.

He understands that his offense with the ball is not yet mature, but even so, most opponents are still unable to use his offense with the ball.

But the No. 0 undrafted pick has always been able to hit the nail on the head on the defensive end. It seems that he was able to beat James Harden last time, not only because Harden was too late the night before, but because Link's defensive skills were very solid.

"Play carefully, the game is not over yet!"

Thunder coach Scott Brooks yelled from the sidelines after Tony Allen dunked. With Gay out and the Grizzlies playing back-to-back, he didn't want to waste the opportunity to win.

With Brooks' reminder, the Thunder's offense was a little more complicated this time, with more conduction and coverage.

But a complex offense is not necessarily an effective offense. The basketball ended up in Harden's hands, but the guy's shot was fingertips by Tony Allen.

Tony Allen's defense is better than Link's. Harden can't even handle Link now, let alone Link's teacher Tony.

Watching basketball strike the iron again, Scott Brooks felt a chill in his heart. Why does the Grizzlies turn the tide every time that No. 0 plays?

A very scary conjecture sprouted in Brooks' mind-maybe that undrafted pick is more suitable for starting than Gay?

In a blink of an eye, the Grizzlies attacked again. Harden, who has a poor defense, has already made Tony Allen, who can't score, score 4 points in a row, but Harden is not a fool. He knows that Tony Allen didn't shoot, so this replayed Tony Allen's two steps to prevent He cuts and breaks.

Link and Conley glanced at each other, then pulled beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Conley hoisted the ball to Gasol Jr.

The Thunder's starting center is Nenad Kostic. The name of this Serbian center may not be familiar to many people, because he is indeed not very famous and his ability is mediocre.

Before Kendrick Perkins joined the Thunder, the Thunder's interior defense had been the hardest hit. Whether it is Krstic or the team veteran Nick Collison, it is difficult to shoulder the heavy responsibility of defending the rim.

As for Ibaka, he can't protect the basket by himself.

Little Gasol took the initiative to single, and after holding the ball, he pushed forward with his back. Just entering the league is a face, but now that the hairline is already in jeopardy, Krstic can't compete with Pau Gasol at all, and he is losing.

From strength to weight, Krstic is no better than Gasol Jr.

Ibaka wanted to cover the penalty area, but Randolph nailed him to death in the middle distance. If Ibaka hastily double-teamed, Randolph's mid-range shot would surely punish him.

In this way, the Thunder team could only watch the dreadful Serbian crushed to the basket by Gasol Jr., who made a slight jump under the basket and put the basketball into the basket.

The originally lively Chesapeake Energy Arena was dead silent, and they had just lost their last 2-point advantage.

The Grizzlies' offense was heavy, slow and anachronistic, but effective. Hollins off the court applauded with satisfaction. Without Gay, the Grizzlies can attack around the black and white bears. And such an offensive method may be more efficient than letting Gay fight.

Scott Brooks' guess is right, the Grizzlies, who lost Guy, may have really become better.

In the game after the fourth quarter, the two sides had each other's offense and defense. On the Thunder's side, although Durant could still score goals, he didn't do whatever he wanted. Link's defense made him hit the iron many times.

The Grizzlies here, the offensive tactics revolving around the black and white bears have played a very high efficiency. With 58 seconds left, Randolph's basket hook gave the Grizzlies a four-point lead.

After scoring the goal, Scott Brooks hurriedly called to stop the game, and the Thunder had one foot dangling from the cliff.

"Unbelievable, the Grizzlies seem to have played better after losing Rudy Gay! On the defensive end, the defensive chain of Conley + Tony + Link is very strong, making the three proud young men of the Thunder fall into a quagmire. On the offensive end, Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph's low post damage was completely unleashed. Without Rudy Gay and them grabbing the shot, they can fight in the paint as much as they like."

"This is undoubtedly a very embarrassing situation for the Thunder. They originally wanted to take advantage of Gay's injury to win the game. But I didn't expect that after the opponent lost their star, their strength increased instead of declining."

The commentators were amazed by how effective the Grizzlies were during that time, and it's fair to say that they were completely reborn from adversity.

Despite the praise from all sides, the Grizzlies are not at all complacent at this time. All victory is in vain. No matter what the commentators say, the accolades mean nothing if the victory doesn't come out.

"Stick to the inside and switch defenses infinitely! In the last 48 seconds, as long as we bite the opponent's last counter-attack, we will retreat from Oklahoma! I know, we have lost two straight recently. But as long as Hold on, it's all over! Don't hold back, we can beat the defending champions, and that can beat them too!"

Hollins' tactic is still the same as just now. The offensive end focuses on the inside line, which is something he couldn't do when Gay was there. On the defensive end, a solid perimeter defense gives Hollins the confidence to switch defenses infinitely. In this way, you will not be afraid of Thunder's cover.

The time-out was brief, and the composure on the Thunder's faces was completely gone by the time the Thunder players went back on the court. Even Durant is frowning now.

Success made a scoring champion nervous, and Link didn't know if it was a success.

But he knew that if he could win, no one would question his success!

The Thunder came aggressively, and Hollins guessed right, and they played a lot of screens this time.

However, because the players were vaccinated in advance, the Grizzlies did a very good job of perimeter switching.

Harden tried to get a chance by running off the ball, only to find that Link, who was most afraid of him, was immediately replaced. Link is definitely Harden's nightmare now, and Harden feels guilty when he sees his face.

And Tony Allen didn't suffer in dealing with Durant. That guy was a veritable superstar killer.

"The Grizzlies' defense is leak-proof! Their defense is the best in the league!" At this time, even the local commentator in Oklahoma City had to admit the strength of the Grizzlies.

Under the near-perfect defense of the Grizzlies, Durant could only shoot against Tony Allen in the end. But the scorer was always the scorer. Although Tony Allen almost blocked his face, he still made a hollow hit.

At that moment, the fans of the entire Chesapeake Energy Arena stood up, and there seemed to be a wave of people in the stands.

Durant waved his fist, and 34 seconds before the end of the game, the Thunder narrowed the difference to 4 points!

Now, the Thunder have two choices, either foul to find the right to attack, or defend this round hard and take a chance.

Brooks let his players choose the latter, and the Thunder did not foul, but planned to prevent this round. It does have a better chance of winning, but only if the Thunder can prevent this round.

Randolph and Pau Gasol had just stepped inside, and they felt a lot of pressure behind them. The Thunder knew the Grizzlies would definitely play in the paint, so they were ready.

Small Gasol was directly bypassed, and Ibaka was already doing his best to push and shove Randolph.

Randolph was stable enough in the bottom plate, and he wanted to stay in position. Conley dipped the ball in, and the Grizzlies' offense still looks the same!

The moment Randolph caught the ball, Durant hurriedly double-teamed the past. Ibaka tops in the back, Durant grabs in front, Brooks believes that the Thunder's defense will definitely succeed this time!

But the moment he saw Durant clip over, Randolph made a decisive pass. The object of the pass was none other than Link, who was ambushing in the bottom corner!

If Gay is on the court now, he may not be in the corner, and even in the corner, his three-pointer is not so reassuring.

But now, when Link replaces Gay, the Grizzlies' tactics are more comfortable. Link always appears in the most correct position, and his shooting is very reliable!

"Damn, no!" Durant roared silently in his heart, and then threw himself on it.

Link didn't have stage fright and made a decisive move! The basketball almost flew out with Durant's fingertips, and the ball was disturbed! Thunder fans are looking at the basketball expectantly. The undrafted pick should not be able to make it!

Link still maintained his shooting posture after the shot. He was indeed disturbed by Durant, who was tall and long, but his strong psychological quality and excellent hand allowed Link to maintain his shot movement without any deformation during the interference. .

Sure enough, the basketball crossed a beautiful parabola and jumped into the net! There was a sigh in the Chesapeake Energy Arena, and Link once again killed the hope of the All-Russian City!

"Got the ball! He nearly killed the game. Link gave the Grizzlies a 7-point lead in the final 12 seconds of the game! Haha, I think Link will definitely be beaten by Oklahoma fans from today onwards. Join the 'most hated player' list!"

Link beat Durant with three fingers, and he believed that from now on Durant would no longer consider himself unqualified to be an opponent.

And Thunder coach Scott Brooks covered his head with his hands in annoyance. He was very close to victory, but now everything is gone.

Now he's certain that Link is a better starter than Gay. After losing Guy, the Grizzlies may really become stronger.

What an amazing team this is.