NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 405 The Best Friends' Online Connection Makes a Comeback

The timeout is over and the game continues.

Westbrook dribbled over and passed the ball to Gibson in the low post.

Gibson catches the ball and backs down Harris!

The Clippers failed to provide help defense, and Gibson's strong attack was followed by a missed hook shot!

However, Aquaman grabbed the offensive rebound and passed it to Westbrook at the top of the key.

Westbrook then lobbed the ball to Gibson for a one-on-one against Harris.

Gibson showcased his footwork in the low post, hitting a turnaround layup!

At 7:10, the Thunder's offense after the timeout was effective; they capitalized on Gibson's height advantage and exploited the mismatch with Harris.

Wang Meng exclaimed, "Gibson's footwork in those two low-post attacks was truly beautiful!"

"Everything in the playoffs comes down to matchups. Harris is the height of a small forward, while Gibson is a proper power forward with a height advantage. At first, I was wondering why the Thunder didn't take advantage of that and just let Gibson drive around like that. Now, exploiting the mismatch is the right choice," Yang Yi said.

The Clippers were on offense. DeAndre Jordan received the ball in the low post and attempted to dunk over Aquaman, but failed!

Westbrook grabbed a defensive rebound and drove the length of the court, but was stopped by a tactical foul from Beverley.

The Thunder continued their offense, with Westbrook lobbing the ball to Gibson, allowing him to continue his post-up game against Harris.

Gibson does have low-post skills. His footwork in the low post isn't fancy, but it's very practical, and he's especially effective when playing out of position.

Harris struggled and committed a foul!

Gibson will go to the free-throw line, while Harris will have to sit out due to two fouls.

Coach Li replaced Jia Fei's good friend Art Mayork, and the Clippers started playing a twin-tower lineup.

"Harris has committed two fouls. Mr. Yang, do you think this will have a significant impact on the Clippers?" Wang Meng asked.

Yang Yi twirled his pen: "I don't think it will have a big impact. Harris isn't necessarily a great scorer on the court. The Clippers just need to reduce turnovers and prevent the young master and his teammates from getting going. Positional play isn't difficult to defend."

Gibson made one of two free throws, and Art Mayork leaped to grab the rebound!

Clippers fans adore Art Mayok, a passionate big man. This season, the Clippers have even recorded more dunks than any year in the so-called "Lob City," with starters like DeAndre Jordan and reserves like Art Mayok and Montrezl Harrell all contributing significantly to the dunking.

Jia Fei brought the ball over, and Art Mayork came up to set a screen!

The two had excellent chemistry; Jia Fei cut in, and Art Mayork followed suit!

Jia Fei bounced the ball to Art Mayork near the free-throw line.

Art Mayork takes a mid-range shot—and it goes in!

8:12, a difference of 4 points!

These two buddies rarely play together, so many people have almost forgotten that they are longtime partners.

Jia Fei had Art Mayok practice shooting, and the results are becoming apparent. In today's NBA, it's too difficult for big men without shooting ability to survive. Many rough guys have started practicing shooting. This is a matter of the survival environment. If you can't adapt, you'll be eliminated.

The Thunder continued their offense, targeting Gibson, but the Thunder had changed players. They had Harris, who was a 3/4 position player, but now they had Art Mayork, who was a 4/5 position player. The difference in height and weight made it much harder for Gibson to score.

To put it bluntly, Gibson can only bully those smaller or thinner than him; he struggles against players of similar strength, ultimately proving he's not a scoring machine in the post. In this respect, while Al Jefferson has always been criticized for his poor defense and ball-hogging, his low-post skills are truly exceptional; he can score against anyone.

Gibson missed his shot, and Jia Fei leaped to catch it.

Jia Fei brought the ball over, and Art Mayok continued the pick-and-roll.

Jia Fei made a feint to Art Mayork, then delivered a magician-like one-handed pass to Beverley in the corner!

Westbrook had already moved to help defend the basket, and of course, he went to grab the rebound.

Beverley was completely left open, and of course he couldn't miss this opportunity, easily sinking a three-pointer!

At 8:15, the score difference has reached 7 points!

Staples Center erupted in cheers. Many fans remarked that Jia Fei's skillful maneuver looked very familiar, resembling a magician's move. Many veteran fans were particularly moved, never expecting to see a Magic Johnson-esque move in Jia Fei – a truly rare sight.

Unbeknownst to many, Jia Fei gained another wave of fans at the Sputnik Center, which was an unexpected bonus.

"Jia Fei is amazing, absolutely incredible! How did he pass that ball?" Wang Meng couldn't help but exclaim, utterly impressed.

"Young Master, why are you going to the basket instead of sticking to your own defender? What are you doing, a guard, trying to grab rebounds under the basket? With a center in the paint, a guard should just guard his own man!" Yang Yi couldn't help but criticize Westbrook.

Jia Fei knew that Westbrook's habit of focusing on the ball rather than the player wasn't new this season; he'd been like this since they were teammates. His lack of attention to detail on the court wasn't a recent development either. This season, as the team's sole core player, no one criticized him, which only amplified his shortcomings. Furthermore, this season, in his pursuit of a triple-double and to surpass the "Big Zero" (referring to a player's perceived lack of awareness), Westbrook's rebounding spree was frantic. Rebounding under the basket had become an unconscious behavior for him, which couldn't be explained by mere awareness.

Just like his walking pace on Running Man, sometimes he doesn't need to walk, but he's gotten into the habit and likes to take a few extra steps. He also likes to shrug; even when they're clearly getting an advantage, he'll still shrug at the referee—that's just a habit.

With the addition of twin towers, the Clippers' offense wasn't significantly affected; in fact, it made things more difficult for the Thunder. The Thunder's outside shooting was off, forcing the Clippers to shrink their defense further. One-on-one situations weren't effective either; Westbrook and Oladipo both like to drive, but the paint is packed with players, and finishing over defenders isn't easy!

Not to mention the ever-present presence of Jia Fei, who greatly impacted the Thunder's offense.

The Clippers' offense is clear and simple, led by Jia Fei, who either sets screens or plays one-on-one, while the others handle second-chance points and finishes. This way, even if they miss a shot, they don't have to worry too much about turnovers and counterattacks.

The Thunder couldn't mount a counterattack, and their positional play was stagnant, making for a very unsightly performance.

During rotation periods, the Clippers' pick-and-roll duo came into play, focusing on offense. The Thunder, on the other hand, brought in Domantas Sabonis, Jeremy Grant, and Abrines, improving their offensive spacing but compromising their defense. Both teams traded baskets, but neither could close the gap.

When it came down to everyone competing for the starting lineup, the Thunder were still behind.

The first half ended with a score of 44-53, a difference of 9 points.

Jia Fei scored 17 points, grabbed 5 rebounds, dished out 4 assists, made 1 steal, and blocked 1 shot in the first half, showcasing an extremely well-rounded performance. Under his leadership, the team performed exceptionally well on both offense and defense, proving himself to be the team's strongest core player.

威少半场得到12分6个篮板4次助攻1个盖帽，但出现了4次失误，投篮更是13投仅4中，攻防两端都被贾飞死死压制。