NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 410 Clippers vs. Rockets

In the three games of the Thunder's series, not a single game saw them score more than 100 points. Keep in mind that in today's NBA, even in the playoffs, it's very difficult to win without scoring 100 points. This isn't the NBA of yesteryear anymore; without offense, relying solely on defense is simply not enough to win a series or even contend for the championship. Moreover, they didn't truly contain the Clippers.

The Thunder's defense was solid in this game. The Clippers' other players didn't step up, and their offense was stagnant. However, the Thunder themselves couldn't score, giving the Clippers numerous fast break opportunities.

The opponent's positional warfare attacks are constipated, but their counterattacks are not. When they launch a counterattack, they can still steadily gain points.

The outcome of the game was still largely predictable, with the Clippers winning another game on the road, sweeping their opponents 4-0 in the series and advancing smoothly to the second round.

Despite being booed by the away fans throughout the game, Jia Fei left with a smile. Art Mayork and Beverley marveled at his composure.

After the game, Jia Fei told them, "Because I don't owe the Thunder anything, I'm a Clippers player now, and I don't think there's anything wrong with me beating my team."

The Clippers players boarded their chartered plane back to Los Angeles, and everyone was happy, having already achieved their goal for the season by advancing to the second round.

In other Western Conference matchups, the Warriors swept the Trail Blazers on the same day to advance to the second round. The games between the Rockets and Grizzlies, and the Spurs and Jazz are still ongoing. The Rockets and Spurs are currently leading by a large margin and have a greater chance of advancing.

The Clippers' next opponent is the winner between the Rockets and the Grizzlies, and they will prepare for the next round.

Back in Los Angeles, Jia Fei didn't let himself go. He started watching the Rockets vs. Grizzlies series, focusing on the characteristics of the Rockets' game, the characteristics of their players, and so on.

Knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory in every battle. Their ability to sweep through Thunder was partly due to their superior strength, but also because they were better prepared than their opponents.

By April 29, the first round of the Western Conference playoffs had concluded, with both the Rockets and the Spurs advancing to the second round.

With this, the Western Conference semifinal matchups are Clippers vs. Rockets, and Warriors vs. Spurs.

Every round is a fiercely contested match, with Jia Fei versus Harden, and the three "Tsunami Brothers" versus DeRozan and Aldridge.

Game 1 of the Clippers-Rockets series will be played on May 2 at the Rockets' home arena, the Toyota Center.

This series hasn't even started yet, but discussions about it have already begun. There are both sides supporting both teams advancing to the Western Conference Finals. The Rockets have the Harden-Paul duo, but unfortunately, 58 suffered a wrist injury in the first-round game against the Grizzlies, and his old knee injury has flared up. Whether he can play in this series, and how much he can contribute, will significantly influence the series' outcome.

If 58 can't play, then Harden and Jia Fei will each lead their teams as solo stars, and the outcome will be uncertain.

Jia Fei defeated the Thunder, one of his MVP rivals, Westbrook, in the first round, and then faced the Rockets, another MVP rival, Harden, in the second round, thus extending the MVP competition from the regular season to the playoffs.

It's worth mentioning that both Westbrook and Harden were Jia Fei's former teammates.

If Jia Fei can lead his team to the Western Conference Finals, and if their opponent in the Western Conference Finals is the Warriors, he will also face another former Thunder teammate, Kevin Durant...

This year's playoffs are inseparable from the Thunder and former Thunder players!

The Clippers arrived in Houston on April 30 to prepare for Game 1 of the series.

Houston is the largest city in Texas, the fourth largest city in the United States, and the largest economic center on the Gulf Coast. Houston is a world-renowned space city, home to the Johnson Space Center, which is why their NBA team is called the Rockets.

On the evening of the 30th, Jia Fei treated the entire team to dinner at the famous Yao Restaurant in Houston. For Chinese fans, the Rockets are still the home team in many people's hearts, mainly because Chairman Yao once served here for a long time.

On May 1, Clippers players practiced in Houston in preparation for the game on the evening of May 2.

There is a history between the two teams. In the 2014-15 season, the season Jia Fei won the championship, the Clippers were overturned by the Rockets in the Western Conference semifinals after leading 3-1, and ultimately failed to set a new team record.

This was also the closest 58 ever came to the Western Conference Finals, until he was traded, and his chance to break through to the Western Conference Finals with the Clippers was completely lost.

If the Western Conference Finals are the curse of the 58ers, then the Western Conference Finals are the curse of the Clippers. Neither the 58ers nor the Clippers have ever reached the Western Conference Finals, and now they stand on opposite sides. Regardless of the outcome of this series, at least one of them can break this curse.

This is also one of the highlights of this series: will it be the Clippers or the 58ers who can break the curse?

Another point of interest is whether Jia Fei or Harden is the best shooting guard in the league.

A year ago, it would definitely have been Jia Fei, because he had just won two MVPs and led his team to the championship. But after that, he missed the entire season due to injury. During that time, Harden rose to prominence, becoming the league's best shooting guard that season.

This season, both Jia Fei and Harden have had explosive performances, and they are rivals in terms of both individual statistics and team records. This competition is reminiscent of Kobe and Iverson's rivalry at the shooting guard position.

May 2, evening, Toyota Center, Houston.

The Houston Rockets were founded in 1967 and joined the NBA in the 1967-68 season, making them one of the oldest teams in the NBA. This team has won two NBA championships, and its notable players include Hakeem Olajuwon, Yao Ming, Charles Barkley, Moses Malone, and Tracy McGrady, among others.

In terms of sheer glory in team history, the Clippers aren't even worthy of shining the Rockets' shoes.

This match was broadcast live on Tencent, with commentators Wang Meng and guest Yang Yi providing commentary.

Before the game, the players from both sides practiced shooting. The Rockets' mascot, Key Bear, started dancing. The fans were wearing the Rockets' signature red T-shirts, making the whole arena a sea of ​​red. If you didn't know better, you might think you were at China's home court.

Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni's mustache is quite distinctive, resembling that of an American businessman from the 1970s or 80s. James Harden's beard is even thicker than the pubic hair of many muscular men. Jia Fei has always wondered if such a dense beard makes him hot while playing basketball? Doesn't he spill soy sauce while eating? Doesn't it attract birds? Doesn't it get lice?

Harden isn't just unique in the league because of his bearded appearance; his obsession with nightclubs has reached a fever pitch. Both are single and unmarried, but he's particularly fond of partying, always going out to party whenever he plays an away game in a city, while Durant prefers surfing the internet – the difference between a playboy and a homebody.

Harden also has a particular fondness for women with big butts, and a special preference for married women and mature women. This can explain why he sometimes plays defensively with his eyes; he has indeed put in too much effort at night.