LeBron James, your house got robbed.

Chapter 114 The Best Players to Defend Durant

The Cavaliers' aggressive defense ultimately forced the ball to be passed to Thabo Sefolosha on the wing.

Swiss Army Knife made a quick shot before Parsons could get back into position.

The basketball arced through the air, passing directly under the rim, making a crisp sound as it hit the net, and landed straight out of bounds.

"Well done, well done, that's the best shot I've ever seen."

Garnett clapped and encouraged her, his spittle flying straight at Sefolosha.

The referee had no choice but to issue a warning before the agitated Garnett returned to the bench.

The roles of offense and defense have reversed.

Jeremy Lin once again used a screen to drive into the paint. Serge Ibaka was a little out of position, but unfortunately, Lin's layup grazed the rim and went out.

The Thunder quickly inbounded the ball, but it was once again blocked by the Cavaliers' midfield. Westbrook then lobbed the ball to Durant.

Parsons was a beat too slow in his attempt to double-team, and Durant seized the opportunity, quickly turning and shooting a fadeaway jumper.

Ariza chased too aggressively, lost his balance, and was about to crash into Durant when he simply increased the force of his strike and chopped directly at Durant's shooting hand.

Since a foul was already imminent, it was best to go all out. The only regret was that Durant reacted quickly enough.

The basketball arced through the air and landed smoothly in the net.

The referee blew his whistle and pointed to the free-throw line.

The Energy Arena finally broke its long-standing silence, allowing Oklahoma City fans to peek out and breathe heavily, venting their pent-up frustration with shouts and roars.

Durant received the ball, made a slight adjustment, and easily made the free throw.

The bloodstains on his arm were clearly visible.

The rest of the game became entirely Durant's time for isolation plays.

Perhaps Ariza's words were a wake-up call.

Durant received the ball and, without hesitation or any probing, immediately pulled it up and threw it.

While Parsons has a good awareness of help defense, his own ability is always a notch below par.

Even if you choose the right time, you can easily be fouled by Durant's long loop.

The intense focus of both teams led to an unbelievable increase in defensive intensity, with Durant being the only player on the court to score from open play for several consecutive minutes.

For the Cavaliers, only Jeremy Lin and Tyson Chandler each went to the free-throw line once.

Garnett is eager to try.

However, Chen Shuo, who was sitting on the bench, still kept the starters off the field.

The frequent whistles were clearly meant to create space for Durant to shoot, and even if Battier and Garnett went up to help defend, the result would be similar.

A hot hand like Durant is a major weapon in these close games, especially when the whistle blows and double teams aren't being double-teamed. The league clearly doesn't want the game to lose its suspense too early.

Wolf King's form came out too early, causing the game to enter a do-or-die phase very early on.

Chen Shuo took a deep breath and kept telling himself that.

It's crucial to stay calm in times like these.

Bullets must be fired when they are most effective; it's clearly impossible to kill Thunder in one go.

Chen Shuo turned his gaze to Jeremy Lin.

At this point, Jeremy Lin had already played 17 minutes on the court.

Even the Thunder's defense knew what the Cavaliers were going to do.

Chandler blocked Westbrook, and Jeremy Lin, dragging his heavy legs, charged into the paint again. The sudden pause allowed Ibaka to take off.

Jeremy Lin then leaned his body against Ibaka, drawing two more fouls.

Lin's performance of making one of two free throws basically reflects his physical condition.

Looking back.

Jeremy Lin, a step behind, couldn't contain Russell Westbrook.

The blue lightning bolt accelerated from half-court, sprinting past Cavaliers players before taking off and bombarding the basket.

22:37

Even Chandler, who had taken his place earlier, was a step behind.

At full speed, Westbrook is simply unstoppable by any interior player, not even a boxing champion known for his athleticism.

The Knights' first line of defense began to fail.

Tyronn Lue began glancing frequently at Chen Shuo, who was sitting on the sidelines.

TNT's studio.

Shaquille O'Neal clutched his head and yelled at the screen, "What are the Cavaliers' coaching staff doing?"

"Call a timeout to discuss tactics, or bring in the starting lineup."

"They should do something."

Barkley retorted without hesitation, "Shut up, Shaq."

"They are still in the lead."

Barkley continued to defend the Cavaliers, but the doubt in his eyes gradually increased as the score closed in.

27:37

Durant has scored 12 points in this quarter.

Why aren't the Cavaliers adjusting their defensive strategy?

Barkley stared intently at Chen Shuo on the bench.

Almost everyone knows what it means for Chen Shuo to be sitting on the bench.

This autocratic leader has clearly taken over the team's command.

What is he thinking?

Chen Shuo sat motionless on the bench, even though Garnett next to him was practically whispering in his ear.

As Jeremy Lin, who was guarding the front line, ran out of energy, Russell Westbrook's counterattack became incredibly effective.

Westbrook's fast break to the frontcourt and his unexpected mid-range jumper finally eased Chen Shuo's tense muscles.

29:37

The Cavaliers quickly inbounded the ball, and Jeremy Lin accelerated his advance after receiving it, visibly increasing the pace of the game.

Jeremy Lin drove to the basket again and finally found Green, who was open in the corner. Green caught the ball and shot without hesitation.

The Cavaliers finally hit their first three-pointer of the second quarter.

29:40

The Cavaliers' defense began to crumble after Jeremy Lin, and they were no longer able to contain the Thunder's fast breaks.

The Thunder's defense collapsed starting with Westbrook; his poor shot selections caught his teammates completely off guard, leaving them unprepared to get back on defense.

The chaotic defensive retreat finally gave Green a sliver of an opportunity.

The roles of offense and defense have reversed.

After serving from the baseline, Westbrook did not disappoint Chen Shuo, continuing to accelerate and push the counterattack.

Westbrook probably didn't notice at all that Durant, who had been running around for several possessions without receiving the ball, had started to stop and catch his breath on the sidelines.

If someone asks this question on Hupu 10 years from now.

Who is the best player to defend Durant?

There will surely be helpful netizens providing answers below.

Russell Westbrook.

That is indeed the case.

Chen Shuo seized the opportunity when the ball was dead and substituted all the other starters onto the field.

When Westbrook initiated another fast break, he was surprised to find Thompson standing in front of him. Battier reappeared at midcourt, forcing the Thunder to abandon the fast break.

Chen Shuo changed the matchup, pitting Thompson against Westbrook, while Jeremy Lin, whose stamina was running low, relentlessly guarded Harden.

Path dependence led Westbrook to pass the ball to Durant again.

Durant quickly took the shot before Battier could get into position.

The dull thud was a sign of Durant's remaining energy and enthusiasm.

In three consecutive possessions, Durant easily found shooting opportunities, but missed every single one.

Chen Shuo's offseason offer of 2500 million over 6 years has finally paid off.

In the past few rounds, Battier's defensive help has been nothing short of a psychological warfare mastery.

Each time, the timing was just right, a beat too slow. This gave Durant space to shoot, but also prevented him from fully aligning his body, forcing him to make a hasty shot, while simultaneously avoiding the trouble of being called for a foul by the referee.

Coach Brooks on the sidelines frowned, gradually realizing the seriousness of the problem.