This Forward is Not Serious

The series between the Nets and the Raptors has reached match point. On the other side, the league penalties that fans are paying attention to have also come to fruition at this time.

Antetokounmpo was suspended for three games by the league and fined $35,000.

This is the maximum punishment the league can impose on Antetokounmpo under existing rules.

Moreover, in the announcement of the penalty, the league also stated that the NBA will introduce the most stringent ban on non-essential physical contact in history next season, with the purpose of limiting injuries caused by non-essential contact between players.

Although the ban has not yet come out, according to the rumors, it generally means that when an action that may cause a player to be injured occurs, there will be no buffer room, and the player will be directly expelled from the game or suspended.

Tatum's response can be said to be very good. It does not break the existing rules and also serves as a warning.

And this three-game ban is also very subtle.

The big score between the Hornets and the Bucks is now 2-1. The Hornets are without Durant and the Bucks are unable to play Antetokounmpo. As long as things go well, it will not be a problem for the Hornets to win two games in a row and defeat the Bucks 4-1 to advance to the Eastern Conference. .

If they lose a game unexpectedly, the Hornets still have a chance to eliminate the Bucks 4-2.

Then for the Bucks, the only possibility for them to advance is to win three consecutive games against the Hornets. In the absence of Antetokounmpo, it is obviously very difficult to do this.

After all, the Bucks' style of play is one star with four stars. If this one star is gone, the loss in strength will be greater than that of the Hornets.

You know, the Hornets also have Jimmy Butler.

However, theory is theory and reality is reality. Just one day later, in G4, the Bucks played at home with all three armies exhausted. Middleton had a rare outbreak. The Bucks miraculously defeated the Hornets and ended the series. The big score was rewritten to 2 to 2!

In this battle, the Bucks gained a lot of fans for themselves.

And there are no fans complaining about why Antetokounmpo is suspended for 3 games instead of 4 games, because if the Bucks still advance without Antetokounmpo, then this team is worthy of respect.

Things started to get weird.

While fans were still talking about the Hornets and Bucks game, the G5 game between the Nets and Raptors continued on the next day.

The formation of both sides is not much different from the previous games, but the performance of the players is quite different.

Lin Ying of the Nets has physical problems, and his condition and feel have declined.

This is also expected. It is impossible for anyone to continue to output after 3 consecutive games with 50+ points. That means that gods are no longer human.

And Crabbe returned to his normal level after a heroic performance.

It turns out that Lue's joke is very realistic. Without the birthday bonus, Crabbe is back to the player with a premium contract.

In contrast, Leonard on the Raptors is obviously in better shape than Lin Ying, although his physical exertion is quite high.

After a fierce battle in the final four quarters, the Raptors defeated the Nets and regained a victory, changing the score to 2-3.

Then the next day, the Hornets successfully won the battle of Tianwangshan in their home city, and also changed the big score to 3-2.

This year's two conference semifinals in the East are full of suspense. In comparison, the West is more... unexpected.

Both the Pelicans and Trail Blazers performed amazingly in the first round. Jaylen Brown of the Pelicans and Lillard of the Trail Blazers both performed brilliantly.

But what people didn't expect was that the two teams basically couldn't form any resistance in the semi-finals.

The Trail Blazers only relied on Lillard's explosion to win one game in G3. They did not form any effective resistance in the remaining games and were eventually eliminated 1-4.

Lillard and his Blazers can't escape the role of accompanying him every year, but they are actually pretty good in comparison.

Because after the Pelicans next door faced the Lakers, they didn't win a game and were directly swept by the Lakers!

In fact, their performance was not too bad, but they could not withstand the overpowering Lakers opposite them.

In a sense, this year's Lakers are very similar to last year's Nets, with a luxurious lineup that allows players to stay put.

So whether it is Davis or Cousins, the attendance rate has been maintained very well.

And although James' regular season data this year is average, he is in hot form after entering the playoffs.

This change is vaguely like that of Lin Ying last year.

Coupled with a strong desire to win, so far, the Lakers feel very similar to last year's Nets.

Therefore, whether it is the upcoming Western Conference Finals or the subsequent Finals, it will be extremely difficult to face their team.

The semifinals on the Western side are over, and the Eastern Conference is still going on.

G6 between the Nets and Raptors has attracted much attention.

This game is at the Raptors' home court, and it is also the Raptors' last stand.

In the pre-game footage, the Raptors players were all in high spirits.

Although they are still lagging behind by a big score, they have already felt the Nets' fatigue in the last game.

With one go, they had every chance of overturning the Nets.

The start of the game was as they expected. Lin Ying's condition had improved, but that was not enough. The rest of the Nets had been locked up.

At the end of the first quarter, the two teams were evenly matched.

It was at this time that the genius Lu came online again.

He sent Jokic on at the beginning of the second quarter!

Jokic played very well in the regular season this season, but in the playoffs, especially in this semifinal round, his performance was average.

Although it is understandable that he did not perform well against a combination like Gasol and Ibaka, this is not a reason!

Lu didn't want to wait until the tiebreaker, so he directly killed the little fat man tonight.

His adjustment also worked instantly. Jokic couldn't show his strength when facing the opposite twin tower combination, but he had the upper hand in any one-on-one fight!

Unless Nurse is as ruthless as Lue and directly replaces Ibaka and Gasol.

But it's obvious that Nas doesn't have Lu's courage.

So the final result was that Lu's tactics worked again. Jokic buried his head and led the team to open up the score in this substitute transition period!

The Nets also maintained this point difference until halftime. At halftime, they led the Raptors by a double-digit point difference.

Although this is not enough to ensure that the team wins the game, the advantage has been achieved.

And unless the Raptors hit a big counterattack climax in the third quarter to overtake the point difference, they will encounter the same problem as the first half in the transition period between substitutes in the third and fourth quarters.

The Raptors obviously knew this. After returning from the halftime break, they increased their defensive intensity at the beginning.

This move worked very well. The Raptors' forwards were of sufficient size, and after increasing their intensity, they were comparable to the "Brooklyn Time" back then.

Their strategy started to work, and the point difference was narrowed little by little.

But what was unexpected and reasonable was that Lin Ying began to step up and take over the game!

According to what Barkley said when shouting in the commentary box, after a game and a half of rest, it is time for Lin to stand up in G6!

Siakam's single defense, Leonard's single defense, Siakam and Leonard's double attack, none of them can stop Lin Ying from scoring!

Lin Ying entered the white-hot space and switched directly to the God of Killing mode!

Relying on his heroic performance, the Nets did not let the Raptors overtake the score in the end.

Of course, the price was that when Lin Ying finished the third quarter, he was breathing heavily in his seat.

The Raptors' defensive intensity in this series is phenomenal, and Lin Ying's physical exertion is far beyond expectations.

But this outburst was worth it, because it made strategic sense to hold on to the lead in this quarter.

In the fourth quarter, Lu still arranged for Jokic to play at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

Jokic also lived up to expectations. Although Nurse had been very targeted in shrinking the basket, Jokic's condition improved and he could hit consecutive hooks from the free throw line.

After Jokic scored 2+1 with another smart but arrogant turn, Nurse looked up at the score that had been opened again, and his expression was nothing but shaking his head in helplessness.

The outcome has basically been decided at this time.

In the last quarter, the Raptors launched a final charge, but Lin Ying and the Nets showed strong resilience and held on to the score.

The Raptors' performance in this series is amazing, but it also reflects the strength of this Nets team.

Although the strength is no longer comparable to last season, defeating the Nets is by no means easy.

In the end, the Nets defeated the Raptors 106-98 on the road, eliminating their opponents 4-2 and advancing to the Near East finals!

After the game, Lin Ying slumped in his seat and gasped for air. He looked at his teammates celebrating crazily in front of him, with a happy smile on his face.

This series is very meaningful for the Nets.

From the very beginning when he continued to score points and win, to Crabbe and Jokic stepping up one after another, after experiencing the baptism of this Raptors team, the Nets have reached their best state.

The Nets had a hard time, but they advanced to the Eastern Conference finals first.

Then the next day, something happened again with the Hornets.

After returning home, the Bucks played a suffocating defense.

The Hornets also exposed the biggest problem with Durant's absence. Their current offense is not much better than the Bucks!

The two sides staged a retro-style defensive battle.

At the final moment, the Hornets were 2 points behind. After a successful defense, Butler quickly advanced to the frontcourt with the ball and made an emergency three-pointer.

"Dang!"

Missed the basket.

The Hornets lost 87-89!

The two sides fought to a 3-3 draw!

The moment the ball hit the frame, Antetokounmpo stood up from the bench excitedly and yelled at his teammates.

In the next game, he returned from suspension!

The hearts of Hornets fans were instantly broken.

The league gave the Hornets the best chance, but they failed to grasp it!

It was at this time that many people realized that this season was not so much about the Hornets but Durant.

On social media after the game, fans felt sorry for the Hornets. Butler's final choice was no problem, because he had just hit a three-pointer before that, and the physical exertion on both sides was very high. The Hornets played in overtime. The team has no advantage.

Some people began to complain about the league's previous punishments at this time, why Antetokounmpo was suspended for 3 games instead of 4 games.

But obviously, it seems very weak to talk about this at this time.

Of course, there are also people discussing the next tiebreaker situation between the two sides.

Almost everyone thinks overwhelmingly that the Bucks will win.

First, after the sixth game, the momentum of the two sides was completely different. Second, Durant still couldn't play even after Antetokounmpo returned. The Hornets were far behind in terms of strength.

Although some people think that the Hornets may not necessarily lose, just like the Bucks can still win two games without Antetokounmpo.

But those are in the minority after all. After all, the series has reached this point, both sides already know the basics, and the room for adjustment is very limited.

Just when Hornets fans, or fans across the Internet, were immersed in an atmosphere of sadness, a status from Durant's personal Twitter caused social media to explode.

The content of this tweet is not much, only a few simple words, but it is full of weight.

"I will come back in G7."

Durant is coming back in the seventh game!

This time there was obviously no medical miracle, but he was going to fight with an injury!

Lin Ying only learned the news after Su Feng called him.

This further confirms this point. After all, if the injury is better than expected, Durant will definitely tell Lin Ying based on his character.

Lin Ying called, and Durant initially laughed, saying that he had fully recovered.

It wasn't until Lin Ying said she wanted to make a video call to him that he said he was only 70% to 80% better.

Obviously, this 70% to 80% also contains moisture.

"Kevin, don't risk your career."

As a time traveler, Lin Ying couldn't help but remind Durant in this situation.

You must know that in the Warriors, Durant played with injuries, and then ruptured his Achilles tendon, never returning to his peak dominance.

And the situation now is different from before. There is no media or management forcing him to play, so he really doesn't have to fight.

Lin Ying said a lot, and Durant listened carefully.

But in the end, what Durant said made Lin Ying silent.

"You told me that basketball is not everything in life, right? I just don't want to have any regrets."

Lin Ying could understand Durant's emotions because he still remembered what Durant said to him about "the most glorious moment" when he was in the hotel.

This season is so different for Durant.

He is eager to prove himself, and his desire is no less than Leonard's.

"Is it really worth it?"

Lin Ying spoke after being silent for a long time.

If he had known that such a thing would happen, he would have tried his best to dissuade Durant from staying.

"Shadow, you sound like Rick when you talk now."

Durant's reply with a smile made Lin Ying stunned.

In the original NCAA finals, Durant was also stepped down by Noah.

At that time, Rick Barnes was also trying his best to dissuade Durant from playing in the game, and also asked Durant like Lin Ying.

Durant's response at the time was:

"worth."

This is what Durant said next.

Time has changed many things, but what cannot be changed is human character.