With a score of 41:37, the Indiana Pacers, who were playing away games, led the Oklahoma City Thunder at home by four points, entering the second half of the game.
In the second quarter of the game, Danny Granger, who had missed all five shots in the first quarter without scoring a single point, scored 11 points on three of four three-pointers in a single quarter with the help of the promised pass. In the first half of the game, Xu Nuo scored 12 points and five assists. It was thanks to the joint efforts of Danny Granger and Xu Nuo that the Indiana Pacers were able to win at the end of the first half. Leading the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Trailing 2:3 with a big score, and now at a disadvantage in the game, it can be said that the Oklahoma City Thunder have really reached the point of no retreat at this time, and they can only fight with their last resort!
As the referee on duty for this game, Joe Crawford, blew his whistle, Oklahoma City Thunder main point guard Russell Westbrook received a call from teammate Thabo Sefolosha. He took the ball in his hand and started to advance forward. The second half of the game officially began!
"Whether the Oklahoma City Thunder can save themselves from the fire or the fire depends on the second half of the game!" Kenny Smith said seriously in the commentary box.
"Don't be so serious!" Sir Charles Barkley said with a smile. "Although the Oklahoma City Thunder are in a passive situation now, it is not the end of the world. And, I have always believed that as long as The final whistle hasn¡¯t sounded yet, so anything is possible!¡±
"There is still hope for the Oklahoma City Thunder!" "Shark" O'Neal said.
At this time, Kevin Durant has taken the ball from Russell Westbrook on the court and started one-on-one with Danny Granger. Facing Danny Granger's defense, Kevin Durant suddenly started, broke through with the ball, and rushed towards the Indiana Pacers' basket. At this time, center Roy Hibbert and power forward David West moved quickly to form a closed defense. It was difficult for Kevin Durant to continue to break through, so he had to choose to stop and shoot a fadeaway jumper. The ball hit the edge of the basket with a clang and bounced up.
"Kevin Durant actually missed his best shot?" Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Scott Brooks frowned on the sidelines.
"Perhaps the first half of the game alone has consumed most of Kevin Durant's energy, thus affecting his shooting feel." Xu Nuo thought in his mind, "You know, a mid-range shot like that , Kevin Durant¡¯s shooting percentage has always been quite high.¡±
At this time, Danny Granger had already jumped up and grabbed the backcourt rebound. After Xu Nuo got the ball, he did not rush to start a fast break, but stabilized the rhythm of the game and strived for offensive success. If the team's offensive success rate can be better, maybe the team can win the game earlier and lock the NBA championship trophy!
After promising to dribble to the frontcourt, he handed the ball to Danny Granger again. At this time, Danny Granger, who had fully recovered his form, started from outside the three-point line and broke through Kevin Durant with the ball. defense. Although Danny Granger's breakthrough is not that sharp, it is enough to kill the Oklahoma City Thunder's inside line. Oklahoma City Thunder center Kendrick Perkins wanted to help defend Danny Granger, but his huge body limited his speed. When Kendrick Perkins came to help defend, Danny Granger had already reached the Oklahoma City Thunder basket and was preparing for a layup. In desperation, Kendrick Perkins had no choice but to Choosing to commit an early foul sent Danny Granger to the free throw line.
"It seems that Kendrick Perkins has already committed three fouls." "Shark" O'Neal said.
"This is not good news for the Oklahoma City Thunder." Kenny Smith said immediately.
Danny Granger went to the free throw line and made two solid free throws to help the Indiana Pacers expand their lead. At the same time, with these two free throws, Danny Granger also exceeded his promise and became the Indiana Pacers' leading scorer in this game.
"It seems that after four consecutive three-pointers, I haven't scored yet!" Sir Charles Barkley said with a hint of sarcasm, "Is this the same skill as 'Magic' Johnson?"
As he spoke, Kevin Durant had already begun to attack the Indiana Pacers' basket with the ball for the second consecutive time. This time, Kevin Durant didn't wait for Roy Hibbert and David West to help defend, and then stopped and shot a fadeaway jumper. Although the shooting distance this time was farther than the last time, the ball flew into the basket obediently, and the point difference between the two teams returned to two points.
¡°The game is starting to get tug-of-war!¡± Kenny Smith said.
"Big??Don't be impatient, steady your rhythm, and slowly look for offensive opportunities! Xu Nuo said loudly while dribbling the ball forward, "We must firmly believe that the final victory must belong to us!" "
"That's right, we will definitely win!" Danny Granger also shouted loudly.
Although the Indiana Pacers' attack failed, the team returned to the defensive end and did not let the Oklahoma City Thunder send the ball into their own basket. This time, Promise took the ball from Roy Hibbert and immediately launched a quick counterattack. DeMar DeRozan received Promise's pass during the counterattack and hit a chasing three-pointer! At 46:39, the visiting team Indiana Pacers has led the home team Oklahoma City Thunder by seven points! On the bench of the Indiana Pacers, the bench players seemed to have started celebrating as if they had won the NBA championship.
On the other end of the court, in the Oklahoma City Thunder coaching bench, team head coach Scott Brooks frowned and stared unblinkingly at the promise on the court.
"Another promised assist!" Coach Scott Brooks thought angrily, "Where on earth was that guy Russell just now?"
We don¡¯t know exactly where Russell Westbrook was just now. What we know is that Russell Westbrook has dribbled to the frontcourt at this time. The core of the Oklahoma City Thunder's offense is still Kevin Durant, but this time Kevin Durant did not choose to score by himself. Instead, after breaking through, he distributed the ball to his teammates inside. Jerzy Ibaka. After receiving the ball, Serge Ibaka jumped high, dodged and maneuvered in the air to avoid Roy Hibbert's defense, and poured the ball into the basket with both hands! At the same time, the referee on duty, Joe Crawford, blew his whistle and then pointed at Roy Hibbert, signaling a defensive foul by Roy Hibbert.
"Hit a three-pointer!" Almost all the players on the Oklahoma City Thunder bench jumped up. For the Oklahoma City Thunder, which was already seven points behind its opponents, Serge Ibaka's This three-pointer came just in time! After scoring a dunk, Serge Ibaka looked fierce and high-fived every one of his teammates in celebration.
¡°After the second half of the game, the offensive efficiency of both teams seemed to have improved.¡± Kenny Smith said.
However, Serge Ibaka¡¯s extra free throw failed to hit the basket. Indiana Pacers power forward David West got the backcourt rebound.
"It seems like Oklahoma City's offensive efficiency is still not very good." Sir Charles Barkley said, shaking his head.
However, the Oklahoma City Thunder's defense was still quick, forcing Promise to have the game fall into a positional battle. At this time, center Roy Hibbert came in from behind at high speed and promised to pass the ball immediately. After receiving the ball, Roy Hibbert took three steps and two steps into the Oklahoma City Thunder penalty area, jumped up and To dunk. However, the combined defense of Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka forced Roy Hibbert to choose to pass the ball, and DeMar DeRozan, who was standing outside the three-point line, received the ball. When he reached the ball, he passed the ball again. The ball came to Xu Jiutianwen who was also outside the three-point line!
"No way!" Kenny Smith exclaimed in surprise, "All five of Promise's three-pointers in this game hit the basket! With these five long-range outside three-pointers, Promise got the Indiana Pacers. A team-high fifteen points! And now the third quarter is only just over halfway!"
Coach Scott Brooks frowned on the side of the court. Seeing the team's eight-point disadvantage, Coach Scott Brooks could only stand up and request a timeout.
"Now the Indiana Pacers have gained momentum!" Kenny Smith said. "Although it is an away game, the Indiana Pacers have turned away and taken the initiative in the game. It can be said that the NBA championship is far away from the Indiana Pacers. The team is getting closer!¡±
During this timeout, coach Scott Brooks replaced the team's sixth man James Harden in an attempt to strengthen the team's offense. However, in the first offense after the timeout, James Harden missed a mid-range shot after receiving a pass from Kevin Durant, and Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert once again grabbed the backcourt. After receiving the rebound, the Indiana Pacers immediately launched a quick counterattack. Xu Xu assisted Danny Granger in the fast break and once again hit a long-range three-pointer from the outside. The Indiana Pacers already led the Oklahoma City Thunder by 11 points, 52:41!
"The Oklahoma City Thunder are gone!" Sir Charles Barkley sighed and shook his head.