NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 561 Clippers vs. Raptors

At the Warriors' home arena, the Clippers celebrated their Western Conference championship.

When he received the Western Conference championship trophy, Jia Fei gave an interview. When asked about the upcoming NBA Finals, he smiled and said, "I won't make any predictions, but I will do my best to defend our title. We will try our best to keep the Larry O'Brien Trophy in Los Angeles!"

It was unexpected that the more competitive Western Conference would decide the champion so quickly, while the Raptors and Bucks in the East were playing an extremely intense game, currently trending towards a Game 7.

After returning to Los Angeles, the Clippers took a two-day break before resuming training.

Coach Buden approached Jia Fei and asked him who was likely to advance to the finals.

Jia Fei answered decisively, "Raptors!" In his view, the Raptors were the ones who advanced to the Finals in his previous life, and now that the Bucks had acquired a terrible coach like Doc Rivers, it was even more natural for them to be defeated.

Coach Buden had always valued Jia Fei's predictions highly, as he remembered Jia Fei never being wrong in that area. So he quickly began to work on the game plan for the finals.

Jia Fei's prediction was correct; the Raptors ultimately defeated the Bucks 4-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals and advanced to the NBA Finals.

In this way, the Clippers' opponent in the Finals will be the Raptors!

The two teams faced off twice in the regular season, with the Clippers winning both times.

The odds for the Finals have also been released, with the Clippers leading the Raptors by a significant margin.

Game 1 of the NBA Finals will be held on May 30 at the Clippers' home arena, Staples Center, where the Clippers will have home-court advantage.

The Clippers have begun preparations for their NBA Finals matchup against the Raptors.

Unlike the Warriors, the Raptors primarily used a regular lineup during the regular season. They boasted a formidable frontcourt with the towering center Gasol and Serge Ibaka, a former teammate of LeBron James, and a powerful forward like Pascal Siakam. Their backcourt featured Kyle Lowry, one of the "Trash Brothers," and Fred VanVleet, who has become a "Van Jordan" since having a son, making the team's overall roster very balanced.

With such a lineup, the expressionless guy only needs to focus on lethal one-on-one plays; his job is simple and suits his characteristics perfectly.

After learning that their opponent was the Raptors, Coach Buden approached Jia Fei to discuss specific countermeasures.

"Jay, should we bring back the pick-and-roll duo?" Coach Buden asked.

Jia Fei shook his head: "The lineup for the Western Conference Finals is enough!"

Jia Fei's opinion was highly consistent with Budden's idea, and the two quickly reached a tacit understanding.

Before we knew it, it was May 30th, and Game 1 of the finals was about to take place that night.

That night, the Staples Center was packed to capacity.

While this game didn't garner as much attention as the Western Conference Finals, it was still very popular, even though many didn't favor the Raptors. The Clippers' star power was undeniable, and everyone wanted to see if they could successfully defend their title.

This match was broadcast live on Tencent, with commentators Wang Zixing and guest Su Qun providing commentary.

"Teacher Su, the Finals have started, and the media are all predicting that the Clippers will successfully defend their title. What do you think about this?" Wang Zixing asked.

Su Qun adjusted his glasses and said, "It's certain that the Clippers have a certain advantage. The Raptors have a very good roster depth, but the Clippers' five-outside game will make it very difficult for the Raptors' defense. Marc Gasol, are you going to play or not? If you play, the Clippers' centers are all beyond the three-point line. Are you going to come out or not? It's a very difficult decision. Even the Warriors' 'death lineup' couldn't really limit the Clippers' offense, so you can imagine the pressure the Raptors will face on the defensive end."

The starting lineups for both teams have been announced. The Clippers' starting lineup, playing at home, consists of Jia Fei, Beverley, George, Gallinari, and Olynyk.

Olynyk has returned to the starting lineup, and since the opponent is definitely going to play a big lineup, his presence is very effective in targeting Gasol.

The Raptors' starting lineup for the away game is: Durant, Gasol, Siakam, Lowry, and Danny Green.

The Raptors have a very standard roster, with a center and a proper point guard. On the wings, Green and Stan Smith come from the Spurs and are both excellent defenders.

Jia Fei isn't a member of the Running Man cast and doesn't have the habit of throwing magnesium powder before the race, so the on-site staff weren't prepared for it.

Leonard truly lives up to his reputation as a poker face; he didn't say anything, his expression remained blank, and it seemed as if the game had nothing to do with him.

The young woman and Olynyk went to the center circle to prepare for the jump ball; the game was about to begin.

The jump ball began, and Gasol won against Olynyk, giving the Raptors possession for the first possession. Both players are white, and their jumping ability is practically nonexistent; either could have won. It didn't feel like a jump ball; it was more like a dribbling game.

Kyle Lowry dribbles the ball across half-court.

As a former Rockets player, Lowry is very inspiring and lives up to his status as a "former Rockets player." Although he and DeRozan were jokingly called the "Trash Brothers" by fans, the two of them were just unable to lead their team to the Finals and win the championship. In fact, the combination of the two in the East was quite strong. Losing to Running Man doesn't mean they were trash; it just means they weren't superstars.

Lowry and Gasol set a screen, he drove in, and passed to Siakam on the weak side.

Siakam is also a gem unearthed by the Raptors. He wasn't drafted high and his skills were rough when he first entered the league, but he has made a name for himself in the last two years. He is very impactful, can drive and shoot, and is very energetic.

Siakam attacks Gallinari, but his layup is disrupted and misses!

Paul George grabbed the rebound, brought the ball over, faced him, and passed it to Jia Fei.

Defending Jia Fei was Zhang Tielin, who was known as "Emperor Father".

Danny Green's three-point shooting has always been a mystery; when he's on fire, everyone cheers, but when he's off, he's just "Iron Green"—it's all a mystery. But his defense is never a mystery; it's incredibly solid and consistent.

While players from the Spurs aren't necessarily top-tier, they certainly have solid fundamentals, and Popovich's guidance in this area is exceptional.

Jia Fei, with the ball, sets a screen with Olynyk, specifically targeting Jia Fei's wife.

In today's small-ball era, it's really tough for Gasol, who plays center, to defend. Against a Clippers team with five foreign players, he's a sitting duck.

The younger sister-in-law tried to delay, but Jia Fei suddenly accelerated and squeezed between the two of them!

Sika came over to help defend, but Jia Fei took a step to create space and made an easy layup, scoring 2 points!

Cheers erupted immediately from the crowd. That was a beautiful shot! It was like a leisurely stroll, the movement was elegant, and the effect was outstanding!

The Raptors were on offense. Gasol called for the ball in the low post, and Lowry made a precise pass.

The young lady was able to take on Olynyk in a low position, but he couldn't break through!

The young woman turned and jumped to shoot, but missed!

Jia Fei grabbed the rebound and pushed the ball forward. Facing Tie Lin's defense, he did a crossover at the top of the arc and suddenly accelerated. Although he didn't completely shake off his opponent, he did gain position!

Tie Lin instinctively fouled, sending Jia Fei to the free-throw line.

Jia Fei made one of two free throws, making it 0-3, with the Clippers in the lead.