NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 498 is already 3-0.

Lou Williams and Harrell are alive again...

No one on the Cavaliers' second unit could guard Lou Williams. Clarkson proved that his defense is really not suitable for being a starting point guard on a playoff team; he's best suited to being a substitute. And this 183cm short guy in front of him is the direction he should learn from and strive towards.

The backcourt duo of Clarkson and Korver was practically an ATM on the defensive end. The Cavaliers' interior defense was so-so; aside from dunks, Nance Jr. was unremarkable in other aspects. Despite his impressive dunking ability, his finishing touches weren't as good as Harrell's.

Fortunately, with Running Man leading the second unit, he kept exploiting the Clippers' defensive weaknesses, turning the game into a back-and-forth offensive battle.

However, the Cavaliers' problem is that they collapse as soon as the "Running Man" (a nickname for a player) leaves the court, and even when he is on the court, their starting lineup is completely inferior to the Clippers.

Dillon is definitely a surprise for the Clippers this season. He made it into the rotation during the regular season thanks to his excellent defense, and in the playoffs he's become a regular rotation player for the team. Not only can he pursue the Splash Brothers, but he can also play the 3 and even 4 positions to match up against players like Steve Carell and Jeff Green – it's incredibly appealing.

At halftime, the score was 50-60, a difference of 10 points.

The point difference wasn't huge, but those watching the game felt that the Clippers weren't putting in much effort at all, and the Cavaliers were constantly being pressured, with no indication of any chance of winning.

That's the most frustrating thing. It's like they're just playing with you, and when they don't want to play anymore, they just take you all in one fell swoop without any discussion.

Anyone who watched the Clippers-Warriors series knows how the Clippers play when they're really going all out. When the Clippers use a short rotation to maximize the playing time of players like Jia Fei, that's when you know they're going to fight tooth and nail.

"Mr. Yang, this game isn't as intense as the Western Conference Finals!" Wang Meng exclaimed.

"So, the Cavaliers aren't as strong as the Warriors. We saw that in last year's Finals. The Clippers eliminated the Warriors, so beating the Cavaliers is a piece of cake. Unless there's a miracle, the suspense in the Finals will only get smaller and smaller," Yang Yi said.

In the second half, the Clippers went on a three-point barrage in the third quarter, widening the gap, and the Cavaliers were unable to catch up until the end of the game.

Ultimately, the Clippers defeated the Cavaliers 99-118 at home, winning Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

贾飞几乎就是三节打卡下班，全场贡献27分10个篮板11次助攻2个抢断1个盖帽的三双。

The Running Man team scored a game-high 43 points, but unfortunately they were outplayed.

There was a lot of news after the game, but much of it was just nitpicking; not many people were genuinely interested in the game itself. The fans' focus was surprisingly consistent: the Clippers defeating the Cavaliers and winning the championship was practically a foregone conclusion.

In the home team's locker room after the game, the players didn't seem overly excited, but everyone was genuinely happy because almost everyone who could play had gotten a chance to play.

Harrell and Lou Williams were also happy, finally not having their playing time reduced like in the last two games of the Western Conference Finals. Both played over 20 minutes in this game and scored in double figures.

Jia Fei attended the post-match press conference.

When a reporter asked if the Cavaliers were too weak and he seemed a bit listless, he shook his head and said, "There are no weak teams that can make it to the Finals. It's mainly because my teammates played so well. They played well, so we won relatively easily."

Jia Fei is already adept at handling media discussions. Do you think I can't see through your little schemes?

On June 4, Game 2 of the Finals continued at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

In this game, the Cavaliers, who lost the previous game, did not choose to change their lineup.

The Cavaliers really can't change their lineup. Starting Love as the center might work against the Raptors, but they were completely outmatched by the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, unable to protect their interior defense at all.

The combination of Jia Fei and Paul George is clearly much stronger than the two young stars, especially Jia Fei's breakthroughs. Love's rim protection, which is almost obsessive-compulsive, is practically nonexistent.

The problem with playing with a big lineup is that the opposing team's five-outside lineup is really hard to defend. If you don't go out, they'll shoot threes; if you do go out, they'll attack your backdoor. Not to mention the horrific scenes like Jia Fei singled out Love. Many people say Curry's defense is bad, and he's always singled out. But in reality, Curry's defense has always been average, even above average, for a point guard in the league. It's just that his teammates' defense is so strong that it makes his defense seem weak. Love's defense, on the other hand, is genuinely poor, especially in pick-and-roll defense and rim protection. The Cavaliers don't have a good team defensive system, which amplifies Love's defensive weaknesses. With the absolute spacing provided by the opponent's five-outside lineup, it's really difficult to hide him.

The Cavaliers made some adjustments in this game. They reduced the playing time of Clarkson and Korver, two players with poor defense, and increased the playing time of Jeff Green and Nance Jr. in an attempt to improve their defense.

There was some effect; the Cavaliers' defense was better than in the last game, but their offense faltered again...

Nance Jr. and Tristan Thompson lack shooting ability, so the Running Man needs offensive space, otherwise his driving threat will be reduced.

The Cavaliers lost again, 97-108, and are now down 0-2 in the series.

For a time, the Cavaliers found themselves in the same predicament as the Warriors. The difference was that the Warriors still had their "Death Lineup," while the Cavaliers didn't; at most, they could only let their "Running Man" play the entire game. But the problem was that the Clippers weren't the Celtics; you couldn't win just by letting your "Running Man" play the whole game.

Game 3 of the Finals will be held in Cleveland, and people are already discussing who will win the Finals MVP. The Cavaliers seem a bit weak, and the suspense of the Finals is getting smaller and smaller...

June 7, Game 3 of the Finals, Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland.

This game was crucial for the Cavaliers. A loss would put them in a desperate situation, down 0-3 in the series, which would also mean the end of any suspense in the Finals.

However, the Cavaliers did not change their lineup for this game, sticking with TT as the starting lineup.

The difference was that the Running Man player started playing with all his might in this game. He played very decisively, attacking the paint from the very beginning.

Olynyk quickly ran into foul trouble, and Art Mayork came on early.

The Cavaliers did make some adjustments. Hood got playing time in this game. As one of the few wing players on the team who is relatively balanced on both offense and defense, he finally returned after being DNP for many games.

Hood played very well, and with the team's high-energy defense and LeBron James's all-out output, the Cavaliers led in the first half.

Starting in the third quarter, Jia Fei began to exert his strength, and the point difference was narrowed.

In the final quarter, the Running Man's stamina declined significantly, and the Clippers methodically took the lead.

In the end, the Cavaliers were unable to turn the tide, and the Clippers won the game, taking a 3-0 lead in the series.

With the series down 3-0, the Cavaliers have essentially given up on the championship.