NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 422 Taking Over the Toyota Center

The series score is now tied at 2-2, and the two teams will face off in a crucial Game 5. The series has entered a heated phase, and it remains to be seen who will emerge victorious.

The other Western Conference matchup is a one-sided affair, with the Warriors currently leading the Spurs 3-0. In fact, with Leonard sidelined with injury, the Spurs' series was effectively over; a sweep is highly probable. The real question now is who will face the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals.

Clippers or Rockets?

The news after Game 4 between the Clippers and the Rockets was varied, and many Rockets fans were heartbroken. They criticized Jia Fei for his lack of sportsmanship, saying that he attacked 58 who was already playing with an injury, aggravating 58's injury. They said he was a player without any manners and did not deserve to be an MVP candidate.

Many media reporters also subtly criticized Jia Fei for being too cunning, knowing that the Clippers would have a hard time winning when the 58.com duo was on the court, so he deliberately targeted the injured 58.com, which was not fair and aboveboard.

However, this view still cannot become the mainstream, because in fact Jia Fei did not actually use dirty tricks. He operated within the rules. You can play with an injury, so why can't I pick and choose to fight you? Does being weak give you the right to be right? If that's the case, everyone can just compete to see who is weaker, and there's no need to compete for the championship.

Compared to the scumbag who injured his face by stepping on someone's foot, and compared to Olynyk who broke Love's arm, Jia Fei is simply a pure white lotus, completely untainted by the mud.

Jia Fei was aware that many people online were mocking and insulting him, but he didn't care. He never expected that there were saints all over the world, but the real world is very cruel.

The pivotal Game 5 will be played at the Rockets' home arena, the Toyota Center. Currently, it's uncertain which team will advance to the Western Conference Finals, due to the uncertainty surrounding 58's injury.

In fact, 58's physical condition has become one of the key factors in the outcome of the game between the two teams. If he plays healthy, the Rockets have a better chance of winning, while the Clippers have a better chance of advancing to the Western Conference Finals and setting a new franchise record.

On May 10th, the Clippers vs. Rockets series will feature Game 5, a pivotal game.

The importance of this game cannot be overstated. If the Clippers win, they will return to Staples Center with a 3-2 series lead, and their chances of winning another game and advancing to the Western Conference Finals will become very high. Conversely, the game may go to a Game 6 or even a Game 7.

Reliable information before the match indicated that player 58 would not play due to a worsening injury.

This means that the Clippers' biggest concern has been eliminated, and their chances of advancing to the Western Conference Finals are increasing.

With 58 out, the Rockets' starting lineup has reverted to the same one from Game 1 of the series, with Harden starting again.

The Clippers retained their starting lineup from the previous game, with Redick starting for the third consecutive game.

Starting Redick means the Clippers will continue to rely on Jia Fei's point-to-area strategy. Currently, their starting lineup has guaranteed offensive space. Apart from DeAndre Jordan, the other four players all have three-point shooting ability, with Jia Fei and Redick being high-quality shooters with a 40% three-point shooting percentage.

From the start of the game, every time Jia Fei touched the ball, the Rockets fans at the Toyota Center would boo him. On the sidelines, 58, wearing a training uniform, seemed somewhat distracted. He was willing to accept defeat; he was indeed injured and Jia Fei had exploited this to his advantage. He didn't think Jia Fei's actions were shameless or despicable; he would have done the same. This was a do-or-die playoff game. If you can't accept this, go home and play games, don't embarrass yourself here.

Despite the boos from the home crowd, Jia Fei remained unaffected and played exceptionally well. In fact, even though the Clippers lost two games in this series, he didn't miss a single one. This consistent high-level performance truly reflects his ability as a superstar.

The strategies on both sides haven't changed much. In fact, both sides have run out of cards to play, and there are no secrets between them. Both coaches are the type to openly manage their positions and aren't good at changing tactics. In this respect, Coach Li is much worse than his protégé Tyronn Lue, who comes up with one brilliant idea after another and is jokingly called a "genius coach" by fans.

For the Clippers, DeAndre Jordan is still being heavily targeted by the opposition, but compared to 58, Harden's ability to run pick-and-rolls is much less effective. Harden is better suited to receiving the ball and attacking directly. Having him initiate pick-and-rolls against Jordan is less effective when he's double-teamed, unlike 58 or Harden.

Even without DeAndre Jordan, Harden can still use pick-and-rolls to relentlessly target him and make things difficult for him.

The Rockets' offense can still maintain a decent output, as DeAndre Jordan plays over 30 minutes per game. However, their defense is also under immense pressure, with Jia Fei constantly using pick-and-rolls to target Harden and Ryan Anderson.

Judging from Jia Fei's constant pick-and-rolls targeting Harden and Ryan Anderson in this game, his targeting of 58 in the previous game was clearly not a lapse of judgment, but rather intentional.

Harden and Ryan Anderson's defense was truly terrible. They were ineffective in one-on-one defense, and their communication on switches and rotations for help defense was a complete mess. The absence of 58 not only deprived them of a crucial playmaker and scorer on offense, but also left them without a perimeter defender and a cohesive playmaker for their defensive system.

Many Rockets fans are starting to miss Beverley. The Rockets' perimeter defense was decent before, and Beverley really contributed a lot. Now that the tide has gone out, it's clear who's been swimming naked.

The Clippers gained the upper hand thanks to Jia Fei's superior performance on both ends of the court. Rockets fans were starting to panic; what was this guy made of, how could he have such a good mentality?

Jia Fei wasn't completely free of nervousness; his composure stemmed primarily from his confidence. He knew his own capabilities and was capable of succeeding. Therefore, he wasn't worried about underperforming in an away game.

There may be star players who don't perform well in away games, but that person is definitely not him.

The point difference remained close throughout the game, but the Clippers maintained control of the pace.

Ultimately, thanks to Jia Fei's excellent control of the game, the Clippers defeated the Rockets 107-102 on the road, winning this crucial Game 5.

贾飞出战43分11秒，砍下全场最高的40分，外加14个篮板7次助攻2个抢断1个盖帽，表现继续炸裂。

After winning this game, the Clippers have shaken off their gloom and now lead the series 3-2, just one win away from advancing to the Western Conference Finals.

The sixth game between the two teams will be played in two days. This game will be the Clippers' match point and will attract even more attention.

The other Western Conference matchup has concluded, with the Warriors sweeping the Spurs 4-0 to advance to the Western Conference Finals. They will now await the winner of the Rockets vs. Clippers series.