The Angels –
This NBA duel is worthy of the final – and yet only the start of two very hot basketball months.
National player Dennis Schröder, superstar LeBron James and record champion Los Angeles Lakers are chasing after defending their title and trophy number 18. King of the Three Stephen Curry wants to help his Golden State Warriors participate in the final for the sixth time in seven years. What sounds like a grand finale is the first direct qualifying duel for the playoffs in the North American professional league NBA on Thursday night (4.00 a.m. / DAZN).
Even for the best German basketball player at the moment, everything is at stake – a few days ago Schröder was only able to throw baskets in his backyard without teammates. “I feel great,” announced the 27-year-old from Braunschweig after having survived his second Corona quarantine this season. “I’m back and I can’t wait for the playoffs.”
Schröder has played two games since his return to the end of the regular season and immediately caused a controversy. He had not tested positive, emphasized the development player with a view to Corona, but explained at the same time that he was the only unvaccinated Laker and could no longer get “it”. This also confused the journalists – Schröder reacted inappropriately to repeated inquiries: “Next question. Easy. Damn it.”
The leader of the German national team also plays a decisive role in the star ensemble. The 32 minutes per game on the floor is a career record for him, plus he has 15.4 points and almost six assists in each game. During the season, Schröder and the Lakers could not agree on an extension of his $ 15.5 million per year contract. With top playoff performances, he could increase his market value again.
Schröder & Co. are directly under intense pressure not to lose all title chances early on. In the so-called play-in tournament, the remaining four places for the playoffs are played out in knockout duels within four days.
If the Lakers lose first to Currys Warriors and then the following game against the winner from Memphis against San Antonio, the final round will take place without Schröder’s team. And the 36-year-old “King James” would have to write off title number five early on in the ongoing debate as to whether he or Michael Jordan is the best basketball player in history and suffer a major setback. After all, he seems to have got his ankle problems under control in time.
Before the duel with Curry, who converted an incredible 337 threesomes this season, James did not emphasize his own strength, but explicitly praised the next opponent. “Just take a look at what Steph has done this year. I don’t know what else you need when looking for an MVP, ”James asked. Curry was the most successful NBA thrower this season and is also traded as a candidate for the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.
In 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 Curry and James (then with the Cleveland Cavaliers) played against each other in the NBA finals, with the Warriors winning three times. Since June 2010, the finals in the best basketball league in the world have not taken place without one of the two star players.
But as explosive as the play-in tournament may be, it only marks the beginning of the crucial phase of the season. The playoffs, for which top teams like the Brooklyn Nets, the Los Angeles Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks have qualified, begin at the weekend. Then it is no longer in the knockout mode, but in series in the best-of-seven mode. James is the champion: if his teams (Miami, Cleveland, Los Angeles) reached the finals, they have made it to the finals in the last nine attempts. (dpa)
–
