Chapter 154 Pushing all the way

On the 19rd, Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.

The final result was unexpected. The Spurs, who the media predicted had a higher chance of winning, lost at home, 113:110, by 3 points.

Nowitzki, known as a softie, efficiently scored 38 points and 15 rebounds with a shooting percentage of 52.6%. Michael Finley and Nash both scored 20+ points, and four players on the team scored in double digits.

The Spurs didn't lose because of Duncan's poor performance. He scored 70 points, 40 rebounds and 15 assists with a 7% hit rate. Four players on the team also scored in double digits. Instead, they lost on free throws.
The Spurs made 48 of 31 free throws, while the Mavericks made 50 of 49. Not only did they have more free throws than the home team on the road, but their hit rate was also incredible. Even though their shooting rate was lower than the Spurs, they still won the game by relying on free throws.

On the 20th, the Knicks lost to the Nets again on the road, 0:2, and the second round situation happened again.

In this game, the Nets' defense remained the same, limiting the Knicks to only 74 points, and their performance was worse than in the last game.

He Zhongqiu only scored 17 points and 13 rebounds. He expended his energy to get into the basket and was unable to receive the ball most of the time.

After two consecutive losses on the road, although there is a precedent of winning four games in a row in the second round, the media is not optimistic that the Knicks can continue to win four games in a row.

On the 21st, Van Gundy Jr. said in an interview: "Even if the Knicks lose in the Eastern Conference Finals, this season is very successful. What they should do now is to avoid being swept."

Smiling Assassin Isaiah Thomas was interviewed in New York and said: "In terms of lineup configuration, the Nets restrain the Knicks.

After Kidd locked down Ellis and implemented strong help defense on both wings, the Knicks' outside line had lost momentum.

We all know that teams with better defense will go further in the playoffs, and the same is true for the Nets and Knicks.

The Nets and Knicks' records in the regular season are not much different, but the Nets are strong in defense, which allows them to go one step further than the Knicks."

"Is it time to avoid being swept again?"

He Zhongqiu thought the same thing when he recalled the two consecutive defeats in the away game in the second round.

He was not willing to accept that they had made it this far in the playoffs, but were going to lose to the Nets.

The Nets' strength is just so-so. They only won one more game than the Knicks in the regular season. Why should the Knicks be the loser?
That night, the Spurs pulled one back at home.

On the 22nd, Madison Square Garden, Eastern Conference Finals Game 3.

In the home team's locker room, it's time to divide the gold on the big scale again.

This time it was the Eastern Conference Finals, the tickets were doubled, and each person received a bonus of $20.

This is the advantage of a big market. After three rounds of series, everyone received a bonus of hundreds of thousands of dollars, which is more than the salary of the minimum-salary players.

There are many benefits to playing in a big city, for example, exposure is the most important reason. Without exposure, except for small local companies, big endorsements will not contact you.

Tim Duncan plays in San Antonio, has no exposure, and now doesn’t even have signature shoes. His commercial income is even lower than that of He Zhongqiu when he just entered the league.

After collecting the money, He Zhongqiu sat on the chair and looked at his teammates.

There is no fighting spirit, a general lack of fighting spirit. Everyone thinks that they have completed the task brilliantly this season and all they have to do next is wait for the Eastern Conference Finals to end and then go on vacation.

"Damn it, management better trade all of you bastards away." He muttered under his breath.

"Boss, it's time to give out bonuses. How many hands do you want to try?" Harrington shouted.

"Get out! No gambling today." He said unhappily.

"Wolverine, are you in a bad mood?" asked the madman.

"Why, do you want to be swept away?" he asked.

"Of course not." Alan Houston said immediately.

The madman also said: "Wolverine, don't worry, we have two home games, we must win one at least."

"But I want to make it to the finals," said He Zhongqiu.

Everyone was stunned and the locker room fell silent.

Don Cheney was silent for a moment, then said, "Wolverine, it's hard for us to beat the Nets. It's hard to break through the Nets' blockade from the outside."

He Zhongqiu nodded helplessly.

At this time, Layden said: "In the two home games, we should give our best and must not be swept by the Nets. Do you understand?"

"clear."

Everyone said in unison.

Alan Houston sighed secretly. Next season, the management should push Wolverine to the top. The coaching staff should make Wolverine the first tactical core, and his tactical position will be greatly reduced.

This also means that the team will be built around the Wolverine.

As tactics change, the team's lineup configuration will become unreasonable, and trades and reinforcements will definitely be made during the offseason.

Just like Don Cheney just said, it is difficult for the outside line to break through the Nets' blockade, that is to say, the outside line's ability to break through with the ball is insufficient, and this is precisely his weakness.

When he was young, this was not his weakness, but now that he is getting older and injuries are plaguing him, dribbling and breaking through has become his weakness.

Moreover, Wolverine is too young. After two or three seasons, he and Madman will be old, and their injuries will become more and more serious. They are not suitable to assist Wolverine in the future.

In other words, both he and Madman are at risk of being traded in the next two years.

Of course, his mid-range shooting ability is what the team needs, and with a super contract in hand, it is difficult for the team to trade him, and he does not want to leave New York.

He had long anticipated the decline in his tactical position.

The decline in the team's status means the loss of commercial interests. Wolverine will become the Knicks' signature star and the most favored person by endorsers.

But this is the price of getting old, something he cannot change and has to accept.

"Wolverine, come out for a moment."

At this time, Leiden called He Zhongqiu out, and the two came to a small empty office next door.

"sit."

Raiden pulled out two chairs.

"Mr. Leiden, is there something you want to talk to me about?" He Zhongqiu asked after sitting down.

Leiden groaned and said, “Wolverine, the team’s morale is indeed a bit problematic right now, and there is no way to deny that.

But in fact, I also want to reach the finals, the boss is the same, your teammates are the same, after all, reaching the finals, the boss can make a lot of money, the players can get a lot of bonuses. "

"Uh-huh."

He Zhongqiu nodded repeatedly, and said unhappily: "But the boss gave out too much money, which made those guys lose their fighting spirit."

Layden laughed and said, "Wolverine, just do your best in the Eastern Conference Finals. This is your rookie season, and you have been very good and successful."

"is it?"

He Zhongqiu was very happy with the recognition from the team management and smiled with some pride.

Layden added: "What the boss means is also what I mean, next season, Wolverine."

Having said that, his eyes were fixed on He Zhongqiu. He Zhongqiu felt that something important was about to happen, so he sat up straight.

Layden continued: "You will be the core of the team on the field."

"Really?" He Zhongqiu said excitedly.

Leiden smiled and nodded, “There is no doubt about that, we have already decided in the second half of the season, but we are only officially informing you now.

You are the new core of the team next season, the tactical core, and now the leader of the locker room. You will be the only boss of the Knicks."

He Zhongqiu said, "But we can't beat the Nets. I feel it's much harder than playing against the Pistons. If we can't make it to the finals, it's boring to be the boss."

Reiden smiled. As a member of management, he was very happy to see that the team leader had such a competitive spirit.

He consoled him: “Wolverine, no team can make it to the finals every season, that’s impossible.

Jordan was so good that he averaged 28.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists in his rookie season. He didn't make it to the finals until his sixth season, and was swept twice in the series.

So, Wolverine, you have to learn to adapt to this league, and failure is inevitable in many cases. "

"Okay, I understand." He Zhongqiu nodded, gritting his teeth.

Raiden could see that although Wolverine said he knew it, he was still not convinced in his heart. He was also very happy that Wolverine had such a determination.

Then he said solemnly: "Wolverine, in the next few seasons, I will build the lineup around you, and everyone will have the opportunity to become a bargaining chip."

"Madman and the King of CIC?" He Zhongqiu was stunned. Leiden said seriously: "If there is a chance, they are also."

These words made He Zhongqiu immediately realize the cruelty of the NBA. Not to mention the madman, Alan Houston, the mid-range shooting king, is now the team's apparent leader. Can he be traded just like that?

He thought of Patrick Ewing, who played for the Knicks for sixteen seasons and seemed to have been forced to leave.

As if he had seen through He Zhongqiu's thoughts, Leiden said, "Wolverine, this is a business alliance, and transactions are part of the alliance."

At this point, he added in a comforting tone: "But it's not impossible for one person to stay in one city and spend the rest of his life in the Knicks.

One of the greatest stars of the Knicks, Willis Reed, won two championships for the Knicks and he spent his entire career with the Knicks.”

"But Ewing was also traded," said He Zhongqiu.

Redden explained: "The management wanted to keep him at the time, but he had some ideas. In the last two seasons when he was in poor form, he was often booed by the fans, which hurt him, but the management couldn't stop the fans' behavior, alas!"

At this point, he sighed and said, "If he can bring a championship to the Knicks, that situation should not happen. He will become a true hero for Knicks fans."

He Zhongqiu thought about it and decided that this had nothing to do with him. He was not an American and came here to make money. Even if the Knicks wanted to trade him at that time, it didn't matter.

In his opinion, loyalty is mutual, and if the Knicks are not good to him, he cannot be loyal to the Knicks.

Moreover, loyalty is also linked to ability. If you only have loyalty but no ability, your fate may be the same as Ewing.

At this time, in the locker room, Thibodeau said to Alan Houston: "Alan, in this game I hope you will increase your investment on the defensive end, assist defense, backup defense, everything is needed."

"Is it the coaching staff's decision?" Alan Houston was stunned.

"Yes, no one wants to be swept. The Wolverines don't want it, the coaching staff doesn't want it, the owner doesn't want it, you don't want it, and the fans don't want it even more." Thibodeau said seriously.

"I will."

Alan Houston said somewhat dejectedly.

He has always been the team's first offensive option, which makes him give up his willingness to defend because he needs to put more energy and physical strength into offense.

Now that the team has Wolverine, does it no longer need his offense?
Defense is a blue-collar job. Is it his turn now?

Thibodeau saw Alan Houston's frustration, but he didn't say anything.

He didn't really like players like Alan Houston. The iron-blooded Knicks lost their consistent iron-blooded defense under the hands of the mid-range shooting king. As a defensive coach, he had no place to use in the Knicks.

But fortunately, we now have Wolverine, and it's time for the Knicks to change their style.

At eight o'clock, both sides announced their starting lineups.

Brooklyn Nets: Jason Collins, Kenyon Martin, Richard Jefferson, Corey Kidds, Jason Kidd.

Knicks: He Zhongqiu, Kurt Thomas, Sprewell, Alan Houston, Howard Ellis
"Hey, Wolverine, how about we win four games in a row again?" Spike Lee shouted when he came on stage.

"Got it. We will do our best." He Zhongqiu said, patting his chest.

"I'm afraid this season is over," Stallone said to Spike Lee after He Zhongqiu left.

"Compared to last season, it's pretty good, isn't it?" Spike Lee said with a smile.

"Hey, Wolverine, I heard that Hathaway was injured by you, are you that powerful?" Paris Hilton said to He Zhongqiu.

"Who said that?"

He Zhongqiu was startled. This was a secret. Hathaway would definitely not tell anyone. Could it be someone close to him? Or a doctor?

"Annie let it slip."

Hilton smiled inexplicably and whispered in her ear, "There's a private party going on. Do you want to attend?"

"Count me in." said Ivanka next to her.

"Of course." Hilton nodded.

"If you are not afraid of getting hurt like Annie, then come on, who's afraid of who?" He Zhongqiu said nonchalantly.

He had heard of the reputations of these two beauties a long time ago. If they liked to play, it would just depend on who would play who.

He is not afraid of anyone in this kind of thing. He is like a tiller, plowing deep and pushing forward all the way.

Just have fun with these white beauties, including Anne Hathaway.

Wellington Phillips told him that white men in the United States can marry Chinese women, but white women will never marry Chinese men.

These two beauties provoked him, and it was obvious that they had only one purpose.

.

The game starts at half past eight.

After the jump ball, the Knicks attacked.

He Zhongqiu took a step outside the left waist position to get the ball.

Jason Collins stood at the left waist position and thought, is Wolverine going to attack face-to-basket?
His defensive task is to prevent Wolverine from entering the penalty area. If he cannot stop him, which is a high probability, he must also prevent Wolverine from catching the ball, or increase the difficulty for Wolverine to catch the ball.

If it still cannot be stopped, the minimum requirement is to delay Wolverine's offensive speed and buy time for double-teaming.

In the low post on the right wing, Kenyon Martin focused half of his attention on He Zhongqiu and the other half on Kurt Thomas in the right corner.

In the first two games, he did a very good job in helping defend on the weak side, using his defensive speed to effectively limit He Zhongqiu's low-post offense.

On the outside, Kidd still tried his best to lock down Ellis, but Ellis simply passed the ball across the center line to the madman on the left wing.

Sitting in the audience, Smiling Assassin Isaiah Thomas couldn't help but shake his head when he saw Ellis' pass.

A point guard, under pressure from the opponent's defense, dares not attack with the ball and hands the ball over as soon as he crosses half court. He has completely given up his organizational work. How can such a team win?

The ball is given to the madman or the mid-range shooting king, but the mid-range shooting king and the madman are not point guards, how can they organize the offense?

"ball."

Seeing the madman catching the ball, He Zhongqiu shouted rudely.

As the team's new tactical core next season, he feels he can enjoy the power of being the core in advance.

The madman was not one to covet the ball, so he passed it on immediately.

He Zhongqiu received the ball and faced the basket. When he leaned over, his shoulders shook. Without any tentative steps, he took a step with his right foot and immediately broke through from his left side to the defender's right side.

While he was performing the technical moves, he saw Kenyon Martin rushing towards him in the low post on the right wing.

Behind Kenyon Martin, Kurt Thomas followed at a distance of three meters.

Jason Collins' strength was limited and he was shaken. By the time he reacted, He Zhongqiu had already beaten him.

At this moment, Kenyon Martin had already rushed to the left front side of the basket, blocking in front of He Zhongqiu, and his assisting defense was very fast.

But at this moment, He Zhongqiu jumped up outside the reasonable collision zone, and Kenyon Martin also jumped up.

He Zhongqiu did not fly forward, but jumped vertically. When he jumped to the highest point, he threw the ball with his left hand, and the basketball flew over Kenyon Martin and the basket and flew to the right side of the basket.

"Flopping? No, it's a pass!"

Van Gundy Jr. shouted from the ESPN commentary booth.

"boom!"

On the right side of the basket, Kurt Thomas jumped up, caught the ball with both hands and slammed it into the basket.

"Oh ho!"

There was a huge cheer in Madison Square Garden.

"Pretty!"

Zhang Heli smiled and praised: "Zhongqiu cut in with the ball, attracted a double-team, and then calmly assisted Kurt Thomas to complete an aerial relay dunk."

Sun Zhenping smiled and said, "This attack method is the best. After all, Zhongqiu's physical fitness must not be very good now."

"Correct."

Xu Jicheng said: "If you force yourself to take off and dunk over Kenyon Martin, you will consume too much energy. You can't play that kind of ball many times and it won't last long."

(End of this chapter)