basketball never sleeps

Chapter 258: Live like Pippen
Warm lights, soft sofa chairs, rich and mellow latte, and the sunset that dyed Manhattan golden.

All this beauty only serves the main course in front of you. The picture on TV is divided into two. On the left is a cool man who uses all kinds of cool passes in the crowd to penetrate the tight defense; and on the right is a monster with explosive physical fitness who uses his strong body to unreasonably tear through the formation and then dunks one after another.

Finally, the images of the two overlapped, freezing at the scene where the two shook hands after the end of the playoffs last season.

Two words also appeared above their heads.

Domination or revenge.

Stern picked up the coffee and took a sip.

He has watched countless NBA games since he started working as an NBA lawyer. In addition, due to his position, there are very few games that can arouse his interest.

He has forgotten how many cheesy grudge scripts he has worked on. Just like a veteran plastic surgeon, he has become a little aesthetically fatigued with the so-called beauty.

However, the first and last place in the same class fought for more than ten games, but the first place never won even one game against the last place.

If Stern were to write the script himself, he really wouldn't be able to write a script like this, because he has to follow the logic of the story no matter what he does.

But the real world never considers the audience's feelings. Success always only stands on the side with more strength, regardless of effort, dreams, spirit, justice...

Think about how James was just named the youngest MVP in history last year, but at the most glorious moment, he once again stepped into the mud.

Stern chose to rewrite history when he had the chance. Why? It was for today!
A perfect, zero-additive, purely natural grudge script.

In the previous game between the Cavaliers and the Heat, James defeated the Heat, and that game set a local ratings record in Ohio.

The Heat had long lost the invincible filter of last season when playing against the Cavaliers. When James defeated the Heat, only Wade and Cassell played for the Heat. No one thought that this new Heat could be compared with the previous Heat.

But, Mo Wen is different. No one can question his performance this season, and even if they do, they can only question the current environment of the league like those ancient things.

The two most outstanding young men in the two leagues, a feud that lasted for three years... ah, that's what health preservation is like!
The only pity is that this scenario can only be played out in the regular season.

As for the two of them meeting in the finals, Stern didn't dare to imagine that scene.

……

During the pre-game warm-up, Ray Allen looked at James' active figure on the other side and couldn't help but praise him, "This kid is really talented. It feels like he is a size bigger than last season."

As a man known for his self-discipline, who treats the gym as a massage... and gas station, Mo Wen could hear another meaning in Ray Allen's words.

But Mo Wen actually doesn’t care much about whether Thanos James has joined the Purple Potato Clan.

Although he has achieved his current strength entirely through his own efforts, in the final analysis, he is not a pure "green player" and there is no moral high ground for him.

Unless the American scientific research team has been able to develop some kind of "star experience card", no matter how many cards are opened on the limited human body, it will only increase his gaming experience.

Before the game, Mo Wen and A Zhan did not have any communication on the field. Milicic greeted A Zhan foolishly, but he was ignored with a cold face.

Apart from anything else, A-Zhan really has a firm grasp on the momentum.

The other players on the Cavaliers were also infected by the aura exuded by James, and the whole team exuded a sense of mission with a deep sense of hatred and hatred.

Feeling the aura of the knights, Mo Wen also became serious.

A team can be two completely different teams with a different mental outlook.

Not all teams can be like the OK Lakers, making a lot of noise all the way and still easily making it to the finals.

After the Cavaliers poached the Spurs' general manager last year, some people described the Cavaliers as the "Spurs of the East." Given the momentum the Cavaliers are currently showing, this description is quite apt.

The overall talent of the Supersonics is undoubtedly better than that of the Cavaliers, but if all the work of talent is given to James, the Cavaliers are not much worse than the Supersonics.

The Seattle fans at the scene did not have any deep feelings about the feud between James and Mo Wen, they just supported Mo Wen as always. After all, the boss of the Supersonics in the past few years was the good guy Ray Allen, and the most courageous thing he had done was to criticize Kobe.

If it were at the Quick Loans Arena, Mo Wen might have already unlocked the title of Mayor of Cleveland by now.

As the cheerleaders retreated to the area behind the basketball hoop, the players from both teams took their positions.

The Supersonics still have the regular five: Mo Wen, Ray Allen, Gay, Milicic, and Tyson;
The Cavaliers also put out a lineup without any short players: Reed, James, Pavlovic, Gooden, and Big Z.

Pavlovic replaced Marshall, and his role was similar to Damien of the Supersonics, providing limited defense and good three-point shooting.

Before the jump ball, A-Zhan stared at Mo Wen with a look that showed he had him determined.

As Tyson pushed the ball over Big Z's head first, James came up directly.

To be honest, James doesn't want to do this dirty and tiring job, but there is really no one else suitable in the entire Cavaliers except him.

Mike Brown used to work under Popovich and Carlisle and served as a defensive assistant coach for more than ten years. In addition to being friends with the stars, he was best at helping the stars and the team improve their defense.

But when he drew his sword and looked around, he found that there were few knights who could be transformed by him.

The one with the most potential is Reed, but although Reed looks peaceful, he is actually not as easy to talk to as Ray Allen. He came to the Cavaliers to help the poor with technology and wanted to take a shortcut to win the championship.

Mike Brown wants him to do the dirty work on defense, so who will help James share the offensive pressure on the offensive end?
There is still a player in their lineup who can defend, Snow, who was once Payton's younger brother and Iverson's good brother.

But Snow is old, and he is a product of Larry Brown. Not only can he not shoot three-pointers, but his mid-range shots are also inaccurate. In the last game, the Cavaliers played four against five on the offensive end.

When playing against the Lakers, James was able to avoid Kobe because Kobe's passing ability was not so good, but when facing Mo Wen, he had no choice but to go on his own.

Mo Wen didn't expect James to be so aggressive today. He originally planned to shoot a three-pointer, but was forced to change his route and pass the ball to Milicic who was screened by Tyson in the mid-range.

The mid-range shot hit the target steadily and the Supersonics scored first.

Most teams find it difficult to deal with the pick-and-roll of Milicic and Tyson. Drew Gooden is a flexible power forward, but it is still difficult for him to squeeze through the screen. Big Z is aware of switching defense, but his steps are too slow.

Big Z served the ball, and a long pass found A-Jan who was quickly counterattacking. Feeling the pressure from Mo Wen, A-Jan passed the ball to Reid, who took two big steps and turned around to receive the ball again.

Tyson and Milicic didn't expect James to rush so fiercely, so they were a step slow. Facing the rushing James, Mo Wen, who was alone, could only try his best to block him. Fortunately, he didn't let him go up for a dunk, but he still couldn't avoid him rushing to the basket and completing a layup.

It's really powerful, but the number of steps seems to be wrong.

Mo Wen turned his head and glanced at the referee. There was no impurity in his clear eyes.

As expected, the only martial arts in the world that cannot be defeated is speed.

The Cavaliers fans in front of the TV all cheered when they saw this goal.

That’s it, we must take revenge fiercely and put pressure on Mo Wen to score a goal!

Let the Chinese know that American football is the coolest!

Seeing that the knight wanted to fight quickly, Mo Wen was not in a hurry anymore.

Milicic served the ball, and Mo Wen directed the two inside players to position vertically.

Since James is the main defender against him, the Cavaliers' overall defensive strategy must be to defend four players at once.

Mo Wen is no longer the civilian player who had to rely on rhythm and fake moves to get past others because of his mediocre body. A-Zhan's weight in the interior gives him unparalleled impact, but when he is on the outside, the lateral movement problem caused by his weight is unavoidable.

The basketball was like ramen, being pulled back and forth in Mo Wen's hands and crotch. After a light laugh put a lot of psychological pressure on A-Zhan, Mo Wen simply shook his shoulders and took another step. A-Zhan was no longer in front of him.

Sure enough, Pavlovic's assist came as expected, but before he could worry about what to do with Guy he was defending, Mo Wen's jersey fluttered, his right heel gripped the ground, and his left foot drew an arc, without any delay, he left him behind again.

Big Z was very active in helping out, but when he was halfway through the run, the basketball had already flown over his head. At this moment, Big Z really wanted to have the ability in the cartoons his son watched - grabbing his head, and turning around quickly and steadily as if his lower body was in space.

boom--

Tyson made a move similar to O'Neal's sneaker logo and started swinging by grabbing the basket.

The Cavaliers players' momentum just started to stagnate.

As expected, he is the man who has suppressed LeBron for three years. He is indeed difficult to deal with.

The feeling of being beaten through in a positional battle is more painful than the opponent's fast break score.

The inability to defend against a fast break can be attributed to carelessness, the opponent being too fast, too physically fit, or even the beauties on the sidelines being too beautiful.

But if you can't hold the positional battle, you think it is a tactical problem, but the coach will only think it is your problem.

"I felt that Mo had a kind of magic. It was obviously not him who scored the goal, but my only impression of this goal was his operation."

"As expected of Mo, it completely matches how I imagined myself on the court!"

"I'm not as arrogant as you. I can only be Mo's teammate. As long as he is willing to pass the ball to me, I think I can also average double digits per game."

In the audience, Sonics fans also praised Mo Wen's performance on a daily basis.

Having been tricked, A-Zhan still had a sullen face and signaled Big Z to quickly send a counter-attack.

It should be said that as long as black people don't open their mouths, they are absolutely T0 level in hiding their emotions.

However, after suffering a loss, the Sonics' speed of returning to defense in the interior increased significantly.

Seeing that the black and white generals of the Supersonics were already in position, James did not stop. He knew that once he stopped, it would be more difficult to break through the frame, so his main focus today was to play to his strengths and avoid his weaknesses.

After calling for a pick-and-roll with Reed on the move, he rushed into the inside.

Milicic and Tyson quickly retracted and caught the old baby, but the ball was no longer in his hands.

A 220+ tall white cannon has stood at the extended position of the free throw line. He just tiptoed slightly, and the height was already beyond the reach of others.

After Reed took over the shots from the three-point line and one step inside the three-point line, James could only focus on developing under the basket.

In order to adapt to James' growing need to attack the basket, Big Z also further developed his mid-range.

4:4 flat.

If it's a pass after attracting the defense, I'm not inferior to you!

After clapping hands with Big Z, A-Zhan's face was full of fighting spirit.

Turning back to the Supersonics' round, James still maintained a relatively close defensive distance.

Mike Brown asked scouts to do statistics and found that when Mo Wen was allowed to shoot three-pointers, his efficiency was higher than when his three-point shots were restricted, so we still have to believe in big data.

And there is another advantage of sticking to Mo Wen, which is that it saves effort.

Whether being passed over or changing players after a pick-and-roll, teammates will be brought in to assist in defense.

Single-handed defense throughout the court is not something that James considers.

If Mo Wen scored high points again under his one-on-one defense, then even if he won the game today, he might not necessarily be considered the winner.

Mo Wen was holding the ball and signaled Milicic to go to the free throw line. Gay was arranged to smoke in the right corner, while Tyson guarded the right side of the basket and stayed close to Big Z. Mo Wen leaned back slightly to the right and passed the ball to Milicic, while he and Ray Allen made cross screens.

Then Ray Allen circled around Milicic, and Milicic seized the opportunity to pass the ball to Mo Wen again. Ray Allen came out, but Reed's attention was attracted by Mo Wen.

Mo Wen passed the ball to Ray Allen without even touching it.

A Zhan wanted to interfere again but was a step too slow.

Knowing that he had made a mistake, Reed took the initiative to ask for the ball in the next round, looking for a pick-and-roll with Gooden, and then made a long two-point shot, which also went in!
Both teams seemed to have turned on technology and maintained a very high shooting percentage in the first half of the first quarter.

Mo Wen peeled off the Cavaliers' defense...skinned and exhausted, and James also made great sacrifices for victory, giving up many simple shots, which was rare.

It's just that there were a lot of simple fast break balls, and with Reed helping him break through the space balls, James' own shots obviously decreased, as if... he had become like Pippen.

It was not until the 8th minute that the defensive intensity of both sides reached a new level and the crazy scoring momentum slowed down.

The Cavaliers had good accuracy from the outside today, and even when the pace slowed down, they were able to fight back and forth with the Supersonics. But after the first quarter, James looked at his data column and realized his embarrassment.

After working so hard for a long time, he only got 4 points, a fraction of Reed's.

Although he still had 5 assists and 3 rebounds, it was completely different from the revenge battle he had expected.

Is that the only trick I can use?
In his fourth year in the league, the media's and the public's opinions on James' skills have gradually changed from promising to urgently needed to some doubts.

However, compared to the slow-progressing technical training, James still feels that the path of continuing to strengthen his body and breaking through all obstacles is more suitable for him. He can feel the league's preferential treatment of him, and subconsciously regards this preferential treatment as part of his natural advantage.

Based on this advantage and inspired by several stars, James also developed a cool move this year, but it has always been kept as a trump card and has not been used.

"Fuck, who cares about the negative impact? As long as we can win the game, what does that negative impact matter?"

Thinking about it, Azhan made up his mind.

After the second quarter, Reed took a rest and was replaced by this year's rookie Gibson. The Cavaliers' offense also fell on his shoulders.

But his several regular attacks can't be said to be in vain, but they were almost useless.

When Milicic and Tyson defend seriously, their rim protection may not be as good as that of traditional standing big centers, but it is also first-class.

Why did everyone think Milicic was not really a bad player in the original time and space? It was because in his first season after leaving the Pistons, he still averaged 2 blocks per game for the Magic.

The dynamic and static talents are here. As long as Milicic's defensive attitude is good, the quality of defense cannot be bad.

At medium distance, Mo Wen's interference was also very effective.

Although James knew that Mo Wen's body had become much stronger in the past two years, he didn't know that Mo Wen's jumping ability had also made a qualitative leap.

If he hadn't missed the shot, the ball would have definitely been blocked!
Seeing the score difference widen to 5 points, he finally stopped caring about the psychological burden.

Considering that Mo Wen is also a star of the same level as him, James decisively called for a pick-and-roll on Gay.

Guy was quite happy when he saw that Azhan was going to beat him, and felt that his chance to show off had come.

But before he could be happy for long, he felt a pain in his chest, and then a figure lying on his back appeared in front of him.

beep-

Defensive foul!

The referee took a conflicted look at Guy who had fallen to the ground, shook his head, and still insisted on his decision.

Mo Wen widened his eyes. No, when did you, with your thick eyebrows and big eyes, learn Du Laoer’s skill package?
(End of this chapter)