no shortcuts in basketball

Chapter 179 The Finals of the Double Bulls Reunion, Three Major Illusions in Texas

A few days later, the curtain fell on the Western Conference Finals.

Although Harden was stronger than at the same time in history, after 6 games, the Mavericks still eliminated the Thunder 4-2 and reached the finals.

It is worth mentioning that Nowitzki averaged 32.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in the series, shooting 55.7% from the field, and performed phenomenally.

The Bulls and Mavericks, for the first time in the history of the NBA, the two Bulls battled for the top of the NBA.

At the moment the matchup was established, ESPN immediately started pregame warm-ups and conducted prediction surveys on the outcome of the finals.

The results of the survey show that more than 90% of fans believe that the Bulls will defeat the Mavericks and win the first championship after the Jordan era.

More than 70% of fans even think that the Bulls will continue their strength in the previous rounds and directly sweep the Mavericks to win the championship.

Yes, the Bulls are infinitely favored.

After all, when a team emerges from the conference with a record of 12 wins and 0 losses in three rounds, and also sweeps the Big Three of the Heat, you have no reason not to have full confidence in it.

In particular, their opponent is the Mavericks, whose main shooting guard is out for the season, looks obviously weaker on paper, and has always been known as "soft". They are considered to have reached the finals by luck.

This scene seems familiar.

That's right, the last team to enjoy this kind of treatment was the Lakers in the 2000-2001 season.

In the eyes of fans, the dominance of this Bulls team is comparable to that of the Lakers, and even the Mavericks are as single-core teams as the digital men back then.

It's hard not to connect them.

What?The James fans hate the Bulls so much at this time, should they support the Mavericks?
You are totally wrong to think so.

In fact, on the contrary, James is the group that most hopes the Bulls will sweep the Mavericks.

After all, only that can prove that the Heat are not their favorite, but because the Bulls are too strong.

As for Ke Mi, their main enemy is James. The Bulls swept the Heat and made them feel bad. Coupled with the connection between Xu Yong and Kobe, they also hope that the Bulls will win the championship.

So this event finally resulted.

It feels like I'm just waiting for the Bulls to go through the process.

There are still two days until the NBA Finals begins.

The Bulls are doing their final preparations for the finals.

The mentality of the team members seemed very relaxed, even too relaxed, a little lax.

This is normal. You have swept away the top three giants. Who else is your opponent?
Although Thibodeau gave some reminders after practice, some players didn't seem to care that much.

After the day's training, Xu Yong continued to practice in the training hall.

He practiced more focused, and when he finished the practice, he found that Thibodeau was sitting on the sidelines for no reason.

After seeing it, he said hello, wiped his sweat, and then sat next to Thibodeau.

"The Mavericks are not easy to play." They often communicated like this, and the relationship between the two became closer. They were no longer like a coach and a player, but more like friends.

After all, for a person like Thibodeau who only focuses on basketball and can be described as a "ball fanatic", it is not easy to have someone who can communicate like this.

"Yes, they will be the strongest opponents we encounter." Xu Yong replied with an affirmative tone.

With the eyes open, this Mavericks were the 2011 NBA championship, the most epic championship in NBA history, and a championship that changed the reputation of Nowitzki's career.

Moreover, they swept the defending champion Lakers, easily defeated the Thunder, and finally defeated the Big Three Heat, all of which were considered to be David and Goliath.

But doing it one after another actually shows that they are really strong.

Even as he said when he communicated with O'Neal before, the Mavericks not only have an excellent starting lineup, but also have bench gangsters like Barea and Terry on the bench, plus a top coach like Carlisle.

Even though Caron Butler, who was talked about the most, was reimbursed for the season after playing for two months, the Mavericks were still third in the Western Conference, winning one less game than the Lakers.

Apart from being a little older, they really have nothing to do with being weak.

Thibodeau glanced at Xu Yong, as if he was a little surprised by his attitude.

But he went on to explain his reasons, and Xu Yong was not aware of what he said.

"Compared to the strength of the team, I care more about their self-confidence."

Thibodeau's description confused Xu Yong.

Because when it comes to self-confidence, the Bulls have not lost a single game and should be the team with greater self-confidence.

"I watched every game they played in the playoffs this year, and they were different from the teams I knew. Maybe they didn't think they could do it at the beginning of the playoffs, but round by round After the series, they now believe more than anyone else that they can win the championship.”

Thibodeau went on to explain his analysis.

He came to this conclusion not just by talking about it, but by analyzing the video clips.

He talked about a few key games.

The first is G4 against the Trail Blazers in the first round.

The Mavericks were the third team playing the sixth team in the first round. They were the stronger side, and this was indeed the course of the game. The Mavericks won both home games, leading 2-0.

Although the Trail Blazers relied on Roy's performance to win G3 in the third game, in G4, the Mavericks adjusted their form and led the Trail Blazers by 20 points after three quarters.

Then in that game, the Trail Blazers completed an epic reversal, with Roy completing the buzzer-beater at the last moment.

Yes, this is something that most people don’t pay attention to.

When an average team encounters this kind of game, their mentality will definitely collapse. Just like after the Heat were reversed by the Bulls, G4 had no fighting spirit at all.

However, the Mavericks quickly adjusted their mentality. In the crucial Tianwangshan, no one performed beyond their normal capabilities. Instead, they only followed the rules on the offensive end and spared no effort on the defensive end. They finally limited the Trail Blazers' score to less than 80 points and successfully won.

This is due to the fact that the veterans are used to the ups and downs and their mentality will not fluctuate easily, but more importantly, it is the team's tactical system, each one performs his duties and does his best.

That is to say, after winning the Trail Blazers, they realized that they were no longer so "soft" this season.

The second is G1 of the series against the Lakers.

Kobe Bryant was in hot form in G1. Under his leadership, the Lakers led the Mavericks by 16 points at most in the third quarter.

This time, after experiencing being reversed personally and knowing that even a 20-point advantage could not completely determine the outcome of the game, they completely threw away their "softness".

Then, the Mavericks reversed roles with the first round. They completed a 16-point reversal and defeated the Lakers with the last 2 points.

It was after this game that the Mavericks' confidence was completely built up.

Although the Lakers once again took the lead into the fourth quarter in G3, they were able to deal with it calmly and eventually won the game.

Once again, it was G6 against the Thunder.

At the home court of the Thunder, the Mavericks once again completed an epic reversal. This time they launched a 17-2 counterattack in the final quarter, tied the Thunder with 15 points and entered overtime, and eliminated the Thunder in overtime.

According to Thibodeau's description, he could even feel the confidence of the Mavericks players from their body language in the video.

They were only 15 points behind, and they reversed all 16 points.

And then they did it again.

Therefore, the three-round series and three games are like strengthening the self-confidence of the Mavericks players again and again.

And indeed, just as Thibodeau described it, the Mavericks players believed they could do it.

And this kind of self-confidence is very positive.

"It's all Miami's fault." Xu Yong said at this time.

Thibodeau was stunned by these words.

"If they had been more durable, the situation would not be like this." Xu Yong said with a smile.

Thibodeau laughed at the success.

"Tom, believe us, what you said may cause us to encounter some difficulties, but we are stronger, and we will definitely win in the end." Xu Yong then put away his smile and said firmly.Thibodeau looked at Xu Yong for a while.

Of all the Bulls, he is the only one with championship experience.

That's why he analyzes the Mavericks so deeply.

On the road to a championship, you must know each of your opponents thoroughly.

It was also because of this understanding that he looked at the Mavericks with admiration, which was definitely not comparable to the original 76ers.

Naturally, he will also have some worries, especially after seeing the team's somewhat relaxed state today.

However, Xu Yong's words gave him reassurance.

On paper, the Bulls are definitely the better team.

As for the state, what Xu Yong said just now is not entirely a joke. The Bulls definitely did not use their full strength against the Heat.

Even if the Mavericks can force the Bulls out, the Bulls will still be stronger.

Thibodeau smiled and patted Xu Yong on the shoulder.

Xu Yong is really different from all the players he has seen. The second-year player seems to have been playing for 20 years.

And this extreme self-confidence can really infect those around you.

……

Two days later, at the United Center, the finals slowly opened.

The attendance at the United Center was full, and fans saw the man again at the scene.

Returning to the United Center was like being derailed zero times and countless times.

Since Jordan returned once, those worries he once had are no longer important to him.

After all, Xu Yong is AJ's number one and the inheritor of his unique skills. It is only normal for him to come and watch Xu Yong play.

Swift was also on hand tonight, wearing Seo Yong's jersey to support her boyfriend.

It has been nearly six months since they started dating, and it has been almost four months since they confirmed their relationship. Both of these data have set a record for Swift's previous boyfriend.

Although Xu Yong didn't have much time to spend with Swift, he still firmly grasped Swift's heart with his skills on and off the court.

In addition to showing the audience before the game, the pre-game shots also kept showing Nowitzki on the Mavericks side.

Although the strength may be different, Nowitzki's performance so far in the playoffs is very similar to that of Iverson.

In the opening ceremony before the game, when the Bulls came on the stage, the atmosphere was as intense as the lid of a pressure cooker, ready to knock off the roof at any time.

After 13 years, Jordan returned to the stage of the Finals for the first time since his departure. The fans were so excited that they were so young.

After the opening ceremony, the starting lineups of the two teams were released one after another.

Mavericks: Kidd, Stevenson, Marion, Nowitzki, Chandler;

Bulls: Rose, Xu Yong, Artest, O'Neal, Yao Ming.

The Mavericks used a regular lineup, and Thibodeau also used a regular lineup to deal with it.

Amid the cheers of the fans, Chandler moved the ball back to the Mavericks half, officially kicking off the finals.

Kidd held the ball and advanced to the 45° three-point line on the left side of the frontcourt, with Rose controlling the ball behind his back. The Mavericks used pick-and-rolls to find opportunities on both sides.

Nowitzki borrowed Chandler's pick-and-roll and bounced to the three-point line. After Chandler opened it, he quickly cut to the basket.

However, the Bulls directly switched defense and followed up on both points.

O'Neal Jr. didn't do much against the Heat in the last round, but in the finals, he will become very important whether it is his matchup with Nowitzki or the protection of the frame after switching defenses.

The Mavericks' first wave of tactics was blocked, but they did not stop and immediately launched a second wave of tactics.

It was Chandler again, this time he directly pulled up to the high post and set a pick-and-roll for Kidd.

Then in the same way, after breaking up, he used his flexibility to cut to the basket and take Rose away, and also sent O'Neal Jr. to Kidd.

Kidd saw that O'Neal was afraid of him passing the ball to the basket, stood slightly back, and shot directly from outside the three-point line.

"Shh!"

Vote for it!

The Mavericks came out on top.

The fans at the scene were stunned for a while.

This is what Thibodeau calls confidence.

Of course it’s not just confidence either.

Kidd was once called "basic but not offensive" by fans. Although he was excellent in organization, his scoring ability and efficiency were very poor.

However, after returning to the Mavericks for the second time, he suddenly mastered the three-point shooting. His outside shooting percentage has remained above 40% for three consecutive seasons, and he has made more and more shots. Last season, he exceeded 5. Second-rate.

More importantly, his hitting rate in the playoffs has not fluctuated much compared to the regular season. Two words stand out: stability.

When he returns to the defensive end, the person guarding Xu Yong is also Kidd.

And when Xu Yong received the ball with his back in the high post and was about to turn around and attack, Stevenson came from the weak side to flank Xu Yong.

It's also a help defense, but the different timing has completely different effects. What stands out about the Mavericks' help defense is that it is an experienced player.

Xu Yong didn't have a good shooting angle when he hit the ball. Fortunately, he had excellent vision and threw the ball to Rose.

But at this time Nowitzki actually helped defend.

The Mavericks are not only confident, but also full of enthusiasm.

Rose changed direction and broke through Nowitzki, but Chandler showed his ability to protect the frame and defended well enough to prevent Rose from rushing forward.

Rose jumped up and passed the ball to Yao Ming, but was intercepted by Marion, who was shrinking on the weak side.

The Mavericks' five-man defensive end gives the impression that they are always moving and helping to defend.

Then, the Mavericks directly pushed the defensive counterattack.

This team of old men counterattacked very quickly and with a sense of hierarchy.

In the first wave, Marion did not get a direct layup opportunity and quickly knocked the ball back to Kidd on the outside.

Kidd went straight to the east and west, looking at Nowitzki who was late on the side, and then gave the ball to Stevenson, who had already been in position in the opposite corner.

Stevenson catches the ball and shoots with open hands, and he shoots!
Confidence, confidence in your bones!
6 is better than 0!

The Mavericks gave the Bulls a disastrous start.

And more importantly, the Mavericks have made this start, and Nowitzki hasn't even taken a shot yet.

There was a commotion at the scene.

Texas once had three major illusions: the Rockets were strong, the Spurs were old, and the Mavericks were weak.

The Rockets are very strong, but have never made it to the Western Conference Finals;
The Spurs are very old, but GDP leads the team to 50+ wins all year round, and the three of them will basically not decline in form;

The Mavericks are very weak and seem to be getting beaten and eliminated all the time, but the number of 50+ wins is second only to the Spurs.

And tonight, the Mavericks team, which finally reached the finals, proved with facts that it was really just an illusion!

　Predict the score of a wave of finals?

　　
　
(End of this chapter)