no shortcuts in basketball

Chapter 238 The 2014~2015 regular season ends

There is only one month left in the regular season, and all the media are paying attention to the Bulls' games, and the reports are overwhelming.

It can be said that the outside world is waiting for the moment when they break the record.

However, at this time, Xu Yong felt unprecedented pressure from his teammates.

This is completely different from the previous mentality of everyone working hard to achieve this record.

Because now they really can't afford to lose a game.

That situation is no longer motivation, but pressure, huge pressure, which makes most people breathless.

Three consecutive victories and five consecutive victories. When facing the Celtics, the Bulls could not restrain Thomas and almost lost the game. In the end, they relied on Xu Yong's buzzer beater to win the game in a thrilling manner.

After the winning game, the players did not feel excited, only tired.

All teams hope to be the one who stops them from breaking the record, and that will go down in history.

In other words, the opponents they encounter every night are as if they have been drugged, and even if they cannot win, they will lose a layer of their skin.

After the day's game, looking at the exhausted players, Xu Yongyong couldn't help but fall into thinking.

As a reborn player, the current state of the team makes it difficult for him not to think of the 73-win Warriors again.

He didn't pay much attention to the specific details of the process at the beginning, but he thought it was similar to their current situation.

At the end of the season, other teams began to rest their main players to prepare for the playoffs, but they could only keep tightening their nerves and fighting hard every night.

In his impression, the Warriors' injuries did not occur in the regular season, but occurred in the playoffs due to continued fatigue.

Try your best to break the record, and then everything is perfect?
Wrong, even if the No. [-] team plays No. [-] team in the playoffs, the intensity is greater than in the regular season.

This is a bit like the college entrance examination. You think you can finally relax after working hard to get into your dream university, but in fact university is a more brutal competition.

If the Bulls continue like this, until that tense nerve can no longer be pulled away, there is a certain probability that they will experience what the Warriors experienced.

Because he performed like that during the period when Butler and Adams were absent, and their record was only 8 wins and 2 losses.

Basketball is, after all, a five-person sport.

And don't forget, the league's president is no longer Stern, but Xiao Hua. Xiao Hua has a different preference for the Warriors.

But they can't stop now.

At this time, it was not just their own choice, but also being carried forward by the torrent of external voices.

If they really lose a game at this time, the blow to the Bulls' morale will be huge.

Breaking records is not necessarily a good thing; not breaking records is even less good, and there is no solution.

In fact, if Butler and Adams were not injured at the same time, they might not be in this unsolvable situation now, because there is room for losing, and their psychological pressure and the mentality of their opponents are completely different.

But again, it’s a pity that there is no if.

Finally, Xu Yong, who had been thinking for a long time, stood up and left the locker room amidst the puzzled looks of his teammates.

He went to Thibodeau's office.

Thibodeau also seems to have a lot less hair, and the pressure on his shoulders is only a lot more than that of the players.

"Tom, I'm injured." The first words Xu Yong spoke made Thibodeau stunned.

"Where? Is it serious?" After reacting, Thibodeau looked at Xu Yong with a slightly nervous expression. After coaching Xu Yong for so many years, this was the first time he heard that Xu Yong was injured.

"The knee is a little sore. It's not serious. It may be fine after resting for three or four days." Xu Yong said calmly.

"Three or four days?" Thibodeau glanced at Xu Yong, and soon he realized what Xu Yong wanted to do.

They play the Pacers in two days and then have two days off.

He didn't say anything, stood up and walked to Xu Yong, then gave Xu Yong a big and tight hug.

As the head coach, he naturally knows how tense the team's nerves are now, but he also knows, as Xu Yong thought before, that the situation is unsolvable.

Now Xu Yong has found the only way to break the situation, but the price is that Xu Yong must bear the pressure alone.

The next day, the Bulls officially announced that Xu Yong had knee soreness. Although it was not serious, he was expected to be absent for about a week.

When this news came out, it immediately aroused heated discussion among fans, because the Bulls cannot miss Xu Yong without anyone, and they will play the Pacers next, and they will most likely lose, so they will not be able to break the record.

Of course, what is very interesting is that some fans were surprised to find that Xu Yong has played the most consecutive games among active players, reaching 482 games.

Then taking a closer look, this turned out to be the first time Xu Yong has missed a game since he entered the NBA for six seasons!
After discovering this, the fans just felt that Weibo had opened the door for Weibo. It was so outrageous.

Only AC Green, who played 1192 consecutive games and played 9 games for 82 consecutive seasons, can compete with this.

But even as outrageous as Green, he missed three games in his second year as a rookie.

Players are also human beings, and there are always reasons for this or that in life. Xu Yong is not as abstinent as Green, and there are frequent scandals with Hollywood actresses. But if you look closely, you will see that this good guy is even more powerful than Green.

So although they were surprised, the fans thought this was normal. If Xu Yong really never missed the game, they all felt that they should drag Xu Yong to have a biopsy and study it to see if he had any special genes.

There was no accident in the game against the Pacers. The Pacers were second only to the Bulls and Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference this season and were very strong. However, the Bulls lacked Xu Yong and there was a gap in strength and ultimately lost the game.

Because it was known before the game that Xu Yong would not be able to play, the outside world did not react much to the Bulls' loss.

Moreover, after the game, the Bulls players returned to the locker room and were talking and laughing. Their state was completely different from before.

It felt like the tense nerves had finally relaxed.

Seeing this, Xu Yong knew that his choice was right.

Two days after the game against the Pacers, the Bulls announced that Xu Yong's recovery from injury was better than expected and he would return against the Spurs.

Xu Yong's early comeback greatly boosted the morale of the Bulls, and they finally defeated the Spurs 114-96.

And what can be clearly felt is that as the Bulls lost the opportunity to break the historical record, the opponent's desire to compete has also plummeted.

So in the end, this is the effect of killing two birds with one stone.

……

Time has come to mid-April, and the curtain of the 4~2014 regular season has come to an end.

The Western Warriors won 67 games and ranked first.

球队当家核心库里赛季场均贡献23.8分4.4板7.7助攻2抢断，投篮命中率48.7%，三分命中率44.3%。

克莱汤普森场均21.7分3.2板2.9助攻1.1抢断，投篮命中率46.3%，三分命中率43.9%。

德雷蒙德·格林场均11.7分8.2板3.7助攻，投篮命中率44.3%，三分命中率33.7%。

The Thunder ranked second with 62 wins.

杜兰特场均30.1分8.2板4.1助攻，投篮命中率53%，三分命中率41.3%。

What is different from the history that Xu Yong knows is that because the Thunder have basically concentrated the ball on Harden this season, Durant only controls the shot, which greatly reduces his physical consumption and does not compare with history. Although he suffered serious injuries, he played the most efficient season of his career.

哈登场均25.4分5.4篮板7.5助攻1.9抢断，投篮命中率45.6%，三分球命中率38.5%。

With the increase in possession of the ball, his scoring average exceeded 25 points per game for the first time, setting a career high together with assists.

The Mavericks ranked third with 58 wins.

伦纳德场均23.4分6.2板3.4助攻2抢断，投篮命中率50.6%，三分球命中率44.3%。

Nowitzki did not continue to dominate the ball like others, but had begun a power transition within the team, and Leonard became the Mavericks' scoring leader.

Of course, all of this has a lot to do with Rondo's existence. His organization allowed Leonard's efficiency to rise instead of falling as he gained more possession of the ball.

The Trail Blazers are fourth with 51 wins.

It is worth mentioning that the league officials have previously announced that starting from the 2015-2016 season, there will no longer be a "top four protection for the first place in the division" rule, but this rule is still in effect for that season.

The Grizzlies are fifth with 55 wins.

The Clippers rank sixth with 55 wins.

The Spurs are seventh with 50 wins.

The Pelicans rank eighth with 45 wins.

Westbrook played a very personal season. He averaged 23.5 points, 10.1 rebounds and 10.1 assists per game, becoming another player in the league after "Oscar" Robertson to average a triple-double per game in the regular season.

As a result, after he played this data, Robertson's historical status plummeted.

As for the Lakers, Kobe was reimbursed for the season after playing only 35 games, and Howard still failed to lead the team into the playoffs.

According to the latest news, Howard has communicated with the management and broke up peacefully, and the team is expected to put him on the shelf in the offseason.

In the East, the Bulls' record was finally settled at 72 wins and 10 losses.

After relaxing their mentality and changing their opponents' mentality, the Bulls won the remaining games in a relatively relaxed manner, which also allowed them to tie the team history and historical records.

Although it is a shame not to break the record, more important than that is that the Bulls players got out of that tight situation before the start of the playoffs, which is beneficial to their performance in the playoffs.

数据方面，徐永场均31.5分7.2板5.5助攻1.8抢断1.6盖帽，52.6%的投篮命中率，40.2%的三分命中率。

The absence of Butler and Adams allowed his personal data to improve. This is also the third scoring title he has won in his career after winning the title from 2011 to 2013.

巴特勒场均20.9分5.3板6.3助攻1.9抢断，投篮命中率46.2%，三分命中率37.8%。

In the last season of his rookie career, he scored 20+5+5 for the first time, and his efficiency was the highest in recent years.

罗斯场均16.5分3.2板5.6助攻，投篮命中率45.5%，三分命中率37%。

David West averaged 11.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game, and shot 47.8% from the field.

亚当斯场均7.7分8.5板1.5盖帽，其中3.1个前场板，投篮命中率54.4%。

The Cavaliers ranked second with 60 wins.

詹姆斯场均25.3分6板7.4助攻，投篮命中率48.8%，三分命中率35.4%。

Statistically speaking, this is James' worst season since his rookie season, especially the number of turnovers he cares about most, averaging 3.9 per game, which is the highest in his career.

The Cavaliers, sitting on the Big Four, only managed 60 wins in the end, and running-in was a problem that plagued them all season.

Especially James' plan was well thought out, but it ultimately failed to work.

欧文场均21.7分3.2板5.2助攻，投篮命中率46.8%，三分命中率41.5%。

乐福场均16.4分8.4板3.2助攻，投篮命中率43.5%，三分命中率36.7%。

Davis averaged 13.7 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game, and shot 51.6% from the field.

The Pacers are third with 58 wins.

安东尼场均26.7分6.6板3.8助攻，投篮命中率47.6%，三分命中率40.2%。

保罗场均19.1分4.3板10.6助攻，投篮命中率48.5%，三分命中率39.8%。

The Raptors rank fourth in the Eastern Conference with 52 wins.

德罗赞场均20.1分4.4板4.1助攻1.1抢断，投篮命中率41.3%%。

Lowry averaged 17.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game, shooting 41.2% from the field.

From the data, it may be possible to understand why they were called "Garbage Brothers" in the history that Xu Yong experienced, because there is indeed a gap in efficiency between them and the first-line superstars.

But the good news is that Casey began to promote Antetokounmpo from the bench to the starting power forward. He played 81 games this season and started 71 games. He averaged 12.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1 steal and 1 block per game. It brought a lot of energy to the team's defensive end.

The Hawks, Wizards, Celtics, and Heat ranked 5th to 8th respectively.

Bosh's season was reimbursed, Wade's condition declined, Hibbert became [Gao Yuanyuan], Riley's calculations finally fell to the ground, and the Heat finally managed to win 40 games and enter the playoffs.

……

"The Heat are eighth in the end?" After the last game, Xu Yong was a little surprised when he saw Butler coming over to tell him the result with great interest, because before that, the Heat were one game ahead of the Celtics.

"Yes, they lost to the Grizzlies in the last game. Their record was the same as Boston's, but they dropped to eighth because of the difference in wins and losses." Listening to this analysis, Butler should have been paying close attention to that team before the game. situation.

"Fate." After hearing what Butler said, Xu Yongyong couldn't help but sigh. At the trade deadline, he thought he had no chance to "revenge" the Heat. Unexpectedly, the situation changed so quickly, and they actually faced each other in the first round. .

It must be a special fate.

Butler, who was originally in high spirits, showed a ghostly smile and handed over the phone.

Xu Yong picked it up and looked at it doubtfully, and soon discovered the origin of Butler's smile.

It turned out to be a postgame report about the Heat.

"We beat them the past two years, we can do it this year too"

This news headline is very mouth-watering, and it was said by Wade.

Xu Yongyou touched his chin, and then read the report carefully.

After reading it, he understood.

"Given the results the teams have had the past two seasons, do you think the Heat have a chance this year?"

The reporter was obviously trying to induce Wade, and Wade jumped into the trap, and the report also had some headlines.

However, Wade has been in the league for many years, and his interview experience will not prevent him from discovering such pitfalls.

This is more like what someone like Pierce or Draymond Green said.

But it’s not inexplicable. Think about it from another person’s perspective. If you were a member of the Heat and had just lost a key position match and had to face an opponent with 72 wins, how confident would you be in defeating the opponent?
As the head of the team, it is reasonable for Wade to use such an answer to boost the morale of his players at this time.

"I will guard against D. Wade." Seeing that Xu Yong had finished reading the report, Butler put away his smile and said with firm eyes.

After hearing this, Xu Yong turned his head and looked at Butler.

Maybe others have forgotten, but he still clearly remembers what Butler said after losing to the Heat last year.

Butler wants to beat the Heat more than anyone.

He tapped Butler on the shoulder, then nodded and said, "Let's bury them."

If Bosh's blood clot cannot be avoided and the Heat are destined to fall, then they will bury each other with their own hands.

Just like they did against Boston.

Before the playoffs officially begin, the league announced the first batch of awards for the season.

The day before the game against the Heat, the Bulls players held a celebration ceremony for Thibodeau in the locker room.

After a lapse of four years, Thibodeau once again won the honor of best coach.

20 years ago, Phil Jackson waited for Jordan's return and took the Bulls from 47 wins the previous season to 72 wins.

20 years later, the Bulls ushered in Rose's comeback. Thibodeau brought the Bulls from 52 wins last season to 72 wins.

Although the stories here are different, the histories are always surprisingly similar.

The next day, the Bulls sat at home to meet the challenge of the Heat.

The attendance at the United Center was full, and the unexpected encounter with the Heat in the first round not only made the Bulls eager to try, but also made the Bulls fans impatient.Photographers on site were also looking for Wade during the warm-up session.

Wade's expression in the camera looks very relaxed, which can't help but make fans wonder, are the Heat preparing a big move tonight?
After the warm-up, the best coach award ceremony was held. Thibodeau received the second best coach trophy in his coaching career amidst the cheers of the fans.

After six years of coaching and winning the title twice, Thibodeau has become one of the top coaches in the league.

Entering the opening ceremony, the starting lineups of both sides were released one after another.

Heat: Dragic, Wade, Deng, Haslem, Hibbert
Bulls: Rose, Butler, Xu Yong, West, Adams
In fact, it's not surprising that fans have doubts. Although Bosh can't play, it can be seen from the starting lineup that a skinny camel is bigger than a horse.

"Put enough pressure on them at the beginning, and don't let them feel there is any chance." When arranging the final tactics before going on the court, Thibodeau did not waste time on specific tactics, but only emphasized one point.

Before going on the field, Xu Yong led the players to shout slogans. He agreed with Thibodeau's point of view. If you really make the Heat think they have a chance, they will immediately become the hardest nut to crack in the lower half. 】.

At the same time, Wade did the same thing next door.

Following the referee's whistle, Hibbert moved the ball back to the Heat half, officially kicking off the game.

Wade caught the ball as soon as he reached the frontcourt, and after picking and rolling with Hibbert, he went straight to the inside.

Butler was very focused on defending the ball, going around the pick-and-roll in advance and then blocking Wade's breakthrough route.

But Wade was tough and took off against Butler's defense for a layup.

Butler also raised his hands in the air to maintain a defensive posture without showing any signs of weakness.

Wade leaned on Butler in the air and turned sideways for a layup. Butler couldn't turn around at this time, and he finally hit the ball by wiping the board.

Butler looked back and shook his hand after seeing the ball. He said in front of Xu Yong that he wanted to guard Wade, but the result was a bad start.

Xu Yong went over and touched his head and motioned him to serve in the backcourt.

Butler's defense is actually very good. If it weren't for the [vertical jump rule], this ball would have been defended.

Xu Yong pindowned the ball in the frontcourt, and the Heat directly flanked him.

As an old rival, Spoelstra is obviously well prepared.

But his preparation didn't seem to have any effect.

Xu Yong faked a pass to Butler, forcing Wade, who was assisting on defense, to retreat. He grabbed the ball with one hand and pulled the ball back. Without dribbling, he quickly turned around and shot a fadeaway jumper.

This ball stands out cleanly, and the main theme is "it's your business to double attack, and it's my business to see it work or not."

Wade continued the pick-and-roll attack with Hibbert, and then faced Butler's close defense. He used a wandering step, jumped up, twisted his body in the air, and shot.

Butler predicted Wade's choice with this ball and caused great interference in the air. Wade's shot missed the basket.

However, Wade quickly took off twice after landing and went straight to the backboard. This reaction speed caused a burst of exclamation from the audience.

After suffering injuries for three consecutive seasons, especially this season, the overall decline in competitive status after Wade's comeback is relatively obvious, otherwise the Heat would not have fallen all the way to this position.

But from the language in the opening shot to the body movements on the court, Xu Yong's previous analysis was adopted. He is setting an example in this way and looking for the possibility of winning for the Heat.

But when Wade jumped up, Butler jumped up almost at the same time. After gaining the advantage in the aerial confrontation, he grabbed the ball first and took it into his arms.

He already had a bad start, how could he let Wade score twice!

After grabbing the rebound, Butler turned around and advanced with the ball.

Dragic immediately followed Rose, the fast-break promoter, but Butler did not slow down, and Xu Yong followed up quickly from the wing.

When he followed up to the three-point line in the frontcourt, Butler passed the ball over. Xu Yong received the ball and faced Dragic, who had switched defenses. He jumped into the air and turned 360° to reverse the basket and send the ball lightly into the basket.

The cheers at the scene have exploded.

For two consecutive rounds, Xu Yong's offensive movements were as smooth as water.

Although he has not continued to enrich his arsenal, his various skills have improved, especially after a season of polishing, and he seems to be more comfortable with them.

After returning to the defensive end, the Bulls also strictly implemented Thibodeau's game strategy and continued to increase defensive intensity.

Wade's breakthrough was directly stopped by Butler.

His injury cannot have an impact on him. At the beginning, he held back his energy and wanted to lead the team, but his efforts faltered and he was no longer the omnipotent Flash.

And just when he turned around to look for his teammates, Xu Yong saw the right opportunity and directly cut the ball away from the side.

After taking control of the ball, he flicked the ball to Rose on the outside.

Rose promoted the fast break, and the change of pace squeezed out Dragic's layup.

However, the angle of the shot was a bit off, and the ball passed directly over the basket.

But at this moment, a burst of exclamations suddenly sounded from the scene.

Xu Yong has arrived.

He followed up and jumped into the air, catching the basketball crossing the bridge and lag in the air...

"Oh!"

Completed the deduction directly!
Rose's crossing directly became an alley-oop!

2:6.

Xu Yong scored 6 points in the opening game alone.

After landing, Xu Yong was also a little excited, and he collided with Butler, who was late in the fast break.

Although he didn't show it like Butler, as the star of the team, how could he not have a strong desire to win when he faced opponents that he had lost to in the past two years.

Wade was still in the backcourt at this time. Looking at the familiar figures in front of him, he suddenly felt a little dazed.

The Bulls are still the same Bulls team, and Rose's comeback is just the icing on the cake. The real qualitative change is in the Bulls' iron triangle, especially Xu Yong and Butler.

Butler's progress was something he could expect. After all, the height he originally reached was not too high, but Xu Yong's progress has surpassed the areas he touched at his peak.

After four quarters, the score on the court was 108 to 95. The Bulls relied on the advantage established at the beginning to easily win G1.

Do the Heat have a chance?Of course there is, and it can be seen from the score that they were not defeated by the Bulls.

But it seems that there is no such thing, because after being pulled away in the first quarter, they could only close the score to 9 points at most.

This scene must be very experienced by a certain king in Cleveland Village, because when they faced the Spurs in the 07 Finals, they lost within ten points in every game, and even within five points in the following games, but fans who watched the game would not know it. Feel like the Cavaliers have any chance.

More than ten days later, the series between the Bulls and the Heat ended first. The Bulls swept the Heat 4-0 and easily advanced to the second round.

This big score, as Xu Yong said before the start of the series, really extinguished the last vestiges of fantasy among Heat fans and buried this team with his own hands.

Xu Yong didn't play much in this series. Except for G1, he played quietly in the remaining three games.

发挥最出色的要属巴特勒，他4场比赛场均能贡献23.5分5.5板7助攻2抢断，投篮命中率达到51%。

Although he did not "fulfill" the promise he made after the end of last season "if he encounters the same situation, he will not make the same mistake again." After all, the Heat did not reach that level in the entire series, but his performance is undoubtedly better than That's something more convincing.

As Barkley lamented in the commentary box: "I think the biggest headache for the Bulls now is not the next series, but how to keep Jimmy Butler in the summer."

But in fact, it's not just Butler, the performance of other Bulls players is also remarkable, and the benefits of selection in the last month of the regular season have also snowballed.

During the handshake ceremony in the final game of the series, Xu Yong hugged Wade tightly.

Can the Heat still make the playoffs next season?
Xu Yong is not sure about this, because even if he is a rebirth, it is impossible for him to know everything about the changes of every team every season.

But what is certain is that because of Bosh's blood clots, the Heat's experience in the next few seasons will be exactly the same as the Bulls' previous experience.

The Bulls can't bear the maximum salary in the lineup, let alone the Heat. They are basically out of the championship ranks.

Or in other words, Wade's championship window has closed.

Two career championships and two FMVPs are not particularly successful, but they are much better than being a wedding dress for others in history.

Wade finally felt relieved and exchanged jerseys with Xu Yong after hugging him.

Losing to Xu Yong is just like losing to Jordan in the 90s. There is nothing to be ashamed of.

After returning to the locker room after the press conference, Xu Yong took his mobile phone to look at another group of matches, which were also the results of their potential opponents.

The Raptors were swept 0-4 by the Hawks.

After seeing the results, he immediately sent a text message of encouragement to DeRozan.

In addition to DeRozan and Lowry, the Raptors also have Valanciunas and Antetokounmpo. Even Lou Williams is playing as the sixth man for the Raptors this season. The lineup is not bad.

But it turns out that with just the wrong name and the right nickname, the [Garbage Brothers] are the ultimate second-in-command material, and it is too reluctant to allow them to take over.

DeRozan's performance in these four games is almost the same as in the regular season, but Lowry averaged 12 points per game and shot 30+20 from the field, which is hard to watch.

This couldn't help but remind him of a hotly discussed topic before his rebirth: Who did James rule?

The first to bear the brunt, or generally recognized as the trash brothers.

But in fact, even without James, it would be very difficult for the Raptors to break through from the Eastern Conference. They only really made it after acquiring Leonard.

Fortunately, unlike in history, the Raptors now have Antetokounmpo. When he grows up, the Raptors will be very powerful.

So his text message of encouragement made sense.

The Raptors were eliminated, and the Bulls played the Hawks in the second round.

The biggest change for the Hawks this season is the arrival of head coach Mike Budenholzer.

Budenholzer is a Spurs coach, and his style of play is exactly the same as that of the Spurs last season, team basketball.

And Teague, Morrow, Carroll, Millsap, Horford, Schroeder, this group of people also has good talents.

Xu Yong also has some impressions of this Hawks. The only difference is that Korver is not here and is still with the Pacers.

But whether it's Korver or Morrow, the Hawks' team play will be greatly reduced in the playoffs, and the Bulls won't have any big problems against them.

The advantage of the three-legged division in the division is that when you win the first place in the division, you can sit back and watch the battle, and wait until the division finals to face the real challenge.

"Senior, who do you think will win between the Cavaliers and the Pacers?" While watching the news, Butler wrapped himself in a towel and sat down next to Xu Yong after taking a shower.

"knight."

Butler was a little surprised. His senior actually liked James?
"Do you think we could have defeated the Heat so easily without the [vertical takeoff rule]?" Xu Yong asked with a smile.

Of course he hopes the Pacers can win, after all, he really hates James now.

But since it is a prediction, it must be objective.

Butler slapped his mouth helplessly. Xu Yong seemed to be asking a question, but in fact he was affirming.

This rule makes Hibbert become [Gao Yuanyuan], which is a key factor for the Bulls to play easily.

So the rules that restrict Hibbert will naturally be the same for Bynum, especially in the playoffs, they will be targeted.

There is no need to look at outside performance. The difference in inside strength between the two teams is enough to influence the situation of the battle.

The Cavaliers are really cheap.

And speaking of it, if it weren't for this rule, he would really be able to restrict Wade this year, and the Bulls would win more easily.

This rule is really against the rules of basketball.

"Senior, do you think this rule may be cancelled?" Butler couldn't help but ask.

Xu Yong looked at Butler. He had never thought about this problem.

In his impression, the NBA has never canceled the new rules, including three-second defense, zone defense, no-handcheck, and walking rules, including the vertical jump.

Because canceling it is basically equivalent to admitting that the key official decision-making was wrong and slapping yourself in the face.

But if it continues to develop like this, the NBA market will go backwards as it did in history.

So it’s a very interesting hypothesis. If one day in the future he asks the league to cancel this rule, will the league agree?
"Maybe." Xu Yong gave the answer after thinking for a while.

In the history of the NBA, the league has introduced rules to restrict players, but the players have not asked the league in turn.

But that's not completely impossible, provided the player has enough influence.

The most realistic example is Jordan. After Jordan retired for the first time, "Magic" knelt down and begged Jordan to come back. In fact, this was the attitude of the league.

At that time, if Jordan asked the league to change any rules before returning, I believe Stern would agree.

So if one day he really achieves the same influence as Jordan, the answer to that hypothesis may really be [yes].

Butler's question gave him one more reason to surpass Jordan.

The next day, the Cavaliers' game also ended.

There is no suspense, the Cavaliers also swept the Celtics and advanced to the second round, which is also expected.

But looking at Butler who happily reported the battle situation to him, Xu Yong realized that the problem didn't seem that simple.

"Kevin Love is out for the season." Butler's next words reflected this.

"Olynyk dragged Love's arm with both hands maliciously while grabbing a rebound." He then followed up with the details.gif.

After hearing what he said, Xu Yong's dusty memory was awakened. He remembered that there was such a thing, because in history, this Cavaliers team played the "Seven Jedi" in the finals.

"I'm optimistic about the Pacers now." Xu Yong changed his tune.

Once Love is injured, the balance between the Cavaliers and Pacers is broken again. Even with the vertical takeoff rule, Davis can't take much advantage over Bynum. It depends on Irving + James VS The performance of the Paul + Anthony duo.

Anthony doesn't analyze James's strengths and weaknesses, but Anthony's fighting will is definitely full, and he can still be equal no matter what.

But Paul's blow to Irving was a dimensionality reduction blow.

Since Olynyk is so dirty, why not change him to someone else who is dirty?

Although James stepped in Granger last year to give a sample, but you also have to distinguish the difference in the strength gap between the enemy and ourselves.

Three days later, G1 between the Bulls and Hawks ended. The Bulls defeated the Hawks 114-104 and won G1.

This process can be said to be exactly the same as playing the opening game of the first round against the Heat.

The Bulls are now obviously conscious of holding back and saving their energy for the conference finals and finals.

At this time, the first round of the last group in the Eastern Conference also ended. The Pacers eliminated the Wizards 4-1, and successfully met the Cavaliers in the semifinals.

Compared to the Bulls, the match there is destined to be more passionate.

Then, the league also announced the regular season MVP on this day.

Xu Yong was successfully elected as the regular season MVP for the third time in his career with 40%, the highest vote share in the past 35 years.

This result can be said to have no suspense, 72 wins, an average of 31.5 points per game, and impression points of true strength in those ten games.

Except for Xu Yong, Curry got 22% of the votes, Durant got 16%, Westbrook got 10%, Anthony 6%, and James 3%.

(Leonard, Paul and others also received votes, but the proportion was less than 1%)

(End of this chapter)