no shortcuts in basketball

Chapter 294 2019 NBA Championship

DeRozan's mid-range shot does not mean that he has regained his form, because when the ball came into his hands in the next round, he held the ball and attacked, and his shot to the basket was still somewhat affected.

But it's important that he made it.

Especially when in another offensive round, the Bulls insisted on flanking Xu Yong, and after DeRozan hit the mid-range ball again, Thibodeau could only reach out and call a timeout.

When the timeout came back, the Bulls' defensive strategy was forced to change, and their attack on Xu Yong was significantly weakened.

This gave Xu Yong enough space to play, and also made the Mavericks' offense obviously smooth again.

The basketball game is very complicated because it involves a variety of tactics and defensive strategies on both offense and defense, but sometimes basketball is very simple. When your offensive arrow has enough room to play, it can influence the game. situation.

Of course, the most important point is that Xu Yong's overall condition tonight is so good.

Everything the Chicago fans did for him moved him and his body became completely excited.

After all, showing your best self in front of the fans is the best response to the support of the fans.

However, the team culture the Bulls have established over the years has made them resilient. Relying on their sustained defensive intensity, they were in a stalemate with the Mavericks in terms of score.

The two sides fought fiercely until the last moment, and then Chicago fans once again saw the scene they are most familiar with. Xu Yong dominated the game at the last moment.

Facing Butler's defense, he first scored with his trademark post-up single, then he carried Butler's defense into the inside, and after the confrontation, he forced a 2+1 to end the game.

In the end, Butler was beaten so hard that he turned around and hit the basket.

The fans at the scene were excited and helpless. After all, although the scene was familiar this time, Xu Yong was on the opposite team to them.

However, when the final whistle sounded and the live camera showed Xu Yong, the Chicago fans still reached out and applauded.

徐永今晚40投21中，贡献了全场最高的58分，外加8篮板5助攻3抢断。

20 points in the first quarter and 18 points in the final quarter. With such scores and performance in the United Center, there seems to be no problem.

In the handshake ceremony after the game, Butler and Xu Yong hugged tightly. He was frustrated when he lost because he really wanted to win, but that did not affect Xu Yong's position in his heart.

At the press conference after the game, Xu Yong was the focus of reporters' attention, just like every game he returned in the past.

But unlike the previous Lakers postgame, Xu Yong was very relaxed and happy during the entire press conference, and he frequently used wise words when facing reporters' questions.

"I think my touch comes from the court, I'm so familiar with the basket here."

"Why didn't I get 60 points in the end? I think 58 points is a good score."

"Butler is the strongest small forward I've faced since I came back."

……

After the press conference, Xu Yong and Butler went to a nearby restaurant together.

When they were hugging each other after the game, Butler said that he would treat Xu Yong to something to eat after the game.

The two chatted a lot, and this was the first time they met after Xu Yong came back.

When the conversation got serious, the two drank some wine.

Butler drank one glass after another, and by the end, he was clearly drunk.

"Senior, I know that whether you chose to retire or you chose not to come back in Chicago, there were factors that were taken into consideration for me. I know that."

The so-called telling the truth after drinking, Butler said the deepest words in his heart.

Xu Yong just smiled and did not deny it this time because he is no longer with the Bulls.

"Senior, I'm stupid. I don't know how to express my gratitude. I can only learn to do it." Butler said and took out a box from his pocket.

It seems that inviting him to dinner this time is just a formality. What I really want to do is give him a gift.

Xu Yong took the box and was stunned after opening it.

He really liked this gift.

Because this is a star card from his rookie period, and there are many sparkling diamonds inlaid on the card.

The value of this card should now be no less than a sports car.

Then, what Butler said next made it surpass a sports car.

"I remember one time after a game, a fan came to the senior with this card. The senior liked it very much but didn't ask him for it, so I bought it." Butler continued.

This is really intentional, and it has been done for a long time.

It's even more than that.

"I customized this with the diamonds from the championship ring. I think this is the only way to be worthy of the help my seniors gave me. Without my seniors, I would not be where I am today."

"Thank you, Jimmy." Xu Yong looked at Butler with a smile, feeling warm again in his heart. There were so many things that touched him when he returned to Chicago this time.

And he also understood what Butler meant by "learn to come", because back then Pippen used the diamonds from his championship ring to make a pair of earrings for Jordan. The meaning of the gift went beyond the value itself.

"But there is one thing I need to correct." After accepting the gift, Xu Yong looked at Butler.

Butler was a little stunned. Thinking back on what he said, it seemed that there was nothing that made Xu Yong happy.

"Even without me, you can achieve what you have today because of your hard work and knowing what you want, so don't underestimate yourself." Xu Yong said this very seriously, because the world before his rebirth , Butler also proved himself, the difference is just early and late.

"Thank you, senior, I will remember it." Butler nodded vigorously.

The next day, Xu Yong did not fly back to Dallas with the Mavericks players. Instead, he took his own private plane and went back with Daddario.

Because Butler drank too much the night before, Xu Yong arranged for Butler to be escorted out of his residence.

When he woke up, the sun was already basking on his buttocks. He looked at the time, and then couldn't help but put his hand on his forehead.

This is a morning of missed training.

After pressing his head hard with his hand, he suddenly remembered something and suddenly slapped his forehead to get up.

But when he picked up his phone and looked at it, he realized that it was too late.

He drank too much yesterday and couldn't remember many things at once. Only now did he remember that he wanted to send Xu Yong on the plane, but he had already overslept.

He took out his cell phone and sent a text message to Xu Yong, then took a shower, and then prepared to go to the gym to train.

When he came out, he found that Xu Yong had already replied to the message: "Do you still like the car?"

Butler was stunned for a moment. He was not stupid enough to reply to the car, but went straight downstairs.

Then when he arrived in the yard, he was stunned when he looked at the scene in front of him.

A brand new late-model Ferrari was parked there with a note taped to the glass.

He walked over and picked it up, and couldn't help laughing when he saw the words on it.

"I can only learn to do it."

……

The season continued, but Xu Yong's hot state did not continue.

In fact, it can be seen from the game against the Bulls that Xu Yong's current personal ability is there, but because he has not played in a game for too long, his stability is lacking, and stability is precisely the key to showing his dominance in the game.

But the good thing is that the chemical reaction between Xu Yong and the team is constantly improving, and DeRozan's condition has also improved, which has also made the Mavericks more competitive than before.

It can be said that Xu Yong's comeback is of great significance to the Mavericks. It is not only the addition of a player, but also a reshaping of self-confidence.

Yes, they lost the core of their team from the past few years (Leonard) last summer, but now they have the backbone again.

But the Mavericks aren't the only team with a contrasting performance after the trade deadline.

In addition to them, there is another team that also showed strong competitiveness.

The Warriors won six games in a row directly after the trade deadline. After losing to the Thunder, they then won five games in a row, directly pushing themselves back to the second place in the Western Conference.

Wiggins' statistical performance is not much better than when he was with the Timberwolves. He is still the same player who averaged about 18 points per game.

But what you can obviously feel is that his desire to compete is much stronger and the content of the game is much richer.

Or to put it in another more straightforward way, he is playing more comprehensively and efficiently.

On the one hand, this is because the Warriors have the Splash Brothers to restrain him. He was the first offensive option on the outside during the Timberwolves period, but now he has become the second or even third option, and the defensive pressure he faces will be much less.

On the other hand, it is also his personality. Compared with James, he is obviously much more low-key, which makes the old members of the Warriors not feel threatened and willing to cooperate with him more.

All in all, judging from the results, the Warriors are back in contention.

In mid-March, the Mavericks played a game with the Warriors.

Xu Yong performed very well in this game, scoring 44 points, but the Mavericks lost the game in the end.

Because the Warriors have played a better team, they are like the Warriors before James came, selfless, team-oriented, and with a clear division of labor.

When shaking hands after the game, Xu Yong noticed that Curry had grown a beard at some point.

Curry was once called the "cute god" by his fans because of his baby face, and was called a "primary school boy" by some fans.

Because of that face, many people think he is a softie who can only shoot. But in fact, whether basketball is tough or not depends not on his playing style, but more on his choice in adversity.

If you can't beat someone, just run away. That's the biggest softie in basketball.

Curry has been with the Warriors over the years as the team has gone up and down, but he has always stuck with it.

Speaking of which, he and Xu Yong entered the league together. This is also the tenth season of his Warriors career.

Although Green's short-term protection has caused him to suffer a lot of doubts, in a sense, it is precisely because of his short-term protection that the Warriors team has been retained.

So there is no absolute right or wrong in things, it just depends on your perspective.

As a rookie in the same class, Xu Yong still respects Curry very much.

Just looking at Curry's familiar face but unfamiliar beard, he originally wanted to say "Grow up", but in the end he just blurted out the most practical words: "Come on."

Time flies, it is mid-April, and the 4~2018 season has come to an end.

From Xu Yong's comeback to the end of the season, less than two months have passed.

The Mavericks finally rushed to the fourth position in the Western Conference, ahead of them were the Thunder, Warriors and Trail Blazers.

徐永为小牛队出战了22场比赛，场均能得到27分7板5.5助攻的数据，投篮命中率45.7%，三分36.5%。

His scoring average still ranks fifth in the league, but it can be seen from the data that he has not yet returned to the state before retirement.

But because it is Xu Yong, no one dares to underestimate this Mavericks team.

The Mavericks' opponent in the first round of the playoffs is the Jazz.

Compared with the Jazz team that faced off against the Rockets in the playoffs many years ago, this Jazz team can be said to have changed its blood twice.

From letting Boozer go, trading Deron, determining Hayward as the core of the rebuild, failing to make the playoffs, and now with Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert as the core, supplemented by Ruby With O, Ingles, Favors and other players, the Jazz have become a strong team in the Western Conference.

Although they are ranked further behind the Mavericks, they have actually only won 1 less game than the Mavericks.

In the Western Conference, the regular season rankings are enough to illustrate the team's strength.

However, when the game actually started, the situation turned out to be a bit one-sided. The Mavericks finally completed a gentleman's sweep of the Jazz 4-1.

It's not that the Jazz's performance is problematic, but that the Mavericks' performance is surprisingly good. The reason for the good performance is Xu Yong.

Judging from the regular season performance, Xu Yong's condition was not at his best, but entering the playoffs, his overall condition has obviously improved to a higher level.

The most direct reflection is that his average data per game has increased to 31.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 5.2 assists. His shooting percentage has also increased to 49.5%, and his three-point percentage has increased to 37.5%.

It is difficult to explain this phenomenon. You can only say that superstars will mobilize their enthusiasm for the game when they reach the playoff stage.

If I have to say it, Xu Yong has been back for some time, and his state has gradually stabilized from ups and downs.

The Mavericks' opponent in the second round is the defending champion Thunder.

The Thunder's performance this season, both in terms of record and player performance, is infinitely similar to last season.

This also makes them considered by the outside world to be the favorites to win the championship this season.

There is even a precedent in history. In the first season after Jordan retired, Olajuwon led the Rockets to complete two consecutive championships.

Durant replicates Olajuwon's deeds? This is a high probability event.

The playoffs between the Thunder and the Mavericks also verified this.

In G1 of both sides, the Thunder defeated the Mavericks at home.

Facing a strong and mature team like the Thunder, many details will become key factors in determining victory or defeat.

For example, the common rotation issue, and DeRozan's performance issue.

In fact, DeRozan has always had a problem, and it is also a problem that he has been criticized for, that is, he is the opposite of a super giant like Xu Yong, and his performance in the playoffs is actually worse than in the regular season.

He entered the league with Xu Yong, and the only playoffs he played in were the year when he scored points with Xu Yong.

Even Jokic struggled to perform well with Capela and Ibaka in the Thunder.

These details determine the Mavericks' disadvantage in front of the Thunder.

After the G1 game, the media also began to feel that the Mavericks did not have many chances.

After all, basketball is a sport for five people. Even if Xu Yong still maintained his first-round status, it was not enough to make up for the strength gap between the two teams.

Amidst such public opinion, the Mavericks were directly slapped in the face in G2. After a normal stalemate with the Thunder, Xu Yong finally completed the harvest and regained a victory.

Xu Yong scored 47 points, including 11 points in the final minute.

Jokic also adjusted his style of play and supported more from the three-point line, contributing a triple-double of 23 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists.

This time, the outside media who directly attacked changed their tune.

Even though there are many problems, as long as there is Xu Yong and a qualified second boss, everything will become possible.

But obviously, the Thunder are not a team at the level of the Jazz.

In G3 on the road, the four Thunder players performed collectively, especially Durant who scored 40+, helping the Thunder take the lead again by a big score.

But fans who watched this game will notice that the game has changed. Different from the one-sided situation in G1, the Mavericks finally lost by single digits.

Xu Yong and Jokic continue to perform well, and the Mavericks are getting better and have the capital to compete with the Thunder.

This was also verified in subsequent games of the series.

In G4, the Mavericks blossomed across the board. Even veteran Barea on the bench showed his first spring and scored 20 points. The Mavericks evened the score.

When it came to the Battle of Tianwang Mountain, Xu Yong became the familiar Satan to fans, the master of death. He scored his first 50+ score after his comeback, helping the Mavericks win the Battle of Tianwang Mountain.

3:2.

From the opening G1 defeat to the big lead, fans began to gradually realize one thing: Xu Yong is not Jordan, and the Mavericks are not the Bulls.

The life-and-death battle in G6 was extremely fierce. Xu Yong encountered a crazy attack, but the Mavericks showed great resilience. They fell behind several times amidst the cheers of the home fans, but they tenaciously caught up with the score several times. In the end, Yorkey Qi received a pass from Xu Yong at the top of the arc and made a tying three-pointer, and the two sides entered overtime.

In overtime, both sides' physical fitness dropped drastically and they were unable to maintain the defensive intensity of regular time.

Then the game became Xu Yong's stage. He scored 10 points in overtime, directly ending the Thunder's defense of the title amidst the crazy cheers of the fans at the scene.

After the game, American Airlines Arena fell into endless excitement.

Amidst the cheers, Xu Yong sat on the bench for more than a minute.

It's not that I'm excited, it's that I really have no energy.

Condition, feel, these things can be restored little by little through games, but physical fitness, after not playing an NBA-level game for a year and a half, and even training very little, without enough time, it is impossible to restore the previous physical state.

But when he finally stood up, he still had a smile on his face.

Jordan came back that year and led the Bulls to fifth place in the regular season, before losing to the Magic in the semifinals.

But now, he's taking the team to the conference finals.

After the Mavericks eliminated the Thunder, social media went into a frenzy.

When Xu Yong came back, the outside world said that the league belonged to Durant, but as soon as Xu Yong came back, he defeated Durant.

This is Xu Yong.

Western Conference Finals, Mavericks and Warriors.

The Mavericks played very tenaciously, but their physical fitness ultimately became the weight that held them back.

Xu Yong's performance has obviously dropped, not only compared with the semi-finals, but even worse than playing the Jazz in the first round.

2 to 4, the Mavericks finally lost to the Warriors and missed the finals.

This result has exceeded expectations for the fans, because it is a real reality that Xu Yong only returned to play two months in the regular season.

The finals ended up being between the Warriors and Raptors.

Leonard's performance this year was extremely strong. The combination of him and Antetokounmpo was full of strength on both offense and defense. They defeated the Bulls 4-3 in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Predictions before the two teams started playing, the Raptors were the more optimistic one.

Xu Yong is also paying attention to the finals, but even he doesn't know which team will win.

Because in his memory, Leonard led the Raptors to win the championship in 2019, and the Warriors with Wiggins also aspired to the championship.

Fortunately, time will give the final answer.

A week later, the score was 4-2, and the Warriors became the ultimate winner.

Curry played the best Finals of his career, averaging 31.2 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists per game, shooting 48.2% from the field, 44.1% from three-point range, and averaging 5.2 three-pointers per game.

When Curry's beard appeared in the camera, Xu Yong couldn't help but sigh, Curry is also 31 years old.

(End of this chapter)