When pride still matters

Chapter 344: First in the World

Before time travel, the only thing Yu Fei knew about the 2007 NBA playoffs was that the Spurs reached the finals, and Duncan completed the "30-year-old Duncan shaving James' head" in the "Duncan Formula" and left behind a classic sentence of trash talk.

Obviously, shaving James' head can no longer be regarded as an indicator of Duncan's honor.

Because Yu Fei, who has never lost to James so far in his career, now maintains a 24-game winning streak against the former (regular season + playoffs).

In the face of this overwhelming winning rate, anyone who tries to talk about the two heroes will shut up.

After the lottery draw ended, Yu Fei waited with peace of mind for the finals to arrive.

Although Duncan is very strong, he is definitely not as good as the Duncan who dominated offense and defense in 2003.

The current Spurs are not as good as the Spurs of the previous life. Although they still broke through the Suns' encirclement and suppression, they encountered trouble with the Jazz. The two teams fought hard for six games to decide the winner.

Jason Kidd is aging significantly, and the conflict between him and Popovich has become out of control.

Before this year's trade deadline, the Spurs tried to trade Kidd, but because they did not receive a suitable offer, the transaction did not happen.

From the first round to the finals, the Spurs played at least six games in each round.

That was an instant collapse, and it's what makes the Bucks unique in the playoffs.

Kidd, who had deep conflicts with the coaching staff, did not fall behind in terms of statistics per game. He led the playoff assists list with a near triple-double of 11 points, 8 rebounds and 11 assists per game.

In the second game that followed, Yu Fei went all out, no longer obsessed with outside shooting, and smashed the Spurs' wings by calling Luol Deng alive.

In the second half, the Bucks fired from the outside and the suspense of the game disappeared instantly.

The internally unstable Spurs stumbled in the playoffs, and almost no one expected them to beat the Mavericks. As a result, the Mavericks may have studied the Bucks' game in advance and felt that they might not be able to beat them, so they gave the Warriors a kill and did not go to the finals.

"The decision to let Jason Kidd beat us with a shot was my decision," George Karl said, "and I take full responsibility for that."

Since the NBA introduced the epoch-making 24-second shot clock, basketball has not fundamentally changed. The old adage that those who win the giants win the world has been circulating for half a century. Only Jordan's Bulls can continue to succeed without a great center. Because conservatives reject three-pointers, the size of the court is naturally suitable for long players.

Supporting them are Duncan and Ginobili, who average nearly 40 minutes per game, and British Jordan Luol Deng, who averages 19 points per game.

So whether you're playing a UCLA offense, a triangle offense, or a Princeton offense, you're going to need certain superstars with specific skill sets.

Then, the Bucks, who had won 12 consecutive games in the playoffs, faced Kidd on Dumpling Night at home.

Therefore, before the finals have even started, the outside world is actively promoting the news that the Bucks are about to win the championship.

Although his versatility can help the team in many ways, for the Spurs, a team that already plays reasonably, a player who can make them more reasonable cannot bring substantial improvement.

They have the firepower of small balls in the big ball era, which is a terrible change.

When Kidd shot 9 of 6 three-pointers, the Spurs were hard to beat.

However, Kidd's weakness in personal offense makes his organizational ability largely dependent on the finishing ability of his teammates.

Yu Fei believed that the reason for the loss was not that Kidd made 9 of 6 shots from outside, but that the Bucks' three-point shooting percentage was less than 30%.

109 is better than 102

The Spurs upset the Bucks' undefeated streak.

Some basketball experts have begun to discuss whether a team that wins four championships in five years can be called a dynasty.

What's so scary about this change?

Because it is imitable.

At the same time, Kevin Martin's tried and tested offensive attack caused the Spurs' interior to encounter a foul crisis.

Small ball doesn't require these. As long as you have a point guard above your level, and equip him with a large number of shooters and multi-functional wings who can play as forwards and inside, you can play small ball.

This is why the Warriors will completely change the game of basketball.

Other teams target it, learn from it, become it, and try to surpass it.

The Bucks advanced this time point by nearly 10 years.

Now, whether the Bucks' small ball can be successful has been divided into two groups. One group still holds the heroic epic view, believing that the Bucks' small ball can succeed because of Yu Fei's existence. If it were not for Yu Fei, If it flies, it will collapse. Another group of people believe that the core of the ball can only determine the upper limit of the ball, but it cannot affect its extremely high lower limit.

However, in any case, this does not affect the Spurs' defeat. Even if they are the best in what they are good at, once the Bucks start firing, it will be difficult to reverse the situation.

Even if they use the combination of Bowen and Duncan to block Yu Fei's offensive, the Bucks can still let Martin and Granger defeat them.

That night, Yu Fei saw many signs holding "Fry, Another Year" at the Bradley Center.

The news that Yu Fei may be leaving has been circulating for a season. Bucks fans are panicked, but there is nothing they can do.

When Yu Fei saw those signs, it was impossible not to have some fluctuations in his heart. But when he walked out of the stadium, he began to think about whether this might be the last game he played at the Bradley Center. Contest?

Although they had 1 win and 1 loss at home and lost the home court advantage in the finals, he believed that the defeat in the first game was an accident. They had a chance to win three consecutive away games and win the cup directly in San Antonio.

media access room

Reporters asked the same old questions.

"You're about to play three games in a row in San Antonio. Does that make you nervous?"

"No," Yu Fei said, "We will win three consecutive games on the road and then go home with the championship trophy."

Facts have proved that what Yu Fei said was not empty talk.

No home field advantage? As soon as they start winning in San Antonio, home field advantage returns.

In the third game of the finals, Yu Feizhen really made the people of San Antonio feel powerless.

Bowen, who can be defended by anyone in the Western Conference, has the advantage of home court, but Yu Fei is overwhelmed with pick-and-rolls, roll call forced switches, dribbling breakthroughs and low post plays.

Yu Fei scored 22 points in the first half and 36 points in the third quarter. At the beginning of the fourth quarter, Bowen could only use fouls to prevent Yu Fei's breakthrough. Only Duncan's double-teaming could limit Yu Fei's back-up play, and he could only frequently go to the line. A pincer attack can ensure that the defense is not penetrated by Yu Fei's pick-and-roll attack.

But if you let Duncan defend you, the Bucks' self-proclaimed No. 1 center in the Eastern Conference will start to perform a classic show. After eating the pie and scoring, he will say that he beat the number one power forward in history.

If the outside is flanked in advance, Yu Fei's pass can mobilize Martin and Granger.

The only foul Bowen can control, how many times can he commit it?

前三节拿到36分的于飞，第四节只拿到6分，但全场轰下42分11篮板14助攻。

The Spurs were able to hold on for a while in the first three quarters, but collapsed in the fourth quarter.

Duncan scored 32 points and 18 rebounds, and Ginobili and Luol Deng's 20 points were all in vain.

Popovich looked at the score helplessly. It was clear that they made no obvious mistakes, but they just couldn't beat it.

The defensive arrangement of Bowen facing off from the outside and Duncan protecting the basket seems to be a backward defensive arrangement for someone like Yu Fei.

To limit Yu Fei, they not only need Bowen and Duncan, but also two or more wings who can switch defenses infinitely, but they do not have such a configuration. Deng is too tall and Ginobili has some cleverness on the defensive end but it is of no use. .

And this is only the basic configuration that limits Yu Fei. Even if they try their best to suppress Yu Fei's offensive, they still have to face the test of Martin, Granger and others.

Popovich is not a stickler for old times.

When he played in the 2003 Finals with the Bucks, he could feel that his layout was too sloppy compared to the opponent's offense.

Unexpectedly, four years later, the Bucks would look like a completely different team. They looked like the Suns, the Warriors, and the Mavericks in the Nelson era. But the Spurs could beat these teams, but they couldn't beat the Bucks.

Popovich once dismissed those who claimed that "the Bucks are the next stage of basketball," but the facts are before him.

The Bucks' system is ahead of the current era. If other teams don't want to continue to be beaten by the opponent in this way, they must either study their flaws or learn their playing style.

But the Bucks' dominance has lasted for several years, so is there any flaw? The well-known internal loopholes seem to have been solved by their sturdy defense.

In the end, Popovich's eyes fell on No. 44 of the Bucks.

That controversial figure, that villain, that bastard, that demon who lacked conscience and sportsmanship. Why did it happen that it was this person who triggered the change in basketball?

A few years ago, when the Spurs lost to the Bucks in the Finals, Popovich could confidently tell others that even if they lost, Duncan would be the best player in the series. But now, he won't say the same thing again.

Whether he wants to admit it or not, it's a fact that Frye Yu is the best in the world.

PS: I originally wanted to finish the finals in one chapter, but last night I was half-way through the writing and I went to bed with pain in my back and looked at my phone. I saw in the group chat record that Ci Mi said, "I can't finish the finals in one chapter, right? Isn't it so worthless?" if. You know, I am an eleven-day old Spur, so I immediately decided to sleep so that Spur would not be killed in one chapter.

(End of this chapter)