When pride still matters

Chapter 523 After He Comes Back

The first media to report that Brandon Roy would return in Game 5 was ESPN. As the most influential sports media in the United States today, their sources are omnipresent.

Among them, some insiders with exclusive information channels, represented by WOJ, publish the latest internal news on Twitter.

However, Mark Stein, also from ESPN and one of Yu Fei's external voices, remained silent.

This makes people wonder whether the news of Roy's comeback is a smokescreen.

Because a player who has been away from the court for half a year will need some time for systematic recovery training even if he wants to make a comeback. Otherwise, let alone whether he can adapt to the intensity of the court, whether his technical ability has recovered and whether he can help the team?
Those doubts disappeared on May 5.

Roy was included in the Supersonics' active list.

"This means that the Lakers will face the full-strength SuperSonics for the first time this season," Bill Simmons wrote on Twitter. "Yes, you read that right. The SuperSonics, who have won 7 and lost 5 in 2 games against the Lakers so far this season, have never been full-strength."

Simmons' own Celtics are struggling in the East, but he knows that no matter which team in the East reaches the finals, it is impossible to stop the winner of the Western Conference finals. As the biggest Celtics fan and the biggest Lakers hater on the planet, he is ready to belittle the value of the Lakers' championship.

After the Sonics' special plane arrived in Los Angeles, groups of media gathered outside the airport wanting to interview them.

About Roy's comeback, about Yu Fei's desire to score 50 points in three consecutive games, and about the preparations of the coaching staff led by Tyronn Lue.

The players chose to remain silent in the media.

And Lu accepted the interview.

"Brandon is in very good shape," Lue said, confirming that Roy will return tonight. "His return will completely free up Frye on the offensive end."

In recent days, Lu has been looking for a game plan that can suppress the Lakers' outside shooters.

Judging from the quality of their shooters alone, the Lakers may not find an opponent in the league.

Richard Hamilton, Mike Miller, Eddie House, and Mike Bibby are all outside shooters with a 40% field goal percentage.

But we can’t just focus on the hit rate.

For example, Bibby's main role is a porter guard, and his three-point hot spot is the top of the arc, while House is a substitute among substitutes, and his main shooting point is the three-pointer in the bottom corners on the left and right wings. The real shooters with no blind spots are Hamilton and Miller.

However, although both are all-around shooters, Hamilton and Miller are different. The former can not only shoot three-pointers, but also mid-range shots and can attack with the ball, while Miller is a typical catch-and-shoot player.

Therefore, on defense, against someone like Miller, you have to stick close and continue to affect his touch, while against Hamilton, you need to defend based on his condition that night.

In the two games that the Lakers had won before, James did a very good job of passing the ball. The Supersonics were overly focused on limiting his offense and were often distracted by his breakthroughs on defense.

Now, Lu made a bold decision.

He will remove the backcourt players who have no switching ability from the rotation and keep switching defense against the Lakers throughout the game.

It's impossible to get an open shot, so just play one-on-one if you want to score.

This puts pressure on every player.

The Sonics' defensive intensity needs to be maintained throughout, and the Lakers need to overcome the pressure and meet the challenges head-on.

That night, Staples Center

Any Lakers fan who saw how the Lakers slaughtered the Supersonics in the last game will be full of confidence in tonight's game.

In their view, that was proof that the Lakers had found the code to victory.

When the SuperSonics entered the court, the boos from the audience gave them the first wave of pressure.

Yu Fei seemed to be isolated from the sounds around him and started shooting as soon as he got on the court.

Some celebrities wanted to greet him, but he just gestured: Not now.

"I can now confirm that the oxygen on the court is completely different from that under the court." Roy said excitedly, "I like standing here."

Yu Fei immediately poured cold water on him: "If you dare to hold us back tonight, I will let Sam trade you to the Clippers."

Roy asked back: "Does that mean I don't even have to go back to Seattle? I can just go visit the neighbors after the game?"

"That's right." Yu Fei said sarcastically, "A farmer like Donald Sterling would be very happy to have an idiot like you working for him at the cost of his future in his orchard."

Yu Fei and Roy were disparaging each other while the players of both teams were shooting and warming up as usual.

Other than that, there was no communication between the Supersonics and the Lakers.

The two sides' antipathy towards each other seems to have reached a critical point.

Before the game started, Staples Center showed off what makes them different from other arenas.

The person responsible for singing the national anthem tonight is Taylor Swift, a country pop singer who has become very popular in recent years.

"Okay, KeyArena has already been defeated in this phase." Roy humorously mobilized the emotions of his teammates, "We must win."

O'Neal joked, "Unless Michael Jackson crawls out of his grave and sings the national anthem for us, I don't see how KeyArena can beat Staples Center."

"It doesn't have to be that extreme." Yu Fei has always believed that Taylor is Britney Spears who is not "controlled" by her biological father. "KeyArena only needs to invite Britney."

Alonzo Key said it best: "Her damn control-freak dad will probably decline the KeyArena invitation because he's 'worried about losing control.'"

All in all, the Staples Center did win in the Western Conference Finals.

This indirectly reflects the urgency of the Supersonics' need for a new arena.

Before the game started, the TV station announced the starting lineups of both teams.

As was known before the game, Brandon Roy was included in the SuperSonics' starting lineup.

But strangely, Yu Fei did not start at the third position.

Tonight, Yu Fei started at the power forward position, while Bosh started at the power forward position.

Phil Jackson couldn't immediately see what Tyronn Lue was thinking.

Because having Bosh play at the five position against Gasol has proven to be ineffective in the last game.

Bosh is not used to the confrontation at the five position, and forcing him to the five position will only backfire.

But the Supersonics seemed not to have learned their lesson. Not only did they let Bosh start at center, they also let Yu Fei start at the power forward position.

Based on past experience, only when the Lakers use high-frequency double-teaming to limit Yu Fei's ball-handling offense will the Supersonics put Yu Fei at the four position to shorten the offensive radius.

Now, the Supersonics took the initiative to put Yu Fei at the fourth position. What does this mean? Are they going to fight hand-to-hand?
"Brandon Roy, Kevin Durant, Alonzo Gee, Frye, Chris Bosh" Experts who are well versed in defense like Jeff Van Gundy can already see what the Sonics' game focus is. "The Sonics' starting five has height, speed, physical fitness and the flexibility to switch defenses. KD, Frye and Chris' size can even defend two players at the same time. I think they still plan to use defense to deal with the Lakers."

In the following opening, Xiaojia won the jump ball.

James suddenly sped up the pace and tried to attack the basket.

However, Alonzo Gee stood in front and acted as a speed bump. Although he could not stop James, he successfully slowed down his advancement.

However, James showed extraordinary determination tonight. Even if he was stuck in position, he was determined to attack the basket.

Out of desperation, Ji chose to foul.

James goes to the free throw line.

James made both free throws, giving the Lakers a good start.

Then, Roy began to be tested.

James, who also registered as a point guard, defended him throughout the game.

"How much do you hate Fry?" Roy said suddenly.

James didn't reply.

"Believe me, I hate him as much as you do." Just as James was about to step forward to put pressure on him, Yu Fei's pick-and-roll fell beside him.

Antawn Jamison followed, but the Lakers starter, who was invisible in the Western Conference Finals, had a defense that was clearly flawed.

Roy decisively went to Jamison's position, changed his rhythm to shake off the opponent while moving, and drilled into the paint area like a silver snake. He made a layup with a height that was just enough to get over Gasol's help defense and hit the ball into the goal.

With a height of 198 cm, Roy's proficiency in both hands allows him to easily swing back and forth between the one and two positions. He is probably the backcourt swingman with the best basic skills that Yu Fei has ever seen.

Sometimes he couldn't understand why a person with perfect skills, who didn't abuse his body, wouldn't easily start at full speed, and was very steady in everything he did, had a glass body.

On the other hand, Kobe received the ball in the low post and twisted his waist exaggeratedly to make a fadeaway jump shot.

"Shh!"

This is the ultimate abuse of the body.

On the contrary, people like this who don’t know how to take care of their bodies are far away from injuries.

How does this make sense?

Durant dribbled the ball across half court for Roy.

Although Roy has not fallen behind in private training, he has been away from the court for half a year. His physical fitness will be a problem. If he is defended by the opponent for a long time, he will probably run out of energy before half the game.

When he came to the frontcourt, Durant was about to pass the ball back to Roy when he suddenly saw Yu Fei running back and getting rid of Jamison's defense and heading towards the basket.

Durant didn't think much and directly threw an alley-oop to Yu Fei from the outside.

Jamison's defensive distraction led to Yu Fei's first goal of the night.

"Nice move!" said Mike Breen. "Frye finished 2/50 tonight."

The Lakers are still adapting to the Supersonics with Roy, so they are playing relatively simply and have not yet felt the power of switching defense.

On the defensive end, the Lakers let James face Roy, but the Supersonics will not arrange it this way. They will let Alonzo Gee stand in front of James. Roy is the point that needs protection, so he is usually arranged to guard Hamilton.

Since the start of the game, the Lakers have relied on Kobe Bryant to score points.

Seeing that it was another rookie like Key coming to defend him, James didn't hesitate and rushed in like a advancing tank.

If a rookie like Ji who lacks basic skills makes a big defensive move, the referee will not let it go.

Soon, James made a shot at the buzzer. It was Key's second foul.

Ji spread his hands in confusion, thinking that his action was not significant.

But whether the action is too big or not is up to the referee.

Coach Lu had no objection.

Ji is just a pseudo starter, mainly used to consume the opponent, even if he has six fouls in the first half it doesn’t matter.

But does the referee's penalty on Ji represent the overall standard tonight?
This remains to be seen. James did not maintain his previous touch and made one of two free throws after standing on the free throw line again.

The missed second free throw resulted in a swift defensive counterattack by the Supersonics.

Yu Fei grabbed the rebound and threw it to Roy.

Roy, who had been slow since the start of the game, suddenly sped up, as if to prove that he could be very fast when necessary.

Durant ran quickly to the front court.

There is probably no other Sonics player who feels it more deeply than he does.

When Roy was injured, he thought his chance had come. However, Karl resigned due to cancer, leading to Tyronn Lue taking over, and the Supersonics began to become a replica of the Milwaukee Bucks.

Durant didn't get the chances he wanted before the playoffs.

But when he thought the opportunity was in his hands, a giant like the Lakers stood on the opposite side.

In front of the Lakers, his methods often failed, and Yu Fei's threat alone could not create enough opportunities for him.

But it's different with Roy.

Roy's pass was as good as before his injury, and Durant caught it with a remorseful mood, rushed to the frontcourt and scored a dunk.

6 is better than 6
At this moment, Durant did regret many things. He once tweeted with his second account that the team would be better without Roy.

This was an ironic contrast to his excitement at the news of Roy's return.

He had nothing to give in return but to do his best, play better and do his best to win the game.

The Lakers began to notice the uniqueness of the Supersonics' lineup.

James called for a 1-5 pick-and-roll, but it was Yu Fei who followed out, not Bosh.

Yu Fei and Ji switched defense directly.

Yu Fei faced off against James, and Ji followed Xiaojia.

On the other side, Kobe received Jamison's screen, and Bosh also came out. This time it was Roy who went to the inside to defend Jamison, and Bosh defended Kobe.

In order to keep the Lakers in a one-on-one situation, the Supersonics don't mind playing mismatched defense.

James made up his mind and tried to play Yu Fei alone.

But Yu Fei is not like Alonzo Key, who would be fouled if touched.

Obviously, the referees have completely different standards for judging rookies, veterans and star players.

After "The Decision", James' reputation fell to the lowest point. Even though he was a superstar, he was still a "pariah" superstar.

He won't be treated like a superstar.

Yu Fei both confronted and took the lead. James carried the pressure and broke through to the free throw line. Feeling that he could not go deeper, he stopped quickly and made a jump shot.

However, due to severe interference, James couldn't find his aim.

His jump shot went wide of the rim.

However, the consequence of unlimited switching defenses is that the Sonics' inside players have to be frequently switched out, so their ability to protect the basket is insufficient and they fail to get any rebounds.

Jamison got the offensive rebound and scored on the second attack.

"After all these years, you still only know these few moves?"

James had no intention of staying in the backcourt, so Yu Fei followed.

James didn't want to have too much contact with Yu Fei, but this psychological suggestion was far less reflective of his inner thoughts than his previous choice.

He wanted to score on Yu Fei and thus open up the situation.

He knew very well that only by defeating Yu Fei head-on could he truly expel the demon in his heart.

"That's enough for you."

James responded indifferently.

Then, Yu Fei got the ball.

"Kobe!" Yu Fei rushed to the top of the arc and shouted to Kobe who was facing Roy, "Why don't you send someone to defend me?"

In the past, Yu Fei always said this sentence after scoring to mock his opponent.

This time, he said it before attacking.

On the surface, James looked fine, but his body language gave away his feelings.

As far as the defense in this round is concerned, James did it perfectly. He neither let Yu Fei break through with the ball, nor did he fall for fake moves, nor did he let the opponent create space by using rhythm.

The moment Yu Fei made the jump shot, James' blocking hand had blocked his vision.

He relied entirely on his feel to increase the arc of his shot, avoid the block, and the ball fell into the net amazingly.

This is the most unreasonable thing on the field: personal ability.

"Is this your defense? Do you know how to defend?" Yu Fei said sarcastically, "It's a shame for me to be on the best defensive team with someone like you."

People often question Yu Fei's selection into the All-Defensive Team. Many basketball experts think that his defensive statistics are just good, and his actual defensive effect is just OK. However, his consecutive selections are definitely exaggerated by the statistics. James is currently in his prime, and can be regarded as an all-around player. No one has ever questioned his defense.

Yu Fei's rebellion against Tiangang really angered James.

Coming to the frontcourt again, although James was angry, he did not take the initiative to call for a pick-and-roll to allow Yu Fei to switch defense in front of him and then fight back face to face.

This kind of childish dispute is not something he would do.

Alonzo Gee obviously couldn't defend him. Since the Supersonics insisted on letting this guy defend him alone, what reason did he have not to beat him?

This time, James didn't even call for a tactic. He asked his teammates to move away, broke through Ki's defense in one step, and scored a dunk under the basket.

So far, James has scored 5 points at the start.

"Zuo, from now on you go inside to face Antoine." Yu Fei said, "Don't worry, he's very soft."

Ji thought that Yu Fei couldn't stand it anymore because James treated him as his wealth code and made continuous withdrawals.

Just when I was about to make my position clear, I asked Yu Fei to give me another chance.

But Yu Fei hadn't finished speaking yet.

"Antoine likes to move out to the 45-degree angle on the left and right wings, which is not LeBron's favorite passing area. So if Antoine chooses to move out, you can double-team him."

James won't feel any sense of accomplishment if he scores 5 points on Key.

But on the other hand, if a small person like Key can successfully cause trouble for James, it will be very beneficial to the psychological construction of the small person.

When Yu Fei came to the frontcourt, the Lakers thought he would ask for the ball back from James.

However, Yu Fei suddenly ran to the top of the arc and instantly broke through after screening Roy.

Half a year ago, this was the Sonics' trump card tactic for two consecutive years.

Roy broke through halfway and was blocked, so he passed the ball directly to Yu Fei on the outside.

Antawn Jamison didn't seem to know where the correct defensive position was in this pick-and-roll offense. He chased Roy first and then replaced Yu Fei, resulting in a chaotic defensive formation.

Yu Fei received the pass from Roy and made a three-pointer.

"Fry finished 7/50 tonight."

Mike Breen said.

Yu Fei seemed to have forgotten that he had said before the game that he wanted to score 50 points.

After making the three-pointer, he just ran back. Roy caught up with him and the two high-fived him silently.

Is he back?
Maybe it hasn't fully come back yet.

But some people are valuable as long as they stand here.

Roy's performance has far exceeded expectations, but the most important thing is that he made Yu Fei completely let go of all distractions.

He no longer needs to think about the organization.

All he has to do is the most basic part of the basketball court, offense and defense.

When James passed the ball to Kobe, Kobe was double-teamed in the low post and wanted to bypass Yu Fei's defensive area to pass the ball to Jamison.

Yu Fei had a ridiculous feeling.

Doesn't Kobe really think he doesn't deserve to be on the defensive lineup?
Can this ball be passed?
In fact, even superstars can make the most common mistakes. Yu Fei picked up Kobe's pass and threw it to Alonzo Gee who was running fast.

Ji quickly ran to the front court and scored a dunk.

The Sonics were suddenly gaining momentum, and Phil Jackson wasn't about to sit out the game, so he called a halt to the game before the momentum could really hurt them.

(End of this chapter)