Super Basketball Manager

Chapter 281 The Semifinals Reignite!
Unbelievable!

When there are only 8 teams left in the league to compete for that player's lifelong dream, when the eyes of the world are on you, you may feel a sense of relief...

Yes, the Houston Rockets have joined the new Sengoku era...

Unlike previous years, compared to the top four in the Eastern Conference, which was collectively promoted in the upper half, with the second Mavericks and the third Nuggets in the Western Conference being cut off, the Western Conference can be said to be a mess...

The two places leading to the Western Conference finals, one is produced by the powerful defending champion Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns, and the protagonists of the other knockout match are the old-fashioned San Antonio Spurs and the Houston Rockets led by Ron, who have played a miraculous season this season...

"Championship" has always been the ultimate goal of all powerful players, so for Ron, that has almost become his mantra...

Don’t believe the promise made by a team general manager in front of the media—it’s no less than a HIPHOP hip-hop singer who is running the train with his mouth full on the street, just like the example set by politicians when they run for the election. Except for gimmicks, these words have no nutrition. At worst, they are a bunch—Bullshit (shit).

In fact, apart from the seemingly tall but extremely distant and difficult championship, any team manager will have a lower limit goal of being worthy of the boss, worthy of the fans who support the team, and even worthy of himself...

Compared with the defending champion Lakers of the aristocratic team, the Rockets' lower limit goal for the common people is much simpler and happier...

Entering the playoffs, even breaking through the second round is already a pleasant surprise...

In other words, as the 6th in the Western Conference, they met the 7th in the Western Conference in the semifinals, and they still have an extra home court advantage...

Maybe still look ahead?

Could it be that God is favoring the Aerospace City and making the Rockets go one step further?
Yes, no matter whether Houston can make it to the Western Conference finals in history, all of these fans who are gratified, have low ambitions, and have suffered from the Rockets' gimmick "XX joins Yao Mai, or die if they don't win the championship" when they signed in the past, it is already a matter of celebration to see Yao Ming and the Rockets in the Western Conference semifinals this season...

"We don't want much..." said a Space City fan.

"At least the first two games were played at the Toyota Center? That's enough..."

Yes, enough is enough.

Similarly, after the set meal is finished, the following appetizers and fruit platters will be served as a bonus. You don’t need to care about its success or failure, as long as you know how to enjoy it, be grateful with a normal heart, and then look forward to the rocket next year, that’s fine...

Fight for the Spurs?
Even if you have 10 more home court advantage, no one dares to say that it is sure...

Anyway, the mission has been accomplished, and the rest is just like the slogan "Enjoy-yourself" played by Ron's team in the semi-finals, and it's all just for fun...

Although this group of series has a huge room for imagination.

As we all know, the three major illusions in the NBA-the Rockets are strong, the Mavericks are weak, and the Spurs are old...

And San Antonio's habit of dozing off during the regular season...

No, the Mavericks who "looked weak but actually hit the Rockets with blood left in the end" were eliminated 4:1 cleanly, and they were only a week away from going to the City of Angels to challenge the defending champion...

Of course the Spurs are strong, especially in the playoffs when facing recruits, they need to rely on experience and add a lot of offensive and defensive buffs before being strong.

Don't forget that Bobo-Zhuge-Weiqi who is almost perfect, his on-the-spot dispatching and commanding ability has made many young coaches who were screaming before get kicked by their team manager with their noses and faces swollen...

——No matter how loud the slogan of Beat-LA in the league is, ask Zen Master who is the opponent he admires the most in his mind, and you will know who the opponent the defending champion really fears in the West...

But please do a 360 degree spin...

Just like the previous article bragging about how powerful the Nuggets are and how they frightened Kobe...

The only one who is really not afraid of the Spurs is the Rockets...

So to say that one thing is one thing, Yao Ming is always the second most hated star by the fans of the Holy City. Who is the first?kobe...

And Scola has something to say...

This guy, to this day, has to make the San Antonio management have the urge to slap the face against the Spurs...

The career-high 42 points happened to come against the Spurs.

The following is the Rockets VS Spurs strategy summarized by Ron:

First of all, the Rockets themselves are not afraid of their Texas neighbors.

The young people feel that the unstable Nuggets cannot become their representative work for winning big contracts. Veterans such as Iverson and Barry Sr. are already sharpening their knives and preparing to cause some troubles for the veteran teams in the league...

Secondly, the tactical discipline of the Rockets after the dispatch of the two uncrowned king coaches can rank among the top 5 in the league with the Spurs; Yao Ming is one of the few people on the planet who can restrain Tim Duncan 1-on-1;

So San Antonio led by Popovich is still a strong team, but it is far from the thrilling Lakers.

The Spurs may have had a terrible regular season, but even with a 5-77 record, Popovich's hand will reach farther than most in the playoffs -- of course, a 5-77 team can't make the playoffs...

The problem is, when Yao Ming sits on the bench cheering on Tyson Chandler for half the game, the above strategy can only be thrown in the trash with Schwarzenegger's presidential inaugural speech.

The giant's injury is as ambiguous as the Ron team's seminar on whether to "go all in" or "come back next year", because after all, everyone knows that it is impossible for the Phoenix people to cause any trouble to the mighty defending champion...

People always like to quote history. It should be noted that last season, after completing the task ahead of schedule, Yao Ming finally got angry and acted as a spectator in the last four games...

Even if the mighty Lakers who finally won the championship of the year were finally dragged into the tiebreaker, they didn't take you, the Texas Xiaoqiang who lost Yao Mai's two fangs, to heart at all...

As a result, Yao Ming's playing time has been further reduced, and his protection measures have been further improved...

Although the present and the future are simple multiple-choice questions, the additional factor, if it is a player's life...

...

The day before the Houston Rockets vs. San Antonio Spurs in Game [-] of the semifinals…

Every media release day, unlike the Rockets players who go through the motions on the training ground, Adelman likes to make a pot of health tea, hide in his office, and study the video for a whole day. At this time, what is directly proportional to the dense symbols on the tactical draft is also his unsteady heart...

Last season, the Houston Rockets, who had completed their mission ahead of schedule, met the thriving Lakers in the semifinals. It was nothing to do, but they received a big gift at Staples in the first game...

Ever since, Houston, who had tasted the sweetness, activated the "championship mode" up and down, PAN-B, and the price was to overuse Yao Ming, making him almost never return to the basketball court...

History is so strikingly similar. The notorious Adelman is like a grasshopper in front of the high-risk line at this time. How worried should he be...

The medical officers and trainers sent warnings over and over again, and the Chinese medicine consultant even suggested that Yao Ming be reimbursed for the season. Perhaps in their view, the Rockets had completed their mission and there was no need to take risks. Fortunately, the management did not give any advice, but they had to force him to make second-hand plans...

It should be noted that the coaching staff does not need to care about any vision. Adelman feels that the meaning of his existence is to strive to win every game...

That's it.

At this time, there was a sound outside the door, someone "ignorant of current affairs" interrupted the old man's depressed time...

Knock dong~knock on the door...

Who is it?
When the old man opened the door, he found that the person standing at the door was none other than his own BOSS, that somewhat messy Chinese manager...

I saw him calmly throwing the three bottles of red wine in his hand on the table, and then found a good seat on his own...

"Is there anything I can help you with?" He snorted, then raised his legs...

The drunkard's intention is not to drink, but when Ron appears, the answer will be there.

Ron: "Do you believe that I can open the lid of red wine with bare hands?"

Adelman was taken aback: "...I don't believe it."

Ron: "If you don't believe me, why don't you take out the corkscrew?"

...

On April 4th, the Houston Rockets VS San Antonio Spurs semifinals kicked off at Toyota Center in Game 27…

In this game, the Houston Rockets' starting lineup changed again, and they actually made moves to deal with the Spurs.

Lowry vs Parker, Mayo vs Bowen, Ariza vs Jefferson, Scola vs Mike Dyess, Yao Ming vs Duncan.

The change of formation at this time is a matter of course, and it is also the result of discussions between Adelman and Ron.

Compared with the shabby Elson and Uncle Thomas with a 3-inch vertical jump, this year's introduction of the Spurs can be regarded as a hurricane.

Two main players of the Dream Team, one NCAA's No. [-] rebounder, even signed Bogans, who can start N games in New Orleans and briefly appeared next to Yao Ming, with a low salary.

Don't forget Manu Ginobili, George Hill, DeJuan Blair, Mike Finley off the bench and Brazilian Tiago Splitter, a first-year rookie who won the MVP of the Spanish Tournament last year...

It is not realistic to rely on the rotation of the lineup to attack the Nuggets again, so it is better to rely on the starting lineup to attack the Spurs...

As soon as he came up, Yao Ming, who once again smelled the breath of the Western Conference Finals, took the lead in saying hello to Tim Duncan at the Toyota Center where tens of thousands of people were cheering. After receiving the ball twice, he turned around and hit the basket.

The Rockets also frequently charged towards the hinterland of the Spurs penalty area with the attitude of a newborn calf not afraid of tigers...

The first half of the quarter ended in a bloody battle and a positional battle. This time, it met the expectations of many old fans at the beginning of the game—the real playoffs are meat grinders...

Although Yao Ming was exhausted and out of breath, everyone could see that it was Yao Ming's presence that restrained the Spurs' combination of internal and external play.

At 16:10, Scola still played the role of the Spurs' bitter master today, and defeated the old McDyess who was out of his mind under the situation of Yao Ming attracting double-teams...

Immediately after the timeout, Popovich waved his hand and replaced McDyess and Bowen with Bonner and George Hill. He was sure that Yao Ming would not be able to defend, leaving only Duncan as a senior and four juniors. Using Yao Ming who was tired and unable to defend, he easily tied the score with three consecutive points.

The small climax occurred at the end of the first quarter. When Yao Ming left the court, the angry Chandler hadn't stayed on the court for 30 seconds before being fouled by Shi Fu Duncan's "immobile as a mountain" wipe. (Duncan shot very quickly, like shooting first and then jumping)

Immediately afterwards, Richard Jefferson directly saw through Mayo's intention to pass the ball, and after the interception, he went into a frenzy.

Facing the hesitant Chandler, RJ threw the ball with both hands and took off, "Boom!", the buckle of the century, making Chandler a background king, and another foul was added...

"Shit!" When Chandler sat beside Yao Ming helplessly, the Rockets' nightmare began.

At this time, the Spurs' offensive focus immediately focused on Duncan. Without Yao Ming and without Chandler, the Houston penalty area was like France, which lost the protection of the Maginot Line in World War II.

"Originally relying on a lot of money to let Lao Yao rest..." Ron looked worriedly at Qing Weasel at the side. At this time, the Taoist priest was also frowning, and his eyes were fixed on Yao Ming, as if he felt a little unwell and was about to give first aid...

At 23:33, in the first quarter, the Houstonians paid the tuition in advance.

"We made a bad start." Adelman said in a brief interview with NBA officials before the start of the second quarter: "But this is part of the game. We will find ways to overcome it, such as how to restrain Duncan. What? Yao Ming? No, I will only let him play within the stipulated time. I think Jordan (referring to Jordan Hill) knows what he has to do. He will handle everything. He is also one of the more promising young players in the Rockets."

At the beginning of the second quarter, Duncan finally sat on the bench.

The old version of the luxury lineup composed of Parker, Ginobili, and Finley continued to put pressure on the Rockets.

Everyone knows that the Spurs are a team that combines inside and outside, but in fact, after Duncan is off the court, they are a pure outside team.

The outside team will have stronger defense and pressure on the opponent's outside line, and then get used to the Nuggets' lazy defensive style of the Rockets' bench group, and finally collectively misfire...

On the other hand, Iverson led the Rockets' rotation lineup at the end of the first quarter. Without Chandler's pick-and-roll and rebounds, Dragic and Nick Young could only start the singles mode and hit the iron one by one. Even Iverson, who was actively grabbing offensive rebounds, sighed and shook his head and walked back.

ESPN special guest commentator and former NBA star Chris Webber said: "Yes, maybe when it comes to the San Antonio Spurs, people's first impression is whether they are too old to run. In fact, their average age is lower than most teams in the league. The age structure can even be compared with the Lakers. That is, they are not young and not aging. Unlike the really seriously aging Celtics, they are a combination of three generations of old, middle and young, which will allow them to maintain a high level of competitiveness in the next few seasons. Looking at Houston, it looks young and energetic, but has little experience, and it all showed in the first playoff game between the two teams..."

Overall, after experiencing 3-4 years of continuous aging of the lineup, the Spurs finally stopped falling and rebounded this year.

Taking the post-80s as the core of the regular season to adjust the post-70s to exercise the Zhengtai group, this is probably a step for the Spurs in the 09-00 season.

After completing this transformation, Duncan will gradually withdraw from the center stage, and the Spurs' Parker and Richardson will dominate the team in the next 3-5 years.

Perhaps no one in Houston has expected that the Spurs team in front of them is actually Parker's team...

Parker proved it.

When Duncan sat on the sidelines unharmed and rested, and Ginobili was still in the warm-up stage when he first played, the French scored 4 points and sent 3 assists alone.

In front of Houston's slightly immature and unformed defensive system, Parker basically has no solution. Both Lowry and Dragic are overshadowed by sports cars.

Adelman was determined to win before the second quarter. He also knew that his team only needed to control Parker to be OK, but after half a quarter, Parker had scored 14 points.

Before the halftime break, he pulled his disciple from the sidelines and scolded him, "Keep him away from the basket and force him to force jump shots." Mayo on the side was very puzzled, "But, coach, he also took care of those forced shots..."

Sure enough, Parker just didn't rest for a second in the second quarter and scored another 8 points.

Parker admitted that his 22 points in a single quarter were deliberate, but it was not against the Rockets, it was with Popovich.

According to Parker, Bobo decided to let Duncan rest for a whole quarter without even saying hello. "I asked the coach, did he give up like he did in the regular season? He smiled and said, I don't want that. The people of San Antonio don't care if Tim is there or Manu is in good condition. They just want the Spurs to run at a high level."

So, two years ago, we started talking about the aging Spurs, and they still maintain a strong character.

The 27-year-old Parker played the most dazzling game since the start of the playoffs in this game. Not only did the team hold on to a double-digit advantage in the tragic Toyota Center, but it also won room for G and D to recuperate.

Even so, Parker's big words are still pitiful, and he was still as shy as a high school student when he was interviewed on the sidelines during the halftime break. ESPN special commentator Reggie Miller and Webber joked, "If he can speak well like me, he will definitely not be in the position he is today."

In fact, for Parker, there is one thing he absolutely must make Ron vigilant - Parker's former wife, Desperate Housewives Eva...

The once unknown role player and socialite, originally such a loving couple, also because of one party's rising tide, the balance was broken, and finally parted ways on the road of life, and went their separate ways...

It's hard to believe how Parker feels when he thinks of Eva now...

Maybe there will always be a little bit of sadness...

After all, the two of them witnessed the fireworks in 07 - and Parker also won the Finals MVP that year...

...

According to this situation, the Rockets will give their home court advantage to both hands in advance...

But not a single person at the Toyota Center gave up hope...

Because on the bench of the Houston Rockets, there is a pair of eager eyes staring at the scoreboard all the time, and the sweat in the palms of both hands...

Yao Ming…

In the third quarter, the giants will appear again!

　Compared with the defending champion Lakers of the aristocratic team, the Rockets' lower limit goal for the common people is much simpler and happier...

　　
　
(End of this chapter)