basketball never sleeps

Chapter 325 When you have nothing, you have no taboos.

The SuperSonics built a 12-point lead in the first quarter. Given the Magic's current form and the SuperSonics' usual performance, the outcome of the game is likely to be a foregone conclusion.

but--

"Mlicic received the ball after a pick-and-roll and hit a three-pointer...it went in! Millsap's interference was a step too slow and had no effect at all."

"Mlicic receives the ball at the top of the arc, attempts a one-on-one on the perimeter, takes a jab step to break through, Millsap almost loses his position, beautiful! Milicic turns and shakes off Millsap for a layup, Tyson Chandler gets back on defense but can't block it, it goes in! The referee blows the whistle to indicate there was a foul, Andrevan!"

"Billups missed the shot, no problem, Howard grabbed the offensive rebound and passed it to Darko, Darko passed it to Ariza, bang! Great pass, great three-pointer!"

Milicic exploded.

From beyond the three-point line to under the basket, from the offensive end to the defensive end, from initiating plays to assisting teammates, he is almost omnipotent.

In retrospect, Mo Wen's acceptance of the invitation last night did help Milic to some extent. Although Milic had several drinks last night and his hands weren't very clean when he was throwing coins at the big bear dancer, he ultimately didn't start the second half.

It turns out that alcohol alone cannot drain a young person's energy.

Even though he had just fought a tough battle with Azkaban last night, the young man's strong recovery ability allowed Milicic to recover his health to a level where he could fight again.

Milicic knew that the chances of beating Mogo in a back-to-back game were slim, so he focused his main efforts on Millsap, who was to succeed him.

For personal reasons, he really wanted to beat up his former underling.

Of course, he himself couldn't explain the specific reasons. Perhaps the SuperSonics' continued success from last season made his departure seem insignificant. Perhaps it was Millsap's performance after taking over his position that made him a capable leader. Or perhaps it was jealousy of seeing him still able to cooperate with Morven and enjoy basketball. Or perhaps it was to prove to Morven that he was also a qualified leader.

Millsap struggled to cope with this, but didn't call for help from his teammates.

Milicic wanted to prove something; he also wanted to prove himself.

Being on a championship team feels wonderful, and playing with Mo Wen is an unparalleled experience, but behind the glory lies endless pressure.

What is the weakest point in supersonic speed right now?
Without a doubt, it was the power forward position he played.

What he found even harder to accept was that this was an absolute fact.

Millsap had seen how Milicic played last season, and he was well aware of the gap in ability between himself and Milicic.

But he also had his own pride; he didn't think he was really inferior to... well, he was indeed inferior to Milicic.

He will not admit defeat no matter what.

Despite his best efforts, Milicic still managed to score 15 points and grab 4 rebounds in the second quarter, shooting 6-for-8 from the field and 3-for-3 from the free-throw line, leading the Magic to close the gap to 5 points before halftime.

Millsap's formidable three-point shooting relies heavily on his touch, but unfortunately, luck wasn't on his side today. He attempted four three-pointers in the second quarter, including two wide-open shots, but missed them all.

"You've made great progress, but you're still a bit green. You need to practice more, Paul."

Before halftime, Milicic even went to Millsap to "comfort" him.

Millsap was unwilling to accept defeat and even clenched his fists, but when he thought of the faded sandbag in the training hall, he stubbornly pulled his fists back.

It wasn't that he chickened out; it was mainly because he saw everyone else had entered the player tunnel, and he was afraid that no one would stop him and he wouldn't be able to stop himself.

In the away team's locker room, old Hill was still discussing tactics and points to note for the second half, his gaze lingering on Millsap for a moment before looking away.

Millsap was ice cold, and the coaching staff tried bringing in Scola in the second quarter, but Scola's floor-bound style was less effective against two purely talented big men than Millsap.

Yao Ming's ability to eat, sleep, and play Warcraft may seem to be due to his skill, but in reality, it's because he also possesses the talent of a top draft pick.

"Are you still okay? If not, Damien will take your place later." While Old Hill was nagging, Mo Wen also noticed Millsap's low spirits, so he took the initiative to approach the young man after the old coach finished speaking.

Millsap forced a smile and nodded.

Mo Wen noticed his lack of confidence and put his arm around his shoulder.

Do you know what your strengths are?

"what?"

"You need to understand, although you're shorter than Dark, your arms are shorter than Dark's, your shooting accuracy isn't as good as Dark's, your ball-handling and back-to-the-basket skills aren't as good as Dark's, you have less experience than Dark, and you're not even as handsome as Dark..."

Mo Wen counted the differences between the two on his fingers, and the second-year student's head gradually drooped with each of Mo Wen's bent fingers, until finally he looked as if he were carrying a mountain on his back.

Millsap almost cried when he heard this. "Brother, please stop. I'm not good enough for you. I wish you happiness!"
However, Mo Wen didn't mean to discourage him. After reviewing the situation, he looked at Millsap and said, "So, now you know where your advantage lies, right?"

"Huh?" Millsap's mind was a little blank.

Having said all that, in what aspect does he have an advantage over Milicic?
To put it simply, after hearing Mo Wen's words, he felt that the only place where he could stand up straight in front of Milicich was the locker room and the bathroom.

"Your advantage lies in the fact that you have no advantage." Mo Wen did not become a riddle teller. "A person with nothing naturally has no taboos."

According to Mo Wen, Millsap's predicament stemmed from both his ability and his arrogance.

That's right, it's arrogance.

Faced with the objectively existing gap, he didn't think about how to tear each other apart by any means necessary. Instead, he thought about conducting a fair and square competition in a dignified manner.

This is like asking the principal to use 60 to bribe a teacher with 80. What else could it be but a gift?
Millsap was taken aback at first, then suddenly realized what was going on.

The shackles that had bound him in the dark shattered inch by inch.

Mo Wen sighed silently. Since being recognized by the media as the number one active player and becoming an idol for countless young people, he has received those astronomical endorsement contracts. In order to maintain a relatively perfect image, he has to actively restrain his sharpness and become a prisoner of the world of fame and fortune.

His happiest time was when he played for the Pistons, where he could use dirty tricks and elbows without restraint, and the media would even praise him for his toughness...

After halftime, a revitalized Millsap returned to the pitch full of confidence.

"I already know how to defend against you, so get ready to beg for mercy, baby." Millsap couldn't help but reveal a wicked smile when facing Milicic again.

"Halftime is so short, how did you manage to fall asleep and dream?" Milicic scratched his head, looking incredulous.

Millsap remained silent, but waited until Milicic got the ball again before opening his arms and pressing close to him.

Then a pair of rough, large hands began to move freely around the white man's waist.

Milicic jumped, almost losing his grip on the ball, and simply passed it out.

"What do you want Jiba for, kid?" Seeing that the "defense" was effective, Millsap's remaining sense of shame vanished instantly.

"Just fuck you!"

Milic frowned slightly, but then he realized he had frowned too soon.

Having figured things out, Millsap became incredibly shameless in the subsequent matches. His big and small antics were endlessly annoying.

Milicic, who trained and played with Mo Wen in his early years, was no stranger to this, but there are always some things in life that you can't avoid even if you know them.

After several rounds of passing the ball, Milicic finally couldn't resist asking for the ball and attacking.

He turned around, preparing to use his clearly superior talent to reverse and run them over.

Millsap had a sudden inspiration. Instead of straightening his back and pushing forward as usual, he followed Milicic's back-to-the-basket moves, pushing forward step by step.

Judging from the outcome of the confrontation, Millsap was still being pushed back step by step, but by the time Milicic reacted, the big white guy was visibly red.

Players from both the SuperSonics and the Magic couldn't help but laugh at this bizarre scene, and even the referee who was constantly following the ball couldn't help but feel uncomfortable.

Mo Wen couldn't help but turn his head to the side. He had taught his teammates many dirty tricks during team training, but he swore that this one was something Millsap had figured out on his own.

It was only out of consideration for their past teammate relationship that Milicic swung his fist.

However, Milicic, with his fiery temper, wasn't one to suffer in silence. After two rounds, when Millsap closed in again, Milicic finally couldn't hold back and swung his elbow.

Millsap fell to the ground with a thud, even rolling twice.

Seeing Millsap motionless without even groaning, Milicic almost couldn't help but kneel down and beg Millsap not to die after a brief moment of distraction.

Seeing this, the referee was also frightened and immediately stopped the game, looking at Mo Wen with a wary expression.

However, since it was Millsap's first time doing something like this, he lacked composure.

He couldn't resist and cheekily opened one eye to observe the situation on the field, immediately giving himself away.

The referee was also annoyed and gave each of them a technical foul.

……

Millsap's efforts ultimately paid off, as the Magic's scoring momentum slowed significantly in the second half.

Yesterday, LeBron struggled against the Magic's twin towers, but the SuperSonics' strengths lie on the perimeter and they don't rely on scoring inside.

If it weren't for the need to ensure the rebounds weren't too badly exploited, Mo Wen would have even suggested that Hill try a small-ball lineup.

In the latter part of the third quarter, the Magic players began to show signs of fatigue from playing back-to-back games, with several starters experiencing varying degrees of stamina issues.

Mo Wen caught up with the momentum, took the initiative to pull up the pace and increase the intensity of the competition, and a 13-0 offensive surge widened the gap between the two teams to 20 points.

In the final quarter, Billups, unwilling to easily hand the victory to Mo Wen, stepped up and seized the opportunity when Mo Wen was resting, hitting two consecutive three-pointers against Atkins. Milicic also caught the hot hand and made a three-pointer.

The Magic were gaining momentum to catch up, but Dwight Howard chose to pull a stunt at that moment.

Seeing that the team's "second-in-command" and "third-in-command" had both made three-pointers, he felt that as the self-proclaimed team leader, he should also bravely try.

As a result, his first shot was an airball, and his second shot was blocked from behind by Mo Wen, who was passing by.

They decisively cut off the Magic's momentum in their comeback attempt.

The buzzer sounded, signaling the end of the game; the Supersonics won easily 114-101.

But things weren't so peaceful after the game ended, with Milicic using the excuse of meeting up with his old teammates to block the goal.

It wasn't that Mo Wen stopped him; he seemed determined to have a showdown with Millsap, to determine who was better and who would die.

Millsap wasn't intimidated by him and simply hid in the bathroom without making a sound.

……

On December 7, the SuperSonics suffered their first loss of the month in an away game against the Suns.

Kerr failed to recruit Hill and made a series of abstract trades in the summer to free up salary cap space, but as long as he doesn't trade Marion for Shaq, he won't be honored as the worst general manager.

After all, there are very few ways to be worse than the Knicks and the Smiling Assassin in this era.

Moreover, as long as Nash is still around and the other players can still run, the Suns' roster will be competitive enough.

Despite being constantly the subject of simulated trades by the media, Marion didn't wallow in self-pity. Instead, he trained diligently and seriously during the summer in preparation for winning a championship after leaving the Suns.

The SuperSonics initially dominated the Suns, but Marion's 3-for-3 shooting from three-point range in the final quarter saved the Suns.

On the contrary, Nash had a very average performance today, contrary to his reputation for efficiency, taking 16 shots and only scoring 15 points.

The Suns' first-round exit in the playoffs last season was a significant blow to both the team and the organization.

On the surface, Marion has become a negative asset that needs to be dealt with, but in reality, there are rumors circulating among the Suns that the owner already has plans to rebuild the business.

Mo Wen's consecutive championships as a point guard magnified Nash's weaknesses.

Two years ago, many media outlets praised Nash's passing as more inspired, more imaginative, and more in line with the mastery of the game than Morden's.

But the data and playoff results make this viewpoint increasingly ridiculous.

However, Nash did show more point guard skills than Mo Wen today. He continued his restrained shooting style and directed a group of talented players, including Stoudemire, Marion, and Barbosa, to attack the SuperSonics' weak interior.

My teammates were having a terrible shooting night, and Mo Wen's three-point shooting was also mediocre. I managed to score 42 points by constantly calling on Lao Na (myself) to score. However, once the pace of the game was accelerated, both teams scored over 120 points, and the impact of the 42 points was cleverly diluted by the high score.

On December 10, the SuperSonics suffered a rare second consecutive loss. What made the team even more frustrated was that their unbeaten home record, which had lasted since last season, was broken.

Nowitzki became the villain of the day. Tyson Chandler fell to the ground while fighting for a rebound in the second quarter, twisting his knee and forcing him to sit out. Francisco, who came up to take his place, was fouled out by Nowitzki, Terry, and Harris in just two quarters.

In the end, the SuperSonics had no choice but to field a small-ball lineup in the final quarter, which was then overwhelmed by the Mavericks' frequent drives to the basket.

At first, Mo Wen was a little depressed, but then a major event successfully made him ignore the losing streak.

(End of this chapter)