NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 787 "One Person, One City Award!" (Chapter without main character)
On Friday, April 29, 2011, the latest Dallas Morning News praised the Mavericks' performance in the first round against the Trail Blazers!
After reaching the conference finals last season, no one will underestimate the Trail Blazers' young players. Aldridge seems to be starting to realize his potential, and the team is even stronger after shedding its bad contract.

Before the game, many commentators were not optimistic about James Harden of the Mavericks, after all, Dirk Nowitzki's team performance in the past two years has not been very good, but this time in the playoffs he has "raised his head high" and the German has "toughened up"!

Last night, in Game 5 at home, the Mavericks gave their opponents no chance, winning 92-107 and sweeping the Trail Blazers 4-1 in the series.

After the game, champion forward Ron Artest posted several tweets, some of which made the media reporters laugh out loud:

"Keep moving forward! #PastChampionshipForward #RevengeSeason #ThatKidFromQueens #GOATRecognition #NewYorkGang"

This long string of suffixes amused many basketball commentators, and a New York reporter even tagged Dwyane Wade when reposting the post, making the comments section quite humorous.
The newspaper column highly praised Artest's performance in the first round. Although he missed two games, the championship striker's performance was outstanding in the context of big data analysis, providing the team with enough "toughness"!
To quote Artest's own words at the post-game press conference:

"I have eight rings! I've gained enough championship experience working alongside Lee. If you don't want to pursue a championship, don't slander me, or I'll make those clowns pay the price!"

Artest was clearly referring to Wade and Haslem, expressing his dissatisfaction with his experience in Miami.

Unlike the Heat, the Mavericks are practically the "Knicks' second team," so they're fully embracing their championship experience. Artest is happy here, and his irritability has disappeared.

The Trail Blazers also had an outstanding performance in the first round. No one expected Brandon Roy, who was seriously injured, to suddenly explode. Unfortunately, their comeback was ultimately extinguished by a barrage of three-pointers.

Nowitzki also praised his opponent at last night's press conference, but when it came to his goals, the German finally abandoned his modesty and firmly replied:

"Champions! All I want is to lift the Larry O'Brien Trophy with everyone!"

"Look at the guys around me, they all have a lot of championship experience, that's our advantage, the Mavericks are a big-game team."

The Mavericks weren't as happy as the Heat when they made it to the semifinals. The veterans had been through so much, and their situation was completely different from that of McGrady and Bosh.

Having broken his first-round curse, McGrady seems to have already lifted the trophy, and he's been very high-profile these past few days, even taking sarcastic remarks about his friends on Twitter:
"In the NBA, choice is more important than effort. Maybe you're laughing at me for coming to Miami, but even now, I still don't have an MVP teammate!"

New York spectators mocked McGrady for being a "washed-up second-best" player, saying he lacked star power and was happy to celebrate getting past the first round. But McGrady didn't care and kept saying what was on his mind: getting past the first round was something to celebrate.

The tweet resonated with many players, with Gilbert Arenas, the now-past-his-prime "Holy Gunner," retweeting McGrady's tweet and even adding a comment:

"Yes, man, players like us just lack a platform!"

Similarly, Arenas also attributed the failure to the first round to roster issues. This wasn't the first time "The Gunner" had made such a sarcastic remark about Kobe Bryant; he had expressed the same view when he was going head-to-head with Kobe.

The two were jealous of Kobe's previous treatment, and seized the opportunity to unleash their fury. Black people don't help black people, and sometimes even brothers will "stab them in the back."
At 8 p.m. that night, Rockets fans arrived at the Toyota Center in Houston early, a rare occurrence. After winning Game 5, everyone was hoping that their home team could advance past the first round.

Reporters from across the ocean covered the entire event, and McGrady subtly criticized Yao Ming for not being as good as O'Neal, which saddened many "little leg fans" and left many other fans feeling resentful.

Fortunately, Yao Ming has lived up to expectations this season. Although his attendance in the regular season is still problematic, the Rockets are much stronger than in previous seasons.

The starting backcourt duo of Goran Dragic and Kevin Martin are able to handle more of the ball, and although Shane Battier has been plagued by some injuries, he can still contribute on both ends of the court.

Scola and Yao Ming are not playoff rookies either, and they showed a considerable advantage against the frontcourt duo of Kenyon Martin and Nene Hilario.

Once the game started, the cheers and encouragement never stopped. Many Chinese fans were also at the scene, and everyone was hoping to end the series tonight!

Coach George Karl didn't stop talking from the start of the game. The old man shouted loudly and kept reminding Nene to go around Yao Ming and disrupt his low post receiving of the ball.

On the defensive end, Devin Harris kept pressing forward and intervening against Dragic immediately. On the other side, Billups expanded his defensive range, preventing Kevin Martin from easily launching an attack.

Seeing Yao Ming move up to set a screen, Nene also chased out to defend. Using the screen, Dragic on the right wing held the ball with his left hand and made a strong breakthrough through the middle.

Kenyon Martin, positioned to the lower left of the basket, immediately moved to help defend, and the crowd cheered. Scola, receiving a pass near the baseline on the left side, was unguarded and made a mid-range jump shot!

"Oh!!"

At 8:10, the Rockets took the lead again, and commentator Zhang Weiping beamed with joy, praising the team once more:

"Yao Ming can not only score, but his screens are also of high quality. As long as the guards can pass the ball, the Rockets' offense will not have any problems!"

Seeing Gallinari miss a jump shot on the left wing, the old man exclaimed "Ouch!" and began praising Yao Ming's rebounding again. However, seeing Kevin Martin also catch and shoot in transition, he subconsciously criticized him:
"This is reckless! We need to calm down and play it safe."

The three-pointer swished through the net, sending the Toyota Center into a frenzy once more. Seeing the old man remain silent, his teammate Yang Jian couldn't help but chime in:

"You really need those three-pointers in the playoffs! Modern basketball often sees a sudden offensive surge, and someone has to respond from the outside."

"."

As the game progressed, Zhang Weiping's "double standards" commentary continued to emerge. When Gallinari stepped to the free-throw line, it was considered preferential treatment from the referee, but when Kevin Martin took a free throw, it was a genuine foul.

Not passing the ball to Yao Ming is considered "the guards are just messing around," but when Yao Ming gets into position, catches the ball, and makes a turnaround jump shot, it's "Yao Ming's shot was amazing!"
When the pace is fast, they criticize head coach Rick Adelman for lacking a "game plan," but when they execute beautiful plays, they praise the "great chemistry of the Rockets players."
The two sides traded baskets, with the Rockets making early rotations. ESPN's cameras were constantly focused on Yao Ming. Since McGrady broke through the first round, many commentators have been waiting to see what the Rockets' star player would say.

Yao Ming, who has returned to the bench, has also been troubled recently. His partner’s sarcastic remarks have brought him extra attention, but this “American-style comparison” has made him somewhat uncomfortable.

Battier, who was also substituted, seemed to sense his teammate's conflicted emotions. Thinking of McGrady's recent "high spirits," he covered his mouth and whispered:
"Bro, don't overthink it! Feel free to express your opinions, we'll all support you."

Because Yao Ming has been quite tactful in answering related questions during these games, some commentators feel that the big man has "softened," which is not the response everyone is expecting. The two should have a fierce argument!
Knowing that the media was stirring up trouble, Yao Ming turned to bump fists with his old teammate, covered his mouth, and responded with a rather helpless sigh:
"I just want to win the game."

At the end of the first quarter, the score was 26-30, with Lawson of the Nuggets and Lowry of the Rockets both performing well, and the two sides looked evenly matched.

During the break, in the studio backstage, Yu Jia discussed the playoffs this year. Since the Eastern Conference season had already concluded, he couldn't help but remark:

"The Knicks are rebuilding, neither Li You nor Duncan made the playoffs, and Kobe was eliminated in the first round. It looks like the NBA is about to undergo a generational change!" "The Heat's three young players have indeed shown their talent, and the championship will most likely be born in the East again."

As a die-hard Michael Jordan fan, Xu Jicheng, as always, belittled Mamba, and brought up the Bulls with a smile, saying:

"The 98 Knicks kept Michael Jordan in a quagmire. Back then, Li You and Ewing's defense was extremely fierce, far more intense than the current Bulls!"

“Oakley and Larry Johnson were like they were going to fight every game, and there were tough players like Starks on the bench. Many young fans may not remember what it was like back then.”

“Under these circumstances, Michael Jordan could still carry the offense, Kobe was far inferior in this respect, and Derrick Rose was far from reaching Li You’s level back then.”

"The sports reporters across the street all voted for Rose, hoping the young man can withstand the pressure. I think this season is also an opportunity for the Rockets. If we really get to the Finals, the Eastern Conference teams aren't necessarily going to win."

Under the guidance of his seniors, Yu Jia also began to tout the Rockets' strength. McGrady's sarcastic remarks infuriated many fans, and many fans stopped supporting him.

In the following games, the Rockets did not rely solely on their starters, with Patrick Patterson, Jordan Hill, Brad Miller, and Chuck Hayes forming the core of their interior rotation.

Courtney Lee and Chase Budinger also received considerable playing time, and head coach Rick Adelman still pursued the "Princeton" system, emphasizing ball movement.

In the latter part of the third quarter, the Rockets finally went on an 11-3 run, widening the gap significantly. Zhang Weiping, sitting above the arena in the commentary booth, breathed a sigh of relief and couldn't help but remark:

"The pace of the game is sometimes too fast! Once it slows down, the Rockets can try the triangle offense."

Ever since Phil Jackson left basketball, Zhang Weiping has missed the old man from KFC very much. He always "recommends" him when commentating on CCTV games, as if hoping that the old man will find a new job.

Over the years, Yang Jian, through his commentary, has observed the league's evolving trends: the triangle offense is outdated, even Yao Ming was forced to transition, and former championship coaches are now completely obsolete.

"Good shot! Yao Ming makes a strong second-chance opportunity! The ball goes in, and there's another free throw opportunity!"

"Even after losing weight, there are still not many good ways to deal with top guards like Li You, but Yao Ming's pick-and-roll defense has improved a lot in the last two seasons."

"The semifinals will be against the Mavericks, it will be a battle of big men."

As the final quarter began, Zhang Weiping and Yang Jian became increasingly excited. Victory was within reach, and Yao Ming, without relying on others, was poised to break through the first round.

With three minutes remaining in the game, Billups hit consecutive three-pointers, demonstrating his clutch gene and successfully narrowing the gap to six points.

Fortunately, Yao Ming grabbed several offensive rebounds at crucial moments, and when he got to the free-throw line, he didn't falter and made the shots steadily.

Until the very last moment, the Rockets fans in the arena were still on tenterhooks. When the final buzzer sounded, cheers echoed throughout the arena. The Rockets narrowly defeated the Nuggets 97-102 and advanced to the semifinals.

出场35分钟，13中7，罚球8中8，22分11篮板3助攻2盖帽2失误，姚明和前几场比赛一样稳定，继续贡献两双数据。

After years of playing in the league, Yao Ming successfully broke through the first round. Hearing the cheers around him, he couldn't help but smile and kept high-fiving his teammates in celebration.

McGrady, who left the Rockets to ride the coattails of their star player, made it past the first round, while Yao Ming, who played for one team, led his team to the semifinals. Who deserves more praise will be a hot topic among basketball commentators in the coming days.

During his ESPN interview, Yao Ming naturally tried to stir things up, addressing McGrady's previous comments about lacking an MVP partner. In this instance, Yao Ming displayed a rare change in attitude:

"I saw the tweet, but that's not why the Rockets couldn't get past the first round in the past few years. We were defeated by injuries!"

"I think we can perform better. It has nothing to do with the MVP. This is the Western Conference. There are no Knicks here, no superstar guards like Lee. We shouldn't make excuses for losing."

"No matter how this season goes, I wish my partner all the best and respect his choice, but I will not leave Houston. I will end my career here."

"."

ESPN reporters, naturally respecting the "One Man, One City Award," congratulated Yao Ming with smiles. However, when Zhang Weiping held up the microphone for his interview, Yao Ming was somewhat amused and exasperated upon hearing the word "champion."
"I'm only thinking about the game in front of me. This is definitely an opportunity for the Rockets. We have more players and better teamwork."

Yao Ming, who attended the press conference that evening, received high praise from the Houston media. McGrady was just a clown, and the "One Man, One City Award" is the highest honor in the NBA!

Rockets fans across the ocean were overjoyed. On social media, some fans even called McGrady a "jinx," saying that Yao Ming broke through the first round after McGrady left, and that leaving earlier might have led to better results.

The other game that night ended even later. After a hard-fought overtime battle, the Thunder narrowly defeated the Grizzlies on the road, thanks to James Harden's outstanding performance in overtime.

"Shh!"

The boos and shouts continued unabated. Durant got 12 free throws, Westbrook got 10, and Harden got 8.

The Grizzlies only had 24 free throw attempts, while the Thunder had 42, which made Memphis fans lose their temper and repeatedly yell at the referees during the game.

The "Thunder Three Referees" were all smiles at this moment. Veteran Fisher shook his head helplessly as he watched Randolph angrily walk towards the player tunnel. This is the NBA; referees always favor superstars.

出场42分钟，27中14，三分线外9中2，罚球12中11，拿到全场最高41分的杜兰特在接受TNT采访时有些得意地炫耀道：
"I don't care about these boos at all! Go check my stats, I'm a highly efficient scorer!"

"In fact, I am unstoppable in the game. The only way for the opponent to stop me from scoring is by fouling me. Those criticisms do not bother me at all."

When asked about the MVP trophy, Durant seemed a little unhappy. According to sources, Derrick Rose, who led his team to 61 wins, will be lifting the trophy in a few days, and Durant can only offer his congratulations.

Jeff Green, whose performance in the series was lackluster, came up to the camera and hugged Durant to celebrate. As the top seed in the West and third in the league, he deserved extra attention, and everyone was very happy and cheered loudly together.
"It's okay, we'll help Kevin get the MVP home!"

"."

(End of this chapter)