Basketball's No. 1 Anti-Fan

Chapter 146 Are you cheating?
The Ginobili incident caused a lot of controversy, especially when a Spurs reporter used his journalistic skills to directly intercept a message saying, "I deliberately bumped into Popovich and deliberately disabled Ginobili. Yes, that's it," which caused an uproar.

Under pressure, the league said it would launch an investigation.

However, this action was strongly protested by the Grizzlies.

Because you can't have double standards in the league. If you want to investigate, Anderson hit Gay and Ginobili tried to hurt Randolph, all of them should be investigated together.

No, you should check out the time when Bowen tripped Carter and Horry knocked Nash away.

The league's investigation eventually came to nothing, and in the end, Hansen was only fined a modest $2 based on his remarks.

The Grizzlies subsequently submitted a protest to the league, and they did not think there was anything wrong with what Hansen said.

The league chose to ignore it.

Then on the next day, the league announced the punishment for Randolph. Randolph was suspended for one game for hugging and throwing Ginobili.

In the 1970s and 1980s, that kind of fight was not a big deal in the league. If you didn't fight, you would be embarrassed to say that you played in the NBA.

But that also gave the NBA a very bad image. After all, if there was a real fight, it would be better to go watch a boxing match. Who would watch you play basketball?

So Stern has been working to change this image since he took office.

The "Auburn Hills Palace Fight" gave him a good entry point, after which malicious incidents would be punished more severely.

The most representative incident was the Madison Square Garden brawl in 2006. Anthony was suspended for 15 games by the league just because he punched the Knicks' Maddy Collins during the conflict.

Randolph was only suspended for one game, which was already taken into consideration by the league in light of the playoff situation.

"Han, I'll take care of it next time this happens." After the league's punishment was announced, James Johnson took the initiative to find Han Sen.

After all, Han Sen is not Bowen. Even if he is Bowen, he cannot be lucky enough to be considered unintentional every time. Once it is found that it is intentional, he will be banned.

If Hansen is really suspended for this, it would be like adding insult to injury for the Grizzlies.

Han Sen naturally had no reason to refuse Johnson's initiative.

This reminded him of the University of Tokyo before he traveled through time, which promised not to use nuclear weapons first and to use direct deterrence to accomplish the task.

Isn’t Johnson the nuclear weapon of the NBA?
A day later, Game 5 between the Grizzlies and the Spurs started in San Antonio.

This time, Han Sen's hands did not feel hot. The possibility of such a low-probability event happening was already low.

Although the Spurs were missing Ginobili, they fought back at home and pulled back a 93-87 victory.

But in fact, everyone knows that this is just their last struggle.

When they returned to Memphis, in Game 6, Randolph returned to full health, and with a lot of anger in his heart, he directly blew up the Spurs' inside line.

31 points and 14 rebounds, a career high in playoff scoring.

Duncan, who was already at the end of his strength, was unable to stop Randolph. He only contributed 6 points and 7 rebounds in the whole game, playing the worst playoff game of his career.

"TD should probably consider retiring," Barkley lamented in the commentary booth.

4-2, the Grizzlies finally eliminated the Spurs and advanced to the Western Conference Finals.

They will face their final opponent in the Western Conference Finals, the Dallas Mavericks who swept the Lakers in an upset.

At this time, the Eastern Conference semifinals have also ended.

The Hawks ultimately failed to continue their dark horse status like the Grizzlies. They won first and then lost, being eliminated by the Bulls 2-4.

罗斯在G3爆砍季后赛生涯新高的44分，当然更重要的是公牛队的防守，他们6场比赛里有4场把老鹰队得分限制在90分以内。

Coincidentally, the Heat also eliminated the Celtics 4-1 with their excellent defense and met the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals.

James and Wade both averaged 25+ points per game in the past two rounds, and both performed very well.

It was at this time that the league announced the final award of the season, the Best Team.
The Grizzlies had a great harvest at this time. Hansen was not only selected to the second defensive team, but also to the best third team.

Randolph also received his first career All-NBA Third Team selection.

Things like media selection still rely on hype, and only by hype can one gain popularity.

Of course, the most talked about thing about this selection is that Anthony was not selected for the third team, and James continued to be selected for the double first team.

Anthony has performed well both in the Nuggets and the Knicks, especially in the Knicks, where he shot a career-high 42.4% from three-point range.

As for James, he has obviously declined on both offense and defense this season, so he should give that position to Wade.

But who said this was a media vote?
James fans also have their own theories. After all, if Wade wants to get in, he has to compete with Kobe who plays in the same position.

What is the best lineup regardless of position? Then I, James, will surround you with points, rebounds and assists.

What is Wade sacrificing? Didn't I, James, sacrifice anything? My shot count is a career low!

As for Bosh not being selected?
Who cares.

The Western Conference Finals between the Grizzlies and the Mavericks is about to begin, and Hansen also arrived in Dallas with the team on the first day before the game.

After arriving in Dallas, Hansen was invited to O'Neal's home.

"You're not trying to get me drunk, are you?" Han Sen joked when he saw O'Neal taking out the wine.

O'Neal smiled and went to change his drink.

"What you said was right. The qualities displayed by this team are something I have never seen in my entire career." O'Neal took the wine to thank Hansen.

"It's rare that you give such a high evaluation." Han Sen was a little surprised.

In fact, his impression of the Mavericks this year is only the finals and the game against the Heat, because many famous memes were born, such as the eight-point release of military power.

As for the rest, he didn't pay too much attention to it, otherwise he wouldn't have ignored such a classic series of 5-4 reversal.

"Thanks to Kobe and his Lakers, this team has undergone wonderful changes," O'Neal said with a smile.

He still loves to diss Kobe.

But why does this sound so familiar?

According to O'Neal, the Mavericks did not play as well as expected in the first round, leading 2-0 at the start.

But in the third game, they were leading by as much as 25 points in the third quarter but were reversed and their morale was almost broken.

In the end, it was head coach Carlisle who adjusted the tactics and started with defense, relying on defense to advance to the second round.

At that time, not to mention the outside world, even Mavericks players like O'Neal didn't think they could do anything.

Then in the second round Game 1 against the Lakers, we were again 16 points behind in the third quarter. It was a familiar venue, a familiar score, and we just swapped roles with our opponents.

"Do you want to be eliminated like this? Or do you want to fight one last time like we did against Denver?" These were Carlisle's exact words at the time.

The Mavericks don't have next year. Putting aside Nowitzki's age, Chandler and Kidd's contracts will expire in the summer, and this is their "last".

Then came the bloodthirsty Mavericks, who overturned the defending champions.

"It was after the end of that game that this team made me realize what you said, that they had the heart of a championship." O'Neal is still so good at telling stories.

However, the reversal did boost the team's confidence, especially such a big score reversal.

Speaking of which, the Mavericks have actually never been weak. From 2000 to now, the Mavericks' wins in each season have never been less than 50 games.

And they have always been one of the teams that pay the highest luxury tax in the league.

But they always felt like they were missing something, and now it seems they have found that thing this year.

"It may be a bit coincidental, but we also got that thing after the seventh game against the Thunder." Han Sen said with a smile.

"I really didn't expect you to get this far. I thought we would play against the Thunder in the Western Conference Finals." O'Neal said honestly.

"But it's still a little emotional to think that you, me, Delonte, and of course LeBron are all in the conference finals right now."

When together they are a pile of shit, when apart they are a sky full of stars?

This isn't surprising at all, as it's often the case with the teams James has played for.

That's not some kind of metaphysics, because in James' team you don't get much ball possession, so naturally you won't have great stats, but because you always have to take the blame and defend, your abilities are being exercised, so you'll get better if you spread it out. "I won't hold back." At the end of the conversation, Han Sen raised the cup in his hand.

"Me too, this is also my 'last'." O'Neal also raised his glass.

"Ding~"

……

At the American Airlines Center, Dallas fans are very passionate.

The scene was a sea of ​​blue.

O'Neal didn't say all his words last night, because the Mavericks reversed the Lakers more than once in the second round, and they also reversed and won in Game 3.

所以之前那个5比4逆转里面，最无脑的其实是0比3落后的蜜汁自信，因为3场里面被逆转2场，湖人队的心态其实早就已经崩掉了。

The result was as we saw, they lost to the Mavericks by 36 points in the last game.

So Dallas fans know how different their team is this year, and that enthusiasm comes completely from the heart.

Nowitzki came to Dallas in 1998 and began to lead the team to become a Western Conference powerhouse in 2000. In the blink of an eye, 12 years have passed. Not only has he grown old, but the Mavericks fans have also grown old.

So the atmosphere on the scene was really different. If I had to describe it in one word, it would be: veterans never die.

After the warm-up, the scene entered the opening ceremony, and the starting lineups of both sides were announced one after another:
Grizzlies: Conley, Hansen, Battier, Randolph, Gasol

Mavericks: Kidd, West, Marion, Nowitzki, Chandler
There is a final 3 minutes of preparation time after the opening ceremony.

After Hollins arranged the opening tactics, Hansen called everyone over and said something encouraging:
"They are already a group of old guys, let them feel our youthful energy!"

Nowitzki is 32 years old, Marion is 33 years old, and Kidd is 38 years old. It is absolutely true that there are only three old guys in the starting lineup.

After coming on the court, Hansen and West hugged each other.

West joined the Mavericks after being bought out, and unexpectedly he has already become a starter for the Mavericks.

Amid the cheers of Dallas fans, Chandler jumped over Gasol Jr., giving the Mavericks the opportunity to attack first.

The Mavericks came up and took position, with Nowitzki receiving the ball in the low post on the right side and Gasol Jr. defending him.

Although Gasol is not fast, he is taller and has a better wingspan than Nowitzki, so he can try to interfere with his shooting.

After receiving the ball, Nowitzki turned around, made a breakthrough move with the ball in a three-threat position, and then suddenly jumped up and shot.

Gasol Jr.'s reaction was a little slow, but he still used his height and arm span to interfere.

"Shh!"

But Nowitzki finally made the shot despite the interference.

"Mark, don't lose heart. He can't always make shots like this." Hansen encouraged Gasol.

Gasol nodded, it was just a ball.

Looking back, Randolph tried to beat Chandler in the low post, but rarely did he get the upper hand.

In terms of weight, Randolph is bigger than Chandler, but Chandler is not at a disadvantage in strength. Moreover, the key is that Chandler has height, wingspan and fast reaction speed.

Randolph's final turnaround shot was blocked and went wide.

After Kidd received the ball, he tried to launch a fast break, but when he saw there was no chance, he pressed down and attacked the position.

It was still Nowitzki who received the ball, but this time he moved to the high position on the left side.

This time, Nowitzki switched to a back-to-the-basket single-player game. When he turned towards the free throw line, he attracted Conley's double-team. When Gasol Jr. thought he was going to pass the ball, he suddenly turned quickly towards the baseline, then took three steps to the basket and scored a two-handed dunk.

Randolph tried to help defend, but Chandler blocked him.

The American Airlines Center was in a frenzy.

Nowitzki was in excellent form at the start of the game and had a strong desire to attack.

Hansen also started running without the ball. After moving to the free throw line, he received a pass from Randolph and continued to accelerate to the three-second zone to face Chandler's layup.

"Shh!"

The knife fell with the same movement.

After the ball went in, he glanced at Chandler.

He just hit a point where Nowitzki's defense couldn't keep up, but Chandler's steps were really fast, and he relied entirely on his talent to force the ball in.

When O'Neal started before, the Mavericks' interior defense was not very good, especially when they met teams that could shoot, they were very passive.

But after O'Neal was injured and Chandler took over, the Mavericks' defensive system was quickly established.

After Kidd advanced to the frontcourt, he continued to pass the ball to Nowitzki, this time still in the high position on the left side.

Gasol started to use his body on this ball, not giving Nowitzki a comfortable shooting rhythm.

Nowitzki finally changed to a back-to-the-basket shot, that is, a one-on-one shot towards the free throw line, and then turned around. The only difference this time was that he did not break through, but instead made a fadeaway jump shot with distance.

Gasol Jr. couldn't keep up with this offensive rhythm, and what was more important was that Nowitzki used his unique skill "One-legged Stand" on this ball, and Gasol Jr. couldn't get to it even if he wanted to.

"Shh!"

Nowitzki's fadeaway shot went into the net.

He was feeling hot tonight.

No, you are too dirty!

Hansen had come over to assist in defense, but Nowitzki was turning toward the baseline and he couldn't catch up.

But he observed Nowitzki's one-legged stand up close, and the move was really dirty.

Unless the defensive player has a diamond-like body to protect his balls, he can only lean forward sideways, but it will be difficult to interfere in time.

In the Grizzlies' offense, Hansen used the same trick again. This time, after seeing Chandler coming, he passed the ball to Randolph.

The idea was good, but the angle was a little off. By the time Randolph received the ball, Nowitzki had already come over to assist in defense. In the end, Randolph's strong shot caused Nowitzki to commit a defensive foul.

Hansen went over and high-fived Randolph.

As the playoffs progress, he is now increasingly inclined to exchange his passing talent in control and passing.

Because it is not a question of whether it can be transmitted, but a question of the accuracy of the transmission.

In high-end games, a difference of a few tenths of a second can make a completely different difference in the chances of winning.

Randolph made both free throws and the Grizzlies kept the score close.

Turning back, Kidd passed the ball to Nowitzki.

This time Nowitzki moved to the low post on the right side again.

It was the same face-to-face ball-holding action as at the beginning of the game. Gasol Jr. did not move his body this time, but tried his best to maintain his defensive position.

Nowitzki finally chose to pull up for a jump shot again. This time, Gasol kept up with the rhythm and interfered with Nowitzki.

Nowitzki was forced to raise the arc of his shot, and the ball went over Gasol's fingertips.

"Shh!"

Then pocket the ball again.

Nowitzki made all 4 shots at the start!
Gasol Jr. was visibly frustrated when he saw the ball go in.

Han Sen was also surprised.

Gasol Jr.'s defense just now was absolutely spot on. Is Nowitzki cheating?
-Dividing line-

①: Best First Team: Rose, Kobe, Durant, James, Howard
Second Team: Westbrook, Wade, Nowitzki, Pau Gasol, Stoudemire
Third team: Paul, Ginobili, Hansen, Aldridge, Zach Randolph
All-Defensive First Team: Rondo, Kobe, James, Garnett, Howard
Best Defensive Second Team: Paul, Iguodala, Hansen, Noah, Tyson Chandler
(End of this chapter)