Don't talk trash to him.

Chapter 193 Cleveland’s “sword-bearing guards” rebelled.

There was silence in the visiting team's locker room.

Mike Brown looked at everyone with their heads down, and once again turned his gaze to Shaquille O'Neal.

There is no way. Apart from LeBron, among this group of people, only Shaquille O'Neal has the ability to play one-on-one with the ball.

The others mainly focused on receiving passes from LeBron James and catching the ball.

Especially Quentin Richardson and Channing Frye. Relying on LeBron's passes, they have averaged 15.4 points and 2.1 three-pointers per game so far this season. One is averaging 11.3 points and 1.8 three-pointers per game.

Of course, thanks to their goals, LeBron also had ample space to break through.

So far this season, he has averaged 27.4 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists per game. Although he has 3.2 turnovers, his shooting percentage is 48.5%.

Nearly 1% higher than his same period!

This is the power of LeBron paired with a shooter.

To be honest, "one star and four stars" is indeed LeBron's comfort zone. Under this system, his data will not be too bad.

Of course, the bonus of "one star and four shooters" for holding the ball and playing as a core is not only effective for LeBron. The peak period of "Turkish Jordan" Turkoglu was also when he played the "one star and four shooters" as a "ball-holding core" in the Magic team.

The reason is very simple. No matter how intense the defense is, it is impossible to last for 48 minutes. There will always be times when the defense is slack, and the ball is in their hands for a long time. If they seize the opportunity, they will naturally produce outstanding data.

Turkoglu's physical fitness is at least two levels lower than LeBron's, but his average stats during his peak period with the Magic were 2 points, 19.5 rebounds and 5.7 assists.

This is the data he achieved when he had to take Howard's shooting rights into consideration.

If he were given LeBron's position on the Cavaliers.

Needless to say, the average of 23 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists per game is still acceptable.

Whenever he was out of this system, Turkoglu's best average stats were 13.3 points, 4 rebounds and 3.2 assists, which shows how much this system can add to a player.

When a player plays in such a system for 20 years, is it uncommon to get a "411"?
If it were Jordan, don’t even mention “411”, he would even come up with “511” for you.

For this reason, when Mike Brown asked Shaquille O'Neal to help, the "Big Shark" who had been setting screens for LeBron in the first half yelled in dissatisfaction: "Then I have to be able to catch the ball under the basket!"

This statement has a hidden meaning, and the meaning is too obvious.

LeBron's expression changed immediately.

He had just looked at the Cavaliers' stats in the first half. He got 14 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Don't worry about how many shots he took to get these 14 points, or how many turnovers he made for the 4 assists.

Anyway, apart from him, the person with the best statistics was Quentin Richardson, who scored 10 points.

而拿了2千万年薪的沙克-奥尼尔，上半场打完却只有7分3篮板，投篮命中率5投3中是不错，可罚球命中率只有5投1中。

To be honest, he had been full of complaints about Shaquille O'Neal not giving him pick-and-rolls.

If this guy hadn't been so nice, he would have put pressure on this "fathead shark" through management.

He was given a pick-and-roll tonight, but because of the pick-and-roll, he averaged 18 points per game this season, but only scored 7 points in the first half tonight!
What’s even more infuriating is that before he could say anything, Shaq actually complained that he couldn’t get the ball!
No wonder Kobe fell out with him, he has no self-awareness at all!

LeBron muttered in his heart, but he still said very maturely: "Don't worry, Shaq, we will try our best to let you get the ball under the basket in the second half!"

When Mike Brown heard what LeBron said, he immediately said, "Shaq, the second half is up to you!"

Shaq's eyes flashed with disdain, and he cursed in his heart:
Dog slave!
He now looks down on Mike Brown more and more.

The second half of the game started quickly.

The first attack of the third quarter belonged to the Cavaliers.

As discussed during the halftime break, Shaquille O'Neal took position under the basket, and the Cavaliers helped him create space and gave him opportunities to play one-on-one.

The Pacers immediately saw the Cavaliers' intention.

First let Foster fight with Shaquille O'Neal. After he got the ball, he committed a foul and Suwan immediately stepped forward and made a "hand knife" to send Shaquille O'Neal to the free throw line.

"Dangdang!"

"Dangdang!"

Suwan was very ruthless and hit Shaquille O'Neal's hand so hard that it was shaking when he took the free throw.

It was not allowed to punish them in the first place, and now it is even more difficult to punish them.

Mike Brown didn't cut against the Pacers.

The main Pacers played with a 9-man rotation, while the Cavaliers only rotated 7 players.

Except for Varejao, no one else on the bench can fill the vacancies, especially the two shooters. Losing one of them is equivalent to LeBron losing 2% ​​of his breakthrough space.

LeBron struggled enough against Artest tonight, and Mike Brown couldn't make him struggle any more.

"Shh!"

Suwan scored 19 points in the first half and made 2 three-pointers.

At the beginning of the second half, he hit his third three-pointer of the game.

"Voice of the Pacers" Bobby Leonard said: "Suwan is in very good shape tonight. He has enough time to refresh his career single-game 3-point shooting record!"

Su Wan's three-point shooting tonight felt really good, but it also had a lot to do with the "Ah Q" defense.

In the first half of the first quarter, he kept breaking through the basket at such a fast speed that "Ah Q" couldn't stop him at all in close combat.

Therefore, before Su Wan enters the three-point line, he will keep an arm's length away.

But it was this defensive strategy that allowed Su Wan to make three consecutive three-pointers.

Mike Brown cursed at him.

Suwan's worst ability right now is his three-point shot, but "Ah Q" made him shoot like Ray Allen. How could Mike Brown stand it when he was standing on the sidelines?

He hadn't finished scolding when he saw LeBron dribbling the ball across half court. He could only shut up in disappointment so as not to affect the Cavaliers' offensive performance.

LeBron looked at the cheers from the crowd because of Suwan and wanted to try to score a goal himself to respond to Suwan's score and stop the Indiana fans' cheers. But Shaquille O'Neal had already successfully positioned himself under the basket.

and……

Looking at Artest's face, he lost the desire to attack.

But when he passed the ball to O'Neal, he couldn't help but curse softly:
Damn it, who is whose “sword-bearing bodyguard”?
As touching as I was when I first heard this sentence, LeBron feels disgusted when he thinks of it now.

If you want to blame someone, blame it on being too young at the time and not being able to tell the difference between a human and a dog.

This guy just said a few sweet words and he was completely fooled.

Now, I have to be this guy’s “dog”!

LeBron passed the ball with a lot of resentment, so much so that Shaquille O'Neal's turn was predicted in time by O'Neal Jr., who blocked it with a slap. He cursed loudly: "Fxxk!"

Everyone on the Cavaliers heard it. Although no names were mentioned, they all knew who LeBron was scolding!

The Pacers counterattacked again, and Suwan drove straight into the middle door and completed a one-handed slam dunk.

LeBron's expression became serious. No, he couldn't go on like this. If he continued like this, he would lose both the game and the game, and even his underwear.

So far in the game, there is one thing LeBron is very clear about…

The Cavaliers will definitely not win this game!

But he can "lose with honor"!
At the end of the first half, Su Wan scored 19 points, but he was not weak either, scoring 14 points. As long as he scored more points in the second half, at least he would not lose to Su Wan in terms of statistics.

As for why we lost this game so badly...

Since he didn't lose, it can only be...

"ball!"

First of all, make sure he doesn’t lose!

LeBron yelled for the ball, then motioned to Shaquille O'Neal to set a high pick-and-roll.

In the first two rounds of the third quarter, the team cooperated very well with him, but based on the results of those two rounds...LeBron felt that Shaquille O'Neal would consciously come forward to set a pick-and-roll.

But Shaquille O'Neal got angry.

In two rounds, he was deliberately hit once, missed two free throws, and was blocked by O'Neal Jr. once...

It would be strange if Shaquille O'Neal didn't get angry.

He ignored LeBron's eye contact and instead asked LeBron James to pass the ball to him quickly while he continued to play one-on-one under the basket.

Inverted!

Inverted!

This "sword-bearing guard" rebelled!
Of course there is no way LeBron would just give the ball to him.

Shaq was holding back a lot of anger, but didn't he hold back his anger?

Forget about not giving me the pick-and-roll, I’ll just attack with the ball!
LeBron James immediately stepped on the accelerator to the maximum speed and rushed inside against Artest.

Artest's strength and weight are not inferior to LeBron's. But his explosiveness is not that abnormal. And LeBron directly elbowed him, how could Artest dare to confront him head-on?
But Shaquille O'Neal, who didn't give him a pick-and-roll, was still standing under the basket.

The basket was already crowded, and now Artest followed him in and rushed into the "reasonable collision zone", leaving LeBron James with no space to shoot.

"Snapped!"

O'Neal Jr. seized the opportunity and blocked the shot again.

Bill Walton said: "This year, Jermaine has a chance to compete for the 'Defensive Player of the Season Award'!"

Just like the 96 Bulls, can you say that the defensive quality of that Bulls team was the result of Rodman, Pippen, Jordan, or Harper? That Bulls team was able to limit the opponent's average score to around 85 points per game, thanks to the efforts of everyone.

So none of them won the "Defensive Player of the Season Award".

The Pacers' situation is very similar to that of the Bulls, in that strong defense is not the work of one person.

However, before the Bulls formed this lineup, Michael Jordan and Rodman had already won the "Defensive Player of the Season Award".

The Pacers are different. Artest just won the award, but apart from him, no one else on this Pacers team has this award.

Another point……

That was Mutombo's peak period, and the Bulls' overall improved defensive quality made it impossible for any of them to compete with Mutombo.

This year is different. The competition for the "Defensive Player of the Season Award" is not fierce.

Big Ben suffered an injury after joining the Bulls.

Artest has already won two "Defensive Player of the Season Awards," but he has not put in a more impressive defensive performance so far this season.

The most popular candidate is Marcus Camby.

But after watching these two rounds, Bill Walton felt that O'Neal's defense was not at a disadvantage.

Barkley looked at LeBron who was blocked and spread his hands towards Shaquille O'Neal, laughing: "So who made the Cavaliers choose Shaquille O'Neal?"

Can't you see it from the cooperation between LeBron and "Big Z"?
LeBron doesn't match this kind of "heavy tank"!

Kenny Smith also said: "The most suitable style of play for the Cavaliers is Shaq O'Neal to position himself under the basket, or Shaq to set a pick-and-roll for LeBron. These are the only two tactics where the two of them do not affect each other!"

In fact, what he wanted to say was how to use Shaquille O'Neal. Phil Jackson had already laid it out there, and Mike Brown really couldn't even copy it clearly. But he suddenly realized that the current Shaq was no longer the original Shaq.

Shaquille O'Neal probably won't be able to play the "triangle offense" with him as the core again in his lifetime.

But in this way, other problems of Shaquille O'Neal were also exposed:

The offensive range is too short, and they are useless outside the "three-second zone"; the mobility is too slow, which has a great impact on both the offense and defense.

It was at this time that Kenny Smith realized that it was not that Shaquille O'Neal had to play the "triangle tactics", but that he could only play the "triangle tactics".

Barkley suddenly said calmly: "Pat Riley must have his reasons for being so anxious to sell!"

"Shh!"

During the conversation between the two of them, Su Wan in the frontcourt gave up his chance to attack and passed the ball directly to Artest who was following up, signaling him to shoot a three-pointer directly, while he ran towards the basket. If he missed the shot, he would still have a chance for a "second attack."

What’s the difference between practicing shooting in this kind of atmosphere and practicing shooting in private?
Artest easily completed the three-pointer.

8-0!

The 24-point gap at the end of the first half suddenly became 32 points.

Mike Brown could only call a timeout.

LeBron is still struggling with the offense just now: "Why didn't you give me a pick-and-roll?"

The upset Shaquille O'Neal was too lazy to serve him: "What about you? I'm almost in position, why don't you pass the ball to me?"

"Because you didn't score in your first two attacks!" Shaquille O'Neal laughed: "Then you can just attack on your own, LeBron! Or can you not even get rid of the opponent's defense without my help?"

What is the difference between Shaquille O'Neal who joined the Cavaliers in 09 and Shaquille O'Neal who joined the Cavaliers in 06?
If there is anything to say, it would be the amount of fuel in the tank.

That is when he clearly knew that his era was over.

But in 06, Shaquille O'Neal felt that he could still save the situation, and in his heart he still regarded himself as the absolute core of the team.

In his opinion, he has given LeBron enough face by praising him to the sky in front of the media!

And shouldn't LeBron also give him some appropriate return?
When he needs to hold the ball to attack, just pass the ball to him.

A matter of a few rounds!
Once your buddy gets his revenge, won't the ball still be yours?
I've already told you that I'm your "sword-bearing bodyguard", why do you have to force me?
"What did you say?"

LeBron, whose pain point was touched, asked loudly.

Shaquille O'Neal looked at him jumping up and down, and instead felt less aggrieved. He snorted coldly and stopped talking.

But these two arguments alone were enough to draw the attention of the reporters to the commotion here, and they all came closer.

Mike Brown quickly asked the staff to stop them and told them not to get too close, and at the same time winked at LeBron and Shaquille O'Neal.

The good news is that the two people did not continue to confront each other.

The bad news is that when they returned to the court, there was no cooperation between the two sides.

The Pacers took the opportunity to launch another scoring spree, and the 32-point difference suddenly reached 40 points.

Mike Brown wanted to replace all the main players before the situation got worse and let the time enter "garbage time", but LeBron looked at his own score of 14 points, and then looked at Suwan, who had unknowingly reached 28 points, which was twice as much as his.

Unwilling to give in, he chose to continue fighting.

But he probably forgot what Rick Carlisle said during last year's playoffs... If the Cavaliers don't trade LeBron, then we don't think they're surrendering.

Therefore, since LeBron wanted to continue playing, Rick Carlisle had no intention of making any substitutions.

The Pacers played more and more excitedly, and the score difference became wider and wider. At 1 minute and 13 seconds into the fourth quarter, the Pacers successfully widened the score difference to 50 points!
During this period, LeBron finally raised his score to 20 points. Looking at Suwan...

It’s already 40 points!

Or twice...

Mike Brown looked at him anxiously and said nothing, but LeBron understood what he meant:
Stop it, LeBron, there are Suwan's people outside firing everywhere. If you continue like this, the score difference will break the historical record!
There was no choice but for LeBron to walk off the court under his arrangement, and Rick Carlisle then replaced the starting lineup.

But he played a trick and kept Dio, the "engine", on the court.

Meanwhile, the remaining players on the court include Millsap and Anthony Parker...

Plus, the Cavaliers had already collapsed.

The final score difference did not make history, but the Pacers' single-game score was a career high this season. They scored a total of 145 points and ultimately defeated the Cavaliers by a full 145 points with a score of 87 to 58!
58!

58 again!

Barkley said: "Including this time, Shaquille O'Neal's team has been beaten by Suwan and the Pacers twice with such a score difference."

Kenny Smith added: "This is the first time in LeBron's career that Suwan has beaten him by 58 points!"

"Isn't it said that this is the strongest Cavaliers team in the new century? Why can't I feel it at all?" Su Wan shouted while sitting on the sidelines, and the Cleveland reporters just happened to hear it.

They were so confident before the game, but at this moment, they wished they could find a hole to crawl into.

There has never been a more embarrassing moment in their careers.

The 58-point difference is also reflected in the data of the players of the two teams.

At the end of the game, the Pacers' players had the following stats:

苏万40分8篮板5助攻3抢断2盖帽，本场比赛一共扔进了5记三分球；

小奥尼尔25分15篮板3助攻3盖帽，本场比赛他投进了2记三分球；

阿泰斯特21分4篮板3助攻3抢断，本场比赛投进了3记三分球；

Anthony Parker scored 11 points, 9 of which were three-pointers;
Calderon scored 11 points and 6 assists, and also made 2 three-pointers;

Diaw scored nine points but had 9 assists and made one three-pointer in the game;

As for the rest, Millsap, Tinsley, and Foster all scored 9 points...

Including Millsap's three-pointer, all Pacers players made 1 three-pointers tonight!

Let's look at the Cavaliers:
勒布朗拿到了20分7篮板6助攻，但却有8次失误，投篮命中率也只有40%，比平常低了8%左右；

沙克-奥尼尔拿到了15分7篮板，投篮命中率还是高达60%，但罚球命中率是辣眼睛的10罚3中。

Both shooters scored the same amount as Shaquille O'Neal, and both shot 50%!

This is mainly because the Pacers' defense was targeted at LeBron James and Shaquille O'Neal, and they did not pay much attention to them.

Apart from them, no one else scored even over 5 points.

Gibson, who started the game, only had 3 points and 1 assist.

Such a performance obviously failed to satisfy Mike Brown. After the game, he criticized Gibson: "He is totally out of shape. He needs to think carefully about what he can do for this team. He looks like he is totally unprepared! His performance tonight was disappointing!"

But the reporters at the scene were not easy to deal with. They didn't want to listen to Mike Brown talking about Gibson, a rookie whose full name they couldn't even remember. Their target was LeBron and Shaq!

"The team lost by 58 points, is it just because this rookie didn't play well?"

"LeBron and Shaq seemed to have some arguments during the game. Did something happen between them?"

"No one expected such a rout. Mike, do you think the Cavaliers' style was restrained by the Pacers?"

"This game exposed a huge incompatibility issue between LeBron and Shaq. Mike, do you think this issue can be resolved?"

……

Mike Brown's forehead was covered with beads of sweat, and as the reporters asked increasingly sharp questions one after another, his face became more and more flustered.

Because he couldn't answer any of these questions.

"Daniel really disappoints me!" He could only continue to criticize Gibson.

On the other side, Shaquille O'Neal was not feeling well either.

When the final score was determined and he lost to Su Wan by 58 points again, he really had the urge to retire on the spot.

only……

"Shaq, do you think you still have the ability to earn 2 million now?"

"Shaq, you had an argument with LeBron during the game, which made the score completely out of control. As the Cavaliers' highest-paid player, should you be held responsible for this loss?"

"LeBron needed a pick-and-roll, but you refused to go with him. This happened more than once. Shaq, do you think you are the problem for the Cavaliers?"

When this group of reporters who obviously came with other purposes stood in front of him and asked malicious questions, he knew very well that if he did not fight back, then tomorrow morning, all the responsibility for the Cavaliers' loss would be put on his head.

"I know very well what I can bring to this team. I created a dynasty with the Lakers, and everyone knows that. This is my confidence. I have successful experience, and I want to share this experience with everyone on the Cavaliers, including LeBron, but this takes time. Tonight was a rout, and each of us has a responsibility. My responsibility is that I didn't let the game go in the direction I thought I could win. I backed down. If I doubt everything that won me the championship, and can't stick to what I think is the right path, that would be the biggest loss for the Cavaliers! In the future, I will stick to my path. This game is a warning from God to me!"

When in doubt, the O'Brien Cup!

Shaquille O'Neal came clean and said, "I am the three-time champion." What champion are you talking about?
The high school pretend league champion?
It’s not that I don’t cooperate with him, but that he doesn’t cooperate with the right path and play the right basketball!

Then these reporters with ulterior motives were speechless.

They can't say that Shaquille O'Neal's championship experience is outdated, right?
Regardless of whether this makes sense or not.

The key is that the person they want to protect doesn't even have the old-fashioned experience.

So far in his career, he has only made it to the playoffs once, and Su Wan shaved his head cleanly.

LeBron didn't know that the media behind him had been defeated by Shaquille O'Neal next door.

He was answering questions from reporters:

"There's nothing wrong with me and Shaq, we're fine, it's just that we were both a little emotional at the time, but that's normal, isn't it?"

"This is a bitter defeat. We lost badly. Like I said, the Pacers are really a group of great guys. Jermaine O'Neal should be the best power forward in the league. Ron, I always knew he was the best perimeter defender in the league. Boris's performance was great, and Jose, they supported the Pacers' tactical system. They are the engine of the Pacers. And Anthony Parker, I heard he was the MVP of the European League? That's his strength..."

"Of course Suwan is great, but it is undeniable that the entire Pacers team is a group of very good guys!"

Erin was among the reporters interviewing LeBron. When she heard LeBron say this, she couldn't help but say, "LeBron, you also have a group of very good teammates. Shaq was a five-position player on the All-NBA First Team last season. The Pacers only have one player like him, and that's Suwan. And there's no All-NBA First Team player among Suwan's teammates, right?"

She’s heard LeBron say this more than once after the loss to the Pacers.

It seemed as if Su Wan was able to defeat him only because of better teammates.

This made her very unhappy, very unhappy!
As the "chosen one", he doesn't even have the courage to admit that he is not as good as others or that others are stronger than him.

What kind of "chosen one" is this?

Compared to LeBron, Irene feels that Suwan is more like the "chosen one" in terms of personal strength and aura!
“…Next question!”

LeBron was silent and looked at other reporters.

Irene looked as if she had seen a ghost.

LeBron's escape once again refreshed her bottom line for this guy.

Now she felt more and more that Su Wan deserved the title of "the chosen one".

Back to Su Wan, he had just come out of the shower room in the locker room. When he saw Irene, he snorted coldly: "Reporter Irene, what a powerful official!"

Irene was now familiar with Su Wan's character and knew that he was just joking. She approached him with a smile and said to him, "Then I'll let you touch me as an apology!"

"I won't let you get away with it!" Su Wan put on his clothes.

Irene almost drooled at his muscular body.

She told Suwan what Shaquille O'Neal said when he was interviewed by reporters.

Su Wan's eyes suddenly lit up: "Did Shaq really say that?"

Irene nodded, and then commented on LeBron: "I find that he only knows how to escape, and he doesn't even have the courage to face failure! How can he be called the 'chosen one'?"

Su Wan said: "Have you forgotten his nickname? He is 'King'!"

Is a “king” who admits defeat still a “king”?

Irene raised an eyebrow: "But he's not the 'king' yet!"

Whose Kings don’t have a championship?

Su Wan almost laughed out loud. Irene actually dared to say such bold words.

I don't know if I gave her too much courage.

After finishing the interview with Erin, Suwan called Tyron and said, "Contact as many reporters as possible and report what Shaquille O'Neal said during today's interview. Yes, just report it and don't worry about anything else!"

The next morning, news spread throughout the league that the Pacers had slaughtered the Cavaliers by 58 points.

No one expected that this "battle for the top spot" would actually become a "massacre".

The combination of LeBron and Shaquille O'Neal was so vulnerable in front of Suwan and the Pacers.

Barkley gave his own opinion: "The two players that the Pacers can best control are LeBron James and Shaquille O'Neal. This summer, the Cavaliers' general manager brilliantly combined the two of them together to form a core lineup that was completely controlled by the Pacers!"

"If the Cavaliers' goal in bringing in Shaquille O'Neal was to make the playoffs this season, advance to the second round, or even the Eastern Conference Finals, then given their current ranking, they have great hope! They have achieved their goal!"

"But if the Cavaliers have higher goals, this game tells us the answer..."

"There is absolutely no chance!"

Most media outlets share a similar view to Barkley.

There is no way. This massacre is not 18 points or 28 points, but a full 58 points, which makes people see no hope at all.

what is interesting is……

Many media outlets believed that the Cavaliers lost by 58 points because Shaquille O'Neal was unwilling to cooperate with LeBron.

After these reports came out, many media outlets reported Shaquille O'Neal's response to the media last night:
"Shaquille O'Neal thinks his championship experience can help the team!"

"After a 58-point defeat, Shaquille O'Neal said he will be more determined on his path!"

"Shaquille O'Neal believes his championship experience is the biggest help he can bring to the Cavaliers!"

The two reports from completely different angles collided with each other, and the atmosphere in Cleveland suddenly became subtle.

8 words, brothers, it’s the last day, only about 2 votes away from 200 votes, please give me monthly votes!!!

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(End of this chapter)