mountain top

Chapter 252 Don't they always say that players and athletes are one? (Second update, please vote!)

If the first game of the Western Conference Finals was brutal and bloody...

That Western Conference Finals Game 2 was truly the "Auckland meat grinder".

In the second quarter, Curry was tackled to the ground by Paul during a layup attempt.

On the Warriors' bench, Ben Wallace was the first to react, immediately yelling at Curry, "Stop complaining, get back on defense, Stephen!"

Upon hearing this, Curry immediately jumped up and, only after two possessions, when the game entered a dead ball phase, did he complain to the referee, "Wasn't that a foul?"

foul?

Referee Dan Crawford explained to Curry, "I won't blow the whistle for this kind of minor physical contact."

In the next defensive possession for the Warriors, Crawford used his officiating standards to show the young Curry what kind of game this was.

Because it was in the Warriors' paint, when Curry and Paul stole the ball from each other's hands, the refereeing team, led by Crawford, did not blow their whistles for this slight contact.

"This is very likely the most intense match I have ever experienced in my life."

During the official timeout at the start of the second quarter, Curry, in an interview with the on-site host, said, "However, as long as the referees are consistent in their calls, I think I'll enjoy this kind of physical contact."

Despite playing at this scale, both the Lakers and Warriors were still able to complete many high-quality offensive plays.

However, it is inevitable that the shooting percentage of the key players on both teams will decline.

In the first half, among the key players of both teams, only Qin Yue was able to maintain an overall shooting percentage of 8 out of 15 shots, exceeding 50%.

Don't ask, the answer is that Qin Yue, covered in injuries, has already gotten used to this kind of physical confrontation over the past two seasons.

On TNT, Shaquille O'Neal, who felt Qin Yue was simply a monster, said, "How does this guy manage to maintain his shooting touch in a game like this?"

During halftime, looking at Curry covered in bruises, Qin Yue said, "Stephen, do you know, you're a superstar now."

Seeing this, Curry asked, puzzled, "Why do you say that?"

Qin Yue laughed and said, "Because the players who get beaten up by their opponents before stepping onto the court in every game are the true superstars."

Curry really liked Qin Yue's statement.

Especially when she noticed that the bruises on Qin Yue's body were even more terrifying than her own.

Even without Qin Yue, Curry would have gradually gotten used to the fact that his cylindrical shape was different from others.

However, Qin Yue's teachings and example unexpectedly made this baby-faced assassin fall in love with physical confrontation at an early age.

The game resumed after halftime.

Trailing the Warriors by 7 points at halftime, the Lakers launched a fierce comeback in the second half.

On the court, it was Curry, who came off the bench in the third quarter, who extinguished the Lakers' comeback momentum for the Warriors.

This was clearly a night in which Curry fully demonstrated his ability to adapt to high-intensity defense and hit those crucial three-pointers for the team in such a tough, close game.

Furthermore, unlike Green who went on a rampage in the third quarter of the previous game.

A Curry on fire, in terms of both danger level and influence on the court, far surpasses Green.

Oracle Arena, Warriors' offensive possession.

When Curry, who had already scored twelve consecutive points for the Warriors, received the ball, Paul and Klay Thompson on the wing immediately formed a half-double against him in the Lakers' half-court.

What is a half-pair attack?

Simply put, in addition to the player responsible for guarding Curry, the Lakers' wing players will also keep a close eye on Curry and be ready to double-team him at any time.

Compared to double-teaming, the advantage of semi-double-teaming is that, as long as you have a player with fast enough lateral movement, in certain areas, that player can even defend against two opponents at once.

Starting from the first game of the Western Conference Finals, the Lakers players widely used a semi-double-team strategy against Qin Yue.

Curry is the second Warriors player to receive such treatment.

This is undoubtedly another piece of evidence, besides the bruises on Curry's body, that proves he is already a superstar.

After all, if they're not afraid of Curry, why would the Lakers double-team him?
However, when the Lakers simultaneously employed a half-double-team tactic against Curry and Qin Yue, the Warriors' championship pieces on the court, who were originally unable to consistently provide offensive output for the Warriors in this type of game, suddenly came alive under the combined pull of "Qin Yue's gravity" and "Curry's gravity".

For example, Kwame Brown, who is known for his ability to steal wins in games.

In the Lakers' paint, the instant Curry passed the ball to Qin Yue, Brown, having shaken off Gasol's defense, immediately drove into the paint. The next second, receiving a perfect pass from Qin Yue, Brown slammed home a two-handed dunk.

Furthermore, Brown, emboldened by his master's influence, didn't forget to shout at Marc Gasol after landing from his dunk: "So what if he's DPOY!"

Without a doubt, being mocked by someone like Brown on the court is something that's worse than death.

Imagine this: you've achieved godlike status in a game, but the worst player on the opposing team mocks you for being a noob after winning with their teammates. How would you feel?
At this moment, Marc Gasol was in a very bad mood.

Furthermore, Gasol was unable to vent this incredibly bad mood until the end of the game.

Just like the previous game, in the fourth quarter, the Lakers, who had been putting up a tough fight, once again suffered a divine punishment.

With 1 minutes and 14 seconds remaining in the game.

Qin Yue used a double crossover to create shooting space, then raised his hand and shot, and the shot went in, completely ending the suspense of the second game of the Western Conference Finals.

On TNT, Barkley expressed his sadness for the Lakers and Kobe, saying, "Even if Michael Jordan were on the opposing team tonight, I believe the Lakers deserved a victory. But tonight, they were facing a Messiah in god mode."

The final score was 110 to 119.

The Warriors won another game, taking a 2-0 lead in the series.

全场比赛，总计为勇士砍下45分14篮板8助攻4封盖2抢断的秦岳在赛后引来了洛杉矶媒体的集体哀嚎：“全知全能的上帝呐，我们到底要做到何种地步才能击败这支由篮球之神率领的勇士？”

New York, NBA headquarters.

David Stern, who didn't want this heated series to end so soon, knew very well that the Lakers, whose strength was already very close to that of the Warriors, just needed some help to defeat them.

But considering that the referees have been targeting Qin Yue almost every night for the past two and a half years.

So until the first two games of the Western Conference Finals were over, Stern still didn't know how to give the Lakers off-court weighting.

However, Stern's concern for his reputation does not mean that Silver is concerned for his reputation.

"David, I think we can definitely give the Lakers a better hand in terms of officiating, and fans have never liked one-sided games," Adam Silver suggested to Stern after Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals.

Upon hearing this, Stern, knowing that hesitation would only lead to more trouble, said, "Then let's listen to you and let the referees give the Lakers a more favorable call in the next two games."

Having just finished two brutal Western Conference Finals games and leading 2-0, the Warriors headed to Los Angeles, clearly unaware of what awaited them there.

Meanwhile, in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals the following day, a crucial call by the referee in the final moments of the game successfully grabbed headlines across the news.

During the game, the Pacers, who had chanted the slogan "Fight for Granger" before the game, all went into overdrive and dragged the game into the decisive moment.

With 4.7 seconds left in the game, James was called for a foul for "stealing" the basketball from George's hands during a defensive play. James, looking extremely anxious, immediately knelt down on one knee on the court and made a gesture resembling a "marriage proposal" to the head referee, Salvatore.

Although the current NBA does not challenge the rules.

However, in slow-motion replay, it is clear that Salvatore, who is known for his fairness and impartiality, made an absolutely correct ruling.

Moreover, Salvatore's keen eyesight was even more accurate than that of broadcast cameras with no blind spots.

Because from the top of the broadcast, it was clear that James, who was trying to steal the basketball from George, actually hit George's hand.

Why is the correct call that led to the Knicks' upset loss at home so controversial?
"Just yesterday in the Western Conference Finals, Stephen Curry made a similar steal against Chris Paul."

After the game, James appeared extremely aggrieved and protested, "Besides, don't the referees always say that players and players are one? In my opinion, we lost the game entirely because of unfair calls."

That's right.

If we follow the officiating standards of the Western Conference Finals, then James' steal of the ball was indeed not a foul.

But here's the problem.
In this year's Eastern Conference Finals, wasn't the reason why the referees were making stricter calls precisely to give the Knicks more home-court advantage?
Furthermore, is it possible that the so-called "player-ball unity" means that you must at least touch the ball to be considered a player-ball unity?
TNT television station quoted Charles Barkley, who didn't understand why LeBron James would blame the referees after getting a total of 38 free throws in the first two games, as saying: "According to LeBron, then the NBA doesn't need to play basketball anymore, just fight people, because the player and the ball are one!"

Shaquille O'Neal, who couldn't understand why a star of LeBron James' caliber would kneel down and "propose" to a referee over a correct call, said with a sense of unease: "Even setting aside the facts, assuming it was a call that favored the Pacers, LeBron shouldn't have seemed so aggrieved."

After all, Messiah gets unfair calls from the referees every night. If Messiah were like LeBron, how many times would he have to kneel before the referees?

Meanwhile, Smith, who was the first to notice from the slow-motion replay that James was kneeling while trying to find a camera angle to prove his grievance, said: "Besides putting on a show, when will LeBron finally let us see his true talent?"

……

PS: Second update! As a die-hard LeBron fan, I'm really feeling down today, but for some reason, the sadder I am, the more inspiration I get. (TnT)

(End of this chapter)