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Chapter 253 Winner's Mindset: A Job That Makes You Feel Younger (Third Update, Requesting Monthly Tickets!)

In competitive sports.
Life's ups and downs can come suddenly, often catching people off guard.

Before the Eastern Conference Finals began, who could have imagined that James, who had already reclaimed his crown with the Knicks, would see his reputation plummet again due to his poor performance in the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals?
Before Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals, even within the Warriors team, there was a lot of discussion about LeBron James's "kneeling down to propose" to the referee and his belief in the "player-ball unity" principle.

"I'm curious, have we already beaten the Lakers?"

It wasn't until Qin Yue spoke up to remind him.

The Warriors players then turned their attention back to their upcoming Game 3 against the Lakers.

“He’s still as strict as ever,” Brown said, turning his gaze to Qin Yue, whose expression was serious.

"But that's precisely why we were able to win championship after championship under his leadership," Dunleavy said from the side.

Qin Yue was well aware that this year's Eastern Conference Finals, thanks to James's series of antics, had garnered just as much attention as the Western Conference Finals, which had been incredibly popular.

However, in Qin Yue's view, before the Warriors secured their spot in the NBA Finals, it was far from the time when the Warriors could freely discuss the situation in the Eastern Conference like they do now.

In the first two games of the Western Conference Finals, the Lakers' tenacious resistance made Qin Yue fully aware of the pressure they put on the Warriors.

Qin Yue knew very well that with the Western Conference Finals moving to Los Angeles and the Staples Center, if the Warriors relaxed, they would likely suffer a series of defeats.

Especially given that Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals will be officiated by the notorious "biased referees" Tony Brothers.

as predicted.

In Game 3 against the Lakers that night, referee Tony's biased officiating immediately made the Warriors players fully realize what it meant to "I can defend you like this, but you can't defend me like this."

Moreover, as the league's go-to referee for controlling the game, Tony's brilliance lies in the fact that he doesn't call biased calls against the Warriors in every possession.

Instead, by adopting a stricter officiating standard at first and then looser, the Lakers were given an off-court weighting that was difficult for outsiders to detect.

As we all know, in a basketball game, if the defense loosens up, it will take them longer to tighten up again, and it will also easily disrupt their own rhythm.

Furthermore, Tony's unpredictable officiating standards have left Warriors players unsure whether or not to make a call during defense.

At the end of the first quarter, Qin Yue spoke to the biased referee Tony, saying, "Tony, you have to give us a clear definition of the rules, otherwise we simply can't defend."

Upon hearing this, the ruthless referee Tony responded to Qin Yue, saying, "You know, we are human too. As long as we are human, we are bound to make mistakes and omissions. Therefore, I cannot guarantee you the standard you are asking for."

"FUCK!" Upon seeing this, Qin Yue angrily rebuked the other party, "You are blatantly blowing your own biased whistle to exonerate yourself."

Under pressure from Qin Yue, the biased referee Tony sent Curry to the free-throw line multiple times in the second quarter.

However.
If you think that the corrupt referee Tony will change his ways because of this, you're sorely mistaken.

In the latter part of the second quarter, Brown, Wallace, and Green all faced foul trouble due to minor physical contact that would not have been called a foul before.
Qin Yue immediately cursed, "That damned bastard, he just gave us a few sweet dates and now he's starting again?"

Throughout the first half, under the control of biased referee Tony, the Warriors struggled to find their rhythm and trailed 54-62.

During halftime, Qin Yue, who had been vehemently criticizing the referee but was actually more composed than anyone else, said to his teammates, "I'm angrily criticizing the referee's calls just so we won't be completely unfairly treated. But why are you arguing with the referee? Are we a team that can't play if there's a biased call?"

Qin Yue knew very well that arguing with the referee was pointless at any time.

In response, Curry said, "The boss is right, we can only respond with our performance on the court."

In the NBA, referee calls are always an integral part of the game.

In many matches, you'll even find that some players are on completely different levels depending on whether there's a whistle or not.

In this Game 3, the Warriors certainly suffered unfair officiating.

But that doesn't mean the Warriors have no hope of winning.

"I'll handle the arguing with the referees in the second half," Qin Yue reiterated before the start of the second half. "What you guys need to do is calm down and put your damn mentality behind you."

After halftime, the Warriors displayed a formidable resilience at Staples Center.

but
It must be stated for the Lakers tonight that they could not have defeated such a Warriors team with the help of the referees alone.

Just like in later generations, even if some players can score 27 points with only 9 shots, does that mean their team can win?

In the fourth quarter, the Lakers' real reason for winning that night was their own outstanding performance.

小加索尔末节5投4中，其中三分球2投2中，罚球4罚4中，总计在末节为湖人拿到了14分4篮板。

Rookie Klay Thompson, who is not afraid of big games, hit a crucial "3+1" for the Lakers in the next possession after the Warriors narrowed the gap to just 2 points.

Slow-motion replays show that Green did indeed foul Klay's cylinder.

In short, Tony, the corrupt referee, is indeed a complete scoundrel.

However, the outstanding performance of the Lakers players and Kobe's calm and composed command were also important reasons why the Lakers were able to win a game at home.

After the game, Warriors head coach Mike Malone said, "First of all, I must congratulate the Lakers for playing their best game in this year's playoffs. Secondly, I hope the league will stop sending blind referees to officiate games, because it really affects the entertainment value of this Western Conference Finals series."

Malone received a $15 fine and a suspension the following day for his post-match criticism of the referees, which would be reimbursed by Qin Yue.

Online, many Warriors fans immediately expressed their dissatisfaction with the league's severe punishment afterward.

However, within the Warriors
But the scene was quite different. "Mike, can you criticize the referees a bit more now?" During a Warriors practice session, Warriors lead assistant coach Lionel Hollins said this.

Upon hearing this, Ma Long looked puzzled and said, "I criticize the referees just so that we won't get unfair calls in consecutive games. Why would I criticize the referees every day?"

Hollins replied, "Because that way, I can become the de facto head coach of this Warriors team."

"."

Malone never expected that Hollins, this little old man, would have such an adorable side.

The Warriors players, upon learning that their head coach would be suspended for one game, did not feel sad for Malone for a moment.

"I think it's time for us to prove that we're a team that can win a championship even if you leash a dog on the sidelines," Dunleavy, who has a good relationship with Malone, quipped within the Warriors.

After the third game, the Warriors players, whose head coach was suspended for one game, were much more relaxed than people imagined.

why?
Because, except for those moments when Qin Yue needed to remind them, this champion team had already developed their own unique winning mentality under Qin Yue's leadership.

Furthermore, the Warriors, who had voluntarily sacrificed their head coach, received some good news before the start of Game 4.

That is, the referee Salvatore, whom James unilaterally believed was intentionally targeting him in the Eastern Conference Finals, will officiate the upcoming Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals.

Warriors players who have experienced Salvatore officiating know very well that he is a referee who often seems out of place with his peers because of his excessive impartiality.

"Damn the league, damn David Stern!" Brown said after seeing the refereeing roster for Game 4. "Does the league have to cheat us in one game?"

A black market operation?
To be honest, if Stern hadn't had a change of heart...
Because the Lakers and Warriors are so evenly matched, Stern decided to let the players decide the outcome of this big reality show.

If it were Adam Silver, the Warriors could already be preparing for a Game 7 against the Lakers.

Because in the Silver era, the script for the upcoming Lakers-Warriors rivalry will definitely be like this:
With the help of the referees, the Lakers won Game 4 and successfully tied the series.

As for Game 5, regardless of who wins, the winning team will definitely be subject to more biased calls in Game 6.

Then came the final Game 7.

Since Adam Silver's intention to make this Lakers-Warriors series last is already achieved, the next step is clearly to return to the essence of competition and let whoever wins win.

In Qin Yue's previous life, it wasn't until Adam Silver gradually realized that his predictable script was seriously affecting NBA viewership that the NBA became slightly more competitive and less prone to referee manipulation.

Although in the NBA, it is still impossible to completely prevent referees from manipulating games.

But the return of competitiveness will at least ensure that fans are happy to watch.

While the Warriors were actively preparing for Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals, the Knicks, who were down 0-2 to the Pacers, managed to pull one back on the road thanks to Durant's 41 points.

However, despite his outstanding performance, Durant was not the focus of the game.

Because Larry Bird made a brilliant comment about LeBron James after the game that night.

"LeBron only took 10 shots, how are we supposed to win?"

It's understandable to be criticized after losing a game.

James, who was criticized even after winning, never expected that at this moment, he would completely become the Pacers' sixth man in the eyes of the fans.

“We need LeBron to take more shots in the game! He is the star of this Knicks team. As for ‘KD’? He’s just a bulldog next to LeBron.”

In the third game against the Pacers, James even achieved the first time in his career that he was chanted MVP by opposing fans in an away game.

just
If James's IQ is not a problem, how could he not know that the Pacers fans chanted MVP for him because of the two victories he gave to the Pacers in the first and second games of the Eastern Conference Finals?
In contrast, consider Qin Yue.

Even though Qin Yue always delivers a spectacular performance for the fans of the City of Angels during his visits to Los Angeles, what he gains is...
All that could be heard was the constant chanting of "FUCK".

On May 26, Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals was played as scheduled at Staples Center.

That night, the Warriors changed their starting lineup from the previous three games.

To ensure the team's offensive firepower in the early stages, Curry was promoted to the starting lineup by Hollins.

Hollins, who handed the tactical board to Qin Yue before the game started, instantly felt the joy of being the head coach of this Warriors team.

Hollins has always been a coach who prioritizes defense over offense.

However, Qin Yue's presence perfectly filled Hollins's shortcomings.

Because Hollins doesn't need to do anything when the Warriors are setting up their offensive tactics.

"Is this where Mike usually stands?"

As he watched the Warriors' starting five step onto the court one by one, Hollins, standing on the sidelines, muttered to himself, "No wonder Mike seems to get younger and younger while coaching a team like this."

……

PS: Third update, totaling 10,000 words!

(End of this chapter)