Generation Z Artists

Chapter 219 Eastern Conference Finals Preview
His esteemed commander led his loyal soldiers into battle.

The Wizards won.

The Wizards have won a winning streak.

Holy crap, the Wizards are going crazy!
In the twelve games since Fang Xinghe's return, the Wizards have remained undefeated, leaving the Eastern Conference powerhouses trembling in fear.

There weren't even any particularly noteworthy battles.

Without a defense of Finals intensity, no defensively strong team can pose a real challenge to the Wizards.

Fang Xinghe's superb ball-handling and three-point shooting skills, coupled with his rim-attacking prowess, made him virtually unstoppable in this era.

A consensus is gradually forming in the basketball world: there are three prerequisites for defending against the Wizards.

First, there must be a top-tier wing player of sufficient size and extremely high agility to defend the SR on the outside.

Second, there must be a top-class interior defender who can cover the perimeter and sweep the defense.

Third, there must be a small forward who can match up against Jordan, reduce his one-on-one efficiency, and try to disrupt passing lanes.

In other words, Kobe led the defense, Garnett swept the paint, Pippen guarded Jordan, and the other two defensive players couldn't be weak either; they had to keep up with the long-distance runners and stop Campbell.

In this way, the Wizards' triangular outside offense can no longer function effectively.

In theory, this is the only way to guarantee a win.

But in fact……

Go to hell! Is that even human language?!
During the game against the Timberwolves, Garnett's help defense and sweeping play was a one-man show in the paint.

However, Brother Fang turned Chauncey Billups into a flounder and a whiny monster.

What is an outer triangle pattern?

You went to the right low post to help defend Jordan. Danzi passed the ball back to Robinson, who immediately moved the ball to Fang Xinghe in the left half of the court. He broke through in one step, and even a god couldn't help defend in time.

Moreover, Hamilton wasn't a dead man; he was left half-empty in every game, which allowed him to reach the pinnacle of his career.

When playing against the Spurs, Duncan stayed in the paint and didn't come out, Bruce Bowen guarded Danny, and then Robinson got cocky and started hitting one-on-one shots against a bunch of perimeter players like Steve Kerr, Smith, and Parker.

Power forward playing guard, it's fucking brutal...

Fang Xinghe barely broke a sweat before the Twin Towers Spurs collapsed.

At this point, Popovich had not yet reached his full potential, and his ability to adjust on the court was quite average. The twin towers' rim protection did stop Fang Xinghe from wreaking havoc under the basket, but the Wizards' tactics were a natural counter to the twin towers.

Fang Xinghe's three-pointer, Hamilton's positioning, and the fact that all the other teammates have a good mid-range shot made Duncan's elbow sweeps simply unstoppable.

When they were hitting the calves, the mad scientist led the team on a crazy run.

Nowitzki's defense is average, but he covers Robinson more than enough.

And then... no more.

Danzi couldn't keep up with the pace and played a game of "healthy basketball." Fang Xinghe led his small lineup and launched a series of attacks, completely dismantling the Mavericks' already weak defense.

After the game, Don Nelson wasn't upset at all; instead, he went on a tirade of praise for Fang Xinghe.

"He's a miracle among point guards! I absolutely love his incredible passing in open play! No head coach wouldn't want him. I feel like my complete run-and-gun offense is only missing a point guard, and I'd pay any price for his three-year stock options..."

The three biggest praising figures among the league's head coaches are Don Nelson, Mike D'Antoni, and George Karl.

They were all incredibly sycophantic, but what they valued was completely different.

Old Nelson pursued the ultimate run-and-gun offense and loved Fang Xinghe's passing vision in chaotic situations.

D'Antoni holds an aggressive philosophy of spacing, speed, and point guard dominance, and he drools over everything Fang Xinghe has to offer.

Karl's strategy is fast-paced and focused on three-pointers, aiming to build a team with Fang Xinghe as the core and unleash a barrage of outside shots.

In short, the radicals treat Fang Xinghe like a treasure, with the main theme being "Brother Fang may have tormented me a thousand times, but I still cherish Brother Fang as my first love."

In fact, the team management also has three big fans – Pat Riley of the Heat, James Dolan of the New York, and Larry Bird.

Bolin is not among them; Bolin treats Fang Xinghe as his father.

Actually, New Yorkers can be pretty crazy too. In the game on April 1, 2002, when the Wizards played the New York Knicks on the road, Fang Xinghe went a bit too far and got the New Yorkers into a frenzy.

That day was Fang Xinghe's 17th birthday, and huge celebratory signs were erected early in the core business districts of downtown Washington, D.C., Times Square in New York, and the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles.

American beauties have taken over the front row of Madison Square Garden, with various beauties sitting in the VIP seats, looking glamorous.

Before the match, the camera panned across the scene, and these sexy women blew kisses one after another. Some of them even suddenly pulled down their necklines, which startled CCTV-5 so much that they immediately switched the camera.

Fortunately, the CCTV-5 broadcast was delayed, otherwise it would have been a real disaster...

But the American media broadcasts didn't care about any of that, so the subscribers to this game were thrilled, getting to see at least twenty or thirty top-level matches.

Only Fang Sheng did not look to the side.

He was completely indifferent to the white woman; she was hairy, smelly, and had rough skin. She might be okay from a distance, but there was no need for close contact.

The competition began, and the birthday boy, in high spirits, immediately got into the game.

This terrible team is perfect for Fang Xinghe to play to; he can score at will with his drives, shots, and passes.

Because he played so relaxed, Fang Xinghe made all of his first 5 shots, including 4 three-pointers and a layup with a 2+1 play, scoring 15 points in the first 3 minutes.

From then on, even the true New York fans began to turn against him, chanting his name wildly for the entire game.

Fang Xinghe had never seen such an exaggerated scene in an away game before. In his excitement, he swung the ball a few more times.

Seeing this, Danzi decided to only stay for 20 minutes before going to the sidelines to drink goji berry tea.

Seeing that Fang Daddy was in such good form, the other Wizards players exchanged glances and quietly began to hold back on defense, afraid of blowing the game out too early.

So the Knicks went all out and actually managed to put up a pretty good fight against the Wizards.

In the end, Fang Xinghe played for 40 minutes and put up a bloody statistic that will dominate Asian players for a century—

24投20中，三分14中12，罚球14中14。

66 points, 6 assists, 6 rebounds, 6 steals, and 6 blocks.

This was Fang Xinghe's game with the fewest assists in his career, but also the game in which he displayed his most aggressive style of play.

Every player has nights when they're on fire and the basket seems like an ocean; it's nothing to be amazed about.

However, because it was Fang Xinghe's birthday that night, and because the opponent was New York, this game became particularly special.

New York Daily News: "SR's Birthday Night: Bloodshed in New York! The Big Apple Shouts 'Holy King!'"

Tell me, isn't this outrageous?

New York media outlets even proclaimed: "SR is the born king of New York! Madison Square Garden is his promised land! James Dolan, when will you bring back our king?"

James responded immediately: "My communication with SR has been very pleasant, and I will do everything in my power to bring him home!"

New York fans cheered, but in reality, the so-called exchange between the two was just Dolan calling out to him from the sidelines. Fang Xinghe gave the guy a high-five, and then Dolan started acting crazy.

He kept babbling and shouting, but Brother Fang didn't hear a word he said.

The main problem is that there's not much to talk about with them—they can refer to any NBA owner, coach, or player.

Anyone who thinks Fang Xinghe has any connection with the NBA is deluding themselves.

Well, judging from this, New Yorkers are the most self-deluded.

After the game, New York media bombarded him with a lot of strange questions, but Fang treated everyone the same and ignored them all.

Then his relatives in the countryside of New York jumped out to make their presence known, accusing Fang Xinghe of manipulating data.

There was one rebound where Campbell and Jim were positioning themselves to give it to Fang Xinghe, and it was thanks to that rebound that Fang Xinghe managed to get the 66-point total.

Fang Biwang replied, "6 is a very auspicious number in Chinese culture. My teammates are willing to let me win, which proves that I have truly conquered them. Your doubts about me prove that I haven't convinced you yet. Very well, see you in the playoffs."

When Kidd saw the news, he felt like the sky had fallen.

"Damn it! Why did you guys go and provoke him again? You're all so bored!"

Now, no one doubts whether the Wizards can make the playoffs. These Eastern Conference powerhouses are all watching the Wizards' wins closely, wondering where they want to go and who they want to face.

But actually...

Fang Xinghe didn't intentionally pick anyone. All the Eastern Conference teams were countered by this Wizards team. Well, that doesn't quite add up. It should be said that all the zone defense teams were countered by Fang Xinghe's style of play.

Whether it's a 32-zone or a 23-zone defense, it's like trying to solve one problem only to have another pop up.

After a few days of noise and speculation surrounding the "birthday blood feast," the media's attention has shifted to the playoff bracket.

Apart from the Wizards, Eastern Conference teams are clearly starting to make various ulterior motives.

In April, the Wizards lost one game, then went on a winning streak. During this period, some teams avoided playing point guard, which helped the Wizards climb to fourth place in the Eastern Conference.

On April 17, 2002, the Wizards easily defeated the Raptors at home, officially concluding the regular season.

The final record was 47 wins and 35 losses, ranking fourth in the Eastern Conference.

In the first round of the playoffs, they will face the Orlando Magic; in the second round, they will most likely face the Nets; and in the third round, they will face one of the Pistons, 76ers, or Celtics.

I don't know which bastard was so malicious as to deliberately let the Wizards face the Nets in the second round, and then put up their best in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Judging from the game-tying behavior, it's highly likely to be either the Pistons or the Celtics.

But what's the use?

If we run into you, we'll crush you all!
……

This year's playoffs have surpassed the levels of attention and exposure seen in the previous two years.

Jordan's second comeback could see him win another championship.

Fang Xinghe swept the league in his rookie year.

OK's final step in their three-peat was suddenly met with a formidable opponent.

Eastern superstar vows to take down SM Entertainment...

Every single one of these incidents deserves to be on the front page, and even more so, it deserves heated discussion.

The fans seemed to be on a high, dancing and partying around the arena—the MCI Center was especially crowded, as this year's playoff tickets were already unaffordable for many.

Washington is too rich, and that's the problem. True fans can't afford tickets, but those just there for the fun throw around $1000.

This 1000 is for a ticket hanging on the mountaintop, which is ridiculously expensive.

Fang Xinghe didn't get any money, so he mocked Bolin without restraint: "I thought you would open up the rooftop ticket seats, with two people hanging on one rope, and you could squeeze in 8000 more people."

Pauline's eyes lit up, and her expression showed great interest.

"Grass!"

Jordan threw down his cigar and quickly pulled Fang Xinghe away.

Before leaving, he warned Pauline: "Don't mess around, this year is crucial!"

"Of course, of course! I know what's important!"

Bolin confidently assured them that once the two men left, he looked up at the stadium's dome.

"..."

Damn retarded!

On the other side, Fang Xinghe and Da Dan returned to the locker room, and instantly, all the teammates turned around to look at the two of them.

How can I describe that look in his eyes?
Full of anticipation, tinged with trepidation, determined yet vulnerable, serene yet capable of conveying a thousand words.

Jordan laughed and scolded, "Are you rookies playing in the playoffs for the first time all scared to death?"

Danzi sat down in the very center with an air of superiority, lit a new cigar, and arrogantly raised his head: "Go ahead and fight! I'm back in my battle armor to cover for you!"

Very good, the nursing home doorman in the team is in good spirits.

The kindergarten class monitor, not to be outdone, immediately chimed in: "Stay close to me, I'll lead you over there."

Following the principle that the less you talk, the bigger the issue you make, Fang Biwang is at least 8% serious today.

But actually, there's no need to perform magic tricks.

Magic McGrady is a scoring champion-level one-on-one player, nothing more, and doesn't even deserve to be targeted by tactics.

But he had a very high opinion of himself.

During the warm-up, he specifically sought out Fang Xinghe and said a few words.

"If I were to play you one-on-one, you would lose miserably. Today, I will personally guard you and show you what real NBA intensity is like..."

McGrady also had a restless spirit, and after retiring, he tried to show off and seek attention, but unfortunately, his skills were too poor, and he was criticized every time.

Today is no exception.

"Oh."

Fang Xinghe nodded perfunctorily, clearly telling him, "Then I will pass the ball."

McGrady, of course, didn't believe it and sneered, "Heh."

Two hours later, the laughter subsided.

Fang Xinghe crushed the magic trick simply by organizing.

In fact, when Magic McGrady gets serious, he is the most effective outside shooter against Fang Xinghe in the entire league.

He is of good size, has a long wingspan, is extremely agile, moves very quickly laterally, has outstanding jumping speed, and has experience defending perimeter forwards.

In a short period of time, Magic McGee can simultaneously delay Fang Xinghe's breakthrough and interfere with Fang Xinghe's three-point shooting.

Kobe's tenacious defense, though seemingly tough and aggressive, was actually less effective than McGrady's.

But the problem is...

McGrady's stamina simply didn't allow him to play an all-out offensive and defensive game.

Fang didn't take him seriously at all, thinking he could win easily by playing normally. But this guy took it too seriously and kept getting entangled with a point guard who didn't play one-on-one, wasting a lot of energy on meaningless things.

Fang Xinghe's casual passes always found open spaces, and he racked up assists with incredible skill.

With 15 points and 20 assists, Fang Ge finally put up some impressive stats for a point guard, which is truly commendable.

In the second game, McGrady finally learned his lesson.

Then Danzi lectured him.

Basketball trivia: Even at 45, Jordan was still a force to be reckoned with in one-on-one situations, holding his own against the league's so-called defensive stalwarts on the wing.

As long as you give him enough space to isolate and receive the ball in the right position with his back to the basket, the rest depends on his shooting touch that day.

Old man Dan just doesn't play for long, but his back-to-the-basket skills have never declined.

McGrady became withdrawn after being beaten.

In the third game, this guy started to coast on defense and take wild shots on offense.

He had quite a few points, a full 45, but a little Han and a little Ronaldo easily outmaneuvered him.

Wizards vs. Magic, 3-0, a comfortable victory.

After the series ended, McGrady remained defiant: "I didn't lose to anyone. I lost to a team called the Wizards..."

Okay, you win!

Fang Xinghe didn't even bother to respond, and immediately turned his attention to the next opponent.

"I didn't prepare anything special, I'm just looking forward to the rematch with the Nets, but I hope they are well prepared and won't make my game so boring again."

The king of arrogance is back online, and the Nets are trembling.

Kidd replied with remarkable composure: "The playoffs are a completely different battlefield. We are certainly prepared. Good luck to the Wizards."

The strongest team in the East is facing the second strongest team in the East; this is practically the Eastern Conference Finals.

Winning this series would put OK within reach.

　There are still three or four chapters left in the basketball section; he'll show off and then run away.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)