Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 368 The Most Difficult Stage in History: The Third Phase of King Chen

Many people imagined this would be the scene in the locker room during halftime.

The head coach loudly gave instructions on tactics and encouraged the players. The whole team responded with a roar, their morale soaring, and they charged onto the field howling like wolves.

But actually, the more important the match, the quieter the halftime is.

Big data shows that people are more likely to stay clear-headed in quiet environments, and this is obviously important on the world's highest basketball stage.

How to make good use of the precious 15-minute rest time after a high-intensity first half is a science.

[Reduce lactic acid!]

Use a stationary bike or resistance band to maintain blood circulation and quickly remove lactic acid from your legs. Then lie down and, with the help of medical staff, elevate your thighs to use gravity to accelerate venous return, prevent muscle stiffness caused by prolonged sitting, and maintain muscle vitality.

90-second "sugar and electrolyte replenishment" - liquid first, then solid.

The strength and conditioning coach will prepare a cup of isotonic beverage containing 6% carbohydrates and 400–500 mg of sodium, which should be drunk quickly to achieve rapid absorption in the small intestine. It is important to know that the intestines are the fastest absorption organ in the human body.

Next up are energy bars, which replenish glycogen and prevent cramps, entering the bloodstream twice as fast as drinking water.

"Cold compress + spray" - apply to large muscle groups first, then small joints.

Apply ice packs only to the biggest heat sources: quadriceps, hamstrings, and Achilles tendon, for 30–40 seconds each; then quickly sweep a cooling spray over the shoulder, elbow, and finger joints to reduce local inflammation and "cool down" the cartilage.

90-second “breathing reset” – 4-4-8 rhythm.

The team psychologist led the team members through two rounds of abdominal breathing exercises: 4 seconds of inhalation, 4 seconds of holding, and 8 seconds of exhalation. This reduced their heart rate from over 160 to around 110, while also lowering cortisol levels, allowing the brain to return to an "executive" rather than a "stress" mode.

60-second "dynamic stretching + activation" - prevents power outages.

In the last minute, do 10 repetitions each of the 5-meter sprint, high knees, and resistance band glute bridge to "wake up" your dormant gluteus maximus and hamstrings, ensuring you still have explosive power in your first step when you return to the court.

This process usually takes 7-8 minutes.

The remaining time will be given to the coaching staff to review the first half and make tactical arrangements for the second half.

Rivers may not be a master in-game player, but he is the league’s premier locker room master.

He always manages to stir up the players' emotions, release negative energy, and reactivate their fighting spirit.

In the 2008-09 season, he used his excellent midfield control to defeat the Lakers, and he also used the same tactic to bring the Lakers to a Game 7 in 2009-10.

The league calls it Rivers-style halftime motivational talk.

Rivers was fiddling with his tactical pen, while Mazura was reviewing the first half. After the players returned to their chairs, he clapped his hands and shouted to everyone, "Look at me, all of you, lift your heads. Have you had enough rest now?"

Once he was sure all eyes were on him, Rivers gave a nonchalant shrug.

"I've been through this kind of scenario before, believe me, there's nothing to be afraid of."

"And I can assure you that I am even calmer than I was back then."

"In the Finals, you're bound to face the league's top opponents, just like back then when you faced Kobe, and now you're facing Leonard."

“This is bound to happen. Just like now, not far away, Nurse will repeatedly tell his players, ‘Oh, Chen Wang is not scary, we have Leonard.’”

"So there's no need to worry, what's meant to come will come."

His hoarse voice and relaxed expression eased the players' emotions, and Chen Fang sat there, breathing evenly.

It must be said that the head coach's language skills are top-notch.

"Tactics? I'll only say two things!" Rivers held up one finger.

"On the defensive end: for every screen Leonard sets, we should force a switch, preferring to let him shoot a long two-pointer rather than let him go inside to score."

"On offense: the point guard must relentlessly attack the paint, and the second and fourth guards should provide support and screen for Chen Wang. If there is no passing opportunity, draw fouls."

"Covering from above and below is something we have to try every round, and freeing up Chen Wang is the core strategy for this game."

"Once the shot is taken, the inside players rush for the rebound, and the outside players delay the play. In the third quarter, we play full-court press, half-court defense, collapse the paint, and switch on every possible move."

After saying that, Rivers threw down his tactical pen and looked at Chen Wang: "Finally, the captain will speak!"

Chen Fang stood up. He felt that the coach's words were very concise, so he subconsciously felt that he shouldn't go on and on.

He was thinking, and the whole team was watching him, so Chen Fang began to scan them one by one, carefully looking at each person's face.

Dillon's arrogance, Jaren's adoration, Ross's steadfastness, Zubac's silence, Beverley's eagerness, Lou Williams' composure, Thornwell's desire, Brunson's anticipation, and Richon's ferocity.

Finally, he looked at Rivers.

Suddenly, he remembered a phrase, so he said, "We're not losing this game!"

We will not lose this game!

This is what Rivers said to the team at halftime after Game 4 of the 2008 NBA Finals, when they came back from a 24-point deficit to defeat the Lakers.

Garnett told him this story.

Rivers was taken aback at first, then beamed with joy. He truly recalled his past glories, his eyes shining as he repeated, "We're not losing this game!!"

Everyone started to get excited, and after the head coach and Chen Wang repeated it again, the whole team started shouting together: "We're not losing this game!"

In the TNT live stream, the four were discussing the final outcome of the match.

Smith began, “Rivers’ tactical repertoire is not complicated—superstar pick-and-roll, mismatch punishment, shooter distraction, tough defense, supplemented by highly inspiring motivational speeches.”

“Yes, when a team has a top star or a bench mob, those few moves can be deadly,” Barkley admitted, but then added, “But!”

"But when role players need complex passing and cutting or off-the-ball tactics, his system appears thin, which is the underlying reason why he has been repeatedly overturned."

"The reason he was able to win a championship with the Celtics is because that team had enough experience, a full range of roles, a spiritual leader, a scoring spearhead, a defensive anchor, and everything else."

"Therefore, I don't have high hopes for the Clippers!" Barkley concluded.

Shaquille O'Neal shook his head: "Brother, I'm not just refuting things out of habit, but I think Chen Wang is strong enough, and the Raptors aren't the Lakers or Spurs, who have the experience to win the Finals."

"In comparison, Rivers is easier to control the pace of the game than Nurse."

"As we're talking, can't you not imagine how Rivers will awaken this young pirate ship in midfield?"

O'Neal's words made Barkley fall into deep thought. He wanted to refute them, but couldn't find a rebuttal for a moment.

"The second half is about to begin, and the answer might be in the third quarter!" Kenny Smith said, trying to smooth things over.

The once-silent Scotiabank Centre erupted in cheers the moment the home team emerged from the players' tunnel.

When the Clippers players appeared, the cheers quickly turned into boos.

Chen Fang was leading the way. He walked with a relaxed demeanor and even looked with interest at the stands on both sides of the player tunnel. Many Raptors fans faced him directly, booing loudly and making various mocking and threatening gestures and expressions.

He nodded slightly, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Seeing this, many people couldn't help but have some doubts.

"He really became a superstar!"

Even now, many Chinese people still feel like they're dreaming about Chen Fang's meteoric rise to power.

Even though he made a game-winning shot against the Warriors and defeated LeBron James, it was still seen as a temporary phenomenon. Even if he had a superhuman performance in Game 3 and broke the current NBA Finals record, people still hold this view.

But at this moment, when they saw Chen Fang walk out of the tunnel, followed by a dozen Clippers players with stern faces and a fierce aura, this lineup was like the aura of a top leader. Combined with Chen Fang's kingly disdain, it immediately sparked the brilliance of superstars.

"So handsome!"

Even Durant and Curry couldn't help but praise him.

"He really has the look of a superstar. I don't know why, but I just felt that the Clippers were going to win the championship today," Curry continued.

"It feels right, I had the same thought just now." Durant sighed. Aura, ah, this is the ultimate dream he has been tirelessly pursuing.

In the third quarter, Rivers made adjustments to the starting lineup.

Zubacs, Richon, Dillon, Holiday, and Chen Wang.

The reason for substituting Jaren was that he didn't perform well in pick-and-roll situations.

The Clippers also made adjustments on defense.

Holiday was assigned to defend Leonard, Dillon faced Lowry, and Chen Fang continued to be the player who switched on defense throughout the game.

Richie Jennings will face Siakam, while Zubac will continue to clash with Gasol in Europe.

The Raptors had possession, and Lowry stopped at half-court. Siakam set up a center position to delay him in the middle high post, and Lowry dribbled around to run a 14 high mismatch screen.

He then passed the ball to Siakam, creating a 4-on-3 mismatch.

Siakam didn't hesitate; he received the ball and dribbled laterally, then used his wider frame to break through Dillon's defense.

But if he can score, it won't be easy; this is just a tactic set up for Leonard's next move.

When Lowry and Siakam ran a pick-and-roll, Leonard had already leaned against Holiday, squeezed into the three-point line, and hung on the outside of the elbow area inside the wing.

When Siakam dribbled in, he suddenly accelerated laterally and made a handoff with Siakam.

Leonard, having received the ball, is one meter inside the free-throw line, facing Dillon directly.

This distance was his killing zone. Leonard turned and dribbled, using this to squeeze and lean against Dillon. During this process, he jumped up with the ball, and Dillon had no space to jump at all, so he could only raise his arms to interfere.

So, fans saw Leonard, with overwhelming force, toss the ball into the basket with one hand.

"58:62."

"The Raptors started with a successful play, with Leonard scoring inside."

It's impossible to review every single possession. At the NBA level, especially in the Finals, players are mentally prepared, and as long as they don't concede points in consecutive possessions, their rhythm won't be disrupted.

Chen Fang walked forward, accompanied by Zubac. When they reached the center circle, Zubac took the initiative to stick to Leonard, while Anunoby came over to help defend.

Chen Fang didn't move because the Clippers' screen was still in progress.

The four players continued to entangle each other. After a couple of steps, Holiday, who had the ball, passed it to Dillon, who then came over to set a screen for Zubac. Zubac, freed up, immediately cut to the basket from center, and Dillon passed the ball to him.

This kind of pass to the center is very difficult to intercept, which is the underlying logic of modern basketball: relying heavily on centers as playmakers and facilitators.

As Zubac received the ball, Holiday set a screen for Chen Fang, entangled Leonard, and Chen Fang moved forward with Anunoby. Chen Fang was faster and overtook Anunoby by half a body length.

Zubac made a pass from the top of the arc, and Chen Fang, who was rushing in from the wing, was completely unaffected by Anunoby. He caught the ball with his left hand and started his layup.

Ibaka's defensive play was timely, but he underestimated Chen Fang's height.

When he tried to jump, it was too late, because Chen Fang had already leaped to his chest, raising his hands in a final act of defiance.

"Whoa!" Ke Fan jumped up from the commentary booth, along with Duan Ran.

From their perspective, they could see the stands below, where countless people were doing the same thing.

"A death dunk!"

"It's been so long. We haven't seen him since Chen Wang sprained his ankle."

"Ibaka had no room or time to react. Lying on the floor, he didn't seem to have recovered from the blow."

“The King of Chen stood beside him, looking down at him like an eagle eyeing its prey.”

"It was so sudden, as if it had been lifted more than ten centimeters into the air. Nobody could have imagined it. Anunoby, who was guarding him, is still holding his head in his hands, as if he still can't believe what he's seeing."

Chen Fang stepped out of the Raptors' restricted area and gave his teammates a big high-five. He hadn't even thought about this play himself; it was just that when he jumped up at the last moment, a sudden urge to dunk surged within him.

This dunk can only be considered a beginner-level poster dunk, but on the stage of the finals, it is already a top-notch dunk.

Both teams' key players scored in the first offensive possession, which foreshadowed their offensive strategies for the rest of the game.

Chen Fang started running, weaving through the crowd, and finally received the pass at the top of the arc and shot. Just as he landed, Leonard swept past him.

Gasps of surprise erupted from the stands, followed by cheers of relief.

"Chen Wang's fourth three-point attempt missed!"

Conversely, Leonard, under pressure, was subjected to a barrage of vicious fouls from Dillon.

Referee Mark blew his whistle, not only calling a foul on Dillon but also calling out to the center line to issue a warning.

"Don't show up again, I won't show any mercy."

Dillon spread his hands, feigning innocence as he muttered to himself.

Leonard made both free throws, widening the gap to 4 points again.

Chen Fang continued his off-ball run, and this time, it took him twelve seconds to finally get the ball again.

This time, he used a fake shot to knock away Anunoby, who was trying to help defend, before taking the shot.

Leonard, who had just arrived, watched the ball go in frustration, especially when he saw it go in; he clapped his hands in annoyance.

The commentators were excitedly shouting, with Yu Jia yelling, "Fourth three-pointer! Beautiful! Chen Wang's score is now 21 points!"

"The score was 63 to 64. The gap between the two teams never exceeded five points from start to finish. That's the intensity of the finals. Neither side has an absolute advantage."

Chen Fang, who scored the goal, slowly retreated, focusing on conserving his energy, with a premonition in his heart.

"Curry-esque scoring, Chen Wang used a lot of off-ball movement and screens from his teammates to get open shots."

"This is a fantastic strategy, but it will also have a side effect."

David paused for a moment: "Then it's about Chen Wang's physical strength, whether he can hold on until the very end."

In front of the television, Durant asked Curry, "Look how disgusting this is."

"He's still very inexperienced. There's really no need for him to run so much. With that last play, he could have easily gotten rid of the ball on the third try by turning back." As a master-level off-ball player, Curry analyzed the situation very seriously.

"His choice was problematic," Durant said, seemingly unconcerned.

"He doesn't have your stamina. If he continues playing like this, he'll be nothing but an empty shell in the fourth quarter!"

Hearing Durant's resolute statement, Curry seemed thoughtful. After a long pause, he suddenly spoke up: "Don't you know?"

"what do you know?"

Curry turned his head and looked intently at Durant.

"You never realized that Prince Chen actually went through three stages?"

"What? You mean American comics?" Durant chuckled at first, then quickly became serious.

“This is the normal phase!” Curry pointed to the television.

"G3 was a period of godlike performance, which is easy to understand."

"But actually, King Chen had another phase, though it appeared very rarely!"

"Have you forgotten? Last year, when Chen Wang scored the first game-winning shot against us, he was actually exhausted by the third quarter, but his eyes shone brighter as the game progressed."

"In the final moments, he didn't even have the strength to move to get away, but at the moment of release, his shot was still accurate and swishy!"

"From that day on, I knew that this person had a power that transcended his physical body."

"This is what I consider to be the third stage of King Chen's reign!"

"More terrifying than being a god."

I'd interpret it as a countdown phase!

Durant's mouth dropped open, his expression blank.

On the Raptors' bench, Nurse remained surprisingly calm, making no changes whatsoever.

He told his assistant coach, "If Chen Wang chooses to score using the most physically demanding method, I'm willing to bet on it."

"Tell Kahuai to just do his best to keep up and defend."

The game continued, and Leonard gradually felt the pressure because it was no longer possible to defend him directly. Now the whole team needed to help defend Chen Wang's movement, and he began to use his energy on offense.

When Chen Wang was scoring, Leonard was also scoring.

After seven minutes of the match, all the commentators felt comfortable.

"The game is back on track, and Chen Wang has brought the Clippers back into contention, keeping the score close."

"Leonard used his scoring kaleidoscope to keep the Raptors in a slim lead."

"Beautiful! Chen Wang's first back-to-the-basket jump shot, Ibaka had no chance."

"32 points! That's what a superstar is like. He doesn't falter, especially in crucial moments." Just as Yu Jia was praising him, Leonard and Lowry set a handoff screen, and Leonard unexpectedly pulled up for a three-pointer on the wing.

"Oh! The ball went in! Leonard's first three-pointer. Coincidentally, when Chen Wang made his first fadeaway jumper, Kawhi immediately responded in kind."

“Dillon has no way to defend him, just like Ibaka did in the last round.”

"Both players are a level above current players, and given the opportunity, they can pose a huge threat."

"Leonard has 28 points. Well, in Game 6 today, the suspense remains. Nobody can see what the future holds!"

The commentators were all excited. Once the pace of the game picked up, their minds couldn't accommodate any other thoughts; they were completely absorbed in commentating on the game.

Tang Jun, who was also providing commentary, was holding his head in frustration: "If this continues, King Chen will be dragged down."

"Physical fitness is a huge problem. Compared to Leonard, Chen Fang is at most half as good."

Mazura approached Rivers, but was stopped before she could speak.

"I know what you want to say, but at this moment, you have to choose to believe him."

"He knows what he's doing."

Rivers' words also brought Mazura to his senses, and he turned his gaze to the number 21 figure on the field.

Yes, how could Prince Chen not know!
Upon receiving the ball, turn and pull the ball to the side, step forward and press down, use a crossover dribble to extend and mislead the opponent, then suddenly close the ball, pull back the leg and lift the hip.

Leonard reacted extremely quickly, raising his hand that was already in front of him. He almost touched the basketball, but in the end, he could only tap Chen Fang's chest.

Staggering backward after landing, Chen Fang maintained his shooting form, watching the ball pierce the net before looking back at Leonard.

"The Clippers are now leading by 1 point!"

“Follow my lead!”

This was the first time Chen Fang had spoken to Leonard.

Leonard raised his chin and remained silent, pursing his lips.

Watching Chen Wang's retreating figure, Leonard's hardened will began to crack slightly, even without his own awareness.

Prince Chen!

For some reason, Leonard's emotions began to fluctuate.

In the next round, he took the initiative and adopted a tough stance.

They scored only one of their three attempts, while the Clippers countered twice, easily widening the gap to four points.

Nurse noticed this detail and immediately substituted Leonard.

"Two more minutes, take a break," Nas explained gently. Leonard sat down blankly, panting and asking for water.

"Fourth quarter, fourth quarter!" As soon as he finished speaking, Nas saw that Chen Wang had also been substituted.

And Rivers' first words to King Chen were strikingly similar.

"Fourth quarter!"

(End of this chapter)