NBA: Starting with the undercut by Parker and Bowen

Hearing the shout, Wilcox snapped out of his daze, remembered the coach's instructions during the timeout, and immediately turned toward the baseline.

Holy crap!

He saw that Marion, who had just come to help defend Yang Lin, had picked up the basketball and was preparing to inbound it to launch a counterattack.

With a start, Wilcox took two long strides and blocked Marion at the baseline.

Yang Lin's persistent efforts, Wilcox's timely reaction, and Battier's constant vigilance barely prevented a quick counterattack from the Suns.

Raja Bell received the ball at half-court and handed it to Nash at the top of the key.

Yang Lin continued to press Nash and began verbally harassing the friend who had treated him to dinner the previous night.

"Steve, did you know that after the merger of the two major North American basketball leagues, only one assists leader ever won the Larry O'Brien Trophy in that season?"

"He is Magic Johnson. But you know what? Magic has five championships and four assists titles, but they only crossed paths once."

"Keep in mind, Magic Johnson only played thirteen seasons. What does that mean? It means the assists leader won't win a championship."

"If I remember correctly, Steve, you've been the assist leader for three consecutive seasons, and you still have a chance to defend your title this season."

"Oh, let's think about who the unlucky ones were before?"

"John Stockton? He was my senior at the Utah Jazz, he had nine assists. We were raising our glasses not long ago, and he was watching from the sidelines, drooling."

"And then there's Jason Kidd, he had five assists titles in six years before you. Tsk tsk~~ He's really something! He used to make the Finals twice, but now he can't even get past the second round of the playoffs."

"Steve! Who do you think will be the next unlucky assist king?"

Yang Lin was just talking nonsense at first.

But as he talked, he began to realize that some of what he said made sense.

After all, history is there!

The data is there!

He also knew that Steve Nash was the next unlucky assist leader, with five assist titles but no championships in his career;

Then came Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook...

Rajon Rondo had a championship, and Kidd later won the Larry O'Brien Trophy with the Mavericks.

However, when they won the championship, they were at most the team's fourth or fifth choice, and could hardly be considered the core figures in the championship victory.

What is trash talk?

This is real trash talk.

Speak the facts, present the evidence, and use irrefutable history to strike at the opponent's vulnerable heart.

Isn't this even more lethal than Garnett's "donut"?

Of course, it depends on the person you're talking to.

Considering that most players in the league have heads that are smaller than their... well, you know.

Civilized trash talk should be used selectively to avoid wasting your breath and only leaving your opponent bewildered.

Nash was an excellent veteran player.

Regardless of his opponent's malicious physical attacks or verbal abuse, he always remained unfazed and focused on his own game.

But Yang Lin's trash talk was like the inescapable buzzing of mosquitoes in summer.

It entered his mind unintentionally, but resolutely.

It impacted his thoughts and shook up his basketball philosophy of many years.

The assist king has no title... Is it true that assists can't guarantee victory?

Nash tried hard to clear his mind and focus all his attention back on the game in progress.

But his dribbling eventually became hesitant, and his passing became uncertain.

Nash was the Suns' on-court engine.

When he has a problem, even just a slight self-doubt, it can affect the team's performance on the field.

In another Suns offensive possession, Nash intended to pass the ball to Marion who was cutting inside, but Yang Lin alertly reached out and blocked the passing lane.

"Snapped!"

With a muffled thud, Yang Lin made the steal.

Even after winning the ball, Yang Lin did not launch a fast counterattack, but instead slowly dribbled the ball across half-court once again.

After three or four possessions, Suns coach Mike D'Antoni finally noticed Nash's unusual behavior on the sidelines.

Finally, during a dead ball situation, they chose to substitute Barbosa.

As soon as he stepped off the court, Nash looked apologetic at D'Antoni and said, "I'm sorry, Mike. I had some problems that caused the team to suffer."

"Oh no, Steve. It's just a minor setback, not worth you apologizing for."

D'Antoni smiled broadly, showing no sign of blaming his star player.

D'Antoni knows who the team's key player is.

However, he also asked with concern, "Steve, can you tell me what trouble you've encountered?"

"Oh my god!"

Nash shook his head and muttered a curse under his breath, then said with a wry smile, "That rookie Finals MVP trash-talked me, and I couldn't refute him!"

D'Antoni asked in surprise, "What kind of trash talk could affect your mood?"

Nash didn't hide anything, saying bluntly, "That rookie said: The assist leader won't win a championship."

After speaking, he slumped into a chair on the bench and continued weakly:

"Most importantly, what he said is true. Apart from Magic Johnson, no one can win the championship in the same season as winning the assists title."

"Even Magic Johnson, with four assists and five championships, only had one in the same season."

D'Antoni reminisced.

And you know what? It seems to be true.

Is it really true that the assist leader can't win a championship?

Is there any necessary connection between these two?

He looked at Nash and immediately noticed the unusual thing about Nash on the court. Nash had been the assist leader for three consecutive seasons.

And this season, barring any unforeseen circumstances, a fourth consecutive title seems almost guaranteed.

Now that someone suddenly tells him that the assist leader can't win a championship, it's no wonder he's not calm about it!

Fortunately, there was that encounter with the Magician, otherwise Nash's moral compass would definitely be shattered by now.

I'm researching perpetual motion machines, and you're talking to me about the conservation of energy.

Go to hell with this shitty world!

Now, not only Nash, but even D'Antoni is starting to hesitate, wondering if there's some necessary connection between the two.

Otherwise...it shouldn't be like this!

Nash tried to calm himself down on the sidelines, constantly telling himself: there is no necessary connection between being the assist leader and winning a championship;

Focus on the current game and don't let your mind wander.

But Yang Lin's words ultimately disturbed his mind;

In addition, the Rockets' defensive tactics in this game effectively cut off Nash's connection with his teammates, forcing him to score on his own.

次节8分、第三节12分、第四节10分，加上首节的5分，纳什本场砍下35分。

Compared to scoring masters like Kobe and Iverson.

35 points is quite high for Nash, and it even puts him in the top five of his career.

But by the end of the game, the Phoenix Suns had only scored 98 points, and Nash's assist stats showed just "5".

With a total of 98 points and Nash contributing 35 points and 5 assists, these are clearly not the kind of stats the Suns need to win.

107:98.

The Rockets avenged their home loss with a 9-point victory on the road.

When the final whistle blew, Yang Lin, who was on the bench, stood up and suddenly felt unwell all over.

Why does it seem like it started strong but ended weakly?

This isn't the kind of passionate revenge I'm looking for.

Marion, with a somewhat shocked smile, quickly walked over to say goodbye to the Rockets' soldiers.

Yang Lin understood that, for him and for the Rockets, the Phoenix Suns with this lineup were no longer an enemy.

Goodbye! The Suns of the classic run-and-gun era.

Goodbye! The classic run-and-gun era.