Champions Creed

Chapter 385 Chapter 384: It's like a script written by God (please give me a monthly ticket!)

I don’t know if the French are unhappy with their lives, but the casual French people like to have fun, and what they fear most is that their lives become boring.

In Dio's opinion, LeBron James is the biggest fun in the entire league.

At the media day press conference this season, when a reporter told Roger that Kobe, Shaq, James and others were unhappy with Roger's early statue erection, Boris Diaw made all the reporters laugh with just one sentence: "Wait, LeBron?"

Now, at the end of the season, he is still making fun of the Chosen One.

In Diaw's opinion, there is no player in the world who is more entertaining than the boy from Akron.

But Manu Ginobili didn't think it was funny at all: "I can't believe that bastard humiliated me like that!"

Facts have once again proved that "You look like LeBron James" can really be used to insult people.

But the Spurs were not affected by Dio's response. Given that the Mavericks and the Lakers had defeated the Warriors, San Antonio fans also believed that the Spurs could break Roger's cruel rule.

The Spurs are very strong this season and have remained in the top three in the Western Conference for a long time.

With Gary Payton and the Admiral leaving, the Spurs did not make drastic changes to the lineup, but only signed some shooters last summer.

Their transformation comes more from within.

This season, Popovich deliberately reduced Tim Duncan's playing time and the frequency of his low-post singles, allowing him to do more supporting work.

The freed-up shooting opportunities were given to Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker.

The Argentine, who got more roles, did not disappoint Popovich and played extremely well this season.

From January to now, Ginobili has scored 1+ points in a single game twice. His presence has given the Spurs extremely strong outside explosiveness.

Thanks to his outstanding performance, Ginobili even surpassed Tony Parker, who was appreciated earlier than him, and entered the All-Star Game.

Bruce Bowen commented on the magical Manu: "With just a pick-and-roll, he can turn into mercury. He slides through the crowd with toxicity. Sometimes there is no chance, but he can flow in and score successfully."

The changes that Ginobili brought to the Spurs were not limited to this. Because Duncan reduced his shots and increased his assists, and the creative Ginobili entered the starting lineup again, the Spurs had more and more active ball transfers, making their offense smoother.

Of course, the Argentine often makes Popovich's blood pressure soar, and some of his choices on the court are too bold.

At first, Popovich scoffed at this. He hoped that Manu Ginobili could play honestly and step by step.

But his assistant coach Mike Budenholzer told him: "Yes, sometimes even we don't know what Manu will do. But this is also the nightmare of the opposing coaches. Manu's unexpectedness means that their arrangements are useless."

In this way, Manu Ginobili became the only privileged player in the Spurs' iron army that values ​​discipline.

Popovich allowed him to occasionally play on his own, which added some gorgeous liveliness to the dull black and silver team.

But unfortunately, Manu Ginobili performed very poorly in all three games against the Warriors.

In three games, Ginobili's shooting percentage exceeded 40% in only one game. Since starting, he has never helped the Spurs beat the Warriors.

In this season's last regular season matchup with the Warriors, Manu Ginobili certainly hopes to avenge his previous defeat.

Whether or not the Spurs can defeat the Warriors will largely determine whether they can be competitive if they meet in the playoffs.

At the game, Manu Ginobili was warming up very seriously.

He doesn't want to play like a loser who contributes nothing to victory in four consecutive games against the Warriors.

The Spurs played very well in the first half of the game.

Ginobili became the key. He used various incredible breakthrough postures to pierce the Warriors' defense again and again and scored 15 points in the first half.

Steve Kerr said with a smile: "Have you ever been to a fitness center full of young girls wearing yoga pants? Some of their difficult yoga moves will make you drop your jaw. In the first half, many of Manu's breakthroughs and layups were ten times more difficult than those!"

At the end of the first half, the Argentinean shook hands with Parker and Duncan and deliberately yelled: "Vince beat him, Kobe beat him, why can't we?"

In the third quarter, Ginobili still maintained his touch and made two three-pointers.

But all of this took a turn for the worse in the fourth quarter.

Ginobili's fourth quarter was filled with a lot of turnovers and missed shots. His breakthroughs were no longer as sharp, forcing him to make a series of pull-up jump shots against the defense.

Unlike Vince Carter who had an amazing touch before, most of Ginobili's pull-up jump shots bounced out of the rim.

Spurs fans still expect the Argentine to continue his previous magical performance, but Craig Popovich knows that is no longer possible.

He realized that Manu Ginobili might not be suitable to start at all.

His physical strength always breaks down at critical moments.

His presence will make Tony Parker seem a bit redundant because Tony Parker now has no off-ball ability at all.

Moreover, Ginobili has been suffering from minor injuries this season, and his durability makes it difficult for him to bear the intensity of the starting game.

It's just that the strength of the opponents in the regular season was uneven. In some games, the Argentine's performance as a starter was indeed outstanding. This overall outstanding performance made Popovich live in the illusion he created, thinking that Manu Ginobili was an excellent starting player.

But the consecutive poor performances against the Warriors prove that Manu Ginobili is not an excellent starting player in high-level confrontations.

In fact, Popovich also discovered this problem in the 05 Finals in the original timeline: "Manu played too fiercely and too aggressively. Most players would get tired after playing for 8 to 9 minutes, but his game intensity would exhaust his energy within 6 minutes. So I would consider letting him come on as a substitute and completely destroy the opponent with his rhythm."

Now, Roger has made him discover the shortcomings of his lineup in advance. Maybe this will allow Popovich to save the next game, but they can't do anything tonight.

Now, the physically exhausted Argentine can hardly contribute terrifying output, and Duncan has a hard time under the joint defense of Stoudemire and Marcus Camby.

Tony Parker's breakthrough can solve some problems, but it doesn't quench thirst.

Roger, on the other hand, played by the book in the first three quarters, but in the fourth quarter, when the team needed him to step up, he immediately scored 9 points in a row to completely end the game.

With 31 seconds left in the game and the Spurs trailing by only 2 points, Tim Duncan still had a chance to turn things around. He caught the ball one step behind the free throw line, then forced past Stoudemire and shot high for a layup.

The basketball bounced on the rim three or four times, but finally bounced out of the basket.

Tim Duncan missed the key shot, Roger grabbed the rebound himself, and Ginobili committed a tactical foul at the first opportunity.

However, using tactical fouls on Roger is no different from giving away points.

As a player who has always maintained a free throw rate between 89% and 91%, Roger rarely makes mistakes at the free throw line. Tonight was no exception. In the eyes of the GDP trio who were expecting a miracle, Roger did not leave them any room for fantasy.

He made two free throws and scored 9 points in a row, and the game ended.

Roger turned to look at Ginobili, and for the first time tonight he spoke to the Argentine: "You just can't."

He answered the question "Vince beat him, Kobe beat him, why can't we?"

Boris Diaw nudged Stoudemire with his elbow: "I thought he could speak Spanish (the main language of the Argentines)"

Stoudemire was always speechless by Dior's inappropriate questions, but he still replied: "Next time, he will talk to a Spanish girl specifically for Manu, believe me."

In the 04-05 season, the San Antonio Spurs were completely defeated by Roger 4-0 in the regular season.

Manu Ginobili was very disappointed. The pain of losing to the Chinese team in the Olympics merged with the pain at this moment, making him extremely painful.

Mike Breen concluded at the end of the game: "Under Roger's Iron Throne, Tim Duncan's name will forever be engraved."

"Don't say that," Steve Kerr still has feelings for the Spurs, "At least Tim won the championship in the 99 season."

Mike Breen didn't want to answer this, but in the eyes of many people, the 99 season didn't even exist.

It was a messy, lockout-shortened season, and the Spurs' championship wasn't a complete one.

Even Tim Duncan himself cares about this very much. He believes that the championship in a shortened season lacks some value.

This is why he still wants victory so much, he wants a real ring.

But facing a 0-4 record, Shifo doesn't know what his fate will be in the playoffs.

He stared blankly at the score on the big screen, seeming to be thinking about something.

The Mavericks and Lakers' victories gave people the illusion that Roger was no longer the master of the West.

But the truth is, it's not easy to defeat him, it's never been easy.

Tim Duncan sighed, he didn't know whether he was too pessimistic or the Mavericks and the Lakers were too optimistic.

At the post-match press conference, Manu Ginobili also discovered his own problem.

He openly told Popovich in front of all the reporters: "I don't care (starting), as long as you think you can help the team, do it. I have only one goal, to win the championship."

This may be the first time in NBA history that an All-Star player of the season has voluntarily applied to play as a substitute.

He is willing to be the sword on the bench, the flame that changes the rhythm, and the soul that connects the moments.

Manu Ginobili's spirit of sacrifice permeates the entire Spurs team, and this spirit is the reason why the Spurs can remain evergreen.

However, no matter how much Ginobili sacrificed, he could not change the result today.

The Warriors completely crushed the Spurs this season and ended the last blockbuster showdown of the regular season.

Before the playoffs, Roger conquered Tim Duncan, an opponent he had only met in the Western Conference Finals last season.

Last season, getting Duncan meant Roger reconquered the West. But this year, conquering Duncan does not mean conquering the West, and it is not even the beginning.

As the playoffs approached, the media began to hype the feud between Kobe and Shark, and it was generally believed that the Lakers and Mavericks had a chance to meet in the playoffs this year.

People also began to hype the New York Knicks' horrific record and their chances of reaching the top.

Finally, after the last game day of the regular season on April 4, everything about the regular season was finalized.

The New York Knicks won 68 games, the best in team history, and unsurprisingly ranked first in the Eastern Conference. In addition, they opened up a full 9 wins gap with the second-placed Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference and 14 wins gap with the Detroit Pistons.

The gap between the top four in the Western Conference is not that big. The Los Angeles Lakers are first in the Western Conference with 63 wins, the Warriors are second with 60 wins, the Dallas Mavericks are third with 59 wins, and the Spurs, who also have 59 wins, are only ranked fourth because of their win-loss record.

The Seattle SuperSonics have a record of 52 wins, but can only rank fifth in the Western Conference.

When Roger was in the East in the 90s, there were many strong teams in the East.

In the 21st century, Roger arrived in the West, and the West began to become wild again.

He also wanted to play in a game where he wouldn't encounter many all-star opponents throughout the entire playoffs, but it was obvious that Roger didn't have that kind of luck.

Confirming the regular season rankings is also equivalent to confirming the playoff schedule.

The Warriors' first-round opponent is the Denver Nuggets led by Carmelo Anthony.

Roger liked Anthony very much. He was always respectful to him and willing to share his connections.

It's just a pity that he will soon have to add another sweep to his career resume.

The matchups after the first round were so exciting that they seemed like a script written by God.

In the second round, the Warriors' opponent is basically confirmed to be the Dallas Mavericks. As the third in the Western Conference, it is basically impossible for them to lose to the sixth-placed Kings.

Charles Barkley mentioned this on the show: "Remember the trash talk between Roger and Vince Carter that was disclosed in the media? The gist is that Roger told Vince that you won't make it past the second round this year. And Vince replied that it would be even better if he could make it past you. Now, these two men have a chance to prove what they said is true."

"More than that," Kenny Smith added, "In the Western Conference Finals, there could be Shaq vs. Kobe, or Shaq vs. Duncan. Of course, there's also the most legendary scenario: Roger kills Shaq first and then Kobe! Since the OK combination broke up, Roger has never defeated Kobe and Shaq at the same time in a season. This year, Roger has a chance to do one thing, which is to continue to dominate Shaq and Kobe. He can tell the world that whether you're together or apart, you have no chance."

"Why don't you mention that there might be a Roger vs. Tim match in the Western Conference Finals?" Barkley deliberately picked a fight.

"Oh, because Tim has been conquered by Roger now, let him go." Kenny Smith replied with a smile.
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Anyone who still thinks the New York Knicks won't win the championship is a fool. --The New York Times

We will never fall in the second round again, ever, and no one can laugh at us anymore. -- Vince Carter talks about the second round curse that plagued him.

Kevin Garnett is currently leading the MVP rankings, and Roger's chances of winning the title again are slim. His reign over the MVP award seems to have come to an end, so is his reign over the championship still solid? - "Slam Dunk".

Roger's Warriors are still the best team in the West, because they are the only team that can shut out the top four teams in the West 4-0. The record between the Lakers and the Mavericks and the Warriors is only 2-2. Is the world satisfied with just a tie with Roger? -- Magic Johnson talked about Roger's dominance in the West on the show.

Tim, Shaq and Vince, Kobe and Steve, and then the New York Knicks If Roger can reach the top in this way, it will be a brilliant journey of conquest. That means that he defeated all the best teams of the season to become the champion. Don't ask me why Carmelo is missing, because Roger's killing him was just a warm-up, not part of the conquest. - San Francisco Chronicle

(End of this chapter)