Basketball trainer, I created a super giant

Chapter 279: Having nothing to begin with, what is there to fear about failure?
After the fourth game, Carlisle locked himself in his office, racking his brains to find a way to win.

But clearly, Carlisle did not find it.

The starting lineup for this match is the same as the previous one.

He still wants to focus on limiting McGrady.

Carlisle watched the video of the first two games countless times, and he felt that his tactical arrangements were correct.

It's also possible that they couldn't think of any new solutions, so they felt there was no problem.

But the deciding factor can be just a few points in a row.

Especially in the last game, McGrady's final 3+1 was practically a lucky shot.

In a loss like this, it's hard to suspect a tactical problem.

Carlisle could only think that he was just one step away from winning; if he had tried harder and had a bit more luck, he might have won.

In this do-or-die match, Carlisle was genuinely worried that if he made any rash adjustments, he might perform worse than in the previous two games.

But the team's performance at the start of the game gave him a major headache.

There are a little over five minutes left in the first quarter.

Yao Ming receives the ball, goes for a low-post one-on-one attack, but has limited space to shoot.

PJ Brown on the opposite side of the paint and McGrady on the high post on the strong side both looked like they were about to pounce.

Yao Ming wouldn't have enough time to slowly build up his skills through one-on-one play. He would simply fake a move, turn towards the baseline, and then pull up for a shot.

Still leaning back.

Brown did not lose his position.

Even though he was out of position, the ball still didn't go in.

With a clang, the basketball hit the frame and came out.

Yao Ming cursed under his breath, gritted his teeth, and ran back to defend.

Carlisle's brow furrowed even more.

He was counting in his mind; this was Yao Ming's fifth shot.

As a result, two were thrown in.

So far, Yao Ming has only scored 5 points.

He missed one of his two free throws.

Yao Ming's current form is clearly not as good as in the previous games when he was unstoppable in the paint.

Carlisle knew he was exhausted and overworked.

The only saving grace was that Yao Ming was out of form, and so was the opposing team.

McGrady has taken three shots so far and hasn't made a single one.

Brown went 3-for-5, which isn't much better than Yao Ming's performance.

In the previous four games, all three players scored at least 30 points, often reaching 40 points, and were frequently double-teamed and targeted, so the exhaustion was considerable.

The Knicks are down by one point, 15-16.

Rivers called a timeout and surprisingly substituted McGrady off the court early.

Carlisle frowned slightly. Was it another off-peak travel trip?
Gritting his teeth, Carlisle took advantage of a dead ball situation to substitute Yao Ming off the court.

Then he grabbed Houston and told him to carry the team's offense.

Houston kept nodding, but when he actually got on the court, his performance was still limited.

His ball-handling and attacking abilities were never particularly good to begin with.

Compared to role players, he's definitely much stronger, but comparing him to star players isn't really a good idea.

Now that he has a one-on-one defensive expert like Sasser to target him, it will only be more difficult for him to attack with the ball.

Playing off the ball, with tight defense and without Yao Ming to help him facilitate, it's difficult for him to create opportunities.

Fortunately, the Magic's offense was also constipated.

Mike Miller's three-pointers were like shooting from nowhere, missing every single one.

Brown, the center, also struggled under Chandler's all-out defense, finding it difficult to penetrate in the low post and his shooting touch was off.

At the end of the first quarter, the Knicks had rallied to lead 21-20, taking a one-point advantage.

Rivers indeed traveled at off-peak times, letting McGrady lead the team during the second quarter rotation.

Carlisle substituted Yao Ming off the court early to prevent this situation from happening.

But the score remained close, with neither team able to capitalize on the opportunity to defeat the other.

The Magic's backup center is inadequate, and Ewing has no chance to play at all.

De Klerk was basically a freebie; last summer he traded in a big white Irishman, who was basically a blue-collar worker.

Yao Ming didn't have a difficult time playing. He scored 6 points at the start of the second quarter and stabilized the game.

But as I said before, with a superstar of equal caliber on the court, the Knicks can't defeat their opponents in one fell swoop.

Although McGrady didn't have the strength to attack the basket, he floated outside and shot.

But he's accurate.

He was good at mid-range and long-range shots before, and last summer he gradually developed his three-point shooting. He probably practiced a lot throughout the season, and his three-point shooting became more and more sharp.

Before Brown returned, he hit two three-pointers, giving the Magic a much-needed boost.

With Brown's return, the Magic not only took the lead but also gradually widened the gap.

Tang Sen could see the problem.

Still three points.

McGrady was visibly tired, and his ability to score on key plays had declined, but his shooting was still on point.

Miller also found his rhythm and scored a goal.

Even Sasse scored a three-pointer.

During the second quarter, the Magic relied on their improved shooting touch to complete the comeback.

At halftime, the Knicks trailed 41-46, down by 5 points.

Having only scored 40 points in the first half, it's easy to imagine how exhausted both teams were.

Back in the locker room, Yao Ming, who had scored 14 points in the first half, lay down on the mat and let Guo Yonglin massage him.

Everyone caught their breath, and Carlisle pulled Thibodeau and the others aside to discuss what to do in the second half.

Being down by 5 points is nothing.

The main problem is that both teams are not in good form, and there is too much uncertainty in such a close match.

Thibodeau, with a tense expression, felt that Yao Ming and the other key players should play more.

It's the last game. If we lose, we'll go home. We have to give it our all, no matter what.

At that moment, Kruger suddenly interjected, "Rick, I think we can't do this."

Carlyle looked at him and asked what he meant.

Kruger said, "Rick, I know you feel there are too many young players on the team who are not consistent enough, so you've put more responsibility on Yao."

Krueger knew that Carlisle had a special talk with Yao Ming before the series began.

They even dragged Tang Sen into it as a lobbyist.

"But Rick, I think you shouldn't forget what our strengths are?"

This season, the Knicks surged in the second half, soaring to the Eastern Conference Finals, thanks to their bench players, with young players constantly emerging from the bench.

While other teams use an 8-man rotation, the Knicks can use a 12-man rotation.

“I know that these young players didn’t perform well in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, so you were determined to stick to the strategy of having Yao play more.”

"But it was just one game, and they were facing the defending champions. You can actually allow them to make mistakes and then choose to continue to believe in them."

"And I know that you've been thinking that the Magic will be unable to hold on if they rely too much on their main players, and that our chances of winning will be greater as the game progresses. But now, you've forgotten all of that."

After four matches, Krugman saw and understood Carlisle's change in mentality and what he was thinking.

Initially, Carlisle was worried about the inconsistent performance of role players, so as a precaution, he talked to Yao Ming and asked him to play more and take on more responsibility.

As he predicted, the role players performed poorly in the first game, and Yao Ming's divine intervention saved the game.

At that time, Carlisle realized that Rivers' overuse of his starters was a potential problem, and thought that the longer the game dragged on, the better the Knicks' chances would be.

But Carlisle didn't expect McGrady and Brown to be so dominant, able to maintain their momentum for four games straight.

When the Magic won three games in a row, Carlisle was already somewhat lost and had lost his previous confidence, instinctively placing his hopes on Yao Ming.

If Yao Ming can keep it up and continue scoring 40+ points in every game, then there's no problem.

The problem is that Yao Ming can't hold on any longer either. Kruger really thinks it's problematic to push Yao Ming to the limit at this point.

“Richard, we know these young players very well. We’ve watched them grow step by step, and I think we need to have faith in them.”

Kluge ultimately retains the temperament of a college coach, believing in teamwork above all else and that every player can shine.

He looked at Carlisle with sincere eyes.

Carlisle crossed his arms, his brows remaining furrowed.

It took more than a minute before Carlisle nodded slightly, sighed, and said, "Lang, you're right. I might really be wrong."

He turned his head and looked at the group of players not far away.

Memories of this season flashed through my mind.

Harvey practiced until his fingers were red.

Gazuric is always the first to arrive at the training center.

Competition, training, sleep—staying in the bustling Big Apple, no one indulges in entertainment. Everyone lives a monotonous life, training like crazy and striving to complete the training plan set by Tang Sen.

They were once the focus of the entire league, daring to use Harvey against Ben Wallace and using bench players to go toe-to-toe with the league's best team, the Mavericks.

Back then, I could change my starting lineup at will, and I used a different playing style for each opponent. I led the Knicks from the bottom of the Eastern Conference to the playoffs.

Now, I might be like what Kruger said, subconsciously thinking that this is a high-level game and these role players are not good enough, so I deliberately gave up on them.

In these four games, the most players I ever rotated were eight.

Those young players, after a whole season of hard work, can only watch helplessly from the bench.

With that in mind, Carlisle took a deep breath and made a decision: to completely rotate the lineup in the second half, even taking Yao Ming off and starting Harvey, creating a small-ball lineup.

With speed and abundant energy, they will challenge the magicians.

Maybe it will work wonders.

Thibodeau hurriedly said, "Rick, think it through, this is the last game."

He stared at Carlisle, giving him a knowing look.

If you continue with the same lineup as in the first half and you actually lose in the end, the New York fans won't say anything.

At most, I'll just feel sorry for them.

But in a game where everything is decided, if you bring in a bunch of substitutes and you lose, the fans will only wonder why you didn't use the starters.

You're definitely going to take the blame for the loss.

Kruger quickly added, "Rick, I don't mean to use all substitutes. Yao should still be on the court, even if he doesn't attack, he can still be a supporting player."

“We can play a one-star-four-shooter formation, with Yao Ming distributing the ball. I think that would be better.”

He wanted to remind Carlisle to give these substitutes some opportunities to utilize their strengths, but he didn't intend to completely eliminate Yao Ming from the game. Carlisle shook his head, his tone firm: "If we lose, the responsibility lies with me."

After hearing this, what could Thibodeau and the others say?

With a few minutes left, Carlisle approached the crowd.

"Everyone, think back to what you said to your future selves when you were filming the final episode of 'The Road to Glory'."

"We've worked hard all season, are we really going to fail here?"

"I do not want to."

Carlisle spoke firmly, his gaze sweeping over every player on the field, and said in a deep voice, "I believe in you all, and I believe you can help us win this game."

He didn't say anything more, as there wasn't enough time, and directly announced the starting lineup for the second half.

Harvey, Swift, Kadrick Brown, DeShawn Stevenson, Fred Jones.

This decision startled everyone present.

Yao Ming also looked up, wondering what Carlisle was thinking.

But Carlisle didn't explain. Seeing that it was time, he simply called everyone to come out.

He said it, and he actually did it.

Tang Sen felt that he was somewhat extreme.

If he does this and loses the game, he'll be drowned in the spittle of New York fans.

"They...have given up the match?"

Rivers on the other side was completely dumbfounded.

They're only down by 5 points, there's still half a game left, and it's a do-or-die game. Are they just going to raise their hands and surrender like this?
Inside the TNT studio.

Upon seeing the five Knicks players walk onto the court, Barkley screamed and said Carlisle had gone mad.

At the same time, far away in New York, countless New York fans had the same thought.

Carlisle has gone mad.

Leiden, who was watching the live broadcast at home, almost smashed the TV.

You don't want to win anymore, huh? Believe me, I'll switch players!
But Carlisle didn't care; he wanted to take a gamble.

In the final half of the game, you have to go all out to succeed!
Even the five players who were forced onto the field were completely dazed.

Swift muttered, "Has the coach gone mad?"

Did they think they were doomed to lose, so they brought on substitutes to make them take the blame?

"Don't talk nonsense."

Jones spoke up to stop Swift, then looked at everyone and said, "Guys, we're just a bunch of role players nobody cares about. What does it matter if we lose and the fans yell at us?"

"But what if we win?"

He looked at everyone, his eyes shining: "Eastern Finals, nationally televised, a do-or-die game. If we win, guys..."

He didn't say anything more.

"I want to succeed, I want an opportunity, and now that opportunity has come, I'm willing to give it my all."

Having nothing to begin with, why should I be afraid of failure?

After saying that, Jones silently ran away to prepare for defense.

Harvey didn't say a word, turned around and followed.

"Fake!"

Swift cursed and quickly followed.

Five young men in their early twenties, who practically spent all their time on the bench during the playoffs, were full of energy and fierce.

Right from the start, Harvey used his fighting spirit to disrupt Brown's shot.

Brown stared at him in disbelief.

This guy is only a little over two meters tall!
The key was that aura he exuded, as if he were willing to risk his life.

Before they could think, the Knicks had already launched a fast break.

It would be absurd if they didn't play fast breaks when they have the stamina.

Five people, moving as fast as the wind.

Brown cursed under his breath and hurriedly chased after them, his legs heavy with fatigue.

After a few passes, the ball was in Swift's hands.

He went straight for the basket.

PJ Brown stood in his way, but Swift showed no fear and even wanted to yell, "I'm the fucking dunk king!"

There was a clang.

Amidst the gasps of the crowd, Swift executed a high-flying maneuver, riding on PJ Brown to slam the ball into the basket.

Then he missed the rim and slammed to the floor along with PJ Brown.

"Fake!"

PJ Brown's face was contorted in pain.

But Swift got up as if nothing had happened and turned to defend.

As soon as Sather, who was controlling the ball, looked up, the five opponents were already on high alert.

McGrady backs down to protect the ball.

Calderic Brown, standing in front of him, was charging at him like a bull, making him very uncomfortable.

The shot missed, and the Knicks' five players charged again.

Without any complicated positioning, Jones glanced at the ball and passed it directly to Stevenson.

McGrady quickly rushed to pounce.

But Stevenson seemed not to see him at all, and threw the ball away when he was still more than a meter away from the three-point line.

I can score against Jordan, so what?

McGrady quickly turned his head and saw the basketball create a white wave.

The score is tied!
Rivers and his men on the sidelines were completely bewildered.

He still doesn't know whether Carlisle wants to give up the game or is going to try his best with these five players.

But five benchwarmer players?
Rivers cursed under his breath that this guy was crazy, and quickly waved his hand to signal him to calm down.

But it just won't settle down.

The opposing team's five defenders were like vicious dogs snatching food; if they couldn't stop them, they would foul without any scruples. They clearly made it clear that they wouldn't let you score easily.

On the offensive end, they caused the Magic's five players a great deal of trouble.

It's literally zero frames from the start, a crazy fast attack.

McGrady and his teammates really felt they couldn't keep up, and the more they ran, the heavier their load became.

Moreover, they are all bolder than anyone else. They may seem to have no chance, but I think they do.

I dare to shoot the shots that the starters dare not take.

If you miss the bet, so be it; if you do, you've made a profit.

With this kind of impact, they managed to outscore the Magic 26-19 in the third quarter and successfully take the lead.

In the fourth quarter, Yao Ming and other key players remained on the bench.

Carlisle was spitting as he yelled for it to be faster and more aggressive.

He grabbed Calderic Brown by the shoulder and yelled at him, "So what if you have four fouls? What are you afraid of? Keep fouling, foul out, and there will be plenty of people to replace you."

Tang Sen shook his head at that energy.

Carlisle has gone mad.

But believe it or not, these young people might actually be able to create a miracle.

Because Tang Sen could see very clearly that the Magic's main players were no longer able to play effectively.

Rivers on the other side felt a sense of unease.

He is extremely conflicted right now.

If we keep playing our main players, we might just be able to win the game.

But he could see how exhausted McGrady and his partner were.

Before the match, he thought, "If I lose, I lose; at worst, I can just give them a free throw."

But losing to a group of role players in the end felt humiliating.

Moreover, if we retain our main players and still lose, wouldn't that be even more embarrassing?

Most importantly, they didn't allow McGrady and his teammates to get enough rest.

Rivers scratched his head violently, his mind a complete mess, all he wanted to do was curse Carlisle for his lack of martial ethics.

This is the Eastern Conference Finals! You can't play like this!

After several "come on" calls, Rivers still let Brown bring the substitutes onto the court.

Brown wanted to run, but his legs felt like they were made of lead, and he could clearly not run anymore.

The opposing team has Xavi at 2.03 meters tall, the size of a small forward. It's already difficult to keep up with him, let alone now.

It was Stevenson again, sporting Courtney Alexander, who didn't even glance at it before pulling it off and throwing it away.

They actually managed to get in.

Moreover, he's such a show-off; he even dares to throw things around when he turns his head.

Then you can still get in.

Two consecutive three-pointers instantly put the Magic on edge.

Rivers paced anxiously on the sidelines, repeatedly signaling for them to calm down.

But the Knicks are fast, so the Magic can't slow down.

By the time Rivers was debating whether to bring McGrady back in, the point difference had already reached 9 points.

He hurriedly brought the main players onto the field.

With the return of their key players, the Magic's defense was disrupted by the Knicks' speed, but their offense remained solid.

As time went on, the magic trick managed to make a comeback.

With two and a half minutes remaining in the game, the point difference had reached 3 points.

Just then, Carlisle substituted Yao Ming.

Yao Ming, who had rested for halftime and then rested for almost two more quarters, was rested.

Carlisle is willing to trust role players, but he also wants to win.

Rivers was about to curse!
Having rested enough, Yao Ming did not disappoint Carlisle.

With Brown panting heavily, Yao Ming scored 6 points in the last two and a half minutes, going 3-for-4, and directly won the game.

With the score at 3-2, the Knicks still have a chance.

Carlisle raised his arms high, as if he had won the whole world.

(End of this chapter)