Basketball trainer, I created a super giant

Chapter 280 All Hope Lies in You

New York, in his luxury apartment in Hell's Kitchen.

When Yao Ming scored 6 consecutive points to seal the game, Layden, like Carlisle, raised his arms as if shouting excitedly.

"Fuck, we won!"

"Danny, we won!"

Leiden excitedly picked up his son next to him and lifted him high in the air.

The son pounded his chest like a gorilla and roared.

Leiden jumped and bounced around.

When Carlisle brought on a group of role players in the second half, Leiden had only one thought in his mind.

Finished!

What a load of bull, what a glorious road to glory, what a Knicks championship, my dream is shattered, it's all gone.

If we can't even beat the main force, how can we expect to win against these water dispenser managers?

He keeps saying he's the next Jordan, does that mean Stevenson is actually Jordan?
Enraged, Renton cursed and yelled that he would kill Carlisle when he returned.

If you field the main team and still lose in the end, that's called having the will to fight but being powerless to turn the tide.

Sending a bunch of substitutes is just stupid.

At that moment, Leiden really wanted to jump into the TV, run up to Carlisle, and slap him twice.

But who would have thought that this group of water dispenser managers would fight so fiercely, turn the game around, and create a miracle?

The father and son were jumping and hopping around. It was only because the apartment was well soundproofed that the downstairs neighbors might have called the police.

His wife ran out of the bedroom and told Leiden and his wife to keep their voices down, as their daughter was already asleep.

Leiden didn't care; he proudly raised his right arm and pointed to the sky.

Just like the Statue of Liberty at the mouth of the Hudson River.

"Son, isn't Dad awesome?"

Leiden looked proud.

Watching him on TV, he had no idea what kind of mental journey Carlisle had gone through to choose to field a group of substitutes at such a moment.

But one thing remains: who found these excellent substitutes who could go toe-to-toe with the defending champions?

It's yourself!
And who trained them?

It's Tang Sen.

Who hired Tang Sen?
It's yourself!
Ultimately, it all comes down to myself, to my own brilliant idea.

The son nodded vigorously, looking at Leiden with immense admiration.

Leiden took a deep breath and said in a strong voice, "Shout out that sentence for me!"

The son shouted, "We need a plan!"

We need a plan!

Leiden also shouted.

His wife, standing beside him, looked utterly helpless; these two had gone mad.

It wasn't just Leiden who went mad.

On TV, all the Knicks' reserves had rushed onto the court, excitedly hugging each other.

Carlisle turned around and found Kruger, excitedly patting him on the back.

Damn it, the Hawks fired such a great head coach!
Tangsen was also hugged by Tedsky, and all he could hear was his shouting.

He was proud.

These are amazing substitute players; they're the result of their training!

Tang Sen was just as excited.

After winning the do-or-die game, seeing these players who have worked hard all season given the opportunity to perform, prove themselves, and help the team win the game is a great relief.

Isn't this exactly what I wanted to achieve by training them?

The ultimate goal is to win this damn game.

While one side was reveling, the other side was deathly silent, like a tomb.

Brown, panting heavily, stared blankly at the commotion across the street, somewhat bewildered.

He didn't know how they lost, nor did he know how these players, who didn't even get a chance to play, could have so much energy.

But once he calmed down, Brown felt relieved.

After all, they were taught by the same master.

If you can create miracles, then these people can create miracles too.

"Tracy, let's go."

Brown turned and beckoned to McGrady.

I won't go over there to join the fun.

"Damn, I feel like I'm going to die of exhaustion. These guys can run so fast," Brown complained.

In the final minutes of the fourth quarter, Brown felt like his lungs were about to explode, he was in agony, and he just wanted to lie down immediately.

McGrady wasn't much better off. After a moment of silence, he suddenly said, "I have to catch a flight tomorrow."

Brown also fell silent, on the verge of tears.

At that moment, Rivers came to greet him.

He hugged them both and then offered words of comfort.
"Kwame, it's okay. We were careless. Adjust your mindset, get some rest, and don't forget, we still have match point. We'll definitely win the game in the end."

Rivers showed no sign of frustration.

He didn't show it in front of the other players, but when he left the locker room and headed to the post-match press conference, he found a corner where no one was paying attention and started punching and kicking a trash can.

Before the match, I thought it wouldn't matter if I lost one game.

But that's not how you give it away.

The Knicks' bench players outplayed their starters and turned the game around; they've lost face big time.

Especially before the game, he was smug, saying that he had already started watching Lakers game tapes.

The angrier the New York reporters were at the time, the more arrogant they would be at the press conference later.

Rivers was so angry that he lightly slapped himself in the face.

You're so sharp-tongued, I can't control you!

Sure enough, as soon as Rivers entered the room, several New York reporters eagerly raised their arms.

The camera flash nearly blinded Rivers.

Rivers didn't want to pay attention to them, but he couldn't ignore them.

Reporters from other places also joined in the fun.

It's still my own stubborn mouth; I was too boastful before.

These guys focused on the fact that the Knicks' role players helped the team turn the game around, asking Rivers how he would evaluate their performance and what he thought about the Magic's loss.

What could Rivers say? He wanted to slap these people in the face.

I know in my heart how I lost, but I don't want to say it.

Rivers isn't stupid; he knows perfectly well how the team collapsed in the second half.

The problem lies in physical fitness.

Especially Brown and McGrady, the two core players, are no longer able to play.

That's five games already.

He played almost the entire game in the first four games, and in the fifth game, he thought he could take a break with normal rotation, but he couldn't catch his breath.

Having played ball myself, I know what it feels like to be completely exhausted, with every cell in your body drained.

A group of energetic role players, who even increased the pace when they came on.

He charged like a rabbit and completely blew up the magic trick.

What if the Knicks do the same thing in the crucial next game?
The packed schedule is like a marathon, and we're now in the final sprint.

Magic gritted his teeth and persevered, but then, a group of fresh reinforcements arrived from the opposing side.

Even if their strength is inferior to the Magic, they can still defeat the Magic by relying on their drive and sprint.

Thinking about it this way, doesn't it mean the next game is also in jeopardy?

It's still at the Knicks' home court.

Rivers gasped as he thought of this.

Are we going to have to play a Game 7?

No.

Rivers frowned.

Now it's not just a matter of a tiebreaker, but the possibility of being reversed 1-3 and losing the game.

If you can't even win the sixth game, then the seventh game is even less likely.

There's no need to worry about stamina for the Knicks.

The Knicks can field three different starting lineups; Carlisle actually did it.

Thinking of this, Rivers' body began to panic uncontrollably.

Leading 3-1 and then being reversed is definitely a stain on one's life.

This thought began to spread uncontrollably in Rivers' mind, especially after reading the media reports.

After taking a 3-1 lead, the media turned to praising the Magic.

The Magic truly deserve their title as defending champions; even with the loss of their starting point guard this season, their strength remains formidable.

While the Knicks have created a rebuilding miracle this season, they are still inexperienced and need to continue to grow.

But now, the wind has changed.

The Knicks won their do-or-die game, and they won it all thanks to their role players.

This is terrifying.

Because everyone saw a key point: physical fitness.

The Los Angeles Times, for example, did an analysis.

If we're talking about the two teams' starters, and each is a 100-point player, then the Knicks have a bunch of role players who are only 80 points.

The advantage in quantity and physical fitness can erase this 20-point gap.

The Los Angeles Times even offered Carlisle advice.

In the next two games, Carlisle can let the role players play more, using their energy and fouls to wear down the Magic's starters, and then let the well-rested Yao Ming come out in the last quarter to finish the game.

With this tactic, victory is guaranteed.

And the New York Times, the headline clearly states it.

Rick Carlisle – The Master of Strength and Conditioning

They gave Carlisle a title.

Then it was speculated that this was a grand scheme that Carlisle had orchestrated before the series even began.

Because after the series started, Carlisle deviated from his usual practice and began to rely heavily on his starters, unlike in the first two rounds.

They believe that Carlisle had already planned all of this back then.

They plan to rely on their physical endurance to prolong the series and wear down the Magic.

So the Magic shouldn't panic when they get a match point. They'll definitely have a Game 7, and the Knicks will win that Game 7.

As for the media, Rivers just watched the show.

The media doesn't know anything!

But if even the media understands this, then this is indeed a problem.

After yesterday's competition, I was so exhausted that I can't rest today. I have to rush to catch a flight to New York, go through the hassle of checking into a hotel, and then have another competition tomorrow.

With such a schedule, how could anyone possibly recover from the fatigue accumulated from five matches?

At the airport, the group was ready to board their plane.

"Doug, let's go."

Johnny Davis called out to Rivers.

Rivers sat there blankly, seemingly lost in thought.

He called out again, and Rivers finally snapped out of his daze, then grabbed his bag and followed without looking up.

He remained silent the whole way.

Finally, just as he was about to board the charter plane, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

His expression struggled for a moment, then gradually hardened.

"Tracy!"

He turned and called out to McGrady, who was walking at the very back.

Carrying his bag, with droopy eyelids and walking like a zombie, McGrady suddenly jolted awake and stared blankly at Rivers.

Rivers gritted his teeth and said, "Tracy, you're sick."

"what?"

McGrady was taken aback, a little confused.

All the players and staff present were completely stunned.

Then everyone turned to look at the team doctor.

The team doctor was furious. McGrady was sick, and you, the head coach, knew about it? How come I didn't know?

Rivers stepped forward and pulled McGrady aside.

“Tracy, don’t go to New York. Go back. You’re sick. You have muscle tension. Yes, muscle tension.”

Rivers muttered to himself, then continued, "So you rest in Orlando for two days and wait for us to come back."

McGrady instinctively wanted to say that he wasn't sick, that his muscles were sore, but that it was from being tired, not from being tense.

And if he doesn't go to New York, does that mean he won't play Game 6?

Without himself, the magician was destined to lose.

But as the words were about to come out, McGrady suddenly realized what he was saying and exclaimed in surprise, "Doug, are you serious?"

Rivers nodded vigorously, grabbed McGrady's shoulder and said, "Tracy, I'm putting all my hopes on you. In Game 7, I need you to get into the game and help us win."

The media reports made Rivers extremely uneasy.

The situation was so dire that Rivers had no choice but to come up with a solution.

He started thinking about it after yesterday's post-match press conference.

After thinking about it for a while, he returned to the essence of the problem and came up with a solution.

The problem is simply that the two core units are over-consumed and can no longer be used.

The only solution is to rest.

Rivers considered it for a long time and decided to give up another game.

At worst, we'll play a tiebreaker.

Rivers had already figured things out while waiting for his flight.

My initial strategy was actually fine.

By using their starters, the Knicks are forced to avoid using their substitutes. You have a lot of role players available, but only five can actually play.

The substitutes are simply not as good as the starters.

So the Magic are now leading 3-1.

Unexpectedly, the Magic themselves were the first to lose their composure.

In that case, as the media has analyzed, the longer it goes on, the worse it will be for the magician.

In the next game, Rivers fears that, as the Los Angeles Times analyzed, Carlisle will first use a group of substitutes to wear down the Magic.

Just play to a reasonable level, as long as you don't fall too far behind.

Then, in the decisive moment, bring on the key players who have had enough rest and take the game away.

The only possible outcome is a tiebreaker, and then they might even lose.

Therefore, Rivers is prepared to learn from Carlisle.

You're a fitness management master, so manage your own fitness too.

Let McGrady stop playing.

Stay in Orlando and wait for Game 7 to begin.

This way, McGrady can rest for at least three days.

Adjust your form, unleash your full potential in the seventh game, and help the team win.

The reason is easy to find: he got injured.

My muscles are too tense; I can't fight anymore.

Just like Shaquille O'Neal, he would often have a relapse during the regular season and have to rest for a few games.

Whether he has had a relapse or not, only he himself probably knows.

At this point, McGrady had clearly understood and realized what Rivers was going to do.

After a moment of silence, McGrady said, "Doug, we can't do this. I'm the team leader."

It's hard for McGrady to accept that the team's star player isn't playing in such an important game and is just staying home watching his teammates fight.

Jordan played basketball even when he had a high fever and food poisoning, so why can't I?

"I understand."

Rivers repeatedly said he understood, then tried to persuade him, "But if I need you to average 45 minutes and score 40 points, can you do that?"

If it's Game 6, Carlisle will continue to bring in the substitutes, and Yao Ming will eventually come out to finish the game.

Not only did they drag it out to a Game 7, but they also gave Yao Ming a rest.

In the decisive Game 7, if Yao Ming scores 40 or 50 points, who can stop him?
Using role players to give the starters rest time is the Knicks' most lethal weapon.

McGrady wanted to say he could, but he swallowed the words back.

Given his current condition, he really felt he was in a tough spot.

"So get some rest, and don't let us down, help us win Game 7."

Rivers gripped McGrady's shoulders tightly.

All our hopes are pinned on you.

McGrady opened his mouth, but ultimately gritted his teeth and nodded.

(End of this chapter)