The longest river

Chapter 127 Double the reward

After the technical timeout, the referee issued his ruling.

Jermaine O'Neal was ejected again, while Malone only received one flagrant foul 1.

This is basketball in the 90s. Back then, Jordan was said to be lucky that he wasn't killed by the Pistons.

Bird was furious and rushed to the technical table to protest loudly, unable to accept the ruling.

However, this was exactly the result Yang Shuai wanted.

If Malone is really ejected, he will be upset. After all, even if he wins the game, he will still be unhappy if he doesn't retaliate.

After the technical timeout, both Yang Shuai and Malone were placed on the bench to rest, which is a standard practice in the NBA to prevent the conflict from escalating further.

Of course, this also marked the start of Yang Shuai's rest period for the second quarter.

With 6 minutes remaining in the quarter, Yang Shuai returned to the court.

Ma Long was substituted on a minute earlier than Yang Shuai, and his eyes were full of provocation when he saw Yang Shuai come on.

It was as if it meant: Look, I beat you and I'm still on the field.

Yang Shuai, with his back to the referee, made a throat-slitting gesture without any hesitation.

Ma Long wasn't angry this time; in his view, it was just Yang Shuai trying to save face.

After all, even if they really fought, Yang Shuai wouldn't be a match for him.

After the starters returned, the referees noticeably tightened their officiating, and the Jazz made far fewer dirty tricks after being called for several fouls.

Although the league encouraged competition in this era, Stern was working to improve the league's atmosphere, and the referees certainly didn't want the game to actually turn into a brawl.

Once they lost their advantage in terms of control, the Jazz were clearly at a disadvantage.

Alternatively, the Pacers could still limit the Jazz's pick-and-roll tactics by having Yang suppress Stokes, but once the Jazz lost their rhythm, they were somewhat helpless against the Pacers' spacing system.

With three minutes remaining in the quarter, Miller hit a three-pointer, extending the Pacers' lead to double digits.

This puts even more pressure on the Jazz.

During the attacking third, Stockton stopped holding the ball and instead handed it to Hornacek.

Hornacek is not a pure shooting guard; he started his career as a point guard during his time with the Suns, making him a combo guard.

However, Miller was outmaneuvered by Hornacek a few times tonight, and the defensive aggression he displayed was also very strong.

Hornacek, who is not known for his physical attributes, was actually forced into a passing error by Miller.

Malone was preparing to set a screen when he saw the ball flying towards the sideline, and he tried his best to save it.

It was at this moment that Yang Shuai made his move.

Yang Shuai had already had this idea when he was on the bench, but he needed an opportunity to put it into practice.

This is different from playing against the Bulls back then, because we need to rely on the scorer's table, so we need to be patient.

Now the opportunity has finally arrived!
In the eyes of the fans at the scene, Malone was trying his best to save the ball, while Yang Shuai had given Stockton a break in advance and rushed towards the ball after getting past Hornacek, trying to steal it.

However, because he was closer, Malone was ultimately a step ahead and got the ball.

However, just as he was about to collect the ball with a look of joy, Yang Shuai seemed to lose control of his body due to rushing too hard and crashed directly into him.

Moreover, this was a side impact, and Ma Long, who hadn't fully regained his footing, was sent flying.

In the instant he flew off, Ma Long saw Yang Shuai's upturned lips.

This guy!
He only had time to swear.

"boom!"

His head and upper body came into close contact with the technical table.

If it were a billboard, with Ma Long's muscular physique, it wouldn't really cause a big problem if it hit him; at most, he'd fall over.

But this is a fucking technical desk, it's hard!

Moreover, the angle of the side impact on Yang Shuai was clearly designed to knock him in that direction.

Ma Long suddenly felt his head go blank.

And it wasn't over when he fell to the ground; Yang Shuai, who had lost control of his body, then fell on top of him.

It felt like someone was about to faint and was immediately given an electric shock for CPR.

He instantly regained consciousness, but a sharp pain shot through his head and chest.

He wanted to curse, but found he was in too much pain to open his mouth.

This sudden accident threw the staff on the sidelines into chaos.

However, under the referee's control, the players on both sides did not clash again as they had before.

Unlike Ma Long's previous actions, this was just an accident during a scramble for possession.

Yang Shuai was the first to be helped up, but perhaps because he was a little dazed from the fall, he lost his balance after being pulled up and fell back onto Ma Long.

With another painful expression on Ma Long's face, the staff helped Yang Shuai to the side for the second time.

At this moment, the Jazz team doctor had also arrived at the sidelines, holding a towel around Malone's head.

Malone's head was badly injured after hitting the right-angled edge of the scorer's table.

After being attacked twice more by Yang Shuai, he looked like he was about to die.

When the team doctor saw that things were not going well, he quickly ordered the medical team to put a stretcher on him.

As a result, because Ma Long was too big, the stretcher couldn't fit him, so his lower legs had to be left exposed for the time being.

Moreover, his large frame made it impossible for the medical team to lift him, so they called in the Jazz players, and it took four of them to finally lift Malone up.

If they played "Astronomia" next, it would definitely look like a black coffin dance. The fans in the stadium erupted in uproar.

Since entering the league in 1985, Malone has played for the Jazz for 11 years, during which time he has defeated countless players.

The most famous of these incidents was during a game before Christmas in 1991, when Malone elbowed Thomas so hard that he needed 47 stitches to his face.

In addition, players like Hakeem Olajuwon and Dennis Rodman were defeated by his ruthless elbows.

But this is the first time that Malone has been knocked out of the game!
And they were even carried out on stage.

When they looked at Yang Shuai, who was standing on the sidelines as if nothing had happened, they all felt a chill run down their spines.

Was what just happened... really just an accident?
It's important to know that although Yang Shuai is an Asian player, he is by no means a pushover.

In his rookie season, he knocked down Rodman, elbowed Oakley, fought Starks, and even made Shaq look ridiculous.

In other words, only those who don't know Yang Shuai can be deceived by his appearance.

What's more, Ma Long had elbowed Yang Shuai before this.

So anyone who uses their brain a little knows that it was no accident, but rather Yang Shuai's deliberate revenge!
The large screen at the scene showed a replay of the previous round.

The replay showed that Yang Shuai's desire for the ball was a bit too strong in this round; he was indeed aiming for the ball rather than the player.

In other words, even if you know he did it on purpose, you can't say he did it on purpose.

The fans, having suffered a setback, could only continue to boo Yang Shuai in subsequent matches.

But that didn't work.

On the contrary, because of the fans' actions, Yang Shuai frequently interacted with them by "listening" in subsequent matches, which made the fans at the scene very angry.

Even in subsequent games, Yang Shuai continued to trash talk as usual, only this time the target changed from Malone to Russell, who was guarding him.

Russell's face was extremely ugly, but because of Malone's example, he didn't dare to make any more moves, let alone take any of his previous small actions.

This is the invisible deterrent power; no matter how ruthless Russell is, he can't be as ruthless as Malone.

Without Malone, the Jazz were no match for the Pacers.

The Pacers ultimately defeated the Jazz 98-83 on the road, securing a crucial victory in the fierce Eastern Conference seeding battle.

After the game, Yang Shuai accompanied Bird to the post-game press conference.

“Karl’s move was extremely dangerous, and the league needs to impose further penalties on him.”

Bird appeared very angry.

Although Yang Shuai was lucky and escaped unharmed, it doesn't mean that the action wasn't dangerous.

Bird is definitely not acting innocent after getting a good deal.

"If Karl wants to solve problems in a way that isn't basketball, then we should go to the UFC, not the basketball court."

Miller also protested against Malone.

The reporters finally handed the microphone to Yang Shuai.

“I am very disappointed with the referee’s calls. They gave Karl a technical foul and a flagrant foul 1, as if they didn’t want to eject him but wanted to call a brawl.”

The reporters in the audience were speechless after hearing Yang Shuai's protest.

Yang Shuai is truly the one who got the benefit but still acted innocent.

The reporter then naturally asked about Ma Long's injury.

"It was an accident. Hornacek made a passing error, and I was just trying to get the ball back."

Seeing the incredulous looks on the reporters' faces, Yang Shuai then added,
"I didn't expect Malone to be knocked down so easily. You all know how strong he is. I think he was trying to draw a foul on me."

The reporters couldn't help but wipe their sweat.

If Ma Long, who was already lying in the hospital operating room under anesthesia and getting stitches done, heard this, he would probably wake up on the spot and start cursing.

However, the reporters really couldn't say anything now, after all, there have been too many such "accidents" in NBA history, and as for whether it is true or not, only the parties involved really know.

After the game ended and they returned to Indianapolis, Yang Shuai took Jermaine O'Neal out shopping again.

However, this time he didn't take O'Neal to any jewelry store, and Indianapolis didn't have that kind of thing.

He took Jermaine O'Neal straight to buy a car!

Indianapolis has a thriving automotive industry because it is home to one of the oldest and most famous racetracks in the United States.

Finally, he bought Jermaine O'Neal a Ferrari F355GTS supercar worth $12.

Jermaine O'Neal's heart pounded with excitement and his hands trembled. Although he was also a first-round pick, he was reluctant to spend money on such a nice car when he first entered the league.

He was somewhat flattered and even a little hesitant to accept the offer.

However, Yang Shuai's answer was very straightforward.

"This is what you deserve."

Jermaine O'Neal repeatedly shielded him from fouls, a move reminiscent of Oakley's performance with the Bulls back in the day.

A few days later, the Jazz announced Karl Malone's injury, stating that he would miss three games due to a head injury.

Since entering the league, Malone has always been known as an ironman, and he has never missed more than two games in a single season in his career. But now, Yang Shuai has made him miss three games.

As if things weren't bad enough, following the Pacers' appeal, the league imposed an additional one-game suspension on Malone.

Well, now Ma Long can really "rest assured" and go to recover from his injury.

-Dividing line-

①: Malone was suspended for one game for elbowing Thomas, but was not suspended for elbowing David Robinson in 1998.

(End of this chapter)