The longest river

Chapter 190 "Who is your daddy"

After two days of overwhelming news coverage, Game 2 between the Trail Blazers and the Jazz continued in Salt Lake City.

The Jazz lost Game 1, and now they have no way out in Game 2.

They displayed a do-or-die spirit during the match.

However, the Trail Blazers were in high spirits after winning Game 1.

The intensity of the competition and the level of commitment between the two teams were much higher than in Game 1.

Surprisingly, after the loss in Game 1, Sloan still stuck to his defensive strategy.

But unlike Game 1, the Jazz noticeably increased their pace and rhythm.

The Jazz's pick-and-roll offense is a half-court game, but they can also play fast.

Especially this season, the Jazz's starting center has been changed from the slow-moving Ostertag to Foster.

This fast-paced offensive and defensive battle quickly depleted the stamina of both teams' players, and most importantly, Yang Shuai's stamina.

Sloan's tactical intentions became increasingly clear: he wanted to wear down Yang Shuai in order to defeat the Trail Blazers.

Moreover, Billups' performance in fast-paced offensive and defensive battles was rather dismal.

This was also a major reason why he struggled with the Celtics before. The Celtics' head coach, Rick Pitino, was a renowned former NCAA coach whose basketball philosophy was fast-paced offense and defense.

Billups is essentially a defender who is better suited to a positional style of play.

Carlisle improved the success rate of half-court offense by frequently calling timeouts and devising ingenious tactics after each timeout, attempting to slow down the pace of the game for the Trail Blazers.

This had some effect in the first half.

However, as the game entered the second half, Sloan substituted Kiff for Foster, bringing in a smaller lineup, and the rhythm of the game began to get out of control again.

Billups is, after all, just a rookie, and his experience in controlling the game is clearly lacking.

Moreover, the key to controlling the pace is the success rate of half-court offense. The Jazz's defensive pressure and the speed of their small-ball rotations made it difficult for the Trail Blazers to maintain high efficiency.

Ultimately, the Jazz defeated the Trail Blazers 93-85, tying the series 1-1.

After the first two games, the two teams moved to Portland to continue their two matches.

Sloan's tactical adjustments in Game 2 were impressive. Although both were stubborn, he clearly deserved the title of "great coach" more than Brown, a coach who was more of a figurehead.

In Game 3, Carlisle began his performance, replacing Williams with Grant and fielding a big lineup.

Although it sacrifices some offensive space, the biggest advantage of having three big men on the court at the same time is control of the rebounds.

The key to speeding up the game lies in counter-attacking, and if you control the rebounds, counter-attacking will naturally become impossible.

Especially when the Jazz used Malone at center to speed up the game.

Carlisle's response demonstrated his potential as a future tactical mastermind.

The Trail Blazers had used this lineup very infrequently before, and their offense failed to find its footing in this game, ultimately resulting in a narrow 84-87 defeat.

The Jazz have won two straight games to take a 2-1 lead, leaving the Trail Blazers on the brink of elimination.

However, in Game 4, after the previous game's adjustment period, the Trail Blazers played a very impressive game.

They dominated the Jazz on the boards, 51-35.

Sabonis had 12, Grant had 11, and Wallace had 9; the three big men alone grabbed 32 rebounds.

They vividly demonstrated in this game that "the backboard is the lifeline of basketball".

Moreover, in dire straits, the Portland fans' frenzied chants throughout the arena created a "devil's home court" version of the Rose Garden, with deafening shouts that caused the Jazz to make frequent mistakes on offense.

最终在杨帅三节高效砍下30分的情况下，开拓者队主场以96比80大胜爵士队，把大比分扳成了2比2平。

The two sides will face off in a do-or-die game to reach point 5.

Before the decisive Game 5 between the Trail Blazers and the Jazz began, all other matchups in the first round of the playoffs had already concluded.

Among the matchups that have already concluded, the most surprising was the Rockets vs. SuperSonics series, which had attracted a lot of attention before the game even started.

The Rockets ultimately defeated the SuperSonics 3-1, completing the second "Black Eight Miracle" in NBA history!
上一次黑八要追溯到1993~1994赛季，当时掘金队在0比2落后的情况下，后面3场在穆托姆博场均7.6个帽的带领下上演超级大逆转，3比2击败了超音速队。

This time, the Rockets conquered KeyArena at the start of the series, and after returning to their home court, they won two more games to eliminate the SuperSonics.

Supersonics: You didn't expect that, did you? It's me again.

This series basically confirms Hubie Brown's analysis: Vin Baker's true colors have been revealed.

He was repeatedly outmaneuvered on the defensive end by Barkley and Olajuwon, and his offense subsequently went awry.

It has been proven that only those stars who can withstand the test of the playoffs are true superstars.

In this respect, Beck and Kemp are a whole level apart.

Portland and Seattle are close, so news travels very quickly.

Yang Shuai heard the news before his private plane headed to Salt Lake City.

He sent Barkley a congratulatory text message.

He didn't know much about the history of that era, but he didn't seem to recall ever hearing of the Rockets being one of the eight worst teams to be eliminated.

Moreover, he heard more than just this news, because the league also announced a new batch of season awards at this time.

Jordan was named the season MVP, completing his third consecutive MVP award.

Kobe was named the Sixth Man of the Year.

If he didn't have much of an impression of the Black Eight incident, then he was certain that these two incidents were different from what he remembered.

If so, his deskmate must have told him these things.

Clearly, his appearance has caused many things to deviate from their original course.

As it was the only remaining game in the first round, the game between the Jazz and the Trail Blazers once again attracted a lot of attention.

Yang Shuai's 61-point performance in the first game is still generating buzz, and he is once again being compared to others.

Because the Bulls actually lost the game where Jordan scored 63 points, and were eliminated by the Celtics, which was the same series in which Bird famously shaved Jordan's head in his previous boasting material.

But now, Yang Shuai has a real chance to lead his team to an upset victory and win the series.

Paul met up with Yang Shuai here after Yang arrived in Salt Lake City.

Previously, Yang Shuai had asked him to inquire about information about internet companies, and he found out some information that was very valuable to Yang Shuai.

During this period, the internet began to show signs of rapid development, with companies like Yahoo and Netscape receiving investment from many business tycoons.

Paul believes that Yang Shuai will not reap much benefit from following the trend of investing, but he now thinks that an innovative company has great investment potential.

When Paul mentioned the company's name, Yang Shuai burst out laughing.

Because its name is Google.

Of course, at this time Google was just a small company and was facing financial problems, so they were selling off their initial public offering (IPO) shares.

What interests Yang Shuai even more is that O'Neal also seems to be very interested in Google.

In other words, if Yang Shuai wants to invest, he should do so as soon as possible.

as early as possible?

Yang Shuai immediately had Paul call on the spot and say that he would buy all the original shares.

Hesitating for even a second longer is disrespectful to the time traveler.

He also made Paul use the words Allen had said when he recruited him: no matter what price others offered, he would be the one offering the highest price in the market.

Paul didn't expect Yang Shuai to be so generous, but he was still very happy that Yang Shuai recognized his vision.

Incidentally, he also told Yang Shuai about an interesting story he had heard while passing through Louisiana, which he thought Yang Shuai would find interesting.

A woman named Gloria Bell is preparing to sue Malone, demanding that he pay child support for her son from infancy to adulthood.

Yang Shuai wasn't interested at first. The idea that black people only care about procreation and not raising children is hardly news. Otherwise, where would the stereotype of "not having a father" come from?

However, after Paul finished explaining the details, Yang Shuai felt goosebumps all over.

Even when he recalls that conflict, he regrets not kicking harder, which would have destroyed Malone's testicles.

According to Paul, when Gloria Bell gave birth...

(Search for the specifics yourself; I can't post this due to the review process.)

What a beast.

Although people in the US mature earlier, they still really have the guts to do this.

Speaking of this, Yang Shuai sometimes finds some things about the United States quite speechless.

For example, the fact that 36 out of 50 states in the US supported it made him feel like he had traveled back to the feudal era in his history textbook.

However, there is a legal loophole here, because most states also have laws protecting minors.

Therefore, in order to avoid breaking the law, people who actually do it usually choose to marry the other person.

But Ma Long chose not to acknowledge the relationship and refused to pay child support, leaving the other party to fend for themselves.

This person is truly the worst of the worst.

Yang Shuai felt that if he lost to such scum, it would disgust him for a long time.

The following day, the Jazz and Trail Blazers faced off in a decisive Game 5 in Salt Lake City.

Sloan made significant adjustments to the lineup and tactics for this game.

He put both Foster and Kiffany in the starting lineup to compete with the Trail Blazers in half-court offense.

Moreover, he finally began to employ a double-team tactic against Yang Shuai.

Yang Shuai averaged 38 points in the first four games, and the Trail Blazers also tied with the Jazz.

Sloan's defensive strategy proved to be a failure.

When it came to a life-or-death battle, he finally stopped being so stubborn.

Both teams played exceptionally well tonight.

Yang Shuai played as the ball-handling core for most of the season. His calm and composed handling of double teams revitalized the Trail Blazers' offense, while Wallace and Sabonis scored both inside and outside.

As it turns out, Sloan's previous strategy may have been correct; the Trail Blazers' strength was underestimated.

However, the Jazz also showed the strength they had to reach the Finals. Russell's absence only affected their defense, and their pick-and-roll tactics remained unstoppable.

Moreover, after four games, both teams were very familiar with each other, and neither team was able to pull away in the close contest.

Before long, the two teams had reached the decisive moment of the final quarter.

With 45 seconds remaining, the score was tied at 105-103, with the Jazz in the lead.

The Jazz have possession of the ball.

The cheers from Salt Lake City fans at the stadium were deafening.

If the Jazz score just one more basket in this possession, they will be the ultimate winners.

Yang Shuai then switched to defend Stockton.

After Sloan adjusted the game strategy, Yang Shuai also had the energy to make this crucial defensive play in the final moments.

The Jazz's pick-and-roll offense was shut down, forcing Stockton to pass the ball to Malone in the low post for a one-on-one game.

The Trail Blazers quickly collapsed, and Malone's turnaround jump shot towards the baseline missed.

Foster tried to grab the offensive rebound, but Wallace's long arms caught the ball.

The Trail Blazers defended this crucial possession.

With 30 seconds left, Carlisle called a timeout.

There was a commotion in the place.

The Trail Blazers have a chance to tie or even win the game!

After the timeout, Billups dribbled the ball up the court and the Trail Blazers began to execute their plays.

Carlisle didn't pull off a surprise attack this time; he didn't have Bird's guts. He instead opted for Yang Shuai's receiving play.

However, the Jazz's defensive focus was also on Yang Shuai, and Yang Shuai did not get a chance to receive the ball in his first pick-and-roll with Sabonis.

Fortunately, he reacted quickly, making a reverse run from the spot to the other side to prepare to receive the ball.

But at that moment, Billups made an unexpected choice: he took the ball and drove straight to the basket.

His inherent desire to score erupted uncontrollably at this moment.

Judging from the situation a second ago, Billups' choice was not wrong, because Yang Shuai did not create an opportunity, and Wallace was also caught by Malone on the weak side.

But the situation on the field changed in an instant, and Yang Shuai eventually ran out of opportunities to receive the ball.

Billups drove to the basket and jumped to score over Foster's defense.

Foster's powerful jump block failed to block Billups, but it forced Billups to execute a difficult layup.

The ball was thrown from Billups's hands, flew past Foster's head, and headed towards the basket.

"boom!"

It hit the backboard.

However, after bouncing back, the ball hit the edge of the rim, and he failed to make the shot!
Malone retrieved the defensive rebound from under the basket!
With only 16 seconds left in the game, the Trail Blazers had no choice but to foul.

After committing the foul, Carlisle immediately called a timeout.

Ma Long held the ball and shouted excitedly.

The stadium was filled with the cheers of Salt Lake City fans.

The Jazz are currently leading by 2 points, and if Malone makes all his free throws, it will be the game-winner.

Considering Malone's 76.1% free throw percentage this season, even if he has an off night and only makes one free throw, the Jazz are almost guaranteed to win.

Since the Blazers only have one option left—a game-tying game—then all they need to do is defend the three-pointers.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

After pausing, Carlisle launched into a tirade against Billups.

Carlisle has always been relatively calm when coaching the Trail Blazers, but this time he was clearly angry.

The Trail Blazers' fate for the season is now in Malone's hands.

After the timeout, Malone had two free throw opportunities.

Even after a timeout, Malone still looked very excited.

This situation is perfect for him now. He has won back against Yang Shuai, and in the same way Yang Shuai did last year, personally eliminating Yang Shuai from the competition.

"you lose."

That feeling of excitement eventually turned into a smug smile as he looked at Yang Shuai.

"is it?"

Yang Shuai responded with a meaningful smile.

When Malone saw that smile, he suddenly felt a little uneasy, but he just shook his head.

In this situation, unless he misses both free throws, the Jazz are guaranteed to win.

But how could he possibly miss both free throws?

The referee gave the ball to Malone. Just as he was about to shoot the free throw, Yang Shuai suddenly spoke up, or more accurately, uttered a name.

"Shut up!"

Upon hearing that name, Malone's expression froze for a moment, then he instantly flew into a rage.

"If you're still a human being, you'd better go and pay the child support you owe for the past fourteen years right now."

Yang Shuai, however, wore a mocking expression.

What? You can do it but not say it?

And you think I'll shut up just because you tell me to?

The referee then noticed the verbal exchange between the two and blew a warning whistle.

Ma Long was panting heavily, his chest heaving violently.

He never expected that Yang Shuai would know about that matter.

He tried hard to concentrate, but the familiar figure kept appearing in his mind uncontrollably.

"when!"

His first free throw bounced off the rim.

There was a commotion in the place.

"when!"

Malone's second free throw also missed.

The scene erupted in chaos.

Malone, you really missed both free throws!
Sabonis secured the defensive rebound, prompting the Trail Blazers to call another timeout.

With 14.6 seconds left, they got another chance!

The way Ma Long looked at Yang Shuai when he left the court was as if he wanted to devour him alive.

After the timeout, Billups was still kept on the court by Carlisle.

Although Carlisle was really annoyed by Billups earlier, he still gave Billups a chance at the last moment.

He knew very well that if Billups were substituted at this point, it would be a devastating blow to Billups' confidence.

However, he substituted Williams for Grant, and the Trail Blazers ultimately used their most frequently used stretch lineup.

This time it's a serve from the frontcourt.

Carlisle's tactical setup remained the same: get the ball to Yang Shuai.

The Jazz not only continued to closely guard Yang Shuai, but also extended their defense far out to the perimeter.

They know Yang Shuai's three-point shooting ability, and they also know his clutch ability in crucial moments; he has made three-point game-winning shots more than once.

After a series of screens, Yang Shuai successfully received the ball passed by Billups.

After Yang Shuai received the ball, the rest of the Trail Blazers players spread out.

Yang Shuai was facing veteran Morris.

This time, Yang Shuai didn't call for Sabonis's screen, but instead drove between his legs and made a crossover dribble.

Although Morris has more defensive experience, he was helpless against Yang Shuai's kind of breakthroughs.

Moreover, his defensive focus was on Yang Shuai's three-pointers, so he didn't dare to spread out too much. Now, he didn't even have time to retreat.

Yang Shuai successfully broke through Morris's defense.

Malone's help defense came rushing in at this moment, his eyes full of murderous intent.

However, Yang Shuai did not slow down. Instead, he jumped directly after getting close to Ma Long and then used Ma Long as the axis to make a 360° turn and layup in the air!
He made a similar move against Kemp when he played against the Cavaliers.

The only difference is that back then it was a pass after a turn, while this time it was a direct layup.

A gasp of amazement rippled through the crowd. Yang Shuai's decision to drive to the basket instead of a three-pointer was already surprising, and his subsequent dribble past two players showcased his formidable individual driving ability.

However, Ma Long did not give Yang Shuai a chance to perform; he quickly turned around and grabbed Yang Shuai's shoulder.

He was incredibly strong, and he pulled Yang Shuai forward by force, almost knocking him to the ground.

A gasp of surprise rippled through the crowd.

However, it wasn't because of Ma Long's action, but because Yang Shuai delivered a light layup before Ma Long could exert his strength!

The basketball rose into the air under the watchful eyes of the fans, then landed on the edge of the rim, paused briefly, and then rolled into the basket!
The referee's whistle blew a little late at that moment, and Malone was called for a defensive foul.

That was a 2+1!

After landing, Yang Shuai did not dwell on Malone's defensive move, but instead made Malone's favorite "muscle-flexing" celebration move to the Salt Lake City fans.

The scene erupted in chaos once again.

After Malone missed two free throws, Yang Shuai now has a chance to win the game against the Jazz with free throws!

In just 16 seconds, their emotions went through a rollercoaster ride.

With just 5 seconds left in the game, the Jazz's fate is now in Yang Shuai's hands!

Yang Shuai steps to the free-throw line to prepare for the free throw.

Ma Long's view was blocked by Yang Shuai, so he didn't see Yang Shuai's movements immediately. When he pulled Yang Shuai down and saw the basketball going up, he was completely stunned.

Once he came to his senses, his brain started working at lightning speed.

Then he finally realized something.

He was full of confidence and spoke to Yang Shuai:
Who is your daddy?

An article by Sean Powell about Yang Shuai's background back then quickly boosted Yang Shuai's popularity; Americans love stories like this.

But that also naturally made Yang Shuai's background a household name.

Everyone knows that Yang Shuai is an orphan who was abandoned by his parents one after another.

It's perfectly normal for Ma Long to know.

Moreover, Yang Shuai started it first. Since Yang Shuai used his privacy to attack him, then he shouldn't blame Yang Shuai for using his privacy to attack Yang Shuai.

He believed this was Yang Shuai's biggest sore spot, and that Yang Shuai would be just as furious as him... right?

Ma Long noticed that Yang Shuai was actually smiling!

No, why is Yang Shuai laughing?

He considered countless possibilities, but he never expected Yang Shuai to react this way.

"Shh!"

Despite the deafening roars of the Salt Lake City fans, Yang Shuai calmly made the extra free throw.

Perhaps until the day his life came to an end, Ma Long would never have imagined that the reason Yang Shuai reacted this way was because he was a time traveler.

You're talking about Lu Xun, what does that have to do with me, Zhou Shuren?
103 is better than 104!

Yang Shuai delivered the game-winning shot!

The Trail Blazers' bench erupted in cheers.

They too experienced great ups and downs.

Fortunately, they have Yang Shuai!

Sloan called a timeout; the Jazz had five seconds left.

The fans at the stadium were incredibly tense. Five seconds may not seem like a long time, but it was enough for them to pull off a last-minute comeback.

After the timeout, the Jazz successfully drew the Trail Blazers' defensive attention with their outside screens, and then Stockton successfully lobbed the ball to Malone.

Malone, with his back to Wallace, would turn and head towards the basket after exerting force.

But just as he turned around, he suddenly felt a lightness in his hand.

Looking again, Yang Shuai had somehow gotten behind him and snatched the ball from his hands!
Why are most game-winning shots in basketball given to perimeter players? Because interior players are easily double-teamed!
The fans at the stadium went wild again! Yang Shuai has now completed a triple kill against Ma Long!!
Not only Malone, but the rest of the Jazz team were caught off guard.

While they were still in a daze, Yang Shuai had already dribbled the ball and sprinted towards the frontcourt.

It's a familiar scene. Back then, after Yang Shuai made Jordan fall down, he also stole the ball and ran all over the court like this.

The only problem is that the Jazz didn't have Pippen, so there wasn't anyone who could catch up with him.

When Yang Shuai ran halfway around the Jazz's frontcourt, the long whistle sounded from the sidelines.

competition is over.

The Trail Blazers won!

They won the game in an incredible way!
Salt Lake City fans are absolutely furious.

After experiencing a series of roller coaster rides, they plunged directly into the abyss.

At this moment, Yang Shuai faced the Salt Lake City fans, put his hand behind his ear, and made the "listening" gesture that he had done at the beginning of the series.

Immediately afterwards, he clenched one fist and held the ball high in the other, welcoming the frantic charge from his teammates.

The Jazz players looked on in disbelief.

It took them a while to recover and walk back to their own half of the court.

Yang Shuai had already broken free from his teammates' encirclement and saw a dejected Ma Long.

"Hey! Carl!"

Yang Shuai immediately called out to him.

After Ma Long instinctively looked up, Yang Shuai shouted at him:
Who is your daddy?

The same words can have completely different meanings in different contexts.

A year ago on the stage of the finals, Yang Shuai made a game-winning shot after being maliciously fouled, personally shattering Ma Long's championship dream.

A year later, he led the Trail Blazers to an upset victory, personally sending Malone out of the first round.

It's obvious who Ma Long's father is.

"Negative energy from Karl Malone +1748".

Malone's eyes were blazing with fury; he had lost his mind and resembled Jermaine O'Neal from last season.

For him, the season is over, and all he wants now is to beat up Yang Shuai.

However, with both teams present, Ma Long's move was unlikely to succeed.

The Jazz players, in particular, frantically grabbed Malone.

This year, the league has strictly prohibited fighting. If someone actually starts a fight, it will affect not only this season but also next season.

The Trail Blazers players all stood in front of Yang Shuai, making it impossible for Malone to get past them.

Unable to break through the obstruction of his teammates and opponents, Ma Long angrily shook off his teammate's hand and turned to walk towards the player tunnel.

Halfway there, still feeling angry, he turned around and was about to rush towards Yang Shuai again, but this time the security guards stopped him.

Finally, after smashing over a bench at the entrance to the players' tunnel with a punch, Malone stormed into the tunnel.

Yang Shuai stood there without moving the entire time, quietly watching Ma Long's performance.

At the post-match press conference, Yang Shuai attended alongside Carlisle.

"What did you say to Karl Malone that caused him to miss both free throws at the last moment?"

Before the Trail Blazers, reporters had already asked Malone the same question, but Malone simply avoided it.

“I was just reminding him that he should pay child support for his son.”

Yang Shuai's attitude is the same as during the game: what's done is done, so how can people not criticize it?

As for the argument that "on-court matters don't apply to off-court matters," that might work for others, but it doesn't apply to scum like Ma Long.

Yang Shuai's answer caused a stir among the reporters in the audience.

Paul had to go to Louisiana to hear the news before, so this was naturally the first time they had heard it either.

However, Yang Shuai did not continue to answer the reporters' questions.

Some things are best left unsaid; reporters who are interested will naturally investigate.

"We noticed what you said to Malone at the end. Why did you do that? It seems to have angered the fans on the sidelines. Are you worried about that?"

Unlike Ma Long's greeting at the free-throw line, Yang Shuai really went all out with a close-range shot.

"Haven't I been an enemy of this city for a long time?"

Yang Shuai did not explain why, but simply stated his attitude in a very nonchalant way.

Everything he did, and of course everything Salt Lake City fans did to him, has made their feud irreconcilable.

Moreover, from an on-court perspective, this is his first year with the Trail Blazers, and also the year the Jazz have the best chance to beat the Trail Blazers.

After this year, the balance of power between the Trail Blazers and the Jazz will be reversed, and the Jazz will never have another chance.

After the press conference, Yang Shuai paid for the Trail Blazers to leave Salt Lake City overnight on a private plane from Marques Jets.

Although he enjoyed showing off, having experienced last year's finals, he didn't want anything to actually happen to him and his teammates in Salt Lake City.

The team members on the plane did not feel tired despite traveling overnight; in fact, they even played cards to celebrate.

Even Sabonis was unusually involved.

After all, they don't usually have the opportunity to travel by private jet.

And they were quite thrilled to have upset the Jazz this time.

The Jazz are notorious in this era; they play the role of the embodiment of justice.

Yang Shuai sat in the corner to rest; this series had taken a toll on his energy.

Billups then walked over and sat down beside him.

"sorry."

After sitting down, Billups apologized to Yang Shuai.

He almost ruined the Trail Blazers' season of hard work.

Yang Shuai was initially a little angry with Billups, but when he saw that Billups apologized, his anger dissipated.

He could actually guess why Billups made that choice back then; to put it bluntly, he wanted to prove himself.

Billups faced a lot of criticism during his time with the Celtics, and he failed to prove himself with the Trail Blazers. In addition, he was not selected for the All-Rookie Team, so you can imagine how much pressure he was under.

So when an opportunity to prove himself comes his way, it's understandable that he'd want to take a chance, because if he succeeds, all the doubts will turn into praise.

Not to mention that Billups was always the leader in college.

However, the result proved that he didn't have the ability in the NBA.

"Chauncey, when you're really ready, I'll pass the ball to you even if I don't have it in my hands."

Yang Shuai patted Billups on the shoulder.

Just as he had said to Billups in the Rose Experiment Garden, he needed Billups, but a more mature Billups.

(End of this chapter)