The longest river

Chapter 199 Barber Master Yang
Ultimately, the Trail Blazers defeated the Lakers 121-63 at home.

In the final four minutes, the Lakers' bench players at least gave it their all, but managed to tie the game instead of creating a new record for the largest point difference.

Of course, from Yang Shuai's perspective, it seemed like he won but actually lost.

58 is a magical number. When it comes to the word "Shaquille O'Neal," it's likely to be a name that fans will talk about for the rest of their lives.

赛后的数据统计，开拓者队7人得分上双，杨帅三节得到26分8板7助攻，比卢普斯18分7助攻，华莱士17分8板，皮蓬14分5板7助攻2抢断2盖帽。

科比得到了湖人队最高的18分，但是他16投仅6中，奥尼尔16分10板5失误，湖人队再无人得分上双。

Yang Shuai and Billups attended the post-match press conference together.

“We fell here last year, and we’re going to get back up this year.”

When asked about his excellent performance in tonight's game, Yang Shuai gave a very direct reason.

"In the end, you beat them by 58 points..."

The reporter's words immediately caused a stir in the audience. The score difference, which was only seen once every 43 years, was destined to generate a lot of discussion after the game.

"You have to ask Changxi about this." Yang Shuai shifted the blame for the first time at the press conference.

"During halftime, Hansen told us, 'We can't let our guard down until the final whistle,' so we maintained that fighting spirit until the end."

However, Billups's rebound made Yang Shuai facepalm and also drew laughter from the audience.

Do you think the series is already decided?

"We cannot let our guard down until the series is over."

Yang Shuai then started making fun of his own meme.

"But this game has given us plenty of confidence for the series, and we will be the ultimate winner."

Two days later, Game 2 of the series between the Trail Blazers and the Lakers continued in Portland.

Contrary to many people's expectations, the Lakers did not collapse after their crushing defeat in Game 1.

Rambis started Horry in this game, sacrificing some defense to ensure O'Neal's low-post offense.

Moreover, after the humiliating defeat, both O'Neal and Kobe seemed to have sobered up a lot, and they passed each other the ball quite often.

These changes have significantly improved the Lakers' success rate in half-court sets.

They were tied with the Trail Blazers after the first three quarters.

However, in the final quarter, as O'Neal's energy waned and Kobe had not yet developed enough to turn the game around, the Lakers' offensive efficiency also declined.

However, the Trail Blazers' offensive onslaught continued, and no matter how well the Lakers' offense performed, O'Neal's defensive weakness remained an unavoidable problem for them.

The Trail Blazers ultimately defeated the Lakers 108-101, taking a 2-0 lead in the series.

After the first two matches concluded, both sides moved to Inglewood to continue their two remaining matches.

Game 3 of the series will be a decisive game. If the Lakers want to keep the series suspenseful, they must defend their first home court. Otherwise, they may repeat last year's mistake.

After arriving in Inglewood, Yang Shuai did extra training in the Inglewood High School gym that evening.

"Hey, you caddie!"

Just as he was practicing, a familiar shout came from the direction of the door.

Yang Shuai turned around and saw Pierce.

Pierce went up and gave Yang Shuai a big hug.

The Celtics missed the playoffs, and Pierce returned to Inglewood after the season ended.

Yang Shuai needed a sparring partner for extra training, so we invited him out.

After a brief chat, the two began their one-on-one duel.

皮尔斯刚刚结束了自己的新秀赛季，他代表凯尔特人队出场16.5分6.4板2.4助攻1.7抢断1封盖。

Although the Celtics were a tanking team and their stats might be inflated, their performance as the 10th overall pick was still quite impressive.

In fact, he was one of only two rookies besides Carter to receive Rookie of the Year votes that season.

Of course, he's no match for Yang Shuai.

Pierce wasn't as shameless as Kobe; after losing five games in a row, he signaled to stop.

"I'll be your caddie."

Before Yang Shuai joined the Ge Shiwei team, the two had a one-on-one match here.

At that time, Yang Shuai narrowly defeated him with a last-second shot, and the two were evenly matched.

But now, Yang Shuai has grown to a level that he can no longer reach.

He is self-aware and doesn't think he would be as strong as Yang Shuai if he had entered the league with him.

After Yang Shuai finished training, Pierce drove him to Los Angeles.

The two of them went back into Xiao Street and bought the cinnamon rolls they had eaten before.

Back then, they would split a cinnamon roll in two to eat, but now they could buy a whole house full of them if they wanted to.

However, the food that tasted pretty good back then is now too sweet to eat.

The tuck was still as delicious as ever, and they bought a big bag of it and took it straight back to their car.

"Should I find two female companions?" Pierce was also recalling the scene from years ago when they stood by the roadside, gazing longingly at the beautiful women in the passenger seats.

"I have to play the Lakers again tomorrow night." Yang Shuai shook his head.

Having already been with actresses like Taylor and Richards, those other beauties no longer catch his eye.

"This isn't an attempt to wear you down before the game," Pierce said bluntly.

Yang Shuai smiled and said, "That would require a lot of people to exercise."

"Do you have any tickets?" After starting the car, Pierce asked Yang Shuai for the tickets.

"You're already in the NBA, why would you need money for tickets?"

"Every little bit helps. You're a billionaire now, shouldn't I take advantage of you a little?"

Yang Shuai was speechless. Compared to back then, Pierce was just as talkative, but his skin had also become much thicker.

He then opened his bag and handed him the best seat ticket.

"Thank you for the gift from 'Yellow Jesus'."

Pierce smiled and put it in the armrest box.

Yang Shuai shook his head with a helpless smile.

They chatted and drove around, and before long, Pierce brought Yang Shuai to a newly built stadium.

The stadium is almost completely built and is in the final stages of construction. It looks like it will be basically completed by this summer.

Yang Shuai had seen news reports about this before; it's the famous Staples Center, which will open to the public in November of this year.

Next season, both the Lakers and the Clippers will make this their new home court.

"I wish I were on the Lakers." Pierce looked at the arena in front of him with a mixture of longing and regret.

The words he spoke to the Lakers' championship banner back then were all from the bottom of his heart.

“I think it’s a good thing you’re not on the Lakers,” Yang Shuai interrupted his fantasy.

Pierce turned his head in confusion.

Do you want to be swept in your rookie season?

Pierce's lips twitched, then he smiled.

"I'm a Lakers fan."

"A Lakers fan wearing a Celtics jersey," Yang Shuai corrected.

"I think the Lakers can win a game tomorrow night."

"Your feeling is wrong." Yang Shuai had no intention of showing any mercy.

"Does the league want the Lakers to be swept? This is Los Angeles."

Pierce's question made Yang Shuai silent for a while.

Tomorrow night's match looks like it will be a bit tougher than expected.

Pierce went to spend the night with a female companion, while Yang Shuai returned to the hotel.

As he stepped out of the elevator, he saw Carlisle standing in the hallway smoking.

"Rick, is something bothering you?" Yang Shuai walked over.

Carlisle nodded, but didn't explain, because that was a matter of concern for the coaches.

Yang Shuai didn't ask any further questions, but he still smiled and patted the other person on the shoulder: "You are now the best coach."

Carlisle paused for a moment, then smiled and nodded.

The following evening, Game 3 between the Trail Blazers and the Lakers tipped off at the Western Forum.

The stadium was packed with fans.

This is the Lakers' last season playing in this arena, and considering the current situation, it might even be their last two games, so fans naturally flocked to the stadium.

This arena, which opened in 1967, has witnessed most of the Lakers' glorious years.

As Yang Shuai entered the player tunnel, he looked up at the Lakers championship banners overhead and felt a strange sense of unease.

For Lakers fans, this place is no less important than Madison Square Garden; it is the holy grail of basketball in their hearts.

But for him, being able to deliver their final defeat here would also be a very meaningful thing.

After the opening ceremony, the starting lineups for both sides were announced.

The Trail Blazers made no changes, but for the Lakers, Horry replaced Reid in the starting lineup.

It seems that Rambis knew he couldn't stop the Trail Blazers' offense, so he simply went all out and engaged in an offensive battle with the Trail Blazers.

O'Neal immediately attacked Sabonis in the low post, giving the Lakers the first point.

Moreover, when Yang Shuai and Sabonis set a pick-and-roll, O'Neal actually switched out to defend.

With the humiliating 58-point record and the possibility of being swept again, O'Neal is now motivated by shame and fighting back.

His lunge was sudden, but Yang Shuai reacted quickly, pulling back with a crossover and changing direction to the left, passing right by him.

It turns out that even if O'Neal hadn't retired, he still couldn't defend pick-and-rolls.

O'Neal tried to foul Yang Shuai to stop him, but Yang Shuai was too fast for him to catch. When he turned around, he saw Yang Shuai leaping into the air.

"Oh!"

Yang Shuai slammed the ball into the basket with his signature tomahawk dunk.

When they were on defense, Yang Shuai pointed to the spot where Pierce was sitting.

He gave Pierce a forward position so that Pierce could see more closely how he would win tonight's game.

Ten minutes into the game, the score was 28-20, with the Trail Blazers in the lead.

Rambis's thinking was not wrong. As can be seen from the first round of games, the Trail Blazers' fast break defense is based on successful half-court defense. As long as they can score steadily in half-court battles, the Trail Blazers cannot launch a run.

The Lakers managed to handle the fast break defense, but they couldn't stop Yang Shuai from scoring.

Yang Shuai showed an exceptionally strong desire to score from the start tonight, often taking shots before even being double-teamed.

However, as the game entered the second quarter, the whistle began to blow frequently, and the Lakers got a lot of free throw opportunities.

Pierce's question from last night has been answered: the league does not want the Lakers to continue being swept.

Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant are both highly popular stars in the league. If they were to be forced to disband, it would be a huge loss to the league's viewership.

Although they are facing the Trail Blazers, so they can't guarantee a victory like they would with Jordan back in the day, it's not difficult to win one or two games.

However, the result of this biased refereeing was that Yang Shuai's offensive desire became even stronger.

The more the league wants the Lakers to win, the less he wants to give them the chance.

In the first quarter, when he was double-teamed and couldn't get a shot off, he would pass the ball. But in this quarter, he went back to the 50+ near triple-double mode he played against the Lakers in last season's playoffs, and he just went for it.

Or rather, the effect is even stronger, after all, his individual scoring ability has become stronger after a season.

At halftime, the score was 54-46, with the Trail Blazers leading.

Yang Shuai scored 32 points in the first half.

He was telling the referees, and everyone else, that the Lakers couldn't win even one game this year.

Shaquille O'Neal is definitely going to shave his head this year.

Pierce bowed down to Yang Shuai before leaving the court.

This is the playoffs. After Jordan, Yang Shuai is the first perimeter player to give people the impression that he has a switch inside his body that can be pressed to dominate the court.

The commentators for this game will still be Ernie Johnson and Hubie Brown.

"This is the first time since we entered the playoffs that Hansen has been on fire on the court. He gave an MVP-caliber performance that shows why the Trail Blazers are the best team in the league this year," Ernie Johnson exclaimed, impressed by Yang Shuai's performance.

"However, this may not be a good thing for the Trail Blazers."

Brown, however, offered a different perspective.

Yang Shuai scored so many points that the Trail Blazers only led by 8 points.

The Lakers couldn't stop the Trail Blazers' offense, but they could wear down Yang Shuai and his teammates in the second half.

Conversely, after the Lakers brought Horry into the starting lineup, the Trail Blazers couldn't stop O'Neal's dominance in the paint.

If some unexpected factors occur, such as Kobe suddenly having a hot streak or Yang Shuai's shooting touch declining, then the Lakers will have an opportunity.

During halftime, Carlisle went into the locker room and saw Yang Shuai drenched in sweat. He realized that continuing to play like this might not be a good thing for the Trail Blazers.

Moreover, O'Neal was incredibly destructive in the paint tonight, with Sabonis and Wallace both already carrying three fouls.

The current game is more like a power struggle between Yang Shuai and O'Neal, it's just a matter of who can't hold on any longer.

Recalling what Yang Shuai said last night, Carlisle suddenly felt a little ashamed.

His so-called "best coach" title is merely due to Yang Shuai leading the team to the top of the league.

"Should we foul Shaq to stop him from scoring?" Dunleavy asked, leaning over at that moment.

Carlisle was about to say that wouldn't work because Sabonis and Wallace already had three fouls.

But as he was about to say it, he suddenly remembered something.

“Yes, let’s do it that way.” He said, picking up the tactical board in his hand.

Returning for the second half, the Lakers took the lead.

The Trail Blazers opted to surround O'Neal with multiple players, and O'Neal passed the ball to Horry on the far side, who then hit a three-pointer.

Although Horry has not been in good form this season, he seems to have some special attribute: he can make those crucial shots.

The score difference on the field has reached one goal.

"Defend! Defend!"

The fans at the stadium started to get excited.

Although being down 0-2 is a disadvantage, as long as they can hold onto their two home games, the outcome is still uncertain.

However, their cheers and encouragement soon came to an abrupt end.

Because after receiving a pass from Billups, Yang Shuai made a sharp lateral change of direction to shake off Kobe, and immediately responded with a three-pointer.

If he needs to score 60 points to win this game, just like before, then he needs to score 60 points.

In the Lakers' offense, O'Neal continued to establish position in the low post, but this time, just as he turned to shoot, Pippen, who was helping on defense, fouled him and sent him to the free-throw line.

O'Neal made one of two free throws.

Everything seemed the same.

In the next possession, as O'Neal dodged Pippen's steal and prepared to shoot, Sabonis pulled him down from the spot.

O'Neal went to the free-throw line again.

At the same time, Carlisle substituted Cato for Sabonis.

Then in the third round, Cato, who came up, grabbed O'Neal and pulled him down hard when O'Neal got up after bumping into him.

Carlisle's tactical intentions in the second half gradually became clear: since he couldn't stop O'Neal, he would keep O'Neal at the free-throw line.

This would not only limit O'Neal's scoring, but also disrupt the Lakers' offensive rhythm.

Leaving O'Neal standing there taking free throws while the other Lakers players could only watch helplessly, his hands grew cold very quickly.

This time, when O'Neal was shooting free throws, Yang Shuai smiled at him:
"How about we make a bet? I bet you'll get 20 free throws in the second half tonight."

When Carlisle explained his tactical ideas from midfield, he instantly understood – it was the "Hack-a-Shaq" tactic!

He didn't know when this tactic came about or who invented it, but Carlisle was preparing to popularize it.

With two dull thuds as O'Neal missed both free throws.

As O'Neal was repeatedly sent to the free-throw line, especially after the Trail Blazers fouled out five times, the Trail Blazers fouled O'Neal directly before the Lakers could even get into position in the frontcourt, drawing huge boos from the crowd.

Such a match is not only disjointed, but also completely lacks any entertainment value.

The camera focused on Carlisle, and the boos from the crowd reached their peak.

Carlisle, however, remained calm.

Playoff games are all about targeted tactics. If O'Neal is accurate with his free throws, why would he be afraid of such tactics?

Moreover, this tactic itself is risky, because each player only has 6 fouls allowed; for example, Sabonis didn't play again in this quarter.

Of course, most importantly, he wouldn't have resorted to such a tactic if the referees hadn't been so obviously biased.

Since you're determined to call a foul on us, then we might as well commit a foul ourselves!
O'Neal's mentality clearly became unbalanced after being frequently sent to the free-throw line.

At first, he could occasionally make one out of two free throws, but after that he almost always missed both.

What's even more dangerous is that if he misses the second free throw and the Trail Blazers grab the rebound, the Trail Blazers can immediately launch their signature half-court defense and fast break.

Before half a quarter had even passed, the Trail Blazers had already quickly extended their lead to double digits.

Lambis had to raise his hand to call a timeout.

"Carlisle has studied Nelson's tactical system."

Ernie Johnson wore a wry smile.

As commentators, they certainly have a better understanding of this tactic than Yang Shuai.

This tactic was used on Chamberlain back in the 60s, and later Nelson used it on O'Neal, but those were all in the regular season; no one has used it in the playoffs yet.

After all, this tactic was really ugly and seriously affected the league's ratings.

It was especially painful for them, as they were the commentators, and now they could only watch as O'Neal kept repeating his clumsy free throws.

"They did a pretty good job."

Brown gave a positive review.

While theoretically, it's best to use this tactic after the team has committed a foul, Carlisle fouled shortly after the start of the second half, which seemed like a zero-frame start and a forced "Hack-a-Shaq" move.

However, the flaws do not outweigh the merits. After all, it was their first time doing this, and judging from the Trail Blazers' execution, they did a good job by frequently substituting players to distribute the number of fouls.

"This tactic is truly unsolvable."

After seeing that the Lakers had to substitute O'Neal after the timeout, Johnson couldn't help but scratch his head and sigh.

There are quite a few big men in the NBA who aren't good at free throws, but only Shaquille O'Neal was a dominant superstar despite his poor free throw shooting. It's much easier to take him down than to defend him.

Moreover, it is foreseeable that after setting such a standard example in the playoffs, other teams will definitely follow the Trail Blazers' approach when facing the Lakers in the future.

The happiest person when O'Neal couldn't play wasn't actually the Trail Blazers players, but Kobe.

He finally got what he wanted: O'Neal giving up the game in the paint.

As the game progressed, Kobe's score also increased.

However, his current abilities are not strong enough to turn the tide of the game.

By the time O'Neal returned in the final quarter, the Trail Blazers had extended their lead to 15+ points.

At this point, due to the accumulated fouls, the Trail Blazers stopped Hack-a-Shaq, but O'Neal was powerless to turn the tide.

Shaquille O'Neal is just a safety net, a very high floor, but you can't expect him to turn the tide.

Ultimately, amidst the near despair of the Lakers fans in the arena, the Trail Blazers defeated the Lakers 103-88, winning this 5-on-8 game.

奥尼尔全场比赛23投12中，24罚10中，得到34分14板。

After winning Game 3, the Trail Blazers took a 3-0 lead in the series.

They are just one step away from sweeping the Lakers.

"This is an ugly tactic; it's disgracing the game of basketball!"

At the post-game press conference, Rambis angrily denounced the Trail Blazers' actions in front of reporters.

The referee's calls were initially favorable to the Lakers, giving them a chance to win. However, now, not only in Game 3, but if the league doesn't make immediate rule adjustments, a sweep for the Lakers is almost a certainty.

When the Trail Blazers held their press conference, Yang Shuai was in a great mood.

He was prepared to fight to the last drop of energy, just like he did against the Jazz last year, but Carlisle's "Hack-a-Shaq" strategy forced him to clock out early.

"Isn't this kind of winning style a bit dishonorable?" a reporter from Los Angeles asked, his voice clearly tinged with indignation.

"I actually hope they keep sending me to the free-throw line," Yang Shuai said calmly.

The more accurate name for the "Hack-a-Shaq" tactic should be the "Hack-a-Man" tactic, and there's no rule that you can only foul Shaq.
"Won't this make the game less entertaining?" an ESPN reporter then asked.

Rambis's accusations are not entirely unfounded; the playoffs attract far more attention than the regular season.

"As players, we only think about how to win. As for entertainment value, I think that's something the league should consider."

Yang Shuai does have some recollection of this matter. He remembers that the relevant regulations were introduced in 2016, by which time O'Neal had already retired.

And you even adjust the rules for me during the season? Do you really think you're LeBron James?

"What's your next goal?" a reporter from TNT asked, setting a trap.

"Win Game 4 and end the series."

Yang Shuai chose to jump into the pit directly, because that was his goal.

Shaquille O'Neal has already had his head shaved so many times, he probably wouldn't mind one more time, right?
Unsurprisingly, the match sparked heated discussions among the media and fans afterward.

Even the latest episode of TNT's "NBA Insider" debated this issue for a long time.

But in the end, just as Yang Shuai had predicted, the league did not change the rules.

In essence, the root cause of this tactic is O'Neal's personal issues.

To date, no rule in NBA history has ever been changed because of an individual, not even Michael Jordan.

Two days later, Game 4 between the Lakers and the Trail Blazers continued at the Western Forum.

The stadium was packed, with many fans even holding up signs that read "Ugly team" and "You won unfairly" in protest.

Surprisingly, the Trail Blazers did not continue to use the "Hack-a-Shaq" strategy in this game.

Although the league did not make any rule changes, it did give the Trail Blazers some private advice.

The Trail Blazers chose to accept the decision because the league promised that there would be no more biased calls like in the previous game.

So what Lakers fans saw in Game 4 was that the Trail Blazers hit a basic attack, and the Lakers couldn't stop it.

Any fan with a modicum of common sense should know that if you can be outscored by 58 points, you can't possibly win the series.

Whether you can win a match basically depends on whether your opponent wants to give you some face.

However, Yang Shuai's post-match comments after the last game have already made his stance clear; he does not want to.

Moreover, the Lakers' morale has basically collapsed by now.

Ultimately, the Trail Blazers defeated the Lakers 103-91, sweeping the Lakers 4-0.

The Trail Blazers not only got their revenge, but they got it in a satisfying and exhilarating way, just as Coach Yang said to the young fan:
"We will not lose to them again."

When the final whistle blew, Yang Shuai waved goodbye to O'Neal.

There was an uproar at the scene.

Los Angeles fans witnessed countless glories of the Lakers in this arena, but in the final moments, they witnessed the Lakers' most humiliating moment.

Thus, O'Neal has now been swept out of the playoffs five times in his career, from being swept in the first round by Miller in his first playoff run, to being swept by the Rockets in the Finals, to being swept by the Bulls in the Conference Finals, and to being swept by the Rockets last season.

Throughout the history of the league, no superstar has been able to rival him.

-Dividing line-

Twenty years later, Reggie Miller, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Michael Jordan bump into each other at a barbershop.

When the group met, they inevitably exchanged pleasantries.

Miller and Olajuwon have both grown their hair out since retiring, but Jordan still has a bald head.

"I like being bald." Jordan wouldn't say that his baldness was due to family genetics, and that shaving his head would actually help him maintain his good looks after retirement.

"I also enjoy shaving people's heads." He then cleverly changed the subject.

“In this respect, you should all respectfully call me senior, because I am the first, and you know, the first time is very important.” Miller didn’t mention anyone’s name, but it seemed like he did.

"That was the first round, a best-of-five series, it's not impressive at all," Jordan said dismissively, referring to his sweep of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Hakeem Olajuwon coughed. Did he speak when he swept the series twice, including once in the Finals?
Just then, the door of the barbershop was pushed open, and Yang Shuai, wearing a T-shirt with the number "58" printed on it, walked in.

"What are you talking about?"

Soon, bursts of cheerful laughter filled the barbershop, mixed with things like "Little Superman" and "Little Shark".

(End of this chapter)