Basketball miracles

Chapter 131 [Western Conference Finals, A Bunch of Titles]

The next day, the first game of the Western Conference Finals began, and Pat Riley's tactics in the locker room were once again centered around Xiao Tu's offense.

The players were no longer surprised; in every round of the playoffs, Xiao Tu was the Lakers' primary offensive option. He was the youngest, still had untapped potential, and the coach had to give him more opportunities to showcase his skills.

Moreover, everyone believes that Xiao Tu can put up amazing stats, and this series will be even stronger than the first two rounds.

The Nuggets' interior defense is very weak, and they have always relied on small-ball tactics, winning through fast breaks and star players' isolation plays. Center Wayne Cooper, at 208cm and 100kg, is their tallest interior player.

Nuggets coach Doug Mo continued to start veteran Dan Isaiah as the power forward in the playoffs, and at times had to assign the 198cm tall, 100kg Kelvin Knight to guard Xiao Tu.

During the regular season, Knight primarily started at power forward, while the 193cm tall TR-Dunne started at shooting guard. The Nuggets can't play like that today; they tried it in the regular season and it was a sure way to fail.

Most remarkably, Knight was the Nuggets' number one rebounder in both the regular season and the playoffs.

常规赛他场均23.3分7.8篮板3.1助攻1抢断，投篮命中率54.6%。进入季后赛，奈特场均能砍下24分7.3篮板4助攻，命中率55%，表现差不多。

In the visiting team's locker room, Doug Mo tried his best to boost morale, saying that as long as the players played to their strengths, they had a real chance to defeat the Lakers and advance to the Finals.

The players were not very enthusiastic, and some even seemed listless.

Beat the Lakers? Don't be ridiculous.

How can we beat them if we can't defend them at all? The Lakers' offensive power has set a new record!
Thinking about the score of the final game between the two teams, the Nuggets players felt that losing in a respectable manner would be a success. They couldn't adjust their playing style and could only engage in a high-scoring shootout.

Now that it's the crucial Western Conference Finals, if the Lakers don't hold back on defense, it will be very difficult for the Nuggets to score high points. Xiao Tu and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's strong drives are simply unstoppable; they've tried four times already.

The players arrived on time, and the Lakers' home arena was packed.

The DJ's introduction of the players stirred up the emotions of the entire crowd, and everyone cheered together.

Xiao Tu now boasts a plethora of titles—NBA Rookie of the Year, Top White Superstar, Dominator Under the Basket, Guardian of the Rebound Zone, Angel City's Most Handsome Man, Madonna's Boyfriend, Rebound King, Basketball Superman, Superman, Half-Man, Half-God…

Xiao Tu exclaimed in surprise.

I'm now on par with Daenerys Targaryen, and I probably have even more titles than her.

What should I do? I can hardly control my eyebrows anymore.

Thankfully, I wasn't asked to introduce myself, otherwise it would have been incredibly awkward.

After warming up, the starting players for both teams took to the court. The Lakers' five players were: Magic Johnson, Byron Scott, James Worthy, Xiao Tu, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

With Michael Cooper, a member of the second All-Defensive Team, on the bench, Riley clearly intended to go toe-to-toe with offense and didn't care about perimeter defense.

Nuggets starting lineup: Fat Lever, Alex English, Kelvin Knight, Dan Issel, Wayne Cooper.

Doug Mo also fielded an offensive lineup, while TR Dunn, who was selected to the All-Defensive Second Team, sat on the bench.

Dunn wasn't very effective against the Lakers; his 193cm height was insufficient to defend either Xiao Tu or Magic Johnson. Furthermore, his scoring ability was poor, and his star teammates were easily double-teamed when he was on the court.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won the jump ball, and Magic Johnson immediately launched a fast break, passing the ball between the two to Xiao Tu, who was cutting inside on the right wing. The Lakers often use this kind of play at the start of the game, and it works every time.

Xiao Tu used his speed to get past veteran Isaiah, caught the ball, and ignored Knight's help defense for a one-handed dunk! 2-0.

In the first game, the Nuggets exposed their defensive weaknesses; no one was good at protecting the rim.

Even if the center wasn't responsible for the jump ball, the tall and thin Wayne Cooper couldn't stop Xiao Tu's shot. He's heartbreakingly soft, averaging only 6.5 rebounds per game in the playoffs, and that will probably drop after this series.

Wayne was the Nuggets' best defender, excelling at blocking shots thanks to his mobility and wingspan. He averaged 2.5 blocks in 25.4 minutes per game in the regular season, a truly impressive performance. A key characteristic of the 80s NBA was the scarcity of interior players; anyone over 205cm tall, regardless of weight or skill level, could easily find a job.

The Nuggets' management certainly wanted to acquire a center who could both score and defend, but Denver's location was not attractive, and no big-name free agents were willing to join them.

Developing interior players through the draft for the Nuggets is like playing the lottery – the odds of winning are extremely low. 84 was the year with the most quality interior players, yet the Nuggets' general manager traded away their first-round pick, only selecting a guard in the second round (42nd overall).

In the Nuggets' half-court offense, all the players spread out, and the ball was passed to English, who was one step inside the three-point line, for a one-on-one opportunity.

Standing at 201cm and weighing 86kg, English is a versatile scorer who can both drive and shoot, and is one of the best scorers currently active in the NBA. He won the NBA scoring title in the 1982-83 season, and this season he is averaging 28 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game, with a field goal percentage of 51.8%.

He became even more formidable in the playoffs, averaging 30.5 points per game in the two series, making him the top scorer in the playoffs.

English faked a shot at the left 60-degree angle, then used a crossover to create distance from Worthy before pulling up for a jump shot from the horns and sinking it. 2-2.

English consistently scores high against Worthy, and Riley knows this but won't assign Xiao Tu to guard him. The Lakers need to win through offense today; there's no need to be so serious on defense.

If all the important tasks on both offense and defense are given to star players, what's the point of role players? They get paid, so they have to put in the effort. They can't be treated like royalty on the team and only do simple tasks every game.

Riley spoke privately with Xiao Tu before the match, wanting him to rack up stats, improve his one-on-one skills, and prepare to compete for the Finals MVP.

Players' playoff stats are more valuable, and Xiao Tu can prove his ability by playing a classic game. From the coaching staff's perspective, the game against the Nuggets is the best opportunity.

In the Lakers' half-court offense, Johnson, under Xiao Tu's screen, went down the left flank, not aiming to penetrate but drawing the defense, and then passed the ball to the middle when the opportunity arose. Xiao Tu cut to the basket, forcefully squeezing past Issel, took three steps to the basket, drew Wayne's help defense, and then passed the ball with one hand to the left baseline.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar caught the ball and easily scored with a layup, making it 4-2.

Xiao Tu enjoys dunking, but he doesn't have to. He's being very careful in the last few games of the season, not wanting to get injured while dunking on unknown players. Better safe than sorry; if he misses the finals, it's like missing out on the grand prize.

With the Nuggets on offense, Xiao Tu's defensive task was very easy. He stayed on the perimeter with veteran Issel, ready to drop back and grab rebounds at any time. The Nuggets players were unlikely to pass the ball to Issel to isolate and attack Xiao Tu; they would simply bypass Xiao Tu on offense.

Kelvin Knight received the ball, looked for a screen, dribbled to the right side, shook off Byron Scott, and then beat Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for a layup. 4-4.

Standing at 191cm and weighing 88kg, Scott couldn't defend Knight, and even Michael Cooper struggled in physical duels. Xiao Tu believes Knight's physical attributes are only average, but he has a clear advantage against other players.

Knight plays both shooting guard and power forward, and his impact is tremendous. The Lakers have consistently struggled to defend him on the perimeter, making him a key strength for the Nuggets.

After four regular season games, neither side has any secrets left, and neither can come up with any unexpected tactical moves.

The players' playing style can be adjusted. After Xiao Tu sets a screen, he cuts to the basket again and drives towards the basket, relying on veteran Iser.

The Nuggets players were having a tough time. They couldn't afford to not double-team Xiao Tu on this kind of play. Even the 36-year-old Issel couldn't keep up with him; he couldn't jump high enough to get to the basket. Center Wayne helped on defense, and Xiao Tu passed the ball close to the basket, assisting Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to receive the ball on the left side of the basket for an easy one-handed dunk. 6-4.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has advantages in height and wingspan, resulting in an extremely high shooting percentage inside the paint, making it difficult for Wayne to turn and block his shots. To limit Abdul-Jabbar, it's essential to keep him outside the paint and force him to shoot from a position away from the basket.

No center can cover Xiao Tu while also effectively guarding Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Even Moses Malone, the league's current best center, is no match for him, who is ranked fourth in MVP rankings.

Xiao Tu delivered two consecutive assists, and Riley led the applause for him from the sidelines.

When Xiao Tu first joined the Lakers, he was a player who could only receive the ball and drive to the basket. After a season of honing his skills, he has learned to combine drives and passes with shooting.

Xiao Tu's playing style is flexible and versatile, making him harder for opponents to defend. If he only knows how to play off the ball, even if he puts up impressive stats, he can't become the team's leader. The true core player is the one who can elevate his teammates.

Xiao Tu has learned a lot from Johnson, and his passing ability is getting better and better. Next, he should try some fancy passes and has the potential to put on a show.

Xiao Tu's teammates were all impressed by his rapid progress. Players without aptitude are useless no matter who teaches them; they'll only ever be role players. Take, for example, Kurt Rambis, the backup power forward who rarely plays in the playoffs—he's hopeless.

(End of this chapter)