Where the noise did not reach

Chapter 149 Memphis Falls in Love

比赛时间：2008年5月2日 21:00
Game venue: FedEx Center

Matchup: Memphis Grizzlies vs. New Orleans Hornets (Game 6 of the First Round of the Playoffs)
Attendees: 18119, full house
Broadcasting media: TNT
Commentary Team: Kevin Harlan (Commentator), Doug Collins (Commentator)

Referees: Joe DeRoza, Bill Spooner, Derek Stafford
The Grizzlies returned to their home court, facing a sea of ​​blue fans, determined to send the Hornets home. Their season should be over; lingering any longer wouldn't be good for anyone.

However, Chris Paul, who is just one game away from being named the season's Most Valuable Player by the NBA, has a different opinion.

"David has been playing through injury since the start of the series. He has never given up, and we will get through this for him!"

When Paul arrived in Memphis, he gave an interview and expressed optimism about winning Game 6 on the road.

Xu Ling didn't have time to say anything to the media. Today, he didn't even update his Twitter account, which disappointed a group of people who had been diligently following his account.

They've gotten used to Xu Ling habitually posting an annoying tweet on match days.

However, Xu Ling is not addicted to the internet. Unless it's related to basketball, most things in his life are random and unpredictable. He didn't want to tweet today, so he didn't.

In the afternoon, the Grizzlies had a short training session at the gym.

By the sixth game, both teams knew each other very well and had no secrets left. In the actual game, it all came down to on-the-spot performance and adaptability.

Byron Scott hasn't given up yet; he's still telling reporters from the sidelines about faith, courage, and believing that Chris can do it.

But when the competition begins, people will find that he only told half the truth.

Chris might be able to do it, but it's unlikely that Chris will actually do it.

David West does have some back issues, and although he made the Hornets' roster, he didn't start.

It seems ironic that the mediocre Hilton Armstrong continues to start in place of David West. As a lottery pick in 2006, Armstrong was the Hornets' backup plan for West, and if West didn't perform well, they would focus on developing Armstrong.

However, West had his breakout season, while Armstrong, a lottery pick, was stuck on the bench wasting his prime.

Now, the Hornets are facing the most important game of the season, and he needs to start in place of West.

Scott is not Jaffaroni; he doesn't dare to play small lineups because the Grizzlies' frontcourt talent far surpasses that of the Hornets.

Playing with a small lineup at this point is just suicide.

The problem lies with Armstrong, a lottery pick who had lost all his talent on the bench, who was suddenly given a big responsibility.

If he can step up in this game, even if he doesn't cause the Grizzlies as much trouble as David West, as long as he fulfills his role as a starting power forward, his NBA career can continue.

Armstrong's misfortune was that he was not only unlike David West, but also worse than any disaster Byron Scott could have imagined.

He could even give Hakim Warrick, who had been completely outplayed by West since the start of the series, confidence.

Xu Ling spread out on the perimeter, Josh Howard lurked on the wing, Milicic boxed out on one side, and Warrick used a standard pick-and-roll offense, cutting inside after setting a screen. Armstrong believed that Kidd, whose playoff shooting percentage was less than 37%, posed a shooting threat, while Warrick, who averaged only 6 points, 5 rebounds, and 4.5 fouls per game, was no threat and was left unattended.

As a result, Memphis became the city of alley-oops as soon as the game started.

Warrick used pick-and-rolls to cut inside and score 6 consecutive points.

From then on, he began to resemble a human being.

This may be Armstrong's greatest value in the NBA; he helped the Grizzlies' starting power forward regain his confidence.

Scott's patience quickly ran out, and he waved his hand, replacing David West, who looked unwell.

However, West was not in good form after he came on. Perhaps his back injury affected him, or perhaps he had not yet found his touch. He missed several shots.

Paul wanted to find a second helper.

What about Maurice Peterson?
As you know, if Warrick just showed some promise against Armstrong, then Peterson has been reduced to a broken shell throughout the entire series.

He wasn't a bad defender, just not in his prime. Ever since Carter's decline in Toronto, the Raptors' dedicated guards for him lost their value. He wasted many years in Toronto until this season when he encountered another star player worth following, but even that star couldn't help him contain Xu Ling.

Xu Ling ruthlessly shattered his defense.

Even though Xu Ling's offensive efficiency was low in G2 and G4, Morris did not dare to take credit for it.

How can you expect someone who has almost lost the confidence to face their opponent head-on?

Then there's Tyson Chandler. He's fine; he plays defense and rebounds when needed. However, his offensive repertoire is limited, and he's not much of a threat outside the paint. So, the Grizzlies can easily defend his pick-and-roll by simply blocking his path to the basket.

In the end, Paul had no choice but to go to Peja.

Peja also struggled to find his rhythm, resulting in the Hornets being down 15-2 on the road.

"Doug, does this start indicate that David West's performance is crucial for the Hornets?"

TNT's Kevin Harlan asked this question when the Hornets called a timeout.

“Indeed.” Doug Collins seemed to be acknowledging Harlan’s question, but then countered with, “Then why isn’t David West the MVP this season?”

That wasn't a very pleasant thing to say; his subtext was what Paul was doing.

Paul was just looking for help, and now he's confirmed one thing: he has no help tonight.

Therefore, he stopped trying to find that non-existent helper.

Paul started to take the initiative on offense, but his three-point shooting percentage was not high tonight, and he couldn't get calls as easily when attacking the basket as he could at home.

This repeatedly thwarted his plans to catch up.

Xu Ling, who delivered an unstoppable performance in the last game, started tonight with a low profile, scoring only 4 points in the first quarter and sitting on the bench until the normal rotation time in the second quarter before coming on as a substitute.

At that time, Paul was scoring consecutive points.

Moreover, his offense subtly connects his teammates.

To complement him, the Hornets also brought in Giannilo Pargo to play shooting guard.

However, after Xu Ling came on, he first closely guarded Pargo, cutting off his connection with Paul, and then used Milicic's screen to cut out and receive the ball to hit three-pointers.

Paul fought tooth and nail, both on his own offense and assisting Chandler, finally narrowing the gap to 9 points. Xu Ling then came on and hit three three-pointers in two minutes, scoring 9 consecutive points and widening the gap to 14. Subsequently, the Hornets made another mistake, and Kidd orchestrated a fast break, extending the lead to 16 points.

At halftime, the score difference was 18 points. Paul had 14 points and 4 assists in the first half, making him the best player in the first half.

After halftime, the Grizzlies wanted to capitalize on their momentum in the third quarter.

Paul is still the one holding things together.

Jaffaroni wanted the wasps to die, so he immediately set up one large and four small ones.

The lineup consisting of Kidd, Xu Ling, Ariza, Howard, and Milicic was the strongest lineup tested in the series against the Hornets.

The main point is Howard; because he can defend the power forward position, he can be used against most teams.

Having tasted success, Jaffaroni naturally adopted this lineup as their winning strategy.

However, Josh Howard's playing time per game has become uncontrollable.

Howard was supposed to have an easier time tonight, but suddenly he has to play power forward again, leaving him with no choice but to accept it.

However, this persistently high intensity poses a significant risk to the players' health.

Just because Dwight Howard lasted longer than David West doesn't mean he's an ironman.

Considering his resume, he has never been an ironman. If Howard's former coach Avery Johnson saw this use of Jaffaroni, he would have to give him a thumbs up and admit defeat.

The alarm quickly went off among the Grizzlies.

Josh Howard twisted his ankle while battling for position, a moment that occurred when the game was almost over, yet it touched the hearts of Grizzlies fans.

Howard stood firm and shouted to the crowd, "I'm fine, I'll be right back, take them down!"

Then he was carried away.

Just to be on the safe side, the team doctor will conduct a full examination, so Howard did not return.

However, this was not a turning point for the Hornets.

Howard's significance to the Grizzlies is different from West's significance to the Hornets.

Paul attempted a strong attack on the paint, but was blocked by Xu Ling, who came over to help defend. Xu Ling jumped up and delivered a big block from behind.

Paul fell to the ground; when has the MVP ever been so disheveled?

The point difference has reached 23 points, with a few minutes left in the third quarter.

The Hornets called another timeout.

Byron Scott was heartbroken and wanted to concede defeat, so he prepared to substitute Paul.

However, Paul, who had never opposed him and who was like a disciple and son to him, vehemently opposed the arrangement.

"Please, coach, let me keep playing! Please!" Paul's voice was filled with anxiety and tears. "If I can't keep going, if this game is hopeless, I'll come off the court myself. Please believe me, coach!"

Scott couldn't refuse this sincerity, so he had no choice but to keep Paul playing.

Then, with three minutes left in the fourth quarter, Paul narrowed the gap to 15 points. However, on the next possession, Xu Ling called a pick-and-roll to create a mismatch and go one-on-one with him, but Xu Ling used a crossover to shake off Paul's balance and then drew his sixth foul.

Moreover, Xu Ling made the shot after the foul occurred.

Paul fouled out with 26 points and 9 assists; even as MVP, he couldn't save the team's fate.

See you next year.

Paul said this.

“No,” Xu Ling said, “See you at the Olympics.”

After Paul was ejected, Scott immediately substituted other key players.

The moment Chris Paul fouled out and walked towards the bench, FedExCare seemed to be injected with a historical current. It wasn't just cheers anymore; a deeper emotion surged among the 18000 fans.

From some stand, someone began to softly sing that eternal Memphis anthem—Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling in Love."

"Wise men say only fools rush in"

(The wise say that only fools indulge in it.)

What began as a trickle of water eventually became a mighty river, and finally transformed into a powerful chorus that swept across the entire venue, with the blue ocean swaying gently to the melody.

"But I can't help falling in love with you"

(But I couldn't help but fall in love with you)

"Listen to that singing!" Kevin Harlan shouted from the commentary booth, though his voice was almost drowned out by the roar of the crowd. "Memphis is saying goodbye to all the failures and shadows of the past and welcoming a brand new era! The Grizzlies are about to make history and advance to the second round of the playoffs for the first time!"

The game has officially entered garbage time.

A few minutes later, Ariza made the final three-pointer of the series.

A few seconds later, Giannilo Pargo tossed the ball aside.

When the final whistle blew and the score was set, the entire arena erupted in wild celebration.

Amid the chaos and excitement, Craig Seger burst out from TNT's live show, dressed in a dazzling purple and gold striped suit, looking like a host straight out of a 70s disco.

The noise at the scene was deafening. Seg practically roared as he asked Xu Ling, "Eli! You've made history! At this moment, what do you want to say to Memphis?"

Xu Ling's face was still damp with sweat as he gazed at the blue ocean that was boiling for him, with the eternal Elvis Presley song "I Can't Help Falling in Love" being sung by thousands of people in his ears.

He gave the microphone a gentle smile and said softly, "Just like the song says."

"I couldn't resist it either."

(But I can't help)
(End of this chapter)