The Timberwolves are patiently strategizing for the game.

They had no idea that the Nets were betting in their away locker room on which Western Conference team would make it to the NBA Finals.

and...

The Timberwolves, the Western Conference leaders, are only favored by one player.

......

Before the match, they shook hands amicably.

Garnett walked to the center circle to prepare for the jump ball, and Wei Guo gestured for Mourning to move aside, as he wanted to jump ball with Garnett.

"This is the Wei Kingdom I know!"

Garnett praised, "Our competition began from the moment the ball was thrown."

The referee tossed the ball into the air!

I have to say...

Garnett jumped incredibly high, but the prime Wolf King blocked the shot. Wei Guo swatted the ball to Stockton, and the Wolf King jumped for the ball... losing to Wei Guo!

"Timberwolves, you will win!"

"Timberwolves, you will win!"

"Timberwolves, you will win!"

The audience began cheering for the home team, and no one noticed... a young man in the stands who was more excited than anyone else, harboring a plan in his heart.

Wei Guo sets a screen for Stockton!

Stockton made a bounce pass, and the basketball fell into Wei Guo's hands. Wei Guo then made a layup.

Garnett moved toward the basket and saw Wei Guo jump with the ball in one hand. Garnett immediately followed, trying to give Wei Guo a big block!

Wei Guo's reaction was extremely swift!

He executed a dramatic mid-air reverse layup to evade Garnett's block, then flicked the ball into the air.

"Whoosh!!!"

The basketball went into the net.

2-0!!!

......

"Garnett might not have made a layup like that in his entire career."

"This move isn't suited for big guys..."

"That was close! I almost thought Wei was going to get blocked by Garnett!"

"Want to block Wei Ge? Dream on..."

......

The discussion on the Nets' bench was not difficult to distract Garnett, and Cassell organized the offense.

Cassell is a player not to be underestimated. Although his appearance is somewhat unusual, he has strong individual abilities. He is good at dribbling, organizing, and scoring, and is also the Timberwolves' second-leading scorer. When Hassell was open outside the paint, Cassell immediately passed the ball to Hassell, who caught the ball and shot!

"bang~~~"

The basketball bounced off the rim.

Mourning easily grabbed the rebound, and Wei Guo had already run up the court. Mourning casually tossed the ball to Stockton.

Mourning didn't notice that Garnett wasn't far from Stockton. If he drew a straight line between Garnett and Stockton, and connected them with Garnett as the point, they would form an equilateral triangle. The altitude of the equilateral triangle would coincide with the midline. Mourning and Stockton were four meters apart, and Garnett only needed to rush forward three meters to intercept the ball from the middle.

Garnett has a one-meter-long arm and a stride of more than one meter. Combined with his speed, Mourning's passing speed is not very fast!

*Smack!!!*

Garnett steals the ball!

The Mathematical Classic of Sun Tzu states that mathematics is the foundation of all things in the universe. Gu Tao's average of 1.7 steals per game may be related to his status as a top student in the mathematics department of Harvard University.

After receiving the ball, Garnett drove to the basket and made physical contact with Mourning in the air. As he fell, he caught the ball with one hand and slammed it onto the backboard.

"Whoosh!!!"

The basketball bounced into the basket!

2:2!!!

DJ, "Kevin...Garnett..."

This was meant to get the audience excited, and they joined in, chanting, "MVP! MVP! MVP!"

Garnett played with great momentum, and even Wei Guo didn't expect him to intercept Mourning's pass to Stockton, so Wei Guo had already run up to the frontcourt.

The Nets inbound the ball from the baseline!

Stockton, no longer careless, walked up to Mourning to receive the ball, and then steadily dribbled it across midfield.

Hill received the ball, faked a step and broke through. Wei Guo moved to the outside, creating space for Hill to play one-on-one. Hill reached the basket and flicked the ball into the hoop.

4:2!!!

After two months, Hill has fully regained his form.

In his last ten games, Hill has averaged 27 minutes per game, scoring 17.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 0.9 steals, and 1.1 blocks. He is now the Nets' third-leading scorer after Weiguo and Kenyon.

Before the game, Sanders said, "Don't focus all your attention on Weiguo. Let Kevin guard Weiguo alone. There are several other Nets players that you can't ignore!"

Currently, it seems...

Garnett was the most effective defender in the league.

Although Wei Guo has faced the Timberwolves six times since entering the league, whether with the 76ers, the Rockets, or now the Nets, with the Timberwolves winning all five of their first five games, Wei Guo has never scored more than 40 points in a single game.

......

The first half was a close contest, after all, it was the Timberwolves' home court.

Wei Guo didn't score much in the first half. Garnett's close defense really limited Wei Guo, and Garnett's incessant trash talk annoyed Wei Guo.

This guy is spewing filth...

That's not just trash talk, it's profanity!

Wei Guo initially didn't want to argue with Garnett, but before halftime, after Wei Guo missed a mid-range shot, Garnett yelled at him again: "You sick man, you only scored 13 points in the first half!!!"

"Holy shit!"

Wei Guo twisted his body and was about to grab Garnett by the neck; it was never going to end.

His teammates knew exactly what Wei Guo was up to and quickly stepped forward to pull him back, saying, "Brother Wei, calm down!"

It would be very unwise to try and break through Garnett's defense right after the first half ended. Moreover, the playoffs are right after this game, and it would be a huge loss if Wei Guo were suspended for fighting.

The playoffs are the real battleground...

The Nets players habitually rely on Wei Guo, and if Wei Guo is suspended, it will definitely affect the team's morale.

......

Away game locker room.

"Garnett had previously sent his regards to Duncan, but Duncan has long since passed away."

"He was born into an environment where he fought every day when he was a child."

“I have a brother who also plays for the Timberwolves. He told me that Garnett even hit a teammate during practice.”

"I've also heard... Garnett is a domestic abuser!"

These are all fabrications. The veracity of any statement is questionable once "I heard" is added. The Nets were discussing Garnett, but they were only saying it to Wei Guo in secret. At the end of the first half, Garnett insulted Wei Guo with the term "sick man," which enraged the Nets.

Now, speaking ill of Garnett loudly in front of Wei Guo might make Wei Guo happier.

Wei Guo kept a sullen face...

You can say trash talk is part of basketball, but there are some things you can say and some things you can't say. For example, Garnett's insults to Duncan's mother seemed like a clever joke, but they touched a nerve with Duncan!