Wei Dong's expression betrayed him; clearly, he himself didn't believe the shot could go in.
It's easy to make this kind of shot in training, but it's a different story in a game. A shuttle run takes a toll on your stamina, and you also have to withstand the pressure of your opponent's provocations.
The Knicks' offense went awry.
A strong roster on paper doesn't necessarily mean a strong team; the Nets also lost several games early in the regular season.
Those who don't understand basketball might overlook the role of the head coach. It's like a movie; if you think the director only yells "action" and "cut," then you really don't understand movies... The Nets have veterans like Stockton and Mourning, former prodigies like Hill, a number one draft pick like Kenyon Martin, and the league's best player, Wei Guo.
This lineup...
If the head coach can't control the players, the team will inevitably be in chaos.
This kind of thing is not uncommon in the league. Who knows, the Nets might encounter this situation in a decade or so. The team spends a lot of money to build a Big Three or Big Four, but the players cause trouble and the head coach can't control them. In that case, it will be extremely difficult to win a championship.
......
At the end of the first half, the Nets players walked into the player tunnel chatting and laughing.
The happiest person was Wei Guo...
He had communicated with the system, and since he was on the rotation roster, he would still receive a prize box even if the team won, even if he didn't play in this game.
"Brother Wei, how's our game going?"
Jefferson and his friends were like kids who had just received an award for being a model student.
Although they wanted praise from the State of Wei, they couldn't directly ask for praise. Instead, they asked indirectly how the exam went. If the State of Wei was satisfied with the results, he would naturally praise them.
"Well played..."
Wei Guo stroked his chin and said, "You guys did a great job on defense and your offense was well-coordinated. Keep up the good work and take this game in one go."
With Wei Guo's affirmation, Jefferson and his friends were as happy as children.
Away game locker room.
The Knicks weren't so harmonious; several key players were blaming each other with grim faces.
Marbury criticized his teammates for not running and not defending, Hardaway blamed Marbury for holding the ball for too long, and the role players dared not speak up... The atmosphere in the locker room was a mess!
"Don't make a sound!"
Tang tapped the table. "We're only down by 7 points. We can catch up in the second half!"
Muhammad scoffed, "How can we catch up? Wei Guo is still sitting on the sidelines... Do you really think Wei Guo won't play in the second half?"
"You fucking shut up!"
Marbury retorted angrily, "Wei Guo and Mourning weren't even there, and I didn't see you score many points under the basket!"
Muhammad suddenly stood up. "Why don't you pass me the ball? A point guard only passes the ball when he can't score himself. What kind of bullshit point guard are you?!"
Say that again!
Marbury rushed over and grabbed Mohammed by the collar.
"Okay... let's not fight..."
Mutombo stepped in as a peacemaker, saying, "Based on my understanding of Wei Guo, if he's going to play, he won't be a substitute. Since he didn't play in the first half, even if the Nets are going to lose, Wei Guo won't play."
Even when we were down by a large margin in the last game, I wasn't this agitated.
The main reason is that Wei Guo was on the court the whole time in the last game. In the eyes of the opponents, losing to Wei Guo is not a shameful thing. But the Nets did not field their starters in this game, which was an insult to them. As a result, the Knicks were still down by 7 points in the first half against the Nets' bench.
Tang asked, "Are you sure?"
"I'm absolutely certain!"
Mutombo nodded vigorously. "I understand Weiguo."
......
At the start of the second half, the Knicks did not perk up because of Mutombo's words.
The lineup remains unchanged...
Encouraged by Wei Guo, the Nets played with even more enthusiasm.
Jefferson received a pass from Tyronn Lue, turned around under the basket and faked a pass. Thomas lunged forward, and Jefferson pulled the ball back and made another shooting fake, causing Muhammad to lose his balance. Then, without moving his pivot foot, he took a step forward with his left foot and jumped, flicking the ball towards the basket with his fingertips.
"Whoosh!!!"
The basketball went into the net.
54:45!!
The Nets lead by 9 points.
Jefferson used one of the league's top techniques: the Dream Shake!
Stockton and Mourning jumped up, waving towels, shouting, "Great shot!!!"
"Jefferson is improving very quickly..."
"I often saw him practicing secretly..."
"Thanks to Brother Wei's guidance..."
With a low-post skill, Jefferson became a greater offensive threat. However, playing alongside Wei Guo meant that opponents focused their defense on Wei Guo, making it relatively easy for Wei Guo's teammates to score. This also meant that Jefferson didn't have many opportunities to showcase his newly learned Dream Shake.
The Nets' beautiful offensive play angered Marbury.
Marbury dribbled the ball up the court, blew past Tyronn Lue in one step, and charged fiercely to the basket. Jefferson came up to defend, and Marbury kicked Jefferson in the stomach before throwing the ball toward the basket!
"Holy crap..."
Jefferson clutched his stomach.
Marbury's actions were not subtle; in fact, they were somewhat blatant!
"Beep!!!"
The referee blew his whistle and called an offensive foul on Marbury.
Marbury spread his hands and glared at the referee, "This kind of physical contact is a foul?! Jefferson hit my arm, and you called an offensive foul?! Are you trying to turn everyone in the league into softies by calling these calls?!"
In the early 21st century, physical confrontations in the league were still very intense.
There have been many bloody incidents over the years, with many cases of people getting their heads cracked open. The most recent one was when Malone elbowed Yao Ming, forcing him to wear a mask for half a month.
Marbury is provoking...
Jefferson also had a temper, but he was, after all, a young player. Marbury, on the other hand, had been famous for a long time, and Jefferson held back after being kicked by Marbury.
"Damn it..."
Wei Guo was unhappy, "Pause!"
......
It was inappropriate to call a timeout at the start of the third quarter, but if Wei Guo wanted to pause the game, who would dare not to?
Jefferson didn't say anything after being kicked because he felt he had also committed a foul while defending, and the referee called an offensive foul on Marbury. Apart from a slight pain in his lower abdomen, Jefferson felt he had gotten away with it.
It's like...
Many tough players in the league like to draw offensive fouls from their opponents.
Wei Guo questioned Jefferson, "What just happened to you?!"
"I..."
Jefferson hesitated, "I just wanted to guard him, and I also committed a foul!"
"Damn it..."
Wei Guo shouted, "If you're going to foul, then foul hard! Either stay away or if Marbury kicks you again, you take him down. If anything happens, I'll take responsibility!"
Jefferson nodded cautiously.
Wei Guo's face hardened. "Are you afraid?"
"I dare!"
Jefferson nodded vigorously, "If Marbury dares to kick me again, I'll knock him down!"
The commentators, witnessing Wei Guo educating his teammates, joked, "Wei Guo is the head coach of the Nets in this game."
"Hahaha..."
This witty remark made the audience burst into laughter.
......
The timeout has ended, and the game has resumed.
Marbury was grumbling and expressing his dissatisfaction with the referee's call, feeling that he shouldn't have been called for an offensive foul.
The Nets are on offense.
Kenyon made a run around the baseline, Tyronn Lue dribbled towards the strong side, and then tossed the ball towards the top of the basket. Kenyon caught the ball in mid-air and knocked Thomas aside.
"Bang!!!"
Kenyon smashed the basketball into the hoop.
"Damn it!"
Kenyon pounded his chest at Thomas and roared!
Actually... Ken Young didn't know what that sentence meant either.
He had only heard Wei Guo use that greeting to his opponents and referees and thought it was cool... so he copied him. Most players in the league come from slums and are naturally prone to swearing... so it's normal for them to swear a few times.
The Knicks did not give up the game; instead, they executed a coordinated play after the timeout.
Thomas set several off-ball screens for Houston, who received passes from his teammates and took shots, scoring 11 consecutive points before the Knicks tied the game again.
There were 3 minutes and 17 seconds left in the third quarter.
Wei Guo didn't call a timeout; he simply took off his hoodie and sat on the side of the bench doing some stretching exercises.
The commentator exclaimed excitedly, "The head coach is warming up!!!"
This shout drew everyone's attention to the Nets' bench, where Wei Guo even reached out to greet the audience, which alarmed the Knicks.
"Wei Guo is going to take the field?!"
The Knicks panicked instantly. If Wei Guo played, Hill and the others wouldn't be sitting on the bench.
They only tied the score and didn't have a significant lead. If Wei Guo and his teammates were to play, all their efforts in the first three quarters would be wasted. This shows a deep-seated lack of confidence in their own abilities.
Houston has another chance to score!
But out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Wei Guo doing chest-expanding exercises, and in a moment of panic, he threw a ridiculously bad three-ball.
Collins gets the basketball!
Tyronn Lue dribbled the ball up the court and passed it to Kiddles in the three-point corner, where Kiddles took a three-pointer.
"Whoosh!!!"
The basketball went into the net.
This three-pointer didn't keep Wei Guo idle. He stood on the sidelines and did a whole set of radio calisthenics, and the DJ even added music for him.
Section 1, Stretching Exercises,...
Section Two, Chest Expansion Exercises,...
Section 3, Leg Kicking Exercises,...
Section 4, Lateral Movements,...
Section 5, Body Rotation Exercises,...
Section 6, Abdominal and Back Exercises,...
Section 7, Jumping Exercises,...
Section 8, Cool-down Exercise.
The Knicks players were nearly driven mad, and even the audience's attention had shifted to Wei Guo. By the time he finished this set of calisthenics, the Nets were already leading by more than ten points.
The outcome of the match was no longer in doubt...
In the fourth quarter, the Knicks realized they were being shut down by Wei Guo, who wasn't going to play at all. His calisthenics routine was just a bluff. By then, the Knicks were down by more than 15 points, and the Nets' defense was particularly aggressive. They had no chance of turning the game around.
"Beep!!!"
As the final whistle blew, the stadium erupted in cheers.
97:83!!
The Nets defeated the Knicks' starters with their bench lineup.
Match statistics:
Tyronn Lue: 11 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 0 blocks
Jefferson: 27 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block
Kenyon: 21 points, 16 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks
Kiddles: 13 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 0 steals, 0 blocks
Wei Dong: 15 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
Knicks: (omitted)
Five Nets players scored in double figures, demonstrating unity and determination, and won the game—not easily, but not with difficulty either.
......
The outcome of the next two away games is a foregone conclusion.
The Knicks' goal wasn't the championship; making the playoffs was already a victory. These two away games were much more harmonious. Marbury didn't resort to kicking or anything like that on offense, and there were very few verbal altercations between players. The Nets also played normally, winning both games by only a dozen points, showing them a lot of respect.
Something very interesting...
The Knicks owner attended both away games, hoping to strike up a conversation with Wei Guo and recruit him to his team.
In a capitalist society, for the Knicks' owner, there's nothing that money can't solve; if there is, just add more money!
But...
He then encountered Wei Guo, a man who had no interest in money. When he tried to talk to Wei Guo about money, Wei Guo ignored him and turned away.
......
After sweeping the Knicks, the Nets had a break of almost a week.
Their second-round opponent will be either the Heat or the Magic. The combination of Kidd and McGrady propelled the Magic into the ranks of strong teams, and the Magic and Heat went to a seventh game before a winner was decided.
These seven games.
McGrady averaged 37.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game, while Kidd averaged 17.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 11 assists, 1.7 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game.
Unfortunately, the Magic ultimately lost to the Heat in Game 7.
Heat's young star Dwyane Wade played brilliantly, scoring 41, 46, and 40 points in the last three games after the team was down 3-1, leading the Heat to a strong comeback.
McGrady entered the league in 1997 and has never made it to the second round of the playoffs, which is a pity.
......
After the game between the Heat and the Magic, the teams advancing to the second round of the playoffs in both the Eastern and Western Conferences were determined.
Eastern Conference: Nets, Pacers, Pistons, Heat
Western Conference: Timberwolves, Spurs, Lakers, Kings
There was a bet between the Nets before, with most people participating in the prediction of which team would make it to the Finals. Wei Guo, Gentry, and Cummings bet on the Rockets, and all three were eliminated first.
Gu Tao played very well, and the Rockets also had Francis, Yao Ming, and Mobley, so their roster looked pretty good. However, their playoff opponent was the experienced Spurs. The Rockets were overestimating Gu Tao, but Gu Tao was, after all, a rookie with no playoff experience.
The most intense game in the second round of the playoffs should be the game between the Spurs and the Lakers, which is also the most suspenseful round.
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