James was really confused at this time.

Because he hadn't even recovered from the previous conflict, and then he was shot in the face by Xu Yong.

And the key is that Xu Yong shoots quickly in a short period of time, not giving you any chance to react.

Of course the point is, he really shot it all in.

It's like a science fiction movie.

But this is not James' fault, because with his scoring explosiveness, he simply can't do such a thing.

As for the competitions he had experienced, no opponent had ever done this in front of him.

Of course, this hasn't actually happened yet. In history, Kobe played against the Raptors in 2013. Yes, it was the Raptors, Kobe's favorite background board. In the final moments, he made three consecutive three-pointers to drag the game into overtime, which became another classic moment in Kobe's career.

It’s just that Xu Yong has brought that classic moment forward now.

And you have to admit that player performance is about confidence and belief.

If you have the ability and firmly believe that you can do it, then the probability of accomplishing it is very high.

Of course, James was not the only one who was shocked at this time.

On the Heat bench, Spoelstra also opened his mouth wide.

Although Xu Yong performed very well in the match last season, he does not have the ability to control the situation.

Xu Yong's progress was so fast that he even suspected that Xu Yong was training all the time except for competitions.

But that is obviously unrealistic, and the Heat's training intensity is also very high, so he knows very well that a normal person would have been scrapped if trained like that.

On the Bulls bench, Anderson was also shocked.

He had never experienced back-to-back games against the Lakers and Thunder, and this was the first time he saw Xu Yong's explosive scoring power.

This gave rise to a very firm idea in his mind, that is, he must follow Xu Yong.

Xu Yong's scoring wave gave the Bulls an immediate advantage in the game.

Moreover, after the game, the Heat were unable to narrow the gap.

On the one hand, after Xu Yong scored those three three-pointers, his aura throughout the game was extremely strong, and he was always able to stand up and curb the momentum when the Heat wanted to catch up;

But on the other hand, after falling behind tonight, the Heat always gave people the feeling that they lacked the desire to win. The score difference of more than ten points felt like several dozen points.

The photographer on the scene also knows basketball well, and the camera would cut to Wade on the bench from time to time.

Although Wade's statistics have dropped a lot this season, when it comes to the desire to win on the court, he has the highest desire among the Heat.

…

In the end, the Bulls defeated the Heat 101-90 on the road.

The confidence of the Miami fans at the scene suffered another heavy blow tonight.

What was more difficult for them to accept than the result of the game was the process of the game.

Of course there is nothing you can do about it. When the leader of your team is avoiding the enemy and playing as Tian Ji does, your team will have to be very cautious if it wants to play with intensity.

But looking at the bright side, when the playoffs come and Wade comes back, the game situation may not be the same as it is now.

An interesting thing is that according to the post-match statistics, Xu Yong had 34 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks, the highest score of the game, and three three-pointers directly decided the situation of the game.

But after the game, James also had 28 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists, 2 steals and 1 block.

This is another game that [the Heat lost to James] that they didn't lose.

It is still difficult to predict what the final outcome of this MVP battle will be.

After the game, Xu Yong and Rose followed Thibodeau to attend the press conference.

In his first game after returning, Rose also had a performance of 24 points and 7 assists, and his performance was quite good.

"Derrick, are you confused? Are you no longer the team's first choice after you come back? I mean, the team's tactics are no longer centered around you." Not long after the press conference began, a Miami reporter asked Rose.

The local media was in a bad mood after losing this crucial battle, and it was clear that they were looking to stir up trouble.

The question he raised was also extremely provocative, especially the sentence he added at the end, which was not even something that happened after Rose returned from injury.

And you can feel that he is somewhat unbalanced. After all, the Heat have been in a power struggle for the past two seasons. Why shouldn't the Bulls have the same?

You have to know that Rose is the youngest MVP, and Xu Yong, who came from behind, should have been fighting hard.

"No, I'm not confused. We are a team. Winning is our first goal. We are all doing what we are good at to help the team win." Rose's answer was straightforward.

The Bulls won many regular season games last season thanks to Xu Yong's breakthroughs at critical moments.

But because of the team's tactical system, his statistics were better in the end and he was the one who won the MVP.

That's MVP, the highest honor for a player.

Even if Xu Yong gets it, the title of the youngest MVP will belong to Xu Yong.

The second-year MVP would be an even more unprecedented achievement.

But in the end, when even Xu Yong's fans felt sorry for him, Xu Yong did not express any dissatisfaction.

On the contrary, in the playoffs, when his performance fluctuated, it was Xu Yong who took the initiative to make concessions to allow him to perform.

Even in the finals, it was Xu Yong who helped him out of trouble.

Even if he won the FMVP, he was the first one mentioned.

He is black and doesn't attach as much importance to emotions as the Chinese do, but he is first and foremost a human being.

Who, after all that, could be confused by this?

Wade: We are different.

"Xu, let's talk about the conflict between Chris Anderson and LeBron? You were standing next to them at the time." Seeing that he could not get the answer he wanted from Rose, the reporter turned his attention to Xu Yong.

And unlike asking Ross, the reporter obviously knew Xu Yong's ability to deal with reporters, so he was setting a trap to trick Xu Yong into jumping into it.

Xu Yong smiled after hearing this. He saw through the reporter's true intentions.

"I think it's irrational for a player to try to attack his opponent after being blocked," he said slowly.

Xu Yong's answer instantly confused the reporter. What he wanted to hear was Xu Yong's excuse for Anderson so that he could use it as an excuse when writing his article after the game. But what was Xu Yong's direct criticism of James?

"Fortunately, he was facing Chris, not James Johnson, otherwise I believe that punch would have hit him right in the face." Xu Yong added after seeing the reporter's reaction.

The reporters all looked angry. Although Xu Yong did not name anyone, it was obvious that he was talking about James, the new king of Miami.

"Of course, I'm just joking." Fortunately, Xu Yong's next words eased the tense atmosphere, and his expression improved a lot.

What he never expected was that Xu Yong's next sentence was so polarizing that it almost killed him on the spot.

"If it was James Johnson, I'm sure he would be very calm."

What does it mean to take over the host position?

Xu Yong's response to reporters' questions was a master's level.

And the key point is that Xu Yong showed an attitude that he had no intention of respecting James at all.

"But the referee called a flagrant foul on Chris," the reporter emphasized.

Xu Yong smiled when he heard this. This penalty was already a huge controversy and was likely to be criticized on social media after the game, and yet this reporter brought it up.

This is obviously another trap, trying to get him to raise the issue of penalty standards.

Xu Yong still didn't make the move, not because he was worried about being fined, but because he knew that even if he mentioned it, nothing would change.

His answer method was the same as before, you ask your questions and I say what I want to say.

"If Chris is fined additionally, I will pay the fee for him." Xu Yong said lightly.

Now the reporter was helpless, as Xu Yong had no intention of setting a trap.

After the press conference, Xu Yong rested for a while, and then took Butler to the training hall for extra training as usual.

But after practicing for a while, he saw someone entering the training hall.

It's Anderson.

Xu Yong did not communicate with Anderson, but practiced on his own.

Because of tonight's game, he felt a little better about Anderson than before, but it was still not a good impression.

But what he didn't expect was that Anderson actually came over to help him pick up the ball.

This scene made Butler next door stunned.

The intention of this proactive show of goodwill is obvious.

Having someone pick up the balls would speed up the training, but Xu Yong didn't say anything.

Soon, when the training was halfway through, Xu Yong sat on the sidelines to rest. After Anderson sat down, he took the initiative to open the bottle of mineral water under the stool and handed it to him.

As expected of someone who has played in the CBA for many years, he has learned the ways of the world very well.

He took the water bottle, took a sip and said, "You don't have to do this. You earned it by paying the fine."

Xu Yong's approach is typical of being objective and not personal.

Although I don't like the look of your tattoo, I appreciate what you do.

Of course, if Anderson is unhappy or feels his self-esteem is hurt, he can choose not to do it.

Anderson obviously didn't think so. He smiled and said, "You are the second Chinese player who convinced me besides Hu."

"Hu Weidong?" Xu Yong asked back. When he got Anderson's affirmative nod, he put down the water bottle and became interested.

As someone who played in the CBA for many years in his previous life, he is still very interested in CBA legends, especially Hu Weidong.

Hu Weidong was the leader of the last men's basketball team. If Yao Ming had not emerged, he would have been the leader of the men's basketball team.

Seeing Xu Yong's interest, Anderson immediately smiled and continued talking.

"You know the CBA has a bad reputation in the United States. We often say that anyone who plays poorly will be sent to China to play in the CBA. I was a little contemptuous at the time.

You know, I was still very young, but I met Hu the first time I entered the stadium."

Xu Yong was listening carefully.

"When I entered the gym, I was shouting, is there anyone in this gym who is better than me? Then, I clearly remember that he was sitting in the middle line to rest. Maybe he had just finished practicing a shuttle run or something, I thought at the time.

He called me over, he didn’t even get up, and he sat there and hit a long three.”

Xu Yong couldn't help but laugh when he heard this.

He didn't know whether what Anderson said was artistically processed, but he felt that it was most likely true. After all, Hu Weidong's nickname was Chinese Jordan.

Seeing Xu Yong laugh, Anderson also laughed.

Xu Yong also knew the purpose of Anderson's visit at this time, which was simply to get close to him.

"Come on and stay in the team. If there are any more fines like this in the future, I can pay for them all for you." Xu Yong continued.

Anderson nodded vigorously after hearing this.

Xu Yong patted him on the shoulder, then stood up and continued training. At this time, Anderson also joined in.

It was during this process that Xu Yong discovered that Anderson was also a very hardworking player.

This is also expected.

After all, you want to go from CBA to NBA, and you are still a rough boy at the age of 21. It is impossible without hard work.

Even from another perspective, Anderson is also a very durable player, which matches him and Butler.

Xu Yong's remarks at the press conference sparked heated discussions among many fans on social media.

Paying fines for teammates is a positive thing. After all, if the fine was bigger, the money Anderson earned from his part-time job with the Bulls would not be enough to pay it.

Fortunately, the league did not impose additional fines for this penalty.

Although the first-degree malicious additional fine is not 100% certain, it is more because the penalty has caused huge controversy.

…

Time flies, and ten days have passed in the blink of an eye.

At this time, the season has come to the last half month.

It was at this time that the Bulls announced that they had renewed their contract with Anderson until the end of the season.

In addition to his good performance in the game against the Heat, another highlight for Anderson was the away game against the Knicks four days ago.

The Knicks were much weaker in strength because they did not get Chandler as in history, but instead used Camby as the starting center.

But in the East, it is still a strong contender for the playoffs and is fighting for a playoff spot with the Digital Man and the Bucks.

And Rose was injured in that game due to a sprained right ankle, so the game between the two sides was very intense.

That is, during the fierce game, a conflict broke out between the two sides when Anthony was defending Xu Yong.

But before Xu Yong could make a move, Anderson had already taken the lead and started fighting with Anthony.

Humility is reserved for teammates. When facing opponents, Anderson is still the rebellious teenager.

Although the fight between the two sides did not break out as serious as before, the league imposed an additional suspension and fine on Anderson this time.

Anderson had conflicts with others twice in a row within the ten-day short contract. Although there were reasons for both incidents, the league will consider increasing the punishment from a warning perspective.

Generally speaking, teams will cater to the league, and such players will basically be unemployed.

But the Bulls haven't benefited from any penalties this season and have been heavily targeted by the league, so there's naturally no reason for them to give in.

So after this wave of penalties, some of the Bulls' reactions were:

First of all, Xu Yong paid the fine that he didn’t help pay last time.

Secondly, after Anderson's ten-day contract expired, the Bulls renewed his contract until the end of the season.

Is there a problem with this operation?

No problem at all.

But this obviously did not go in Stern's direction.

But apart from not wanting to cater to others, the Bulls are indeed satisfied with Anderson.

Because since James Johnson was traded, they need to have such a "thug" role.

Although Artest is also a tough guy, he is a starting player after all. In comparison, Anderson is obviously more suitable.

But in this way, the Bulls will enter the playoffs with seven inside players.

This number is enough to summon a dragon.

However, considering that O'Neal will not return until at least the second round of the playoffs, this configuration is not considered excessive.

And although the Bulls currently have only two small forwards, Artest and Battier, and the lineup is a bit thin, but Xu Yong is a physical monster and often swings to the third position, so this is completely sufficient.

Anderson also worked hard. Although he didn't have much playing time, he tried his best in every second he was on the court, with powerful blocks, violent dunks, and flying saves. His passion not only infected the fans at the United Center, but also infected his teammates on the Bulls.

It can be said that although he has not been with the team for a long time, he quickly became the team's "darling".

With the successive returns of Rose and Yao Ming, the Bulls also won eight consecutive games to end the season.

The 2011-2012 season, an atypically shortened season, a season with frequent injuries but also an exciting season with many highlights due to summer trades, finally came to an end.

The playoff rankings that the outside world is most concerned about at this time have also come to a final result after a fierce battle for position.

In the West, the Lakers made a strong effort in the second half and eventually surpassed the Thunder to reach the top of the Western Conference.

Their record is 53 wins and 13 losses.

In terms of statistics, Kobe had an MVP-level performance this season, averaging 27.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.4 steals per game. His shooting percentage of 47.2% was a career high, and his three-point shooting percentage also reached 35%.

It is no exaggeration to say that this is Kobe's best season since his 2007-2008 MVP season.

Paul's joining made Kobe play more easily and achieved the highest efficiency in his career.

Paul also averaged 19.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 10.7 assists per game, which is a significant improvement over the past two seasons.

The Lakers' summer trade was undoubtedly very successful.

The Thunder finished second with a record of 51 wins and 15 losses.

Although they failed to maintain their first place in the end, the Thunder were actually not much worse than the Lakers.

Durant also played the most efficient season of his career with the assistance of Gasol and Harden.

He averaged 28 points, 8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.2 blocks per game, with a shooting percentage of 50.6% and a three-point shooting percentage of 38.7%.

Kobe and Durant, even without James and Xu Yong, the battle between these two for MVP is already a fight between gods.

In his first starting season, Harden averaged 21.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.6 steals, with a 49.1% shooting percentage and a 39% three-point shooting percentage, which are also career highs.

The Mavericks are in third place with a record of 45 wins and 21 losses.

Nowitzki's average of 22.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game was slightly lower than last season.

However, Leonard's performance surprised the Dallas crowd. He played in 64 games, including 48 starts, averaging 9.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.5 steals per game, with a 49.3% shooting percentage and a 38% three-point shooting percentage.

With little ball possession, this is already the performance of a top 3D player.

And he averages less than 1 turnover per game, which are excellent statistics for a rookie.

Although it is still a bit premature to conclude that this is the most successful draft pick since Nowitzki, he was definitely underestimated in the 2011 draft.

The Spurs are fourth with 42 wins.

Although there is no Leonard, the presence of Duncan and GDP still allows them to maintain their everlasting competitiveness.

The Grizzlies, Nuggets, Hornets and Clippers ranked 5th to 8th.

This brings us to the first round of the Western Conference:

The Lakers and Clippers playoff derby appears again after many years. Although there is a gap in strength between the two teams, with Griffin, this series will be extremely entertaining.

The encounter between the Thunder and the Hornets was also full of gimmicks. In the first season after Westbrook was traded, he led the team to face his old club. It is hard to say that it was not fate.

The results between the Mavericks and the Nuggets should not be too suspenseful. In comparison, fans are more looking forward to Leonard's performance in the playoffs.

The encounter between the Spurs and the Grizzlies is also very interesting. It is worth paying attention to whether the Spurs, who were eliminated in the first round last season, can get revenge this season.

Next is the eastern side.

The Bulls' final record was the same as the Lakers', both 53 wins and 13 losses.

Yes, Xu Yong fulfilled his and Thibodeau's promise. Despite the Bulls' frequent injuries, he still led the team to first place in the Eastern Conference.

No, it's not just first in the Eastern Conference. Because of the win-loss record with the Lakers, the Bulls' final record was even first in the league.

Xu Yong played all 66 games, averaging 28.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 2.4 steals and 1.4 blocks per game, with a 48.8% shooting percentage and a 38.3% three-point shooting percentage.

Among them, his average points per game ranked first in the league, and incidentally interrupted Durant's three consecutive scoring titles.

Judging from the statistics, Xu Yong has made a leap forward this year and scored his first 50+ in his career and back-to-back 40+.

All of this is directly linked to the Bulls' frequent injuries this season.

But it's not just injuries, because his average playing time per game this season reached a terrifying 42.6 minutes.

This is the real Thibodeau, if he can't be fucked to death, he will be fucked to death.

You have to know that in the past ten years, only one player has played more minutes per season than this, Iverson.

In the 2001-2002 season and the 2005-2006 season, Iverson averaged 43.7 minutes and 43.1 minutes per game respectively.

Well, there is still room for improvement in Xu Yong’s playing time.

Due to injuries, Rose only played in 39 games, averaging 21 points, 3.4 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game, with a 43.5% shooting percentage and a 36.1% three-point shooting percentage. Except for the three-point shooting percentage, other statistics have declined significantly compared to last season.

Yao Ming also played only 40 games due to injury, but his performance was basically the same as last season, averaging 18.2 points, 8.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.1 blocks per game, and a shooting percentage of 56.8%.

The Heat ranked second with a record of 49 wins and 17 losses.

An interesting thing is that after the Heat and the Bulls met for the third time this season, the Heat's performance declined significantly.

Of course, this has something to do with Wade's absence. Wade only played 49 games this season.

In terms of statistics, James averaged 27.6 points, 8.2 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.1 blocks per game, with a shooting percentage of 53.1% and a three-point shooting percentage of 36.1%.

If you only look at the data, James gives people only two impressions: efficient and versatile.

So even though the final record was a little weaker, James is still a hot candidate for MVP.

Of course Wade was in a more miserable situation. Although he was not elected MVP last year, he at least ranked seventh in the final voting results.

This year, although his 49.7% shooting percentage is almost the same as last season, his average of 22.1 points per game is the lowest since his rookie season, and his 4.8 rebounds per game is 1.6 less than last season, and all of them come from backcourt rebounds.

Even his average of 2.6 turnovers per game is the lowest since his rookie season. This doesn't mean that his turnover control has suddenly improved, but that he obviously has less ball possession.

Bosh's scoring also dropped to 18 points, and his rebounds were a little less than last season, and they were all backcourt rebounds.

In third place were the Pacers, who eventually won 40 games.

Although David West did not go to the Pacers, Boozer's playing style and ability are not much different.

The Celtics are fourth with 39 wins.

The performance of the Big Three this season fully proves the truth that "a centipede is still alive even after it dies".

I don’t know if it’s because Rondo was used as a bargaining chip during the offseason, but he has put up the best stats of his career this season, averaging 11.9 points, 11.7 assists and 2 steals per game.

In addition, there is one big change for the Celtics. Because Kwame Brown suffered an injury during the season, Rivers chose to let Garnett play the five position and start with Brandon Bass.

This was originally a helpless move, but I didn't expect the effect to be surprisingly good.

You have to know that as Garnett got older, his movement speed declined and his defensive coverage also declined. It is difficult for him to assist in defense from one side of the half court to the other as before.

But if the center plays at the center position and helps defend on both sides, the area of ​​help defense will be restored.

Moreover, he can create space on the offensive end, and the Celtics' positional warfare is obviously more layered than before.

Coupled with the growth of second-year guard Avery Bradley, the Celtics' combat effectiveness has been significantly improved compared to last season.

It's just that it's hard for these old guys to avoid injuries in a season like this. In addition to Kwame Brown who returned at the end of the season, Ray Allen only played 46 games due to injury.

So even though the Celtics are ranked fourth, they are still the strongest team in the East after the Bulls and the Heat.

The fifth to eighth teams are the Hawks, Magic, D-Man and Knicks.

The first round matchups in the East:

The Bulls vs. the Knicks, the two teams were old rivals during the Jordan era, and the conflict at the end of this season continued the feud, and meeting in the playoffs can be regarded as a narrow road for enemies;

Heat vs. Digital Man. Digital Man's team play is limited by their low talent ceiling, but they are still a team no one wants to meet in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Heat, like the Bulls last year, are blessed;

The Pacers and Magic should be the matchup with the least suspense in the Eastern Conference, because Howard continued to play with an injury after exercising his player option, which ended up ruining his season. The Pacers took advantage of this.

The matchup between the Celtics and the Hawks will be suspenseful. Although the Hawks are weaker than the Celtics in overall strength, they are young and impactful.

…

The first-round matchup in the Eastern Conference has been confirmed, against the Knicks without Chandler, which is a good result for the Bulls.

At least with last year's experience as a comparison, it will definitely be a lot easier than playing with numbers.

However, there is one thing that is different from history. After listening to Xu Yong's advice, Jeremy Lin checked his knee in advance and took some targeted measures and treatments. He was not out for the season as in history.

So this wave was also an accident, and the change of direction made the strength of the first round opponent a little stronger.

Of course, the Bulls are first in the Eastern Conference, and there is a gap in strength between them and the eighth in the Eastern Conference. This change will not have much impact.

However, just before the start of the playoffs, the Bulls encountered another piece of bad news.

Rose experienced pain in his right leg. Although the examination showed no major problems, he is expected to miss about three games. [Note 18]

When Xu Yong learned the news, he was already calm.

Speaking of which, Rose has suffered injuries even more frequently this season than Yao Ming, but this is the reality.

Good words cannot persuade a damned ghost, and great compassion will only lead to self-destruction.

But thinking on the bright side, if he remembered correctly, Rose was seriously injured when he was playing against Numbers Man in the first round. The team was leading by a large margin but Thibodeau kept him on the court. Now that he is not playing against Numbers Man in the first round and will not play in the first three games, maybe Rose will not be seriously injured.

And even without Rose, as long as Yao Ming can play, the Bulls' overall strength is still very strong, and beating the Knicks is no problem.

But the Knicks don't seem to think so.

When the news of Rose's injury came out, not only New York fans, but even Anthony, one of the protagonists of the last conflict, was excited.

"The black eight miracle has happened in the past two seasons, and this time it's our turn."

Such confident remarks were of course questioned by reporters, as the Bulls are the defending champions after all.

"We are not at this level yet. Amar'e (Stayer), Marcus (Camby), and myself have all been injured, but now we are all healthy. We are seriously underestimated and we can beat the Bulls."

Anthony's confidence comes from the Knicks' lineup.

Jeremy Lin, Anthony, Stoudemire, Camby, Baron Davis, JR Smith, Iman Shumpert and so on.

On paper, the Knicks are a top-half team in the Eastern Conference.

Anthony's remarks sparked heated discussions among fans on social media.

"Averaging 22.5 points per game and a career-low 43.0% shooting percentage. Yes, the poor form can be attributed to injuries, but after a bad season, Anthony is talking as if he will suddenly explode in the playoffs." Comment from "KBforever".

"In the playoffs last season, Anthony had an amazing 37% shooting rate and led his team to a gentleman sweep by the Heat, who were then swept by the Bulls. Now he says he can beat the Bulls. How confident!"

"I would rather believe that the Clippers will beat the Lakers in the knockout round than the Knicks. Xu defeated the Thunder even without Rose and Yao Ming. Unless Xu gets injured, I can't think of another way for the Knicks to win."

…

This time the comments on social media were almost one-sided.

In fact, Anthony's remarks were not only discussed on social media, but also by many players in real life.

Because last year, the guys who were thought to have a chance to make the black eight were eventually swept cleanly by the Bulls.

The players' attitudes are not much different from those on social media, but one person's remarks are completely different from the mainstream voice.

That’s right, it’s Anthony’s close friend, the second brother of the Banana Boat Brothers.

That’s right, it’s the second brother. Among the four Banana Boat Brothers, the eldest is Anthony, who has a gangster background.

When the eldest brother is questioned, the second brother must stand up and support him.

This is also in line with James' personality.

"Fans are the audience's perspective. Only the players' words are more authentic. I have played against the Knicks. When they are healthy, they are a very difficult team to deal with. Yes, the Bulls are a stronger team, but their lineup is not complete. I think the Knicks have a very good chance."

James' remarks are extremely clever.

Because he did not deny the strength of the Bulls. After all, the Heat were swept last season. Denying the Bulls would be denying himself.

He is offering a whole new perspective on the players and the fact that the Bulls' roster is incomplete.

This sounds reasonable at first glance, but just like the championships James has won in history, it does not stand up to scrutiny.

Because he neither talked about the actual performance of the Bulls without Rose, nor mentioned the attitudes of other players, which created an information gap.

However, this wave killed two birds with one stone for him. It helped his brother to maintain his image, and it also allowed Anthony to work hard to consume the Bulls in the first round, still Smart.

The Bulls did not make any verbal response to Anthony and James' remarks.

Because if they respond verbally, they will lose.

However, Xu Yong's response to Anthony's arrogant attitude was very simple.

Before the playoffs officially started, he found Thibodeau during a training session and made a request.

"I'll guard Anthony."

Since Anthony likes to shout so much, just make him shut up.

You have to know that at that time, Stoudemire was still able to play, and Anthony still had the standard small forward physique, so he was not at a disadvantage in the confrontation with Xu Yong.

Thibodeau naturally had no reason to refuse such a request.

What? The team's offense still depends on Xu Yong?

Yao Ming can play, but old Camby and the half-crippled Stoudemire are not enough for Yao Ming.

What's more, with Xu Yong's physical fitness, there is no need to make any choices when playing against a team like the Knicks. I have to do both offense and defense.

In fact, it's not just Xu Yong, the Bulls players are also eager to try.

Because there is a high probability that we will play against the Celtics in the semifinals, it will probably be a tough battle, so everyone was prepared to play conservatively in the first round and let you win one or two games, as long as you get through it smoothly.

But since Anthony jumped like that, I won’t stop him and will just beat him to death.

However, just before the playoffs officially started, the Bulls had a little surprise.

The first batch of awards for this season, Best Sixth Man, Most Improved Award and Best Coach, will be announced before then.

Thibodeau was the best coach last year, so the Bulls had no chance of winning this year. In the end, the award went to Lakers head coach Mike Brown, who defeated Heat head coach Spoelstra in the voting.

Spoelstra failed to be elected, not only because the Big Three lineup was too eye-catching, but more importantly the record.

The Lakers finally defeated the Thunder, and Brown deserves the honor.

It is worth mentioning that this is the second time Brown has won this honor in his career.

Well, the last time was when I coached James in the 08-09 season.

The best sixth man award went to Louis Williams of Philadelphia.

And the Most Improved Award, yes, went to Xu Yong.

Xu Yong averaged 23.4 points per game last season, which directly increased to 28.3 points this season, an increase of almost 5 points.

This is different from rookies or fringe players who are suddenly reused in the new season and their statistics increase significantly. Xu Yong is the core himself and then underwent a [super evolution].

So even though this award is generally not given to star players, Xu Yong truly deserves it.

After this wave of little surprises, the curtain of this year's playoffs also opened.

On the first game day, the Bulls and Celtics in the upper half of the Eastern Conference and the Lakers and Spurs in the upper half of the Western Conference will all play.

And because of the time difference, the eastern side will start first.

The United Center in Chicago was packed with fans, and there were also crowds of fans outside the arena.

Anthony may have instinctively overlooked a key point when he said this.

It is true that Anthony has a gangster background, but he forgot that Chicago is a city of gangsters.

When the gang boss from New York arrives in Chicago, he has to lie down like a dragon or a tiger.

So in this situation, if Anthony dares to do what he did in Madison before, the Knicks bus may not be able to return to the hotel after the game.

During the pre-game warm-up, the camera was turned to Anthony, and there was a lot of booing in the United Center.

Obviously, Anthony will enjoy the SVIP treatment of Chicago fans in tonight's game.

Anthony didn't care.

Since he said that, he had already anticipated such a scene.

From his perspective, he boosted the team's morale, which was worth it.

Of course this was just his idea. Judging from the sense of pressure piling up on the faces of the Knicks players, the situation seemed to be slightly different from what he imagined.

But don't worry about such details. Even James supports him. There is no reason why he can't win the game.

Before the opening ceremony, an award ceremony was held on site, and Xu Yong received his little surprise, the trophy for the Most Improved Award.

There is a legend about this award, which is the curse of the "Most Improved Award", which says that the person who wins this award will soon perform worse or even disappear from the league.

The last person to verify this theory was Aaron Brooks.

Xu Yong naturally didn't believe this kind of thing at all. This was clearly a survivor bias. More winners of the Most Improved Player Award became All-Star level players.

Not to mention the distant past, Love from last season is now the core of the Timberwolves.

Of course, he didn't care too much about the trophy. After the award ceremony, he threw it to Butler at the end of the bench for safekeeping.

Then, by the way, a small goal was set for Butler: to get one before the end of his rookie contract.

Butler was instantly motivated after hearing this. He couldn't win the championship yet, but this was definitely possible.

Next, the opening ceremony began.

Visiting Knicks: Jeremy Lin, Landry Fields, Anthony, Stoudemire, Camby.

Then when it comes to the home team Bulls, the cheers made by the fans tonight directly shake the eardrums.

The Bulls' starters came on the court one after another.

Yao Ming, Hinrich, Gibson, Artest, and Xu Yong, who stood up last, bringing the cheers to a climax.