The referee reacted and quickly rushed to Green and pushed Artest away.
Artest turned his head with a puzzled look on his face, then looked down and found Green lying motionless on the ground, revealing a surprised expression.
There was no conflict on the court this time because Green being knocked unconscious was such a huge psychological shock to the Warriors players that no one would want Artest to do the same to them.
The game entered a technical timeout, and finally the staff brought a stretcher and lifted Green, who was still unconscious, onto it and took him to the hospital for emergency treatment.
This elbow is enough to go down in the history of NBA fouls.
The referee then made a penalty, Artest was convicted of second-degree malicious offense and was directly ejected.
Green's unexpected departure also made this Christmas game less suspenseful. Although Curry had an explosive performance with 4 three-pointers in the third quarter, the Bulls eventually defeated the Warriors 105-91.
So you say that Green's status in the Warriors is indeed not high, but he is very important to the Warriors, especially with his outside shooting accuracy this season. He is the core of the Warriors' five-small tactics and positional warfare. It will be difficult for the Warriors to beat the Bulls.
According to post-match statistics, Xu Yong had 40 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists, Rose had 18 points and 3 assists, Butler had 16 points, 4 rebounds and 8 assists, and Adams had 11 points and 16 rebounds.
Curry had 26 points, 3 rebounds and 7 assists, Thompson had 21 points, Barnes had 14 points and 4 rebounds, Iguodala had 12 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists, and Bogut had 5 points and 9 rebounds.
After the game, Xu Yong and Artest attended the post-match press conference together.
When the reporters saw Artest appear, they all showed surprised expressions. The Bulls' arrangement was really unexpected.
After just a few brief routine questions, the reporter turned his attention to Artest.
"You attacked Draymond (Green)'s right cheek with your elbow during the game. Why did you make such a malicious move?" a reporter from TNT asked Artest in a blunt tone.
"No, I didn't mean it." Artest's answer stunned everyone present.
"I was so excited. You know I hadn't dunked in an official game for two years. Then I went into a state of celebration. I felt someone push me from behind. I didn't know who it was. I just wanted him to stay away. The final result was unfortunate, but I definitely didn't mean to do it."
The reporters in the audience looked at each other in bewilderment. If they hadn't known Artest's "glorious" past, they would have really believed it.
However, it is difficult to say that there is anything wrong with what Artest said, because the details he described match those that happened in the game.
Seeing that Artest's answer was flawless, the reporter then turned his attention to Xu Yong.
"Xu, what do you think of this malicious conflict that occurred during the game?"
Xu Yong glanced at the reporter who asked the question and replied calmly, "Ron, I'm sorry. It was Charity World Peace. He raised funds for the Children's Mental Health Association and auctioned off his 2011 championship ring for charity. He donated all the $650,000 he received to children's charities. He is a good person now and not someone who would intentionally hurt others, so I also think it was just an accident."
The reporters whispered to each other, and then found that what Xu Yong said was indeed true.
So maybe it's possible that what happened was really as Artest described, but Green pushed Artest when he wanted to serve, which led to the accident?
Fans also had heated debates on social media after the game.
"Artest definitely did it on purpose. He was the instigator of the fight in Auburn Hills. He abused his girlfriend. He is a hot-tempered guy!"
"I don't agree with what you said. People can change. Since returning from suspension, he has never clashed with his opponents. This is definitely an accident."
"I agree. Artest is also the winner of the Kennedy Award in the 2010-2011 season. What Xu said is also true. He is now a peace lover." Comment from "KBforever".
"Go to the peace lovers, go watch the video, brother, the elbow strike he made is quite explosive even in MMA!"
"So they were celebrating, why did you push them?"
"He deserves it. I repeat, he totally deserves it. He first fouled Xu, and then kicked Adams in the groin. I think he was lucky not to be beaten to death!" Comment from "KBfnas".
"Whether Artest's action was intentional is still controversial, but there is no excuse for his kick against Adams. This was intended to end his family lineage!"
"That's right, the abuser becomes the victim? Do you believe that if the two of them were to fight in the octagon, Adams could beat Green to death?"
"It should be said that Adams was really hard. He recovered after being kicked in the crotch for a few minutes. His girlfriend is so happy."
"...Brother, your ideas are a bit strange?"
…
After the press conference, Xu Yong and Artest returned to the locker room together.
"Ron, no matter how the league punishes you, I will bear all your losses." Xu Yong turned to Artest and said.
"No need. I don't like that guy either. I've never seen anyone do that (chase the balls) move." Artest had a look of disdain on his face. Even when he faced off against Big Ben, they were face to face and there was no way he would go for the opponent's lower back three.
"I'll pay." Xu Yong stopped.
“We still have a long way to go,” he added.
Artest heard the hidden meaning in Xu Yong's words and nodded.
Seeing this, Xu Yong smiled and took his shoulder and walked towards the locker room together.
Because Rose is on a maximum salary, it involves a super luxury tax, which is more difficult to deal with. However, for Artest, who is on a minimum salary, it can be dealt with with just a word from him.
Keeping Artest, even if he is never needed to take a shot again, is a huge psychological deterrent to the opponent, especially after what happened that night.
The day after the game, the Warriors announced Green's injury. The good news was that he only suffered a mild concussion**, but the bad news was that he needed to rest for 10 to 15 days. As a key figure of the Warriors, his absence is bound to have a huge impact on the team's record.
On the same day, the league set up an investigation team to look into the incident during the game.
Two days later, the league punished Artest based on the results of the investigation, banning him from seven games and issuing him a huge fine of $100,000.
Judging from the severity of the punishment, the investigation team should have adopted Artest's explanation and did not characterize it as a malicious incident. It should be noted that since Auburn Hills, the league has always dealt with fights strictly in order to reshape its image.
This punishment naturally aroused strong dissatisfaction from the Warriors, who appealed to the league, believing that the suspension for Artest was too light.
But ultimately, after negotiating with league officials, the Warriors withdrew their complaint.
The Warriors did not give a specific reason, but according to people familiar with the matter, it was most likely related to Green's previous pursuit of Adams.
The impact of the Christmas War was not resolved until this time, but in a sense it was the beginning of a feud.
Because the two sides not only had a feud on the court, but the Warriors' dream of achieving the longest winning streak in history was also shattered.
Shortly after the Christmas game ended, the league announced the first round of voting results for the 2016 All-Star Game.
This is the first time that Xu Yong did not win the most votes in the first round since he entered the league. The most votes in the first round belonged to Kobe.
With Kobe announcing his retirement and the start of his passive retirement tour, fans' enthusiasm for the Black Mamba has reached an unprecedented high.
However, the Bulls have another good news, that is, in addition to Xu Yong and Butler, Adams appeared in the top voting list for the first time. He now ranks fifth in the Eastern Conference frontcourt after Xu Yong, James, Anthony and Paul George.
This season, Adams has set career highs in all statistics, averaging 11.3 points, 13.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.3 blocks per game, with a shooting percentage of 61.3%. He ranks third in the league in rebounds and first in offensive rebounds.
If the league had not eliminated the center position in the All-Star voting, he would have been directly selected as a starter in the first round of voting.
According to former James fans, with Rose and West included, the Bulls have reassembled their five-star lineup.
It is worth mentioning that this year's All-Star Game is held in Chicago. This is the third time that Chicago has hosted this event. The last time was in 1988, when Jordan was only in the fourth grade.
…
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, it has been a month and it is already the end of January.
Several important things happened in the league in the past month. The first was that the Warriors suffered a losing streak. They lost consecutively to the Nuggets and Trail Blazers in early January, which was shocking. After that, Green announced his emergency comeback after only six days of rest, and then the Warriors rebounded with 11 consecutive wins.
In the words of fans, through a set of control group experiments, an astonishing fact is that Green is more important to the Warriors than James is to the Cavaliers.
This is a rough truth, and this is why the Warriors have repeatedly indulged and tolerated Green's behavior in the history that Xu Yong knows, because when Green is there, he can really help the Warriors win.
Then, after losing to the Mavericks and the Heat in succession at the end of January, although the Warriors started with a 28-game winning streak, it was already worse than the Bulls' record at the same period last season, which forced the management and coaching staff to reconsider their season goals.
Because during the 28-game winning streak, the biggest voice from the outside world was that the Warriors would do what they failed to do last season and create a 73-win record, but now the situation is completely different.
In other words, Artest's elbow caused the history that Xu Yong knew to head in a new direction.
The second thing is that the Cavaliers started a winning streak. They have widened the gap with the Pacers, Raptors, and Heat behind them, and are chasing the Bulls.
Xu Yong's judgment was correct. James gradually adapted to the penalties and began to play some wonderful games. The Cavaliers' Big Four seemed to be finally on the right track.
Or maybe this development also proves one thing, if he had not become Nike's darling and had privileges from the beginning, he might have become a "real superstar".
The third thing is that Kobe's retirement tour has reached an unprecedented level. Whenever there is a Lakers game, fans no longer pay attention to the outcome of the game, but only focus on Kobe himself.
When Kobe Bryant visited Boston, the Celtics presented him with a "green old floor" before the game, which represented the team's highest honor and was the highest respect from an opponent.
"I can't imagine what the scene will be like when Kobe starts his last game of his career." When O'Neal said this on the TNT program, his expression was both happy and jealous. He thought that if he won the same number of championships as Kobe, the two would be tied, but the fans' actions told him that this was not the case at all, and he still lost after all.
The last thing is that in the week near the end of the month, the league announced the starting lineup, substitutes, and individual event lists for this year's All-Star Game.
Western Conference starting lineup: Curry, Westbrook, Kobe, Durant, Leonard;
Substitutes: Lillard, Klay Thompson, Harden, Draymond Green, Aldridge, Howard, Cousins
Eastern Conference starting lineup: Wade, Butler, Xu Yong, Paul George, James;
Substitutes: Paul, Irving, Isaiah Thomas, Anthony, DeRozan, Bosh, Adams
In the individual events, the Splash Brothers Curry and Thompson will continue to compete, but Xu Yong will not continue to participate.
In the dunk contest, last year's defending champion Zach Lavine will continue to participate, and his main opponent is Aaron Gordon from the Magic.
After the list was announced, fans were also looking forward to Xu Yong's performance in the main game, because this was his first time playing in an All-Star Game at home since entering the league.
According to past practice, stars playing at home would be given the most ball possession, not to mention Xu Yong's current status in the league.
This day was the same as usual, Xu Yong went to the locker room to change his jersey and prepare for training.
But at this moment, Thibodeau came to the locker room with a serious expression and called Xu Yong out directly.
Xu Yong could sense that something had happened, but he didn't ask along the way.
When they arrived at the coach's office, Thibodeau locked the door and hesitated to speak. After he finally sat down, he said, "It's bad news."
Xu Yong looked puzzled. The Bulls were in good momentum now, so why did they suddenly respond to bad news?
"Derrick tore the meniscus in his left knee."
Thibodeau's tone was very heavy, and Xu Yong's heart trembled after hearing it.
Rose has already changed his playing style, but he's still injured?
"He's been working too hard this season. He wants to help the team too much," Thibodeau sighed.
Xu Yong was stunned when he heard this.
What seemed unreasonable actually got a reasonable explanation at this time.
The reason why Rose fought so hard was not only to help the team, but also because of the bet between him and Lauersdorf.
This is Rose's biggest motivation, but also his biggest hidden danger. He was unable to play against the Cavaliers before because of knee pain.
"Where is he now?" Xu Yong asked.
"Infirmary. I just came from there too."
"Tom." Xu Yong said and stood up.
"I'll go inform the others about Derek's injury later."
Thibodeau glanced at Xu Yong and nodded.
After leaving the coach's office, Xu Yong took a deep breath and then walked towards the medical room.
When he entered, he saw Ross staring at his left knee with red eyes.
In addition to Rose, Hinrich was also there. Judging from his appearance, he was also receiving treatment and happened to meet Rose.
"You guys chat." Hearing footsteps, Xin Liqi turned around and saw Xu Yong coming in, and stood up and said.
"Kirk, wait for me at the door." Xu Yong kept Hinrich.
Hinrich nodded, left the infirmary, and closed the door behind him.
"I'm sorry, Xu, I've troubled you too much, too much." Ross looked up and saw that it was Xu Yong, and he started apologizing.
"Don't talk about Derek like that." Xu Yong walked to the bed and sat down.
"No, it's really me who is holding you back. If it were someone else, you could have won more championships." Rose said Xu Yong's words that sounded familiar.
"I'm just a liability, you should let them trade me." Then he looked down at his knees and muttered to himself.
"Yes, I can also let them trade me. It's not the trade deadline yet. I'll call Gal now." Rose fumbled around for his phone.
"Stop, Derek, stop!" Xu Yong shouted at him. He felt that Ross was on the verge of collapse.
"You know that's impossible." Xu Yong's next words stunned Ross, and then he became like a deflated ball.
Yes, he has such a big contract, and there is still a year and a half left. He is injured, especially now it is the middle of the season. No team would want him.
Seeing that Ross was no longer so excited, Xu Yong continued, "Since you can defeat it once, you can also defeat it a second time."
Rose survived two seasons of being injured, and now it's only one season. What's more, the reason for Rose's injury this time is different from his previous ones. This is not the kind of injury that will continue to erupt.
Ross looked at Xu Yong and didn't know what to say for a moment. Xu Yong was like his life-saving straw. Every time he wanted to give up, it was Xu Yong who saved him again and again.
"Besides..." Xu Yong's expression suddenly became serious, "Don't say that again. I was the one who stopped them from trading you. If you do that, it will make me feel that my choice was wrong."
"I did not mean that……"
"Whether that's what we meant or not, the decision was made by us. Now that we've made it, don't regret it. Instead, try to overcome it. Maybe you're optimistic and positive, and your injury recovery is better than expected, so you can return in the playoffs?" Xu Yong said with a relaxed expression.
Hearing this, Ross nodded and finally felt less depressed.
"Believe me, no matter what, I will win the bet. This is my promise." Xu Yong then looked at Ross and said word by word.
"Take good care of your injuries and remember what I said. Staying positive and optimistic is the only thing you can do now." Xu Yong said as he stood up and patted Ross on the shoulder.
Ross didn't know how to respond, so he just nodded again.
Xu Yong then left the infirmary. After he went out, he motioned Hinrich to go with him.
The reason why he didn't let Hinrich leave first was because he had told Thibodeau that he would go and inform Rose about his injury.
After turning a corner, he let out a long sigh.
With a torn meniscus, surgery and a recovery period, there is no way Rose can make it to the playoffs. His words just now were just to make Rose more optimistic.
Rose's injury has a huge impact on the Bulls. Rose averaged 18.4 points per game this season and no one can replace him.
And more importantly, Hinrich is no longer capable, and the Bulls' point guard suddenly can only rely on the newly joined Dellavedova.
Although Dellavedova tries hard, his ability is limited.
"Xu." At this moment, Hinrich suddenly stopped.
Xu Yong looked back in confusion.
"I'll apply for a trade." Hinrich said.
"What?" Xu Yong thought he had heard it wrong.
"I will retire after this season. It doesn't matter where I play. Besides, my contract is expiring, so I can switch to a point guard of average league level." Hinrich said seriously.
What he said is indeed not impossible. The contract he signed with the Bulls before was five million a year. With some extra money, such as trading for Calderon from the Knicks, it would be a perfect fit.
Xu Yong was somewhat moved. It was rare in the NBA for a player to be willing to sacrifice himself for the team. One could only say that Hinrich was worthy of being the soul of the Bulls.
"Kirk, don't do that stupid thing, it won't change anything," he continued.
Hinrich played for one city and was traded away in the last six months. This was a bad ending to his career and he will feel this regret for the rest of his life.
And just like he said, nothing can be changed. Hinrich's trading value is too limited. How much improvement can replacing old Calderon bring to the Bulls?
As for the others, Hinrich cannot be replaced, so it is not worth it.
"But……"
"We also have Randy (Foye), who can play the number one position, and our number one position does not need to be very good at organizing the offense." Xu Yong made a joke at the end.
Hinrich could only smile bitterly and nod.
Although, it does seem to be the case. Butler, the real ball organizer of the Bulls, is like Ron Harper back then. The point guard's responsibilities are more of a porter and defender. Now there may be one more person to open up space.
So the promise Xu Yong made to Ross was not impossible to fulfill.
They ended up back in the locker room.
Most people in the locker room had already arrived by now, and they were all talking and laughing.
The All-Star Game is a carnival for fans and also a rare rest time for most players. They will get a long vacation if they don’t have to participate in the All-Star Game.
After making sure that everyone was there, Xu Yong gave Hinrich a look, and Hinrich turned around, closed the locker room door, and then walked back to his seat and sat down.
After hearing the noise, the team members looked towards the door one after another, and when they saw Xu Yong, they all looked puzzled.
"Bad news, Derek suffered a torn meniscus and will miss the rest of the season." Xu Yong spoke directly without any hesitation.
His words made many people change their faces. Although Rose is no longer the Windy City Rose, his importance is self-evident.
Some people even had expressions of boredom on their faces, after all, Rose had too many injuries.
"Injury is something no one wants to experience and it is inevitable during the season. I know it will weaken us, but what I want to say is that it will not change our goal."
After glancing at his teammates, Xu Yong continued with what he had said to Rose:
"I will lead everyone to defend the title, that is my promise."