Chapter 173 [The Critical Battle, the Descendant of the Dragon]
People are afraid of being famous, pigs are afraid of being strong, Raptors players are busy, many businesses have contacted their agents, O'Neal Jr., Carter, Maddie and others have been given advertising endorsement opportunities. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 info
The newcomers have a common characteristic, the contract is not high, and they care about money very much, Yang Rui can only bless after knowing it, and cannot prevent the player from making money during the playoffs. However, there are hidden dangers in people's excessive desire for money.
Before the start of the third game, in the dressing room, the young players were like nouveau riche, chatting about the future.
NBA players rely on their bodies to eat, and some star players have a high basketball IQ, but it does not mean that the IQ is also high.
Regardless of the sport, more than 90% of black players are mostly from poor backgrounds and cannot receive basic home education from an early age, and there are relatively few basketball players like Jordan who come from a middle-class background. Growing up in the slums, like little O'Neill, what has he never seen since he was a child? Drugs, prostitutes, street shootings. There is a very popular rap in the United States called "Fifty Cents", because he usually only has so much money in his pocket!
What happens when a person who has been poor since childhood suddenly becomes rich? You have to spend hard, what sports cars, beautiful women, big houses, when I was a child, I could only look at it with my eyes, and now we have money!
In short, blacks generally have a low level of education, few financial concepts, and the United States is an overdraft consumer society, unlike the rich in some countries, who pay the full amount for a villa. So no matter how much you earn, you don't spend it fast. Is it strange that the bankruptcy rate is so high after five years of retirement?
It is difficult for people who are greedy for pleasure to achieve great things, and there are countless examples. After Yang Rui entered the locker room, he told them to pay attention to the evening game like a primary school teacher had warned the students before the summer vacation, and the result was still a mess.
The Raptors' outside players don't have a high shooting percentage, and scoring efficiency is the key, unless it's a team like the 76ers who are crazy about defense, and the opponent who can defend is less efficient, and then win.
The Raptors and Knicks fought defense, but there would be no good results, losing another game at home 85-94, and the overall score fell behind 1-2.
The person who broke out this time was Larry Johnson, who bullied Detreff with his body in the second quarter, and Yang Rui also made a mistake, since Johnson switched to the bench, Detreve can start in the first quarter, and it can open up more space, let O'Neal Jr. or Willis substitute, and the defense of Johnson is better.
The fourth game continued to be played on the Raptors' home court, Yang Rui changed the formation, the starter maximized the space, the outside counterattack was active, dragging Ewing and Oakley to run tiredly, and the positional battle opened O'Neal Jr. and Carter to block and dismantle, dislocated the offense, and established a 15-point advantage.
After that, the Raptors played the position, ensured the speed of returning to the defense, protected the rebounding ball, and the "shark slashing tactic" also suppressed the Knicks. Ben Wallace went undercover on 3-of-8 shooting.
In the final quarter, the Raptors relied on fast breaks and star singles to maintain their advantage, defeating the Knicks 106-98 with a total score of 2-2. The two teams will face the battle of Tianwang Mountain.
The series between the Knicks and the Raptors was very intense, with the highest ratings of all second-round games, which attracted the attention of the league.
The Lakers, who are hot in the West, are out, disappointing David Stern. After being swept by the Jazz in '98, the Lakers were swept out of the game by the Spurs in the second round of this season.
The difference in points in each game is not large, but the Spurs always have a way to rely on the "shark slashing tactic" and strict outside shooting to beat the Lakers.
O'Neal is still ferocious after entering the playoffs, averaging 26 points, 11 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 3 blocks per game, and he is not falling behind in the face of the Spurs' twin towers. Bryant also performed well, scoring 21.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4 assists in the series.
Unfortunately, just like in the previous three years, you can't win with the "OK combination" alone, and the role of role players is equally crucial.
The Lakers' three main players, O'Neal, Kobe, and Rice, played more than 40 minutes per game, and the bench couldn't score at all when they started and rested. In the final quarter, the Lakers' starting physical strength decreased significantly, and they were taken away by the opponent in a wave.
If they want to compete for a championship, the Lakers will have to bring in more stars, or great role players.
The Lakers' exit indirectly affected the Knicks and Raptors, and the league believes that the ratings of these two teams will be higher in the next games. The only team left in the West with high visibility is the Trail Blazers, and there are no stars with gorgeous statistics.
The league isn't going to put anything out of it, though, and it's a fair series.
One is a dark horse team, the other is the defending champion, and only a fair fight is the most exciting. Many fans are staring at it, and being too deliberate will be questioned.
On May 25, the fifth battle between the two sides began at Madison Square Garden.
In the locker room, the players are serious and aware of the importance of Game 5, with history showing that 80% of teams that win Game 5 win the entire series after a 2-2 draw in the first four games. This is the home court of the Knicks, and the opponent will definitely be aiming to win.
Winning this one and going back home to eliminate the Knicks is the perfect script for the Raptors. Once this one is lost, even if they win at home, they will have to go back to New York and the Knicks for a tie-break.
There are very few teams led by newcomers who win in the tie-break, which is too much of a test of the psychological quality of young people.
Yang Rui understands that there will definitely be players who think more, so as usual, he will reduce the pressure first. "Concentrate and play your due strength, this is what I ask of you, don't think too much, it doesn't matter if you lose, even if you lose this game, it's not the end of the world, there is still a chance to turn the tables."
He showed his attitude, and as for whether he can maintain a normal heart, it depends on the players.
Van Gundy was not very flexible in his use of personnel, but he was very clear about the calculations, and he also highlighted the importance of the game. He emphasized defense and asked the players to step up their confrontation and overwhelm the Raptors in terms of morale.
CCTV5 broadcast the game live, and after Jordan retired, Chinese fans began to regard the Raptors as China's home team, which was an unexpected benefit that the Raptors' management did not expect.
"Yang Rui has just won the title of Coach of the Season before, and since his birthday is July, he is 24 years old, which not only sets the record for the youngest coach in the NBA, but also the record for the youngest best coach in all major sports," Zhang said before the game. ”
Sun Zhengping sighed: "Although he is Chinese-American, he can speak fluent Chinese and understand Chinese culture, and reporters who have gone to the United States to interview him before have said that he is very good at communication and has a very good temper." ”
Zhang Li said with a smile: "Good temper is debatable, Yang Rui and the players are friends, and they are also very polite to the media and fans, but those who say bad things about him and look at him unpleasantly seem to have been counterattacked by him." ”
Sun Zhengping smiled: "In any case, most fans must hope that the Raptors will beat the Knicks one step closer, and if the Raptors win the championship in the end, it will be a miracle in sports history." ”
Chinese players have not played in the NBA, so Yang Rui has become the favorite coach of Chinese fans, even if he is Chinese, it is enough to speak Chinese, black eyes, black hair and yellow skin, he is the heir of the dragon, making Chinese proud.