From initially being two hours late to frequently missing the team's morning practice...

This season, Larry Brown had been as indulgent toward "Ai Feng's" arrogance and unruliness as they were effective on the court.

And the reason why Su Feng, who had been secretly putting in extra practice, didn't try to dissuade Iverson from his training habits was largely because Brown's training intensity during the regular season was higher than it had been under Davis the previous season.

Although not every coach in the NBA was like Riley.

But for a stubborn old-schooler like Brown, giving the team days off was out of the question. In his view, to ensure a team's discipline, you had to start with training.

It was ironic, however, that this discipline was being trampled upon time and time again by "Ai Feng."

Indianapolis, second quarter. When the Pacers showed signs of widening the gap, Brown didn't hesitate.

Because recently, Iverson was the "Answer" in his eyes.

Poor Joe Smith, even after loitering in front of Brown three times under the guise of serving Su Feng tea, couldn't catch his eye.

"Allen, we need your breakthroughs to change the game."

After pushing up his glasses, Brown, choosing to continue playing Iverson at the start of the second quarter, said affectionately to Iverson.

And for Iverson, who had been praised by Brown all season, he wasn't about to refuse such a request.

"Remember to pass me the ball when you're too tired to drive."

Noticing that Iverson's playing time had recently been catching up to his own, Su Feng said caringly, patting Iverson's cornrows.

Iverson elbowed Su Feng's waist twice and said, "Don't worry, my stamina's great."

Uh...

Your stamina is great, but Allen, do you know that's how you get injured?

The intensity of this game against the Pacers was almost like a playoff game.

Therefore, Su Feng didn't want anything unexpected to happen in the last game of the regular season.

On the court, with "Ai Feng" playing non-stop, the 76ers did indeed start to close the gap.

On the 76ers' bench, Brown, who rarely cheered for players' offense, was seen waving his fist on the sidelines when "Ai Feng" scored consecutive points.

'Surrender to me, Indianapolis. My tactics, Larry Brown's tactics, are absolute.'

"Truly visible talent," Bird thought to himself on the Pacers' bench as he watched Iverson and Su Feng.

In the opinion of this "Big Bird" sitting with his legs crossed, from a purely rational point of view, believe it or not, he also thought Brown's judgment was correct.

Because for this 76ers team, what couldn't one expect in five or ten years?

However, on the court, just as Iverson had successfully given the 76ers the lead with a drive...

...the "Answer" landed and stepped on Jalen Rose's foot as he was retreating on defense.

On the court, the moment Iverson fell, Su Feng's heart skipped a beat.

Sometimes, what you fear comes true.

Just like that "183" in the future, who would always miss crucial games due to various injuries, in Su Feng's past life, Iverson was only holding on with willpower.

With an average playing time of nearly 45 minutes in April, even if Iverson's stamina far exceeded that of ordinary people, he couldn't escape the warning of injuries.

On TNT, Smith couldn't help but sigh as he watched this scene. "Is history repeating itself?

Allen's ankles are the Achilles' heel of the 76ers."

For Smith, who had helped these young men defeat the Bulls last year, despite often making fun of Su Feng and the 76ers, his feelings for this team were different.

On the scene in Indianapolis, after the 76ers' team doctor entered the court to check on Iverson's injury, the initial assessment was that Iverson had sprained his ankle.

But this time, fortunately, Iverson wasn't as seriously injured as last season.

Because to be fair...

...Jalen Rose really didn't do it on purpose just now.

Although this guy had a history in Su Feng's past life, one regular season game wasn't enough for Jalen Rose and Iverson to build an "81-point bond."

According to the 76ers' team doctor's assessment, Iverson would be able to recover in about two weeks, but after gritting his teeth and taking two steps, Iverson firmly believed that he was fine.

For Iverson, who had already experienced missing the playoffs due to injury once, this time, he really didn't want to be a spectator again.

You know, not long ago, on April 4th, before attending Su Feng's 20th birthday party, Iverson had specially tattooed a special tattoo on his biceps.

In Chinese:

Bing Jian (Side by Side).

In fact, just as Su Feng wasn't clear about how high his status was in Kobe's mind, in this life, in Iverson's eyes, Su Feng...

...was his best "partner in crime."

Therefore, just as the referee stopped the game, when he saw Su Feng's concerned expression, Iverson had made up his mind.

This time, nothing could stop him from fighting alongside Su Feng.

"Su, I know what you want to say to me, but I know my own body better than anyone else. I'm fine!"

Looking up at Su Feng, Iverson's tone at this moment was firm and unquestionable.

Su Feng took a deep breath and then said to Iverson, "I know I can't persuade you...

But Allen, you should at least rest for this game."

There was no way. When Iverson got stubborn, even if Su Feng was a great persuader, he wouldn't be able to stop him.

Bang.

On the court, after elbowing Su Feng hard, Iverson said, "I'm not stupid. I'll definitely rest for this game, but in the upcoming playoffs, I won't rest for a minute."

And perhaps feeling that this sentence wasn't cool enough, after pausing, Iverson added, "Don't worry, what doesn't kill me will only make me stronger."

Su Feng: "..."

Is this the charm of the four great joke tellers?

What "I won't give Michael Jordan my starting spot," "If it were last year, I'd already be studying our next-round opponents," "If someone has to win, why can't it be me," "I don't want to be the next Jordan, nor do I want to be the next Magic, nor do I want to be the next Bird. I am who I am"...

Seriously, being able to put on an act while in pain, in Su Feng's view, it was no wonder Iverson was able to fascinate so many people in his past life.

Of course, Iverson, whose cool act only lasted three seconds, was then carried off the court by the team doctor.

And next, Brown's affectionate gaze could only turn to Su Feng's...

...cold shoulder.

There was no way. Without Iverson, Su Feng alone couldn't beat the Pacers, who were in excellent form tonight.

However, Brown, whose heart had been attacked by Su Feng's three-pointers, had already decided to talk to Su Feng before the playoffs started.

In the end, 85-100, the 76ers lost to the Pacers on the road, ending the 97/98 season with 52 wins and 30 losses, completing all 82 regular-season games.

It's worth mentioning that the last time the 76ers had 50 wins in the regular season was during Barkley's era.

Of course, compared to losing to the Pacers in the final game and achieving 50 wins again, the most concerning thing after this game against the Pacers was Iverson's injury.

And when Philadelphia fans learned that Iverson would play through the injury in the upcoming playoffs, countless people were moved to tears.

Everyone, cry for me!

However, even if Iverson's willpower was incredibly strong, after returning to Philadelphia, during the team's training sessions...

...the state Iverson showed was, in Su Feng's opinion...

...extremely unoptimistic.

"I won't question Allen's will. He will definitely face the upcoming challenges in top condition."

However, Larry Brown didn't see it that way.

Because in his eyes, Iverson was indestructible.

Alright...

Before starting the next playoff chapter, let's first review the regular-season standings for this season, as well as the "kings" of the main statistics this season.

In the 97/98 season, after history had been completely changed, the team that finished first in the regular season was the Bulls, who had 68 wins.

Because they had strengthened their roster and Pippen hadn't acted up, in Su Feng's opinion, the Bulls' state this season was actually better than in the season they had 72 wins.

Don't think Jordan has aged another year. Once he got hot with his skills, which had been honed to perfection, no one in this league could stop him.

And the Eastern Conference standings from first to fifteenth are as follows:

1. Bulls, 2. Pacers, 3. 76ers, 4. Heat, 5. Celtics, 6. Hawks, 7. Hornets, 8. Knicks, 9. Nets, 10. Cavaliers, 11. Wizards, 12. Pistons, 13. Bucks, 14. Magic, 15. Raptors.

It has to be said that the competition in the Eastern Conference this season was hellish.

The fact that the 76ers were able to reach third in the East was mainly because Brown's defensive tactics were well-suited for beating weaker teams, and most importantly, because of the rapid growth of these young players.

After all, in the 76ers' lineup... if you count Big Ben and Ratliff, there are four All-Star players in the starting lineup.

The 76ers, who were getting stronger every year, had some similarities with the Thunder in the future.

Take the Thunder of the three young stars as an example. You can never use their current season's abilities to view them next season.

Compared to the tragedy of the Eastern Conference, the Western Conference at this time...

...had much less competition.

The Western Conference standings from first to fourteenth are as follows:

1. Jazz, 2. Lakers, 3. Supersonics, 4. Suns, 5. Trail Blazers, 6. Spurs, 7. Timberwolves, 8. Rockets, 9. Kings, 10. Mavericks, 11. Warriors, 12. Grizzlies, 13. Clippers, 14. Nuggets.

As in Su Feng's memory, the main change in the West was that the Spurs didn't draft Duncan.

Robinson, the "Fifth Center," who had reached the end of his peak, lacked the cornerstone to pass the baton to.

If Popovich hadn't adopted an almost domestic-violence-like management strategy toward Billups, and if the Timberwolves and Rockets hadn't had such terrible records, the Spurs might not have been able to hold onto sixth place in the West.

At the top of the Western Conference, the dominance of the Jazz, Lakers, and Supersonics remained unchallenged this season.

It's worth mentioning that the Mavericks officially changed their leader this season.

And their newly appointed leader, Don Nelson, immediately sent out trial invitations to two young men skilled in "soft midrange shots."

Su Feng knew that in this life, young Nowitzki and Wang Zhizhi were destined to have a battle where no one could defend anyone.

In Su Feng's opinion, if he could join the Mavericks with Nowitzki in this life, it would definitely be a good thing for Wang Zhizhi.

Because, at that time, Wang Zhizhi would have no excuse to say such arrogant words as "If he had arrived at the Mavericks earlier, there would be no Nowitzki."

In fact...

...just looking at Nowitzki's early defense, believe it or not, you could send Ratliff over, and they could explode on each other.

Different shoulder widths, wingspans, and strong core strength—these talents that couldn't be seen at a glance were the key to Nowitzki being destined to be stronger than Wang Zhizhi.

Of course, in this life, under Su Feng's suggestion, Wang Zhizhi, whose registered height was only "208" centimeters and whose registered position had been changed to power forward, could easily make a living in the NBA as long as he could adjust his mentality and accept the role of a rotation player.

After all, Wang Zhizhi, who had been educated in advance by Su Feng, had been working hard to improve his core strength for the past half-year...

Although, due to his talent, he was destined not to develop the same waist and upper body strength as Nowitzki, at least, before he left the CBA for the United States, he still made Yao Ming cry...

Cough, back to the topic.

In the 97/98 season, the scoring title was still taken by the "Old Rogue."

Jordan, who averaged 30.5 points per game this season, was simply a pervert in Su Feng's view.

Jordan, who won his tenth scoring title, maintained an average of 30+ points per game even at the time of his retirement.

And in this life, stimulated by someone, Jordan, who felt that he was still improving, hadn't even thought about retiring.

If Su Feng remembered correctly, the reason for Jordan's retirement in the future was very complicated.

So, if Jordan didn't retire, it was hard to say whether he would choose to stay with the Bulls or go to another team.

In the 97/98 season, the assist title was won by Strickland, who would become Irving's "godfather" in the future. This season, he averaged 10.6 assists per game.

And the rebounding title was once again won by Rodman, who averaged 14.7 rebounds per game.

Rodman's average number of rebounds was 0.3 fewer than in Su Feng's past life because this Bulls team had one more Autry.

As for the block title...

Camby, whose stats were heavily inflated by Davis, was selected with an average of 4.1 blocks per game.

And the steal title was different from Su Feng's memory.

Because the 76ers entered the right track early in this life, with Snow and Su Feng protecting him, Iverson, who could lose his position as much as he wanted, was selected with an average of 2.8 steals per game.

This season, Iverson averaged 26.8 points, 5.8 assists, and 3.8 rebounds. If nothing unexpected happened, Iverson would make First Team All-NBA again this year.

And the other gun of the "Golden Double Guns," Su Feng, averaged 22.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.9 steals, and 0.9 blocks.

In the 97/98 season, Su Feng's field goal percentage was 45.1%, his three-point percentage was 37.8%, and his free-throw percentage was 85%.

Su Feng, who became the youngest 50+ scorer in the NBA in the game against the New York Knicks, faced a completely different level of defense this season compared to last season. Coupled with the 76ers' slow offensive rhythm, given Su Feng's current scoring ability, you could definitely call him a one-on-one monster.

In addition, this season, Su Feng made a total of 198 three-pointers, bringing him one step closer to upgrading [Sharpshooter].

Of course...

Compared to these stats, what was even more shocking about Su Feng was his average playing time of 46.5 minutes.

In the 97/98 season, Su Feng, who played a total of 3813 minutes, scored a total of 1870 points, 500 rebounds, 156 steals, and 74 blocks, as well as 98 assists.

Overall, Su Feng was very satisfied with his performance this season.

Because just like Iverson was desperately determined to play through the injury in this year's playoffs, Su Feng knew very well that compared to the out-of-control future, in the games the 76ers lost this season, their disadvantages weren't that great when facing those strong teams.

Therefore, as long as Brown didn't interfere with him, Su Feng felt that the 76ers really had a chance to make a run this year.

This season, Ratliff and Big Ben also improved rapidly.

The former averaged 10.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks this season, while the latter averaged 3.9 points, 12.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.5 blocks, and 1.8 steals.

So, Joe Smith's depression wasn't unreasonable...

Because comparing his defense to those two was simply humiliating.

...

According to the schedule, the 76ers' opponent in the first round of the playoffs would be the Hawks.

This year, the NBA playoffs were still a best-of-five series in the first round. Because they were busy with labor-management negotiations, Stern wasn't in a hurry to change the playoff format in the first round.

And for this team that had coasted to the finish line last year, with Iverson deciding to play through the injury this year, the entire 76ers team was holding its breath, ready to give the Hawks a head start.

The game between the 76ers and the Hawks would start on April 24th, with the 76ers playing at home first and then away.

By the way, these days, in addition to continuing to miss training sessions, Su Feng had also been paying attention to reports from the Nike training camp.

Similar to Su Feng's memory...

American scouts were stunned by Yao Ming, who was only a few months away from turning 18.

In front of Chandler, who, like Ratliff, could fish with his... (omitted), Yao Ming had never felt so powerful.

Wait...

This guy is the nation's top high school student?

"My God! Tyson's confidence has been shattered by this big man from the Paris of the East!"

"A height of over 220 centimeters, yet he possesses such soft touch and footwork... Is another superstar center about to appear?"

Uh...

Because of Su Feng, Yao Ming's draft prospects in this life... were likely to explode.

Alright, ever since Odom, the nation's top high school student... had become synonymous with being a background player.

And it was very ironic that the year before, McGrady had defeated Odom, the nation's top high school student.

As a result, the next year, it was Yao Ming's turn to beat Chandler.

So, in Su Feng's past life, the fact that Yao and McGrady could form a duo was certainly due to some fate.

...

On the 22nd, before the playoffs started, Larry Brown was prepared to talk to Su Feng.

Just as Riley, who could dream about Su Feng, had predicted, Larry Brown's patience...

...was limited.

In Brown's view, who also hoped that the 76ers could make a run in the playoffs, he had to make Su Feng understand that the time had come to repay his previous love for Su Feng.

Unfortunately...

The warning of Stakhouse's departure hadn't been taken to heart by Brown.

Because Su Feng's temper...

...was really bad.

And the kind that exploded at the slightest provocation.

...

ps: I'll finish this plot in one go tomorrow! Good night, dear readers!