Chapter 561 May 8th

May 8th, the Lakers and the Trail Blazers' Western Conference Semifinals G3 battle moved to Portland's North Bank Garden Arena.

As a result, on this magical night...

The game had only started for 4 minutes when Paul sprained his ankle after stepping on teammate Battier's foot while defending.

Sure enough...

Even though this life has been upgraded from "58 Paul" to "61 Paul," you can still choose to believe Chris Paul when it comes to dropping the ball at crucial moments.

On the court, Paul's injury disrupted the Trail Blazers' game plan.

Because the Trail Blazers' other two backup point guards, Rodriguez and Blake, couldn't replace Paul's defensive role, they clearly couldn't cut off the Lakers' inside and outside connection as they had before after Paul was injured and left the court.

And for this assist from Paul...

How could Su Feng and Kobe, who have always been good at seizing opportunities, miss it?

Before, because even if he got past Carter, Kobe would always be blocked by other Trail Blazers players at the first time. Therefore, don't look at the Lakers' success in breaking the Trail Blazers' setup by frantically throwing three-pointers in G2.

But in reality...

Kobe hasn't been able to gain much advantage in his matchup with Carter.

However...

With Paul injured and leaving the court, in order to encircle the Lakers' absolute leader, Su Feng, where would the Trail Blazers have any extra support to give Carter at this moment?

North Bank Garden Arena.

On the Lakers' first offensive possession after Paul's injury, Kobe used a feint to get Carter off balance on the left wing, and before the Trail Blazers' help defense, which was much slower than before, arrived, he scored a beautiful fadeaway for the Lakers.

And then, after Garnett's passionate turnaround jumper assisted Su Feng, Su Feng, who was responsible for dribbling the ball across the half-court, stopped the Trail Blazers with a super long three-pointer from 28 feet away from the basket!

On the sidelines, on the Lakers' bench, seeing this scene, Coach Lue couldn't help but pat his thigh and sigh, "I t

In the regular season, comparing stats, thanks to Nelson's requirement that Curry had to take 15 shots per game, Curry's scoring stats were one or two points higher than Rose's.

But in terms of assists, Rose was better.

In addition, because these two people's styles of play were very attractive, in Stern's view, what could be better than having these two people lift the trophy together, which would attract more attention than letting Rose or Curry win the award?

Tsk!

In terms of hyping up topics and concocting stories, Stern really understood the fans' psychology.

Of course...

In addition to the fans' psychology...

Because he knew that the NBA coaches at this moment couldn't wait to tear Tyronn Lue into eight pieces.

Therefore, in the selection of the best coach, let alone winning the award in the end...

Even the top three, Coach Lue failed to make it.

Hawks coach Budenholzer became the beneficiary of Stern's efforts to balance the interests of all parties.

In the selection of the best sixth man, Jamal Crawford, who had previously made great contributions to the Hawks' elimination of the Cavaliers, was successfully elected as the best sixth man of the 08/09 season.

In addition, the Most Improved Player and Best Defensive Player were won by Danny Granger and Dwight Howard respectively.

This season, Granger, who formed the Pacers' double guns with Joe Johnson, improved rapidly, averaging 26.5 points per game for the Pacers in the regular season.

The only regret was that Granger failed to be selected as an All-Star reserve in the East this season.

Howard's ability to win the Best Defensive Player award this year was related to his success in saving the competition that had long been killed by Su Feng and Carter in the dunk contest through showmanship.

In addition, in the regular season, in order to pad stats, Su Feng mostly adopted eye defense, so Howard naturally became the most powerful contender for the award.

As for the All-NBA Team...

The All-NBA Team and All-Defensive Team selections for the 08/09 season are as follows:

All-NBA First Team: Yao Ming, Duncan, Su Feng, Wade, James.

All-NBA Second Team: Howard, Nowitzki, Anthony, Kobe, Paul.

All-NBA Third Team: Stoudemire, Gasol, Pierce, Roy, Parker.

All-Defensive First Team: Howard, Garnett, Su Feng, Kobe, James.

All-Defensive Second Team: Gasol Jr., Duncan, Artest, Wade, Paul.

In his first season back from injury, Kobe's performance in returning to the Second Team and First Defense was indeed obvious to all.

It's just that...

Looking at the Lakers' defense in the regular season, which could be described as using their eyes to defend without actually doing anything...

In the eyes of Feng Hei and Ke Hei, it was really outrageous that Su Feng and Kobe could be selected into the All-Defensive First Team at the same time!

So that's why the NBA's award selection has always been "fair, open, and just," right?

In fact, when the NBA selects various awards, there has always been a saying that reputation is higher than strength.

It's just that, when the "black curtain" is beneficial to him...

On this day, Su Feng really wanted to give the NBA official a fair and just award.

"Sigh! It's been so many years, how come some people still haven't gotten an MVP?"

On the 18th, in order to avoid Su Feng, Kobe, who hadn't answered Su Feng's calls for a whole day, finally saw Su Feng's "ugly" face when the team practiced together the next day.

"What's so great about an MVP?

No matter how many MVPs you get, you still have to pass the ball to me obediently on the court, right?" Looking at Su Feng who kept showing off in front of him, Kobe retorted.

Hearing this, after feeling a wave of sourness, Su Feng said, "How about I pick you into my team in next year's All-Star game, and then I'll pad you an All-Star MVP?

Anyway, an All-Star MVP is also an MVP."

Kobe: "..."

Can that be the same, Su thief?

On the training ground, looking at Su Feng who was like Fan Jin after passing the imperial examination...

Kobe was very angry.

But he was powerless to refute.

Because he knew very well...

From the moment he decided to play brotherhood basketball with Su Feng, no matter how beautiful his stats were in the future, it would be difficult for him to get the regular season MVP.

After all...

You can't let the NBA make an exception and modify the rules for the selection of judges, so that Su Feng and Kobe can get the regular season MVP at the same time, right?

In the NBA, except for the future Alphabet Brother, there has never been a case where a second-in-command could win the regular season MVP.

And the future Alphabet Brother was able to win the regular season MVP...

That's also because "Mi Jordan" disdained to compete with him.

Therefore, on this day...

Even if he didn't want to admit it.

Kobe could only admit...

Unless the NBA completely leaves Su Feng out of the selection of the regular season MVP in the future...

Otherwise...

He was destined to miss this award.

...

On the 19th, after a little relaxation training before the game, that night, the Lakers officially welcomed the long-awaited Western Conference Finals stage, and the Dallas Mavericks, who had forced their King to exhaustion in the Western Conference Semifinals last year.

As the last facade of the Lone Star Republic, the Mavericks team, who shouldered the hopes of the entire Texas village, can be described as extremely eager to dedicate a championship trophy to Dallas.

It's just that...

Unlike last year, this year, when making previews, fifteen out of eighteen experts in North America were more optimistic about the Lakers.

On the one hand, this is related to the Lakers' hard power shown when they were not messing around.

On the other hand, it is because Prince and Hamilton's performance has been unstable since entering the playoffs this year.

Staples Center.

On the court, after the two teams' players warmed up, the live screen immediately gave the starting lineups for the two teams tonight.

Mavericks: Chandler, Nowitzki, Prince, Hamilton, Kidd.

Lakers: Gasol Jr., Marion, Su Feng, Kobe, Dragic.

As the former Lakers meritorious player who won the championship with OK back then...

Before the game, in an interview, Kidd took the initiative to show weakness and said, "This Lakers team is far stronger than us, we only have a chance to take the victory away from Staples if we do every detail well."

However...

In Su Feng's view, Kidd's ghost words can only deceive Kobe and other children.

Because on the court, after looking around at the fighting spirit contained in the eyes of the Mavericks players...

Su Feng knew...

This series was destined to be an extremely difficult game.

Starting from the Finals against the Heat that year...

You know, this is already the fifth season that the Dallas Mavericks have been aiming for the championship.

And in these past five years...

If failure is the mother of success.

Then the ghost knows how much experience this Mavericks team has learned from the mother of success, and how many evolutions it has completed.

Until the start of this round of divisional finals...

To this day, Su Feng has not seen Nowitzki killing the game like he did in the year he won the MVP this season.

And maybe, in the eyes of some people, Nowitzki is getting old and can't play anymore...

But for Su Feng, who has seen Nowitzki's game where he led the team to beat the Heat at the age of 33 in the future...

He knew...

This German Gundam was just hiding his edge.

Just like the swordsmen in fantasy novels like to build momentum before wielding their swords.

Because he knew that the Mavericks could only reach the Finals by passing the Lakers...

So before encountering that real opponent...

Nowitzki's "momentum" has been accumulating for a whole year.

Center court.

Chandler and Gasol Jr. jump ball to start the game.

The Mavericks attack first, and Kidd is responsible for dribbling the ball across the half-court.

As soon as he came up, unlike before when he always liked to slack off in the opening stages...

After leaning against Marion on the wing, Nowitzki immediately raised his right hand to Kidd.

Kidd did not hesitate and decisively handed the ball to Nowitzki.

A heavy sword has no edge.

Great skill appears simple.

On the left wing, the "Hacker" cannot modify the program of this German Gundam, Nowitzki.

And on the court, as Nowitzki's iconic high parabola passed through the net...

The Lakers fans who had not felt the atmosphere of the divisional finals for a long time...

Immediately felt the滔天 murderous aura emanating from the Mavericks' half.

Prince's previous performance was certainly not stable.

Because even when he was forced to the most dangerous moment by the Jazz...

John Davis strictly controlled his playing time to within 20 minutes.

Comparing models, Prince's strength is far below Su Feng's.

Therefore, the main purpose of Davis's control of Prince's playing time is to allow Prince to execute true full-court defense against Su Feng in this series.

Davis knew that as long as Su Feng leaned against Prince, it would basically be a one-sided beating.

Therefore, Prince can only limit Su Feng's reception of the ball before he reaches the offensive area through close defense, so as to avoid being rubbed on the ground by Su Feng.

On the other side...

Hamilton's previous performance was also related to Davis's control of his playing time.

Because tonight, in addition to Nowitzki will show his sword...

Hamilton will also be responsible for luring Kobe to death on the offensive end!

On the Lakers' bench.

Van Gundy, who had previously thought that Davis was nothing more than that, had already withdrawn his opinion of Davis at this moment.

Because no matter from the Mavericks' offensive arrangement tonight, or from the defensive arrangement...

This Mavericks team exudes a temperament that is completely different from the Trail Blazers from the inside out.

There is no doubt.

They have the same "championship appearance" as the Lakers!

...

ps: Ten thousand word chapter brought! Mwah!