Chapter 606 The Ninth Summit
"Before the game, I was only worried about one thing, and that was our mentality."
After winning the first game of the Finals, Doc Rivers said: "It turns out that I was overly worried. We are indeed a young team, but we have no less finals experience than Miami."
The media then asked about Yao Huang's performance.
Because after Rivers' disastrous performance in the first quarter, Yao Shuan was directly delayed until the second half.
In this regard, Rivers said: "Miami is a special existence for Yao. It is difficult for him not to invest more personal emotions, but you can see that he has adjusted in the second half."
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Since the start of the playoffs, Yu Fei, who is in increasingly hot form, has attracted a lot of media attention.
They wanted to know what made Yu Fei perform so well.
Yu Fei said simply: "I haven't won the championship in two years and I miss it."
The Los Angeles Times quoted Yu Fei the next day and wrote: "The man who has won eight championships in the past 14 years said so. I think this pure championship desire reflects from the side why the Clippers played in Frye Times are going to be so special and it's a testament to why Frye has been able to lead every team he's been a part of - well, D.C., this isn't about you."
However, the Heat were undeterred.
In the ensuing second game, they learned from the Warriors' advanced experience and adopted unlimited switching defenses and zone defenses to limit Antetokounmpo's breakthroughs and Yao Ming's low-post attacks to the greatest extent, forcing them to carry out singles with the ball. .
The Warriors died from Yu Fei's single in the key battle.
Why do the Heat dare to do this? It's not that they are not afraid of GOAT, it's just that compared to other options, singles is the fairest choice for each other among many options. Moreover, the Heat have more isolation players than the Clippers.
Curry, Wade and Butler can all perform singles with the ball.
Anyone who has watched the series between the Universe Warriors and the Rockets in the main timeline will be impressed by the scene where the two teams gave up complex tactics and let their stars perform various singles to score points after the two teams were in deep trouble in the playoffs.
It's like after the nuclear powers destroyed each other, the survivors returned to primitive society and continued the war with sticks and stones.
The Heat did not give up hope. Curry played well in the second game, and Wade's weak-side singles also caused difficulties for the Clippers.
However, with the advantage of home court and rebounding, the Clippers completed two consecutive attacks at the critical moment and defended their home court with a 2-point difference.
This is undoubtedly a thrilling game.
Curry said: "They did what they were supposed to do, and now it's our turn."
Historically, the first team to achieve a 2-0 lead has a high probability of winning, but as long as it is not 100%, it doesn't mean anything.
Coming to the road, the home court advantage returns to Miami.
The league does not want the Finals to be a one-sided situation, so the Heat get all the conveniences they deserve at home.
The result of these conveniences is that the Heat are more comfortable when dealing with Yao Ming, and are more casual when compressing Antetokounmpo's space. By applying harsh defensive pressure, the Clippers have to rely on the individual ability of the star to solve the problem.
However, the destructive power of Curry's three-pointers has become more and more obvious after he took the position.
In the third game, the Clippers kept the score tight at halftime, but in the fourth quarter Curry hit several chasing three-pointers, and finally fell behind 1-2.
The fourth scene that followed was almost the same script.
Yao Ming had the advantage in the paint, but was kited too hard on the outside.
The Clippers' defensive resources can cover Yao Huang against most teams.
But facing the Heat, a team with many ball-handling points and three-pointers, Yao Shuan's constant problem of defending the pick-and-roll was unstoppable.
The Clippers are obsessed with the space and positioning ability brought by Yao Wei, and also rely on his ability to protect the basket, but the benefits of these abilities have become less and less obvious in Miami's two games.
Curry plays in a way that can destroy traditional big men.
This is no longer a question of whether Yao Huang will transform or not.
Just like he couldn't restrain Liu Yudong in the CBA in his early years, due to his height, his lateral movement speed was naturally limited, which was his unsolvable Achilles' heel.
When it comes to a competition at the level of the finals, it's always about who can better grasp the opponent's relative shortcomings.
The Clippers can take advantage of the home court to solve these problems, but on the road, the problems will be magnified.
After another defeat in the fourth game, the score was tied, and calls for the Heat's third consecutive championship immediately emerged.
Criticism of the Clippers from the outside world has gradually become fierce.
Bill Simmons, who has been silent for a long time, has once again brought out his curse words.
"Frye's transformation of the Clippers can be called a miracle, but in the last few games we can clearly see that something is changing." Simmons said, "The Clippers' deep-rooted ominous signs have appeared!"
The Clippers have a problem.
That is, Yao Huang, as a big man who can protect the basket and three-pointers, does not have a dominant fourth position to take care of the rest.
In Yu Fei's vision, this is the job of peak Antetokounmpo.
Until Antetokounmpo grows up, whether Yu Fei or others are paired with Yao Shuan inside, there are shortcomings of one kind or another.
No team in the West can directly target this.
But the Heat are different.
Because Stephen Curry is originally a son of the small ball era.
This era that was supposed to be opened by him was opened by Yu Fei 10 years ahead of schedule. Although he lost the reputation he deserved, he also correspondingly lost several years of trial and error time.
From the moment he entered the league, he knew he was a perfect fit for this era.
Today, six years later, he has squeezed out Wade and firmly occupied the throne of the Heat.
Facing his old teammate Yao Wei, his strangulation in the pick-and-roll was brutal.
He gave the Clippers a painful issue, that is, they must admit that facing the Heat, the benefits brought by Yao Shuan's effectiveness cannot offset the shortcomings on the defensive end.
This is hard to point out.
Because Yao Huang is a center who has been selected to the first team for three consecutive years, Yu Fei is his good friend, and Rivers is famous for his slow reaction.
But so what if Rivers reacts quickly? Not many coaches have the guts to change the tactical status of a three-game superstar during the finals.
Yu Fei knew what the problem was, but he didn't think it was the biggest problem.
Of course, the situation would be easier to resolve if the problem could be pointed out directly.
Just like the Sonics did with Bosh.
But the friendship between gentlemen also has its depth. Yu Fei and Yao Ming have been friends for more than ten years. He cannot ignore each other's feelings and speak out the problem directly. Therefore, he can only solve this problem through other ways-this way must start with Antetokounmpo.
Yu Fei wanted to push Antetokounmpo to the fourth position again like he did against the Warriors, allowing himself to control the ball.
Just when Yu Fei was about to make suggestions to Rivers, Yao Ming couldn't help it.
"Doug, am I a problem for the team?"
When Coach Zhutou heard this, his face was filled with astonishment: "Oh my God, of course not!"
"You lied!" Yao Ming then looked at Yu Fei, "Do you think I am the team's problem?!"
Yu Fei was stunned for a moment and replied: "This is ambiguous. I think in most cases you are not the team's problem, otherwise you would not be selected for the best team."
"Why are you so coy? If you have a problem, just say, I can't guard Curry, I can't handle the pick-and-roll, they are chasing me now, I can't solve this problem, I am the fucking problem!"
Yao Ming seemed very angry, as if someone pointed out his shortcomings to his face.
But, this is what he said himself.
Everyone looked shocked.
Yu Fei asked: "What do you want the coaching staff to do?"
"Whatever works, do it! We can't keep spinning in circles!" Yao Ming shouted, "For the sake of the championship, start with me first, I have no objection!"
Yao Ming's demeanor reminded Yu Fei of how after the failure of the Men's Basketball World Cup in 2019, reporters asked Chairman Yao, who was already pregnant, who would take responsibility. He replied seriously: I will take responsibility!
Regardless of the media's mistaken "good guy" image of Yao Ming, regardless of the Internet's playful deconstruction of Yao Ming by meme culture, he has always been such a person.
You can trust him in the real serious moments.
Just like in the national team, his teammates refused to accept the foreign teacher's criticism and wanted to leave the video analysis room. He threatened: Don't think about returning to the national team if you dare to go out. When his teammates behaved undisciplined in training for the local Olympics, he scolded those people and reminded them to think about whether they were doing justice to those who had no chance to represent the national team. What if the problem arises for him? When he was attacked by netizens for his poor performance, he would say: "If you don't play well, do you still blame others?"
That's who he is.
"Then," Yu Fei said, "you will be the substitute for the next game."
Yao Ming replied: "No problem."
After Yu Fei and Yao Ming started talking, Rivers realized it later.
Rivers felt like a dream when he heard that Yao Ming was willing to substitute.
He has been in this industry for decades and naturally knows that stars are all conceited. Starting is a status symbol. For some people, it is better to retire than not being able to start.
At this critical moment in the finals, giving up the starting position means conveying to the world: This person is a problem for the team, and it is better for us to take him into the starting lineup.
You must know that many people in the outside world think Yao Huang is overrated.
Doing so would be harmful to him personally. This is Ubuntu.
Rivers found his coaching philosophy vindicated once again.
If Yao Huang is willing to substitute, the rest of the work will be easy to do.
Rivers decisively pushed Yu Fei to the center position, then promoted Nine-Finger Green from the bench to the starting lineup, allowing Jefferson to play the fourth position.
Do the Heat like a super small lineup? Then let’s see whose small lineup is more powerful.
However, the Clippers' small lineup doesn't look small.
Antetokounmpo, who is in possession of the ball, is the tallest in the game, and Yu Fei, who comes to the center position, is the second tallest in the game.
Returning to the Tianwangshan battle at home, the Clippers also responded to the Heat with unlimited defense changes.
Now, the Heat have more to consider.
With this change of formation of the Clippers, there is no obvious defensive weakness on the field. No matter who is named, it will not be easy.
However, when it's the Clippers' turn to attack, it's different.
Both Curry and Love can be named.
Placing Yu Fei at the center position is actually a waste of his offensive talents, but it revitalizes the team from the core of the court.
The Miamians lost their ability to aim under the Clippers' suffocating unlimited defense, and shot the lowest shooting percentage in a single game since the start of the Finals.
Yu Fei overwhelmed Love in the paint. As long as he faced Love, his offensive skills could show off. Even if the Heat asked Butler to face him, his low post offense would still be as good as his own.
Once the Heat want to use double teams to restrict Yu Fei, the winger will miss.
This is a typical duel in the small ball era.
Neither side has a traditional big man.
Relying on a very small lineup to use skill in isolation in an almost harsh space.
After watching this scene, Yao Huang, who was sitting in the audience, really felt that the times were getting further and further away from him.
He has a feeling that this is the true face of the space basketball era.
Even if traditional big men adapt to the needs of the times and develop various technologies, they still require very strict personnel support.
There were problems with the Clippers' supporting equipment, so the Heat took advantage of this in the first two games and beat them hard. Now he just replaced Antetokounmpo and asked Yu Fei to play the fifth position. The trend of the game has completely shifted to the hands of the Clippers.
The Heat, like the Clippers, began to suffer the pain of being blown up inside.
If a player like Loew is placed in the fourth position, his defense will appear weak, let alone if he is placed in the fifth position. As long as the opponent's inside line is comprehensive enough and has considerable mobility and offensive capabilities, interior defense will be out of the question.
Tonight, Yao Ming only appeared in the transition period, played 21 minutes one after another, and finally scored 16 points and 5 rebounds.
At first glance, the data is not much different from when he started playing, but the reduced playing time and the fact that the opponent is not a full lineup gave Yao Ming the opportunity to travel at staggered times, and at the same time put more pressure on the Heat's substitutes.
The small changes within these big changes have further plunged the Heat into a deadlock.
Until the end of the game, they didn't know how to create a breakthrough.
Curry is still the son of a miracle who holds the key to the era, but calling him a miracle is precisely because of his praise for being able to grow to this point without outstanding physical talent.
The main problem with his lack of talent is that when the touch leaves him, he can't do much.
Although Wade can play, he has declined a lot compared to his peak period. Butler has just started to gain momentum and has not yet reached his best form.
This game exposed the Heat's key problem. They need a superstar-level third position to bear part of the firepower output.
But now, it is impossible for them to conjure such a number one figure out of thin air.
Since there is no such thing, we can only lose.
114 to 98
The Clippers won the Battle of Tianwang Mountain and were only one step away from winning the first championship trophy in team history.
"How long does it take for a miserable team to wait for a sweet ending?"
Mike Breen said at the end of the game.
This sentence touched Jerry West at the scene.
After losing so many finals by a hair's breadth, he finally won the 1972 championship. But is that championship sweet? He himself didn't know how to describe that feeling.
So, what about the Clippers?
Is this sweet?
West saw the excitement on the players' faces, the Greeks cheered, Yao Ming accepted the interview with a smile, and Yu Fei said like a real leader: "It's not time to celebrate yet!"
It’s not sweet, they are not the generation that experienced suffering.
The Clippers' difficulties began in the 1980s. A generation has passed, and the tortured fans have completed 1/3 of their lives.
But it has nothing to do with the players.
In an NBA where the average career lasts only five years, this is just an ordinary year.
However, the media will create a great narrative for this year.
Two days later
The Clippers travel to Miami.
They had suffered two consecutive defeats here before, but this time, Yu Fei said before the game that he had never played in the tiebreaker of the finals before, and he did not plan to play this time.
At the beginning of the game, both sides still fought with small lineups.
But the Clippers' small lineup is false.
They have Antetokounmpo who is 210 centimeters tall and Yu Fei who is 206 centimeters tall. Besides these two, the other three starters are all over two meters tall.
The Heat are the real small ball.
Curry found his touch at home, but he couldn't hit the Clippers as hard as he did in the previous two home games.
Because they couldn't guard the rebound.
This is the fatal drawback of a small lineup.
When they get going, they are unstoppable and no team can keep up.
But on the other hand, if they can't grab the rebound, they won't be able to get enough counterattack opportunities, and it's impossible to talk about speeding up.
In the Clippers' small lineup, the big man grabbed a number of rebounds that made the Heat desperate tonight.
From the end of the first half, the Clippers led by 10 points, and this suffocating depression hung over the Miamians until halfway through the fourth quarter, when Yu Fei's three-pointer pushed the point difference to 19 points.
The Miamians who couldn't stand it first began to exit.
This is the legendary Heat fans, they will not give the home team a chance to give up the game, because before that moment comes, they will be the first to give up.
The fans' withdrawal undoubtedly shattered the Heat's will to resist.
In the final minutes, the game became a one-sided victory for the Clippers.
Rivers replaced Yao Ming, who made a major concession in the series and deserves to enjoy this moment.
When Yu Fei and Yao Ming handed over, Yao Ming found that half of the audience had left, which made his pleasure in revenge drop sharply. He suddenly realized that leaving this group of fans might be a good thing.
But seriously, he loves Miami, and he loves Miami's taxes even more...he won anyway, not playing a pivotal role, but it's a world of choice over effort.
Soon, the final whistle sounded.
The season scores are fixed on the electronic display at American Airlines Center.
111 to 95
For the Clippers, this was a genesis moment.
Since Donald Sterling moved the team from San Diego to Los Angeles in the 1980s, they've endured countless heartbreaks, countless failures, countless humiliations and countless ridicules.
Yu Fei stood on the sidelines, watching his teammates reveling, without much emotion in his heart. He didn't know how to savor this moment.
This has happened eight times, what reason is there to revel in the ninth?
Fei stood on the sidelines, witnessing the overwhelming revelry of his teammates, but felt calm in his heart. He didn't know how to savor this moment, the shadow of eight defeats still haunting him.
"Fry, be happy, we won!" Rivers' voice sounded like a war drum, "Baby, we are the fucking world champions!"
"This is the most impossible achievement in the history of professional basketball since 1980!" He continued excitedly, "You did it!"
Yu Fei smiled.
As it should be.
This is not only Bill Walton’s unfinished dream, but also the glory that Ron Harper and Danny Manning long for, and it is also the peak that Elton Brand cannot reach.
Exactly 35 years later, they finally arrived here, and the glory of victory penetrated the fog of history. What could be greater and more moving than this moment?
(End of chapter)