pertwk Chapter 209 The New Yorkers Fight to the Death! Ewing's Professional Life
Chapter 209 The New Yorkers Fight to the Death! Ewing's Professional Life
Chapter 209 The New Yorkers' desperate fight! Ewing's biggest gamble of his career!
"Come on, let me see how you can score 50 points with a 30% shooting percentage! Are you planning to take 70 shots?" Although Schmitz was uneasy and scared before going on the court, once on the court, the confidence he had developed in the past two games gave him the courage to trash talk Ewing!
"Whoosh!"
Ewing responded to Schmitz's trash talk with a mid-range jump shot. Tonight, he was indeed full of confidence, and his shooting form was no longer as disjointed and stiff as in the previous two games. His long-lost touch seemed to have returned!
"It's okay, Rick, it was just a lucky shot! He can't be accurate all game!" Lin Tian patted Schmitz's butt to comfort him. He didn't want Ewing to destroy the confidence that Schmitz had worked so hard to build.
"Don't worry, Lin! I'll take him down!" Schmitz said as he ran towards the frontcourt. "Still using pick-and-rolls?"
"Of course!" Lin Tian said with a smile. Schmitz blocked Starks again, leaving Ewing in front of Lin Tian. But this time, Jason clearly received instructions from Van Gundy before the game. He rushed to Lin Tian immediately and, together with Ewing, formed a double team against Lin Tian!
"Double-team me? You guys really haven't watched a single game of ours!"
As Lin Tian spoke, he made a deft behind-the-back pass to Christie.
After receiving the ball, Christie decisively pulled up and launched a three-pointer!
"Bang!"
Unfortunately, he was out of luck and Christie missed a clear open shot.
Oakley grabbed the backboard and quickly found Starks. The number one offensive captain of the 90s immediately launched a counterattack after getting the ball, completely ignoring the principle that Ewing was not fast enough and was more suitable for positional warfare, and quickly dashed towards the frontcourt.
As experts in fast-paced offense, the Pacers naturally had multiple players quickly turn around and return to defense. Lin Tian blocked Starks, while directing Christie and Miller to defend the Knicks' other cuts from the left and right, preventing the opponent from getting open shots.
As for Lin Tian himself, he immediately stuck to Starks, not giving him any chance to make a move!
But who is Starks?
The number one brute of the 90s! He didn't care that Lin Tian was taller and stronger than him. He charged forward, stubbornly pushing past Lin Tian's defense to the basket and force a shot!
"Snapped!"
Although Lin Tian isn't good at blocking shots, he's great at stealing the ball! He seized the opportunity and, before Starks even raised the ball, slashed it away with a single blow!
The basketball, which could have been stolen, wasn't caught by Lin Tian. Instead, a Knicks player picked it up, took a step forward, and jumped high into the air, yelling, "Try to steal it again!"
"boom!"
With a loud bang, New York's Ewing gripped the rim with both hands, shook it violently, and roared, announcing his full recovery!
The entire Madison Square Garden was infected by his excitement, and the fans roared at Ewing in the same style!
"Sorry, Lin!" Schmitz only returned to his position at this moment, looking at Lin Tian who had just managed to hide to the side and avoid being dunked on by Ewing, and said, "I'm not as fast as him."
"It's not your fault." Lin Tian looked at the incredibly arrogant Ewing and sneered, "He wants to use force, then we'll use force against him!"
In the next possession, Lin Tian stopped using pick-and-rolls with his teammates and instead dribbled past the aging Starks, driving straight to the basket and jumping up to face Ewing!
No matter how you look at it, Lin Tian's shot was clearly an attempt to retaliate against Ewing's powerful dunk and to respond to him!
"Come on, kid! Let me see what you've got up your sleeve!"
Oakley and Ewing approached Lin Tian from the left and right, and then jumped up almost simultaneously!
Knicks' two ghosts knocking on the door!
Let alone Lin Tian, even Jordan wouldn't be able to get any benefit from this!
But Lin Tian didn't confront those two guys head-on at all. He was in the air, but the ball was under his waist! With a flick of his wrist, Lin Tian sent the basketball past Oakley's armpit and directly behind him.
"boom!"
After a loud bang, the basketball hoop and the entire basketball rig shook violently!
On the court, apart from the overweight Barkley, there is absolutely no one else who can dunk like that!
"Beautiful pass, Lin!" After scoring, Barkley slapped the backboard hard and gave Lin Tian a high five!
He had a feeling that the two sides would definitely have to settle their score in the paint tonight!
With Barkley's dunk, both teams were fully warmed up and ready to officially start the game!
In the next few minutes, the game unfolded exactly as Barkley had predicted. The Knicks rebuilt their traditional style of play, with Ewing as the absolute core and the inside game as the primary pivot. Almost every ball would pass through Ewing's hands, and he would decide how to attack.
Ewing, having regained his form, truly displayed the level of a top center, showcasing his shooting, driving, power play, and playmaking abilities! For the first half of the first quarter, Ewing was virtually unstoppable, finally regaining his dignity and rhythm in the game!
With 5 of 8 field goals and 4 of 5 free throws, Ewing put up an impressive 14 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks in just 10 minutes on the court! He once again became the guardian of New York! In the previous two games, he played the entire game and only managed to achieve these numbers.
Ewing is back to life tonight!
Besides Ewing's outstanding performance, Starks, who returned to the starting lineup, only took two shots, both of which were difficult pull-up three-pointers, and he made both of them for 6 points! In addition, Houston, Johnson and others provided support, with the two of them scoring 4 points each. The Knicks scored 28 points in the first ten minutes of the game!
On the Pacers' side, Smitz had a poor performance tonight. He was fouled out early by Ewing and had two fouls. Before leaving the game, although he made both of his shots, he only scored 4 points and 2 rebounds. Fortunately, Barkley was in great form tonight and took over Smitz's role, dominating the paint!
他5投4中，罚球2罚全中，单节比赛拿下10分3篮板！
Miller and Christie had decent performances, scoring 3 and 4 points respectively.
Although Lin Tian didn't score a particularly high number of points in the first ten minutes of the first quarter, he still managed to get 7 points and 5 assists. On this night, which was significantly more intense than usual, Lin Tian intentionally restrained his desire to perform. He delivered 5 assists without making a single mistake!
This is actually why, although Lin Tian became the league's assist leader and turnover leader this season, few people criticized him for playing too flashy or impractical basketball.
Lin Tian's mistakes are mostly concentrated in the first three quarters. In the crucial fourth quarter or when the score is close, Lin Tian rarely makes mistakes!
He has a very clear understanding of when to play and when to be serious!
In the first ten minutes of the match, the score was tied at 28-28!
With Bird calling a timeout, both sides will inevitably have to start rotating players in the coming period.
"Patrick, hand!" Nick rushed over as soon as he saw Ewing leave the court to check Ewing's wrist. He was genuinely worried that Ewing might suffer a career-ending injury because of his momentary leniency.
Van Gundy, standing nearby, frowned slightly but said nothing, instead beginning to outline tactics.
……
"Ben, can you handle it?" Bird asked with some concern, looking at Ben who was already panting after playing for less than 4 minutes.
"It's okay! I can handle it, it's just that the activity level was too high up right away." Ben said, panting heavily, "Ewing tonight was fucking amazing! Much fiercer than that Mexican girl I slept with a few days ago! But I can handle it!"
"Great! Your defense is crucial for us with Ewing on fire!" Bird nodded. "Next, let's change our rotation! The Knicks are clearly going to dominate the start and the first half; they're going to go all out from the beginning and crush us!"
"They want to catch us off guard? They'd better be prepared to be hit back! Lin, Reggie, Joe, Doug, and Ben, all five of you, get on board! Run! Charge! Unleash your full firepower! Let them know what you're made of!"
"Two minutes left! Let's show the New Yorkers what a damn offense is!"
As the timeout ended, the five players selected by Bird walked onto the court together. This lineup of one big and four small, or rather, four small and one big, is completely at odds with the current mainstream playing style!
The current trend is that inside players are king, the taller the better, and the closer you are to the basket, the easier it is to score!
Although Jordan's multiple championships and the Bulls' ability to create a dynasty despite lacking a qualified center have led to a shift in the league's and fans' views on the importance of the paint, there are also crazy coaches like Don Nelson who will try out some novel tactics such as run-and-gun offense.
But ultimately, these are not the mainstream strategies!
Nobody really thought this style of play could succeed!
But now, Bird has put up a lineup where no one on the team is taller than 203 centimeters.
Well... if you include his hair, Ben Affleck, who's already sported an afro, is about 210 centimeters tall, but Lin Tian says his actual height is: unspeakable! Absolutely unspeakable!
As expected, Bird's prediction came true once again! They took Oakley out and brought in Childs, giving the Knicks a lineup of one big man and four small men, and now all five players on the court are offensive specialists!
But their lineup of one big man and four small men is much more serious than the Pacers! Not only is Ewing 213 cm tall, which is taller than everyone else, but the rest of them are also basically standard forward heights of 198 cm!
At least in terms of physicality and confrontation, the Pacers are at a disadvantage!
On the first offensive possession after the timeout, Lin Tian faced off against Starks once again. Facing this guy who was once known as the "Jordan terminator," Lin Tian was not afraid at all.
If Jordan could beat him, so can I!
After a series of crossover dribbles to find his rhythm, Lin Tian suddenly made a hesitant step followed by a sharp change of direction, easily getting past Starks once again!
With age and increased injuries, Starks is no longer the outstanding defender he once was who could guard Jordan.
His defense now relies solely on experience and fighting spirit.
Sometimes, however, his hard work can backfire.
For example, this ball!
After getting past Starks, Lin Tian continued his charge while observing the situation on the field. When he noticed that Starks hadn't given up but was chasing him with all his might, Lin Tian suddenly slowed down, waited for Starks a step, and then jumped up and made his move the instant Starks couldn't brake in time and rear-ended him!
"Snapped!"
With a muffled thud, Lin Tian was sent flying by Starks's collision, but before he lost his balance, he managed to gently flick the ball away!
"Whoosh!"
As Lin Tian slid to the ground, the basketball went in with pinpoint accuracy!
"Beep beep! 2 points valid, one free throw added!"
The referee's whistle blew just in time. Such an obvious foul required no hesitation, and Lin Tian scored a very strong 2+1!
Stepping to the free-throw line, Lin Tian turned to look at the frustrated Starks and said, "John, I heard you used to call yourself the Jordan terminator? I'm curious how you ended his career. Did you end it in the regular season? Because if I remember correctly, you guys never beat Michael even once!"
"Shut up!" Starks said grimly. "I'll end you tonight!"
"How do you end this? By having me keep going to the free-throw line with this kind of rear-end collision, until my arms are so sore I can't do anything else?"
"You're good with words, Lin, but that won't win you the battle!" Starks stood still, continuing his verbal sparring with Lin Tian.
"Really? But I've never lost a single series in my life! And you? You always end your playoff season with a losing series, right? Want me to show you my championship ring?"
"Alright, John, stop talking. You're probably going to say that Michael gave me those two rings. No problem. This June, I'll invite you to Indiana to watch our game. I'll show you my brand new rings then, how about that?"
Lin Tian's self-answered question left Starks speechless. He could only leave with a curt "We'll see," before quickly running to the front of the field.
Another pathetic guy who overestimated himself and was easily defeated by Lin Tian. His trash talk was no match for Lin Tian's!
"Whoosh!"
Lin Tian calmly made the free throw, then quickly turned around and went back to defense. No matter how fiercely he had been criticizing, Lin Tian knew exactly how powerful the Knicks' lineup was!
Be careful!
He had just run back to his own half of the court and stood in front of Starks when Starks immediately pulled up!
Starks is still a full 2 meters away from the three-point line!
Lin Tian really didn't expect that in this era, besides him, there would actually be someone else who dared to shoot like that!
Even under such a rigid coach as Van Gundy.
"Whoosh!"
With a crisp sound, Starks hit his third three-pointer of the quarter!
"Kid, I'll finish you off like this! Didn't you want to see your championship ring? Come on! Beat me and let me see!" Starks glared at Lin Tian, looking ready to fight him to the death!
This is the Knicks' strategy!
This is also the strategy many teams use when facing the Pacers.
A calm, rational Lin Tian who can score and pass is really too difficult to deal with! If you can make him lose his mind and focus on going it alone, although he can score a lot of points, he seems much easier to deal with than someone who combines passing and attacking perfectly!
"You're dead!" Lin Tian's eyes flashed with a sharp light, as if he was about to tear this bastard to pieces. His aggressive dribbling, combined with complex feints, forced Starks to give it his all to avoid being outmaneuvered by Lin Tian.
Just as the two men reached the three-point line, Lin Tian paused for a moment, allowing Starks to breathe a sigh of relief, when suddenly Lin Tian passed the ball out!
It's the corner again, Miller again, and Christie again!
"Whoosh!"
A crisp sound rang out as Miller hit another three-pointer!
Miller and the Pacers have used this tactic of receiving the ball after a screen and shooting directly countless times this season!
Lin Tian's passes always reassured Miller. He knew that as long as he could create space, the ball would definitely come to him!
"You think I'd fight you one-on-one?" Lin Tian looked at Starks with disdain. "You think you're worthy? You think a little ant can make me lose my temper and become irrational after spouting a few trash words? Who do you think you are? Michael Jackson or the President of the United States?"
"You're just a pathetic guy who can't even make the starting lineup and is nearing the end of his career! If I were the Knicks owner, I wouldn't even consider retiring your jersey! Because that would lower the standards of Bernard King, Earl Monroe, and Willis Reed!"
"Those guys certainly don't want to be hanging from the stadium ceiling with you, do they?"
"Ball!" Lin Tian's string of trash talk successfully enraged Starks!
Instead of provoking Lin Tian, he was provoked by him!
Starks, his eyes blazing with fury, dribbled the ball quickly to the frontcourt and then gestured for his teammates to pull him away.
Then, this guy ignored everything and drove straight up, pushing past Lin Tian and charging towards the inside. Near the free-throw line, he suddenly stopped, pulled up, and pulled up for a jump shot!
Even though Lin Tian didn't shake off the ball at all, and was completely in front of him with his hand almost pressing down on Starks' shooting hand, Starks still managed to shoot!
"Whoosh!"
One second later, this incredibly tough pull-up jumper swished through the net! Starks hit another incredible shot!
With that kind of playing style and that kind of easily impulsive personality, he truly lived up to his reputation as the number one unpredictable player and double-edged sword of the 90s!
"Kid, come on! Stop me! Let me see how you became a champion! You can't beat me with just these two moves!" Starks became even more arrogant after scoring, yelling at Lin Tian, "You think you can beat me with just passing!"
"Is that so?" Lin Tian was still in midfield when he suddenly straightened up and threw the ball towards the Knicks' basket with both hands!
Christie, who had somehow managed to shake off Jason and steal the ball, had already rushed to the basket. He jumped up skillfully, grabbed the basketball with both hands, and slammed it into the hoop!
An alley-oop dunk spanning half the court was born!
"Look, both are 2 points. I'm more relaxed, more carefree, and even more aesthetically pleasing than you!" Lin Tian shrugged, looking at Starks, and said, "To deal with you, I don't even need to shoot; I can crush you all!"
"Just you wait!"
As he spoke, Starks once again called for the ball towards the baseline. He wanted to continue his one-on-one challenge with Lin Tian, and he wanted to beat Lin Tian until he was convinced and could no longer utter any trash talk!
This time, Starks drove all the way to the basket despite Lin Tian's defense. Then, with Lin Tian completely blocking all his shooting angles and space, the guy suddenly turned halfway around, facing away from the basket and Lin Tian, and threw the basketball towards the basket like a madman!
"Whoosh!"
Another crisp sound rang out, and this time, even Lin Tian couldn't help but curse!
This basketball is practically raised by Starks.
It was as if it had precision guidance; no matter how you threw it, it went straight into the basket!
Lin Tian even wanted the referee to come and check if there was a magnet in the basketball that caused it to fall into the hoop!
That's amazing! This guy looks like he's going to dominate tonight!
However, Lin was still not in a hurry. In the next two rounds, Starks chose to go one-on-one against Lin Tian and scored both times when Lin Tian was in position to defend. One of the shots was when Starks was forced into a dead ball situation at the free-throw line by Lin Tian. After constantly moving his feet and bumping into things, he barely managed to get a shot out of a tiny space.
On one occasion, Starks drove to the basket, with Ben Wallace in front and Lin Tian chasing behind, and managed an incredible hook shot that found the back of the net!
As the hook shot went in, the first quarter came to an end!
In the entire first quarter, Starks went 7-for-7, scoring a whopping 17 points!
Despite such a phenomenal performance, the Knicks still couldn't take the lead.
In the gap between his two consecutive baskets, Lin Tian also hit a mid-range shot and once again found Ben Wallace, assisting him to dunk!
Lin Tian also put up an impressive stat line of 12 points and 8 assists in the first quarter!
Starks's gone mad? Let him go mad!
Lin Tiancai wouldn't go along with his crazy antics. The Pacers weren't at the point where they needed to play their lives up to Starks's crazy style. They were playing the most correct and rational offensive basketball!
Their scoring was effortless, with almost no spectacular goals or difficult shots!
This kind of offense is obviously much more reliable than the Knicks' individual scoring spree.
In particular, Starks is not Jordan, Kobe, or Iverson. He cannot maintain a 100% shooting percentage and keep hitting miraculous shots throughout the entire game!
Even though Starks' performance was practically divine, the Knicks still trailed by one point in the first quarter!
39: 40!
The Pacers certainly can't stop the Knicks, but the Knicks want to stop the Pacers? That's obviously impossible!
At this moment, Van Gundy's face was very ugly. He bit his lip and had many bad premonitions in his heart.
He felt that this match was practically a carbon copy of the first match between the two sides!
The Knicks had a perfect touch from the start, constantly making shots, but they couldn't shake off the Pacers at all, because the Pacers could also put the ball into the basket in various ways!
As the game progressed and the players' stamina and form declined, the Pacers were still able to keep putting the ball into the basket thanks to their rationality and composure, even as the Knicks could no longer maintain their superhuman shooting percentage.
It's impossible to be accurate with a magic shot all game, but fast break dunks, open shots, and powerful dunks under the basket can allow players to still score consistently when their physical condition declines!
Van Gundy didn't want this game to be like the last one, where he started with a spectacular shot but couldn't pull away, and then his touch faltered towards the end, resulting in a defeat.
But... what should we do?
As Van Gundy thought this, he couldn't help but turn back to look at Ewing, who had played the entire first quarter. Before he could even sit down, Nick grabbed his wrist and started checking him.
Is this guy's hand healed yet? If it is, why is Nick in such a hurry to check it? If it's not healed, how can he be in such good condition?
Could it be that……
Van Gundy couldn't help but frown; he had a bad feeling.
After Nick finished examining Ewing's hand, the guy ran over and said, "Coach, I don't need to rest in the second quarter, I can keep playing! We must take advantage of our still-energized state, catch up first, then take the lead as much as possible, and widen the gap!"
"Patrick, are you alright? Your hand..." Van Gundy looked at Ewing with a suspicious expression.
"It's nothing, Nick was just making a fuss over nothing, always worrying about my wrist, but it's completely healed! Last night we even had a long-awaited 'more than friendly' encounter, and guess what? It went incredibly fast! He's back to his peak!"
Ewing's feigned nonchalance did not dispel Van Gundy's doubts, but he still nodded and said, "In the second quarter, Patrick, Charlie, Larry, Charles, and Chris, all five of you will play together."
"Damn it, not you, Childs, it's someone else. Don't you think we need a forward right now? Chris Mills, you're in! Remember, in the second quarter, we're slowing down and stopping those overly difficult shots! Play tactics, play half-court offense!"
"Slowing down the pace and running are things Indians excel at, and we have Patrick, we play half-court offense, we attack the basket! Use our height, weight, and physicality against them! Get it? Fight them hand-to-hand, muddy, and physical! Torture them, understand?"
"Charles, your responsibility is the greatest! Remember, whether on offense or defense, don't leave the paint or the three-second zone! And after each possession, if we don't score, go for the offensive rebound; if we do score, disrupt their inbound pass! Do you understand?"
"Don't let them serve quickly, don't let them play fast breaks?" Oakley was an old hand, and he immediately understood Van Gundy's meaning and idea.
Van Gundy's solution is this!
Since we're destined to lose to the Pacers in an offensive battle, let's not compete on offense! Let's use what we're good at, the things that made us famous back in the day when the 'New York Gang' made our name, to fight the Pacers!
Simply put: slow down the pace, increase physicality, attack the basket, and grab rebounds!
On the Pacers' side, Bird looked at his players and said, "If Van Gundy isn't an idiot, he'll have realized by now that he's no match for us in an offensive shootout. His fancy shots can only hold out for a while; they won't win the game!"
"So in the second quarter, the Knicks will definitely use their best defense and slow half-court offense to counter us. They'll slow down the pace and there will be a lot of physical contact! And since this is their home court, they'll have some advantage in the calls, so our second quarter is going to be very tough!"
"Remember, the most important thing when playing against a Knicks team like this is to stay calm! No matter what moves they use against you, no matter what trash talk they throw at you, you must stay calm! This is Madison Square Garden; even if the referees are fair, it will still be against us!"
"Don't worry, Larry, in my whole life, I'm the only one who's ever broken someone's mentality. No one has ever been able to mess with my mentality!" Lin Tian laughed as he stood up and said, "I can keep playing! The Knicks definitely won't let their starters rest!"
"Lin is right! I've been playing basketball for 20 years, and I'm always the one who breaks other people's mentality. When have I ever been the one who breaks other people's mentality? Even with Michael! I'm the one who beat him to a pulp!" Miller stood up as well.
"Reggie, when has Michael ever been driven to the brink of collapse by your criticism? Hasn't he always beaten you?" Barkley stood up curiously and asked, "Can a loser really drive a winner to the brink of collapse?"
"Shut up, fat man! You're just a piece of trash who got averaged 40+ points per game. If you had played any better, Michael wouldn't have won his third championship!" Miller spat, expressing his disdain.
"And you? You're amazing, but you'll never have a chance to meet Michael! You won't even have a chance to be defeated by him!"
Seeing that the two were about to start arguing all the way onto the court, Lin Tian patted them on the shoulder and said, "Win this series, then we'll get to the Eastern Conference Finals and give Michael a good beating! Let him know what defeat is!"
"This time, we're taking back everything that's rightfully ours!"
"Great! Bring them all back!" Miller and Barkley immediately stopped arguing when they heard they could beat up Jordan, and walked towards the court with Lin Tian.
"So, are you three going to play?" Bird rolled his eyes and snapped, "Why don't you three discuss it and pick someone to be the coach?"
"Then you can get a salary for free?" Barkley retorted to Bird with a sly grin.
Enraged, Bird immediately yelled, "You fat bastard, do you really think I've forgotten about you fighting with that idiot Kyrie Irving during your rookie season? You think I won't make things difficult for you? Make sure you can never play again?"
"Do you know what's most important for top head coaches and top general managers, Reggie?" Lin Tian suddenly grinned mischievously. "Thick skin! Look at our Larry, he could call that brawl a fight, that shows how thick-skinned he is! He was the one getting beaten up that time! Of course, Charles's ability to take sides is also top-notch in the league!"
"Oh, it's just a worthless little thing, nothing to worry about!" Barkley scratched his bald head and chuckled, actually looking rather simple-minded.
"Fuck you! Get the hell out of here! I don't want to see the three of you! Ben, Doug, you two go too. If you can't stand their foul mouths, you can just beat them up! I promise I won't suspend or fine you."
After giving his instructions, Bird sullenly sat down on his bench, while Lin Tian, who had teased Bird, got another 50 experience points from him as he wished. How happy he was!
"Isaiah, what kind of bastards are these young people nowadays? Don't they have any respect for their head coach?"
"Larry, you've got one thing wrong," Thomas said with a shrug. "Our generation didn't respect you either! Have you forgotten what I said before: if you were Black, you'd be a total weakling who couldn't even beat my grandma?"
"F***!" Bird cursed again, crossed his arms, and stopped talking.
Is there another head coach in this league as frustrated as him? From players to assistant coaches, everyone seems to have something to say to him all the time?
Curfew tonight!
Damn it! Curfew tonight!
Want to visit New York City? Want to experience the vibrant city life?
Feel what?!
You all better stay in your rooms and behave yourselves!
Then, I, Larry, went out to have some fun by myself!
Hey!
The atmosphere on the Knicks' side wasn't as good as the Pacers'. After Ewing and the others stepped onto the court, a grave-faced Van Gundy immediately pulled team doctor Nick aside: "Nick, tell me honestly, what exactly happened to Patrick's wrist!"
"Wrist? It's nothing, isn't he playing basketball?" Nick paused for a moment, then gave his answer.
"I may be stubborn, old-fashioned, and lack a sense of humor, but I'm not stupid! Nick, I know you, I've known you since we were assistant coaches. If Patrick was okay, you wouldn't rush over to him every time there's a timeout to check his wrist!"
"Tell me the truth! What happened to Patrick?!"
"Alright, fine." Nick knew he couldn't hide it any longer, so he looked at Van Gundy and said, "Actually, you probably already guessed it."
"You damn bastard, you actually gave Patrick a pain-killing injection?" Van Gundy's eyes widened immediately as he cursed, "You unethical quack! Who gave you permission to give my player a pain-killing injection! Can you take responsibility? What if Patrick's injury worsens? You damn idiot!"
"Fire you! I'll fire you right after the game! You don't deserve to stay on my team!"
"Jeff, I think you should calm down. You said you understand me. Do you think I'm the kind of person who would just give a player injections without considering the consequences?" Nick wasn't angry at Van Gundy's outburst. Instead, he sighed and said, "It was Patrick's request. I really couldn't refuse him."
He said this was the last time in his life he would get close to his dream, and he hoped I could help him.
Nick's words stunned Van Gundy, who was jumping up and down.
One last time getting close to my dream?
Has Ewing's injury... gotten that serious?
Has he lost confidence in returning to the court next year?
Van Gundy looked at Ewing, caught in a deep dilemma.
He's the head coach; he knows better than anyone what isolation means!
Simply put, this is a painkiller, an extreme painkiller. It can directly block and shut down people's sense of pain, much like an anesthetic.
However, it cannot cure or alleviate injuries; its function is to block out pain, preventing the human brain from feeling it.
But you just can't feel the pain; the pain is still happening!
Not feeling pain on the sports field is not a good thing!
If you can't feel it, it means you don't know if the injury has worsened, you don't know if a certain movement has torn the wound apart, and you don't know if at some moment your injury will completely collapse!
This is a self-deceptive method, a method that makes athletes go all in and gamble everything.
After all, no one knows what will happen to a player who has received pain-relieving injections without feeling any pain.
Countless athletes have tried to force themselves to play while injured, then gave themselves a painkiller injection, and as a result, they were forever unable to reach their peak, never to return to their best form, and some even left the field forever!
Top stars like Tracy McGrady, Delon Williams, and Blake Griffin, ordinary stars like Serge Ibaka, role players like Wayne Weaver, and even Ding Yanyuhang, the CBA's MVP foreign player, who will forever remain a source of pain for Chinese fans.
These once-famous players, renowned throughout the world, all suffered a rapid decline and fall from grace because of a moment of passion and wishful thinking, insisting on playing with pain-relieving injections.
Moreover, it's not just on the basketball court; there are countless examples in other sports where a single injection has caused someone to completely lose their peak performance.
For example, Kaká from Brazil, Umtiti from France, and another painful memory for Chinese fans: Dong Fangzhuo.
These football players also experienced a rapid decline in their careers due to a single injection.
From any perspective, isolation is not a cure, but a poison—a poison that can help a player regain their form in a single game, but could cost them their entire career!
Van Gundy never imagined that Ewing would make such a big decision for this game. At the same time, he hated himself for not noticing Ewing's abnormality sooner. Now that a quarter of the game had already passed, he found out that Ewing had given him a nerve block injection.
Thinking about the Pacers' vicious fouls on Ewing's wrist in the previous games, Van Gundy had an urge to immediately call a timeout, take Ewing off the court, and not let him play in this game.
He is stubborn, slow to react, and often ridiculed as a dogmatist and a theorist who can't play basketball—and that's all true.
But Van Gundy is also a coach who truly cares about his players.
He really didn't want Ewing to suffer any irreversible serious injuries under his command.
(End of this chapter)