LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 619: For the Championship
It was the first game of the Western Conference finals. The Clippers were facing the Warriors at home.
In the Western Conference semifinals that had ended just a few days ago, the Clippers had defeated their opponents with a sweeping score of four to nothing. Due to the seven games between the Warriors and the Rockets, the Warriors had definitely expended more energy. More importantly, the Warriors had lost a few key players to injury. According to estimations, these players would not be able to play the first two games, at the very least.
The Clippers awaited their exhausted enemies at home and the result was within the expectations of most people. Although the Warriors fought persistently, in the end they still could not overcome the Clippers.
In a series where a team needed to win four out of seven games, the first game was more like a probing match. Both teams probed and tested their opponents. The team that lost the game would make adjustments for the next game. They would create particular tactical arrangements. As such, it was normal for teams to win a game and then lose the next.
After the Warriors that lost the first game, however, they did not make any tactical arrangements. This was not because the coaching staff of the Warriors lacked the ability to do so. It was because, when playing against the Clippers, there was really nothing to specifically target.
The Clippers played superstar-style basketball. It was not a complicated tactic. Under normal circumstances, when playing against superstar basketball teams, the key was to target particular superstars when your team was on defense. For example, surround and disturb him when receiving the ball, restrict a particular method of scoring, or use a tactic that utilized multiple players taking turns defending against the superstar in order to sap his stamina.
Sometimes, when faced against a superstar, simply disturbing his catches and restraining his scoring methods wat not very effective. The rotating defense tactic, however, was an effective weapon that was always effective. It was fine if the player was fouled out after six fouls, as long as they could sap the superstar’s strength. Any human being would be exhausted eventually, even superstars. It was difficult to play 48 minutes a game, especially if that game was in the middle of a series.
Defensive tactics like this, however, could not be applied to the Clippers because the Clippers had too many stars. A strong defender could defend against a star, and a defense tactic could defend against two to three superstars. Still, even the best defensive lineup would be hard-pressed to defend against five superstars.
Basketball is the kind of sports where the initiative always lies with the offensive team. With the best five defenders against the best five attackers, the game would become a very slow-paced and have a low score. The ultimate winner of the game, however, would always be the attackers.
Faced against the Clippers, the tactical adjustments the Warriors could make was not centered around defense, it was focused on their attack.
There are two ways to win a game. The first is to ensure that the opponent scores less and the second is to ensure that your team scores more. As such, in the second round, the most obvious change of the Warriors was that the rhythm and pace of the game increased. The ball moved faster and they needed to score more than the Clippers.
The coaching staff of the Clippers did not make any drastic adjustments to their tactics. For a team that played superstar-style basketball, complicated tactics would not guarantee good results. As long as they continued to create one-on-one situations, it was enough. Unlimited one-on-one plays was the only viable tactic in a superstar-styled basketball game.
Moreover, the Warriors’ tactical system was also transparent in front of the Clippers.
The tactical system of a successful team would always be transparent. The tactical system of a team like the Warriors who had been successful in recent years would not only be researched by the NBA, it would be the topic of research for the entire world. European basketball, Asian basketball,and the basketball of every country had studied the tactics of the Warriors. If every basketball professional and expert in the world focused on you and continuously studied your every game, nothing could be hidden, no matter how complicated it was.
So, in the NBA, it was difficult to create a dynasty. A dynasty means winning the championship three years in a row. Under normal circumstances, after a team won the championship, its tactical system would be completely dissected and analyzed by the other 29 teams. By the time the team won the championship twice in a row, the other teams would probably have already found a countermeasure. By then, it would become harder to win games.
By the third year, every team would intentionally target the tactic and some teams might even get players with specific ability to target the tactic. So, it got harder to win championships the more times you won them.
Due to that, the only teams that succeeded in winning the championship three years in a row and created a dynasty were the Celtics, the Lakers, and the Bulls. The Warriors wanted to become the fourth, but it seemed too difficult.
…
It was the second round of the Western Conference final. The Clippers were still the hosts.
The Warriors played faster; they became more like warriors.
The entire world knew the Warriors hoped to play while they ran and the entire world also knew the best way to counter the Warriors was to slow down the play. Playing to the Warriors’ rhythm was like suicide.
A team that played superstar-style basketball like the Clippers needed to slow down the rhythm even more. Five players steadily began their positional battles, turning the five-on-five game into five one-on-one games. After that, they showed off the individual ability of the superstars.
The Warriors still did not manage to grab a win from Los Angeles. The score of the series became two to zero.
The result was also within the expectations of various experts and pundits. After all, the Warriors lacked a key player. Faced against a team of amazing players, it was way too difficult for the Warriors to win away. The Clippers had too many star players, any one of whom could go on a roll and give the Warriors a big headache.
The good news was that the injured player would return to the bench in the next game.
The third match between the teams was at the home stadium of the Warriors. For the Warriors, it was a game they had to win at all cost. As soon as they lost, it would mean that they trailed zero to three. In the NBA, there had never been a case where a team came back to win after trailing zero to three.
To lose the first two games was very disadvantageous for the Warriors, but the Warriors did not just sit around to wait for death. After all, they were a champion level team. This year, they had overcame a bunch of hurdles before making it to the finals. How could they easily surrender?
…
Oracle Arena.
The Warriors still attacked in waves at their home stadium.
This time, the injured player on the Warriors had recovered. The Clippers faced the full force of the Warriors.
Quick ball movements continued to create offensive space. The Warriors’ players also maintained movement of their footsteps. By cutting through space, they tore through the defense of the Clippers. Once a defensive gap appeared, the Warriors players’ did not hesitate to take aim and shoot towards the basket, scoring points.
The Warriors executed their tactic!
The coaching staff of both teams realized this.
In the face-off between the two teams during the regular season, the superstar-style basketball of the Clippers easily turned the game into multiple one-on-one games. These one-on-one plays made it so that the Warriors could not fully execute and display the full strength of their tactical system.
The game today was different. The Warriors did not fall into the solo trap of the Clippers. They were not stubborn in trying to play solo against the Clippers players. Instead, they displayed the strength of their tactic. Quick rotation, offensive and defensive transitions, constant movement, and cutting made it so that it was difficult for their opponent to create a comprehensive zonal defensive line.
If they were an average team, when faced against a Warriors team that exerted the full strength of their tactical system, the team could collapse instantly. They would be utterly destroyed by the Warriors by the third quarter. Perhaps, by the second half of the fourth quarter, they would be behind the Warriors by 20 points. It was normal in the NBA.
The Warriors, however, were playing against the Clippers, a team that had enough superstars to maximize the efficiency of the superstar style.
As long as superstars paid attention and put in the effort, their defense would not be bad. The Clippers had also gathered a bunch of veterans. These veterans were all very experienced, so they were even more mature when defending. Making predictions of what would happen next was a must. They also had an abundance of dirty defensive tricks in their arsenal.
The longer professional basketball players played for, the dirtier they played. For the veterans, who had played over a decade of basketball, it was assumed they would have a bunch of tricks on defense. These tricks usually had no practical meaning, but they would disrupt the rhythm of the opponent and induce their opponents to commit fouls.
With a group of veterans who had a wealth of game experience, the Clippers made it through the third quarter and did not get swept away by the gameplay of the Warriors in the third quarter.
As for the Warriors, their offense slowed down slightly. They began to save strength for their next wave of attacks. They wanted to deal the deadly blow in the fourth quarter.
…
Dai Li felt unprecedented pressure for the first time.
This type of pressure did not only come from the cheers of the surrounding Warriors fans, but it came from the almost perfectly executed offensive tactic from the Warriors.
A team that won three championships in four years had already accumulated a huge amount of fanatic followers. It was natural for them to possess a devilish home atmosphere. The Oracle Arena was exactly that. Tens of thousands of fans in the stadium had turned it into a yellow ocean. Everyone screamed at the top of their lungs. The insanity sent a chill down the visiting Dai Li’s spine.
When the Warriors defended. The stadium chanted the word “defense” in unison, as if it were hypnotic, making the defenders excited, and making the attackers hesitate. The booing sounds also brought an unending sense of pressure and sadness. This type of home atmosphere was torturous for the visitors.
By the Western Conference final, the Oracle Arena could certainly be regarded as a devilish home stadium. Even a top team with a wealth of experience would still feel an increased sense of pressure when playing in an atmosphere like this.
As for the tactical system of the Warriors, it had long struck fear into the heart of every coach of the NBA. The Warriors used their results in recent years to prove the might of their tactical system. For an amateur basketball coach like Dai Li, who had just entered the industry, tactics were his main weakness. They were also the source of his pressure.
Tactical target? The word had long been ignored by Dai Li. He did not know tactics at all!
So, the only situation that was possible was for others to use their tactics while Dai Li focused on his superstar-style basketball. This move was typically very effective, but now Dai Li faced a Warriors team that performed perfectly.
“The players of the Warriors’ hands are getting hot!” Dai Li checked the score and, before he knew it, the Clippers was already behind.
In terms of field goals alone, both teams were great, but the Warriors scored more three-pointers, including several “Fairy balls” that were unexpected. Due to this, the Warriors were in the lead.
The Warriors, who trailed by zero to two overall were already at their wit’s end. They increased the number of three-point shots, which could be seen as a gamble. For the Warriors, as soon as they were on form, it was a rain of three-pointers. The Warriors would be in an advantageous position.
A timeout. The players returned to the bench.
The coaching staff of both teams knew that they would send out their starters soon. The game reached its critical moment.
Even though he held a two to zero lead, Dai Li did not want to lose this game. He hoped to achieve victory and use a crushing score of three to zero to completely destroy the Warriors’ hope of advancement.
Biiiii! The buzzer sounded and the timeouts were over. The players started walking towards the court. At the same time, Dai Li took a deep breath and used the Prayer skill of the Lucky Horseshoe.
Over the next three minutes, Dai Li would possess good luck and the Clippers players would as well.
Dai Li, however, was not finished. He immediately used the Prophecy Request Box, and he hoped that the Request Box would give him an answer that brought victory.
“A super good draw!” Although Dai Li knew that under the effects of good luck, he was almost guaranteed to get the best draw, his breathing still quickened when the best draw came out.
After looking at the results of the draw, Dai Li was shocked. After that, he immediately hollered at the referee and said, “Substitution!”
Although the players had already gone on to the court, the ball was still in the referee’s hands. He had not yet given it to the player starting the game. So, the game had not yet started and substitutions were allowed before the game resumed.
Dai Li then subbed the power forward, Noel, and subbed Vincent in.
At the same time, the coaching staff of the Warriors all had an odd expression on their face. The substitution before the game resumed was rather abrupt. It was clear that it was a last-minute decision by Dai Li.
The head coach of the Warriors, Nicholas, could not help but gaze at Dai Li, seemingly trying to figure out what Dai Li was thinking. Nicholas knew that these abrupt and sudden changes were dangerous, it could disrupt the tactical arrangement of the team. Thinking about it in detail, a team that played superstar-style basketball did not really have to worry about tactics.a
“It’s a one big four small lineup? Why is he using this kind of lineup?” Nicholas mumbled to himself. To him, to sub off a power forward that created space at this moment and switching systems seemed like a mistake.
It was not only Nicholas. The broadcast commentators questioned it as well.
A power forward that created space could be enough to intimidate the defensive players on the opposing team even if he just lurked outside the three-point line. In the last deciding moments of the game, a space-creating power forward was clearly more of a threat than a one big four small lineup.
Vincent, who had been subbed in, clearly seemed a little overwhelmed. Normally, he only played as a substitute. He was seen as the offensive weapon of the bench. According to regular rotation order, he should be resting off-court, but, now, he was suddenly subbed in to play on the court and to participate in the final battle against the Warriors.
The substitution was certainly very sudden. The game had almost been underway before Dai Li indicated that he wanted to make a substitution. There were no premonitions. At the time, he had already put on his long pants and jacket. Then, he had been called up by Dai Li from the bench. He quickly took off the jacket and got on the court. His behavior seemed a little discomposed.
More importantly, Dai Li did not tell him anything before letting him on the court.
In such a crucial moment, a sudden substitution like would certainly entail tactical adjustments! The head coach should at least give the player an instruction or two!
This was not the case. Dai Li did not say anything.
When Vincent got on the court, therefore, he still felt a sense of disillusion.
Suddenly, Raymond moved forward and patted Vincent on the shoulder.
“Dude, focus. The game is about to begin! If we win this game, the grand championship trophy will be in our pockets,” Raymond said.
Vincent froze for a moment and instantly understood what Raymond meant.
If the Clippers won the game, they would lead the series with a score of three to nothing. Throughout history, there had not been a team that had successfully turned the result around after trailing with a score of zero to three. As such, the Clippers winning the Championship would be certain if they won this game.
The West being stronger than the East was a phenomenon that had persisted for many years. There was a genuine gap between the strength of the East and the West. To say that the champion of the Western Conference was the grand champion would not be an exaggeration.
For the Clippers, the game was not only a simple struggle in the playoff season; it was a crucial battle for the grand championship.
“Grand champion!” Vincent could not help but think about the championship trophy that shone in gold.
His professional career was successful. He had won countless honors and it was almost certain that he would enter the NBA Hall of Fame after he retired. After several years, he was also guaranteed to be called a “legendary star,” but he had never won the championship before.
An NBA would have regrets in their professional career, no matter how many personal accolades they obtained, if they did not win a championship. It was due to this that many star players would make sacrifices just to obtain a championship ring in the latter part of their career.
Vincent was one of those who had made sacrifices for the championship. He lowered his pay, joined together with a bunch of other stars, and even went specifically to teams with higher chances of winning the championship. In the end, his fate did not intertwine with the championship trophy..
Cruel reality forced him to give up in his dream of winning the championship. He stopped intentionally pursuing the championship. Instead, he found a team that afforded him sufficient game time so that he could continue his professional career, to continue playing the sport he loved, basketball.
Now, Vincent suddenly discovered that the grand championship that he dreamed about was close to him. He felt a sense of excitement that was hard to be put in words.
“For the championship!” Vincent suddenly screamed, as if to encourage himself.
“Yes, for the championship!” Raymond, who stood beside him, responded loudly.
He was like Vincent, having obtained countless honors and entering the Hall of Fame, even being called a legendary superstar, but he never won the championship. One could say that the only thing lacking on his wall of honors was a championship ring!
“For the championship!” Another voice shouted. This time, it was Hall.
He did not have as many honors as the previous two and his professional career was not that long as well. Still, this did not affect his desire for the championship. For a person who lost the menisci on both his knees to still be playing, one could imagine his desire for victory. How could a person like this tolerate the championship slipping away from his hands?
“For the championship!” Wood made the same remark.
Once the first pick of the draft, he had already made arrogant remarks in the rookie season of his professional career, saying that he would bring home a championship to the team. Now, many years had passed and there was finally a chance for him to realize his promise.
Gray looked at his four teammates. He had been practically fighting against injury his entire professional career. He did not have such complicated experiences nor did he have that many honors. He was not that persistent in terms of getting the grand championship.
By now, however, he was already under the influence of his teammates. He could sense the heartfelt desire for the championship emanating from the hearts of his teammates.
“You’re right, for the championship!” Gray’s expression also seemed to have focused.
…
The morale has completely changed from just now! Cassel widened his eyes. To him, Dai Li’s decision for playing Vincent was not entirely correct. After two minutes, however, it had achieved some amazing effect.
Cassel could feel that the Clippers players were working hard. Every player emanated an imposing aura that seemed to imply that this was the last battle. It seemed as if they had been forced to a dead end and they had decided to burn their boats and face their enemies head-on with the river behind their backs. In short, they were fighting to the death.
It is clear that we have the advantage! Why are they making it seem like we are trailing? Cassel thought it was an odd situation. The Clippers had a considerable lead of two to zero; they also had another home game. One could easily say that everything was in their favor. They had no reason whatsoever to put out such a heartfelt and moving display. The Warriors were the team that should be fighting to the death.
Cassel had underestimated the desire of the bunch of veterans towards the championship trophy. That championship ring was what these veterans had been pursuing half their life. To them, it was not the simple honor of winning the championship. It was like sustenance for their professional career.
To put it simply, they lived most of their lives just so they could win this championship!