The longest river

Chapter 211 Breaking Team Records, Reaching the Peak of His Career

The All-Star Weekend ends, which is the annual trade deadline.

Unlike in the past when there were big moves, this year's deadline day was unusually quiet, as most of the major deals had already been completed after the Christmas battles.

The only respectable move was the Suns trading Rodney Rogers for Jim Jackson in exchange for the Hawks.

The Suns have a star-studded roster this season, but they suffered a major blow before the All-Star break when their key center, Tom Gugliotta, suffered a severe ligament injury in his left knee and was sidelined for the rest of the season.

The acquisition of Jackson was to fill the team's scoring gap.

Once the trade deadline passed, the teams entered the intense stage of the playoff competition.

The battle for the top spot in the West is particularly fierce.

Perhaps it was O'Neal's imitation behavior at the All-Star Game that angered Kobe, and Kobe played very selfishly after the All-Star Game.

The Lakers suffered two consecutive losses as a result.

At that very moment, the Lakers also faced off against the Wizards.

Kobe was on fire in this game, making all eight of his first shots and scoring 27 points in the first half.

He always seemed to unleash his strongest desire when facing Jordan.

Kobe ultimately scored a season-high 41 points, but the Wizards were on fire, and Collins also adopted Carlisle's "Hack-a-Shaq" strategy.

The Lakers ultimately lost the game 103-110, suffering their third consecutive defeat.

If that were all, the news reports after the game would at most be "Kobe is on fire, Lakers suffer a heartbreaking loss to Wizards".

However, an incident that occurred after the match became the focus of media attention.

After the game, Phil Jackson first called Kobe to a conference room, and then brought Jordan to the conference room.

Jackson originally intended for his former star pupil to talk to Kobe about patience and about "letting the game unfold naturally."

However, the first thing Kobe said to Jordan was, "I can beat you one-on-one."

Kobe clearly felt that the loss was due to O'Neal's free throws, and that O'Neal was dragging him down.

This incident sparked a strong reaction from the outside world after it was exposed by the media.

Kobe's swaggering attitude after losing the game is a complete disrespect to Jordan.

Just when Kobe was once again under immense public pressure, Phil Jackson gave him a book called "Blink," written by a New Yorker journalist, which tells the story of how to change the course of one's life through a split-second decision.

Clearly, this was yet another psychological game played by Jackson.

Since there were only the three of them in that meeting room, it was clear that Jackson had leaked the information that the media would eventually find out about this.

Before this, Jackson had given Kobe a book about how a group of people worked together to escape a deserted island, but the next day Jackson found the book in the trash can.

But this time, perhaps genuinely feeling he had gone too far with his words, Kobe read the book.

After that, he seemed to have found a balance between selfishness and selflessness, and his choices on the field looked much better than before.

Moreover, he is more committed to defense than before, and he takes the initiative to defend the opponent's offensive spearhead in many games.

This changed the Lakers' defense and also changed their predicament once again.

Essentially, many of the Lakers' losses were caused by their defense.

Harper, being older, couldn't contain the opposing team's key players, while O'Neal, in his retirement, consistently created opportunities for mid-range shots.

As a result, the Lakers went on a winning streak of 19 games!

This also includes O'Neal's 61-point performance on his birthday night against the Clippers.

This winning streak ranks third in NBA history.

"People are always talking about how the Trail Blazers are doing this season, but I think the Lakers led by the 'OK combination' are starting their era of dominance."

Mav Ebert's comments in "NBA Insider" have garnered support from many fans.

Years of grudges have instilled in Albert a deep-seated hatred for Yang Shuai. Since Jordan cannot defeat Yang Shuai, he can only hope for the "OK combination" to complete their integration.

However, even with a 19-game winning streak, the Lakers still couldn't overtake the Trail Blazers in the standings (by one game).

Because the Trail Blazers are also on a winning streak.

Although their winning streak wasn't as long as the Lakers', they still had four 10+ game winning streaks, including the first month of the season.

With Barkley's return, their bench strength has increased, and the team's performance has become significantly more consistent.

It was at this time that the Trail Blazers and the Lakers faced off head-to-head.

The "OK combination" performed exceptionally well in this game, with both Kobe and O'Neal scoring 30+ points, but the Lakers' 19-game winning streak came to an end.

Yang Shuai scored a season-high 58 points!
58 is a magical number. Last year in the playoffs, the Trail Blazers beat the Lakers by 58 points. This season, Yang Shuai used a single game of 58 points to decide the final result of the Western Conference title.

Time flies, and it's already mid-April. The 1999-2000 season has come to a close.

In the East, the Pacers finished with 57 wins, ranking first in the Eastern Conference.

Jermaine O'Neal averaged 20.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2.8 blocks per game, and his selection as an All-Star reserve marked the beginning of his career peak.

Miller is still averaging 18 points per game.

After the trade was completed, their improved perimeter defense led to a winning streak, allowing them to overtake the Wizards in the standings and hold onto their advantage until the end.

The Wizards finished second with 56 wins.

Jordan averaged 26.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game; at 38 years old, he was still playing like an MVP.

The Heat are ranked third with 53 wins.

Mourning averaged 21 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks per game.

The Knicks are ranked fourth with 50 wins.

Just like in last year's playoffs, the shortened season doesn't fully reflect the team's strength; they are a 50+ win team.

The Raptors, 76ers, Hornets, and Pistons ranked 5th through 8th respectively.

In the Western Conference, the Portland Trail Blazers lead the standings with 67 wins.

This record also broke their franchise record of 63 wins in the regular season!
杨帅场均上场40分钟，得到30.1分6.7板5.5助攻2.6抢断1.4盖帽，三项命中率分别是50.8%/40.5%/90.6%。

He scored more than 30 points for the first time in his career, won the league scoring title for the first time, and also entered the "180 Club" for the first time.

After five seasons of growth, Yang Shuai has officially entered the peak of his career!

华莱士场均16分7.4板2助攻1.1抢断1.3盖帽；

Barkley averaged 13 points and 8.6 rebounds per game;
Pippen averaged 12.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1.4 steals per game;

Billups averaged 9.6 points and 5.2 assists per game;

Sabonis had 8.7 points and 7.8 rebounds.
The Jazz are second in the Western Conference with 55 wins.

Karl Malone's form has improved, averaging 25.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game.

The Lakers are third in the Western Conference with 65 wins.

奥尼尔打出了职业生涯最强赛季，他这赛季只缺席了3场比赛，场均得到29.7分13.6板3.8助攻3盖帽。

If it weren't for Yang Shuai and the Trail Blazers, O'Neal would have won the MVP award this season without any doubt.

Unfortunately, the reality is that he is now just as unlucky as Karl Malone.

Kobe averaged 23.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game. This was the first time in his career that he scored 20+ points, and his average assists per game also set a new career high.

The Spurs are fourth in the Western Conference with 53 wins.

The Spurs' performance this season has fallen short of expectations, and the root cause lies with Duncan.

Duncan collapsed during the final stretch of the season.

He suffered a severe meniscus tear, which not only ended his season but will also affect his entire career.

This result can be described as unexpected, yet also reasonable.

As seen in last season's playoffs, Popovich's core tactic is to relentlessly attack Duncan.

Even the most resilient Duncan is still human. He often plays the entire game, which even Jimmy Butler couldn't handle.

Duncan's season-ending injury basically means that they have become a "free lunch" for their opponents in the playoffs.

The Phoenix Suns, who also achieved 53 wins, were the ones to receive this benefit.

Although the Suns lost Gugliotta, Shawn Marion received more development opportunities as a result.

This ninth overall pick not only played efficiently on offense, but also demonstrated top-notch help defense, directly anchoring the Suns' interior defense.

The Timberwolves are sixth in the Western Conference with 50 wins.

这是加内特首次率队打出50胜场，他场均22.9分11.8板5助攻1.8抢断1.9盖帽填满数据栏。

Putting aside the $100 million contract, the Timberwolves' investment in Garnett was absolutely worthwhile.

Because you can't find another player in the league who is more versatile than Garnett.

In fact, during the time when Kobe was embroiled in trade rumors, the Timberwolves were one of the most interested teams.

Because Garnett's only weakness was his lack of scoring explosiveness, his combination with Kobe was one of the most intriguing pairings.

Unfortunately, the Timberwolves had absolutely no assets that could entice the Lakers.

Even without Kobe, Garnett is leading the Timberwolves to his peak.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the Timberwolves will continue to strengthen their roster next season and move into the top half of the Western Conference.

The SuperSonics are ranked seventh with 47 wins.

The value of the Camp is still rising.

The SuperSonics boast a host of talented players this season, including Payton, Vin Baker, "Cobra" Grant, Brent Barry, and Vernon Maxwell.

甚至就连他们从湖人队交易来的二年级球员鲁本·帕特森都以53.6%的命中率，打出了场均11.6分5.4板1.6助攻1.2抢断的发挥。

But the result was that without Kemp, they were like a team without a soul, and even making it into the top half of the bracket became a pipe dream.

The Kings are ranked eighth with 45 wins.

On the very first day after the season ended, Yang Shuai had a visitor at his home in Portland.

The other party was a member of the USA Basketball Association.

The 2000 Sydney Olympics will begin this summer, and the USA Basketball Association hopes that Yang Shuai can join the "Dream Team IV".

Prior to this, newcomers such as Carter, Garnett, and Ray Allen had already accepted the Basketball Association's invitation, but the team still lacked a leader.

Yang Shuai didn't think much of it and refused, citing physical fatigue and the need for rest.

Because of his status, he cannot represent the Chinese team, but he has no interest in joining the American team.

National teams are about national belonging. This Chinese post-00s generation can't be said to have no sense of belonging to the United States, but it's completely from the perspective of the late Qing Dynasty.

Or rather, the only way he might accept participating in international competitions is through naturalization by the Chinese team, although that's a very distant prospect for him.

Moreover, he doesn't need international accolades to boost his career. Instead, he should spend his offseason improving himself and striving to win more NBA championships.

However, one advantage of being in the United States is that there is a wealth of basketball talent there, so he wasn't indispensable. After he declined, the basketball association representatives left, citing regret.

With the regular season over, a group of commentators gathered again on TNT's "NBA Insider" to provide their daily commentary on the first round of the playoffs.

Unlike before, Kenny Smith has established himself on TNT, and he and Ernie Johnson are now core members of the show.

Mav Albert, Hubie Brown, and Mike Brin were invited guests.

Compared to last season, the first round of this year's playoffs is clearly more exciting.

Of this year's All-Star starters, all but Duncan made it to the playoffs.

Carter will face the Knicks in the first round, and Iverson will play against the Heat. The clash between the old and new eras is what fans love to watch the most.

They also made their own predictions.

The 76ers are considered the favorites in the bottom half of the bracket. They upset the Magic last season, and they have a chance to upset the Heat this season as well.

Allen Iverson is averaging 28.4 points per game this season, and he takes an astonishing 24.8 shots per game, demonstrating his top-notch ability to handle the ball.

The matchup they considered the least suspenseful was between the Trail Blazers and the Kings.

Even Albert, known as "Yang's number one hater," agrees with this.

It's not just because the two teams have the biggest difference in wins, but also because of their team characteristics.

The Trail Blazers excel at playing against teams with little defense. Yang Shuai can easily dismantle the Kings' defense, allowing the Trail Blazers to score from all sides.

"NBA Insider" acts as a guide, directing the focus of fans' attention.

After the show aired, the 76ers vs. Heat game became the most-watched matchup on television.

The Kings arrived in Portland the day before the playoffs began to prepare for the first round.

The Kings' warm-up game still attracted quite a few reporters.

The Kings' performance this season has been quite unexpected.

After all, the Kings' roster is not bad; they impressed everyone last season.

Moreover, their average of 105 points per game this season still ranks among the league's best.

Webber averaged 24.5 points per game, and McGrady averaged 20 points per game, with the two stars performing exceptionally well both inside and outside.

Just like last season, their defense is what's holding them back.

They are allowing an average of 103 points per game this season, which is also among the worst in the league.

After the Kings' practice, reporters focused their interviews on McGrady.

McGrady is Nike's new generation leader, and he receives more attention from the Kings than Webber.

"Does playing against the defending champions put you under pressure?" "No, we will beat them with an offensive strategy."

"Do you mean the Kings will pull off an upset?"

Yes, we will.

McGrady's response quickly made it to major newspapers, with almost all the headlines proclaiming: McGrady vows to upset the eighth seed.

You could say that McGrady's personality isn't actually that of a loudmouth; his answers in front of the media were actually meant to demonstrate his confidence.

But just like his previous statement that "Shaq and I can win three consecutive championships," or his comment after leading the Pistons 3-1 that "it feels great to get into the second round" being reported as "I'm already thinking about my next opponent," his answers always leave room for the media to interpret, making him seem less witty.

However, the impact of media reports is clearly visible.

The most direct result is a surge in first-round TV viewership for both the Kings and the Trail Blazers.

Then Maverick Ebert changed his tune, saying that the Kings had a chance to beat the Trail Blazers.

The reason was given by McGrady: offense.

Just like defending Jordan back then, no one in the league can stop Yang Shuai now.

Therefore, it is very difficult to beat the Trail Blazers by relying on defense; in comparison, it is more likely to win by going toe-to-toe with the Trail Blazers.

The Kings, on the other hand, are the team most adept at offense.

While "defense wins championships" is a timeless truth, "the team that scores the most points wins the game" is also a fundamental principle of basketball.

Next came the league's reaction.

The league also gave this matchup a lot of publicity at the last minute.

Just like when Reebok held a sneaker event in Portland, the open rivalry between Reebok and Nike has come to the fore.

The league naturally hopes they will fight even more fiercely, because the fiercer the competition among these shoe factories, the more revenue the league will generate.

Finally, there are the Trail Blazers fans.

On the night of the game, the Rose Garden Arena was packed, and the KT boards held up by the fans were also quite aggressive.

The target was naturally McGrady, and some fans even gave him a new nickname, "if king," using a KT board.

This nickname is quite thoughtful. "If" corresponds to McGrady's previous remarks, and being on the Kings team also fits the nickname "King".

Even fans in China who tuned in for the playoffs because of Yang Shuai would understand and smile knowingly.

This is truly the If Emperor.

During the pre-game warm-up, the Trail Blazers players were full of fighting spirit.

For the Trail Blazers, with Duncan out for the season, their biggest rival in the West is the Lakers, who have already gelled and have a similar record to them.

However, based on the rankings, they would have to face the Lakers in the conference finals this season.

Moreover, unlike last season, which was a shortened season, they relied more on the playoffs to hone their skills and grow.

However, they started the season in a fully integrated state, and the friction between Barkley and Pippen was resolved by Yang Shuai.

That's why they achieved their best record in franchise history, but it also means that they weren't as eager to win in the first two rounds of the playoffs.

Especially in the first round, after all, there was a difference of more than 20 wins between the two sides.

However, once McGrady's comments were reported by the media, it was like giving them a shot of adrenaline, instantly boosting their fighting spirit.

Who doesn't enjoy teaching a loudmouth a lesson?
Barkley, in particular, looked exceptionally spirited.

Besides his own desire for the championship, he is also a big mouth, which makes him a nemesis in the industry.

Of course, there's also Yang Shuai. He looked down on this guy who was always talking about "if," and now he finally had a chance to face him head-on.

During the opening ceremony, McGrady was booed by Portland fans as he entered the game; these most enthusiastic guys in the league certainly wouldn't let such an opportunity pass them by.

The match is about to begin, and the starting lineups for both sides are coming onto the field one after another.

Sacramento Kings: "White Chocolate" Williams, Tracy McGrady, Kenny Anderson, Chris Webber, Vlade Divac
Trail Blazers: Billups, Young, Pippen, Wallace, Sabonis

Divac won the jump ball for the Kings, giving the away team the first offensive opportunity.

The Kings' head coach is Adelman, who is one of the few coaches in the league with his own tactical system.

The Princeton offense, a tactic that originated at Princeton University, was popularized and developed by him in the NBA.

The basis for this tactic to work is that the inside players can facilitate in the high and low posts, creating opportunities for teammates to cut inside.

Webber and Divac both possess that ability.

Moreover, the core principle of this tactic is the coordinated movement of players and the ball, which is a true team basketball approach, and it doesn't place as much emphasis on the individual abilities of the players.

Of course, a player's individual ability determines the upper limit of a tactic. Webber himself has a strong individual back-to-the-basket threat and excellent playmaking ability. He is like a star born for this tactic.

Then there's McGrady. McGrady's individual ball-handling offensive ability still needs improvement, but his outstanding physical talent makes his off-ball offense extremely threatening.

In the very first possession of the game, McGrady received a bounce pass from Webber and drove into the paint, shaking off Pippen for a flying layup.

His impressive wingspan and slender calves resembled thrusting spears.

And in the next possession, it was McGrady again. After receiving the ball, he suddenly stopped and changed direction before hitting a pull-up jumper.

Compared to the previous shot, McGrady's shot better showcased his agile playing style and graceful physique.

Putting aside his individual skills, McGrady's playing style is quite captivating.

No wonder Nike chose to place a heavy bet on him.

Moreover, judging from the start, McGrady's offensive desire was extremely strong, and his form was also quite good.

This was to be expected. At that time, McGrady was not only young, but also Nike's new generation leader, so his confidence was only natural.

Moreover, McGrady's talent is beyond doubt; his pure physical talent is a level above Kobe's.

Even from a data perspective, before being plagued by back injuries, McGrady's shooting percentage was still above 45% in years when he was accumulating high numbers, which was quite good for that era.

After the first few rounds, the most obvious thing that fans noticed was that Pippen couldn't stop McGrady.

McGrady's first step is too quick and his strides are too long. If he's on the ball, Pippen can limit him with his defensive experience, but when he's off the ball, Pippen clearly can't keep up with him.

When Billups or Wallace provided help defense, the Princeton offense was activated, and the Trail Blazers' defense became somewhat overwhelmed.

This Kings team's offense is truly formidable.

However, their offense is as good as their defense.

Just as the commentators said on the show, Yang Shuai can easily break through as long as he has the ball, then draw double teams and pass the ball to his teammates.

After McGrady shifted to an offensive role, they clearly lacked an outside player capable of guarding the opponent's key player.

Veteran Anderson was their target this season, but he is clearly not the answer.

Halfway through the quarter, the Trail Blazers led 18-16.

Barkley watched from the sidelines with a furrowed brow.

Besides the factors mentioned earlier, Barkley has another unique quality: he is the only player on this team to have experienced a "black eighth seed" upset.

The difference in regular season records is only a reference point, and Maverick Ebert's comments make some sense.

If the Kings' offense cannot be contained, they do have a chance to pull off a stunning upset by relying on their offense.

He finally couldn't resist and got up to walk towards Carlisle.

During the next dead ball period, Carlisle called a timeout.

Yang Shuai also frowned when he left the field.

McGrady's strong offensive desire was something he could have anticipated, but what he didn't expect was Pippen's terrible defense.

When Pippen first arrived, he even provoked Pippen by saying that Pippen couldn't defend Kobe. But judging from the current trend, Pippen definitely can't defend Kobe anymore, after all, Kobe's strength is now a level above McGrady.

It can only be said that winning too much is not always a good thing, because many details will be covered up after winning.

"I'll defend against T-Mac."

After the timeout, Yang Shuai volunteered to Carlisle.

Although the Kings play a team-oriented style, basketball tactics are essentially designed to serve their star players. By shutting down McGrady, the Kings' offensive momentum will inevitably be cut off.

Moreover, he is a time traveler, and he knows the history of the Warriors' upset victory over the Mavericks with their insane offense.

So if the Kings continue playing like this, not to mention the series, it's not a good thing for tonight's game.

Carlisle then turned his gaze to Barkley.

Barkley's earlier thoughts and Yang Shuai's current words align; the two are truly on the same wavelength.

Moreover, having Yang Shuai guard McGrady would inevitably increase the offensive firepower of other players on the team, so bringing Barkley on would be the best option.

After the timeout, the Trail Blazers substituted Walter Williams and Barkley for Pippen and Sabonis.

Barkley received the ball in the low post, backed down Divac, then spun around to trap Divac behind him and laid the ball in for a layup.

Divac is much bigger than Barkley, but he didn't have many options against Barkley's style of play.

But that's Barkley's style of play. He has a historically great butt and strength, so even if you're bigger than him, you can only lower your center of gravity to try and head the ball.

Once you do that, it means you've lost the initiative in defense.

Because once you're forced to lower your center of gravity, Barkley's small size actually becomes an advantage; he's more agile than the defender.

It's worth noting that during his peak, even when backed down and surrounded by multiple defenders, he was able to maneuver and find shooting opportunities to quickly score.

On the offensive end, he is on par with Nowitzki, the greatest striker in history.

Carlisle breathed a sigh of relief when he saw this.

He wasn't worried about Yang Shuai's defense, but rather about Barkley's playoff performance, since he had been using Barkley more conservatively since his injury.

As it turned out, his worries were unnecessary. Barkley, like Jordan, was a player who, even at 40, still had the ability to put the ball in the basket through his individual skill.

In the transition between offense and defense, Yang Shuai faced off against McGrady on the defensive end.

"I heard you're planning to pull off a upset?"

Yang Shuai's first words after facing off left McGrady speechless.

Because no matter how you answer this question, it will be wrong.

However, what Yang Shuai said next was what truly broke his composure.

"You should sleep more, because you can dream about anything."

"Negative energy from Tracy McGrady +444".

McGrady was furious.

He certainly knew Yang Shuai's defensive abilities, but he was young and arrogant, and he couldn't tolerate Yang Shuai's aggressive attacks.

He turned around as if to set a screen for "White Chocolate," then suddenly turned and cut to the basket.

This is a classic tactic in the Princeton offense called "split," which can be simply understood as a feint followed by a real block.

McGrady's cut was just as quick as before, and Webber's pass was also very timely.

After receiving the ball, McGrady charged straight into the heart of the Trail Blazers' defense like a white horse with a spear. This time, instead of going for a layup, he pulled the ball up high and prepared for a gliding dunk.

But at the same moment he jumped, a figure behind him leaped up almost simultaneously.

"boom!"

Amid the gasps of the fans, Yang Shuai swatted the ball away from behind McGrady, sending it flying out of bounds.

Yang Shuai is not Pippen; his starting speed and jumping ability are now comparable to, if not better than, McGrady's.

Especially after Barkley took over the offense, he could focus all his energy on the defensive end, making it much harder for McGrady to score against him.

This shot ignited the arena and sent the Trail Blazers' bench into a frenzy.

Having a team leader who can dominate both offense and defense is truly a wonderful thing.

The Kings still had possession of the ball and a full 14 seconds left on the shot clock.

If it were Kobe, after getting blocked once, he would definitely try to get revenge by hitting another one.

Even knowing that they were facing Yang Shuai and that they might not be able to score, they certainly couldn't lose in terms of momentum.

However, McGrady immediately became obedient, as if he instantly realized the gap between himself and Yang Shuai.

This choice was rational, but it also left Yang Shuai with a sense of emptiness.

Sure enough, he still prefers to play against guys like Kobe.

Webber moved to the low post to facilitate the offense, then backed down Wallace and turned for a layup.

His shot was perfect in terms of both technique and movement, except that he was a bit unlucky; the ball slid around the edge of the rim and rolled out.

At the start of the game, the Kings' offense focused on McGrady, while Webber hadn't had a chance to attack yet and hadn't found his rhythm.

Barkley grabbed the defensive rebound from the other side of the basket and then unleashed a long swing.

Just like their innate understanding on and off the field, he found Yang Shuai immediately.

After receiving the ball, Yang Shuai sprinted to the frontcourt and leaped high to deliver his signature gliding tomahawk dunk.

The Kings' Princeton offense wasn't purely a half-court game; because their positioning was on the perimeter, they had a lot of fast breaks. However, they were helpless against Yang Shuai, the league's fast break king.

"Even if you were on the same team as Shaq, you still wouldn't be able to win three consecutive championships."

After retreating to the defensive end, Yang Shuai continued to speak to McGrady.
"No, it's impossible to win even one championship."

-Dividing line-

①: At this time, the NBA only had four divisions, two in the East and two in the West. The rule at that time was that the first team in the division must be in the top two in the conference. The Trail Blazers and the Lakers were in the same division, and the Jazz and the Spurs were in the same division.

(End of this chapter)