unfinished glory

Chapter 115 Situation

After the Spurs swept the Grizzlies, they waited for the end of the game between the Mavericks and the Clippers.

The playoff situation in the Western Conference is a bit confusing. Except for the Spurs sweeping all the way in the first half, the other teams are struggling or even on the edge of a cliff.

The Mavericks at the top of the list and the Clippers drew 2:2, and it was impossible to tell the winner for a while.

Elton Brand, the No. 1999 pick in [-], entered the playoffs for the first time in his career.

In the face of the league's top Mavericks, he was not stage frightened, averaging 26 points, 11.4 rebounds, 4 assists and 2.5 blocks per game, not losing to Nowitzki at all.

Coupled with Cassel, Maggette, Mobley, Kaman and Radmanovich and other good players, the Clippers and Mavericks are inseparable, and the scene is not at a disadvantage.

The two sides have won one game each at home and away, so it will take at least two games to decide the winner.

However, the Spurs generally prefer that the Mavericks will win the series, and the large logarithmic tactical preparations are also carried out for the Mavericks.

The other two Western Conference matchups are 1:3, and both teams in the upper half are behind.

The Lakers lost a game in the away game and pulled three games in a row, which is very likely to complete the feat of defeating the opponent.

Especially in the fourth game, Kobe completed a "double lore". Before the end of regular time, "Reaper" Parker completed a steal, and Kobe caught and threw the ball to tie.

At the last moment of overtime, Luke Walton completed the steal on Nash for the Lakers. Kobe hit a 45-degree fadeaway jumper on the right and hit two points to kill the Suns.

In this round of match between No. [-] in the West and No. [-] in the West, it was really because Yao Ming was too strong and the Nuggets couldn't fight inside.

After a 1:1 tie with their opponents in the away game, the Rockets went straight to two games at home, changing the total score to 3:1, and the promotion is in sight.

In these four games, Yao Ming scored more than 25 points in the other three games except for the second game where he only scored 30 points due to foul trouble.

He averaged 33 points, 13.4 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks per game, and he broke the Nuggets' inside line by himself.

Camby + Martin + Reggie Evans + Francisco Elson averaged only 17.5 points + 15.4 rebounds per game.

Game 37 between the Rockets and Nuggets ended shortly after the Spurs game.Yao Ming scored 16 points and [-] rebounds in the away game, ending the series.

The victory of this game made the local fans ecstatic. Some fans even dug up the history 11 years ago. The championship of the year.

Regardless of the follow-up results, Yao Ming led the team to win a round of playoffs alone, and finally transformed into a super center. Reasonable fans will no longer doubt his quality.

And McGrady's evaluation began to decline immediately, and the rocket's internal doubts about him also increased day by day.

……

Speaking of the progress of the playoffs, various awards in the regular season began to be awarded. In the voting for the best sixth man, Li Chongxiao won this award without any dispute.

这个赛季只有迈克·米勒有些许资格跟他竞争。常规赛里面，迈克·米勒场均能够拿到13.7分5.4篮板2.7助攻0.7抢断和0.4盖帽的数据，以及三项46.6%+40.7+80%的命中率。

但是李冲霄的数据是16.7分5.5篮板4.2助攻2.6抢断和1.1盖帽，三项命中率为49%+46.1%+95.3%。

Li Chongxiao surpassed Mike Miller in all statistics, and ranked first in the league in three statistics.

Moreover, he is also the MVP of the rookie game, the slam dunk champion and the All-Star starter. It is expected that he will continue to enter the best defensive team this season. These honors are not comparable to Mike Miller.

Of course, in the most important first round of the playoffs, the direct matchup between the two.

Mike Miller's average playing time was only 16.7 minutes per game, and his shooting percentage was only a poor 37.4%. He scored 4.4 points, which disappointed the judges who supported him and turned to Li Chongxiao one after another.

Li Chongxiao shot 54.6% from the field and averaged 25.5 points per game.

The data comparison of the two players is simply not at the same level.

All 123 judges from American and Canadian sports media and TV commentators gave Li Chongxiao the first choice vote, allowing him to get a record-breaking full score of 615 points.

……

In the next matchup, the Mavericks did not give the Clippers another chance, winning two games in a row and advancing to the Western Conference semifinals.

In the game between the Suns and the Lakers, the Suns finally had the last laugh.

Although Kobe scored 50 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists in the sixth game, he failed to prevent the team from losing.

During the intermission of the seventh game, the Lakers trailed by 15 points. Phil Jackson persuaded Kobe to trust his teammates more. As a result, Kobe only took 3 shots in the second half, and his teammates failed to save the situation. They lost another 16 points in the second half.

The Lakers were eliminated, and Rockets fans were also disappointed, because the odds of winning against the Suns were much smaller.

However, after the Spurs eliminated the Grizzlies, they didn't have much time to care about other teams, and even the opponent's dynamics had to be placed second because Duncan's injury worsened.

This is the worst news for the team.

When it comes to the playoffs, if anyone is indispensable in the Spurs, it must be Duncan.

Although this season, he is no longer the team's number one breakup, and even when he was absent in the regular season, the Spurs performed well.

But when it comes to the playoffs, the last barrier for the Spurs must be Duncan.

In terms of perimeter offense, there are three pioneers, Parker, Ginobili, and Li Chongxiao; there are also two gatekeepers in defense, Bowen and Li Chongxiao.

Whether it is offense or defense inside, you can only rely on Duncan.

According to Chinese etiquette, Li Chongxiao carried a basket of his favorite fruits to visit Duncan who was recuperating at home.

Duncan is still very concerned about his own injuries. Originally, this year was the best chance for the Spurs to defend their title, but due to his injuries, everything has become uncertain.

Looking at the depressed Duncan, Li Chongxiao didn't have any good means of persuasion.He has played professionally for almost two years, and has never experienced an injury, and has no personal experience.

Although Li Chongxiao wanted to assure Duncan that he would lead the team to victory, he still knew himself. He was not strong enough to support a complete system.

He can only do his best to persuade Duncan. If this year is not good, there will be next year. There is no need to force him to play and affect his career.

At this time, Duncan said quietly: "Is there still next year?"

Li Chongxiao was stunned for a moment, what?Is Duncan's injury so serious?

His mood suddenly fell. Since entering the league, Duncan has always taken care of him, not only his teammates, but also his big brother, and his best friend.

Li Chongxiao didn't know what to say for a while, he couldn't even sigh.He silently swallowed the grapes in his mouth, opened his mouth, and was speechless.

Seeing Li Chongxiao's attitude, Duncan seemed to understand Li Chongxiao's thoughts for a moment.

He was a little emotional, and he had a premonition from the second half of the regular season.But there is no banquet that lasts forever. Although he likes Li Chongxiao very much, he has to think about it in the long run.

"Have you figured it out?" Both of them spoke at the same time, both feeling puzzled: "What am I thinking about?"

The two who spoke together again finally realized that something was wrong.

Li Chongxiao signaled Duncan to speak first, and Duncan was not polite, and said, "Do you have to go?"

"What do you mean?" Li Chongxiao couldn't figure it out for a while: "Isn't it that you are going to retire? How did it become that I am leaving?"

"Me?" Duncan pointed at himself in a daze, then stared at Li Chongxiao with wide eyes: "Retired?"

Not to be outdone, Li Chongxiao stared back: "You said just now that there will be no next year."

"..."

The two people with wide-eyed eyes finally figured it out under the other's explanation.

After a while, it turned out that the two had misunderstood. Li Chongxiao thought that Duncan's injury was too serious and he was about to retire.

What Duncan means is that Li Chongxiao's contract is about to expire, and he once said that he wants to pursue a big contract, but the Spurs obviously cannot give him a salary that meets his worth to keep him.

Duncan is only asking tentatively, because of his physical condition, today's playoffs can't be expected, and he can only look forward to next year.

He has received advice from trainers and doctors, and is considering a weight loss transformation. The team's record next season is still unclear, so he naturally hopes that someone can stabilize his position.

The professional career of a basketball player is just over ten years. During the short period of fame, it is understandable to earn enough money for the rest of your life.

Although Li Chongxiao is not short of money, who would think that there is too much money.

And it's not just a matter of money, the status of the team is also a very important factor.Duncan knew about Li Chongxiao's ambitions, and he couldn't guarantee that he would give up the opportunity to be the core or even the leader of other teams.

Although the misunderstanding is open, it is not appropriate to discuss it in detail now. The two only mentioned it briefly, then moved to other places and talked about some interesting things about the league, such as the selection of the best rookie team. As expected, only entered the second team.

(End of this chapter)