The Jazz, by winning two straight at their high-altitude home court, effectively bought Zack about six days of recovery time. These six days were crucial, giving Zack more time to rest and get through the toughest initial phase of his ankle sprain.
While it's still uncertain if Zack will need a pain-killing injection for the upcoming Western Conference Finals, depending on his recovery, he's already feeling a lot more comfortable moving his right foot. You see, during the Western Conference Semifinals, he was still playing through pain and basically COS-played Nikola Jokic for four games straight.
When a player like Zack, who's used to soaring all over the court, is forced into a "ground-bound" style for four games, going from luxury to frugality is tough, and he was incredibly uncomfortable. This left Zack with a simmering resentment. Even though the person who caused this resentment is basically out for the rest of his career, Zack won't truly get rid of it until he's fully healed and can vent all that frustration on the court.
Zack looked at the recovery schedule his Warriors team doctor gave him. Based on his excellent progress, he should be completely over his ankle sprain by early June. If the Warriors can make it to the Finals, this recovery date means Zack would be fully unleashed for this year's NBA Finals. This undoubtedly gave Zack even more motivation to lead the Warriors to the Finals for a second consecutive year, because he desperately needed to vent now, and he couldn't possibly wait until next season to release all that pent-up frustration.
However, no matter how much Zack yearned for back-to-back Finals appearances, the Seattle SuperSonics, who showed no mercy and took the series against the Jazz 4-2, were no easy opponents.
Zack watched Games 5 and 6 between the Jazz and the SuperSonics on TV. If this year's Warriors felt like a "slow simmer" that then turned into a "boiling finish" in the regular season, these SuperSonics felt incredibly flexible and adaptable to Zack.
Since they were unexpectedly pushed to a Game 7 by the Lakers in the first round, the SuperSonics were forced to slow down their already deliberate offensive pace in the first four games against the Jazz. This allowed the Jazz, back in their home court in Salt Lake City, to even up the series with two lucky wild swings.
But Rick Carlisle didn't panic. In Game 5, he unveiled the "one-on-one, four-zone" defense he had prepared for the Warriors, which successfully helped Chris Paul have his career-best playoff performance: 36 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists.
And then... there was no "then." Because the SuperSonics had Kevin Garnett, who could "counter" Boozer, Yao Ming could perfectly follow Okur out to the perimeter for a chat. As for the other Jazz players? Aside from Matt Harpring, who had some decent ball-handling skills, neither Kirilenko nor Brewer could contribute offensively without Jerry Sloan's tactical system.
Carlisle perfectly replicated the Spurs' strategy against the Jazz in the same year. That is, as long as you controlled Boozer's scoring, the rest was simply about whether Paul could carry the SuperSonics or not. It turned out that Paul's high-scoring Game 5 for the Jazz actually severely hurt their original offensive system.
So, in Game 6... under Sloan's instructions, Paul changed his approach. But during the game, watching Paul constantly trying to break down the zone defense to reconnect with his "brothers," Sloan only then realized that Carlisle, this "scheming young coach," was using a brilliant overt strategy against the Jazz! It couldn't be helped; Sloan was getting old, and Carlisle's strategy hadn't been exposed in Game 5. So it wasn't that Sloan was slow to react; it was that Carlisle fully utilized the cards he had and dug a big pit for the Jazz in advance.
This overt strategy was: as Paul had to spend a lot of time breaking down the SuperSonics' zone defense, the Jazz would inevitably be dragged into a slow-paced half-court battle by the SuperSonics. This was a major characteristic of Carlisle's coaching style. As long as he had enough cards, he would dig a pit in advance and wait for his opponent to jump in. The available personnel for the Jazz and the cards Sloan had determined that, once the SuperSonics adjusted after the first four games, what awaited the Jazz could only be the SuperSonics' comfortable and consecutive big wins.
Successfully making it to the Western Conference Finals in their first year with the "Northwest Big Three." On the night they advanced, Yao Ming, who had never felt the Western Conference Finals floor come so easily, outwardly remained the honest and simple "Big Yao," but secretly...
"You're injured this year, so listen to your Brother Yao, you can't handle the Finals. You'll have to let me handle it for you."
In the World of Warcraft game, a player with the ID "Eternal Starlight" said to another player with the ID "I'm Taller Than Yao Ming."
Hearing this, "I'm Taller Than Yao Ming" retorted unhappily, "I'm a champion player now, what do you mean I can't handle it?"
Eternal Starlight chuckled, "Garnett said he's seen through all your offensive moves."
"I'm Taller Than Yao Ming" looked confused, "When has that old wolf ever guarded me? Help me tell him, just ask if he's an old veteran, can he still eat?"
Eternal Starlight typed on his keyboard, "Stop bragging, come PK if you've got the guts!"
"..."
As someone from the future, a "handicapped" player who even had to bribe local elementary schoolers to help him rank up in silver, Zack admitted that he truly had no talent in gaming. However, whenever Yao Ming couldn't out-talk him and then challenged him to a PK, Zack couldn't help but feel that his "Brother Yao" was a bit of a jerk.
This year's Western Conference Finals will feature the Warriors against the SuperSonics. And the Eastern Conference Finals will see the Cavaliers face the Pistons.
Against the Hawks' stat-padder, Marcus Camby, LeBron James delivered another masterpiece of his playoff career: averaging 31 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists. Successfully leading the Cavaliers to the Eastern Conference Finals not only helped James shed the "unambitious" stereotype he had from the regular season but also made his and Zack's shared sponsor see the possibility of the "Chosen One" and "The Messiah" meeting in the Finals.
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## May 21st: Western Conference Finals Game 1
On May 21st, Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals tipped off at Oracle Arena.
Before the game, although Zack's injury had significantly improved, he still had to use pain-killing injections to minimize the impact of the pain, as intense movement still caused him severe discomfort. After getting the injection and during warm-ups, Zack noticed that the pain relief from the injection felt even stronger than in the semifinals. "This proves you're not far from a full recovery," the Warriors team doctor told Zack.
Even though Zack couldn't completely shake off the injury just yet, the pain relief would significantly boost his mobility on the court. If in the Western Conference Semifinals Zack had to COS-play Nikola Jokic, he had now "evolved" into a faster-moving "Joker."
According to Malone's pre-game plan, the previously excellent Murphy would still start in this Western Conference Finals, though his playing time would be reduced to around twenty minutes per game. The SuperSonics' starting lineup remained the same: Yao Ming, Kevin Garnett, Ruben Patterson, Ray Allen, and Sam Cassell.
"This year's Western Conference Finals will feature the Golden State Warriors, led by our renowned basketball player Zack, against the Seattle SuperSonics, led by another renowned basketball player Yao Ming. It's worth noting that this will be the first time in NBA history we'll see a Derby in the Western Conference Finals!"
Before the game started, as Sun Zhengping's broadcast voice echoed through countless households, this Western Conference Finals, scheduled to tip off around 11:30 AM Beijing time, immediately made NBA Commissioner David Stern understand the true meaning of overseas viewership. This was a truly wonderful day for both fans and the league. And considering Yao Ming is 26 and Zack is 23, everyone believed such beauty would last for a long, long time.
At center court, the main referee, Dan Crawford, who had been highly praised within the league for his proper handling of the "Oracle Arena Bloodbath," walked to the center circle with the ball. As Murphy prepared to jump ball against Yao Ming, Zack suddenly heard a somewhat chilling "thank you." When Zack turned his head to the owner of the voice, who else could it be but Ray Allen?
Why would Ray Allen suddenly say "thank you" to Zack? In Zack's view, it was highly likely related to his previous role in orchestrating that bastard Bruce Bowen's retirement ceremony. As Bowen's former friend, ever since being stabbed in the back by Bowen, Ray Allen had publicly stated on multiple occasions that Bowen was the dirtiest player in the league. Of course, if it were Zack, he definitely wouldn't have described Bowen in such civilized terms. Against an animal like Bowen, why bother with polite language?
In the jump ball, Murphy was no match for Yao Ming. Sam Cassell unhurriedly brought the ball across half-court. Although Murphy had some post-up ability, considering that "Full-Effort KG" would likely be running all over the court, Zack unhesitatingly pounced on Yao Ming, whom he could stick to even with one leg tied behind his back.
Seeing this, Yao Ming immediately demanded the ball with his back to the basket on the right side of the court. SuperSonics head coach Carlisle knew that to fully reduce Zack's impact on the court, they had to wear him down on offense. Therefore, despite feeling a little "uncomfortable," the next second, after receiving a lob pass from Garnett, Yao Ming almost immediately attacked Zack.
Bang!
Bang!
Yao Ming's two brutal post-up moves nearly turned Zack into Ben Wallace. This was the "honest and simple" Yao Ming.
After gritting his teeth and enduring Yao Ming's initial three-move onslaught, Zack immediately braced himself with his perfectly sculpted muscular arms. Zack's tenacity bought Artest ample time for a double-team. Since Yao Ming hadn't posted up too deep, he could only pass the ball out to the perimeter. Ruben Patterson got the ball and bricked a shot. Murphy secured the long rebound. Normally, Murphy wouldn't dare challenge Zack for a defensive rebound, even if he had the courage of a bear. But ever since Zack started playing with an injury, to reduce Zack's on-court pressure, Murphy, Brown, and others could only tearfully grab these rebounds that would only needlessly drain Zack's precious energy.
On the court, it was time to verify if "Full-Effort KG" had truly seen through Zack's offensive patterns. Facing a "ground-bound" Zack's triple threat, Garnett fully displayed his "bully the weak, fear the strong" side. He stuck to Zack like glue, clearly trying to take advantage of Zack's injury. However, it must be stated that "bullying the weak, fearing the strong" on the basketball court can also mean that a player is playing very smartly. Garnett's full effort at this moment was both a sign of respect for Zack and, more importantly, his desire as a ringless player to become a champion.
Being injured and unable to violently break down "Full-Effort KG's" defense was definitely one of Zack's big regrets this playoff season. But after being unable to use many of his talent-driven offensive moves due to injury, Zack instead stepped onto the threshold of a whole new realm.
On this play, Zack first used a ball fake to create space, then leaned his back into Garnett and, while attempting a turn, suddenly swung the ball to his side...
Swish!
This was a beautiful, "ground-bound" rhythm pull-up jumper. Garnett found it hard to describe Zack's offense in specific words, but he could use a specific person's name to express his praise for Zack's move: Paul Pierce.
No speed. No flashy moves. Just pure rhythm and fundamentals. In his previous four intense battles with the Spurs, Zack, having numerous encounters with Tim Duncan, had quietly taken another small step forward with the help of his senior.
Back on offense, it was the SuperSonics' possession. Ray Allen fired his first shot of the night. Using the pistol offense, and a hand-off with Cassell, Ray Allen dribbled around the perimeter and, using Garnett's screen, successfully found a good opportunity to shoot.
Swish!
Unlike the Ray Allen many remember who was just a catch-and-shoot specialist, Ray Allen at this time still possessed very good off-the-dribble shooting ability. This allowed Carlisle's carefully designed pistol offense to create more variations in execution, and Ray Allen could also freely choose to shoot off the dribble or catch-and-shoot based on his judgment.
"Many people say Ray Allen's playing style fits perfectly with The Messiah, Charles, what do you think?"
"Whose playing style doesn't fit with The Messiah? If The Messiah had been my teammate back then, there wouldn't have been a Bulls dynasty, but a Charles Barkley dynasty."
"Charles, if The Messiah were your teammate, are you sure you wouldn't become a second Scottie Pippen?"
"..."
On TNT, Barkley and Smith were back to their usual banter.
Davis brought the ball across half-court. Facing the veteran Cassell, and seeing that Murphy had already drawn Yao Ming to the top of the arc, Davis simply dribbled directly into "The Alien's" defensive area from the wing.
Slam!
At Oracle Arena, Davis, with the pedal to the metal, unleashed a full-windup one-handed tomahawk dunk, sending waves through the golden crowd. This was a perfectly executed individual offensive decision; Davis successfully seized the moment the SuperSonics' interior defense was at its weakest.
"It's a shame the Warriors don't have a first-round pick in '08... otherwise, finding a way to draft Russell Westbrook to replace Davis would be pretty good," Zack thought to himself, having witnessed Davis's explosive dunk.
Unlike future fans who demonized Westbrook, Zack had watched several of his "Turtle God's" games with the Nuggets before he crossed over, so he was quite certain he could perfectly coexist with Westbrook. The only slight drawback was that Westbrook's draft position in his memory was too high; unless the Warriors bled assets and gave up their championship aspirations, they were bound to find it difficult to acquire the draft pick needed to select "Turtle God."
On the SuperSonics' offense, Yao Ming successfully used Garnett's screen to get deep into the low post. This was an area where even an uninjured Zack couldn't stop his "Brother Yao." Because against Shaq, Zack could still choose to foul and enjoy the "Big Aristotle" shooting free throws. But if he chose to foul Yao Ming... Zack might as well just give his "Brother Yao" two points.
In this year's playoffs, just as in Zack's memory, Yao Ming was averaging nearly 10 free throws per game. Although in Zack's previous life, many fans hotly debated whether Yao Ming truly received "star calls," Zack could now tell future fans that the reason Yao Ming seemed not to get star calls was simply because his peak career was too short, and later Adelman transformed Yao Ming into a 7'6" "running back." If Yao Ming had no star calls at all, he wouldn't have averaged 10.7 free throws per game in the 2006-07 playoffs. It's just that due to his short prime, and the fact that big centers like Yao Ming inevitably received some "reverse star calls" in the regular season like prime Shaq, it made it seem like Yao Ming didn't get star calls. But in the playoffs, whether it was Shaq or Yao Ming, to prevent them from getting injured, the referees would still give the necessary calls.
Therefore, when Yao Ming rose up in the Warriors' paint, Zack didn't choose to commit a foul. Following that, to respond to Yao Ming with an Answer Ball, Zack tried to force a switch from Yao Ming by initiating a high-post double screen with Murphy. Unfortunately, Garnett, with his agile movements, immediately navigated around the screen. Through several encounters with "Full-Effort KG" this year, Zack had no doubt that if Garnett were truly five years younger, he would definitely be the player in the world most suited to defend him.
Despite entering the league back in 1995, Garnett looked like a modern forward in every way. He possessed the defensive versatility any team needed and the lateral quickness to rotate to the perimeter at any time. His offensive style allowed him to effectively provide spacing for his teammates on the court. And he even had excellent passing skills. From the "big ball era" to the "small ball era," Garnett could integrate perfectly. In Zack's eyes, Garnett was simply the most perfect second-best player template imaginable.
At this moment, Zack admitted that he was indeed a little "jealous" of Yao Ming. Coupled with the resentment from his injury, as he initiated his next offensive drive, the overly invested Zack actually forgot that he was still "injured."
Thump!
At the top of the arc, after a powerful dribble, Zack suddenly accelerated and charged straight into the SuperSonics' paint, still tangled with Garnett. Due to concerns about Zack's passing, Garnett always maintained a certain distance to be prepared. However, it was this very distance that provided Zack with ample space to take off. The next second, Garnett was mercilessly dunked on by Zack, completely caught off guard!
"He can still fly?!"
On TNT, Barkley's mouth suddenly formed an 'O' shape. And while Barkley was still in shock, Smith quickly grabbed the microphone and exclaimed, "This is a moment given to us by God! The Messiah is not Achilles; he will not be bound by his Achilles' heel!"
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