chsdbacks Chapter 279 An Epic Night! The Aftermath of the Christmas Battle!
Chapter 279 An Epic Night! The Aftermath of the Christmas Battle!
Chapter 279 An Epic Night! The Aftermath of the Christmas Battle!
With the Trail Blazers substituting all their starters and surrendering, Bird also quickly substituted his own starters to rest after just one possession!
This match was incredibly taxing on both teams' players!
The players who had played for a very long time on both sides almost collapsed as soon as they sat down on the bench, panting heavily, greedily inhaling the air, and then frantically gulping down energy drinks.
Even though these players are all seasoned veterans, they really didn't play many matches that were so physically demanding!
After the substitutes from both sides came on, they went back and forth, scoring continuously, but the suspense of the game never returned, and the score difference between the two sides remained around 10 points!
Finally, when the final whistle blew, the score was 182:190!
The Pacers won this incredibly tough battle by 8 points in double overtime on this crazy night!
This grueling double-overtime battle, which lasted 3 hours and 20 minutes, has finally come to an end!
The moment the referee blew the final whistle, everyone—referees, fans, players, coaches, and commentators—breathed a long sigh of relief.
The match is finally over!
"Come on," Barkley said with a smile after calming down a bit following the game. "Let's take stock of how many records both sides broke!"
"Before that, let's take a look at the players' stats," Kenny said with a smile. "Let's look at tonight's performance first, then we'll look at historical statistics!"
"Okay!" Barkley didn't argue with Kenny this time. Instead, he picked up a stat sheet and said, "That's incredible! Even though I just watched the game, I still think it's unbelievable! I really can't believe this actually happened!"
「来吧，看看数据！今晚获胜的步行者队这边，全队以61%的投篮命中率和59%的3分命中率轰下了疯狂的190分！林今晚登场50分钟，33投20其中3分球10投7中，罚球12罚全中，拿下59分10篮板14次助攻6抢断！」
"What a pity!" Kenny couldn't help but say. "Just one point away! Just one point away, and Lin Tian would have been the first player in NBA history to achieve a 60-point triple-double! Just one point away! I bet Bird was stunned when he substituted Lin, completely unaware that Lin was so close to setting a historical record!"
"Lin always plays at this level! He never lets anyone down! He always manages to create one miracle after another!" Barkley smiled and continued, "And look at Webber! Tonight, Webber played 51 minutes, scoring 40 points, grabbing 15 rebounds, and dishing out 10 assists!"
"Webber and Lin have become yet another pair of teammates to record triple-doubles in the same game! They are the seventh pair in NBA history to achieve this feat, following Jordan and Pippen! But it's worth mentioning that Lin and Webber are the first pair in NBA history to score 40 points and record triple-doubles simultaneously!"
"In that sense, they are the greatest in history!"
"A great night, a great partnership! Lin and Webber are such a perfect match, such great chemistry! They were born to play together!" Kenny continued, "And look at the others! Carter had 21 points, Reggie had 20, Christie had 17, and Ben had 5 points and 18 rebounds, and Mullin had 12 points!"
"The Pacers had six players scoring in double figures tonight, and four of them scored over 20 points. Absolutely fantastic night!"
"Besides individual stats, the Pacers made 22 three-pointers tonight, a record in NBA history! They scored 49 points on fast breaks, also an NBA record! They also had 50 assists, the first time in NBA history that a team has achieved 50 assists in a single game! An absolutely phenomenal team night!"
"I think the Indianapolis and their fans received the perfect Christmas present tonight! Because they broke so many records and still won the game!"
After Kenny finished speaking, Barkley continued, "Similarly, applause should be given to the best supporting actors of the night, and perhaps the most heartbroken guys of the night: the Portland Trail Blazers! They also played a perfect game tonight, unleashing an epic offensive onslaught!"
"If Lin hadn't been so incredibly hot in the second overtime, the Trail Blazers might have won tonight!"
"Tonight, although only one player on the Trail Blazers scored 30 points—Rasheed Wallace—the rest of the Blazers' starters also had outstanding performances, in addition to his 31 points and 11 rebounds!"
「萨博尼斯20分13个篮板，皮蓬26分7篮板8助攻，施密茨24分5篮板5助攻，连被林天疯狂针对的斯塔达迈尔都拿下了20分9次助攻！另外，替补席上站出来的威尔斯也拿到了21分，施拉姆夫拿到19分！」
"Tonight, six Trail Blazers players scored over 20 points, and seven scored in double figures! They delivered an exceptional performance!"
"They shot a whopping 55% from the field and 47% from three-point range tonight! Plus, they made the second-most three-pointers in NBA history with 20, and the second-most fast break points in a single game with 44! And of course, they also had the second-most assists in an NBA game with 47!"
"And, the fact that six of them scored over 20 points is also a first in NBA history! The Trail Blazers have shown the world their well-rounded roster and formidable firepower!"
"Tonight, the Pacers are responsible for breaking records, and the Trail Blazers are responsible for making those records more valuable! With a bunch of second-place finishes and a loss, the Trail Blazers probably won't get a good night's sleep! They definitely won't sleep well!"
"This method of failure is simply unacceptable!"
"Finally, here are some records set by both teams," Kenny said with a smile. "Fast break points, three-pointers made, total assists, total turnovers, total points in a single game, total points scored by both teams in regulation time, total number of players scoring in double figures, total number of players scoring 20 or more points... these are all new NBA records!"
"And right now I'm really not sure if I've missed any damn records. These two teams made so much history tonight! I hope when I wake up tomorrow morning, someone will send me a text or email telling me if I've missed any great records."
"Alright, that's enough for now!" Barkley said with a smile. "That's all for this game's live broadcast! Don't change the channel, everyone! Next up, we have the ultimate showdown between the Knicks and the Lakers! New York vs. Los Angeles! Who will deliver another great surprise to the fans tonight?"
"We are incredibly excited!"
In the Pacers' locker room, Lin Tian sat on the bench for a long time, then looked at his teammates and said, "Besides Doug, who wants to spend a happy single's Christmas Eve with me?"
"Why me? Aren't I part of the team?" Christie immediately expressed his dissatisfaction.
"Because you're too scared to go." Lin Tian rolled his eyes. This henpecked, cowardly millionaire had the nerve to ask why he was excluded? In the two years since this guy joined the team, he hadn't participated in any activities other than bringing his wife!
As for activities involving bringing one's wife, well, coincidentally, none of the other members of the team wanted to participate.
Lin Tian's words silenced Christie.
Unfortunately, apart from Christie, none of the other team members responded to Lin Tian.
Weber was still lying on the floor, completely disoriented. Going out to play? He just wanted to get home, lie in bed, and get some rest.
He was really exhausted tonight.
Apart from Lin Tian, all the other players who had played enough minutes were in a similar state, especially the key players, who were all exhausted and wished they could be carried home.
…………
new York.
"Today is Christmas, not April Fool's Day." Ewing, who recently returned to the court but is far from being back to his peak, waved his hand, indicating that he did not believe Houston at all.
"Watch the news yourself!" Houston rolled his eyes and turned on the TV, which was showing a recap of the previous game on TNT.
"Double overtime, 190 points in a single game, that's brutal." Houston's words attracted the entire Knicks team to gather around.
They looked at each other, completely in disbelief.
That's 190 points!
In this day and age, many teams can't even score that many points in two games!
Many teams, even in a single game, score 60 or 70 points and still manage to win!
For example, the Knicks are the kind of team that scores dozens of points in a game and then wins by relying on defense and half-court offense.
Scoring 190 points in a single game?
Anyway, the Knicks guys wouldn't even dare to think about it.
…………
"What did you say? 190 points? Are you crazy?" Also in Los Angeles, O'Neal stared wide-eyed in disbelief. What a joke? 190 points in a single game?
"Oh, so it went to two overtimes." After hearing the assistant coach's explanation, O'Neal nodded, indicating that this was easier to accept... what a load of rubbish!
Scoring 190 points in 5 overtimes? That's ridiculous!
"A 59-point triple-double and a 40+ point triple-double?" Kobe, who was standing next to him, heard Lin Tian and Webber's stats, glanced at O'Neal, and thought, "Hmm, this big guy can't pass the ball. I'm afraid he won't have a chance to create this record of two people playing triple-doubles together with me."
I can only score 40 points and 20 assists by myself, and then average it with him.
Jackson sat in the middle of the locker room with a smile and said casually, "Lin and Chris might be the strongest inside-outside duo in the league right now. I really can't think of anyone who can compare to them. They might become the most successful inside-outside duo since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson."
"Phil, Kobe and I are the best duo!" O'Neal snorted, saying bluntly, "They overexerted themselves in the regular season, that was incredibly stupid! If you ask me, maintaining a decent record in the regular season is enough; the playoffs are where the real competition begins! We'll crush them in the Finals this year!"
"Kobe, you agree, right?" O'Neal said, then turned to look at Kobe.
"Of course! I'll take down Lin, and Shaq will beat Webber to a pulp!" Kobe said coldly, "The two of us are the best!"
The two looked at each other, and then, in perfect unison, they reached out and gave each other a high five. It was a truly heartwarming moment!
However, in their hearts...
O'Neal: If this kid were as playful, fun-loving, and good at passing as Lin, that would be great. He's impressive, but unfortunately, he's a blockhead!
Kobe: If this fat guy were as dedicated, hardworking, and crazy about training as Lin, he would be amazing. But unfortunately, he's a fun-loving person who's always doing nothing productive!
"Achoo!" Lin Tian sneezed as he got into his car. He never expected that he would inexplicably become the first rift in the relationship between the two members of the OK duo.
"What are the referees doing? Why didn't they let them go into overtime?" Stern's first thought after hearing that the Pacers had scored 190 points in a single game was to blame the referees!
This kind of game, this kind of opportunity that might not come again for another 30 years, why not let him continue playing, why not let the Pacers seize the opportunity to score 200 points? What are we waiting for? To wait for a windfall?
These referees!
No, I need to study harder!
They need to know when to blow the whistle more often and when to keep it completely silent.
Then, after Stern learned that Lin Tian had scored a triple-double of 59 points in a single game, he became furious!
Just kidding, 59 points!
Is it so hard to let him score another point? Couldn't they just give the Trail Blazers a technical foul for any reason? The Trail Blazers have Rasheed Wallace; getting him a technical foul is easier than drinking water for them. These referees, why didn't they help bring Lin Tian's score to 60 points? Their professional skills are terrible!
A meeting! Training! A meeting and training session are urgently needed!
The first thing to do after Christmas is to have a proper meeting with these referees!
We need to give them a crash course and some practice!
…………
"190 points, 11 points in the second overtime..." Riley muttered incredulously in Miami, then closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. He didn't think the score was rigged, nor did he think the number was worthless.
However, Riley's focus was not on the Pacers' 190 points or Lin Tian's 59 points. His focus was on Lin Tian's 11 consecutive points in the second overtime. He said that in NBA-level competition, he played like that, bombarding the court like that, playing 50 minutes and still scoring like that in the second overtime.
Riley closed his eyes and recalled Lin Tian's terrifying stamina bar during last season's playoffs, and couldn't help but shudder.
Even though the team has formed a Big Three this year and has twin towers in the paint, Riley suddenly lost some confidence after being beaten by Lin Tian.
Lin Tian's stamina and offensive capabilities are just too outrageous!
then……
Riley opened his eyes and carefully looked at Lin Tian's data statistics.
0 errors...
That's terrifying.
I wonder if Payton can hold on?
They probably can't hold on.
Payton and Mourning should be able to hold their own, right?
hope so.
…………
In San Antonio, Gregg Popovich, who didn't have a game tonight, didn't enjoy a turkey dinner with his family. Instead, he sat in front of the TV and watched the entire Pacers vs. Trail Blazers game.
After watching the game, Popovich slumped back in his chair, looking somewhat exhausted, and didn't move for a long time.
What truly captivated Popovich wasn't the game where two teams scored over 370 points; what truly stunned him was Lin Tian's ability to exploit mismatches, both when he was smaller and when he was bigger...
Yes, Lin Tian can immediately score against players shorter than him using various techniques such as back-to-the-basket moves, height, and strength. And if the opponent is an inside player, Lin Tian's jump shot and breakthrough accuracy is too high. Tonight, Sabonis was completely overwhelmed by Lin Tian!
If the Trail Blazers had made even a fraction of those incredible shots, the game would have been a foregone conclusion long ago!
Will Lin Tian target Duncan and Robinson like this...?
Definitely!
Duncan is alright; he's young and relatively fast, so he might be able to keep up. But David Robinson…
In addition, the team's perimeter game also needs to be strengthened, otherwise Lin Tian might not even need to use the mismatch against Duncan to break down the Spurs! We must find a star-level perimeter player to fill the team's weak perimeter position.
We don't need to find someone who can completely stop Lin Tian, but at the very least, we need to find someone who can go toe-to-toe with Lin Tian without being at a disadvantage!
It's a pity that Sprewell was bought for a low price by those country bumpkins from the Timberwolves, and they're still holding onto him like a treasure. Otherwise, I would definitely try to steal him and get this former All-NBA First Team forward for a low price, which would definitely help the team improve again!
If Sprewell isn't fit, are there any other cost-effective perimeter players in the league who can be used to strengthen the team's current roster? That's something to think about carefully.
Well, Popovich's consistent style, or rather, the style that San Antonio forces him to adopt, is to achieve great things with little money, or better yet, to achieve great things without spending any money at all.
…………
In Philadelphia, Allen Iverson was in the locker room taking his usual deep breaths and preparing for the game when JaVale McGee suddenly exclaimed, "My God! Lin is putting on such a terrifying performance again! Unbelievable! Absolutely amazing!"
"Aaron, don't act like you've never seen anything like this before. All that yelling and shouting, aren't you ashamed?" Iverson raised his eyelids, disdainfully saying, "How amazing can he be? Let me tell you, there's no stat line I can't put up! Come on, tell me how amazing he is, and I'll replicate it for you in a minute!"
"He scored 11 points in a row in the second overtime tonight, going on an 11-0 run to kill the game!" McGee muttered.
"Tch, I thought it was something big. It's just 11 points in a row? Is that something to brag about?" Iverson was clearly relieved. Judging from his expression, he was obviously afraid that Lin Tianzhen would actually put up some stats that he couldn't possibly achieve.
"He also hit a game-tying goal at the end of regular time and the first overtime," McGee continued.
"Well...that depends on having the opportunity. If I have the opportunity, I can do it too. It's easy!"
"He also recorded a super triple-double of 59 points! That's the highest single-game triple-double in NBA history!" McGee said, as if squeezing out toothpaste, adding another number.
"Are you done yet? Can't you just finish what you started? You're dawdling like a woman. Tonight at the party, you're sitting at the kids' table! Don't come hanging around in front of me, it's disgusting!" Iverson slapped his thigh, stood up, and unleashed a torrent of abuse on McGee before turning and walking out of the locker room.
Yeah, he needs to go shoot a couple of baskets to calm down.
One of the advantages of being on the 76ers is that if he doesn't bring it up, no one will dare to say another word. He doesn't have to worry about anyone asking him: "Allen, weren't you going to get a 59-point triple-double?"
Nobody has the guts.
but……
Lin Tian is truly a terrifying monster.
Fortunately, Iverson left early; otherwise, if he had heard that the Pacers had scored 190 points in a single game, he probably would have tripped up again!
…………
In the training hall of Virtus FC in Bologna, Italy, Ginobili, who had just sat down to rest and hadn't even had a sip of water, was called over by his teammate.
"Manu, you got drafted by the Pacers, didn't you? They just scored 190 points in one game! 190 points!" exclaimed Sasha Danilovic, the team's star point guard. "We only score 50-60 points a game. 190 points is enough for us to play three games! Are all the players in the NBA monsters like this?"
"I don't know," Ginobili said, scratching his still-thick, buzz-cut head. "But I'll win every honor I can here, and then I'll take those with me to the NBA! I don't think the gap between us and them is that big; it's just a different system!"
"Come on, look at how the US team has utterly crushed all the other teams in the world since '92!" Danilovic said. "The gap between us and them is so huge that I feel like we're not even playing the same sport!"
"I will beat them!" Ginobili continued, "I will lead Argentina to defeat the USA on the world stage!"
"Then you'll have to join the Argentine national football team, Manu," Danilovic said with a smile. "I know your Batistuta and Hernán Crespo, who happens to be in Serie A too. He's a good friend of mine. Want me to introduce you to them and have them bring you into the team?"
In response to Danilovic's mockery, Ginobili stood up again and said:
"We'll see, I'll take down Team America!"
This Christmas, Lin Tian and the Pacers delivered a wonderful Christmas gift to the basketball world. With a near-perfect performance and an extreme offensive show that got everyone's blood pumping, they showed everyone the charm of basketball, the charm of offensive basketball!
Defense Wins Championships? That's Only Because Your Offense Isn't Strong Enough! Who Can Stop the Pacers' Firepower?
"To win against the Pacers in the paint, you need to unleash an even more insane firepower!"
A triple-double with 59 points! Two game-tying moments, and 11 consecutive points in the second overtime! Just how deep is Lin's stamina?
A miraculous night! The Pacers and Trail Blazers deliver the most spectacular Christmas game ever!
The Pacers' firepower is absolutely the best in history! Four offensive spearheads unleash a barrage of attacks; you should pray before facing them!
Lin Tian: I'm not the Player of the Month for November? Great! Let's see who wins for December!
After losing the November Player of the Month award, Lin has already racked up 5 games with 40+ points and 10+ rebounds!
Who can rival him? Lin may clinch this season's MVP four months early!
Who exactly cast their vote for someone else? Lin Tian didn't get the unanimous MVP last year, and this year the entire league is suffering!
After failing to defend their title, the Pacers return with fury!
The best way to provoke Lin: Take away what rightfully belongs to him!
"The Strongest in History? A Closer Look at This Year's Pacers vs. the 74-Win Bulls of 96: Who's Stronger?"
……
Similarly, on this Christmas night, a night with three highly anticipated matches, the Pacers stole almost all the attention and viewership.
没人在乎奥尼尔用一个39分19篮板6盖帽打崩尼克斯，还让尤因只拿到13分6篮板。
Nobody cared that in the same game, Kobe recorded his first career triple-double: 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists!
Glen Rice's seven three-pointers and the Lakers' 121-90 victory over the Knicks by 31 points were also largely ignored.
As for the top-tier matchup between the next generation of point guards, Iverson's 39 points and 8 assists versus Marbury's 33 points and 13 assists, nobody cared either.
All eyes were on Lin Tian, the Pacers, and the Trail Blazers!
Hmm... maybe aside from the players on those two teams themselves.
Not only did the Pacers refuse Lin Tian's offer to play another game after the match, but even the Trail Blazers, those guys who are like Energizer Rabbits with endless energy and tireless spirit, and who love to cause trouble, also refused Lin Tian's invitation, saying they wanted to go back to the hotel to sleep, otherwise they might die of exhaustion in the bar.
But Lin Tian was quite excited tonight, so he let the main players go and forcibly dragged Lewis, Ellington and others who hadn't contributed much tonight, as well as Wells and the others from the Trail Blazers, out to have fun all night.
Anyway, Lin Tian was very excited tonight and had boundless energy that needed to be released!
There's no reason, I'm just excited!
That night, Lin Tian was excited and partied all night long, and unusually, he drank quite a bit.
He even forgot how he got back home.
But when he woke up, it was already the afternoon of the next day, and Lin Tian was lying on the sofa.
Shaking his groggy head, Lin Tian finally remembered that Bird had given everyone the day off from training. After drinking a large glass of water, Lin Tian felt much better.
After sitting on the sofa, Lin Tian habitually picked up his phone and glanced at it. There were no missed calls, but one text message puzzled him.
It was sent by Jermaine O'Neill.
"Lin, thank you. You're the only one who truly cares about me. I listened to your advice last night, and I'll think it over carefully! No matter what, you'll always be my most respected DF Daboule R!"
What did I say to this guy last night?
Lin Tian racked his brains, but couldn't remember anything.
But it shouldn't be something like having him put a sack over Rashid's head, tie cement to Rashid's feet, and sink him to the bottom of the Mississippi River to get playing time.
Hmm, probably not.
Jermaine O'Neal probably wouldn't do something like that.
I think...
Thinking of this, Lin Tian couldn't resist making a phone call to O'Neal.
If he's loading cement right now, at least I can save his life, right?
"D.D. Daboule R! I didn't expect you to call me so soon, what's up?" O'Neal's voice was full of excitement.
"Why are you so happy?" Lin Tian asked with some concern. "You didn't do anything impulsive, did you?"
"Of course not!" O'Neal's voice was warm and innocent, but before Lin Tian could even relax, O'Neal's next words made his heart leap into his throat again: "What I did was carefully considered! I thought it over thoroughly!"
"Even if it comes at a price, I'm willing to bear it! I won't regret it, Lin, it's all thanks to you! It's all thanks to your support that I had the courage to do this thing I've always wanted to do! Really, thank you."
Jermaine O'Neal's words sent chills down Lin Tian's spine; they were terrifying!
What's going on here?!
Could this guy have really gotten carried away and sunk Rashid to the bottom of the sea just for a little playing time?
"I've told the coach and the general manager that I want them to trade me! To send me to a place where I can get playing time and shine! Even if I still don't get playing time in the new place, even if I'm still useless there, I'll only blame myself for not being good enough!"
"But I'm really not satisfied with this. I haven't even had a chance to prove myself. I've wasted three years in Portland, and I don't want to be on the bench anymore! I want to get on the court!"
So it was just a damn transaction request!
Lin Tian wiped the sweat from his brow, relieved to find it was a false alarm.
I almost became an instigator!
After all, apart from being a bit sharp-tongued and short-tempered, Rashid was generally a good guy.
After hanging up the phone with Jermaine O'Neal, Lin Tian was also somewhat expectant, because with his arrival, the league had become completely different! Malone and Payton went to the Heat, Sprewell joined the Timberwolves ahead of schedule, Carter and Webber came to Indiana, and the Knicks and Pacers won championships one after another.
This alliance is very different from the one Lin Tian remembered!
Where will Jermaine O'Neal go this time?
Will he be able to find a suitable new partner?
After all, Jermaine O'Neal was originally going to come to the Pacers, but given the Pacers' current situation, having already acquired Ben Wallace and Chris Webber, adding Jermaine O'Neal would not only be a waste of resources, but also a waste for Jermaine O'Neal himself.
It wasted his talent and prevented him from becoming a true top star.
Shaking his head, Lin Tian didn't think too much about the matter of Jermaine O'Neal. Anyway, Lin Tian believed that gold will shine wherever it is. Let's see who has the vision and luck to take advantage of the situation and acquire Jermaine O'Neal at a low price!
After a Christmas night that fans thoroughly enjoyed, the league only took one day off before resuming the rest of the season!
The Pacers may have been exhausted from the double-overtime game on Christmas Day, leaving their key players extremely tired. As a result, they suffered two consecutive losses in the following games on December 27 and December 30.
The team lost to both the Kings and the Nuggets! Two more lottery-level teams!
This is their first losing streak of the season, and also the first time this season they have lost to a team with a mid-to-lower-tier record!
Many fans, eager to please, even gave the Pacers the nickname "Robin Hood," because they never lost a game against strong teams, but always lost to weak teams!
Definitely a way to bring warmth!
After this two-game losing streak, the Pacers' December season has finally come to an end, and their record has reached 29 wins and 6 losses!
Their record in December was 14 wins and 5 losses!
This record isn't actually that good; in fact, it only ranked second in the league in December, even worse than the Lakers' 17 wins and 2 losses!
But Lin Tian's performance was dazzling enough, especially his four consecutive 40+10 games at the beginning of the month and his terrifying performance in the Christmas game, which earned him a lot of positive impressions!
So, on the first day of January, the league announced their Player of the Month for December, and without a doubt, it went to Lin Tian!
Then, also during the New Year's Day period, which was the first two days of the 21st century, the league saw a series of trades.
First and foremost was the most significant move: the Spurs packaged Elliott and Samaki Walker, along with their newly drafted 29th overall pick, Leon Smith, and sent them to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for the Kings' leader of the past eight years and a six-time All-Star.
Mickey Richmond, the Rock!
Since joining the Kings from the Warriors in the 1991 season, Richmond has been the team's leading scorer for eight consecutive seasons!
Although he is only the team's second-leading scorer so far this season, he is averaging 17.3 points per game with a 38% three-point shooting percentage!
Logically speaking, such a high-quality scorer shouldn't be sold so cheaply; the Spurs should at least give up two more draft picks.
However, the Kings had a very poor record. In Richmond's eight and a half seasons with the Kings, the team only made the playoffs once, in the 1995-96 season, and was eliminated in the first round. The rest of the time, they were always in the lottery!
In addition, the Kings were prepared to trade Richmond two years ago in exchange for Chris Webber, but due to the intervention of Lin Tian and Pelinka, Richmond was unable to leave. Although the management has been trying to repair their relationship with this core player since then, hoping that he can play well for the team.
But trust is something that is hard to repair once it is broken. Moreover, the Kings don't really care about Richmond, who is nominally the team's leader. They are also fed up with the constant lottery results. Given the chance, they want to get rid of Richmond.
Over the course of two years, countless rumors have circulated about a deal involving Richmond, but either the king's asking price was too high or Richmond was uncooperative. In short, the two sides have been patching things up and making do, which has delayed the deal until now.
However, as Richmond's performance deteriorated, the offers the Kings received became lower and lower. With Richmond's contract expiring and him becoming a complete liability, the Kings had no choice but to grit their teeth and sell him at a discount to cut their losses and sell him cheaply to San Antonio!
At the very least, they also acquired a first-round draft pick who hasn't even entered the NBA yet, right? What if they win big?
Then, less than three days later, the Spurs made another move!
This time, they've set their sights on another star player who's been on sale for a long time but hasn't sold.
Jalen Rose of the Raptors!
This time, they traded their two first-round draft picks from 00 and 02, along with Malik Rose, to Toronto, acquiring Rose, a troublemaker and a big talker!
In the blink of an eye, the Spurs completed two trades at very low cost, acquiring two star-level players for the 2-3 positions from Sacramento and Toronto respectively!
These two trades, if not shaking the entire league, at least sent shivers down the spines of the entire Western Conference.
The Lakers, Trail Blazers and Spurs were originally a three-way rivalry, but in an instant the Spurs stood out and became the team with the best chance of making it out of the Western Conference!
Their combination of the Four Heavenly Kings is truly incredibly luxurious!
In particular, the Spurs assembled this "Big Four" combination from the roster that made it to the Finals last year!
This lineup's offensive power is absolutely top-tier in the league!
What upset many people even more was that the Spurs made both trades too good to be true! They paid almost no price, except for a few veterans, a 29th overall pick in this year's draft, and two future draft picks that are destined to be outside the top 25.
For this price, you get two excellent scorers who are capable of averaging 20 points per game, and they don't seem to overlap at all and are very compatible!
This is a lineup that even the Dynasty Mode in NBA LIVE wouldn't dare to imagine!
All I can say is that the Spurs' Popovich and Buford are truly masters at buying at rock-bottom prices!
For Rose and Richmond, this is their best, and possibly their last, chance!
Young Rose needs to rebuild his shattered reputation and work towards his next big contract.
Richmond, who is about to turn 35 but has only played in the playoffs three times and appeared in a total of 21 playoff games, has been given the only chance of his life to compete for the championship!
If Rose doesn't seize this opportunity, his reputation will completely collapse, and he'll become a locker room cancer and troublemaker. Richmond might as well prepare to retire.
(End of this chapter)