The Way of Basketball: Never Talk Shit to Him!
Chapter 288 - 174: Every season, I will make you regret trading me!

Chapter 288: Chapter 174: Every season, I will make you regret trading me!

At 2:14 of the fourth quarter, "Big Z" turned and hooked a shot under the basket, successfully scoring 2 points.

But there was not a single cheer from the crowd, it was as silent as death.

All the Cavaliers fans present seemed as if they had been sucked dry of their spirit by the Black Mountain Demon, sitting in their seats with a look of complete emptiness.

There was no helping it, at this moment the score was already 84 to 62, a full 22-point difference.

Moreover, the entire defensive strategy of the Pacers had visibly changed; they didn’t risk trying to block shots that the Cavaliers were likely to make, instead letting them score to avoid unnecessary fouls.

The Cavaliers couldn’t stop their offense at all.

Sure enough, less than 8 seconds after "Big Z" scored, the Pacers quickly completed a counterattack.

The difference in score continued to hover around 22 points.

LeBron’s face was filled with impatience.

Don’t get it wrong, it wasn’t because his team was down by 20 points.

Of course, many Cleveland fans might think that.

But he was annoyed because of the persistent, stringent defensive measures the Pacers employed against him.

Starting from the end of the third quarter, the Pacers began deliberately leaving the area under the basket open, allowing "Big Z" to carve out shots.

The Lithuanian’s 2-point plays couldn’t shake the foundation; as long as they choked off the outside ball handlers and prevented quickening the pace, the game was pretty much theirs...

Everyone knew, in a position war, what a tremendous advantage a lead of over 20 points represented!

Another reason targeting LeBron James was because the Cleveland media had been loudly claiming a huge advantage before the game, disrespecting the rules of the world. So they had simply torn off the disguise.

Your team might score, but LeBron James has to stay obediently in the "Iron Bucket Formation." freēNovelFire.com

Watching his teammates’ stats slowly improve, LeBron James himself became the drag; how could he not be anxious?

So...

Who else but this Pacers team to provoke!

Didn’t they realize that this Pacers team, from players to coach, were all petty?

Eventually, seeing that the Pacers didn’t want to give him the chance to handle the ball and attack, LeBron signaled to Mike Brown with a look when there were still 2 minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Brown immediately subbed him out.

Rick Carlisle, true to his word, then pulled all the main players of the Pacers.

The crowd’s booing... was completely absent.

With such a score difference, and such a torturous match.

Where would the Cavaliers fans find the mood to boo!

"Beep!"

As the buzzer symbolizing the end of the game sounded, the final score was set, the Pacers beating the Cavaliers by 29 points again, 109 to 80.

On the Pacers side:

Su Wan 27 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 block; Ron Artest 18 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals; Little O’Neal 21 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks; Foster 8 points, 8 rebounds; Dior 6 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists; Calderon 11 points, 5 assists;

For the Cavaliers:

"Big Z" 25 points, 11 rebounds; Drew Gooden 18 points, 7 rebounds; Newell 7 points, 3 rebounds; Vallejo 6 points, 6 rebounds; LeBron James 12 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 turnovers...

Looking solely at the Cavaliers’ data, two inner players combined for 43 points, 14 more than the Pacers’ Twin Towers. Those unfamiliar with the situation might think this was a team that focused on the inside game.

After the game, seeing LeBron’s stats, Su Wan was somewhat worried for LeBron.

With data so poor in two consecutive games, what excuse could he find to "whitewash" his performance?

Certainly, Su Wan couldn’t think of any.

At the news conference for the Cavaliers, a reporter brought up LeBron James’ poor performance in these two games.

LeBron said, "The Pacers’ restrictions on me were very successful, you know, Ron Artest has always been a strong contender for the Defensive Player of the Year, and I would be surprised if he doesn’t win it this season. Jermaine’s ability to help defend is also among the best in the league. This team has invested a lot of energy on me, and they deserve their reward. I tried everything, but the response we could give was too little; that’s why we lost. They performed better overall."

Praise the opponent’s ability first, state your own effort second, and criticize the team’s inadequacy third!

Then he faced the reporters with an indifferent expression, signaling for the next question.

All about being "guilt-free!"

Many reporters were so stunned by his response, not to mention the Cleveland reporters, who almost wanted to kneel down and shout, "My emperor, you’ve worked hard!"

Of course, his remarks held because:

The Pacers indeed had a well-known defensive system, and they used it entirely on him.

"Big Z" performed quite well tonight, but most of his points were scored after the lead had widened to 20; when the team needed someone to step up, he wasn’t able to.

It’s also an undeniable fact that the Pacers had stronger overall strength!

However, when the reporters were impressed by LeBron, once the next day’s newspaper came out, the headlines were quite biting:

"Completely Seen Through, LeBron Seems Incapable of Playing Basketball in Front of Su Wan!"

"Losing by 29 Points Again, the Cavaliers Are the Team with the Highest Average Points Lost in the First Round, the Difference in Performance Between LeBron and Su Wan in the Game, Like This Score Difference!"

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