The Way of Basketball: Never Talk Shit to Him!
Chapter 295 - 177: Eastern Conference Finals, Here We Come Again!_2

Chapter 295: Chapter 177: Eastern Conference Finals, Here We Come Again!_2

"Defensive Player of the Year? Hah..."

"Seriously, it’s only because guys like Gary Payton are getting old, otherwise how would it be his turn!"

"Exactly, his eyes were practically bloodshot, yet he let Gilbert score 25 points."

"Maybe I should guard him the day after tomorrow; otherwise, I’ll have to treat him to a meal next time."

"I think you’re right, Su, it should be you. I feel like he thinks he’s bound to lose, so he deliberately let Gilbert score those extra two points."

"Yeah, his character’s just not good!"

"Definitely not good!"

...

Artest, standing right beside them, listening to these two people talk smack right to his face, several times wanted to retort, but the piercing words left him with his mouth agape for ages, unable to say anything substantial.

Dammit, it’s all Gilbert’s fault!

Artest decided to blame all the mistakes on Arenas.

Just wait for the next game, I’ll skin you alive!

After the game, Su Wan was interviewed, and by this time the reporters had already learned about their bet with Rick Carlisle.

"Why did this bet come about?"

"It’s probably because Rick Carlisle felt we needed some extra motivation. You know, after the first round of playoffs, the next is a completely different level of competition, and we need to be more proactive."

"What do you think about the Pacers’ chances against the Wizards in the upcoming games?"

"Of course, I hope it’ll be as quick as possible, ideally ending in 4 games. I don’t want it to drag to a fifth game or later."

...

Su Wan’s two responses made Cleveland very angry, and the Washingtonians even more so.

Taking advantage of the situation, Eddie Jordan used Su Wan’s words to pump up the Wizards: "See that? Su Wan doesn’t even consider you a threat. He thinks he can sweep you, and he doesn’t even think there’ll be a sixth game in the series. This is outright humiliation. Now is the time for your response. Prove him wrong, kids!"

But, speaking of firing people up, is there anything more motivating than a bleeding wallet?

Foster and those guys really went for the jugular!

A meal that cost nearly three thousand bucks.

Artest swearing: "Jeff, if you don’t get 15 rebounds next game, you better brace yourself for me to punch the food you ate back out!"

Foster was stuffing a chunk of Australian lobster into his mouth, and while eating, he said: "You three should be worried. If those three guys from Washington score over 55 points again, then it would be just right to empty my stomach, and I can keep eating!"

How could a statement like that not max out the state of Su Wan and the others?

And after reviewing the first game, they also found that although Washington had the "Three Musketeers," they still played with a "ball holding big core" strategy; if they could limit Arenas, they could contain the presence of the other two on offense.

Basically, their tactic was quite simple: Arenas controlling the ball, either taking the shot himself or passing. Caron Butler and Jia Misen were primarily responsible for catching his passes and helping to spread the floor.

Put plainly, it’s like a variant of "One Star and Four Shooters."

Arenas could shoot and breakthrough on his own, so he didn’t need extreme space.

Therefore, the big men Eddie Jordan had in the paint were specifically for protecting the rim and "eating cakes" – blue-collar players without the ability to stretch the floor. As long as Arenas’ passing was cut off, their scoring would be limited as well.

Since it was about limiting a "ball holding big core" player, all problems became simpler.

Because whether it was Kobe, who specialized in scoring, or LeBron, the "reckless" type who utilized his body and pick-and-rolls for breakthrough passes, both could be well contained.

Arenas was a blend of both styles, but he had his issues. Standing at 1.93 meters tall and weighing 86kg, he could hold his own against other point guards, but against a forward matchup like Artest, once he couldn’t create distance, he would be steadily pushed back in the confrontation.

Especially after the last game, Artest was even more experienced now.

Add Su Wan and the help defense from the young O’Neal,

In the second game of the series, Arenas ultimately only managed to shoot 7 for 19. Including free throws, he scored just 19 points in the game.

This was the first time this postseason that he scored less than 20 points in a game.

Aside from his own scoring struggles, his organizing was also not up to par due to heavy interceptions. — Arenas is an easily emotional player. Once he gets flustered, he’ll force shots, oblivious to his opponent, eh? That kinda sounds like that snake from Los Angeles, but okay, "paranoids" and "hotheads" might be completely different characters, but sometimes they behave the same way on the court, both "going solo"!

As a result, like the Pacers expected, Caron Butler and Jia Misen’s offensive presence significantly diminished.

Especially Caron Butler, who managed only 11 points with a 3 for 11 shooting performance.

Jia Misen did have his own scoring ability, but his lack of passing skills was noticed by Rick Carlisle. Whenever he got the ball, the Pacers formed a pseudo-double team, creating a sense of pressure for him.

Without Arenas’ assists, he too scored only 15 points, shooting 6 for 16.

The "Three Musketeers" became "three silent guns" tonight, and the Pacers smoothly claimed the victory in the second game of the series, 91-76.

Bill Walton commented on the final score, "This is a Pistons-style victory. Clearly the Pacers aimed to win the game with their defense from the start, and the result has proven they have the ability!"

After watching the game, Kenny Smith expressed a hunch he had felt for a while but became even more certain after this game: "The Pacers are very adept at dealing with teams that have a ball holding big core. To beat them, a team must have two strong ball handlers who can spread their defense, especially keeping Ron, Jermaine, and Su from focusing on any one person. Currently, in this league, no one can perform well against the three of them together."

Neither Kobe nor LeBron could do it, and now, Arenas, who averaged 35.5 points in the first round of the playoffs, has proven he can’t either!

After the game, the young O’Neal was the one footing the bill, as Artest’s victory was a close call. Jia Misen’s shooting percentage in the second game was only 37.5%, just 0.7% better than Arenas’ 36.8%!

It was a thrilling victory, and Artest started rapping on the spot, even "scratching" as he rapped.

Which pissed off the young O’Neal.

Watching them clown around courtside, Barkley suddenly said in the studio, "I think there’s no suspense left; the Pacers will sweep the Wizards in 4 games."

Then...

The "Three Musketeers" returned home to a combined explosion, scoring 77 points and taking a win on their home court.

— Charles, please shut up!

After the third game, Su Wan publicly called out Barkley on Facebook, telling him to stop "poisoning the milk."

However, the main reason for the "Three Musketeers’" explosion was their shooting touch. And shooting touch can’t be hot every day, so even though they won one game at home, they couldn’t hold on to their next home game and lost by 24 points. In the fifth game of the series, back at home, the Pacers wasted no playoff points, defeating the Wizards 108-94 with a 14-point victory, eliminating their second postseason opponent with a 4-1 series score.

"The Voice of the Pacers," Bobby Leonard shouted excitedly, "Eastern Conference Finals, here we come again!"

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