The Warriors effortlessly advanced to the second round.
This allowed Qin Yue and his teammates not only more ti to rest but also sparked their interest in studying the progress of the Eastern Conference playoffs first round while waiting for their next opponent.
As expected, the Hawks, without Tyson Chandler, beca the first team in the East to be eliminated.
Although Josh Smith from the Hawks always considered himself the 'Atlanta Xiaoxin,' his playing style actually made him resemble more of a 'poor man's Jas.'
In the first round of the playoffs, when the poor man's version t the original, Smith was naturally suppressed in all aspects by Jas.
And the Knicks won the first three gas against the Hawks, almost effortlessly reaching match point.
However, this series, which was supposed to be without suspense, took an unexpected turn in the fourth ga.
The reason was...
Durant, who was trying in every way to align himself with Qin Yue, suggested to the coach and his teammates before the start of the fourth ga, "Brown has a clear advantage in his matchup against Josh, we should give him more control of the ball, he needs a more perfect performance to prove himself."
Give him more control of the ball.
He needs a performance to prove himself.
That evening, although Jas was pleased Durant was considering him, he didn't like Durant's condescending tone.
However...
In front of the 'New York ssiah' Durant, Jas currently had no room for being choosy.
"Brown, do your best!"
"I will, thank you, 'KD'."
Even if he felt so discontent towards Durant in his heart, Jas still had to greet him with a smile.
Why?
Because Jas's personality dictated that to maintain his dignity, he couldn't possibly fall out with Durant at such a mont.
Just like when Qin Yue first entered the league, Jas told him that.
All along, gaining power respectably through locker room politics is what Jas excels at.
In Cleveland, Jas respectably sent away the overly ambitious Ricky Davis.
In history, Jas respectfully relieved Wade, known for his 'Zhao Yun-like courage,' of his military power.
In later years, when returning to Cleveland, Jas didn't even need to take action; with off-court marketing as the Chosen One leading the championship back to the city of defeat, he successfully established himself as the life ntor of Owen.
And in the more distant future, when facing the naive and simple Davis, whose brows seed to exude wisdom, Jas even developed a whole new manner of playing.
Under the guise of helping Davis quickly grow to beco the head of the Lakers, the credit for winning all belonged to , and when losing, you were the head of the family. Until Qin Yue's crossing, Jas was still firmly holding his power in the Lakers.
In short, you can sar everything about Jas, but you absolutely cannot question his dominance in locker room politics.
And in the fourth ga, the role that Jas barely gained in this Knicks team as the ball-handling core almost brought a perfect personal performance for Knicks fans.
Throughout the ga, Jas tallied 38 points, 12 rebounds, 14 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks.
However, the reason this performance was only almost perfect...
Mainly because Joe Johnson and Deron Williams, unwilling to be swept out, tead up for a career-defining performance.
The forr, despite Iguodala's deathly grip, explosively scored 38 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists.
The latter, for that evening, sank nine three-pointers, collecting a total of 35 points, 4 rebounds, and 11 assists.
When the Hawks' backcourt dual-core shone brightly, leading the team to claw back a ga despite being down 0-3, the ever-critical New York dia imdiately questioned the tactical adjustnt the Knicks voluntarily made in this ga.
The New York dia couldn't understand why D'Antoni changed the Knicks' prior tactic of having Iguodala as the ball-handling core in the starting lineup, and structuring the rotation around Harden.
Even though Jas's personal performance in this fourth ga was comndable, in the eyes of the New York dia, had the Knicks steadfastly continued with their previous tactic, they should be discussing the Knicks' next-round opponent by now.
"Mike D'Antoni, please give the ball back to Iguodala and Harden! Stop indulging in your fanciful tactical experints!"
In the fifth ga, the Knicks, back at Madison Square Garden, heeded the New York dia's pre-ga advice, and with a decisive victory that night, smoothly progressed to the next round.
However...
Looking over this series, Jas's mood was nonetheless far from happy.
Because the ga in which the Knicks played entirely around him, where he was the central figure, just happened to be the only ga they lost in the first round of the playoffs.
Even though in that ga, the reason the Knicks lost was mainly due to the stellar form of ISO Joe and Deron.
But in contrast to the other four blowouts, even Jas himself began to doubt himself.
"Brown, I won't allow you to doubt yourself!"
On the night of advancing to the second round, having noticed Jas's low spirits, Durant took the initiative to comfort him by saying, "I've always recognized your personal ability, without your assistance, we wouldn't go far."
Assistance, once again assistance.
Despite Durant's comfort, Jas couldn't understand why this young man's way of speaking was so annoying that it repeatedly reminded him of Qin Yue.
User Comments
0 comments from readers