Chapter 2232 - 38: Over 100

Chapter 2232: Chapter 38: Over 100

A devastating loss doesn’t dampen Glory’s morale; rather, everyone realizes that playing solely on defense won’t win games.

Iverson said in the locker room after the game, "We need to attack, to score, guys! Put the ball through the hoop!"

In Glory’s locker room, besides Gan Guoyang, Iverson is the second most influential person.

He has many flaws and issues, but there’s no denying he’s a captivating figure.

When people look into his eyes and listen to his voice, it’s hard to deny him, even if what he says lacks sense.

And now, Iverson is spot-on; we need to attack, to score, to put the ball into the hoop.

Little Spo was right; from the data model analysis, Glory doesn’t have an advantage relying on defense, as the regular season has already shown.

The problem now is, how to outmatch the Suns in offensive efficiency.

Should we accelerate our pace or focus on efficiency and play more positional attacks to suppress the Suns?

There was a disagreement between the assistant coaches led by Little Spo and Porter.

Little Spo believes we should go all out with offense against offense, exploiting the Suns’ weak backcourt defense, which can’t withstand the onslaught.

Porter, on the other hand, remains conservative, believing enhancing our positional play efficiency is a better choice.

However, this time Porter didn’t insist too much; he accepted the assistant coaches’ suggestion to play fast.

But such a style isn’t good news for Yao Ming; he can keep up with the pace but not for long.

"If we play fast, Sonny, you’ll need to be on the court longer to maintain our inside strength," Porter privately told Gan Guoyang.

"I understand, try to keep me on the court as much as possible, anyway... my time is running out," Gan Guoyang started counting the days.

He knows that once they overcome the Suns barrier, reaching the Finals wouldn’t pose much of a challenge.

That’s because the Boston Celtics were unexpectedly eliminated by the Chicago Bulls in the semifinals.

Despite having Duncan, Pierce, and Parker, the Celtics were dragged into a game seven by the Bulls and surprisingly lost in the semifinals.

They originally led 2-0, winning the pivotal game, yet failed to clinch a victory on the road.

The Celtics’ midseason turmoil undoubtedly affected their form.

Beelman’s departure and Doug Rivers taking over impacted the Celtics’ morale.

The result was being unexpectedly overturned by the youthful Bulls; this playoff was full of surprises.

The Mavericks were upset as the eighth seed, the Celtics were reversed, and both Nowitzki and Duncan, two formidable power forwards at their peak, were prematurely eliminated, clearing Gan Guoyang’s path forward.

Now the two teams in the Eastern Conference Finals are the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Bulls.

Whichever team makes it to the Finals would hardly be a match for the Western Conference winners.

The West Finals is essentially the championship; by 2007, this still holds true. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

On May 22nd, Game 2, at the American Airlines Center.

The Phoenix Suns, who won Game 1 decisively, are brimming with confidence and morale.

Their thought is the same as Gan Guoyang’s: defeat Glory to enter the Finals, and the championship is theirs for the taking.

The East lacks Duncan, and the Cavaliers, solely supported by young James and Arenas, are slightly inferior in strength.

Before the game, Steve Nash and Allen Iverson embraced each other, while Yao Ming chatted with Stoudemire.

Disregarding the aura of Gan Guoyang, this matchup itself is fascinating.

Iverson and Nash are representatives of the silver generation of 1996; Iverson is the high-profile first overall pick, while Nash seems much more inconspicuous.

Over time, Nash has accumulated experience and talent. He initially achieved remarkable success with the Celtics, yet his return to the Suns has sparked a resurgence, winning an MVP, and surpassing Iverson in honors.

Iverson, after early widespread admiration, joined Glory to wash away the glitz and strive towards a championship.

Iverson has been stable in this playoff, as the team’s top offensive option, not lagging defensively, and reaching a playoff career-high in steals.

He is in great form, claiming it’s his best state since 2001.

A regular lifestyle and intense training have revitalized his physique from its decline.

In the interior, Yao Ming and Stoudemire are in similar situations: a 2002 first overall pick versus a relatively underestimated high school player.

Their styles differ greatly, but they have always been compared to one another.

Yao Ming is believed to be unable to survive without Gan Guoyang’s protection, and Stoudemire is thought to be unable to make an All-Star appearance without Nash.

Under such misconceptions, they maintain a positive mindset and diligently play the game.

Yao Ming has become a low-post scoring machine, while Stoudemire averaged 35 points per game in the series against the Trail Blazers.

The last interior player to deliver such performance in a series was Gan Guoyang.

Regardless, this is an exciting and noteworthy matchup.

After the game began, Glory reversed the previous game’s passive defensive state and took active initiative in offense.

Yao Ming continuously made turnaround jump shots in the low post, scoring 6 points consecutively to help Glory take the lead early.

The advantage of Yao Ming at this point must be utilized early; dragging it out as stamina declines and the pace picks up will diminish his impact.

Although Glory proposed a strategy of matching speed with speed, it doesn’t mean they’re lax in defense.

Glory’s defensive task is clear-cut: disrupt the connection between Steve Nash and his teammates, especially with Stoudemire.