The regular season is in the penultimate round, but the competition is still fierce, which is probably why the NBA is so popular.

On this side of the West, no one is safe except for the Warriors and the Mavericks, who have just won 72.

The Rockets and Clippers are fighting to the death for third place in the West, and third to seventh are also competing to avoid strong opponents. In eighth place, it is still unknown who will catch the last train of the playoffs between the Pelicans and the Thunder.

In contrast, the situation in the east is much more gentle. The top five in the East have been completely fixed, and the wins and losses of the last two games will not have any impact on the top five in the East at all.

Eighth in the East, the Nets, Pacers and Heat are still fighting for the last playoff ticket. Of course, the fiercest competition in the East comes from the Bucks and Celtics. After all, no team wants to face the Cavaliers in the first round!

The current competition is directly related to their fate in the playoffs. While neither the Bucks nor the Celtics are aiming for a championship, there's no doubt that neither Kidd nor Stevens are the kind of people willing to just come to the playoffs and go through the motions.

"If I win tomorrow, don't blame me. After all, you still have a chance to break the record. When talking to Yiyang on the phone, Stevens had a faint smile on his face.

"Rick said we had a rest for the last game, so tomorrow is our last chance to break the record. Unfortunately Brad, it looks like we're going to have a big fight. On the other end of the phone, Yiyang's voice seemed very excited. Stevens even felt that Yiyang's voice was exactly the same as when they were about to play in the NCAA finals.

Anticipation, excitement, excitement...... Brad shook his head, but it's a pity that now he and Yiyang are on opposite sides.

"Don't take it lightly, because you know I'm not going to let you win easily."

"Don't worry, Brad, if there's one coach in this league that I have to be more careful with, it's you. Get a good rest and see you tomorrow in the North Shore Gardens. ”

"See you at the North Shore Gardens, buddy."

Hanging up, Stevens didn't know whether to cry or laugh. Yiyang is so serious, tomorrow's game will definitely be very difficult for Celtic. But Yiyang's drive before the playoffs made Stevens very pleased.

I looked at the clock in the office, and it was already eight o'clock in the evening. Stevens rubbed his temples and said it was time to leave work and go home with his wife and children.

Stevens grabbed his briefcase and walked out of the office. The Celtics' head coach's office, like the Mavericks, is located on the training ground. As soon as the office door opens, it is the team's training ground.

The Celtics' practice ended at 5:30 p.m., but when Stevens walked out, the training ground was still brightly lit. A figure was still shooting baskets on the training ground, Stevens smiled, who else but him?

A muscular figure, tattoos all over his arms, a resolute expression, sweating profusely, and his trademark, 1.75 meters tall.

Isaiah. Thomas, the guy who put the Celtics, who were out of the playoffs, into the playoffs.

"Isaiah, it's time to rest!" Stevens looked at the 1.75 meter back that never stopped, as if he saw the Yiyang who also always stayed on the training ground until the evening.

"Boss!" Little Thomas heard the shouting, stopped what he was doing, smiled and nodded at Stevens.

"Have you been practicing shooting?" Stevens simply sat on the bench on the sidelines and chatted with Thomas Jr.

"No, just practiced some strength. You know, with my size, it's hard to adapt to the game if I don't have enough strength. ”

"You're strong enough Thomas, you still need to take a break. Let's go back early, tomorrow will be a tough battle. ”

"yes, tough fight. Tomorrow, I'm going to play against the greatest stars of our time. "The greatest star in Thomas's mouth is Yiyang.

In fact, it's not just Thomas Jr. who calls him that way now. The title of "the greatest star of our time" has been mentioned by more and more people.

"Haha, is it the greatest star of this era......" Stevens lowered his head and smiled, he just thought Yiyang could play in the NBA. But to be honest, Yiyang's current achievements have completely exceeded Stevens' expectations.

"How did you train him in the first place?" At this time, Thomas Jr. simply sat next to Stevens. "I've heard that before he went to college, he was unknown."

"Indeed, even I don't know if he will succeed. You know, it's more like a gamble. I gave him the only basketball scholarship spot I had in my hand to try to make a push for the NCAA title with just one more unknown player. At that time, the whole world said, Brad. Stevens went crazy, he actually went to find a yellow-skinned guy. As a result, the guy was smart and hardworking, even more diligent than I could have imagined. Speaking of the word diligence, Stevens turned his head to look at Thomas Jr. beside him.

"To be honest, my training doesn't really matter. The important thing is that he is willing to work hard. Then, we won the NCAA championship. And it only took one year to reach the top three in the draft! ”

"It sounds a lot like now, and I remember that the media said that Brad. Stevens was crazy, he actually asked for a guy who was only 1.75 meters tall. Thomas Jr. smiled self-deprecatingly.

175, this number for basketball players, generally speaking, is weight, in the NBA athletes who weigh 175 pounds abound. But when it comes to a height of only 175, there are not many examples. Don't say that 1.75 meters play in the NBA, it's the NCAA, and you rarely see such a short player!

As it turned out, Thomas Jr.'s NBA road was indeed very bumpy. In 2011, the guy was selected with the last pick. But that doesn't mean Thomas Jr. has a smooth ride, and it's clear that this guy's ambition is not just to eat in the NBA.

But in the end, neither his abilities impressed the king nor the sun. Thomas Jr. was kicked around like a ball, and eventually, ended up with the Boston Celtics.

When he learned that he had been traded, he was annoyed because the Suns could be 7th or 8th in the West, even though they didn't fit in with the Suns. And Boston traded away Rondo and traded away Jeff. Green, traded a lot of players and they're rebuilding. So when he learned he had been traded to the Celtics, Thomas thought to himself, "Well, I'm going to be on a team that's rebuilding and I'm going to have a low point of confidence." ”

Then, Thomas Jr. checked, and the Celtics were just one game away from the playoffs!

At this point, all the unhappiness in Thomas's heart was swept away, because this was an opportunity to prove his ability! Thomas Jr. is determined to bring the Celtics to the playoffs!

"Thomas Jr. will play an important role in the team and we will use his ability to make the playoffs. He's an underrated player, all the time. But in Boston, he'll find his niche and use his abilities. ”

Thomas Jr. remembers what Stevens said to reporters on his first day with the team. In the first game at the North Shore Garden Arena, he could feel the energy when he wore a Celtic player. Wearing a Celtic jersey, you have to be 110 percent spirited every night because there's so much history and glory behind it. And, of course, Stevens' trust in himself.

The result? In the end, he and Stevens, who were ridiculed by the media, really brought the Celtics into the playoffs.

"Hahahaha, don't say it, the words of the media are always very similar. So, we're sure we'll be able to do miracles too. The Mavericks, 72 wins, are not unbeatable. ”

Hearing Stevens speak, little Thomas recovered from his stunned stupor. He has never felt like this, this feeling of being willing to go to the trouble for a manager, willing to play under him for the rest of his life!

"I'll do my best, even if it's against you." Thomas Jr. looked ahead with a serious attitude.

Stevens patted Thomas Jr. on the leg and stood up. These guys are really the same as Yiyang. They are all guys who don't know the height of the sky, but they can really create miracles!

"Go home early and rest, tomorrow is not going to be easy. Goodbye, Isaiah. ”

"Goodbye, Chief."