Chapter 244: A fierce beginning, a calm end
When Yiyang and his teammates were still flying to Dallas, the report about Yiyang's defeat of the Trail Blazers has become the hottest NBA news today.
As the youngest killer on the NBA playoff stage, Yiyang has become a favorite of major media. It's just that this time, the local media in Portland didn't stand up and disagree with Yiyang again. Because the news of Roy's injury again has kept them busy.
After yesterday's brutal match, Roy's knees were swollen to varying degrees. On the advice of the team doctor, Roy will miss the fifth matchup between the two sides in Dallas. This news undoubtedly made Portland fans sad.
I thought that this torn guy would return to the top, but in the end, everything was like a dream. When the fans opened their eyes after a night of sleep, Roy was gone. Only this time, no one knows if he will be able to come back.
As soon as the private jet that Cuban had purchased for the team landed and taxied down the runway, the reporters below eagerly raised their cameras.
Carlisle walked out of the cabin one by one with his players, but the reporters were surprisingly calm. It's as if the people who are stepping out of the plane now are just some strangers.
Under the sunlight, the reporters who squatted here were sweating profusely. But they remained focused, as if waiting for something.
Finally, after all the Mavericks players got off the plane. Yiyang, the guy who always followed the back of the line, slowly walked out of the cabin.
"Also! Also! Let's talk about what it's like to finish the playoffs! ”
"What do you think of Brandon. Roy's injury, do you think he could be back on the field? ”
"Also, what were you thinking about the moment you shot yesterday!?"
When Yiyang stepped out of the plane, this group of "static" reporters finally became restless. Today, no matter how brilliant Kidd once was, no matter how big a name Nowitzki is. Yiyang, a rookie, is the focus of people's attention.
Although he completed the lore, Yiyang was not in the mood to answer the reporters' questions. Roy is a great player, but Yiyang has seen him fall again. And now that the series is not over, the Mavericks did not win the final victory, which is one of the reasons why Yiyang is not excited.
Faced with the reporters' questions, Yiyang just answered a few words. Now Yiyang just wants to hurry home and rest and finish the afternoon training. And tomorrow, put the damn on it all to earth!
Putting it all to the end of it all seems to be on the minds of all Mavericks players right now.
After yesterday's big loss, the Trail Blazers will have to face a grim 3-1 deficit. And Roy's injury and retirement undoubtedly hit the morale of that team greatly. All of these factors combine to make it very difficult for the Trail Blazers to win in Dallas.
The Dallas sun shone gently on Yiyang's face, he raised his head, the sun was a little dazzling, and this guy couldn't help but cover it with his hands.
Summer is slowly approaching, but I don't know if this summer will be as crazy as last year?
From the airport to the city of Dallas, it is about 24 kilometers away. Without traffic jams, it doesn't take more than an hour for Yiyang to return home.
When Yiyang pushed the door in, Wen Xue had already prepared a table of lunch waiting for her son.
"Yiyang, I'm really proud of your performance yesterday!" Wen Xue walked up excitedly, she hadn't seen Yiyang for several days, she had already missed it very much.
Yiyang didn't say anything, just gave his mother a big hug. His body was already too tired, and only when he returned home could Yiyang completely relax.
After a simple lunch, Yiyang went back to his room and slept for a while. At five o'clock in the afternoon, Yiyang went out on time and rushed to the center of the American airline.
Today, there was a huge crowd of fans gathered outside the arena. Although there is no game today, the fans know that the Mavericks players will be here to practice today.
Yiyang's heavy-duty pickup truck is somewhat eye-catching, but the all-black windows make it impossible to see who is inside.
If the fans saw that the person driving this pickup truck was Yiyang, they would definitely surround Yiyang.
While parking in the parking lot, Yiyang ran into Nowitzki. The Germans wore suits and leather shoes, but they also looked a little tired. There was no way, and in those days in Portland, the Mavericks experienced two of the craziest games. Those two games can be said to have drained everyone's energy.
"How does it feel? Tonight's Dallas news might report on your lore yesterday. Nowitzki smiled at Yiyang, if it wasn't for Yiyang's lore yesterday, God knows what state and mood they are in now.
"I just want to get the series over early, Dirk. First Gerald. Wallace, and then Brandon again. Roy. God knows who will suddenly stand up tomorrow. Yiyang didn't show too much excitement about his lore, and if he could, Yiyang would rather not have to rely on lore in every game.
Dirk and Yiyang pushed open the locker room door together, and Terry was already inside, but the guy was sleepy-eyed. Stevenson, a strong man, fell asleep against the cabinet.
The Mavericks are in a terrible mental state, and the two tough battles in a row seem to have taken a toll on them.
When all the players arrived, Carlisle quickly appeared in front of everyone. Although he is the oldest man in this dressing room, he is the most energetic. Even with two big dark circles under his eyes, Carlisle wasn't as lazy as the others.
"Guys, do you think the Trail Blazers are really going to lose!?" Looking at the players in the locker room, the academy coach let out a loud roar without warning.
"I know you've had a hard time, and it wasn't easy for us to have a few days in Portland. But it's all fought here, do you want to drop the chain at this time? Carlisle knows that the Mavericks have been swept away by the Mavericks over the past few seasons when they dropped their chains at key points in the playoffs. This year, no matter what, he won't let anything like this happen.
"Now, I want all of you!" Carlisle said, pausing. Some of the players have even let out a sigh, is Carlisle still going to have confrontational training today?
"I want all of you to get a massage from a physiotherapist!"
As soon as Carlisle said this, the players, you look at me, I look at you. Then the next second, the whole dressing room was filled with the laughter of the players.
"Boss, you're scaring me!" Terry let out a sigh of relief, when did Carlisle be so fond of joking.
Seeing that the players were relaxed, Carlisle was also a lot more relieved. In fact, it is not necessary to apply pressure to solve the problem of the fatigue of the players. Sometimes, relaxation can also achieve good results.
Since the pressure is all on the Trail Blazers now, let the Trail Blazers carry it well. As long as the Mavericks can travel lightly, Carlisle believes they can end the series tomorrow at home!
This afternoon it was said to be practice, but the players just ran and ran tactics, shot shots, and then disbanded and went home. Most of the time, the players are receiving massages to relieve the double stress of their minds and muscles.
Even Yiyang feels a lot more comfortable now. His heart is no longer yesterday's lore, no longer Roy's injury.
And the body, which was as heavy as lead, seemed to be a lot lighter......
※※※
April 25, the day of Game 5 matchup between the Mavericks and the Trail Blazers. When Carlisle saw his players again, the group was in a completely different state of mind than it was yesterday.
After a massage and relaxation, the Mavericks players came home last night and slept really well. At the moment, everyone is full of energy to try to stop the Trail Blazers' playoff journey this season.
In contrast, the atmosphere in the visiting team locker room at the Center Arena of American Airlines is much heavier.
Roy was injured again and the team was down 3-1 again, again on the road...... These unfavorable factors are all extinguishing the enthusiasm of the Trail Blazers players.
McMillan, despite his pre-match efforts, didn't seem to work out well. Now the black coach can only pray that the Mavericks will play out of sorts.
Nowitzki chose to stay with the Mavericks last year in part to make a name for himself. He is not only a regular season player, but also a team that can win in the playoffs.
So, after getting the match point, how could Nowitzki be soft?
In the first four games, Aldridge was often excited by Nowitzki. But today, the situation is completely reversed.
Right from the start, Nowitzki opened the scoring for the Mavericks from beyond the three-point line. Aldridge's absent-minded defense made McMillan angry.
Subsequently, Aldridge wanted to return the color, but it was a pity. Gerrard. Wallace's pass to Aldridge was ruthlessly tackled by Yiyang, who suddenly came out.
After Yiyang stole the basketball, he ran all the way, went straight into the restricted area, and staged a tomahawk split. And Yiyang's dunk also pushed the atmosphere of the game to the first climax.
"He's a good player, ma'am!" Kuban sat in the luxurious box, and Chong Wenxue praised her son.
"That's what he's supposed to do, sir." Although Wen Xue responded very simply, her heart was full of pride.
A dunk allowed Yiyang to ignite himself and the fans, but it did not ignite the fighting spirit of the Trail Blazers.
This team is like the black jersey they are wearing at the moment, lifeless, with no vitality and no hope at all.
Aldridge's attack was fruitless, and the ball naturally came to Gerrard. Wallace in his hands. The guy punched the basket straight and seemed eager to replicate the brilliance he created when the two sides met for the third time.
However, Tyson. Chandler's bloody big venture made the former "Elvis" realize a fact. That kind of explosive performance is not something that can be played in every game.
The basketball was fanned, and Yiyang, who was quick with his eyes, took the ball down before Old Miller like a wild horse.
Another opportunity to attack quickly, this time, Yiyang deliberately slowed down and waited for his teammates to come up to support.
Marion, who was relaxed all over, followed up quickly, and Yiyang suddenly passed behind in the process of rapid advancement.
The basketball fell into Marion's hands accurately, and the No. 0 forward slammed a one-handed dunk to easily add two points to himself.
"Retreat quickly, quickly!" McMillan yelled off the court, but it still didn't seem to be able to bring the Trail Blazers players back.
The morale of this group of guys has fallen into a trough, and it is not so easy to climb out again.
The third offense, this time, the Trail Blazers finally got an open shot.
Wesley. Matthews shook off Stevenson's entanglement and fired a decisive shot into the bottom left corner.
McMillan stared expectantly at the basketball spinning in the air, expecting Matthews to break his team's scoring drought.
However, the basketball ended up hitting the left side of the basket, and the force was too small! Chandler laughed at the rebound and didn't show any mercy to the Trail Blazers.
After Yiyang received the basketball, before half the court, he used an ultra-long-distance ground pass to penetrate the loose defense of the Trail Blazers.
The basketball is like drawing a diagonal line, from the bottom left side to the top right side. There, Marion catches the ball and throws.
"Brush!" The sound of the Nets tumbling made McMillan feel painful.
9-0, before the Trail Blazers players could react to what was happening, the score had been turned 9-0 by the Mavericks.
What was shown at the beginning of the game was a microcosm of the performance of the Trail Blazers players after that.
Throughout the game, the Trailblazers were sleepwalking. And under the cheers of the "blue ocean" in the stands, the Mavericks are getting braver and braver.
The Trail Blazers were able to come back to life in the last game, and Roy was the biggest contributor. However, today, Roy was unable to play, and the Trail Blazers failed to launch an effective counterattack in the fourth quarter.
If the last game had been lost directly to the Mavericks, perhaps the Trail Blazers players would not have been so frustrated. But when Roy tried everything but couldn't bring the team a victory, the rest of the Trail Blazers were already dead.
Eventually, when Peja hit another shot from beyond the three-point line, the score became 82-93. The Mavericks lead by 11 points with only 30 seconds left in the game.
This score was maintained until the end of the game, and when the red light on the rebound turned on, Yiyang was not excited, but felt a sense of relief after relief.
Fans cheered for the team to advance, and Vignali frantically shouted Yiyang's name from the stands. Kuban raised his glass in the luxurious box and drank with Wen Xue.
And Yiyang, this guy just stood in place, closed his eyes, and enjoyed the brief silence after the victory......