Chapter Eighty-Three: An Unexpected Rumor
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"Well done!" Zhuang Fei hugged the Timberwolves players who walked off the court one by one, which was definitely Zhuang Fei's sincerity from the bottom of his heart.
On March 21, the game with the Clippers at home can be said to be full of twists and turns, the Timberwolves are currently one of the strongest teams in the West, and the Clippers are currently one of the worst teams in the West, this game is the home game of the Timberwolves, no one thinks that the Clippers can win this game, even the most loyal Clippers fans probably do not have any expectations.
However, the process of the game slapped everyone in the face, and the worst team in the West seemed to have a big change of face with the Timberwolves overnight, the Timberwolves lost the strength they should have, and the Clippers came to a gorgeous turn.
At the end of the first quarter, 35-25, the Clippers actually took the Timberwolves by surprise as soon as they came on the court. And just when the whole Timberwolves team was caught off guard, the Clippers continued to suppress the Timberwolves 27-21 in the second quarter. By the end of the third quarter, the Clippers had led the Timberwolves by 18 points, 83:65.
Even halfway through the fourth quarter, the Timberwolves were still 15 points behind, and Zhuang Fei had already given up a little in his heart at this time, but when everyone sentenced the Timberwolves to death, the Timberwolves actually launched a tenacious counterattack in the last four minutes, recovering a 15-point difference in just four minutes, and finally completed the kill with a mid-range shot from Garnett.
This kind of ups and downs of the plot even the 20,000 Timberwolves fans on the scene found it a little difficult to accept.
After the game, Zhuang Fei was happy with the Timberwolves players' strength in the last moments, they did dig a big hole for themselves, but this big hole was stubbornly filled by them.
Not giving up at the last minute and then launching a counterattack is a quality, and Zhuang Fei is happy that the Timberwolves have such a quality, even if the opponent is just a weak team ranked at the bottom of the West.
"Coach, I think if we can't win this game, we're going to blame ourselves to death"
"Yes, this is our own bitter wine, we should drink it ourselves"
Looking at these unusually determined players, Zhuang Fei suddenly felt that they had grown a lot.
'This game is one of the best games we have played this season, it is also one of the most rewarding games, it has taught you what responsibility is, the players who can take responsibility are good players, and you are the best'
"Coach, if we lose this game, you don't blame us?" Pierce said.
Zhuang Fei shook his head and said, "How could I blame you, even if you lose in the end, you will lose"
"I knew that we wouldn't be so desperate, and now my arms are still sore," Garnett grinned and rubbed his shoulders and said to Zhuang Fei.
Nash on the side also chimed in: "We are afraid that we will lose in the end and be trained by you, so we will fight hard in the last few minutes."
"yes, if even a garbage team like the Clippers loses, the coach will be angry"
The players said one after another, not seeing that Zhuang Fei's face had darkened at all. Where are these Timberwolves players who already understand what a sense of responsibility is as he thinks, but they are simply afraid of being scolded by Zhuang Fei, Zhuang Fei never gets angry often, but it is terrible to be angry, which is recognized by Timberwolves players. So this is not the awakening of their sense of responsibility at all, but forced by Zhuang Fei's usual power, which is a characteristic of typical young people. Aren't young people afraid of being disciplined by their elders?
"I thought they had grown up, but it turned out to be my wishful thinking." However, Zhuang Fei didn't get angry in the end, just shook his head and smiled bitterly.
The win in this game is also the third victory of the Timberwolves in the last three games, and the Timberwolves' 27-19-8 record has indeed surprised experts and the media again.
To be able to lead a Young Guards team to maintain such a state and achieve such results, the media and experts naturally focused all their eyes and focus on the head coach of the Timberwolves, Zhuang Fei. They believe that it was Zhuang Fei who brought the winning genes to the Timberwolves, bringing tenacious and stable qualities. And the last game against the Clippers with a big score is one of the classics.
So, after this game, there was a strange scene in the American public opinion circles. Except for a few media led by New York who are still fighting against Zhuang Fei, other media are almost all singing praises of Zhuang Fei's achievements, and what is even more surprising to everyone is that the most ferocious thing that is praised in this storm of praising Zhuang Fei is not Zhuang Fei's royal media in the United States, but the media led by Los Angeles and Boston.
"Many people have questioned Zhuang Fei, thinking that Zhuang Fei will fail in the NBA and then return to Wake Forest, but unfortunately, these people's expectations have not been fulfilled, he is now the pride of Minnesota, he has now stood firm, as long as he is unwilling, no one can let him leave the NBA"
"There's no doubt that Coach Z is one of the greatest basketball coaches, and now he's proven that he's the best in the NCAA and the NBA, and I'm sure everyone will agree with that."
"But, don't you think it's too shallow for Coach Z to explain the pool in Nisoda? They simply can't accommodate the giant whale of Coach Z, what Coach Z should do now is think about his future, and what Timberwolves fans should do is enjoy one of the few Rìs that Coach Z has in Minnesota."
"I believe that Los Angeles and Boston have already started to get their hands dirty, there's no doubt about it"
As if it had been discussed with the Los Angeles media, the Boston media were also singing praises for Zhuang Fei. Not only that, but even some practitioners in Los Angeles have started to work in the media.
"I think Coach Z has a huge attraction to us, we haven't shied away from this issue, after Harris left, we have been looking for a suitable head coach for the Lakers, and I don't shy away from Coach Z is the first on our waiting list, as long as he wants, he can join the Los Angeles Lakers at any time" This is the original words of Jerry West, the godfather of the Lakers, when facing the media, as if they have been looking forward to Zhuang Fei for a long time.
"If Mr. Zhuang is willing to come to the Lakers, of course it will be great, I am willing to be his assistant coach, as long as he is willing, in fact, I do not have the ability to take on the position of head coach of the Lakers for a long time" Now the acting head coach of the Lakers Rambis has not been let go by the media.
"Coach Z? Hmph, I don't care who the Lakers head coach is, hmph, if, I mean if, don't get me wrong, if he can come, of course I'll welcome it" When asked about Zhuang Fei's question, Lakers star O'Neal also responded.
The entire Lakers team is almost cooperating with the Los Angeles media reports, as if the whole team is respectfully asking Zhuang Fei.
Compared with the Los Angeles media, the Boston media is much more subtle, and they are using Zhuang Fei to criticize the team's current head coach, Pitino. Take the example of Zhuang Fei to inspire Pitino.
This college coach who fought with Zhuang Fei in the NCAA for three years and lost three years came to the NBA and encountered inconsistencies, compared with Zhuang Fei's continued prosperity, Pitino is a dismal operation, this set of Boston chairman, general manager, head coach in one, currently leading Boston is only in the twelfth place in the East.
"The same university coach, the same young guard, the same team's complete letting go, why is the gap between the two so big?" This phrase is on the minds of some Boston fans.
Pitino isn't doing well in Boston right now. Especially after comparing with Zhuang Fei, it is even more bleak.
"You don't have to guess where I'm going, I have no plans to leave the Timberwolves now, I'm having a good time here" Even if Zhuang Fei stood up to refute the rumor, there was still no way to quell the rumor.
Zhuang Fei has been quite annoyed recently, he doesn't know why the Lakers would release such words, he knows that the Lakers are choosing a coach, but from the perspective of future generations, this time the Lakers chose Phil Jackson, what does it have to do with him Zhuang Fei? Now that the Lakers are doing this, the place where he lives is surrounded by fans every day, and then the fans are still holding banners like "Please stay", which makes Zhuang Fei cry and laugh.
What puzzled Zhuang Fei the most was that even the Timberwolves owner Glenn Taylor had been calling very frequently recently, and I heard McHale say that the owner had begun to change houses for Zhuang Fei.
Zhuang Fei opened the rumor, and Timberwolves fans were a little relieved, and on February 24, the Timberwolves will welcome their opponent Boston Celtics at home, and Zhuang Fei will also welcome his old rival Pitino. Pitino never publicly responded to a single word in this incident, as if he had fallen silent.