Chapter 259: Chapter 58: [Fateful Battle of the Eastern Conference Finals]

The scores for the first four games between the Brooklyn Nets and the Pistons were 56-78, 80-95, 64-82, and 79-94.

The playoffs had become a war of attrition. No wonder the NBA was always looking to change its defensive policies. If things continued this way, they would drive all the fans away.

The East Semifinals between the Brooklyn Nets and Pistons also set a new low for viewership ratings.

In the last round against the Knicks, Jason Kidd averaged 17 points, 9 assists, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.3 steals per game. Through four games in this series against the Pistons, he was averaging 9 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds, and 2.3 steals per game.

It was a contest of pure physical collision, a pure drain on stamina... There were simply no easy shots. Almost every basket was scored through heavy contact.

This posed a great challenge for Su Xi. He wasn’t worried about the physicality, but he was concerned about his stamina.

Although Su Xi had a super-recovery ability, his current stamina stat was still low, at a bottom-tier level for the NBA. If you pictured stamina as a water tank, Su Xi’s current 78 rating was a tiny tank that could be drained in minutes. And even though his recovery rate—the "inflow"—was high, his endurance was still a major issue.

Su Xi’s current physical attribute ratings were as follows:

Super Explosiveness Talent: 99

Super Speed Talent: 97

Super Strength Talent: 97

Super Flexibility Talent: 100

Super Coordination Talent: 93 (Increased by 1 point from matching up against Wade in the East Semifinals.)

Jumping Talent: 78

Agility Talent: 78

Stamina Talent: 78

Strictly speaking, Su Xi’s physical gifts were already immense, enough to be considered a naturally talented player. However, his weaknesses were also quite glaring. His average rating was merely first-class, not truly elite.

In addition to these, Su Xi also possessed the "Super Clinging Defense Talent," "Super Low Center of Gravity Rhythm Talent," and "Super Spatial Awareness Talent."

Overall, Su Xi was definitely considered an All-Star-caliber player in the league, and he thrived in the Pacers’ tactical system. On nights when he had the hot hand, he could even put up a superstar-level performance on both ends of the court.

Su Xi sat with Rick Carlisle, watching the pivotal Game 5 between the Brooklyn Nets and the Pistons on TV.

The game was exceptionally brutal. Two players were injured and bleeding, three fouled out, and it ultimately went into triple overtime.

The Brooklyn Nets scraped out a hard-fought 129-120 victory. Richard Jefferson was crucial down the stretch. He drove aggressively, drawing fouls and sinking all five of his free throws, and also drained a clutch three-pointer.

"We need a wing scorer like Jefferson. Jack, this is why I was always pushing you to take more shots during the regular season."

Rick Carlisle explained a very simple truth to Su Xi. "When you get to the playoffs, to the clutch moments...to hell with team basketball. That’s all a lie. The guy who can handle the ball without getting it stripped and sink the damn shot under intense defensive pressure—he’s the savior."

"You’ve only got ten-odd seconds on the clock. Successfully running a set play is a fluke," Carlisle said. "It’s Occam’s razor: entities should not be multiplied without necessity. The simpler, the better."

He wasn’t a traditionalist coach, so he wasn’t burdened by convention. He believed in the simplest philosophy on the court: in a clutch situation, get the ball to your team’s biggest superstar.

Su Xi said, "I’ll never hesitate in the clutch."

With the Brooklyn Nets having won the pivotal Game 5, the commentators on ESPN started talking about them advancing. After all, the Brooklyn Nets only needed one more win, while the Pistons needed two.

However, Carlisle believed the Pistons were more likely to win. He said the Brooklyn Nets had played all their cards. The Pistons had figured out their offensive pulse, and as the series dragged on, the deeper, more powerful Pistons would prove tougher, their chemistry and coordination improving with every game.

The Pistons were evolving through combat.

After making the playoffs for two straight seasons, the Brooklyn Nets’ roster was aging, and their playbook had been figured out. The longer the series went, the worse their chances would be.

...

The West Semifinals were also a slugfest. The Lakers had eliminated the Rockets 4-1 in the first round, with the "Yao vs. Shark" showdown ending in a decisive victory for the Shark. The San Antonio Spurs had also swept the Grizzlies 4-0. Now, the Lakers and Spurs had just finished Game 5, with the Lakers defeating the Spurs 74-73 to win the pivotal game.

The Lakers were gaining momentum with each game, largely because Carl Malone was integrating more seamlessly into the team. He had perfectly become the third fulcrum in the Lakers’ triangle offense, unlocking their entire tactical system.

In contrast, Gary Payton still seemed disconnected from the Lakers’ system—a square peg in a round hole.

He had already been removed from the starting lineup, with Derek Fisher taking his place.

Fundamentally, the Lakers didn’t need a ball-dominant Point Guard who freelanced too much.

Meanwhile, the Minnesota Timberwolves and the King were locked in a tough battle. Although the King had been humiliated by Su Xi’s historic quadruple-double in the season opener, with Chris Webber’s return from injury, they were still a formidable force in the West.

Adelman’s Princeton offense continued to run with high efficiency. Furthermore, the King’s roster had incredible depth, which was why they were able to go toe-to-toe with the West’s top-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Minnesota Timberwolves currently led the series 3-2.

In the East and West Semifinals, aside from the Pacers who held a commanding lead, the other six teams were all still locked in bitter struggles.

...

Su Xi had to stand up Larry Bird. He had an important commercial to shoot, and they had already scheduled a time. But Bird had to rush off to his alma mater for a ceremony, so by the time Su Xi got back, he was already gone. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Then, Artest was taken in by the police for questioning.

He and his wife had gotten into a brawl, with both of them hitting each other.