On May 15, 2007, Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals was held at the AT&A Center, the home of the Spurs. The Spurs' home court, with its main colors of white and black, can be called one of the quietest arenas in the league.
, when the Spurs players came out, they cheered loudly as usual, but when the Lakers players came out, they sat in their seats without booing.
This quiet does not mean deserted. As a traditional powerhouse for ten years, the Spurs have never had to worry about stadium attendance. The quiet here means deserted, similar to Staples in its heyday.
Staples was also so quiet in its heyday, and that quietness contained a disdain for opponents and the arrogance of being convinced that the team could win the final victory. The same is true at the Spurs' home court, although there is no Staples.
They are as arrogant and dismissive as Taps, but in the silence, what they have is complete calmness and confidence. Even if they are at a huge disadvantage, for the Spurs, as long as it is not the last second of the game, they
Everyone believes that the Spurs can bring them the joy of victory.
This is the quietness that belongs to a strong team!
To this day, the Spurs have taken a complete advantage in this series. No one thinks that the Lakers, who are already 0:3 behind, have a chance to come back. Even before the game started, Adrian made a high-profile announcement
Although he will play in this game, few people are still optimistic about the future of the Lakers. Without him, the Lakers have already lost miserably. At this time, adding Adrian to the team seems unlikely to have the effect of resurrecting the team.
Before the game started, Adrian felt the atmosphere was depressing. It seemed that because of the atmosphere at the Spurs' home court, Adrian could clearly feel that none of his teammates seemed to be able to get into the state yet. The way they looked
They seem to match each other very well. Especially, it seems like their minds are not able to concentrate on the competition field.
"It's really troublesome." Adrian knew why this situation had occurred. Three consecutive defeats, and three consecutive defeats without the ability to resist, defeated the Lakers' spirit, which made them even doubt whether they could really do it.
Get a victory. Adrian knows the reason, but there is no good solution. His level of rhetoric cannot inspire the weak people to have courage in this situation. Especially this is the home court of the Spurs.
At this moment, Phil Jackson suddenly waved to Adrian.
"Ed, don't think so much, just give it your best."
Adrian was stunned by Phil Jackson's words. He clearly heard what the head coach meant. Obviously, this scheming KFC grandpa is not focused on the current game. Adrian
An didn't know what was consuming most of his energy, but he could roughly guess that after this season, the Lakers would undergo huge changes!
Pau Gasol!
Could it be that the trade had already been brewing this season?
Adrian found it a bit unbelievable. He vaguely remembered that the deal between the Grizzlies and the Lakers was finalized during the All-Star Game, which was around the trade deadline. The Lakers made a big deal that everyone thought was a robbery at the time.
Transaction. Although history ultimately proves that the Grizzlies did not suffer a loss in this transaction. The Lakers got the All-Star level Pau Gasol and have since entered the ranks of championship-level teams. But the Grizzlies also took advantage of this transaction.
The trade cleared up salary space and acquired Marc Gasol, who has unlimited potential. The mature Marc Gasol has grown into the defensive core of the Grizzlies. In 2013, Marc Gasol defeated LeBron James.
and Tim Duncan were elected NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
However, in the eyes of people at the time, a parallel import No. 1 pick with mediocre performance, a European player who had never proven himself in the NBA, plus a low-ranked point guard who could only be regarded as an addition, and finally a player who was determined to retire.
Aaron McGee, two draft picks of absolutely no value and some cash were exchanged for one of the top five power forwards in the league. No wonder Vicki risked being fined by the league and shouted that there was an inside story.
Now it seems that the inside story may be true. Judging from Phil Jackson's reaction and attitude, maybe the Lakers have reached some agreements with the Grizzlies by this time.
It wasn't until the time for the game to start and the referee called the players from both sides to come on stage that Adrian came back to his senses from this chaos. He suddenly realized that all the things he had just thought about were basically useless. Even now
The Lakers are already planning a trade for Pau Gasol, and this has nothing to do with him. In any case, the Lakers will never regard themselves as a bargaining chip to trade for Pau Gasol. He did not commit the crime of Old Buss
taboo, and in other cases, Kupchak would not think about trading himself unless his head was caught in the door. In this case, why think so much? Just like Phil Jackson said, pay attention to what is in front of you.
Just compete.
Adrian took a deep breath, expelled the messy thoughts from his head, and became highly concentrated.
The Spurs still fielded their usual starting lineup, center Fabrice Oberto. The tall center from Argentina, Ginobili's teammate in the Argentine national team, does not have any star qualities, but he does look like the Spurs.
This team is the same. Although it is not gorgeous, it is stable and practical. The shooting percentage of 66.7% is the highest among the Spurs. He does not have the ability to independently carry the inside, but he hides behind Duncan to check for leaks and fill in the gaps, and he is conscientious.
Doing their own thing.
He is a typical European center template in both offense and defense. He has solid steps, few fouls and is very calm.
Of course, the power forward is Tim Duncan, which is also the toughest and most certain point of the Spurs. Although from last year to this year, there have been endless talks about Duncan being old. But everyone knows that as long as Duncan is still on this team,
In the team, the most reliable person in the team, other than him, there is no second thought.
In addition, the small forward is Bruce Bowen, the shooting guard is veteran Michael Finley, and the point guard is French sports car Tony Parker.
With such a luxurious lineup, no team in the league dares to pat its chest and guarantee that it will win. What's more, on the bench of the Spurs, there are two generals, the Argentine demon Manu Ginobili.
And with tough players like 'Mr. Clutch' Robert Horry, no matter when they play, opponents will inevitably have to be cautious.
Looking at the Lakers' incomplete lineup, Adrian suddenly felt that these guys couldn't really be blamed for their three-game losing streak. It wasn't that the Lakers didn't work hard, it was just that the Cavaliers were too tough. (To be continued...)
