章 533: Chapter 533: Wade Dong Will Miss the First Round of the Playoffs
"Ah?!"
"Oh..."
"Ah?!"
Before the post-game press conference, Gentry received a call from the team doctor.
The doctor detailed Wade Dong's injury status.
Hearing that Wade would need one to two weeks to recover, Gentry began to worry about him and even felt some regret... He shouldn't have pushed the team to achieve 80 wins in the regular season; such high-intensity games had even caused Iron Man Dong to get injured!
Injuring himself in the last game of the regular season would directly affect the playoffs.
"I need to apologize to Dong Ge!"
Gentry took the responsibility for Wade Dong's injury upon himself. After hanging up with the doctor, he tried to call Wade.
Without Wade, what was the point of winning? Gentry felt a deep sense of guilt.
"I'm sorry, the number you dialed is temporarily unavailable..."
"Unavailable?"
Gentry looked at his phone and muttered, "The signal in Minnesota is really bad!"
Fortunately...
He couldn't reach Wade, but Luo Qingyan took the initiative to contact Gentry.
"Hello, Coach Gentry, this is Luo Qingyan."
"Hello, Luo."
"The situation is this: Dong Ge's ankle injury isn't serious, but we don't want this to leave any long-term issues for him, so he needs to undergo confidential treatment. During this time, you can contact me if needed, and I will relay messages."
"What exactly is wrong with Dong Ge?"
"The problem should not be significant. However, Dong Ge has expressed a desire for everyone to win the first round of the playoffs and wait for his return!"
"We will definitely do our best!"
Wade Dong wasn't faking his injury; he was genuinely hurt.
If he didn't use recovery potions, it would indeed take one or two weeks to heal his ankle injury. Thus, he was taking this opportunity to keep it a secret from everyone, including his teammates and coaches.
.....
Now not only media reporters but also Suns players were anxiously waiting for news about Wade Dong.
Curry asked, "Coach, how is Dong Ge doing?"
"The situation is fine!"
Gentry could only repeat what Luo Qingyan had said. "Luo said that in order not to leave any long-term issues with his body, Dong Ge needs to undergo confidential treatment."
"Dong Ge is right to do this!"
Carter empathized deeply: "Ankle injuries can be serious or minor. If not treated promptly, they can significantly impact a career."
Carter had suffered greatly; since being stepped on during a game, his ankle injuries had been recurrent. He felt he understood Dong Ge's current feelings better than anyone else.
Curry asked, "When will Dong Ge be back?"
Gentry replied: "He probably won't be able to play in the first round of the playoffs. Dong Ge has asked everyone to secure a victory in the first round while waiting for his return."
"Ah???"
Upon hearing that Wade would miss the first round of playoffs, all players were momentarily stunned.
Seeing their state, Gentry said sternly: "We are a strong team; you all lack confidence in winning the first round just because Dong Ge isn't playing?"
"No... no... no..."
All players waved their hands.
Wade Dong was the stabilizing force for the Suns; they were just momentarily unaccustomed to him not being on court. However, this team still had Durant, Curry, Thompson, Green, Yinan, Whiteside, McCollum... any combination could easily win the first round of playoffs.
"Let's go; the post-game press conference is about to start."
Next came facing questions from media reporters because this game was too important and too newsworthy.
One aspect was that the Suns achieved an astonishing regular season record of 80 wins and 2 losses; another was that with playoffs approaching, Wade had left due to injury during such a crucial game—now everyone was concerned about Wade's condition.
Wade's injury had a huge impact! Although it was true that the Suns were very strong, their tactical approach would need significant adjustments without him.
Without Wade Dong, it might be challenging for the Suns this year against the Lakers since they had both Kobe and LeBron on their side.
"Congratulations to the Suns on achieving an 80-2 record in the regular season; that's a record that will be hard to break!"
After waiting for some time, Gentry finally stepped up to accept questions from reporters.
Gentry stated: "This season has been quite difficult; we could have easily secured first place in the league but my players chose to pursue this challenging 80-win regular season."
This wasn't boasting; anyone achieving such results would become incredibly proud. Gentry's words were already quite humble.
A reporter asked: "Coach Gentry, do you think this record can ever be broken?"
"Impossible! This is a record harder to break than five triples."
Gentry shook his head decisively. "There's an old saying in China: 'Timing and circumstances favor those who are prepared.' Our team captured all those factors just right to achieve an 80-2 record. If such circumstances arise again in the future, it might mean an end for NBA history."
"Only through experience can one understand how difficult this journey has been!"
Reporters nodded in agreement with Gentry's words before asking: "Dong Ge left due to injury in the third quarter and did not return. How is his condition?"
Gentry paused for a moment and wiped away tears from his eyes before saying: "For achieving 80 wins in the regular season, we sacrificed so much. Dong Ge persevered throughout this season but fell during our last game..."
"Ah???"
All reporters gasped; there had been no official word on Wade's condition until now and many were worried.
Gentry continued: "Dong Ge injured his ankle and now needs treatment. It's uncertain when he will return... However, one thing is certain: he will miss at least the first round of playoffs."
"Is it serious?"
"The exact severity requires further examination. However, I believe Dong Ge will return as soon as possible; his love for basketball runs deep within him."
Gentry knew what should be said and what shouldn't be said; matters like 'confidential treatment' were only known among them—it was unnecessary to divulge everything publicly.
After Gentry's interview,
Durant, Curry, Thompson and others also answered some questions from reporters.
Achieving an 80-2 record in regular season was an incredibly cool feat; they were both witnesses and contributors. They hadn't expected that despite Gentry and doctors working hard to protect players' health for playoffs preparation, their star player Wade would go down at such a critical moment in their last regular season game.
Regardless of everything else, playoffs for the 2014-15 season were about to begin...
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