Chương 398: Chapter 398: Coach Gentry's Lesson
In early 2012, David Stern stepped down as the NBA commissioner, and Adam Silver took over.
The league was in a transitional phase with the change in leadership.
Any targeted policies by the league would take a year or two to come into effect.
It was difficult to implement policies specifically against the Suns because Curry, Thompson, and Green had relatively low contracts, and their performances far exceeded their contract value.
The only point of criticism was Durant's addition to the team. In the current league, apart from Wade Dong and James, no other player could consistently outperform Durant. In fact, the top three players in the league were Wade Dong, James, and Durant.
Therefore, any targeted measures against the super-strong Suns would have to wait until the following summer.
By then, the Suns would be facing a potential disbandment, as the contracts of Wade Dong, Durant, Curry, Thompson, and Green would all be expiring. Additionally, there would be a league-wide frenzy to sign Wade Dong, and with Nets owner Guo Zifeng's determination, it was uncertain if the Suns could retain him.
These were future concerns. For now, the Suns had two regular-season games remaining.
Could they extend their winning streak? Could they break their own record for most wins? The answers would be revealed in the upcoming games.
...
April 13th, a day that started with sunshine, turned cloudy, and ended with a heavy downpour.
When the team bus arrived at American Airlines Arena, the rainwater outside was so deep it could cover one's ankles. If it weren't for the loud cheers inside the arena, one could hear the sound of raindrops hitting the roof.
In the regular season, the Suns and the Heat only met twice.
The first encounter was on Christmas Day, where Wade Dong's three-pointer forced the game into overtime. In the extra period, Wade Dong's superhuman stamina overwhelmed the Heat, securing the Suns' victory in the Christmas Day showdown.
Before the game, neither team exchanged pleasantries.
The Heat were determined to win this game, while the Suns, including Durant and Curry, seemed a bit complacent.
34 consecutive wins!
This was a historic feat, but NBA players are human, not gods, and it was natural to feel proud and complacent.
The starting lineups for the game were:
Suns: Wade Dong, Durant, Green, Curry, and Thompson.
Heat: James, Wade, Anthony, Bosh, and Paul.
"Beep!!!"
The game began with the referee's whistle.
Durant and Bosh jumped for the tip-off, but Durant didn't seem very serious, and Bosh tapped the ball to Paul.
Paul dribbled the ball up the court and passed it to Wade. The Heat players were moving well without the ball, and James set a screen for Anthony, allowing him to cut to the basket.
"Swish!!!"
Anthony, positioned under the basket, received Wade's pass and made a jump shot.
2:0!!!
The Heat's Big Five were in perfect harmony, but the Suns' offense looked sluggish. Thompson, in the corner, passed the ball to Wade Dong twice, but both shots missed.
Less than three minutes into the game, the Suns found themselves down 9-0 to the Heat.
"Beat the Suns!"
"We are the championship team!"
"Forget about their 35-game winning streak!"
The home crowd was ecstatic, constantly taunting the Heat players. They were eager to witness a Heat victory over the Suns.
Gentry turned to Carter behind him and said, "This game is going to be tough."
"Should we call a timeout?" Carter suggested. "I think we need to adjust our offensive strategy."
Gentry shook his head. "When the time comes, Wade Dong will call a timeout himself. Let's wait and see how things play out, and let the players adjust on the court."
"Okay."
Carter was used to Gentry's style, so he wasn't surprised.
Gentry didn't call a timeout, and Wade Dong continued playing on the court without any intention of stopping the game. It wasn't until the ninth minute of the first quarter that either team called their first timeout.
The score was 27-13!!!
The Suns had less than half the points of the Heat.
Except for Wade Dong, all the other players on the court seemed to be sleepwalking.
"Blah, blah, blah..."
During the timeout, Gentry casually assigned tactics without even offering any motivational words. Then, he made substitutions: Yi Nan for Durant, McCollum for Curry, and Whiteside for Green.
Carter was puzzled. "Coach Gentry, if you don't come up with a solution, we might lose this game."
"If we lose, we lose," Gentry said calmly as he unscrewed his thermos and took a sip of tea.
"Why?!"
This statement left all the players bewildered.
Gentry took out a rubber band from his pocket and handed it to Green, saying, "You hold one end."
"Okay," Green replied, unsure of what Gentry was up to.
Gentry then asked Varick to hold the other end of the rubber band, and they both started pulling.
Just as the rubber band was about to snap, Green and Varick paused and looked at Gentry.
"Keep pulling, keep pulling the rubber band, give it all you've got!" Gentry urged.
"Snap!"
"Ouch!"
The rubber band broke and hit the backs of both players' hands, causing them to gasp in pain.
Gentry, with a mysterious look, asked, "What lesson can you draw from this?"
"Getting hit by the rubber band really hurts!" Green exclaimed.
"If someone else holds the rubber band, it won't hurt you," Varick added.
Varick felt he had been outsmarted by Gentry. Initially, Gentry held one end of the rubber band, but after a moment's hesitation, he asked Varick to hold it instead.
Gentry was confused, "Huh?"
"This rubber band is like our team," Gentry explained, seeing the players' lack of understanding. "After 34 consecutive wins, the team has reached its limit. If we keep pulling, the rubber band will break. At this point, we need to loosen the rubber band to avoid breaking it and getting hurt."
"Our goal is the championship, and we need to save our best for the playoffs."
"Oh, I get it now!"
All the players on the bench looked at Gentry with admiration, realizing he was a wise coach.
Gentry continued, "I guess Wade Dong is thinking the same thing right now."
On the court, Wade Dong was struggling against the double-team defense of James and Anthony, but his teammates were all out of sync.
Wade Dong, of course, had no idea that Gentry had told the players the 'rubber band story.' If he had known, he would have gently told Gentry, "Cut the crap!"
The Lakers, who had a 33-game winning streak, went on to win the championship that year. The Heat had a 27-game winning streak the previous season and would have won the title if they hadn't faced the Suns.
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