章節 291: Chapter 299: The 2013-14 Season Begins
On October 23, 2013, the NBA's 2013-14 regular season kicked off!
The first day featured eight games, with the most anticipated matchup being the Suns hosting the Lakers.
The season opener was a preview of the Western Conference Finals, as the Thunder had defeated the Lakers in the previous season's playoffs, and then the Suns had defeated the Thunder. Subsequently, the Thunder's Big Three had disbanded, with Harden joining the Lakers and Durant joining the Suns, adding a dramatic twist to the story.
The Suns vs. Lakers game had a viewership rating that rivaled that of the NBA Finals.
Perhaps due to the awkwardness, Durant didn't greet Harden before the game.
Instead, Dong walked up to Kobe, chatted for a bit, and then patted Harden's belly, teasing, "Looks like you had a good time during the off-season!"
...
"Hehe..."
Harden stroked his beard and smiled. He had indeed gained a noticeable amount of weight.
Kobe had sat out around twenty games due to injury the previous season, but he was back with a vengeance this season. Howard and Kobe had resolved their differences, and with Harden's addition, the Lakers were aiming for the championship.
Of course, they were well aware that to win the championship, they would have to go through the Suns. Therefore, this first game against the Suns was crucial.
Winning against the Suns would boost their confidence.
Before the game, there was a brief ceremony to award the championship rings to the Suns players. Several players on the Suns had already experienced this process, including Dong, Gortat, Frye, and Walton. It was a bittersweet moment, as the Suns' championship-winning roster from the previous season had only four remaining players: Gortat, Frye, Walton, and Dong.
Walton was the lucky one... As a qualified water boy, his primary task during games was to keep an eye on Dong's stats and remind him of how many steals, blocks, or rebounds he needed to achieve a quadruple-double. Despite his limited role, Walton had already earned two championship rings.
McGrady, Curry, and Thompson were receiving their first championship rings, and their excitement was palpable.
Durant could only watch from the sidelines, feeling envious.
After the brief ceremony, the game began.
...
Ten minutes before the start of the game, the big screen displayed the starting lineups for both teams.
Lakers: Kobe, Harden, Gasol, Howard, Blake.
Suns: Dong, Curry, Thompson, Durant, Green.
The Lakers' head coach was Mike D'Antoni, an offensive mastermind with a deep connection to the Suns and a mentor to Nash. Nash had chatted with D'Antoni before the game.
"Beep!"
The referee's whistle signaled the start of the game.
Howard passed the ball to Kobe, who dribbled it up the court and then passed it to Blake.
Blake was the point guard.
He surveyed the court from beyond the three-point line, saw Harden running out for the pass, and delivered the ball to him.
"Whoosh!"
Harden caught the pass and launched a three-pointer while facing Thompson.
It was a terrible airball, and the ball landed in Dong's hands, leaving him momentarily stunned. Dong then smiled and teased Harden, "I heard you've been in a relationship. You must be spending all your energy on your girlfriend!"
The Suns' lineup had no clear distinction between positions 1 to 5. Green, Durant, and Thompson were forwards, while Dong and Curry were guards.
Dong grabbed the rebound and dribbled up the court.
Kobe defended Dong, who took a step forward, spun off Kobe, dribbled behind his back, and then executed a silky smooth spin move.
"Swish!"
After two spins, Dong made a fadeaway jump shot.
Suns 2, Lakers 0!
Nick Young, sitting on the Lakers' bench, was so envious that he almost drooled. He often used this move himself, but Dong's spin was even smoother.
As Dong ran back to the other end of the court, Kobe said to him, "You've been busy during the off-season, but your basketball skills haven't dropped at all."
"Who says they haven't dropped?" Dong smiled.
He knew that in basketball, if you don't keep practicing, your skills will decline. During the off-season, he had only played basketball at Rucker Park, where he shattered the backboard. He hadn't touched a basketball otherwise, and the Workers' Games didn't count.
Moreover, after the World Athletics Championships, Dong often went out for barbecues at night.
This led to several of his attributes dropping from 100 to 99 or even 98. To restore these attributes, Dong had to spend over ten skill points.
Blake dribbled up the court and passed the ball to Kobe.
Kobe posted up against Dong, performed a bounce pass, and the ball ended up in Howard's hands. Howard caught the pass, jumped, and dunked the ball over Green!
Suns 2, Lakers 2!
Durant also scored against Harden!
The Suns' outside shooting was too much for the Lakers to handle, and similarly, Howard and Gasol were causing chaos in the Suns' interior defense.
The score went back and forth.
In the ninth minute of the first quarter, both teams substituted their starters with their benches.
The Suns' bench: McGrady, Carter, Tucker, Gortat, and Frye.
The Lakers' bench: Meeks, Marshall, Farmar, Nick Young, and Howard.
Spoelstra sent in a pure bench lineup, while D'Antoni kept one starter on the court.
"The Suns' bench depth..."
D'Antoni frowned, as the bench players couldn't maintain the lead if the starters didn't build a substantial advantage.
He couldn't help but glance at Spoelstra with envy in his eyes.
If he had had this lineup in his hands, the Suns could have won the championship ten years ago!
He wouldn't have had to bounce around multiple teams, and he might have already led a team to a championship, proving his worth as the 'Offensive Master.'
...
"Coach Spo..."
Dong, sitting on the bench, reminded Spoelstra, "You need to get used to using this lineup. Otherwise, you'll be wasting Whiteside's talent."
"Yes, you're right, Dong!"
Whiteside vigorously nodded his head. He had been working hard during the off-season and felt that he had become even better.
However, with the Suns' current rotation, he couldn't even get playing time...
"Practice makes perfect, and you'll get your chance. Just remember one thing: a diamond always shines!"
Spoelstra encouraged Whiteside, "You'll have your opportunities. Always remember that talent will shine through!"
"Thank you, Coach, for your encouragement!"
Whiteside was greatly motivated and took the thermos from Spoelstra, "Coach, let me refill your water."
"Thank you!"
Spoelstra nodded at Whiteside.
"This summer, I spent over 700,000 yuan on tea leaves in Huaxia, and I think it was worth it!"
"Only 700,000 yuan? You're so poor!"
Dong smacked his lips and focused on the game.
Spoelstra: 〒▽〒
每周推薦票狀態
-- 推薦票
榜單 
-- 推薦票