svetikya Chapter 293 A Horrifying 75 Wins! The Status of Each Team in the League!
Chapter 293 A Horrifying 75 Wins! The Status of Each Team in the League!
Chapter 293 A Horrifying 75 Wins! The Status of Each Team in the League!
It's worth mentioning that in that crucial game between the Hornets and the 76ers at the end of March, the Hornets, carrying the hopes of fans across the United States, successfully defeated the 76ers, pushing Iverson and the 76ers to fourth place in the Eastern Conference! They themselves rose to third place in the East!
This game sent fans all over the United States into a frenzy!
coming!
The grudge match they most want to see is becoming increasingly likely to happen!
In April, the Hornets and 76ers were neck and neck, because nobody wants to face the Pacers early on!
After winning that crucial game, the Hornets took a one-step lead over the 76ers and continued to perform exceptionally well afterward.
In addition, the 76ers themselves were not that strong, and they missed some victories that they should have won. In the end, they were unable to make a comeback, and the team's final record was locked in as the fourth in the Eastern Conference!
As long as they don't lose in the first round, the highly anticipated rematch between Lin Tian and Iverson in the playoffs will take place for the second consecutive year!
Moreover, this year's series is definitely a grudge match! This series has already secured the highest viewership of the second round!
It's also worth mentioning that just before the playoffs began, the Spurs received some bad news.
Their team's absolute core and leading scorer, Tim Duncan, suffered a serious meniscus tear in a game in early April! After repeated investigations and studies, it was determined that Duncan's injury would hardly affect his career, but he would need to undergo surgery.
Even if the surgery is successful, Duncan will need to rest for 4-6 months. This means that the San Antonio Spurs' playoff hopes, which were full of ambition and eager to continue their pursuit of the championship, are basically over before the playoffs even begin!
Even with Robinson, Richmond, and Rose still around, without Duncan, their goal was no longer to win the championship, but simply to avoid being swept in the first round.
Everyone knows how important Duncan is!
What's even more of a headache for the Spurs is that Duncan's rookie contract has expired, and he will become a free agent this summer, which is perfectly normal.
The problem is that Duncan didn't reach an early contract extension agreement with the team, and he wants to test the free agent market! This has worried Popovich, Buford, and all the San Antonio fans.
This big guy, is he going to run away?
Hmm, probably... no way?
Another playoff team plagued by injuries is the Phoenix Suns. This time, it's not the knee-fragile "Penny" Hardaway who got injured, but another member of the "super backcourt": Jason Kidd!
Kidd sprained his ankle before the end of the regular season and will be out for at least two weeks!
The Suns, who were originally strong and full of ambition, and wanted to make a splash in the playoffs, immediately lost their confidence because of this problem.
But at this moment, the team owner actually brought back Kevin Jensen, the team's former star guard who had been retired for two years!
Jason, who was called upon in a time of crisis, helped the team play in the last six games of the regular season and will also play in the playoffs to fill the team's vacancy at the point guard position!
Of course, James's form is far from what it used to be. In 6 regular season games, he averaged only 6 points and 4 assists. His offensive power has declined significantly, and he has degenerated from a top guard in the league to an ordinary role player.
But the team brought him back not in the hope that he would recreate his former glory. What the team needs is for him to use his prestige, status, experience and leadership to help the team stabilize the situation and get through the two weeks without Kidd!
Besides the Spurs and Suns, another incredibly unlucky team is the Chicago Bulls!
This season, they spent almost 95% of their time firmly in last place in the league. They were waiting to get another number one pick in the 2000 draft to select another super talent so that the team could complete its rebuild.
Unfortunately, just three days before the end of the season, the Bulls' young guys went on a two-game winning streak!
The team's sudden winning streak at such a crucial moment infuriated General Manager Krause, who immediately fired the team's interim head coach, Floyd! "Did I hire you to win games? To showcase your tactical skills?"
Winning at a time like this?
You old bastard, you must have taken a kickback from the Clippers!
Yes, that's a true reflection of Klaus's mind!
Because after these two victories, the Bulls and Clippers have completely reversed their fortunes! The Bulls, who were originally last in the standings, have become second to last, while the Clippers, who were second to last, have become the worst team in the league!
They will have the highest probability of getting the top draft pick in 2000!
Even though people weren't very optimistic about the 2000 draft class, thinking they were a mediocre and terrible class, getting the number one pick was still better than getting the second or third pick!
Moreover, the more mediocre the year, the more important the draft picks become!
After all, geniuses are few and far between, and they can disappear in the blink of an eye!
On the contrary, in years with many geniuses, being one position lower is just a matter of choosing whoever you choose!
In short, the Clippers were overjoyed, while Bulls head coach Floyd lost his job because of the two victories, becoming yet another unlucky guy in the league.
Apart from these unlucky ones, the rest of the teams fared relatively well and didn't encounter any major problems.
First up is the Pacers!
After losing to the 76ers in mid-March, they went on a winning streak! Even in the last two games of April, Bird felt that the team did not need to chase the Bulls' league-leading 74 wins. He didn't care about such empty achievements and the so-called title of the best regular season in history.
Well, of course, the main reason is that this record doesn't belong to the Lakers! If the Lakers had set this record, Bird himself would have broken it by changing into a different jersey. But the Bulls, well, it doesn't matter! Let's leave them some room to maneuver.
Don't ask, asking will only make you look like you're being hypocritical and shameless!
In short, after communicating with the team's players, he decided to rest them for the last two games of the regular season.
However, what Bird didn't expect was that the Pacers' opponents in their last two games would also be resting!
One team is the Hawks, who want to keep losing to stay in fourth place from the bottom, fearing that moving up one draft pick will move them down one pick. The other team is the Celtics, who have already secured the eighth seed in the East and are far behind the seventh and ninth seed, making it impossible for them to change their position!
So, the role players from the three rested teams fought back and forth in the last two games, a fierce and intense battle that seemed to darken the sky and dim the sun and moon!
Ultimately, the Pacers have a better roster foundation and depth, and their tactical system is more complete. Lewis, Harrington, and Buckner are all quite good now. If these three went to other teams, they would probably be in the rotation or even start. But with the Pacers, they can only continue to sit on the bench.
This is also a kind of helplessness for strong teams, a bittersweet happiness!
In short, while Bird seemed indifferent to the title of having the best regular season record in history, his players performed exceptionally well. Despite the absence of players like Lin Tian, Carter, and Webber, they managed to hold onto their lead and secure two more victories!
The Pacers' final record was 75 wins and 7 losses!
They surpassed the 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls to become the team with the highest regular season winning percentage in NBA history! They are also the first team in NBA history to reach 75 wins in a single season! And after the Bulls, they are the second team to achieve more than 70 wins in the regular season!
And of course, the most important point is that Lin Tian became the only player in NBA history to have played for three different teams with 70+ wins!
Lin Tian has played five seasons in his professional career so far, and he has achieved more than 70 wins in three of those seasons...
His regular season winning percentage throughout his career is frighteningly high!
Of course, because he missed the last two regular season games, Lin Tian did not win his fifth Player of the Month award this season, but winning four in a row is already an unprecedented record!
Even though there's been no word yet about the various awards this season, everyone is pretty sure that Lin Tian will win his MVP trophy for the second year in a row!
The only question is: Will Lin Tian be able to win the unanimous MVP award this year?
Anyway, Lin Tian didn't care about this thing. Even some people don't like US dollars, let alone himself.
It's perfectly normal to have a few reporters who like to disagree!
Lin Tian now has only one goal: the championship!
With the regular season now over, the standings for the Eastern and Western Conferences have also come to a close!
The matchups for the 16 playoff teams have been finalized!
east:
1. Indiana Pacers 75 wins, 7 losses
2. Miami Heat 61 wins, 21 losses
3. Charlotte Hornets 49 wins, 33 losses
4. Philadelphia 76ers: 48 wins, 34 losses
5. Detroit Pistons: 42 wins, 40 losses
6. Milwaukee Bucks: 42 wins, 40 losses
7. Orlando Magic: 41 wins, 41 losses
8. Boston Celtics: 35 wins, 47 losses
The rankings in the East are actually not surprising.
Although the gap between the teams is not large, it is immediately apparent that the difference in strength between the teams in the East is enormous!
Apart from the Heat and Pacers, the other six teams are just there to make up the numbers, judging from their records. In the entire Eastern Conference, apart from the Heat and Pacers, no other team has reached 50 wins, which is the first time in recent years!
This year's situation also illustrates the decline of the East!
Over the past decade, the Eastern Conference has consistently had 2-3 top championship contenders and 2-3 elite teams capable of achieving 50 wins. The East has been stronger than the West for the past ten years!
The Eastern Conference has almost monopolized the championships of the past decade. Apart from the Rockets winning two, the Bulls have won five, the Pacers and Knicks have won one each, and even going back further, the Pistons won two!
The West has been suppressed by the East for far too long!
But this year is clearly a dividing line.
First, Jordan's retirement directly caused a top team to disappear. In addition, the defending champion Knicks had a terrible season. The performance of veterans such as Ewing, Starks, and Oakley has plummeted. They won the championship last season, but this season they have fallen out of the playoffs!
Given the age of the Knicks' key players, it's clear they won't be coming back, and the team will inevitably begin its rebuilding process sooner or later!
In addition, the Hawks, who have been a mainstay in the East for the past few years and have always managed to win around 50 games despite never reaching the conference finals, have also begun to rebuild this year. After trading away their two leading scorers, Steve Smith and Mookie Blaylock, the Hawks have only won 28 games this year, ranking second to last in the East!
In addition, the Cavaliers' rebuilding failed, the Wizards' gamble backfired, the Bulls acquired Brand, but who knows when they will rise again, and the Nets' record has not improved despite acquiring Marbury...
After all these factors combined, things have turned out like this: there aren't even eight teams with a 50% winning percentage left in the entire Eastern Conference! Ultimately, this allowed the Celtics, with only 35 wins, to return to the playoffs after a five-year absence.
In any case, apart from the Heat and Pacers who still maintain their dignity as strong teams in the East, the rest of the teams in the East have fallen behind! They have all become bottom-feeders or insignificant teams just coasting along.
Furthermore, barring unforeseen circumstances, this situation in the East will become increasingly apparent, and things will only get worse...
The West's dominance and the East's weakness have become an irreversible trend!
This can be seen from the Western Conference's record!
1. Los Angeles Lakers: 67 wins, 15 losses
2. San Antonio Spurs: 62 wins, 20 losses
3. Portland Trail Blazers 59 wins, 23 losses
4. Phoenix Suns: 53 wins, 29 losses
5. Minnesota Timberwolves: 50 wins, 33 losses
6. Seattle SuperSonics 42 wins, 40 losses
7. Dallas Mavericks: 42 wins, 40 losses
8. Sacramento Kings: 41 wins, 41 losses
In the Western Conference, although the disparity in strength between teams is also significant, there are at least five teams with 50 wins or more, and at least eight teams with a winning percentage of 50% or higher!
Young teams like the Mavericks and Kings have finally returned to the playoffs after many years.
The Sacramento Kings, in particular, put on a spectacular performance in the second half of the season after trading away their star player Richmond. They went on a remarkable comeback from 12th in the Western Conference to not only improve their winning percentage to 50% but also finally make it back into the playoffs!
The West is similar to the East in that several of their long-established powerhouses have also fallen out of playoff contention since the start of this season!
First, there's the Rockets. Last season, they had Hakeem Olajuwon and Scottie Pippen, and they had a certain influence. This season, they finally couldn't hold on. Olajuwon has been ravaged by injuries and no longer has any of his former fierceness. His body has been completely defeated by time.
As Hakeem Olajuwon aged, the once-dominant team that won two consecutive championships completed the transfer of power. Steve Francis became the team's leader, Olajuwon stepped down to the second line, and the team's focus shifted from the inside to the outside, and the playing style changed from half-court offense to transition offense and defense and fast break offense.
In short: The Rockets have undergone a major transformation!
As for when they will be able to rise again, and whether Francis can replace Olajuwon in supporting Aero City, no one knows!
Another team that fell apart this season is the Jazz. Stockton retired, Malone went to Miami, and the former Utah duo became a thing of the past.
Despite Sloan's persistence and the Jazz's strong foundation from the past few years, the Jazz haven't plummeted to the bottom of the standings this year. However, their current roster clearly doesn't support a playoff run.
爵士队今年只拿到了33胜，这是球队自82-83赛季以来第一次没能进入季后赛，也是球队自82-83赛季以来第一次胜率不到50%！
This also marks the first time Sloan has failed to lead the Jazz to the playoffs since taking over as coach.
The Jazz's streak of 18 consecutive seasons making the playoffs has come to an end!
This is also the longest consecutive playoff appearance record in the league! The league's top evergreen team, which has been declining for more than 10 years, has finally fallen.
Furthermore, although the SuperSonics made the playoffs this year, Payton's departure proves that their glory days are coming to an end. They are no longer the top powerhouse in the West, and they are no longer a force to be reckoned with.
The current SuperSonics are very mediocre. They only managed to make the playoffs again by relying on their many veteran players!
As old players fall, new teams naturally rise! The cycle repeats itself, with teams taking turns at the top! This has been the ecosystem of the NBA for over 50 years, and it's one of the reasons why the NBA is so fascinating.
Whether you're a powerhouse team or a small-market team, whether you're in New York, Los Angeles, Cleveland, or Milwaukee, the league will have your moments and stories!
With the top 16 rankings from the East and West finalized, the eight matchups for the first round have naturally been determined!
As the league's top team, the Pacers' first opponent was indeed the worst-performing and lowest-winning team among the 16 teams.
The Boston Celtics are back in the playoffs after a five-year absence!
Of course, it must be said that the Celtics, who only won 35 games this year, made it to the playoffs, which was a case of picking the best from the worst. They were simply the least bad team among the worst teams.
The team's system and tactics are not very good. How did they manage to stand out among a bunch of bad teams?
It's all about talent!
The Celtics' fighting power is negligible, but their talent is absolutely top-notch in the East!
And their two most talented players are undoubtedly the team's current duo: Antoine Walker and Paul Pierce!
Walker, nicknamed "Fat Head," entered the league in 96. He had top-notch touch, as well as agility and skills that were completely disproportionate to his size. His low-post offense, face-up offense, and shooting touch were all top-notch. His playing style and technical characteristics allowed him to play three or four different games.
In other words, those who are stronger and taller than him are not as fast or accurate as him, and those who are faster and more accurate than him are not as tall or stronger than him!
Walker can put the ball in the basket in different ways to deal with different opponents. He and Rasheed Wallace are known as the "96 forward duo". Both of them have a variety of useful offensive skills and can put the ball in the basket time and time again.
Walker averaged 17+9 in his first year in the league, and 22+10 in his second year. Although he failed to lead the team to the playoffs, he was regarded by Boston as the team's hope for rebuilding!
This season, Walker is averaging 20.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game, making him the team's leading scorer, rebounder, and star player!
Of course, Walker's flaws are just as obvious as his strengths.
First, there's the issue of shot selection. Perhaps due to overconfidence in his abilities, Walker often takes shots from various positions in strange ways, which results in his efficiency being relatively low, even among the league's 3 and 4 position players. What's even more unacceptable to many fans is his choice of 3-point shot selection!
This season, Walker is averaging nearly four three-pointers per game, but his three-point shooting percentage is only 25%! To put it simply, in terms of shooting percentage, he is a completely unqualified shooter. Any coach would prefer that such a player doesn't attempt a single three-pointer in a game.
But if you look at the number of shots, this guy attempted 285 three-pointers in the regular season, ranking in the top 15 in the league. With that efficiency, he looks like a top shooter in the league!
Well, of course, this is just the beginning of Walker's obsession with three-pointers.
Starting next season, Walker will attempt more than 8 three-pointers per game for three consecutive seasons. His choice and number of three-point attempts are enough to drive all old-school coaches crazy!
Aside from his shot selection, Walker's biggest problem is his defensive choices. Given his physical attributes, weight, and agility, if he focused on defense, he could easily have been selected as a defensive specialist, if not the best defensive player, and certainly a member of the All-Defensive Team.
But the result was that Walker's only interest in defense was gambling on steals. He loved to rush out and intercept the opponent's pass, and sometimes he would succeed. Then this steal would turn into a stylish full-court sprint and gliding dunk.
More often than not, however, Walker's failed steals left a lot of open space behind him, allowing the opponent to easily launch an attack.
Simply put, Walker is a player with explosive talent, but also a personality that could drive coaches crazy.
Besides Walker, another Celtics star was Paul Pierce, nicknamed "The Truth," who entered the league in the same year as Carter.
Compared to Walker, Pierce's abilities and talents were not as exaggerated. His playing style was more technical and a typical floor-based style. His signature moves were shooting after a jab step, and using a shoulder shake and turn to deceive the opponent's center of gravity and defensive position when backing down, before turning and shooting.
A player with a very old-school and traditional playing style!
He is also the Celtics' second-leading scorer this season, averaging 19.5 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists per game!
Besides those two, the team also has Kenny Anderson, who was once nicknamed "New York's Number One Point Guard." This guy is averaging 14 points and 5 assists this season, making him the team's third-leading scorer and playmaker.
Hmm... It's worth mentioning that there's yet another guy who's definitely under 180cm tall but dares to claim an official height of 183cm.
This guy is destined to be taught a lesson by Lin Tian. Lin Tian needs to tell him that honesty is a very important quality!
The height should be exactly what it is; don't exaggerate!
Aside from these three guys, there's nothing else worth mentioning on the Celtics team.
It's also worth mentioning that Pierce, Walker, and Anderson are birds of a feather. Their tempers are almost identical. All three of them are as foul as rocks in a latrine, with bad tempers, big mouths, bad personalities, excessive confidence, and egotistical attitudes.
A player typical of American slums.
Lin Tian likes this kind of person the most!
They're easy to bully and tease.
It's also very easy to get hooked!
Originally, before the playoffs began, Lin Tian's habit was to upgrade himself again, to make himself stronger, and to make it easier for the team to advance.
The problem now is that although Lin Tian has accumulated 11000 experience points over the course of a season, especially during the All-Star Game, his useful skills are already at a very high level, and 11000 points are simply not enough to improve them.
Lin Tian couldn't use those skills that required low experience points at all.
So rather than randomly upgrading two skills that he didn't need, Lin Tian decided to keep them.
Let's talk about promotion when the current season ends and the next season begins.
At the Conseco Center in Indiana, the Pacers, who had a 75-win regular season and were considered the top favorite to win the championship this season, met their first opponent in the playoffs.
The former kings of the league, Larry Bird's former team, the Boston Celtics!
Before the game started, Bird, as usual, was in the locker room making final preparations and conducting tactical analysis.
"Do you all understand now? The only players on their team worth paying attention to are these few. Their defense, apart from the 3 and 4 positions, is completely negligible! They can't possibly cause us any trouble."
"And then, Lin?"
After being pointed at by Bird, Lin Tian almost couldn't help but laugh, shaking his head and saying, "I know, I know, Kenny Anderson, right? I'll crush him! Sigh, I'm clearly a technical player, my main style is supposed to be elegant and stylish, but they always make me do things that are completely out of character with me."
"How shameless must someone be to always try to bully others because of their height! Larry, I'm curious, in your career, have you ever encountered someone like that, the kind who points their finger at you and tells you, 'What else do you have besides being tall?' When you're with them, do you ever feel embarrassed and regretful?"
"Why don't you go see Satan? Won't you blush and regret it when you see Satan? Our team can't tolerate you, go see Satan, okay?" Bird rolled his eyes. He used to think he was the most shameless person, the most sarcastic and cunning person in the league, but now he realized that he wasn't!
Compared to Lin Tian, Bird was simply an elegant, polite, courteous, and principled gentleman!
Bird never imagined that becoming a coach would lead him to a moral high ground and the brilliance of humanity!
Bird and Lin Tian's barrage of insults completely dispelled the last vestiges of pre-game tension in the Pacers' locker room. Bird clapped his hands and laughed, "Alright, let's go! Let's play! Let's crush the Bostonians and show them where the lottery is where they belong."
"Coach, I have another question." Lin Tian suddenly raised his hand, looking like a good student, and asked curiously, "Should we go easy on them? I heard that Mr. Auerbach also came to watch the game, just to support the team's first game back in the playoffs."
"He's here?" Bird paused for a moment, then narrowed his eyes and said, "Then beat him to a pulp! Show him no mercy. That old man used to curse me a lot back in the day. Today, I'll show him what it means to surpass your teacher! I'm going to completely destroy his team today!"
"That damn old redhead, he always thought his NBA godfather was the top management, and he loved to yell at me back in the day! Hmph, today, it's my turn to get revenge, it's my turn to completely crush his team!"
Bird looked arrogant and domineering, as if he was about to kill his mentor himself, and then swaggered out of the locker room.
"I bet Larry will cower the moment he sees Auerbach, completely losing his current bravado and acting like a complete rookie serving him tea and water."
Miller, one of the people on the team who knew the relationship between Bird and Auerbach best, made a smug prediction. Not only that, he also asked another veteran on the team.
"Sam, what do you think?"
Perkins, who has barely played this season, nodded and said, "I almost agree with you, Reggie, but there's one thing wrong. Larry's momentum might not last until he sees Auerbach. He'll immediately go weak in the knees and kneel down after hearing his name or voice."
"Is Auerbach really that scary?" Lin Tian didn't really know much about Auerbach. He had only met Auerbach once, at the NBA's 50th anniversary celebration, but they hadn't exchanged a single word.
"It really exists." Miller, who was never afraid of anything, nodded decisively, and then couldn't help but shudder a little, actually a little scared!
Seeing Miller's expression, Lin Tian became even more curious about Auerbach!
After all, Auerbach had announced his retirement in 1997 due to various setbacks. He had only held a nominal position with the Celtics and hadn't really been involved in anything for a long time, so Lin Tian really didn't have much of a chance to communicate with him.
But speaking of the greatest head coach and general manager in NBA history, or at least one of the greatest, his early and mid-career was incredibly dominant and invincible. The Celtics he led were the strongest and most terrifying monsters and behemoths of that era, making the Lakers run away in terror.
Even in the 80s, the Celtics, with their Big Three of Bird, Parish and McHale, were still a top powerhouse in the league, though they no longer had the terrifying dominance of the 60s!
But Auerbach's luck ran out.
In 1986, Auerbach used the second overall pick, which cost a fortune, to select Lun Bias, a super talent who was said to be no less than Jordan and even slightly surpassed Jordan in his NCAA career. Then, less than 10 hours later, Bias died in his room due to an overdose of hydroxychloroquine.
Rumors even circulated that this was the first time Bayas had ever touched this thing in his life. For the first 20 years of his life, he was a complete good boy, and he only tried it out to celebrate being chosen.
Then, in 1993 training camp, Reggie Lewis, the Celtics' leader and the hope for their revival, died suddenly of a heart attack during training, shattering the Celtics' nascent hopes once again.
Then in 1996, Auerbach, who was already semi-retired, spotted Kobe Bryant at first glance while observing player trials in the summer!
He wanted the team to use their sixth overall pick to draft Kobe.
However, due to his age, Auerbach had relinquished power, and the Celtics were no longer his sole authority. His ideas and opinions were met with opposition from many. At the time, the rest of the Celtics team favored the exceptionally talented college player Antoine Walker over the immature high schooler Kobe Bryant.
What they need is immediate combat capability, not slowly developing a high school student.
After numerous meetings and arguments, Auerbach ultimately failed to prevail. His suggestions were rejected, and the team selected another talented player, Walker, with the sixth pick. Auerbach had no choice but to settle for second best, leveraging his connections to reach an agreement with the Suns, who had the fifteenth pick.
If Kobe falls to the 15th pick, then the Suns will select Kobe and then trade him to the Celtics.
But the final result is known to everyone.
Jerry West went straight for the kill, trading away the team's starting All-Star center Vlade Divac in exchange for the 13th overall pick, snatching Kobe Bryant and drafting the team's pillar for the next 20 years.
If Kobe had been acquired by another team, Auerbach might not have been so disappointed, but it was taken by their arch-rivals, the Lakers?
Auerbach's heart felt like it was being torn apart!
Perhaps at that time, Auerbach already had the idea of retiring completely.
Then in 1997, the Celtics suffered another heavy blow! They tanked for a whole year, ending up in the worst ranking in the league. Auerbach hoped the team could get the number one pick and select the super talent Tim Duncan that everyone was looking for!
Auerbach believes this is the Celtics' second Bill Russell!
But in the end, the Celtics, who finished last, were tricked by fate. They only got the third pick and selected only Billups.
It was after that lottery draw that Auerbach announced his formal retirement from management. Although the team tried to persuade him to stay, he was eventually given a nominal advisory position. After that, Auerbach almost completely stopped caring about the team's affairs.
The only player he might be in charge of is Danny Ainge. Auerbach hopes to groom Ainge as his successor and make him the team's next president, leading the Celtics back to their peak.
Unfortunately, apart from Auerbach himself, the rest of the Celtic team doesn't seem to think so. They are eager to "de-Auerbach-ize" the team and don't want to use Auerbach's core players.
Therefore, the team rejected Auerbach's recommendation and did not make Ainge the team's general manager, but only gave him a sinecure position in the team.
After feeling rejected by the team, and even his players were rejected by the team, Auerbach completely gave up. This time, he really stopped caring about anything. Danny Ainge also left for Phoenix, where he became the general manager. He even took on the role of head coach for a few games at the beginning of the season when the team did not have a head coach!
But in any case, the Celtics are eliminating everything related to Auerbach from their team.
Perhaps this is the real reason why Bird wanted to destroy this Celtics team!
To avenge his mentor.
After all, this Celtics team not only has no trace of Auerbach, but also seems to have the air of having driven Auerbach away.
Anyway, Bird didn't like it!
"Want to make a bet?" Miller suddenly added, "Let's bet on whether Larry will turn into a lapdog the moment he sees Auerbach."
"I bet Larry won't back down tonight, he'll be incredibly tough! Tough enough to completely crush the Celtics, swearing and aggressively beating them to death!" Lin Tian gave his answer without even turning around.
"You really don't understand Auerbach," Miller said smugly upon hearing Lin Tian's words. "They all say you're an undefeated legend at the gambling table! Lin, you're doomed tonight! I'm going to beat you big time!"
"How about we bet on the cost of drinks after tonight's meal?"
"No problem, Reggie, you can raise the stakes as much as you want! I won't change my mind," Lin Tian said confidently. "Besides, I'm definitely going to win tonight!"
"You're asking for it!" Miller exclaimed, turning to everyone else as soon as Lin Tian said he'd raise the bet however he wanted. "This is your best chance to beat Lin! Don't you want to seize it? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"
With Miller's encouragement and assurances, soon most of the Pacers team joined his camp!
In the end, only Christie, who said "my wife doesn't allow me to gamble" and therefore doesn't participate in any gambling, remained neutral, and Ben, a die-hard fan of Lin Tian, said he would always stand with Lin Tian. Everyone else sided with Miller.
They felt this was the best chance to defeat Lin Tian!
Miller said smugly, "Lin, you're definitely going to lose this time!"
"We'll see," Lin Tian shrugged. "How exactly do we bet?"
"If you win, you can make one request of all of us!" Miller said. "We'll definitely fulfill it! If you lose, then from today until the end of the season, you'll cover all our drinking, partying, and entertainment expenses!"
"No problem! It's a deal!" Lin Tian agreed to Miller's suggestion without hesitation.
Then, a group of people walked out of the players' tunnel happily and officially entered Conseco Arena!
Upon entering the arena, the players listened to the overwhelming shouts and cheers from the fans while looking at Bird. Then, everyone's gaze followed Bird's and fell upon the Celtics' bench.
They wanted to see what Bird would do when he saw the legendary Auerbach!
(End of this chapter)