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Chapter 297 - 146.Beat LA (8000 words)_4

Chapter 297: 146.Beat LA (8000 words)_4

Indeed, the Lakers’ offense was too strong, often scoring over 120 or even 130 points.

Zhang San and Larry Bird, if they couldn’t both ensure high-level output simultaneously, couldn’t keep up.

On June 12, the Celtics faced the Lakers at home for game 4 of the finals.

This time, the mastermind gave up on trading blows and played defensive with the Celtics!

Under the "restricted area double-team" rule, as long as the star players had strong one-on-one abilities, the "isolation tactic" couldn’t be completely limited by normal defense. For the Lakers, slowing the pace and playing defensively, the mastermind had shot himself in the foot!

The Lakers weren’t the Bad Boys Legion, who would use brutal fouls twenty-five or twenty-six times a game to curb the opponent’s offense. Although their slow pace successfully reduced the Celtics’ scoring to the lowest of this finals series at 115 points, the Lakers only scored 103 points themselves!

Larry Bird scored 30 points, Zhang Yang 28 points, McHale 18 points, Ainge 16 points... 115 to 103, the Celtics triumphed over the Lakers, tying the series!

On June 14, the Celtics hosted the Lakers at home for a crucial finals game.

Riley knew he had made a mistake in the previous game, and mistakes can be corrected... but last game’s defensive focus messed up their rhythm!

Tonight their defense was poor, and their offense wasn’t much better.

With Magic Johnson scoring 35 points but only having 9 assists, it was difficult for the Lakers to win.

Larry Bird 28 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists, Zhang Yang 36 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, McHale 17 points, Ainge 15 points... The Celtics defeated the Lakers 123 to 108, winning three consecutive games and securing a match point!

...

After the first five games, the finals would not return to Boston, with the 2-3-2 finals format, the last two games would be in Los Angeles, with G6 set for June 17.

On the morning of the 16th, when the Celtics team departed for Los Angeles, thousands of fans poured into the airport to send the players off to battle.

Some fans held banners saying "We need not regret the future, for we already own it", supporting Zhang Yang.

Zhang Yang’s explosive scoring in the finals had won the recognition of more local fans, but the die-hard Bias fans became more extreme, claiming that if Bias had not died, they would have already swept the Lakers...

Most Celtics fans, fearing such sentiments might influence Zhang Yang’s decision in the summer of 1988, spoke out actively.

Zhang Yang had signed a 3-year 3 million contract last summer, with an option for the third year, a contract Auerbach offered to win hearts. After next season, Zhang Yang would have three years in the league and would have Bird rights. If he performed well, he could opt out of the contract and re-sign above the salary cap, but if he did not meet expectations, he could earn an extra 1 million US dollars.

Now this had become a sword hanging over the heads of the Celtics and their fans.

Most fans had now realized that they had been too absorbed in grieving over the loss of Bias the past year and had neglected Zhang Yang too much...

Mainly, the behavior of rival fans was unsettling the Celtics fans.

When the Celtics arrived at the Los Angeles International Airport in the city of Inglewood, many fans came to welcome them. Although it was not as massive as the Boston fans’ send-off, there were nearly a thousand people.

When they saw Zhang Yang, they all chanted, "Welcome home."

Yesterday, the media began hyping that Zhang Yang was not well-received by Boston fans and wanted to leave the Celtics... The Lakers had launched a media assault!

The Celtics fans were now uneasy, but Zhang Yang... didn’t care much. He just wanted to win now. The future decisions, he would leave to that "him". His sole focus was on winning the games.

For him, the media offensive launched by the Lakers, and the actions of the Boston fans, were less appealing than what Stern had said in an interview the previous day.

After the Celtics won three games straight, reversing the series lead to 3-2, Stern was interviewed and asked about the "isolation tactic" called out by Auerbach. He expressly stated — basketball is not a one-man sport, and he would consider proposing a rule to ban this tactic at the annual rules committee meeting this summer.

Zhang Yang felt like he had caused a mess... With Stern doing this, what about Jordan’s historic best series performance? Wasn’t his career-best efficiency season gone?

This experience seemed to be having a bit too significant an impact on this timeline... But what did it have to do with him? It wasn’t his loss, nor was it "his".

However, during training yesterday afternoon and on the plane this morning, Zhang Yang felt that his teammates seemed to be affected.

So, after checking into the hotel in the city of Inglewood, he promptly had Auerbach arrange an interview with the media. When asked if he ever thought about playing in Los Angeles in the future, his answer was — "Beat-LA!"

Auerbach, somewhat nervous by his side, felt a great weight lift from his heart upon hearing Zhang Yang’s words.

As for the future, he had become more indifferent after the ordeal of losing the second draft pick. At least for now, that was the case.

They had finally fought back from a desperate situation to a 3-2 lead, about to claim the championship; if they were affected by speculation about Zhang Yang’s "future whereabouts" at this point, he would truly regret it for a lifetime!

In this finals series, if one had to talk about impact, Larry Bird was still the most impactful one, being the strongest individual player in the league.

But Zhang Yang was equally indispensable! It could even be said, without Zhang Yang, they might have already been eliminated!

This crisis, Auerbach knew he bore the greatest responsibility. After losing Bias, he became disheartened, his expectations too high, and his idealization of the future too glowing, which only magnified the shock he experienced.