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Chapter 520 - 226. Gambling Dog Bobcat!

Chapter 520: 226. Gambling Dog Bobcat!

The teammates chatted and their mood grew heavier, and Zhang Yang wondered, hadn’t they won a game already?

But several teammates were also actively discussing how to deal with the Spurs’ defense. He figured their mentality should be fine, was it just anxiety?

Indeed, people’s hearts are always changing.

Anyway, his thoughts were more straightforward. The tasks assigned by the coaching staff were simple, he just needed to go out there and shoot. If he made it, great, if they won, even better. If he missed, or they lost, then he would just take the blame. Why overthink it?

Playing basketball should be pure.

Seeing his teammates’ discussion showing no signs of stopping, "Big Brothers, it’s already 3 o’clock. Still want to talk? This isn’t Los Angeles!"

If you can’t outmuscle them, join them.

A bunch of grown men chatting late into the night, unable to sleep, what if one of them suddenly had a stroke of genius?

The night at 4 AM in San Antonio, Zhang Yang didn’t know if Duncan had ever seen it, but he had, and it wasn’t until 4:30 AM that they got tired of talking and went back to their rooms to sleep...

At noon, the Hornets returned to Charlotte. At 3 PM, they held a strategy meeting at Tuhang Stadium.

The young guys were in great shape, and a few mentally sharp players from the ’Big Brother Group’ appeared in the meeting room, actively participating in the discussion to strategize for tomorrow’s training and the day after tomorrow’s Game 3.

However, the meeting content lacked substance, with no constructive outcomes.

After the meeting, Rondo said gloomily, "Jack, why do I feel like we analyzed so much last night but got nothing out of it?"

Felton chimed in agreement.

Zhang Yang: "That’s normal. One thing that gives opponents a headache about the Spurs is that whether you win or lose against them, it’s hard to gain useful experience from the victory."

Rondo: "Why?"

Zhang Yang replied, "The Spurs themselves play a game based on overpowering their opponents with strength. Against such a playstyle, opponents usually have to fight them head-on.

Plus, Duncan, Parker, Bowen, and Ginobili, this core group has been together for five years. How they play and what adjustments they make have been thoroughly analyzed, which is why the coaching staff could come up with a game plan that let us win so quickly. It’s very hard for us to expect to gain something from just two games."

With that explanation, both of them understood, but Rondo, who was more thoughtful, picked up on a keyword and asked, "What about aside from the game itself?"

Zhang Yang: "I have Nash’s number, why don’t you give him a call?"

Rondo: "...Never mind, I’m not close with him."

Zhang Yang: "You can get to know him. I’ve arranged to train together with him at the end of August. You can join us then."

"I’m in!"

Rondo wasn’t the least bit hesitant, agreeing before Zhang Yang even finished speaking.

Two-time MVP, and if it had not been for an injury just before the All-Star weekend, possibly a three-time MVP—today’s Point Guard version of Bird. Although Rondo wasn’t a Nash fan, the opportunity to closely observe Nash was not to be missed.

The next day, on the 15th, the second rest day, the Hornets conducted a day of training, not very intense, with the Lakers of over a decade ago serving as a warning.

This was the third time the Hornets prepared specifically for the Spurs, and the content of the training... was almost no different from the first one.

The two days of rest flew by, and June 16th, the third game day of the Finals, arrived.

In the morning, as Zhang Yang drove to the stadium, he got stuck in traffic near the arena...

Finally, after managing to park in the parking lot, Zhang Yang complained to Felton, who had also been stuck outside the stadium for about fifteen minutes, "I didn’t expect our fans to be this enthusiastic."

Felton: "Of course. Our fans in the Carolina region are the most passionate in the entire country... Jack, do you have a misunderstanding of our fans here?"

Zhang Yang: "Before coming here, I thought the fan environment was poor. I was puzzled why Michael decided to let that black TV station owner set up a team here when there were clearly cities like San Diego, Oklahoma City, and Las Vegas... those big cities in the West that desperately wanted an NBA team. The Hornets even fled from here to go bask in the New Orleans breeze... cough, ignore that last part."

Felton shot a look at Zhang Yang, "Keep your voice down when you say these things... The Hornets weren’t liked much by the fans here mainly because they were too weak. For so many years, they barely made it to the second round. If it were you, with money for a ticket, would you prefer a Duke or North Carolina game, or the Hornets? This year, Duke went out in the first round, and our North Carolina fell in the Elite Eight. Of course, fans are putting their passion into us, who made it to the Finals."

Zhang Yang opened his mouth but then said no more, nodding in agreement.

Little Fatty Big Brother now looked beyond even the second round... Rightly so, winning a national championship as a junior and entering the NBA, reaching the second round in his rookie year and the Finals in his sophmore year, such a basketball career wouldn’t be lacking in pride.

He, Zhang San, spoke of the Eastern Conference opponents as if all but the Pistons were dismissable...

By 9 PM, the Hornets faced off against the Spurs at home for the third game of the Finals.

The first two games were judged by media and fans as—ugly!

If it weren’t for the Hornets, a team that reached the Finals in just their third year of existence, participating in the Finals, the viewership would have collapsed after Game 1. Even with the Hornets, the viewership for Game 2 had dropped significantly, though not as low as in 2005.

The 2005 Finals had left too deep a scar on the psyche of fans.

Even in China, the viewership for Game 2 had declined from Game 1.