Chapter 110: Chapter 109: Super Team, Everyone Gains!
After Kevin Garnett’s "poisoned milk" (idiom for jinxing someone), Zack started the second half of the game missing all three of his shots.
Zack’s mismatch advantage, created by combining his perimeter skills with his physical attributes, isn’t everything. At least in a game with maximum intensity, frequent body contact, and where defenders are allowed to get physical, even his powerful pull-up jumpers are bound to go off-target sometimes. Moreover, Zack’s incredibly troublesome drives to the basket from last season weren’t working against this Supersonics team. That’s because the Supersonics were essentially playing a zone defense. Besides Garnett, they also had Yao Ming in the paint.
On TNT, partly to get a rise out of "Mike," and partly to show off his professionalism, Charles Barkley commented on Zack, who had turned into a "blacksmith" (missing shots) in the second half: "The Messiah is undoubtedly a player who can use his mismatch advantage to get the ’right to call heads or tails first.’ How similar is that to Michael (Jordan) back in the day? But at the moment the coin lands, they can still guess wrong. And that’s the beauty of basketball; no one can predict the future. Only when the coin lands can we know the result."
"The right to call heads or tails first"—you have to admit, Barkley very accurately described the mismatch advantage Zack created on the court. However, his good partner, Kenny Smith, had a different take.
"Who says you can’t predict the future in basketball? I can predict the outcome of certain games."
In the studio, Barkley, looking at the confident Smith, asked in confusion, "Like what?"
The next second, Smith chuckled, "If Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan each led a team in the playoffs, I believe no one would bet on Charles Barkley winning the series."
Barkley: "..."
As the unfortunate soul who was flattened by Jordan’s Bulls in the Finals back in the day, "not being able to beat Jordan" will always be a thorn in Barkley’s side. A thorn he can’t refute and can only rage impotently about.
Oracle Arena: The Warriors’ True Strength
At Oracle Arena, Zack’s cooled-down shooting touch gave the Supersonics hope of re-establishing their lead. On the Supersonics’ offensive possession, Ray Allen drained a three-pointer from beyond the arc after a hand-off with Yao Ming and a screen from Garnett. This was a sight that would make any perimeter star envious. In that moment, the high-quality screens provided by two superstar big men were so reassuring, so desirable, that you’d want to take Ray Allen’s place.
However... throughout the entire third quarter, the lead the Supersonics hoped to build wasn’t reflected on the scoreboard. That’s because the "single-core team" label that everyone has been putting on the Warriors since last season... is only because they have one overly brilliant superstar.
Kwame Brown, with his excellent sweeping ability and having learned how to "steal chickens" (make smart, sneaky plays). Ron Artest, who can be suppressed by Zack and is willing to do the dirty work on the court. Jason Richardson, increasingly showing shades of "Golden State’s Ray Allen." Baron Davis, who, despite his boasting, is a good teammate as long as he doesn’t play recklessly.
And then, supplemented by quality reserves like Dunleavy, Murphy, Jack, Barnes, Biedrins, Foye, and others. Who would dare say this Warriors roster isn’t strong enough?
In the long history of the NBA, it’s not just the so-called "Big Three" or "Big Four" lineups that can be called super teams. When Zack tightly unites this group of diverse teammates, this highly centralized Warriors team’s combat power is bound to grow exponentially.
On the court, it was the Warriors’ offensive possession. Even knowing that Zack’s shot was cold, Garnett still didn’t dare to slack off on his defense against Zack. The veteran "Wolf King" desperately pushed his limits, trying to make his footwork as fast as it was five years ago. With the referees’ tacit approval, he pulled and tugged, leaving scratch marks all over Zack’s arm without holding back. He successfully forced Zack to have only twelve seconds left to organize the offense after receiving the ball. Then, he swung his "wolf claws" with all his might, desperately blocking Zack’s passing lanes and hindering his offensive initiation. He stared intently at every one of Zack’s movements, preventing him from launching a sneak attack at any moment.
But in an instant... Zack, holding the ball high with one hand, like a quarterback, whipped the ball to Richardson, who was lurking in the left corner. Seeing this, Garnett quickly turned his head. But... Garnett, unable to teleport, could only watch as Ray Allen, completely screened off by Artest, couldn’t get around that damn screen until Richardson had already released the shot.
Swish!
Richardson’s two fake runs in this possession, and finally sneaking to the baseline off Artest’s screen, were key to the Warriors completing this play. In that moment, Zack just needed to use his physical advantage to press the pass button, and Richardson would get an open three-point shot.
On the Warriors’ bench, Mike Malone was ecstatic about this Warriors’ possession. Because after setting up the framework, this Warriors team, which was filling in the content piece by piece, had at this moment played the exact kind of offense Mike Malone most anticipated!
In fact, the moment Malone took the Warriors’ coaching job, he fully realized that Zack’s mismatch advantage wasn’t just limited to giving him the right to call heads or tails first on the court. Using Zack’s inherent gravity to attract the attention of the opposing defense, and then relying on different high-level tactics to fully unleash Zack’s explosive creativity. In Mike Malone’s eyes, this Warriors team and Zack not only complemented each other, but they also amplified each other’s strengths.
Furthermore, the Warriors, who were currently enjoying the "DNA benefits" (a playful jab at the team’s strong foundation thanks to Zack), didn’t even have to worry about Zack monopolizing the ball too much and drawing the dissatisfaction of other players. That’s because they had a group of players who were genuinely willing to serve their star player.
Perhaps in Zack’s previous life, Richardson might have been unhappy with some of the "uninvited guests" on the Warriors for this or that reason. But since the Warriors’ star player now shared the same "roots" as him, and this star player could also lead the team to contend for a championship, Richardson naturally had to show the right attitude to assist this young king. After all, as long as he could build extraordinary achievements with this king, his No. 23 jersey would surely be raised to the rafters of Oracle Arena someday.
If last season’s Warriors were gradually united by Zack after a series of victories, then this season’s Warriors, due to that unexpected championship, had quietly achieved a level of centralization that is quite rare in the NBA. This was a centralization chosen by the Warriors players themselves. Not even a difficult player like Artest found anything wrong with it.
The Tyrant’s Taunts
And at the end of the third quarter... Zack once again proved in the game that he absolutely hadn’t tricked Artest in their earlier heart-to-heart talk.
On the court, it was the Warriors’ offensive possession. Ron Artest, who was 4-for-11 so far, drove with the ball from the right baseline into the Supersonics’ paint and drew Yao Ming’s third personal foul of the game through tough contact. At the free-throw line, Artest made both of his free throws. On the scoreboard, it was 74-80. Perhaps Artest’s efficiency with the ball wasn’t great, but the Warriors truly needed his ball-handling. For example, in this game, during the third quarter when Zack’s shot was cold, how could the Warriors have survived that dangerous period without players like Artest stepping up?
After three quarters, Supersonics head coach Rick Carlisle had fully realized just how formidable this defending champion team’s overall strength was. They were by no means a single-core team. They simply chose to gather all the spotlight around Zack.
In the final quarter, Zack got a valuable four minutes of rest. Although the relatively slower pace of the game allowed Zack to conserve his energy better during the match, every player’s energy bar in a basketball game is bound to shorten over time. This is an irreversible outcome.
Oracle Arena. In the final quarter showdown, the Warriors changed their defensive strategy, dedicating more defensive resources to Ray Allen. Even Zack would aggressively close out on the perimeter the moment Ray Allen tried to use a screen to find a shooting angle. And on the offensive end, Davis played the role of a Jamal Murray excellently tonight. The original "Mr. Beard," who had been conserving his energy for the first three quarters, brutally overwhelmed Supersonics point guard Earl Watson in the final quarter. No fancy moves needed. No emotion at all. After scoring 8 straight points against Watson, Davis even subtly hooked Gary Payton, who was sitting on the Supersonics’ bench, with his slightly bent finger.
Seeing this, Zack, who always respected elders and cared for the young, helped Davis translate as he passed the Supersonics bench: "When is that ’morning road everyone can freely pass through’ (a taunt implying Payton is old and slow) going to get on the court?"
In that moment, facing the combined provocation of Davis and Zack, Payton chose to remain silent, just like O’Neal did earlier. Zack’s petty nature was already well-known in the NBA. And as for the blunt truth Zack just spoke... even if Payton wanted to refute it... he’d need to have the ability to do so. Carlisle choosing Watson over Payton in tonight’s decisive moments spoke volumes.
However, Zack, who always holds a grudge, didn’t plan to let Payton off the hook just because of his silence.
Warriors’ offensive possession. Zack received a beautiful pass from Davis’s drive-and-kick, splitting the defense and slamming the ball into the hoop. As he retreated on defense, Zack looked curiously at the Supersonics bench: "Why did you suddenly decide to come back to the Supersonics this summer? Don’t tell me it’s because the Supersonics have a chance at the championship, right? You really are an old dog who fawns over whoever has a chance to win the championship." After a pause, looking at Payton, who was on the verge of breaking down, Zack added, "It’s because of shameless old dogs like you that more and more young people in the NBA only want to take shortcuts."
Truthfully, Payton, who just wanted to retire gracefully with a championship ring, didn’t deserve such a harsh accusation from Zack. But who told this damn jerk to throw a cheap shot at him in the Finals? In Zack’s opinion, even if Payton had openly "elbowed it out" with him, he wouldn’t hold such a grudge.
And on the sidelines, Payton, who could no longer remain silent... was ultimately held down on the damn bench by Chuck Hayes.
"Why are you stopping me?! I’m going to fight him!" Payton roared furiously.
Hearing that, Hayes gave a wry smile, "Give up, Gary. Didn’t you notice Mike Dunleavy already pulled a baseball bat from under his seat?"
Seeing this, Payton was shocked, "How dare he bring such a dangerous thing onto the court?!"
Hayes replied, "This Warriors team will never allow anyone to harm their Messiah, unless you’re confident you can fight them all."
After calming down a bit, Payton angrily said, "But I can’t just let him insult me for free!"
Hayes said, "As far as I know, the Messiah never opposes people trash-talking him."
Payton: "..."
Me... If I could trash-talk him down, why would I still be sitting on the bench? Payton was deflated. Completely deflated. If he could turn back time, he would never have thrown that cheap elbow at Zack in the Finals.
"Actually, I think you could try to make peace with him," Hayes suddenly said, patting Payton on the shoulder.
Payton was puzzled, "How can I make peace? If it were possible, Shaq would have probably made peace with him already."
Hayes shook his head, "You don’t understand the Messiah. At least in my opinion, what happened between you two was just a court dispute. I think if you genuinely apologize, he’ll definitely forgive you."
Payton asked curiously, "You mean his grudges are ranked?"
Hayes nodded, "’Yao’ said that his little brother carries a notebook and decides his attitude towards his enemies based on their different levels of animosity. I don’t think your ranking on his notebook would be very high."
The next second, Payton said, both annoyed and amused, "With your description, why do I suddenly feel like he’s not so detestable after all?"
Hayes shrugged, "The Messiah isn’t inherently detestable or hateful. As long as you play him fairly and squarely, you’ll find that he’s absolutely a professional role model."
Then, Hayes told Payton an interesting anecdote. It was during a "Asian Derby" game last season. At that time, after being faked out by Zack under the basket, Hayes, in a very dangerous move, fell on top of Zack.
"I know he could have completely dodged me, but if he had, I would have likely fallen and injured myself without any protection."
"And then?"
"Then, he not only didn’t dodge, but he actually grabbed me as I was falling, allowing me to escape injury."
After sharing this story with Payton, Hayes continued to earnestly persuade Payton: "Gary, he is already the flag-bearer of the NBA. Instead of being his enemy, it’s better to make him your friend."
Instead of being his enemy, it’s better to make him your friend. Payton immediately fell into deep thought about Hayes’s heartfelt advice.
Post-Game Reflections
And on the court, at the same moment Hayes and Payton were chatting, Ray Allen, who was hot then cold, personally sealed the fate of this Christmas Day game.
Final score: 97-106.
This high-quality, back-and-forth battle ultimately ended with a Warriors victory. In the game, the fully engaged Warriors thoroughly demonstrated their hard power as defending champions.
After the game, Mike Malone praised Zack, who put up 36 points, 18 rebounds, 14 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals for the Warriors on Christmas night: "Just give him the ball, and everything becomes easy."
Although Carlisle still didn’t appreciate the beauty of a ball-dominant superstar, in the press conference, he gave Zack a very high evaluation: "He has left the stars of his generation far behind; he is indeed the best player in the NBA today."
After this intense Christmas Day game, Carlisle clearly knew that if the Supersonics wanted to achieve something this year, they had to do better. "We need to find a player who can solve our point guard problem before the regular season ends," Carlisle told the Supersonics’ front office after the game, addressing the weakness exposed in this Christmas Day game.
"The 1-on-4 zone is indeed a good tactic; we’ll need to practice it more." And Malone, who had discovered the cleverness of the 1-on-4 zone through this Christmas Day game, completely shed his disdain for this "kids’ tactic."
Without a doubt, this was a game where both teams, regardless of win or loss, gained something. Especially for Zack.
"Ding! Hidden quest [Gary Payton’s Apology] triggered!"
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