Chapter 134: When It Comes to Diligence, You Fall Short

Chapter 146: You Are Not Diligent Enough

Dirk Nowitzki was not in good form today, despite his double-double performance. He scored 24 points but struggled with his shooting, hitting only 7 of 19 attempts. He also recorded 7 rebounds and 6 assists, but was plagued by 6 turnovers.

As he said, the loss was not Russell Westbrook’s fault. It is true that Westbrook’s impulsiveness led to some poor decisions, but Nowitzki was not perfect either. And as for James Harden, who only made 4 of 9 shots, who would blame him?

The reporters were fixated on Westbrook simply because he was with Su Feng.

"Russell’s shooting percentage was the third highest for the Houston Rockets today, and his 10 assists were the game high! You mentioned his seven turnovers, but Dirk Nowitzki also committed seven turnovers today. Why don't you ask him how he feels?" Nowitzki continued, the crowd hushed by his own presence.

"Don't blame everything on Russell. He did well enough! Let's go, James, the interview is over!" After Nowitzki finished speaking, he stood up and walked out of the press room.

Westbrook was stunned. He followed Nowitzki mechanically. As they exited the media room, they could hear the reporters' comments and the sound of camera shutters behind them. The two had seemingly thoroughly angered the press. But who cared?

"Looks like we'll be making headlines tomorrow," Nowitzki said, turning to smile at Westbrook on the way back to the locker room.

"Thank you, Kevin," Westbrook said, lowering his head, seemingly afraid to look at Nowitzki.

The shy young man felt awkward as he walked ahead, scratching his head. "Everyone... it’s for the good of the team."

The next morning, as expected, the Houston Rockets made headlines across all major sports newspapers and websites. But unlike before, they weren't in the headlines for an excellent performance, but for being ridiculously bad.

"Nowitzki scored 24 points, 7 rebounds, with a shooting percentage of 36.8%. Marion scored 18 points, 11 rebounds, with a shooting percentage of 69%. Marion’s annual salary this year is only $7.1 million, while Nowitzki will certainly command a maximum salary after his rookie contract expires this summer. I’d say it’s better to save that max salary for Kobe Bryant."

"As a teammate with high expectations from Oklahoma fans, Harden’s performance yesterday can only be described as terrible. Facing Yi Jianlian's defense, he looked like a middle school student who had just learned to play basketball. Every time Yi attacked, he seemed to be saying to Harden: 'Look, this is how basketball should be played!'"

"Ten assists—the highest in yesterday's game. If you only look at this number, you would think Westbrook had completed another career masterpiece. Unfortunately, Westbrook’s 10 assists mean nothing. Seven turnovers, five fouls, and a wrong decision at a critical moment. Westbrook tried to pull the team out of the abyss, but he never expected that he would be the culprit who pushed the team into it. In contrast, Su Feng’s performance was indeed better and more mature. While cutting the team's turnovers, he also scored 11 points without committing a single turnover. This is a real point guard, not Westbrook, the 'superhero' who only has eyes for the rim."

Across the world, with the exception of the local Oklahoma media, almost all reporters held a consistently cynical attitude toward the Houston Rockets trio. Beyond their poor performance, Nowitzki and Westbrook had also angered many during yesterday's press conference.

Although there were many subjective factors in the overwhelming criticism of the three young men, even the top experts had to admit that the young Thunder were indeed a bit weak.

Many Oklahoma Houston Rockets fans still fantasized that the team could win a game in Game 4; after all, they had won before. But in reality, after the success of the tight defensive tactics used against Westbrook in the last game, the Rockets' chances were very slim.

On May 9th, the fourth game of the series was held at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma.

"When you lose at home, you must be angry. You must protect your home court," this is what Westbrook said in a sideline interview before the game began.

One advantage of young players is that they are energetic in every new game. Although the last game was a crushing defeat, Westbrook and the others were not afraid; they were eager to take back what they had lost.

Their way of venting anger was through tight defense. Their perimeter defense was very poor in the last game, giving the Cleveland Cavaliers many opportunities to hit three-pointers, which led to their early downfall. The Rockets learned from their past experience and strengthened their perimeter defense after the start today, causing a lot of trouble for the Cavaliers.

The Rockets proved they could do it well. At the beginning, the energetic Thunder forced the Cavaliers into frequent errors; their defense was suffocating. Even Su Feng, known for a low turnover rate, committed a turnover in the first two possessions.

The Thunder started perfectly with a 10-2 surge. Within the first two minutes, the Cavaliers had only one basket from Nowitzki. Successive turnovers reduced the Cavaliers' shooting opportunities. By the time the quarter hit the four-minute mark, the gap between the two sides reached double digits. The Cavaliers were trailing 8-18. It is worth mentioning that this was not just about the score; the Cavaliers committed six turnovers in the first quarter, a replica of the Rockets' last game.

The Rockets were playing well, and the fans were screaming wildly. Who said we would be eliminated? Look at who is suppressing whom now!

But for the young Rockets, it was difficult to maintain high-pressure defense. Once the offensive end opened up, the young players often let their guard down on the defensive end.

The Cavaliers were not as energetic as the Thunder, but they knew better how to seize opportunities. Taking advantage of the Rockets' lack of defensive focus, the Cavaliers seized their chances. Su Feng and Nowitzki hit three-pointers shortly after the quarter began, and the Cavaliers began to narrow the gap. With three minutes and 5 seconds left in the quarter, Su Feng assisted Nowitzki, and the Cavaliers narrowed the score to 46-51. At one point, the gap was reduced to five points. Fortunately, Nowitzki bravely broke into the interior in the final minute and drew a foul. With two free throws, the Thunder ended the half at 59-54.

At the end of the first half, although the Rockets still maintained the lead, the fans were not as happy as before. The Cavaliers seemed capable of turning the score around with just a little effort.

The persistence of the Cavaliers had been proven more than once; the halftime deficit was not enough to crush them. After the third quarter began, Nowitzki, Jason Terry, and Peja Stojaković blossomed from beyond the three-point line.

Su Feng was like a child, lighting a fuse with a lighter at any time. Wherever he went, the "gunshots" from beyond the three-point line would ring out.

In the final two minutes of the game, both sides were tied at 98-98. The fans in the stands were screaming so hard they nearly broke their voices, hoping their energy would translate into strength for the Rockets.

However, the terrifying "German Tank" ruthlessly proceeded to kill the faint hopes of the Rockets fans.

In the final two possessions, Nowitzki was invincible. Facing Ibaka’s defense, he could shoot. Against Ibaka’s tight coverage, he could quickly turn and break through for a dunk.

Nowitzki’s scoring had risen sharply in the last two games. On the final possession, even with Nowitzki and Ibaka blocking him, he threw it in steadily. In the words of Robert Henry, the final two possessions of Nowitzki could be described in one word—unsolvable!

The language was like a remote-control system. No matter what method was used in any situation, the German could score.

Under Nowitzki’s leadership, the Cavaliers staged a great comeback. The Oklahoma Houston Rockets lost 111-105 in the second road game. That is to say, the total score of the playoffs had become 3-1. The Cavaliers had reached match point, and the next game would be held at the Cavaliers' home court.

The young Houston Rockets were not lucky.

In fact, if one wanted to turn around a basketball series after trailing 3-1, it had only happened eight times in NBA history.

But after the Cavaliers' comeback in the last game, the young Rockets' morale was depressed. Today was still a game at the Chesapeake Arena. They could no longer lift their spirits.

Nowitzki’s shooting percentage in this year's playoffs was 51.6%, and his free throw percentage was 94%. Only Larry Bird could do this in 1986. Nowitzki’s three-point shooting also reached 51.7%; his magical performance was the main reason for the Cavaliers breaking through obstacles. Today, Nowitzki’s magic continued.

After the opening, Nowitzki’s offensive desire was very strong. He was always smooth, even performing with flair. When Nowitzki had 7 points and 4 seconds in the first quarter, he shot fiercely under the basket.

Perhaps Westbrook and Su Feng would be hard to deal with in the future, but at least for now, the gap between the two was greater than the height difference between Su Feng and Yao Ming.

At the press conference after the game, although he scored 10 points, Westbrook, who committed 7 turnovers and missed at critical moments, undoubtedly became the target of the reporters' collective attack.

"How much defensive pressure did you feel?"

"Why did you choose to take those three-pointers on the defensive end in the final minute? Was the final offensive foul intentional?"

"Do you think it would be better if you had 10 goals? How do you feel about the zero-error data?"

In the media room, the reporters' voices were chirping. Westbrook stared at the reporters, letting them ask questions, but he didn't seem to want to answer.

"Say something, make them shut up!" Beside Westbrook, Nowitzki put his hand on the microphone and whispered.

"If they want to make a fuss, let them make a fuss!" Westbrook was not a bad person, even if he had a strong athletic drive. You couldn't expect him to point at the reporters' noses and shout at them. In this situation, he should be called Gary Payton.

"Alright! The loss is not Russell’s responsibility! It makes no sense to discuss these things anymore. We should look forward now and try to turn the situation back to its original position in the next game. That’s it!" Suddenly, Nowitzki’s roar immediately silenced the scene.

The reporters below, including Westbrook sitting next to Nowitzki, opened their mouths in surprise. Mr. Nowitzki, a silent man who never spoke much, just got angry at a press conference?

Su Feng also took shape very early today. He combined throwing and raiding, and scored six more goals. In front of Su Feng, the Thunder seemed to have lost their fighting spirit.

A bad start was undoubtedly a fatal blow to the Thunder, whose morale was already low. Subsequently, Westbrook and Harden, the two guards, hit three-pointers, but were also hit in the head by the Houston Rockets.

In the fourth quarter of the game, Westbrook sat easily on the bench. Since the playoffs began, it was the first time Westbrook was able to sit quietly on the bench for a game.

When the panicked Harden hit a three-pointer, but threw a "three-no-touch" ball, the Cavaliers fans, wearing blue t-shirts, jumped up from the auditorium as excitedly as he was.

In the last two days of the game, you were at work. There was no sound in the Chesapeake Arena other than the cheers of the fans.

"The court is about to be overturned, and the Cavaliers fans can't wait to hear the referee blow the final whistle!"

In the teammate corridor, the top officials were ready with the Western Conference champion trophy. He was nervous because the sound on the court had penetrated everyone's body, making everyone tremble.

Nowitzki hit the rim, but the gap between the two sides was still 6 points. With 1 second left in the game, everything was arranged.

The Cavaliers' substitutes rushed onto the court, Su Feng received the baseline ball and threw it directly into the air.

Just as the ball began to fall, the electronic horn sounded, the referee blew the whistle, and the game ended.

The Cavaliers went straight out of the stands and rushed into the club office. Other fans, regardless of whether they knew each other, hugged tightly. Some laughed wildly, some cried with joy. Yes, they were too crazy to do anything but shout.

"Congratulations to the Dallas Cavaliers, they defeated the young Oklahoma Thunder 4-1 and won the 2010-2011 Western Conference Championship! Most importantly, they are going to the finals, they are going to fight for the highest honor of the O'Brien Cup!" Robert Henry said, his heart pounding. He had never held the best teammate ring in his life. Su Feng, this boy who only played in his first year of top-flight basketball, could he create a myth?

"Well done, James, well done! When Dirk and I chose you, I knew you could do it!" Cuban read into Su Feng’s ear, looking very excited.

The Cavaliers knew very well that although Su Feng was just a newcomer, his role in the team was huge. Choosing Su Feng might be the best draft result in the history of the Cavaliers since choosing Nowitzki.

Su Feng shook his head. If this guy wasn't puffy, he wouldn't look like a champion at all. But this kind of champion that people want to associate with, Su Feng liked it!

After doing some things, the Cavaliers and teammates stood in the center of the court, waiting for the top officials to bring out the Western Conference Championship trophy.

Unlike the best teammate award, the Cavaliers' players celebrated wantonly on the court, just like the Thunder at the Chesapeake Arena the day before.

The Houston Rockets' players, one by one, walked into the teammate corridor with their heads down, not wanting to be exposed to the public for more than a second.

Athletes express their emotions more directly than coaches in leather jackets. When you win, laugh intentionally; when you lose, don't hide your anger. Don't hide, don't care about etiquette.

"Twenty-four points, eleven rebounds, five assists, two steals, zero turnovers. In the case of Dirk’s 19 shots, only 7 were made, and most of the points came from the fourth quarter. He successfully completed the Cavaliers and won a rare road victory in Oklahoma! In addition, Kobe Bryant’s 18 points and Harden’s 10 points were equally important to the basketball game. But without the needle and thread inside, I think it would be difficult for these two veterans to play such a good performance. Let us applaud Dallas' first place. I believe that in his generation, no other newcomer can do better than him!"

Robert Henry highly praised Su Feng; he was not discussing a super rookie now, but treating Su Feng as a future superstar!

As for Westbrook, who scored 10 points, 14 free throws, and 12 shots, but committed 7 turnovers and failed to complete the basketball game at a critical moment, Robert Henry just folded his hands. Good luck to him.

Even without a temporary podium, the award ceremony was not that formal. Teammates stood in the center of the court, surrounded by a group of reporters, waiting for the award ceremony to begin.

The players hugged each other excitedly and fought hard. But Su Feng found that Harden’s companion was still very serious, as if he had lost the game. Kobe Bryant jokingly rubbed Harden’s head with his finger, but Harden still stared at the camera with a horse face, as if he had lost millions of dollars.

After a while, several staff members walked out with a table. Suddenly, the cheers on the scene rose by another eight degrees. On the table was a silver ball trophy. This represented the highest honor of the West!

The Championship Cup was placed in front of the Cavaliers, and the Cavaliers took the microphone handed over by the staff. At this honorable moment, as the team’s leader, the Cavaliers could certainly say a few words.

The chubby owner wearing jeans pressed the brim of his hat, then tapped the microphone to prepare to speak!

"What I want to say is that there are tens of thousands of fans here who believe in us. Outside the club office, there are countless Cavaliers fans who believe in us! When no one believed we could win, it was you who always believed in us on and off the court. Of course, I want to tell you we are not finished yet!" After the owner finished speaking, he threw the microphone directly to the ground, and then picked up the Western Conference Championship trophy in front of him.

When the owner raised the trophy, everyone surrounded him, raised their arms, and held the trophy above their heads. Su Feng was crowded in the crowd, feeling the joy of harvesting honor in the top flight.

However, Harden still did not participate. He just looked at the trophy quietly and clapped lightly.

Finally, the owner handed the trophy to Su Feng, and Su Feng took the trophy into the club office. Su Feng didn’t think much at the time. He took the trophy and walked to the teammate corridor. It wasn't until later that he reacted; this was the highest honor!!!

In the channel, the Cavaliers' players applauded everyone they met. They were the best teammates, and their efforts were not in vain. They dispelled all doubts and reached the end.

Harden walked to Su Feng’s side and glanced at Su Feng’s championship trophy.

"Are you excited?" the jet asked suddenly.

"Of course! Is it difficult not to be excited about winning the championship?"

"Yes, I’m not excited at all." Harden’s cold face didn't look like he was lying.

"This is not the cup we really need. We have already won one. Now, we should consider how to get the next one!" Harden said, nodding hard.

"The next one? The Larry O'Brien Trophy!" Su Feng looked at the trophy in his hand, then at Harden.

"That's right, the Larry O'Brien Trophy! That is what we really need! Don’t be proud, kid. The real battle has just begun. The top-flight finals, that is the final test flight!!!" Harden pouted and patted Su Feng on the shoulder.

The West being the strongest did not seem to satisfy the Cavaliers' appetite.

What is the strongest in the top flight? Well, the title is almost the same!

The Cavaliers entered the finals!

Five years later, the Dallas Cavaliers entered the top-flight finals again.