Chapter 474: The Playoffs Arrive
"What?" Yang Mo was obviously confused by Milicic's last words: "I stole your girlfriend, what do you mean? When did I steal your girlfriend?"
"Go ask Paris yourself." Milicic said this angrily and turned to leave.
Yang Mo grabbed him, slapped him in the face, and angrily cursed, "I can tell you very clearly I have nothing to do with Paris Hilton. Not now, not before, and never in the future. I have always been trying to match you with Paris Hilton. I hope love can give you strength, and turn you from a piece of shit that everyone despises into a person with dignity. But what about you? You think you have suffered so much injustice, you think you have suffered so much... But who in this world doesn't suffer? Who is born with smooth sailing? You think I am a winner in life, but do you know my past? My parents left me when I was still in elementary school. Have I ever given up on myself like you?"
Under Yang Mo's harsh scolding, Milicic covered his red and swollen face and lowered his head, without anger or any other emotions.
"If you're defeated so easily, then... you deserve to be despised." Yang Mo said indifferently, "You're almost the least manly man I've ever met. No wonder Paris Hilton doesn't like you. No woman likes a coward, ever."
Yang Mo said this coldly, then turned and walked away. He didn't want to waste any more time talking to Milicic. If Milicic could learn from this and stand up like a man, then they could still be teammates. If he continued to sink, then... Yang Mo would resolutely remove him from the team. The Knicks didn't need a coward who would ruin the positive atmosphere in the locker room.
After Yang Mo left, Milicic slumped dejectedly on a nearby bench, his mind replaying the past. His life before the age of eighteen had been incredibly smooth, like a basketball prodigy chosen by heaven. Everyone praised him, everyone believed he could make it big. But… his early NBA bench days shattered his pride. A crushing setback brought him down to earth All his arrogance and pride vanished, leaving only a languid, life-or-death mentality.
He thought about it for a long time, and he had a lot of mental struggles in his heart, but he still couldn't make a decision. He had become accustomed to a lazy attitude, and his perseverance had been completely wiped out.
The Knicks' final regular-season matchup was against the formidable San Antonio Spurs. Even though the Knicks were playing at home, and even though every seat at Madison Square Garden was packed with fans, they still lost. It was a decisive defeat. Thanks to Yang Mo's tenacious defense, the Knicks held on for nearly three quarters. But in the third quarter, the Spurs' combined power play and the game's momentum undeniably tilted in San Antonio's favor. The power of this trio made Yang Mo's immense offensive power vanish.
Ultimately, the Knicks lost the game 101-112. Yang Mo scored 49 points, once again proving his offensive prowess, but his teammates' weakness made his stats seem like a decoration. In this game, Milicic played 28 minutes and scored 11 points and 8 rebounds. These aren't great numbers, but at least he looked like a capable inside player.
With three consecutive losses in the final three regular season games, the Knicks exposed nearly every flaw: roster flaws, rotation issues, and the team's offensive and defensive coordination issues. All of these issues have caused those who were originally optimistic about the Knicks to become more cautious. After all, the playoffs are a seven-game series between two teams, and the slightest flaw will be seized upon by the opponent and severely beaten. Wouldn't a team like the Knicks, with so many flaws, be completely beaten into a sieve?
"We will solve the lineup problem before the playoffs. We are confident that we can go further in the playoffs. We will pre-sell tickets for the second round now." Knicks general manager Isaiah Thomas expressed his views in an interview.
Today, Isaiah Thomas has begun to regain some popularity in New York City. Everyone used to scold him, but as he brought super yang back to the Big Apple, led the Knicks back to the playoffs, and won the sixth place in the Eastern Conference in the regular season, the best record in the past decade, his reputation has been highly praised.
However, his confidence wasn't widely shared. Few believed the Knicks could defeat the overmatched Magic in the playoffs. The Magic's roster was far more comprehensive and balanced than the Knicks'. With the exception of... Super Yang, the Knicks were completely outmatched in all four positions. How could they possibly win? The three consecutive losses at the end of the regular season proved that Super Yang couldn't defeat a strong opponent alone; he needed help.
"I'm already looking forward to next season. Honestly, I have full confidence in the Knicks next season." A Knicks fan said in an interview: "I'm very satisfied and happy with the Knicks' results this year. Super Yang is a good player and he's fulfilled the promise he made when he came to the Knicks."
This fan's sentiments echoed those of nearly all New York Knicks fans. They were incredibly satisfied with this season's results, not even dreaming of a playoff appearance. Their hopes were set on next season. As for Yang Mo, their initial resistance and insults had morphed into genuine acceptance. They no longer doubted Yang Mo's bold promise to lead the Knicks to a championship. After a season of observation, they had to admit that there was no other star on the planet more suited to lead the Knicks than Super Yang . LeBron James was no exception!
Knicks fans had given up, but Yang Mo hadn't. The day before his trip to Orlando, he gave an interview to a reporter from the Knicks' official website. In the interview, he made it clear: "I'm here to win. I don't care what others say. My only pursuit is victory. The Magic aren't as strong as you think, and we... aren't as weak as everyone thinks. Believe it or not, I will drag the Knicks into the second round. Yes, you can buy your tickets now. If you don't make it, you can come to me with your tickets and I'll pay you double the price of the ticket. Believe me, I have the financial resources!"
Yang Mo's words undoubtedly reassured Knicks fans. Previously, they were reluctant to believe Yang Mo's words, believing them to be more arrogant than factual. But now, it seemed as if Yang Mo had cast a spell over them. Everything he said was automatically accepted as the truth that was about to come true. They had given up doubting Super Yang, having been slapped in the face so many times before.
While Knicks fans were frantically buying up tickets for the second round, European bookmakers were quietly lowering the Knicks' odds of advancing. Yes, ever since they were ripped off last playoffs, they'd figured out Super Yang's pattern: whenever he said he wanted to win, it was best not to go against him, or you'd be putting your wallet in jeopardy!
Yang Mo's words changed the tide, a fact the Orlando Magic were clearly unhappy about. They didn't want to be dictated to by their opponent. Van Gundy bluntly expressed his opinion to the media: "Just listen to what Super Yang says. In the face of absolute strength, no sweet talk will work. We'll settle this in four games. Yes, only four."
Van Gundy was undoubtedly unprecedentedly confident, and he even shouted the slogan of a sweep.
The head coach was already so arrogant, and the big prize under his control was even more arrogant: "I will teach the Knicks' point guard what it means to be a point guard for a championship team."
The two men sang the same tune, arrogant to the extreme, as if victory was already insured.
Yang Mo did not respond to this because he received a call from Lu Xuefei that afternoon, who said she had organized a party for him to see him off and to wish him a triumphant return.
Lu Xuefei's words were so reasonable that Yang Mo felt a little reluctant, but he still agreed. He also wanted to talk to Lu Xuefei about the harem plan, which had to be stopped. If she continued like this, it would definitely cause chaos. Lu Xuefei's methods were too simple and crude, even a bit like forcing someone to have sex.
Before going to the party, Yang Mo was suddenly stopped by Stockton. Stockton never came to the gym in the afternoon before, but today was an exception.
"Yang, how many tennis balls can you pass in now?" This was the first thing Stockton asked.
"I can probably maintain it at around five now. Although it's not 100%, I feel much better about the strength." Yang Mo answered honestly.
"Yeah." Stockton nodded and continued, "You've made rapid progress, much faster than I expected. But... you haven't reached the standard of a point guard yet, so this competition may be difficult. However, I hope you can try more. Real passing also needs to be tempered on the court. That's why I always let you practice in the game before."
"Yeah, okay." Yang Mo nodded: "I will practice more while ensuring victory."
"No!" Stockton shook his head, then slowly said, "What I mean is, if you can't use the pass to create damage, you may not be able to win the game. The playoffs are different from the regular season. The defense in the playoffs is targeted. You also saw that in the last three games, the opponent didn't guard you tightly. Instead, they controlled your other teammates and made you an isolated individual. Then... the team easily defeated the individual. This is the key, understand?"
"I'll do my best."
"A truly great player should be someone who can not only defeat the opponent's defense but also enhance his own offense. You're still a long way off." Stockton patted Yang Mo on the shoulder. "Think about it!"
As he spoke, he slowly walked away.
Frustrate the opponent's defensive system while strengthening your own team's offensive system?
Yang Mo frowned and fell into deep thought.
