Mountain Peak System: a Path to NBA-Chapter 718 - 251: Winner’s Mindset, A Job That Can Make People Feel Younger (3rd Update, Asking for Monthly Tickets!)

In competitive sports...

The ups and downs of life come so suddenly, always catching people off guard.

Before the Eastern Conference Finals began, who would have thought that James, already crowned again in the Knicks, would see his reputation plummet due to his poor performance in the first two games of the Eastern Finals?

Before the start of Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals, even within the Warriors, there was a heated discussion about James "proposing on his knees" to the referee and his belief in the "hand is part of the ball" theory.

"I'm curious, have we defeated the Lakers?"

Until Qin Yue reminded them.

Only then did the Warriors refocus on their upcoming Game 3 against the Lakers.

"He's still so strict." Brown said, looking at Qin Yue with a serious expression.

"But because of this, we've been able to win championship after championship under his leadership." Deng Liwei said beside him.

Qin Yue knew that this year's Eastern Conference Finals, due to James' continuous antics, had garnered attention almost on par with this year's high-profile Western Conference Finals.

However, before the Warriors secured their ticket to the Finals, Qin Yue felt that the Warriors were far from being in a position to casually discuss the Eastern Conference situation next door.

In the first two games of the Western Finals, the Lakers' stubborn resistance had already made Qin Yue acutely feel the pressure they brought to the Warriors.

Qin Yue knew very well that with the Western Finals moving to Los Angeles at the Staples Center, if the Warriors let their guard down, losing several games in a row could very likely be in store.

Especially with the renowned "Black Heart Referee" Tony Brothers officiating this Game 3 of the Western Finals.

True enough.

In that night's Game 3 against the Lakers, Black Heart Referee Tony immediately let the Warriors players fully experience what "I can defend you like this, but you can't defend me like that" meant.

Moreover, as the league's go-to referee for controlling games, Black Heart Referee Tony's brilliance lies in the fact that he doesn't blow biased whistles against the Warriors every possession.

Instead, through alternating tight and loose whistling, he provided the Lakers with an external weighting that was hard for others to notice.

As everyone knows, in a basketball game, if the defending side lets their guard down, when they try to tighten up again, not only does it take longer, but it's also easy to disrupt their own rhythm.

Moreover, the inscrutable foul standards of Black Heart Referee Tony often left the Warriors players uncertain about whether or not to commit on defense.

Qin Yue communicated with Black Heart Referee Tony at the end of the first quarter: "Tony, you must provide us with a clear standard definition, otherwise we simply can't defend properly."

Upon hearing this, Black Heart Referee Tony responded to Qin Yue: "You know, we're human too. It's inevitable that there will be wrong calls and missed calls, so I can't promise you any standard definition."

"FUCK!" Seeing this, Qin Yue angrily rebuked him, "You're blatantly excusing yourself for blowing biased whistles."

Under the pressure Qin Yue applied, Black Heart Referee Tony sent Curry to the free-throw line multiple times in the second quarter.

However...

If you thought Black Heart Referee Tony would reform because of this, you'd be gravely mistaken.

In the second half of the second quarter, when Brown, Wallace, and Green subsequently got into foul trouble due to minor physical contacts that previously wouldn't have been called fouls...

Qin Yue immediately cursed: "That damned bastard, after giving us a few sweet dates, he's at it again?"

The entire first half, under Black Heart Referee Tony's control, the Warriors, struggling to get into the rhythm, fell behind with a score of 54 to 62.

During halftime break, though constantly berating the referee, in reality, Qin Yue was calmer than anyone as he spoke to his teammates: "I curse the referee's calls just so we don't get completely blacked out. But why are you guys struggling with the referees? Are we a team that can't play if biased calls are made?"

Qin Yue knew very well that no matter the time, debating with the referees was meaningless.

To this, Curry also said: "The boss is right; we can only respond with our performance on the court."

In the NBA, referees' calls have always been part of the game.

In many games, you'll even find that some players without a whistle are entirely different caliber players.

This Game 3, the Warriors certainly encountered some unfair calls.

But that doesn't mean the Warriors don't have a chance to win.

"In the second half, leave the cursing at the referees to me." Before the start of the second half, Qin Yue reiterated, "What you need to do is get that damn mentality right."

After halftime, the Warriors at the Staples Center exhibited an awe-inspiring resilience.

However...

It must be stated that on this night, the Lakers could not rely solely on the referees to defeat such Warriors.

Like in later days, even if some players score 27 points on only 9 attempts, does it mean their team can win?

In the fourth quarter, the reason the Lakers truly won that night was because they themselves played exceptionally well.

Little Gasol made 4 of 5 shots in the final quarter, including 2 of 2 from three-point range and 4 of 4 free throws, accumulating 14 points and 4 rebounds in the final quarter for the Lakers.

And the rookie Klay Thompson, who wasn't afraid of the big stage, hit a critical "3+1" for the Lakers in the next possession after the Warriors brought the score within 2 points.

From the slow-motion replay, Green did indeed invade Klay's cylinder at that time.

In conclusion, Black Heart Referee Tony is surely a "scumbag."

But in this game, the exceptional performance of the Lakers players, along with Kobe's consistently calm command and coordination, was also an important reason why the Lakers could regain a victory at home.

After the game, Warriors coach Mike Malone stated: "First, I must congratulate the Lakers for playing their best game of the playoffs this year. Second, I hope the league won't send blind referees to officiate the upcoming matches because it really affects the viewing quality of this Western Conference Finals."

Mike Malone's sharp post-game critique of the referees incurred a $150,000 fine, which Qin Yue would cover, along with a one-game suspension.

Online, many Warriors fans immediately expressed their dissatisfaction with the league's high-profile punishment afterward.

However, within the Warriors...

It's a completely different scenario.

"Mike, can you give the refs a hard time more often?" said Lionel Hollins, the Warriors' lead assistant coach, during a team practice.

Hearing this, Mike Malone looked puzzled and said, "I only give the refs a hard time so we don't keep getting bad calls against us, why should I do it all the time?"

Hollins replied, "Because then I can become the actual head coach of this Warriors team."

"..."

Malone never thought that this old guy Hollins could be so adorable.

And when the Warriors players learned that the head coach would be suspended for a game, they didn't feel sorry for Malone at all.

"I think it's time to prove that we are a team that can win a championship even with a dog tied to the bench," Dunleavy quipped within the Warriors, who usually had a good relationship with Malone.

After the third game, the mindset of the Warriors players, knowing their head coach would be suspended for a game, was much more relaxed than the world imagined.

Why?

Because other than the moments when they need Qin Yue's reminders, under Qin Yue's leadership, this championship team had long developed their unique winner's aura.

Moreover, the Warriors, who willingly sacrificed their head coach, got some good news before the start of the fourth game.

That is, the referee Salvatore, who James believed was deliberately targeting him in the Eastern Conference Finals, would be officiating the upcoming Western Conference Finals Game 4.

The Warriors players who had experienced Salvatore's officiating clearly knew that he was a chief referee who often seemed out of place with his peers due to his excessive fairness.

"Damn league, damn David Stern!" Brown said after seeing the officiating list for the fourth game, "Does the league really have to screw us over for one game?"

Screwed over for one game?

To be honest, if not for Stern's awakening conscience...

Because of the evenly matched strength of the Lakers and Warriors, Stern decided that the players should ultimately decide the outcome of this grand reality show themselves.

If it were Adam Silver, the Warriors could have already prepared for a Game 7 against the Lakers.

Because in Silver's era, the script of the Lakers and Warriors battle would undoubtedly be like this:

The Lakers, aided by the referees, win Game 4, successfully leveling the score.

As for Game 5, no matter who wins, the winning side would definitely get more bad calls in Game 6.

And then, it's the final Game 7 battle.

Since they had reached Silver's goal of making the Lakers vs Warriors series full length, the next stage was whoever wins, truly goes back to focusing on competition.

In Qin Yue's previous life, it was not until Silver gradually realized that his predictable script was severely affecting NBA ratings, that the NBA regained a little more competitiveness and less of that infuriating referee manipulation.

Although in the NBA, referee manipulation of games still couldn't be completely avoided.

But the return of competitiveness, at least ensured the fans' enjoyment.

Meanwhile, as the Warriors were actively preparing for the Western Conference Finals Game 4, the Knicks, down zero to two against the Pacers, successfully pulled one back on the road thanks to Durant's 41 points for the team.

However, in this game, the heroic performance of Durant was not the focal point.

Because on this night, Larry Bird made some divine comments about James after the game.

"LeBron only took 10 shots, how can we win?"

If losing and getting criticized is understandable.

Then even winning and still getting roasted was something James never expected, as at this moment, he had completely become the best sixth man in the eyes of the Pacers fans.

"We need LeBron to take more shots in the game! He is this Knicks' franchise player, as for 'KD'? He's just a fierce bulldog by LeBron's side."

In the third game against the Pacers, James even successfully received for the first time in his professional career, an MVP chant from the opposing fans at the away game.

It's just...

As long as James's IQ is intact, how could he not know that the Pacers fans were chanting MVP for him because he gifted the Pacers those two wins in the Eastern Conference Finals Game 1 and Game 2?

On the other hand, Qin Yue.

Even if every time he played in Los Angeles, Qin Yue brought a splendid performance for the Angel City's fans, what he received...

It was still just a stadium full of "FUCK" chants.

On May 26th, the Western Conference Finals Game 4 premiered as scheduled at Staples Center.

That night, the Warriors changed their starting lineup from the first three games.

To ensure the team's offensive firepower at the beginning of the game, Curry was moved up to the starting lineup by Hollins.

And before the game started, when Hollins voluntarily handed the tactical board to Qin Yue, he instantly felt the joy of being the head coach of this Warriors team.

All along, Hollins had been a coach whose defense far outweighs offense.

However, Qin Yue's presence perfectly filled in Hollins's weakness.

Because during the Warriors' offensive strategy sessions, Hollins didn't need to do anything.

"Is this where Mike usually stands?"

Watching the Warriors' starting five players gradually step onto the court, Hollins stood on the sidelines murmuring, "Coaching such a team, no wonder Mike's getting younger."

...

PS: Third update, bringing a total of ten thousand words!