The Fifth Point Guard

On the night it was decided that the opponent would be the Pacers, Paul Silas took his disciples on a plane to Indiana to prepare for the game two days later.

The next night.

It rained heavily in Indiana.

Thunder and lightning.

Shentong sat next to the floor-to-ceiling window of the hotel, watching the huge and dense raindrops draw lines in the air, and then hit the window, making a "tick-tick" sound.

"Hey Shin, what are you thinking about?"

James suddenly jumped out from behind and put his arm around Shentong's arm.

"It's okay, I just haven't seen such heavy rain in a long time."

James smiled, sat next to Shentong, and said: "Paul will call us together to watch the Pacers game video later. I will go over now. Don't be late."

"Um."

James got dressed and walked out the door.

Shentong picked up the phone and sent Avril a text message: "Dear, have you been busy lately? I've listened to the new song, it's very good."

After a pause, STO deleted the words typed after "very good" and sent it out.

She took off her pajamas and put on a thick coat. It was still very cold in April in Indiana.

When I picked up the phone, there were still 0 unread text messages.

Putting the phone in his pocket, Shentong also opened the door and walked out.

The Pacers at this time are completely different from the Pacers when Singtong played for the Nets.

Jermaine O'Neal has grown into an All-Star player, and the old and immortal Reggie Miller is still shooting sharply.

They also welcomed the player who transformed the team from a near-powerful team into a near-championship team, Ron Artest.

Supplemented by Al Harrington, Jamal Tinsley, Jonathan Bender, Anthony Johnson, Jeff Foster, Austin Crohill and other players.

A complete championship lineup is about to emerge.

There is a core and there are puzzle pieces.

Dealing with this Pacers team is completely different from facing the Heat in the first round.

What's more, the opponent's lineup also includes guard Johnson, who once played for the Nets with Shentong.

Based on Shentong's understanding of him, the Pacers will definitely develop targeted defensive tactics for themselves based on his suggestions.

After carefully watching the Pacers' game video, Shen Tong discovered that the Pacers had made such long-term progress in the past two years or so.

If the Cavaliers want to overcome the following, they must guard against O'Neal Jr. and Artest. At the same time, they cannot relax a bit about the old Miller.

"Just watch today's video here. Get a good night's rest. Tomorrow night is the first game against the Pacers. We can just play as usual. We'll see how we play when the time comes."

After Paul Silas finished speaking, he turned off the TV watching the game video.

James stood up from the reverse bench and said: "Paul, shouldn't they make some targeted defensive arrangements for their Jermaine, Ron and Reggie? In my opinion, the Pacers rely on the most The three strongest points are the three of them."

Silas replied with a smile: "No need, we will fight as usual."

James asked: "Why?"

Silas said mysteriously: "Because our team is in the same position, there are three strongest points that give them headaches. If we want to make targeted defensive tactics that change the usual rhythm, this task should still be left to them. Come do it.”

Everyone dispersed from the hotel conference room.

Ilgauskas: "It turns out that I am one of the three strongest points in the coach's mind."

Boozer: "Damn it, why not me?"

James: "Although I am the second child now, it does not mean that I will always be the second child."

Shentong: "Why hasn't Avril replied to my text message yet?"

Wagner: "Am I not one of the three strongest players on the team?"

McGinnis: "I want to get back into the starting lineup."

With their own thoughts and moods, everyone returned to the assigned double deluxe room.

The next day, Shentong got up early.

Open the window.

It's sunny outside.

It's another sunny day.

James rubbed his sleepy eyes and sat up, exposing his strong chest muscles, and said, "Shen, bring me breakfast."

On May 3, 2004, the weather was sunny.

One of the duels in the Eastern Conference semifinals will begin first.

The two teams facing each other are the Indiana Pacers, who are playing at home, and the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are challenging on the road.

This game will be broadcast live on TNT.

Charles Barkley and his old partner Kenny Smith will commentate on this game.

Before the game started, Barkley's big mouth couldn't help but take the lead in commenting on the two teams.

"The Pacers team is becoming more and more mature. Although it has some advantages in being in the Eastern Conference, its record is indeed the best in the league. There is no doubt about it. In addition, the team's staffing is very good. They are all in place and have all the conditions to compete for the championship. I looked at all the 15 players in the team, and almost everyone is a guy who can play directly."

"What about the Cavaliers?"

Smith doesn't know when he became a favorite, but he seems to like playing such a role when paired with Barkley, because every time he can make Barkley come up with surprising words and make a lot of fierce stories and jokes.

"The Cavaliers are a young team with great potential, and their strengths and weaknesses are very clear. The advantage is that the players are generally young, and they have a pair of ace combinations that are the envy of the entire league. In time, the pair of Shentong and James will The power of the combination is definitely no less than that of Jordan and Pippen."

"Why do I feel that you are using the gentleman combination to belittle Jordan's achievements?"

"of course not."

Buckley's head shook like a rattle.

"I really think the two of them are very good, and they have the same posture as the Bulls duo back then. However, the Cavaliers' shortcomings are also obvious, that is, they are too young and lack enough competition experience. Although Shentong has participated in it twice Finals, and won the championship last season, but he alone is not enough for the Cavaliers. The Cleveland team is used to losing. They have not made the playoffs for a long time. In my opinion, Look, the Pacers will be a difficult gap for them to cross. It is more realistic for this young team to accumulate more game experience and strive for more playoff wins."

Amid Barkley's gushing, the warm-up time for both sides was up, and the official game was about to begin.

The starting lineups of both sides for this game are:

Pacers: Jeff Foster, Jermaine O'Neal, Ron Artest, Reggie Miller, Jamal Tinsley.

Cavaliers: Ilgauskas, Carlos Boozer, LeBron James, Shentong, DaJuan Wagner.

Players from both sides stood still on the court.

Waiting for the game to start.

Barkley said: "The Cavaliers must withstand the Pacers' offensive at the beginning and then wait for opportunities to counterattack. Only in this way can they have the possibility of winning on the road."