NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 324 I'll handle him

The next morning, Jia Fei got up early. Looking at the huge dark circles under his eyes in the mirror, he smiled bitterly. Anyone who didn't know him would think he had done something bad the night before!

Compared to finding a solution, dark circles under the eyes are nothing but a drop in the ocean.

On the 14th, the Hawks held their final official practice before the pivotal Game 5.

Seeing Jia Fei with dark circles under his eyes, Hawks head coach Budenholzer asked with concern, "Jia, are you feeling unwell?"

Jia Fei shook his head: "No!"

"You need to rest. The game is very important. Your health is the foundation of everything. Your health is the most important thing!" Coach Buden's smile was warm, just like a kind priest in a church.

"Thank you, I'll be careful!" Jia Fei gave him a confident smile.

After training, Coach Buden kept Jia Fei behind to discuss the match with him.

"Jia, our coaching staff has discussed it and wants to make adjustments based on the fourth game. We're no longer using the twin towers for transitional periods. What do you think?" Coach Buden asked Jia Fei.

Jia Fei nodded; he didn't think the twin towers were particularly useful either. The reason he hadn't stopped them before the game was that he didn't want to directly criticize the coach, and you don't necessarily assume a lineup you haven't used before will necessarily fail. The Hawks could still experiment with lineups and make mistakes in Game 4, but not in Game 5. If they didn't experiment in Game 4 but did in Game 5, it could affect the entire series' trajectory.

Jia Fei believes there are several reasons why the Hawks' twin towers are not working. First, opponents will start with a small-ball lineup, and Bogut will definitely play during transition periods. With a dominant center in the paint, the Hawks' twin towers will lack height advantage. Second, the Hawks' twin towers lack consistent ball-handling and offensive capabilities, and their shooting isn't strong enough to deter opponents from playing center. Therefore, such a large lineup is not very meaningful.

"Jia, I want to create opportunities for him to set screens and attack other players on offense, trying to avoid Andre, so that you can play more comfortably. What do you think?" Coach Buden asked Jia Fei for his opinion again.

Unexpectedly, Jia Fei smiled and nodded: "Coach, there's no need for that. I'll handle him. Trust me, just make sure the teammates get good opportunities to receive the ball, and I'll take care of him!"

Jia Fei said "I'll handle him" twice, which surprised Coach Buden, but he had no choice but to believe it. Right now, Jia Fei was his only trump card. They were all in the same boat; their fates were intertwined.

"Okay, then I'll leave it to you!" Coach Buden chose to trust his star player, which is a coach's absolute trust and respect for his MVP!

"Thank you, Coach. The next game is the decisive one. We need to increase the intensity. The thing that shooting, passing, and cutting teams fear most is increased intensity! Increase the intensity for the Splash Brothers and let them know just how strong our defense is! Leave the offense to me. I will definitely handle Andre!" Jia Fei's eyes were filled with murderous intent and anger. Clearly, the two games in Auckland had really enraged him!

Looking at Jia Fei's focused expression, Coach Buden suddenly felt a surge of security. Having such an ace in his hands was truly a blessing; the happiness came so suddenly, yet it was undeniably in his grasp and hadn't vanished.

On the evening of June 15th, Game 5 of the finals, the decisive battle.

The home team's locker room before the match.

Jia Fei gathered his teammates together and shouted, "Guys, this game is our final battle! Don't think about what will happen if we lose. Treat it like our last game of the season and show them our defensive strength! Trust me on offense, I'll handle Andre. Take the shot when you have the chance. Don't be afraid of failure; I'll take full responsibility for any losses! We are the champions!"

"We are the champions!" everyone shouted in unison.

When Jia Fei emerged from the locker room, he was visibly unsmiling, his face filled with murderous intent, his gaze sharp enough to be frightening. His teammate, Art Mayor, had never seen him with such focused intensity.

The sports channel continued to broadcast the match live, with veteran duo Yu Jia and Coach Zhang handling the closing remarks.

"Coach Zhang, this game is crucial for both teams. Why don't you talk to the viewers in front of the TV about the game before it starts?" Yu Jia started the conversation.

Coach Zhang smiled and said, "Alright, alright, now that we've reached this point in the finals, tactics and techniques are secondary; what matters now is everyone's spirit. Both teams are on the same starting line; whoever plays more strategically is more likely to win in the end."

Both teams practiced before the match, and the starting lineups for both sides were announced.

The Hawks' starting lineup, playing at home, consisted of Jafi, Teague, Carroll, Middleton, and Horford. Even after losing two consecutive games, they did not change their lineup.

The Warriors' starting lineup for the away game consisted of the Splash Brothers, North Carolina Blackhawks, Iguodala, and Chase Smith. It was still their "death lineup," marking the third consecutive game they'd start with this small-ball lineup.

勇士的死亡五小其实并不小，首发5人组的身高分别是191cm、201cm、198cm、203cm、201cm，除了中锋位置稍微矮一点，其他位置身高没有任何劣势。

While Green may lack the height to play center, his energy, strength, awareness, and skill make him a formidable force. Aside from a prime Shaquille O'Neal, few of the current league's big men can truly challenge him. This is why Kerr dares to start him at center; if he doesn't get shut down defensively, he has a chance to dominate offensively.

Philips Arena was packed with people, every seat was taken. Jia Fei's best friend Kemba Walker also came to watch the game. He had previously said he would only come to watch the game at match point, but he couldn't resist. This crucial game was too important.

Both teams have started their respective lineups, and the match is about to begin.

Green kept muttering to himself, "Someone's going to sweep us away, we're going to be swept away, is that true?"

Seeing the murderous glint in Jia Fei's eyes, he became even more smug: "We're going to be wiped out!"

Horford and Green moved to the center circle to prepare for the jump ball; the game was about to begin.

Green was still muttering to himself, and even Horford, who was usually quiet, couldn't help but chime in: "Shut up, Draymond, that annoying guy!"

Green ignored him and continued muttering to himself.

The referee warned Green that if he kept babbling, he would be sent off, and only then did Green stop talking.

The jump ball began, and Horford won the jump ball against Green, giving the Hawks possession for the first possession.

Teague dribbles the ball across half-court.

The Warriors' defense remained largely unchanged, still assigning Iguodala to guard Jia Fei.

Jia Fei came out to receive the ball, very proactively, and Teague quickly passed the ball to him.

Jia Fei received the ball, and his teammates immediately cleared one side to let him play one-on-one!

"Is Jia Fei going to take on Iguodala one-on-one right from the start?" Yu Jia was clearly surprised.