The Basketball Court Swordsman

Tom Thibodeau appeared on the training ground with big dark circles. The "veteran rookie" who won the best coach award for the first time as a head coach last season is not beautiful at all.

In the past two years, two amazing coaches in the basketball circle turned out. One is Thibodeau, and the other is undoubtedly Henson Joe, whom Bird found from nowhere.

If last season, the Pacers' 55 wins were not amazing enough. So this season, when Henson led the Pacers to still have a chance to get 50 wins in only 66 games, people would no longer dare to ignore the Asian coach's performance.

Therefore, in the best coaching votes so far this year, Tom Thibodeau, who has been criticized as the main player, only ranked third, and the respected Popovich ranked second. And Henson, with a slight advantage, temporarily ranked first!

Since Thibodeau and Henson are both rookie head coaches, they both have the opportunity to get the best coach award. They happen to be both in the East and they are deadly enemies! Therefore, Henson and Thibodeau are undoubtedly the two coaches who are now the hottest in the media!

Regarding the last game of the two teams during the regular season, they were even crowned with titles such as "Best Coaching Battle", "Eastern First Battle" and so on.

Before the start of the playoffs, this is undoubtedly an "appetizer" that fans have been looking forward to, and the perfect summary of this shrinking regular season.

But for Thibodeau, this game undoubtedly disgusted him.

After finally getting 50 wins, he was firmly seated in the first place in the East, but the final game had to be played against the Pacers. At this time, Thibodeau just wanted to save the players' physical fitness. Because he knows very well that Henson, who has been in the rotation for the past month, is still eyeing the position of No. 1 in the East.

If the Bulls win the last game, they will win 51 and enter the playoffs as the number one in the Eastern Conference.

But if the Bulls lose, the record of both sides will become 50 wins and 16 losses. According to the rules of the league, when both teams are No. 1 in the division, the team with a better record against each other will become No. 1 in the East.

At present, the battle record between the Pacers and the Bulls this season is 1 win and 1 loss. Therefore, the winning or losing of the next game will directly determine the ownership of the Eastern Conference!

In the last game of the two teams' regular season, the penultimate day of the league, the top spot in the Eastern Conference may still change. This situation is indeed rare and really exciting.

In other words, in order to go further in the playoffs, in order not to run into the Miami Heat in advance. The first round of the playoffs between the Pacers and the Bulls has actually begun!

"Wow, are you okay?" Ron Adams, Thibodeau's confidant and an assistant coach of the Bulls, was shocked when he saw Thibodeau's two big dark circles on the training court.

Ron Adams joined Thibodeau earlier than Thibodeau and has coached experience in many teams. Of course, Adams usually plays behind-the-scenes roles, such as assistant coaches or defensive analysts.

Adams was older than Thibodeau, with sparse hair, thin face, and wearing big black-rimmed glasses, like an old professor who came out of a high school.

But looking at it now, the fat Thibodeau seems to be more haggard than the thin and wrinkled Ron Adams.

"Can't sleep, I'm full of tomorrow's game." Thibodeau waved his hand, unwilling to mention more.

It's not that Thibodeau stayed up late to watch the Pacers' game video. He already knows the Pacers too well. Even without watching the game video, he knows enough about his opponent.

Thibodeau just couldn't sleep because of the simple pressure. Once he closed his eyes, the Chinese coach who was smiling but not smiling appeared in front of him.

Henson didn't want to work hard for a year, and finally got into big trouble in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Thibodeau didn't want to either! Last season's defeat with the Heat in the Eastern Conference finals put the Bulls away from the Finals and even the championship.

So there is no doubt that the Bulls' goal this season is the championship! Having won the first place in the regular season for two consecutive seasons, it is time to go home with a substantial honor.

So unless you get the first place in the East, you will definitely meet the Heat in advance. Neither Thibodeau nor Henson can promise to say "I can definitely knock the Miami Heat out".

Therefore, in order to maximize your safety, the best way is to avoid the heat. Until the Eastern Conference finals, everyone fights to the death.

If the Bulls, who are aiming for a championship this season, are eventually eliminated in the Eastern Conference semifinals because they met the Heat ahead of time, what should Thibodeau explain? Even if he wins the Heat, but kills a thousand enemies and loses 800, the Bulls still have little chance of winning in the Eastern Conference finals when they meet the Pacers who are easy to pass.

Therefore, the position of No. 1 in the East directly determines whether the Bulls' plan for this year's playoffs can be implemented. If you lose tomorrow... the Bulls will undoubtedly have a lot of difficulty in the playoffs.

When the things that can be decided by an ordinary game suddenly increase, no matter who changes it will feel great pressure, even Henson is no exception.

It's just that Henson didn't fall asleep because of the stress, because he would exercise frantically before going to bed every night until he fell asleep when he was so tired.

Don't get me wrong, An Jiali is still in the Bay Area at this time and cannot come to accompany Henson. Christine...what's up with Christine? ... The exercise that Henson does is just pure exercise. Like push-ups, and so on.

Therefore, Thibodeau looked depressed. But Henson went to bed early and got up early every day, but he became more and more energetic.

"It's been a shift for nearly a month, and the time to determine fate has finally arrived!" Seeing the players running on the training ground with full energy, Henson is already looking forward to the early game of tomorrow night.

"It's incredible. You can win while taking turns...We now have a real chance to become the number one in the East." Vogel looked at the pile of players on the court and the Chinese coach next to him. The performance of these guys this season can only be described as magic.

Even with Paul, Vogel never thought that the Pacers could become the number one in the East this season. However, if he was not careful, he also became one of the creators of this miracle.

"We are lucky and we have been fighting against weak teams for the last month. What did I say before? Even God takes care of us, Frank."

"Are we too nervous? Do you think it is possible for the Bulls to give up tomorrow's game?" Vogel asked again. Because this season is a shrinking season, there is only one day between the regular season and the playoffs. Respite time. The Bulls and Pacers had good luck. They were able to end the regular season battle a day earlier, so they could get two days.

However, in the case of such a dense regular season schedule, the two-day rest period is undoubtedly not enough. The Bulls are not like the Pacers. They didn't get the chance to take a rest for the whole season. The players are still facing Thibodeau, the main madman, so they are even more exhausted. Therefore, for the playoffs, it is not ruled out that the Bulls will directly give up this possibility.

"No, no. Look at the Eastern Conference rankings, Frank. Except for us and the Bulls, the order of the others has basically been fixed. If the Eastern Conference is first, the playoffs will face the 76ers and the Hawks or Kay. Alters. But if it’s second in the East, the opponent will become the Knicks and the Heat or Magic... which group of opponents are safer is a clear thing. And to decide all of this, just need One game is enough! Therefore, it is impossible for the Bulls to give up, we must be prepared."

Just one difference, the playoffs are completely different, which is why Thibodeau and Henson are fighting for a regular season.

"In that case, tomorrow is destined to be a life and death fight?" Vogel shook his head. The playoffs have not yet started, but the playoffs have already begun.

"Building confidence in the team and fighting for the Eastern Conference rankings... I'm afraid it is, Frank. Tomorrow will be a life and death battle for us and the Bulls this season!"

Henson gritted his teeth, from selecting Leonard to trading Paul...a year of hard work, it is time to verify the results.