The Fifth Point Guard

The locker room at Continental Arena was filled with smoke.

When the reporter walked into it, it was like entering a dreamland.

what the hell is it?

There is also a hint of coriander and garlic in the mist.

When the reporter cleared the fog and saw everything in front of him, he couldn't help but exclaimed.

"eat hot pot?!"

That's right, the Nets even ate hot pot together before the big game.

"Come on, rinse the beef again."

"The iron stick yam goes into the white pot."

"Who took the mutton I just ordered?"

Journalists and photographers: "."

Shen Tong accepted the reporter's interview on behalf of the team.

Reporter: "The finals are imminent. The last time you were here, you were playing mahjong. This time, you are eating hot pot. Are you seriously preparing for the game? The opponent is the San Antonio Spurs?"

Shen Tong took the small bowl and chopsticks from Jefferson, which contained sesame sauce and freshly cooked tripe.

Although Americans don't eat offal very much, hot pot soup is just like durian and stinky tofu. Once you eat it for the first time, there will be a second time.

Tripe, beef louver, etc., have long been the necessary ingredients for hot pot in the Nets.

Shen picked up the tripe with his chopsticks, dipped some sesame sauce on the left and right, and put it in his mouth like a greedy cat.

While exhaling hot air, he said: "This tripe, just can't be washed old, it's just right to be up and down."

Seeing Shen Tong's eating, the interviewing reporter couldn't help swallowing.

"Come on, you have a taste too." Shen Tong took a piece of tripe and put it into the reporter's mouth, but the other party was not polite, he just opened his mouth and swallowed it.

"Yeah." Along with chewing, the reporter's eyes were cold, and his face was full of happiness.

"How about it, is it delicious?"

The reporter nodded repeatedly.

"Let's have another piece." Shen Tong picked up another piece and stretched it out.

"Okay!" The reporter also opened his mouth.

"Cough cough cough" the cameraman's cough brought the reporter back to his senses immediately.

I'm interviewing right now!

Just now, if the director saw the passage just now, he wouldn't give himself a click!

Resume the status of the interview.

Shen Tong cleared his throat and said: "As you can see, we are now in a relaxed state and preparing for the game. The scene of last year's loss made us feel that it was because we were too nervous before the game that led to last year's finals. We didn’t play well, so this year, we fully relaxed before the game just to adjust our mentality.”

The reporter continued to ask: "But if you are so relaxed, will you not be able to get back to the state of the game?"

Shen Tong showed a contemptuous expression.

"Cut, it's the Spurs, not the Lakers. We can easily beat them."

That night, ESPN TV broadcast the interview.

The entire Spurs saw the news.

Malik Rose: "These guys are fools, right? They made it to the Finals."

Bruce Bowen: "Their strength is not bad, and their total record is one more than ours."

Stephen Jackson: "After all, it is the regular season, and they are still in the weak East. If they were in the West, they might not even make it to the top three."

Tim Duncan: "Don't be careless, maybe they are playing tricks and let us take it lightly."

Gregg Popovich: "Tim is right, no matter what the other side is, we do our own thing and don't suffer from any outside interference."

In view of the recent performance of the Nets, the evaluation results of major platforms all point to the Spurs as the ultimate winner.

Only Charles Barkley has publicly supported the Nets.

This made many commentators and fans who were still swaying strengthen their belief that the Spurs will win.

This round of the game is hot in China before it is broadcast, because it is not only the finals of the NBA this season, but also a stage for two Chinese players to join the finals.

Shentong of the Nets and Battelle of the Spurs.

Although Battelle played zero games in the Spurs' playoff journey, he is definitely the team's unsung hero.

Battelle's most prominent role in actual combat was reflected in the second round against the Lakers, because he was the closest to O'Neal in the Spurs in weight and size, so he pretended to be O'Neal for Duncan and Robinson to practice.

Even if the opponent did not have a strong center in the Western Conference Finals, Battelle's training volume was the largest in the team.

After the regular confrontation training, the other players left, and he still completed the equivalent of 48 minutes of training under the guidance of the trainer.

Cole's saving of the Spurs in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals is also inseparable from Battelle's credit. The reporter saw Battelle and Cole training in the same group at the training base. Battelle often covered Cole and attracted Smith and Fei after receiving the ball. The double-team in the center, and then assigned to Cole, let him shoot long-range, this trick is the outside strategy Popovich used when Duncan was double-teamed.

"Cole and I are often in the same group in training. I am also very familiar with him. I have seen a lot of his shots in training. Whether the shooting is accurate is related to the quality of the screen. We usually practice a lot in this regard," Battelle said. .

There are many roles he needs to simulate, from Stoudemire of the Suns, O'Neal of the Lakers to LaFrentz of the Mavericks, and now Mutombo and Collins of New Jersey will become the objects he will play in the future.

"I am a part of the team. Of course, I must seize every opportunity to help the team win. Of course, my contribution is definitely not as great as that of the main players, but I have done something at least." Battelle said cheerfully.

In fact, he not only played a big role in training, but also always encouraged his teammates on the field. As long as the timeout time came, he would walk to Robinson or Duncan and help them rub their shoulders. Although silent, it was powerful. support.

Shentong, who played well in the Nets, is like a bright moon in the sky, while Battelle, who is unknown in the Spurs, is like a spark.

The bright moon is in the sky, shining on the earth, like a bright star on the stage.

A single spark can start a prairie fire, and a small one can lead to a big change.

On June 5, 2003, the first game of the NBA Finals began at the Continental Arena in New Jersey.

This is the first confrontation between the Nets and the Spurs in the NBA playoffs. The two teams had played against each other in the ABA before. At that time, the Nets won seven games in the semifinals and finally won the championship.

This season, the two teams have a 1-1 tie in the regular season.

The Spurs have won an NBA championship in history, but the Nets have not.

Before the game, Spurs coach Popovich said: "We have entered the Finals again since 1999, which is a kind of motivation for us. We will play the first two away games well."

Nets coach Scott said before the game: "The Spurs are a strong opponent, especially Tim Duncan, he is the core of the Spurs. But we are fully prepared for the finals."

Thanks Hu Saner for the reward!