The rest is just noise

After the finals, NBC Sports always summarizes the game.

Doug Collins joked: "Although Mr. President has come to the scene tonight, unfortunately, the series does not end here. There will be a seventh game between Portland and New York."

Bob Costas said: "I believe Mr. President will not regret this game. Many people, like Mr. President, thought tonight was the night for the Knicks to win the championship, so they did not watch the live game. However, Bo Tran has proven their quality. They are worthy of being the most challenging team in five years. I feel sorry for those who did not watch this game live. In terms of viewing, this game should be the most challenging in the series so far. One of the great games.”

As an ambassador of the alliance in every sense of the word, Tragedy Master is full of expectations for the tiebreaker.

"The tiebreaker between the Knicks and Trail Blazers will be the most intense game in history," the tragedy expert said, "because both teams advocate physical contact. When the series reaches the seventh game, neither side has any secrets. Having said that, the only thing the coaching staff can do is provide psychological counseling to the players."

"I can even imagine what the coaching staff of both sides will say to the players. Coach Pat and Coach Lu will rack their brains to motivate the players and turn them into warriors who risk their lives. In two days, we will definitely see To a fight to the death."

The tragedy master's lie was generally correct, but he was wrong in predicting what Louis would do next.

"Rack your brains to motivate players"? He doesn't think it's necessary.

In the locker room after the game, Louis put the statistics of Jordan and Barkley in Ewing's hands: "Patrick, do you have anything to say to me?"

This statistic table shows that Jordan played 44 minutes tonight and scored 38 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists.

Barkley's data is even more exaggerated.

He played his best game of the series so far.

Played 36 minutes, scored 46 points and 21 rebounds, and shot over 60% from the field.

For the opponent's inside core and outside core to produce this kind of data, it is just a fantasy to win.

The players who anchored the Knicks' offense tonight were Wilson and Shawn Kemp.

Wilson scored a team-high 42 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists. Kemp, as a super sixth man, had 26 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks.

It is no exaggeration to say that Kemp is more of an inside core than Ewing today.

"I didn't play well," Ewing said frustratedly.

"Not playing well? Everyone plays poorly sometimes, but I want to know, why did you play poorly? Portland didn't have the ability to defend you inside, even with their double teams, before the game started. , we have also rehearsed it many times, do you want to tell me that the intensity of their double-teaming is greater than the intensity of the double-teaming trained within our team?"

"So tell me, what affected your performance?"

Louis knew very well what Ewing was thinking, but he wanted Ewing to say it himself.

But on this occasion, Ewing's pride did not allow him to admit that his poor performance was due to jealousy and fear of Benjamin Wilson. He did not think that he needed to worry like Stockton.

In fact, he was worried.

So far in the series, Wilson's performance has completely surpassed him.

In the past six games, Wilson averaged 36 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists per game, while he only averaged 22 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks per game.

Not to mention competing with Wilson for the Finals MVP, this performance is not as good as his own performance in the regular season.

"I won't make excuses," Ewing said stubbornly, "I just didn't play well."

Wilson was really afraid that Louis would push Ewing into a panic.

"Coach, everyone has times when they don't perform well."

"He has been in this state for five games. As long as he behaves normally, we don't have to play tiebreaker with Portland." Louis chased Ewing, who was in a depressed state of mind. "You said you won't make excuses.

Really? Do you mean you can’t, or you don’t dare, or you simply don’t dare to face that excuse?”

Ewing's eyes changed drastically. When he looked at Louis, he said in a deep voice: "I don't dare to do anything!"

"Then tell me what the fuck are you doing right now?"

"I don't!"

"You still don't want to say it, right?" Louis completely lost his patience, "Okay! If you don't say it, I'll fucking say it for you! You're jealous of Benj! You're jealous that he played better than you in the finals! You're jealous of him

More popular than you in New York! You are jealous that he is the center of attention wherever he goes, but you are just the opposite! Not only are you jealous, you are also afraid! You are such a coward, you are actually afraid that he will become ours just because he behaves too well.

Leader! I really want to open your head and see if it’s brains or shit!”

"If you are really f*cking scared! You should show your best performance to defend your leadership position instead of sleepwalking on the court!" Louis yelled, "If you continue to play like this, don't say Benj won't

Even if I recognize you as the leader of the team, I won’t recognize you. Which team leader would back down when the team needs it most?”

"Why don't you speak? Show your attitude to me, open your damn mouth and tell me what you think!"

When someone's innermost feelings are exposed roughly in this way, the psychology of the person concerned will change.

Ewing's initial shock, then shame, evolved into intense indignation.

Yes, why should he be jealous of Benj? Why should he be afraid that one day he will no longer be the leader of the team?

He is the core of the team and one of the best centers in this generation. There is no dynasty team without a super center. This is something Wilson can never replace him.

Why should he be afraid?

"I'm not fucking jealous of him, and I'm not scared!" Even at this point, Ewing would not admit what he was thinking. "I will never back down again! I swear! I swear to you!

I will give everything I have to the game in Game 7. I will stand in the paint and block all the balls and grab all the rebounds. When I ask for the ball on the offensive end, I also need your trust.

Me, pass the damn ball to me!"

Louis took a deep breath.

"So, you decided to put the team on your shoulders in Game 7, right?"

Ewing said matter-of-factly: "That's what a leader should be like, isn't it?"

Louis looked at the other players: "Did you hear that?"

Everyone nodded one by one.

"Then believe in him. Patrick is still our leader. He will still stand in the backcourt to protect us, and stand in the frontcourt and charge into battle. I believe in him, and you should believe in him too!"

Louis adjusted his mood.

"Get ready, it's time to go to the media room."

The players walked out one after another.

Louis will refuse tonight's post-match interview even if he is fined.

He needs some quiet time.

What just happened in the locker room was a surprise attack on Ewing.

But it was not his original intention to stimulate Ewing's pride and force his blood to make him determined to give everything he had in Game 7.

In other words, Ewing's motivation for giving all his efforts was not what he wanted to see.

What he wants to see is a guilty Ewing, a leader who regrets his self-performance and regrets in public after failing to live up to the expectations of his teammates.

If he expresses his apology as Louis thinks, with Wilson's emotional intelligence, he will definitely cooperate with him on the spot, turning a criticism meeting about the general's poor performance into a reconciliation between brothers.

In the end, Ewing's self-esteem was higher than the guilt in his heart, and he chose to be tough.

Since you want to show your tough side, you have to show real performance.

Louis believes that in the tiebreaker, he will see an Ewing with fire-breathing eyes and chicken blood flowing through every capillary in his body.

But this was by no means Louis' original plan.

His plan is to use Ewing's slump to solve (or temporarily solve) the Knicks' biggest problem - the confrontation between Ewing and Wilson.

Now, not only has this problem not been solved, it has gone further and further.

Ewing became stronger.

He will find ways to show his leadership to declare his leadership status in the Knicks.

Wilson is a person who takes the overall situation into consideration, but this does not mean that he will tolerate everything. Once Ewing crosses the line, he will fight back.

This is not only a competition between the two, but also a competition between the power camps they represent behind them.

The Knicks can only have one boss at the player level.

Louis was exhausted mentally and physically from this. Although the series with the Trail Blazers was still pending, he was worried about greater hidden dangers.

If losing this series could resolve the Knicks' internal conflicts, he would also be willing to lose. But now, losing the series will only intensify the conflicts. Ewing is bound to receive the most intense criticism. The people behind Wilson are not willing to lose.

Will give up this opportunity.

No, it may have started now.

It's just that when the Knicks lose the series, the criticism of Ewing will reach its climax.

Similarly, Ewing's camp will come up with various reasons to blame, and the best way is to throw dirty water on Wilson.

Once this happens, people's hearts will be scattered.

Therefore, the finals must be won. Winning the finals can at least alleviate the conflicts within the team, but losing will have disastrous consequences.

What worried Louis was after winning the finals.

He felt pain because he realized that the knot between Wilson and Ewing might never be untied.

This matter is neither as complicated as Isiah Tomaski's jealousy of Larry Bird's popularity with the media, nor as simple as the former, as long as the team keeps winning, the problem can be suppressed.

The struggle for status is often mixed with the struggle for interests. This kind of dispute will end until death. In professional sports, "death" in the literal sense means leaving.

No matter how many times the Knicks win, the situation between two tigers in the team has become one, and the final outcome will be one death and one injury.

"Lao Lu, I have a plan for the next game."

Zhao Yuanzheng came over and said.

Louis said softly: "Let's talk tomorrow, I want to be quiet now."