NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 322 The Final Battle: The Mountain of Heaven

The saying "when the wall falls, everyone pushes" means that when you're down on your luck, many people will kick you while you're down. These people might do it for satisfaction, or they might simply be looking for attention. But whatever their motives, if you want to prevent this situation from escalating, the best, and perhaps only, way is to stand up for yourself!

The Hawks are currently in low spirits, and the Game 2 loss has dealt a significant blow to their confidence. This feeling is familiar, as if they've returned to last season's Eastern Conference Finals, where they were repeatedly defeated by the Heat and powerless to retaliate. The opponent's tactical changes have left them unable to find a way to break the deadlock, and the team's MVP, Jia Fei, who has always been relied upon to clean up the mess, has been effectively contained – this is the most critical weakness.

The Hawks players were also puzzled. Jia Fei, a prodigy whom even the Running Man cast dared not defend, was actually contained by Iguodala, a Warriors substitute.

Although Andre Iguodala was the team's leader for a time during his time with the Philadelphia 76ers, he was never a superstar. While his defense was good, he never won the Defensive Player of the Year award. Paul George was also a very good defender, and Jimmy Butler was a top-tier defender, but neither could contain JaVale.

Even Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer was puzzled as to how his star player could be contained by Andre Iguodala; it seemed almost unbelievable to him. He couldn't find a way to break the deadlock, and if Jia Fei continued to be restricted by Iguodala, they could very well be overturned by their opponents.

Pessimism and frustration intertwined, casting a dark cloud over the Eagles' ranks.

Kemba Walker kept calling to give Jia Fei advice. He was also worried about his friend. He didn't have a chance to win the championship for the time being. If Jia Fei and Art Mayork, his two former teammates, could win the championship, he could at least share in their joy.

However, Kemba Walker's idea did not provide Jia Fei with much valuable insight. Jia Fei remained confused, as if some shadow was looming over him and could not be dispelled for a long time.

Returning to Atlanta from the Bay Area, the Hawks players were in low spirits. They went there with a 2-0 lead, but returned tied 2-2 – arguably their worst possible result. What made them even more pessimistic was that they couldn't find a way to break down the opponent's small-ball lineup.

The term "Battle of Tianwang Mountain" comes from "small days," referring to a crucial battle. It was originally used in Go (the game of Go) and later extended to key matches in a series of sports competitions.

In the NBA playoffs, Game 5, often referred to as the pivotal Game 5, typically occurs when the series is tied 2-2 after the first four games. Historically, the team that wins Game 5 has a more than 80% chance of winning the series, highlighting the importance of this game and its impact on the overall series outcome.

The pivotal Game 6 between the two teams will take place on June 15th at Philips Arena, the Hawks' home stadium. This game is undoubtedly crucial for both sides.

If the Hawks lose again, they will return to the Bay Area with a 2-3 deficit, and there is a high probability that they will be swept away in one fell swoop. If they win, they will shake off the gloom and restore their morale. Even if they lose Game 6, they will have a high chance of winning Game 7 at home.

This landmark event has been wildly popular, and tickets are naturally in high demand and short supply. Tickets for good front-row seats are already priced at over $2, and the price is still rising.

On June 13th, shortly after returning to Atlanta, the Hawks began preparing for this crucial Game 6. That evening, Jia Fei finished dinner and was about to review the game footage on his computer to find a better strategy when his phone suddenly rang…

Jia Fei saw the number, recognized it as a template number, and hung up immediately. But soon, the phone rang again…

Jia Fei hung up again, and the phone rang again...

It was the same number again. Jia Fei was getting annoyed. When would this guy ever stop? He was about to turn off his phone, but then he thought it might be something important, so he answered the call.

"Hey!" Jia Fei tried to compose himself.

"Hello, are you Jia Fei?" A man's voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Who are you?" The other party immediately gave his name, clearly recognizing him; it wasn't a stranger calling.

"Haha, you're Jia Fei? Then I haven't dialed the wrong number. I'm Patrick!" the man on the other end introduced himself.

“Patrick? Patrick Schwarzenegger?” Jia Fei asked.

"no no!"

"Patrick Ewing?"

"No no no!"

"Patrick Paterson?"

"no no!"

"Then who exactly are you?" Jia Fei was speechless. That was all he knew about Patrick.

"You're really not smart enough. Everyone says you, Jia Fei, are one of the smartest players in the NBA, but I don't think so. You just have a handsome face. In terms of intelligence, you're definitely not as good as me!" the man on the phone said flippantly.

Jia Fei sensed ill intent in the man's tone and retorted sharply, "Did you call me just to tell me this? Who are you? I'm hanging up if you don't tell me!"

"Haha, are you really that impatient? The league MVP should have a much bigger mindset! Okay, let me tell you who I am, I'm Patrick Beverley!" The man on the other end of the phone finally revealed his name.

Beverly...

Jia Fei was speechless. After guessing around, he never expected that Beverley's name was Patrick. Well, he didn't have much of a relationship with Beverley. On the contrary, they had some friction on the court before, exchanging trash talk. Beverley had provided him with a lot of anger points, making him a formidable member of the "points pool."

Logically speaking, if this guy contacts him at this time, it shouldn't be to comfort him. It's more likely he's there to tease him.

Thinking about this, Jia Fei felt a little annoyed. Damn it, when someone's down on their luck, everyone kicks them while they're down. When I was in my prime, none of these monsters dared to cause trouble. But now that I'm not doing well, everyone's coming out to kick me while I'm down. This society is really something else!

"What, did I give you my last name and startle you? Hahaha, Jia Fei, so you're such a coward after all!" Beverly was clearly in a good mood, having already laughed several times.

Jia Fei wasn't angry. If he were so easily provoked, how would he provoke others and gain anger points? He wasn't even sure if Beverley's call was really just to tease him.

"Oh, Mr. Beverly, did you call me with some good news to tell me?" Jia Fei began to probe.

"Good news? Hahaha, Jia Fei, you're really too naive! You've almost been swept by those guys from Golden State, and you still want good news? You've finally met your match! Weren't you so arrogant before? When you were criticizing me, your words were so vicious. Honestly, you're a really annoying guy. If you win the championship, I definitely won't be happy!" Beverley's witty banter and scathing remarks gave off a genuine and straightforward vibe.