NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 311 The Finals Opponent is the Warriors

The Running Man didn't hug the Hawks players, exchange jerseys, or wish them well. He went straight to the locker room through the player tunnel. He looked dejected as he left. The Big Three he'd planned all summer, the homecoming drama, had ended with him alone in the Eastern Conference Finals. Compared to last season's Finals, this loss wasn't necessarily worse, but it was definitely less suspenseful.

Anyone who's on Running Man can imagine the storm that follows the race, so it's not surprising that Riley was sarcastic on the show; these are things that losers have to accept.

Jia Fei doesn't care about receiving the insincere blessings from Running Man. His only regret is that he wants to return the phrase "The future is yours" to him. In terms of career length, Running Man is in a class of its own. This guy's body is too abnormal, and his endurance is too long. You have to admit that.

You can criticize his skills, his character, everything about him, but you can't criticize his body. His body is truly abnormal, incredibly resilient, almost like a wild beast.

If you criticize even his physique, then you're definitely a true hater. It's like criticizing Curry's three-pointers or Ibaka's length.

Jia Fei went to the locker room to change into his Eastern Conference Finals T-shirt and hat, and then went to the court with his teammates to receive the coronation ceremony for the Eastern Conference Finals champions.

Conference champions also have trophies, but they're not like the NBA championship trophy or the Larry O'Brien Trophy; they look much cheaper. It's undeniable that the idea of ​​a conference champion being less important than fishing isn't new. Many fans genuinely don't remember conference champions; they only know about the NBA championship, scoring title, MVP, and even Defensive Player of the Year—all of which generate more discussion than conference champions.

Horford was overjoyed: "We finally beat LeBron! We finally beat LeBron!"

Jia Fei could understand why he was so excited. Over the years, Running Man had indeed suppressed many players in the East, like a mountain that had been blocking the way and making it hard for people to breathe.

But today, they have knocked down that mountain, and they will represent the East in the championship race.

This was a night for the Hawks. Coach Buden was in tears, holding Jia Fei tightly and refusing to let go for a long time.

This wasn't Jia Fei's first time reaching the finals, but what did the 2011 finals have to do with him? He wasn't even a seated passenger, let alone a bus driver; he was at most a standing passenger.

But now, he's the bus driver. When the team wins the championship, he gets the greatest honor; when the team loses, his responsibility is even greater.

The Hawks have advanced to the NBA Finals, becoming the first team to secure a spot in the Finals. Meanwhile, in the Western Conference, the Warriors and Rockets' series is still ongoing.

There has been commentary and discussion about the Eastern Conference Finals. Some experts believe that if the Cavaliers hadn't suffered such serious injuries, it would have been unlikely that the Hawks would have swept them, and the Cavaliers would have been the most likely team to advance to the NBA Finals.

This argument was supported by many people, and Jia Fei certainly saw it too.

“Jia, everyone outside is saying that if the Cavaliers are healthy, we have no chance of making it to the Finals. Have you seen that?” Art Mayork ran over and asked Jia Fei.

Jia Fei nodded: "I saw it, but so what? Injuries are part of the game. Who can guarantee that their team will always be healthy? The Cavaliers have injury problems. Kyrie and Kevin can't play, so our Kyle can't play either. If it weren't for the injury, in my second season with the Thunder, if Russ hadn't been out for the season, we might have won the championship that season."

Jia Fei's words made Art Mayok nod heavily. Indeed, in the 2012-13 season, although Harden had left, the Thunder still had a complete roster: Durant and Westbrook, Kyle Martin, and Jia Fei. Such a lineup was certainly capable of competing for the championship with the Heat's Big Three.

There are no "what ifs" in this world. If I had studied hard back then, I might have been able to get into Tsinghua or Peking University. But the fact is, I didn't study hard, and now I'm fixing screws in an electronics factory.

"If both teams have their full rosters, we might be at a disadvantage!" Jia Fei added.

Art Mayork couldn't help but laugh: "Why would you say that?"

"That's true. Although we won, there was an element of luck involved. With the Cavaliers' Big Three all playing, our talent couldn't match up. I have nothing to hide from admitting it. We could only limit one of Kyrie and LeBron at most. If we wanted to limit both, we had to accept being blown out by three-pointers. We weren't as good as them on the boards. In the playoffs, it all comes down to superstars and matchups," Jia Fei said calmly.

Art Mayork was surprised that Jia Fei would admit that there was an element of luck in their journey to the finals. He was so rational, so calm, and so objective. Such a person is terrifying; he doesn't seem like a young man who has suddenly risen to prominence.

"So who do you think will make it to the Finals, the Rockets or the Warriors?" Art Mayork asked.

"Warrior!" Jia Fei answered without hesitation.

"What are our chances of beating the Warriors?" Art Mayork continued to ask.

"If neither side has any injuries, we might have the upper hand!" Jia Fei said with a smile.

Art Mayor had no doubt about Jia Fei's judgment; Jia Fei was too wise and rarely made a mistake.

Since the Hawks are the league's top seed, they will have home-court advantage regardless of whether the Rockets or Warriors advance to the Finals. According to the Finals' 2+2+1+1+1 schedule, the first two games will be played at Philips Arena.

Therefore, the Hawks can stay in Atlanta to prepare and train.

Before the finals began, Jia Fei took a moment to log into the system and check his task progress. He had completed the task of "winning the regular season MVP" and received a reward of [number] points. Adding to the [number] points he had accumulated previously, he now had a total of [number] points. However, he was unable to increase his fusion level by even 1%, which left him somewhat speechless.

Does it really require 10 points?

Jia Fei didn't know either, but verifying this fact wouldn't take too long; he was just a little speechless.

The Western Conference Finals between the Rockets and Warriors have also ended, with the Warriors advancing. This means the NBA Finals will now pit the Warriors against the Hawks.

The Hawks and Warriors were the top two teams in the regular season standings, one first in the Eastern Conference and the other first in the Western Conference. They faced each other twice during the regular season, each winning once, making it a close contest.

Regarding the upcoming NBA Finals, some people favor the Warriors and some favor the Hawks, but more people are rooting for the Hawks. After all, the Hawks overcame a tough challenge to reach the Finals, while the Warriors defeated Harden's Rockets in the Conference Finals.

Moreover, many veteran stars believe that you can't win a championship by relying on three-pointers. The Warriors' Splash Brothers are great, but can they really win a championship by relying on three-pointers?