NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 306 Carroll's First Shot

本场比赛，贾飞全场贡献35分8个篮板8次助攻3个抢断2个盖帽的豪华数据，是球队获胜的第一功臣。

The series is now tied 1-1, and both teams are currently dealing with injuries. However, the Cavaliers' injuries are more severe, as they are missing two of their star players.

Post-match press conference.

When asked by a reporter if he was confident of defeating the Cavaliers, led by the Running Man cast, and advancing to the finals, Jia Fei remained calm: "Of course I'm confident, but now is not the time to talk about that. The series is far from over."

When asked by a reporter if he would hold a grudge against Korver for being injured by Dellavedova, Jia Fei said, "If holding a grudge could have prevented Kyle from getting injured, I think I would. But that would be meaningless. Right now, I'm only thinking about how Kyle can avoid being seriously injured; we need him."

With the series tied 1-1, the experts who had overwhelmingly supported the Cavaliers split up again, with some now supporting the Hawks to advance to the Finals.

On the 22nd, Korver underwent an MRI. The results came back quickly: he had a minor fracture in his right lower leg, and the recovery time was estimated at four weeks.

Four weeks is practically the end of the season, to put it mildly. Keep in mind that we're already in the Eastern Conference Finals, so four weeks is only a month, and the NBA Finals will be over in a month.

If the Hawks make it to the Finals, Korver will miss the last train.

When this news broke, many Hawks fans couldn't hold back. They went on a rampage online, hurling insults at Dellavedova and his entire family.

Jia Fei and Art Mayor visited Korver at his home. Although Korver did not need surgery, he still needed to wear a protective gear and could not engage in any substantial training for four weeks.

"Jia, I'm so happy we won! I look forward to you carrying my belief into the Finals!" Korver still looked optimistic, with a big smile on his face.

"We will! We will definitely make it to the finals!" Jia Fei said, as if making a promise to his lover.

Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals will be held on May 24 at Quicken Loans Arena, the home arena of the Cavaliers.

The Hawks arrived in Cleveland on a chartered plane on the evening of the 22nd, where they will play Games 3 and 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals. They must win one of these two games to regain home-court advantage and then return home for the pivotal Game 5.

If they lose both matches, they will face a 1-3 deficit. When their opponent's coach isn't Li, a 1-3 deficit essentially means elimination.

Running Man is a player who excels at winning when his team is ahead. If his team is leading 3-1, he can maximize his ability to control the game. You don't need to doubt his ability to close out matches.

This wasn't Jia Fei's first time in Cleveland, but each time he came, he felt it was just another ordinary place; nothing really had changed. The loss of population made the city seem lifeless.

Korver did not travel with the team; he remained in Atlanta for treatment.

On the 23rd, the Hawks conducted an acclimatization training session at the Cavaliers' training facility.

The Hawks coaching staff is facing a problem right now: with Korver out, who will fill his starting position?

This leads to another question: if Carroll or someone else were to replace Korver in the starting lineup, who would get into the rotation?

The Hawks used a nine-man rotation in their last game. Besides the five starters, the other four were Art Mayok, Scott, Carroll, and Schroder.

According to Coach Budenholzer's coaching habits, he doesn't like short rotations; a nine-man rotation is more in line with his habits in the playoffs.

Therefore, it is necessary to add one more person to the rotation. Now there are two options: one is to let Antichkin rotate and play a large lineup during the transition period; the other option is to let Sefolosha or Cup Cat rotate and continue with a smaller lineup.

Coach Buden sought advice from Jia Fei.

"Coach, I can play position 2!" Jia Fei said with a smile.

Coach Buden was delighted. His original intention was to start Carroll in place of Korver, but he was worried that Jia Fei wouldn't accept the suggestion to play shooting guard. He didn't expect Jia Fei to agree so readily, and in such a way. Carroll can't play shooting guard; he can only play small forward. So, if Carroll is to start, Jia Fei will have to play shooting guard.

"Should we double-team LeBron?" Coach Buden asked. He was also hesitant. Double-teaming him would leave open three-point opportunities, but not double-teaming him risked LeBron unleashing his full potential back at home. Besides, with LeBron as their star player, the others weren't really a threat. Theoretically, double-teaming him would increase their chances of winning the game.

"Actually, no need. Just lock down the others and make sure he can't kill us one-on-one!" Jia Fei said. Locking down the others while defending the running man individually was Popovich's invention. The Warriors used this strategy in his previous life, but the prerequisite is having abundant wing defensive resources. Otherwise, if you have defensive players like Korver, they won't even need pick-and-rolls; they can kill you one-on-one.

Jia Fei's opinion gave Coach Buden a hint and also helped him make the final decision.

On the evening of the 24th, at the Quicken Loans Arena, the home court of the Cavaliers.

The atmosphere at the arena was fantastic. The Cavaliers had been weak for several years after the "Running Man Decision," and the fans here hadn't felt the atmosphere of a conference finals game in a long time. No matter how bad you think Running Man is, his team still made the playoffs. Even if they benefited from the weakness of the Eastern Conference, he wasn't the only star player in the East. Why couldn't others do it?

This game was broadcast live on TNT, and the closing remarks were handled by the longtime duo of Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith.

Before the competition even started, the two longtime partners began to warm up the atmosphere, with the topic always revolving around Jia Fei and the two Running Man stars.

"Charles, Kyle Korver isn't playing this game, who do you think Coach Buden will put in the starting lineup?" Kenny Smith threw out a suggestion.

Barkley rubbed his bald head: "Kenny, don't ask me such simple questions again. If Kyle doesn't play, DeMar will definitely start."

"Then let me ask you a tougher question: once you return to your home court, can the Cavaliers retain those two home-court advantage?" Kenny Smith asked.

Barkley nodded: "Of course, LeBron is getting old, but I still believe in his ability in the playoffs. Jia Fei's ability is just like that. He's only good at home games. On the road, he becomes a worm."

During pre-game practice, the Hawks players didn't have any smiles on their faces. Korver's season-ending injury was a sobering blow for everyone.

The starting lineups for both teams have been announced.

The Cavaliers' starting lineup remains the same, with Kyrie Irving still out.

The Hawks made a change to their starting lineup, with Carroll starting in place of the injured Korver.