NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 225 Advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals

Jia Fei and his head coach Budenholzer both knew that their team didn't need pre-match pep talks. They were under no pressure, and in this state, they were most likely to perform at their normal or even exceptional level.

This is the biggest difference in mentality between them and the Pacers, and mentality easily affects shooting touch. Anyone with playing or watching basketball knows that when leading by 20 points, they are exceptionally decisive when taking open or semi-open shots, such as pull-up three-pointers or three-pointers off screens. Even in one-on-one situations, they are decisive.

Once they fall behind, some players simply stop playing. That's why some players are called "tailwind players." Players who can perform consistently under unfavorable circumstances are the ones who are called "clutch players" or "big-game players."

The Pacers' offensive struggles are partly due to their mentality, but the main reason is their inability to defend the Hawks. If you can't defend them, you'll have fewer opportunities to attack in transition, which in turn affects your offense.

Offense and defense are never isolated; they influence each other. Take the peak Warriors, for example. Why were they so strong? Was it solely because of their unstoppable offense? Actually, their defense was consistently among the top 5 in the league. It's just that many newcomers only focus on their offense. A solid defense provides a foundation for more transition offense, and it helps to stall the game when the offense falters, allowing for a higher margin for error once the shooting touch returns.

In Game 5 on the 14th, the Pacers made no changes to their lineup.

Of course, this is very "Vogel." In this respect, he and the Thunder's Brooks are not exactly the same, but at least quite similar. The Pacers are indeed in a difficult position with their lineup. They can't completely abandon Gao Yuanyuan, and they don't have a suitable center candidate. Playing Mahinmi would be pointless; playing Scola would lead to their paint being completely exposed; and as for going all-in on a small-ball lineup, Vogel says he has absolutely no coaching experience in that area…

The Hawks' strategy was too easy: Gao Yuanyuan would come in, Antic would come in, pull up to the top of the key or go to the two corners to set screens and hand off the ball; when Gao Yuanyuan came out, he would also go out to rest, and Art Mayork would come in, constantly setting screens and cutting to attack the opponent's paint.

In this game, the Pacers didn't double-team the ball handler as aggressively as they did in the previous game. Their defense was more conventional, and the center still couldn't get out of position.

This creates a natural mismatch against the Hawks' five-outside lineup. A slight pass and the perimeter becomes an open shot. The Hawks capitalize on these open looks remarkably well, showing no mercy whatsoever.

Jia Fei sensed that the Pacers players' body language revealed frustration and a lack of fighting spirit. They couldn't find a way to break the deadlock and didn't believe there was any chance of salvaging the series.

The Hawks steadily countered the Pacers. When the Pacers' shooting touch faltered and they struggled to score, Jia Fei would step up, creating scoring opportunities or scoring directly in isolation plays, steadily contributing points for the team and acting as a safety net outside the team's system.

Kemba Walker and his family went to the Pacers' home arena to watch the game in person. He wanted to see his best friend eliminate the team that had eliminated him... He was 1000% supportive of Jia Fei, and the team was only one step away from a successful revenge.

Ultimately, the Hawks defeated the Pacers on the road, winning three straight games and sweeping the top-seeded Pacers 4-1 in the series, advancing strongly to the Eastern Conference Finals.

With two series won 4-1 each, the Hawks' dominance seemed unbelievable. In fact, before the playoffs began, they were considered to have a greater than 50% chance of being eliminated in the first round. But reality slapped those who doubted them in the face.

Jia Fei continued to perform consistently. In both rounds of the series, he never scored less than 20 points in a single game. Although he didn't score 40+ points in any game, he consistently scored 20+ points, which was frighteningly consistent. As a star player, scoring 20+ points every game is much better than occasionally scoring 40+ points while averaging around 10 points. His presence allows the team to maintain a very high floor.

The series is over, and the Hawks and Jia Fei have both become trending topics across the United States. Those who have always been pessimistic about Jia Fei no longer dare to speak out.

The Hawks' management is naturally highly praised. They acquired Jafi, Milwaukee, and Art Mayok last summer, and all of them have performed exceptionally well this season. The management deserves to be hailed as a legend.

The coaching staff also deserves a lot of credit. Although Coach Buden is a rookie coach, the system he brought made the team play with great teamwork. They were able to maintain a good record in the regular season, and in the playoffs, especially in this round against the Pacers, it was simply a dimensional reduction attack of modern basketball on traditional basketball.

The Eastern Conference Finals matchups are out, with the defending champion Heat defeating the Wizards 4-1 to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Before the playoffs began, almost all mainstream media predicted the Eastern Conference Finals matchup to be Heat vs. Pacers. But who knew the Hawks would suddenly rise to the top!

Jia Fei's performance in the playoffs wasn't phenomenal, but it was incredibly consistent. And it seems he wasn't even playing at his absolute best. Neither the Bulls nor the Pacers pushed the Hawks to the brink.

Jia Fei's outstanding performance in the playoffs has made people marvel that second-round picks can also dominate games, and that Asians can indeed thrive in the playoffs. The last Asian to dominate in the playoffs was Yao Qinlei's father.

Jia Fei's popularity skyrocketed, and his jersey sales surged. Statistics show that sales have been steadily increasing since the playoffs began. After the semifinals, the Hawks announced that their #3 jerseys were out of stock and needed immediate restocking. This was almost unprecedented in the team's history.

On the other hand, across the ocean in China, Jia Fei's popularity remains high. Chairman Yao Ming has retired, Yi Jianlian has returned to the CBA, and neither Sun Yu nor the four-character foreign player have been able to truly establish themselves in the NBA. Currently, only Jia Fei and Jeremy Lin are truly capable of establishing themselves in the NBA. Although both are of Asian descent and have Chinese heritage, they are both of Chinese descent.

Many Chinese fans left comments online saying, "If only Jia Fei were a Chinese citizen!" Indeed, if he were, he could represent China in international competitions, such as the 2016 Rio Olympics. With him, the Asian Championships, Asian Cup, Stankovic Cup, and warm-up matches would be a breeze. It's such a shame!

Jia Fei's handsome appearance and dashing basketball skills have attracted the attention of a large number of basketball fans in China and even across Asia. His fan base is comparable to that of the blacksmith from Running Man. These two superstars are like the "Eastern Heretic and Western Poison," and these two fan groups are also in a standoff with each other, much like the coal boss and Cristiano Ronaldo in the football world.

The "TJ fans" of Running Man, the "60e" of Little Blacksmith, and now the "Fei Mi" of Jia Fei are also starting to emerge, vaguely forming a three-way balance.