Y13 [EN]: Chapter 110

Y13-110 2010-11 Regular Season =========================================================================

Shuk-

“Oh! You’re on fire today!”

During practice before the game, Brewer playfully bumped Youngjae’s side, impressed by his consecutive shots. Youngjae felt unusually light and energetic, showing no signs of fatigue even while shooting.

Youngjae glanced at the New Orleans players warming up on the opposite court. One player immediately caught his eye: the 6-foot (183cm) point guard who had led the underdog New Orleans Hornets to the playoffs. He was considered the league’s top point guard, and the one responsible for Dallas’s 11-game losing streak against New Orleans.

“Chris Paul? Isn’t he supposed to have limited minutes in this game?”

Youngjae felt a pang of disappointment. Chris Paul was his ultimate rival, the player who fueled his competitive spirit and made him feel truly challenged. If there were to be another point guard MVP [Most Valuable Player] after Steve Nash, who won back-to-back MVPs, it would undoubtedly be Paul. Of course, Derrick Rose’s rapid ascent this year had increased his own chances of winning the MVP. With incredible explosiveness for his size, clever passing, and deadly accurate mid-range jumpers from anywhere on the court, Rose was one of the few players who could single-handedly dominate a game.

Listing Paul’s strengths would take forever; no one questioned his abilities. Youngjae regretted that Paul wouldn’t be playing much due to his injury, but he knew he couldn’t let his guard down. While it was disappointing from a personal standpoint, it was fortunate for the team that Paul, who had consistently given Dallas trouble, was still hampered by his injury. This was, after all, the final game to determine the Western Conference’s top seed.

“Still, even a wounded lion is still a lion; we can’t afford to be careless.”

Brewer and Youngjae exchanged a few more words before returning to the bench for Coach Carlisle’s final pre-game briefing.

“New Orleans was a historically weak team, but Chris Paul has carried them to the playoffs for the past few years. The outcome of this game will determine the top seed in the Western Conference between us and San Antonio, and it will also impact the playoff matchups.”

The players nodded, their expressions determined as they listened to Carlisle’s serious words.

“Go out there and beat New Orleans with the mindset of becoming the regular season champions. San Antonio’s result is secondary. If we win, we control our own destiny. Understand?”

“Yes!”

The players, who might have been less motivated given that it was the last game of the regular season, responded with even more enthusiasm than before, spurred on by Coach Carlisle’s pep talk. They then headed onto the court.

[Hello. Welcome to ESPN’s broadcast of the Dallas Mavericks versus New Orleans Hornets regular season finale, game 82. I’m Mike Breen, joined by Craig Sager for play-by-play.]

[Hello, Mike. It’s a pleasure to be here for this crucial final game. Today’s game, at the American Airlines Center, home of the Dallas Mavericks, will be officiated by Bill Kennedy as crew chief, with Brent Barnaky and Scott Wall as referees.]

[This game is huge for both teams. Playoff spots are locked, but the matchups are still up in the air. For Dallas, a win today guarantees the top seed and a first-round matchup against Portland, a team they match up well against. Dallas is a strong regular-season team, but they are often seen as vulnerable in the playoffs.]

[That’s right. Dallas has been a consistently strong team, although their stamina seems to wane in the second half of the season. They climbed to the top seed thanks to San Antonio’s struggles, but their win rate against playoff teams is barely above 50%. They are 2-2 against Portland, but Memphis is a less favorable matchup due to their slow, defensive, grind-it-out style of play, which Dallas struggles against.]

[For New Orleans, the goal is to drop Dallas to the second seed and secure the seventh seed themselves, which would give them a first-round matchup against Dallas, the most manageable of the top four teams. Winning the last game and immediately facing the same team in the first round can also provide a significant momentum boost. Dallas also carries the baggage of their 2006-07 season, where they won 67 games but were swept 0-4 in the first round by Golden State after losing the 81st game.]

[Dallas will start with Jason Kidd, Youngjae Yoon, Shawn Marion, Dirk Nowitzki, and Tyson Chandler, while New Orleans counters with Chris Paul, Marco Belinelli, Trevor Ariza, Carl Landry, and Emeka Okafor.]

[This crucial final game is about to begin!]

As Craig Sager and Mike Breen wrapped up their commentary, the jump ball commenced, with Tyson Chandler easily out-jumping Emeka Okafor.

[Tyson Chandler’s height is truly remarkable. He’s 7-foot-1 (216cm) with an incredible vertical. If he could just stay healthy, he’d be unstoppable!]

Jason Kidd, receiving the ball from Tyson Chandler, slowed the pace and began to orchestrate the first offensive set.

[Jason Kidd brings the ball past half-court.]

[He’s arguably the most composed of Dallas’s point guards. Steve Nash showed flashes of brilliance alongside Dirk Nowitzki, but he wasn’t the Nash he would become in Phoenix. Mark Cuban [the owner of the Dallas Mavericks] has even said that his biggest mistake after taking over the team was letting Steve Nash go after seeing his success in Phoenix.]

[Instead, Jason Kidd joined Dallas a few years after Nash left and is now leading Dallas’s golden era, which just goes to show how unpredictable life can be! Haha! Sorry for digressing. Jason Kidd passes to Youngjae Yoon.]

As soon as Youngjae received Kidd’s pass, he skillfully used Shawn Marion’s screen. Marco Belinelli, New Orleans’ sharp shooter, made a half-hearted attempt to impede Youngjae, but Youngjae didn’t force a drive. At the boundary between the high post and low post, Youngjae quickly established his position, took a step back, and immediately passed the ball to Nowitzki, who was cutting towards the basket from the opposite high post.

[Dirk Nowitzki receives a pinpoint pass from Youngjae Yoon!]

Nowitzki maintained his speed and drove his left shoulder into Carl Landry. Landry backpedaled, trying to contain Nowitzki’s drive, but if stopping Nowitzki were that easy, he wouldn’t be Carl Landry.

Squeak-

The sound of Nowitzki’s shoes echoed on the court. Nowitzki feigned a drive, but as soon as he saw Landry leaning, he swiftly spun and escaped in the opposite direction.

“?!”

Landry realized it was a fake and belatedly gave chase, but Nowitzki was already in the air, gently laying the ball in. If Nowitzki’s finishing at the rim was poor or his free throws unreliable, Landry would have fouled him, even if it meant giving up an extra free throw. But a reckless foul on Nowitzki, a legitimate 7-foot power forward with a 90% free throw percentage, would only result in a three-point play.

[We know that move all too well! Dirk Nowitzki’s signature drive-in fake, spin move, and easy layup!]

[Even though he’s in the twilight of his career, giving Dirk Nowitzki, who has mastered every offensive skill, such a poor defensive look is practically begging him to score! It’s hard to find a weakness in Nowitzki’s offense; he has a silky smooth shooting touch with both his left and right hands!]

Nowitzki clapped, encouraging his teammates, and shared a quick high-five with Youngjae, who had delivered the perfect assist.

“…”

Chris Paul was envious of Dallas’s well-oiled system, but as a New Orleans player, he couldn’t just stand by and admire it. Besides, he never believed his abilities were inferior to that system. He quickly crossed the half-court line and raised his hand, and Emeka Okafor fired the ball to him.

‘Now!’

The savvy Chris Paul, before Dallas’s defense could fully set, threw a deceptive bounce pass to Trevor Ariza, who was cutting inside from the left wing. Paul’s prediction that Ariza would arrive at that spot just as the pass did was perfect.

[Wow! What an incredible pass! Just what we expect from Chris Paul!]

However, a problem arose with Ariza, who was supposed to receive the pass. Ariza hadn’t anticipated Chris Paul’s sensational bounce pass. Perhaps he didn’t think the ball would squeeze through such a tight window. He reached out hastily, but the bounce pass had already hit his palm and bounced away.

[Ooh… Trevor Ariza. Not a good play! He needs to be locked in on Paul’s hands at all times.]

[To waste that pass… Ariza probably won’t sleep well tonight!]

Ariza clapped apologetically and signaled his apologies to Chris Paul, but Paul simply nodded impassively.

[Possession goes back to Dallas. Tyson Chandler throws a bullet pass to Shawn Marion?!]

[That’s an incredible fast break! They’re trying to create an early lead by moving the ball quickly!]

Chandler’s great outlet pass reached Marion, but Marion instinctively sensed danger and secured the ball with both hands.

Thud!

Chris Paul, who easily matched Shawn Marion’s speed (known as the Matrix), slammed his right hand down on the ball from behind Marion like a viper, trying to steal it. If Marion had been dribbling, he would have been vulnerable to a steal and a fast break.

Protecting the ball with his instincts, Marion didn’t force the fast break and passed it back to Jason Kidd, who was trailing the play.

[Shawn Marion to Jason Kidd, and Kidd passes it to Youngjae Yoon, who is cutting through the left wing!]

As Youngjae received the ball and drove through the wing, Jason Kidd moved to the right wing three-point line, and Nowitzki continuously moved along the three-point line, facing the basket, ready to cut inside at any moment. Moreover, Chandler shook off Emeka Okafor to aid Youngjae’s drive and screened Marco Belinelli.

Youngjae was amazed by the seamless, organic movement. It was another example of the power of veterans with high basketball IQ [Basketball Intelligence Quotient].

[Youngjae Yoon drives to the baseline and charges towards the basket!]

[Yes! Is he going to finish it himself! Emeka Okafor, a little late, jumps from behind Tyson Chandler to block Youngjae Yoon’s layup!]

Whoosh!

Emeka Okafor’s defense wasn’t particularly strong, but Youngjae, seeing an even more certain scoring opportunity than his own layup, unhesitatingly passed the ball out to the perimeter.

[Jason Kidd! Wide open!!!]

[Did he see the open man in that split second! Youngjae Yoon, amazing!!]

============================ Author’s Notes ============================

★Thank you to those who subscribed, recommended, commented, and gave coupons!!

＠This offseason is also interesting. Love, Aldridge, Gasol, and other ace-level players from their teams are in the FA [Free Agent] market. LeBron is also going to re-sign based on the Cleveland front office’s moves, so the Cleveland front office is in a state of emergency. They should be prepared to pay around 40M (44 billion won) in luxury tax. Their salary will probably exceed 100M.

＠Youngjae is not impotent lol

＠Once the regular season is over, I will upload the team rankings and Youngjae’s stats in the setting book. Putting it in the main story would probably take up almost an entire chapter. I will reply to comments from the next chapter^^