Y13 [EN]: Chapter 131

Such rough play wasn’t the only instance. After Barea and Youngjae were substituted, Byrum immediately took a thoughtless three-point shot during the Lakers’ attack. Dallas calmly responded with a deliberate offense, maintaining their composure.

[Now, the Dallas players need to stay calm. They shouldn’t respond to dirty play with dirty play. Especially, Dallas shouldn’t forget that the playoffs are ahead. If they get penalized together, Dallas will be at a disadvantage.]

Contrary to Mike Tirico’s commentary, the Lakers’ defense was already resorting to constant grabbing and poking, engaging in dirty play. Youngjae received the ball at the top of the key, and at the same time, Peja Stojakovic moved to the outside, drawing Kobe Bryant and creating space for Youngjae’s drive.

[Nowitzki’s screen! Youngjae Yoon shakes off Shannon Brown, who was guarding him, and drives to the basket!]

[Even with a significant lead, Dallas isn’t letting up on offense, right? Youngjae Yoon, with tremendous speed, even blows past Ron Artest and penetrates directly to the low post!]

As Youngjae went up for a layup, he felt a chill run down his spine. He saw Andrew Bynum’s sly smile and the elbow he raised just as Youngjae’s body left the ground. Youngjae knew he couldn’t avoid the elbow mid-air. He was furious. Professional players resorting to cheap, dirty tactics to vent their frustration.

‘I won’t stand for it!’

However, Youngjae wasn’t intentionally trying to retaliate. If that were the case, he would have made Bynum realize he was outmatched.

“Ughhhh!!!”

[Youngjae Yoon! Attempts a floater! Oh!! It’s dangerous! Andrew Bynum’s elbow is…]

Thwack!!!

“Ugh!!”

Youngjae felt dizzy from the impact, which stole his breath and sent a jolt of pain through his ribs. Despite the pain, he extended his right hand and released the ball. He was so disoriented that he didn’t register what happened next, but as he fell, his body tangled with Bynum, causing the center to stumble backward and fall awkwardly…

Thud!!!

“Ugh!!”

Youngjae landed hard on his backside, the force of the impact nearly knocking him unconscious. He couldn’t get up immediately, struggling to catch his breath. He couldn’t even see if the shot went in.

Swish-

[Wow!!! Youngjae Yoon makes the floater despite suffering such a blatant foul! Bynum looks dumbfounded before his face contorts in frustration! His plan backfired!]

[Bynum is completely outplayed and shows terrible sportsmanship! I can’t believe a player like that is a professional!]

Regardless of the floater’s success, the referees immediately intervened, stopping the Dallas Mavericks players in their tracks. The referees worked to de-escalate the situation, preventing the game from spiraling further out of control. Meanwhile, the Lakers players helped Bynum to his feet and tried to calm the incensed Dallas players.

Beeeep!!!

[Andrew Bynum!! Flagrant foul 2, along with Lamar Odom!! He’s ejected!]

[He got what he deserved! That’s the price for such a dangerous foul! Youngjae Yoon accidentally got tangled with Bynum as he fell, causing Bynum to fall backward! Why resort to dirty play when it backfires like that?! Youngjae Yoon shouldn’t be called for a foul because he didn’t do anything intentionally! That’s 100% Andrew Bynum’s TERRIBLE FOUL!]

[To be a professional player, you need basic sportsmanship and respect, regardless of the competition. Bynum’s actions not only tarnished the Lakers’ image but also endangered another player’s safety.]

Bynum writhed in pain from the fall. As soon as the pain in his hip subsided, he ripped off his jersey, shoved away his teammates, and charged toward Youngjae.

“You son of a bitch! If you don’t watch yourself, you’re dead! You hear me?!”

“Get lost! I’m not finished with you, Yellow Monkey!”

Thwack!

“Who are you taking your anger out on! You moron! Next time, I’m going to flatten your nose instead of your chest, so get out of here. Get out now, you fouled-out bastard!”

Chandler stepped in front of the staggering Youngjae, blocking Bynum’s path. Bynum gritted his teeth, but there was nothing he could do. He had tried to injure the Asian guard who was constantly running circles around him, but instead, he had fallen backward in an embarrassing heap. He seethed at Youngjae’s tenacity for making the floater despite the elbow to the ribs, but he couldn’t touch Youngjae with his teammates protecting him. Even Bynum knew that much.

“Where do you think you’re going, huh?! You son of a bitch!”

Nowitzki, already the victim of a hard foul, and Chandler, known as the team’s enforcer, were barely able to contain their rage. They started after Bynum, yelling insults, but Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol intervened, calming them down and preventing them from chasing Bynum.

In the end, the Lakers had no choice but to accept a crushing 0-4 defeat, losing both the game and their composure. Dallas finished the game strong, even after Youngjae’s injury, sweeping the semi-conference finals in four games and advancing to the conference finals. The Lakers had already lost their will to fight, and Dallas, like the seasoned team they were, quickly regained their focus and secured an even larger victory.

Dallas Mavericks (4 wins) 125:84 LA Lakers (4 losses)

Lakers 3-point shots 5/24, Dallas 3-point shots 22/30

Nowitzki 17 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists

Youngjae 23 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists (3 points 4/6)

Terry 28 points, 1 rebound, 5 assists (3 points 8/9)

Peja 19 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists (3 points 6/6)

“Hmm…”

Youngjae took a plane to Dallas immediately after the game. After arriving at the team’s designated hospital and undergoing several hours of detailed examinations, he stroked his ribs with an anxious expression. The team doctor carefully reviewed the detailed examination records and nodded with a relieved expression.

“The MRI results show some ligament damage. It’s not a major injury, so it should fully heal in about ten days.”

“Ah!”

Youngjae unknowingly sighed in relief, but he winced as a tingling sensation shot through his ribs.

“There’s nothing seriously wrong with the ribs in the picture. However, an elbow to the ribs is dangerous, so Yoon’s ligament injury should be treated carefully. And even though there’s no fracture, the impact was significant. Strenuous training is prohibited for about a week.”

Youngjae had no intention of disobeying the team doctor’s orders, so he nodded obediently. A player’s body is their livelihood. If that body is weakened by injury, you shouldn’t push it. Of course, few players finish a season without an injury, and especially in the playoffs, many play through injuries like ligament damage.

“Then how long…”

“Today is the 8th, and the first game of the conference finals against Oklahoma City is on the 17th. Fortunately, the semi-conference ended in 4 games, so there’s a long break. Honestly, if it were the regular season, I’d recommend resting for a few games, but I can’t tell you to rest in the current situation. I’ll have to talk to the club, but it’s best to take a few days off from team training for now. Light personal training only. I think it’s best to get another checkup in a week to determine your availability for the game. Recovery rates vary, so it may be shorter or longer than the initial diagnosis.”

Youngjae gritted his teeth at the thought of Bynum’s cheap shot, but he knew injuries were part of the game, so he decided not to dwell on it.

“I understand. But please do your best to help me return for the first game if possible. This kind of opportunity is rare…”

The team doctor smiled and nodded, as if it were a given.

“That’s exactly what I’m here for. So, starting today, Yoon should receive physical therapy once a day and rest for five days, avoiding any impact on the injured area other than light cardio. You must not overdo it with training, even if you’re itching to.”

With the team doctor’s final words, Youngjae left the office. Now, treatment and rest were the only options. The ten-day treatment period was designed to dedicate one week to treatment and allow the remaining days for his body to readjust to basketball.

“…”

Youngjae knew this opportunity was rare. Playing on the big stage of the playoffs in his rookie season and getting significant minutes to perform and develop was a great honor. That’s why he didn’t want to miss it, and he desperately wanted to play as many games as possible.

‘Don’t be greedy.’

Just being given this opportunity after returning to the past was a blessing. Youngjae decided to curb his ambition. He didn’t want a minor injury to become a major one by overdoing it. He wasn’t a veteran desperate for a championship.

[Youngjae Yoon, out for 1-2 weeks with a left elbow ligament injury]

Youngjae Yoon (20), who showed a sensational performance against the LA Lakers in the semi-conference finals, has a partial tear in the ligaments of his left elbow, according to an MRI scan, and may be out for 1-2 weeks. Youngjae Yoon, who suffered a chest contusion and a left elbow injury after being struck by Andrew Bynum’s elbow in the fourth game of the semi-conference finals, is currently undergoing treatment.

(Omitted)

Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, said in an interview, “It’s really unfortunate that he’s uncertain for the next game due to this injury. He’s more than a rookie; he’s a Dallas man,” expressing his regret over Youngjae Yoon’s injury. Teammate Tyson Chandler also stated, “The LA Lakers weren’t playing basketball in the fourth game. We were playing against martial arts fighters, and in the end, we won in both skill and manners. We need to question their mentality and professionalism,” not holding back his criticism.

In fact, there were serious discussions about disciplinary action from the NBA regarding Lamar Odom’s shoulder and Andrew Bynum’s elbow, but Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum dismissed it as an accident that could happen during the game. Bynum even said he simply didn’t like a smaller player running around the court.

Re: Crazy, I’m really cursing.

Re: You bastards, that’s why you can’t win. Phil Jackson is senile, and Bynum and Odom, are these guys even players?

Re: The NBA should impose proper fines and penalties. Damn, does someone have to die for them to stop?

Re: They’ll only learn when they get hit themselves! You bastards only learn when you get hit!

Re: But even then, I don’t think they’ll get more than 10 games of suspension, based on past disciplinary records for dirty play.

The strong criticism of the LA Lakers eventually led to the Lakers holding an official press conference and issuing an apology. However, Bynum and Odom remained silent, making faces that showed their reluctance, which was enough to make the Lakers organization sweat. Youngjae chose not to read these articles, focusing on resting. His ribs were bruised and painful, but he felt the pain gradually subside as he followed the team doctor’s instructions.

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

★Thank you for your pre-selections, recommendations, comments, and coupons!!

@Youngjae’s injury is a bruise on his ribs and a ligament injury to his left elbow from the fall. Partial ligament damage varies greatly depending on the player and the severity. In some cases, they can play in the next game on a Day-to-Day basis, and in other cases, it can take more than 4 weeks. Of course, places like the cruciate ligament are completely different. I don’t know much about the medical side either, and this is the conclusion I came to after rummaging through the injury news of players. Youngjae suffered a minor ligament injury.

@The offseason plans are almost all planned in terms of basketball. However, the daily life part is not yet fully conceived.

Kundara-nim/// Oh oh. First comment!! Congratulations~~~

Kingdom Brothers-nim/// Youngjae will also train at the club during the offseason unless there is something special. Usually, rookies train with close seniors or the club’s coaching staff. I didn’t really intend to describe the advertisement in detail… If I shoot an advertisement this season, it will be a Korean company advertisement. He’s not a national star yet.

Cup in a Cup-nim/// I haven’t thought about a personal coach yet. I’m thinking of working with the club coaches, but the offseason is not yet fully conceived.

goimosp-nim/// I think it’s the same with any sport. Talent and physicality are important, but if your mentality is bad, you won’t last long.

Brilliant Legacy-nim, CountOfDark-nim, misscherry-nim, Financia-nim, 1234567890123-nim, Omarion-nim, Cebabam-nim/// Thank you for your comments!! Have a good day tomorrow~

H0H-nim/// Ah, I’m dying because of the humidity ㅠ.ㅠ

Lafir and Jint-nim/// Yes, now it’s the conference finals with Oklahoma.