I am Really an Insider

Reggie Miller lay on the floor and allowed the masseur to "ravage" his body.

Although he was surrounded by boos, the old Miller still enjoyed the relaxing moment before the game.

As usual, after receiving the massage, Miller practiced his mid- and long-range shooting accompanied by the trainer.

Even in a stadium filled with opposing fans at the Palace of Auburn Hills, Miller's shooting percentage was respectable.

Made 50 three-pointers and scored 41. He took 30 free throws and scored 29.

Although he is already an out-and-out veteran, and although it is Artest and O'Neal who are really carrying the Pacers forward now, Miller has never relaxed his demands on himself.

He strives to adjust himself to the best condition to cope with various emergencies.

He never wants anything like what happened in Game 2 of the series to happen again.

After the warm-up, there were more and more fans in the stands, and reporters began to pour into the stadium one after another.

An ESPN reporter found Miller, obviously hoping to invite this team spirit figure for a pre-game interview.

Miller nodded and reminded reporters: "Hurry up."

"Reggie, you shot a lot of three-pointers before the game. Does that mean you hope you can maintain a good touch when taking the last shot?"

The first question is very common.

Miller was not nervous, he was content.

“What I care about is whether the competition I participate in meets the standard I expect, and that is the key to my satisfaction.

I don't really care about getting the last shot in the game. I don't want to have a Miller moment all the time.

I have been working hard in the league for many years, and I am used to looking at the outcome of games with a cold eye. Therefore, I worked hard to warm up before the game, just to have a clear conscience during the game. "

"Really? If you said that, why did you get so angry that you kicked the ball into the audience after the second game of the series?"

Reporters exposed Miller's lies mercilessly.

Look at winning and losing with a cold eye? You may say that others are similar, but you, Miller, definitely don’t have this kind of personality.

Miller's originally untroubled face showed subtle changes. He frowned, then looked up at the basket.

Game 2 of the series, why are you so angry?

He began to recall the events of that night.

At that time, the game ended with 98 seconds left, and the Pacers trailed the Pistons by 6 points.

No one on the Pacers was successful at the critical moment, and Miller had to take action in the end.

He stepped up and scored 4 points in a row, narrowing the difference to 2 points in the last 46 seconds.

At this time, Miller is feeling hot, and everyone hopes that he can make Miller reappear at all times and allow the Pacers to go to Detroit with a 2-0 total score.

However, in the next key attack that determined the trend of the game, Miller's fast break layup was chased by Tayshaun Prince who appeared out of nowhere.

The miracle ended here. This risk made Prince popular across the United States and directly shattered the Pacers' confidence.

In the end, the Pistons won this dramatic game 72-67 on the road.

After the game, Miller kicked the game ball away, seemingly venting his frustration.

If he could be a little faster and two or three years younger, maybe he wouldn't be covered?

But there are no maybes and ifs on the basketball court, so Miller can only vent his anger by playing football.

As a result, he was fined $5,000 by the league.

Thinking of everything that happened that day, Miller's expression became even more uneasy.

Yes, if you don’t care about victory, you are telling outsiders

"Do you want to know why? Because the championship is a dream I have been pursuing for many years!" After Miller finished speaking, he turned around and left, ending the interview.

His lie was self-evident.

When a man who is nearly 40 years old says the word "dream".

You know how dedicated he is to this.

Today is June 1st, Children's Day.

At the same time, it is also the day when Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals begins.

The previous regular season No. 1 Indiana Pacers will usher in their life and death battle at the Palace Stadium of Auburn Hills.

That's right, a battle of life and death.

Because at this time, the total score of the series became 3-2, and the Pistons got the match point.

This "grassroots team" that was not optimistic before only needs to win one more game to reach the finals.

Their grassroots myth is really a bit like this year's NCAA championship Cowboys.

At the same time, this also means that if the Pacers, the league's number one loser, lose another game, they will pack up and leave.

Miller tried to compose himself before the game, so he deliberately looked nonchalant.

But the reporter's questions made him a little impatient now.

Championship, championship, his championship dream has become in jeopardy again.

After the game started, the two sides fell into physical combat as always.

This round of the series was played very roughly and savagely, and the score was not high because both sides paid great attention to defense.

The key to victory for both sides is to find ways to make the other party less efficient than themselves.

This style of play is very different from the style that pursued high efficiency ten years later.

Such a rough game can easily cause friction between players on both sides.

Only five minutes into the game, Artest and Ben were already locked in a fight.

A minute later, Tianzun and O'Neal had a physical collision under the basket that was beyond the scope of the game.

The game was very bloody, and both sides were almost on the verge of losing control.

Scenes of people falling on their backs and tough physical confrontations filled the court, which had nothing to do with the "beautiful basketball" and "gentleman basketball" in Stern's fantasy.

However, this "ugly" game made all the fans excited.

The real battle is nothing more than this.

The game went on like this, with neither side able to open up the score.

When Wayne and Tony Allen finished training and rushed back to their residence to turn on the TV, the score had reached 63 to 67, with the Pistons leading by 4 points.

If it were in 2020, Wayne would definitely feel like the game had just begun in the third quarter when he saw this score.

But at this time, the game has reached the last 1 minute and 03 seconds.

"I'm going, I'm so anxious. Wayne, who do you bet on will win this series? Whoever loses, who will get up and make breakfast tomorrow morning!" Tony Allen geared up and started setting up the betting table.

"If the Pistons win, I'll bet with you for three days. If I lose, I'll make breakfast for three days."

"The Pistons? They may be leading in the total score now, but the Pacers are No. 1 in the league! Moreover, the Pistons have no championship potential, do you really think they will become the Eastern Conference champion?"

"Well, I'll bet on the Pistons anyway." Wayne shrugged. This kind of game has no suspense for him.

If possible, if he gambles with Tony again in the finals, it is estimated that Wayne will not have to make breakfast by himself before the draft begins.

Of course, good brothers are here to trick you!

At this time, O'Neal Jr. received the basketball in the low post, turned over and shot a jumper.

However, this key shot was struck due to interference from Roaring Heavenly Lord.

Don't look at Tianzun being embarrassed when he mentions Wayne, but his hard power is indeed strong enough.

O'Neal's shooting percentage today is very bad, almost over 40%, thanks to the gift of God.

To be precise, throughout the entire series, the guy who ranks third in the MVP rankings performed very well.

Some media have begun to call O'Neal Jr. a "regular season superstar and playoff baby."

"What are you doing? We have to seize the opportunity! Fuck!" Artest yelled at O'Neal, even saying the word starting with F.

It's no secret that O'Neal does not have a stable scoring method at critical moments.

"Don't yell at me, retreat quickly!" O'Neal was also angry. His relationship with Artest was not as good as people thought.

It would be difficult for a guy like Artest, who is full of thorns and full of aggression, and a tough guy like O'Neal to get together.

If it weren't for Miller's pressure in the locker room, if it weren't for the Pacers' excellent record this year that concealed many conflicts, these two guys would have exploded long ago.

Fortunately, Prince's mid-range shot on the Pistons' side also hit the mark, preventing the score from being further extended.

The point difference is still 4 points, but the time left for the Pacers is getting less and less.

This time, Artest decided to stand up and carry the offensive banner for O'Neal. He did not trust O'Neal's performance at critical moments.

But how good is he himself? He is not a particularly stable scoring point, and it is even less effective at critical moments.

"Artest also missed a three-pointer. Oh my God, will the league's No. 1 team be eliminated because of this? They are just one step away from the finals!"

The commentator looked at the time. The Pacers almost missed their best chance.

Miller sighed. This game reminded him of those experiences in the regular season.

What he worried about most happened.

At critical moments, this team does not have a stable scoring point.

No one can confidently slap their chest and say, "Leave the ball to me and I'll take care of it."

O'Neal can't do it, and Artest can't do it even more.

Miller didn't care much about losing in the regular season because of this.

He lost the second game of the series because of this, and he was able to tell himself that he still had a chance.

But if we lose again today

"Damn it!" Miller also cursed secretly. In the end, will he still have to rely on himself who is nearly forty years old?

But this time, the Pistons gave the Pacers no chance to struggle.

Billups used an elusive ground pass to assist Ben to dunk under the basket!

O'Neal's attention was attracted by Billups, and the basket was left empty.

After the dunk, Ben didn't forget to yell at Artest.

Artest gritted his teeth. If the big guy wasn't more intimidating than him, he would have to teach the afro a lesson.

It’s not the fear of being fined or suspended, the key is the fear of not being able to beat!

"There were 11 seconds left on the clock and the Pacers were 6 points behind. Coach Carlisle stopped the game. They were only a hair away from hell!"

Pistons fans cheered at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

Of course, the way they cheer is different from fans in other cities.

At this time, the Pacers players sitting on the bench had to endure the curse words spouted by the fans behind them while listening to Carlisle's tactics.

"Harrington, help Miller block Hamilton. Jermaine, try to contain Ben in the paint so that he can't do anything. Reggie, take this shot!"

Miller looked at Carlisle and nodded silently.

A team competing for the championship can only rely on a nearly 40-year-old veteran for key goals.

How sad this is.

But does Carlisle have a choice? He had no choice.

His team can defend key goals, but they may not be able to score key goals.

In the end, Miller, whose physical energy was nearly exhausted, did not make the life-or-death shot.

He is no longer the Miller who scored 8 points in 9 seconds, who pushed away the "God" to complete the buzzer-beater, or who grabbed Spike Lee's neck with both hands.

He is almost 40 years old, and this burden should have been shouldered by others.

but

"Hit your ass!" Bird turned off the TV and smashed the remote control.

Beside him, team general manager Donnie Walsh remained silent.

The general manager's office was silent for a long time, until the Indiana basketball legend stood up.

4-2, the Detroit Pistons defeated the league's number one Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals.

All their efforts for a year were in vain.

"Larry"

"Stop talking, you've seen it, we are still one breath away from the championship!" Bird interrupted forcefully before Walsh could finish.

"how do you want to do it?"

"Reinforce!"

"Who to reinforce?"

"The people we need."

"Even if it's reinforcements from the damn draft?" Walsh also became serious. He knew what Bird wanted to do.

Walsh also affirmed that Bird knew that he had always been unfavorable to Wayne.

Bird didn't answer, but walked out of the office.

Walsh also cursed angrily.

From O'Neal to Artest, from Bird to Walsh

When the Pacers experienced defeat, this 60-win team was nowhere near as solid as people thought.

Thanks to Silly Chongzi and Datang Tiejun for the reward ~ Sincere thanks! I didn’t expect that the ticket price would exceed 60,000 so quickly. Yes, I’ll add another 3,000. Now the price of adding more characters on the day it is put on the shelves is 6.9W, so the only thing I can get is the code characters.