One Thousand Three Hundred and Twenty Three: Anxious Genius

There was a two-day break between the regular season and the playoffs. Link took one day to go to Oklahoma and hurried back to Memphis the next day to prepare for the playoffs.

Instead of feeling tired now, Link was very excited.

Because the summer he had been waiting for had finally arrived.

This is his last chance to win the championship and the last step to surpass Michael Jordan.

Four consecutive championships, a feat that has never been achieved in 85 years.

Seven championship rings, throughout the history of modern basketball, can only be owned by Robert Horry, a great role player who looks more and more like a super giant at the end of the game.

In the regular season, Link has left Jordan behind.

This playoffs will be the last step for Link to achieve his goal!

After the Grizzlies' dynasty lineup disbanded last year, many people were not optimistic about the Grizzlies' prospects this season.

Experts previously believed that the competition in the West was too great and it would be difficult for the Grizzlies to easily break out of the encirclement.

But looking at it now, everything seems to be no different from previous years.

The Grizzlies' opponent in the first round is the Dallas Mavericks, who have performed surprisingly well this season but are not strong enough.

The Mavericks' stars Doncic and Porzingis are both playing in the playoffs for the first time. They have no idea about playoff-level confrontation.

Under such circumstances, when encountering an "old player" like the Grizzlies, the probability that the Mavericks can perform a black eight miracle is very low.

Therefore, most people believe that the Mavericks are unlikely to be the Grizzlies' terminator.

If the Grizzlies advance from the first round, their opponent in the conference semifinals will be the winner between the Jazz and Thunder.

The Utah Jazz have the twin stars of Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. In the middle of the season, they also acquired powerful combo guard Jordan Clarkson from the Cavaliers to fill their vacancy at the first position. The lineup is not bad.

But the Jazz still lack a very dominant star, a star who can end the game at critical moments. Mitchell is just a rookie, and his performance in the playoffs last season was almost like a rollover, shooting less than 35% from the field.

Rudy Gobert's defense is indeed strong.

But the biggest shortcoming of this defensive center is that he cannot contribute points at critical moments.

On the other side, the Oklahoma City Thunder are definitely one of the most surprising teams this season.

Chris Paul brought a group of "leftovers" and led the Thunder into the playoffs, which was about to fail.

The Thunder have a steady metronome in Paul, but judging from Paul's performance in the playoffs last season, the former league's number one point guard was indeed showing signs of fatigue.

At his peak, he could not lead the Clippers to kill the Grizzlies. Now that he is in his twilight years, he is unlikely to pose a threat to the Grizzlies.

So, everything seems to be no different from before.

The Grizzlies still won't encounter any trouble in the first two rounds of the playoffs. Their real challenge will not officially arrive until they meet one of the Clippers or Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.

This season, other teams in the Western Conference are weaker than expected at the beginning of the season, but the Grizzlies are stronger than expected!

There was a lot of support for Link to win the championship, but Link did not take it lightly.

Link was still very serious about preparing for the first day of battle. He is dedicated to his work, just like when he first came to the team ten years ago.

If there is a difference, maybe it is that the person who encouraged everyone on the training ground ten years ago changed from Randolph to Link.

"Work harder, victory is right in front of you. I know this is the most difficult moment, but this is also the moment we are about to reap the rewards!"

"Think about that damn championship ring! Only those who truly persevere to the end deserve it!"

"We're invincible at FedEx Arena. Let's show those young kids in Dallas some color tomorrow."

Link kept shouting in the training hall, stimulating the nerves of his teammates.

Sometimes, being too nervous is not a good thing. But sometimes, being tighter can achieve twice the result with half the effort.

When encountering a strong enemy, everyone is already very nervous, so there is no need to continue to put pressure on teammates.

But when facing an opponent weaker than yourself, it's best to keep everyone on guard.

In this way, there will be a greater probability of preventing rollover.

Link is already familiar with these game rules.

Those 6 championship rings were not taken randomly.

In another training hall, Luka Doncic and his teammates are also actively training.

However, unlike the excitement on the Grizzlies' side, there was a little less excitement and a little more worry in the Mavericks' training ground.

It was Doncic's first time playing in the playoffs, and he had no idea what the playoffs were like.

Although he does not expect to defeat the living legend Link in his first year in the playoffs, it is a rare opportunity to play against a legend in the playoffs. It would be too wasteful if he cannot win a single game. .

So after the training, Doncic got in front of Dirk who came to visit the team.

Nowitzki came to Memphis specifically to participate in the Mavericks' training. Although unlike Duncan, he currently has no plans to join the Mavericks coaching staff.

But as a player who has a deep affection for the Mavericks, he still wants to play a role as a guide in this group of young men's first playoff trip.

"Dirk."

"What? You're not nervous anymore, are you?" Looking at Doncic walking towards him, Nowitzki immediately laughed.

"Um..." Doncic was speechless. Nowitzki was still blind or could see it.

"Actually, I'm a little nervous. What is it like to play in the playoffs with Link? Is he any different from usual?"

"Well..." Nowitzki touched his chin, trying to remember.

Nowitzki seriously played against Link in the playoffs in the first two seasons of Link's career.

For the first time, they defeated the Grizzlies and the Heat to win the championship.

The second time, the Grizzlies got their revenge. Since then, Maverick has also gone downhill.

What was it like playing against Link in the playoffs? Nowitzki's memory is really fuzzy.

He only remembered some memorable moments: No matter how hard the Mavericks fought, Link and the Grizzlies just wouldn't give up! You knock him down time and time again, and he will get back up again and again. Even if their hope of winning is very slim, they will grit their teeth and fight until the end.

That perseverance and craziness are rare in Nowitzki's entire career.

The Grizzly Bear is like a tough guy who can't be beaten to death. His toughness is enough to kill any opponent!

"How do I put it? If you compare Link in the playoffs to a supercar. Then in the regular season, he is at most a grocery cart. Link in the playoffs will not stay. Kill the game quickly with a human face.”

Nowitzki said, glancing at Doncic.

I found that the boy's face was already pale with fright...

Link was already so perverted during the regular season, but he was still just a grocery cart! ?

Don’t fight yet!

"Hahahaha, actually you don't have to worry so much. I think Link likes you quite a lot, and he should be very gentle to you. Enjoy your first suffering journey, Luka. Okay, go back and rest quickly, get ready Let’s have the first game of the playoffs tomorrow.”

After Nowitzki finished speaking, Doncic froze on the spot, unable to even take a step forward.

gentle? Another journey of suffering? Is it really okay for you to comfort me so perfunctorily...

Link is a gentle guy, so it's better to hope that Draymond Green will stop talking trash.

Doncic regretted it, he shouldn't have asked.

It's fine now, and I can't even sleep anymore!

It's really hard to be the eighth in the Western Conference.

At the regular press conference after the afternoon training, a reporter asked Link: "How many games do you think it will take the Grizzlies to defeat the Mavericks?"

Link thought carefully, then slowly approached the microphone: "The Mavericks are a very talented team, and the combination of Doncic and Porzingis has proven their strength. What they lack is just experience. .”

It was a rare occasion for Link to brag about his playoff opponents before the game. Just when reporters thought Link would say something like "I won't predict the score against such an opponent," Link actually said 4 fingers.

"But it's a pity that they met me. I just want this to be over quickly, so get ready, Luca."

After seeing the report, Luka Doncic was on the verge of tears. He worked hard all season just to be abused?

Wouldn’t it be nice for him to pack up and go on vacation now? What are you trying to do with this...

It's so hard.

Luka Doncic stayed up all night. This super genius has never felt so small.

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