Five Hundred and Seventy-Seven: Not as Smooth as It Seems

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Zach! we won! Damn, what are you doing! ? We fucking won! "Link thought Randolph would give himself a big bear hug.

However, the unruly "social man" was unexpectedly calm at this time.

"Damn it, the wind was so strong that the sand got into my eyes." Randolph said, flicking the corners of his eyes.

"Fuck, don't be so rude if you don't have culture, this is an indoor court, where does the wind come from!" Although Link scolded, he went up and patted Randolph on the shoulder.

Link can probably understand the mood of the big black bear.

When he was most helpless and lonely, it was the Grizzlies who took him in. At that time, Randolph's only thought was to play well in the Grizzlies and lead the team to create its own glory.

He's an All-Star here, a poster child for the prodigal son. However, where is brilliance so well created? The Grizzlies' record is still tepid.

Until Link arrives.

In the first year, they went from eighth to fifth for the first time, and finally advanced to the Western Conference finals.

Last year, they were already a recognized powerhouse in the West. Any team that meets the Grizzlies, wins or loses, has to shed a layer of skin.

But last season, the Grizzlies once again stopped in the Western Conference finals. Moreover, Randolph's unhealthy knee also gave him his worst season since the first two rookie seasons of his career.

This year, the team faces a big change. The boss changed, the coaching staff changed, and the core was established as Link. And Randolph's knee, after a summer of training, also seems to be new.

They devastated opponents in the regular season, with Randolph scoring one double-double after another. In the playoffs, facing Griffin and others who were younger and stronger than him, Randolph did not back down.

What is he for? It stands to reason that players like him should have been abandoned long ago.

He has done so much for the original purpose of making the Grizzlies better.

Now, with the sudden success of Randolph's persistence for so many years, the emotions of the big black bear are naturally very complicated.

"Good job, Link, good job. We are the Western Champions, damn, I even feel a little unbelievable." After a long time, Randolph finally showed his first smile after winning the game.

"Look at you, that's all! The Western Championship is just a stepping stone. We are going to win the O'Brien Cup this year!" After Link finished speaking, he winked at a few people around him.

Afterwards, everyone swarmed up, stunned to lift Randolph's "Roshan" up.

Although the championship pennant will not be raised until next season's opener, Randolph, sitting on the shoulders of his teammates, still pointed to the dome of the FedEx Arena.

Soon, there will be no more empty space there!

After the carnival, the Grizzlies players were on the temporary podium, ready to lift the first Western Championship trophy in team history!

The award ceremony for the division champion actually does not need an award ceremony at all. Some teams have hastily awarded awards at the press conference.

But since this is the first time the Grizzlies have won such an honor, it's quite official.

Finally, new Grizzlies owner Robert Pera took the round Western Championship trophy from NBA officials and held it above his head.

This time last year, he was still debating whether to get the Grizzlies. But now, just a year later, he's the first championship owner in Grizzlies history!

After the award ceremony, everyone happily returned to the locker room.

Since there is still the finals to be played, it is definitely not possible to play champagne today. So in the locker room, the Grizzlies had their "traditional" splashdown.

After the trouble, the locker room was in a mess, and reporters were able to enter the venue for interviews.

Link picked up the Western Championship trophy and took a group photo under the lens of many media.

At the press conference, one of the most frequently asked questions by reporters is naturally, "After trying for two years, how does it feel to finally reach the top of the west this time?"

Although Link was very excited when he celebrated,

But now, the mood has calmed down. With just a faint smile on his face, he slowly moved closer to the microphone.

"I'm very happy, but my teammates and I both know that this is not the end. The Western Championship is not enough for us. The championship is our ultimate goal! Whether it's the Pacers or the Miami Heat, let's go!"

Link bluntly disclosed his goal to the public. There is no way to hide it. Is there a team entering the finals for the sake of losing?

Wearing the No. 0 jersey and holding the O'Brien Cup over his head, this image has been repeated countless times in Link's mind, and he is bound to make it a reality!

※※※

The Western Conference finals were decided in five games, which surprised most people.

At 4-0, 4-0, 4-1, the Grizzlies' road to the Finals was incredibly strong.

The day after the series ended, Link was already being compared to James.

The figure of 34.2 appeared in the headlines of major sports media.

Many people may not believe it, but this is Link's average points per game in 5 games of the Western Conference finals!

Link's 50 points allowed him to pull up his scoring average very high. 34.2 points, which undoubtedly greatly exceeded Link's scoring performance in the regular season.

Link is one of those rare players who has played better in the playoffs than the regular season.

And James and his Miami Heat are fighting hard with Paul George's Pacers.

The performance of the two teams in the division finals is indeed a huge gap.

The Grizzlies have played smoothly in the playoffs so far, and they seem to be on the verge of topping the Big Three.

No, whether the Heat can still play in the finals now has a big question mark. The pace of the Pacers has already exceeded everyone's expectations.

If nothing else, the Grizzlies have many more days off than the Heat this time around.

It looks like the Grizzlies are going well. But just after winning the Western Conference championship, the Grizzlies ushered in bad news.

"Andre can't participate in training? What do you mean?" The day after winning the Western Conference championship, Link was a little surprised when he learned from Joger that Iguodala would miss training for a few days.

Isn't that just a slight sprain? Why can't I even participate in training now?

"Andre's injury is more serious than expected. These days he has to walk with a pestle, let alone play basketball."

"Damn, damn Ibaka...I have to pull my back when I'm dying...So, can Andre make it to the finals?" Link didn't worry too much about the past. , because the past cannot be changed no matter how tangled it is.

There's no way I'm going to call Ibaka to Memphis for a fight.

Now Link is most concerned about whether the game after Iguodala will be affected. The finals were just around the corner, and Link didn't want to make mistakes at this time.

On the other end of the phone, Dave Jogel was silent for a long time.

"In the meeting this morning, I got so much information. I also said that Andre's injury is serious. So ... whether he can play in the finals depends on when the Eastern Conference finals are over. . The doctor said that Andrei will at least rest for a while."

After hearing this, Link covered his forehead, and it didn't take long for him to be happy, but troubles came.

The road to victory has never been smooth sailing.