Sports Medicine Master System

June 3rd.

Amidst a whirlwind of anticipation, the NBA Finals officially began.

Teresa’s surgery was a success.

So, after the operation, Chen Yu didn’t stay long in Cleveland, returning to Phoenix at the first opportunity.

The entire city of Phoenix was brimming with a festive atmosphere, with promotional posters for a three-peat visible everywhere.

From the fans to the media, and even the Phoenix Suns themselves, everyone felt that after getting past the Spurs, the championship was in the bag.

But Game 1 of the series, like a sudden evening thunderstorm, saw clear skies abruptly turn dark.

CLANK! O’Neal was contested, the ball slipped from his grasp, and his powerful dunk attempt slammed into empty air.

The moment he landed, he started slapping his wrist and complaining to the head referee that Da Ben had hit his hand.

The white-haired Dick Bavetta paid him no mind, keeping the whistle in his mouth and signaling for the inbound pass.

O’Neal’s face was a mask of frustration as McDyess pulled him away.

McDyess inbounded the ball. He wanted to get it to Hardaway, but Billups was on him like a hound, giving him no space to receive the pass.

Miller caught the ball, pulled up, and shot.

Hamilton was even tighter on him than Billups, practically glued to Miller’s body.

CLANK! Another missed shot.

Miller’s shooting touch was cold in this game.

From his familiar spot on the bench, Chen Yu glanced up at the game clock.

1:27 left in the third quarter.

But the score was only 62-56, with the Pistons leading by 6.

The score itself was the key issue.

They had already played three quarters, yet the Suns had barely cleared fifty points.

It was almost unimaginable.

The team known as the "Five-star Phoenix Suns" averaged 104.1 points per game in the regular season, second in the entire league, behind only the Mavericks, who had an explosive offense but porous defense.

Even in the playoffs, the Suns still averaged a whopping 95.6 points per game.

With O’Neal, Hardaway, and a host of other stars, the Suns’ offensive firepower should have been ferocious.

But today, under the Pistons’ suffocating defense, the Suns’ offense had completely stalled.

"We’re not actually going to lose, are we?" Brian, sitting beside him, started muttering. "It’s Game 1 of the series, and a home game at that. Aren’t we supposed to get off to a flying start?"

Chen Yu sighed. He wanted to say that they probably wouldn’t, but he swallowed the words before they could escape.

It was clear now: the Pistons had emerged from the East on the back of their defense.

Having watched most of the game, Chen Yu had a good grasp of their defensive strategy.

’You could say they’ve maxed out their stats in defense.’

It was primarily man-to-man coverage.

Because all five of their players had elite one-on-one defensive skills.

But it wasn’t just man-to-man. They also mixed in some zone principles, and on top of that, incorporated a strategy of using one player to press high and delay the ball handler while the other four stayed back.

Inside, the two Wallaces took turns defending O’Neal, first working hard to keep him away from the basket. The moment O’Neal entered his sweet spot, they immediately double-teamed him.

On the perimeter, their philosophy was to prevent the shot but not the drive, forcing the Suns to go inside.

Da Ben’s help defense was truly world-class.

’Thinking back, this defensive strategy must be related to how the Pistons contained Hill and Tracy McGrady when they played the Magic.’

Both of them had the ability to drive to the basket, but once they got inside, they were still contained.

However, even though the Pistons had maxed out their defensive stats, Chen Yu still believed that wasn’t the main reason for the Suns’ offensive collapse.

The main reason was the Suns’ own issues.

They’d had a couple of extra days off, and it had made them rusty.

Furthermore, they hadn’t studied the Pistons well enough. They never expected their defense to be so tenacious, and it had caught the Suns completely off guard.

After beating the Spurs, the Suns had felt invincible for too long. They hadn’t taken the Pistons seriously. They had underestimated their opponent.

After a moment of thought, Chen Yu said, "Actually, if we really do lose today, it might be a good thing."

"Huh?"

Brian froze, looking at Chen Yu in confusion. ’Losing? A good thing?’

"What, are we not allowed to lose?" Chen Yu asked with a smile.

Seeing Brian remain silent, Chen Yu continued, "You need to think about the team’s current situation. It feels like from the very start of the season, everyone from top to bottom has had the mentality that we’ve already won the three-peat.

"The players have been slacking off in practice, their minds aren’t fully on the game, and the coaching staff has been resting on its laurels, not pushing for more."

Honestly, Chen Yu really missed how it was during the Suns’ first championship run. Everyone had been united as one, fighting with all their might, and they had created an unbelievable miracle.

Brian stared blankly at Chen Yu.

’From top to bottom... who does "top" refer to?’

’You’re calling me out, aren’t you?’

His eyes darted around, and Brian gave an awkward laugh. "I didn’t say we couldn’t lose. We’re not invincible, after all. It’s just... it’s the Finals. I’m just really worried, you know? The three-peat. Besides, I’ve already designed the Championship Rings. This year’s design is fantastic. You haven’t seen it yet, have you? I’ll show you later."

Chen Yu silently rolled his eyes. ’Great,’ he thought. ’That was a complete waste of breath.’

Just as they spoke, the third quarter ended.

Chen Yu glanced at the opposing bench. Da Ben had a fierce expression as he high-fived his teammates, and every player’s face was lit up with excitement. They were encouraging each other, praising their teammates’ effort.

Larry Brown immediately pulled his players into a huddle, intensely discussing the issues that had come up during the game.

That atmosphere was strikingly similar to the Suns during their first championship run.

Those guys had truly forged themselves into a single fist, completely united from top to bottom.

In contrast, the atmosphere on the Suns’ bench was much more somber.

One by one, they sat in silence, listening as Skiles laid out the plan for the fourth quarter.