Sports Medicine Master System

After a moment of reflection, Popovich followed Callesimo toward the locker room.

"By the way, Greg, I just ran into Buford. He told me something." Callesimo’s tone grew serious. "A reporter broke a story that after the Mavericks’ game yesterday, seven of their main players took a private jet to Phoenix to get body maintenance from Chen Yu."

"Huh?"

Popovich stopped in his tracks and blinked hard. For a moment, his brain tied itself in a knot, unable to process it.

’The Mavericks fly to Minnesota for an away game, but after the game, they fly to Phoenix? What kind of move is that?’

Callesimo said, "The reporter broke it down. It’s totally doable. Think about it: they take a private jet this morning, and in just over two hours, they’re in Phoenix. They can get to Chen Yu’s clinic by noon. After their maintenance, they rest for a day in Phoenix and take a private jet back to Minnesota tomorrow morning."

"For the Mavericks, it’s basically like playing a back-to-back. And it’s a back-to-back played after being treated by Chen Yu, so they’re in great physical condition."

"They miss out on a chance to practice together and adjust tactics, but this is the playoffs. It’s more about in-game reactions, so the impact isn’t that significant."

Before a series even starts, you’ve already studied your opponent thoroughly and prepared your tactics. You don’t need to make huge adjustments during the series; it’s more about adapting on the fly.

Popovich’s jaw dropped. A single thought buzzed in his mind, ’You can actually do that?’

’I was the one who first came up with the move of running my starters into the ground during away games in Phoenix and then taking them to Chen Yu for maintenance.’

Back then, Popovich had even schemed it out. If they faced the Suns in the playoffs, during the two away games and the travel days, he could even fly back to Phoenix with the Suns to get his players to Chen Yu for maintenance as fast as possible.

He had even considered chartering a plane just to save money.

But as it turned out, that mad scientist Old Nelson was even more ruthless. He was playing an away game in a different city, and he still managed to squeeze in a trip to Phoenix to tune up his players in the middle of a two-games-in-three-days schedule.

"Greg, what the Mavericks are doing... how is it any different from last year? I think the league might step in and impose some restrictions again. After all, it still feels unfair."

Running your starters into the ground without fear of exhaustion and strain—that itself is unfair. If everyone could do this, you wouldn’t even need bench players. You could get by with just five starters.

As he was speaking, Popovich suddenly broke into a brisk walk.

"Greg, where are you going?" Callesimo asked, taken aback.

Without turning back, Popovich said, "I’m going to find Pete and arrange for a plane."

Popovich no longer cared how Old Nelson had thought of such a slick move. The fact was, he had done it, and it clearly worked.

’So why should you be able to do it and not me?’

’Minnesota is two thousand kilometers from Phoenix. San Antonio is only thirteen hundred kilometers away, for crying out loud. We can be there in two hours by plane.’

Knowing Duncan was the absolute core of the Spurs, Hubie Brown had targeted him relentlessly.

Lorenzen Wright and Gasol worked together, constantly double-teaming Duncan.

His players were rough, too. While fighting for rebounds and boxing out, Duncan took an elbow to the ribs, had his arms yanked constantly, and was covered in scratch marks.

And on a layup, Mike Miller even kneed him in the upper thigh, almost hitting a critical spot.

For a core player like Duncan, every game meant not only playing heavy minutes and carrying the load on offense and playmaking, but also inevitably receiving special "attention" from the opposition.

It was no exaggeration to say he was black and blue after a game.

Under these circumstances, having a method to quickly alleviate muscle fatigue, repair physical damage, and restore game-ready condition was practically no different from cheating.

So, before the league could act, before they closed this loophole, Popovich had to be the first to use it.

Every game he could use it was a win. After this last game, Popovich truly felt the Grizzlies were no pushovers.

The Spurs’ owner might be cheap, but he was willing to spend this kind of money.

The next day, just like the Mavericks, eight of the Spurs’ main players arrived at the airport early in the morning.

Parker was the last to arrive, yawning.

Without giving him a chance to explain, Popovich hurried everyone to the tarmac.

But as they approached the tarmac, a "Fuck" escaped Popovich’s lips.

About two hundred meters away, on another runway, a tall Gasol was shouldering his bag, about to board a plane.

At the bottom of the airstairs, Hubie Brown was giving instructions to an assistant coach when he looked up and spotted Popovich’s group.

Their eyes met, and a strange atmosphere enveloped the two of them.

"Fuck."

Popovich swore again and walked toward him.

"You guys get the news too?" Popovich asked with a smile.

Hubie Brown nodded, not without some awkwardness. "All I can say is, that’s Don for you. This is exactly the kind of thing he would pull."

An awkward silence followed. After a full ten seconds, Popovich said, "Actually, if we both go, it just puts us back on the same starting line."

If everyone gets their bodies maintained and their condition reset, it’s the same as if no one did.

Hubie Brown chuckled, but inwardly he was cursing. ’What, you were hoping to be the only one to get treatment and catch me off guard, weren’t you?’

"The players are exhausted. It’s better to get them tuned up," Hubie Brown said with a laugh.

Popovich didn’t say anything. Convincing the Grizzlies not to go was obviously unrealistic.

"If I’d known, we could have just chartered one plane together. Would’ve saved money," Popovich chuckled again.

"Yeah."

Hubie Brown also chuckled, still cursing silently.

"See you in Phoenix, then."

Popovich waved and turned to board his plane.

The two planes took off one after the other, soaring into the sky.

Two hours later, the planes arrived in Phoenix.

Each team had already arranged for a bus, so they set off for Chen Yu’s clinic at the same time.

When they arrived, the clinic’s main door was still shut tight, but a large crowd of reporters had gathered outside the iron gate.

Seeing two buses arrive one after the other, the assembled reporters already had a good idea who it was.

"I’ll bet you it’s the Spurs and the Grizzlies."

"Of course. San Antonio is closer to here. The Mavericks already came, so there’s no reason the Spurs wouldn’t."

"This is insane. Who would have thought the playoffs would turn into this?"

"Now I’m just wondering if the Eastern Conference teams will show up."

"Yeah, besides the Celtics and the Knicks, who are just too far, teams like the Pacers, Pistons, and Magic could actually fly over. Three thousand kilometers is only three or four hours by plane. They have enough time."

"Even flying from New York is only four hours. It’s not impossible."

As the bus pulled into the parking lot, Popovich’s gaze sharpened. He saw another bus already parked there.

"Mike, I bet you that’s the Lakers’ bus," Popovich said, pointing at the bus. He then urged Budenholzer to go find out.

Budenholzer returned quickly, nodding with a wry smile. "You’re right, it’s the Lakers. They came on the same flight as the Kings. They got here almost an hour before us."

The corner of Popovich’s eye twitched violently.

’Ruthless. It’s one thing to come, but they chartered a flight together? They might as well just play their series here at the US Airways Center.’