NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 560 Advancing to the Finals for the Second Consecutive Year

As it turned out, having Art Mayork respond to Harrell's complaints was highly effective. Mayork, a regular rotation player last season, had fallen out of the rotation this season, only getting playing time in a few games. Instead of giving up or complaining about the team, coaching staff, or teammates, he became part of the bench's "atmosphere-building" team, waving towels, handing out water, clapping—doing everything except play.

There's been a prevailing opinion that Art Mayork's long-term contract with the Clippers and his place in the rotation on this championship contender was all thanks to his relationship with Jia Fei. But now that he's fallen out of the rotation, he's still working hard and contributing to the team in other ways, so it's no longer fair to say he's just a nepotism hire.

Compared to Harrell, Harrell seems rather narrow-minded.

In the discussions outside, most people sided with the team, rarely with Harrell. Harrell wasn't benched; he simply underperformed. Whose fault is that? In the previous series, starting with Game 2, the Lou Williams and Harrell duo was relentlessly targeted by the opposing team. If it weren't for Jia Fei's 50-point outburst in Game 2, the Clippers might have lost much earlier. In Game 3, the two continued to be dominated, and the Clippers were crushed by the Rockets, losing by 23 points! Keep in mind that since the start of last year's playoffs, the Clippers have never lost a game by that many points. The Lou Williams and Harrell duo's plus-minus was a dismal -33; they were completely outmatched on the court, offering no resistance whatsoever.

It was precisely because the Clippers abandoned this pick-and-roll combination in Game 4 of the series that they were able to defeat the Rockets.

So it's not that the Clippers didn't give them opportunities; it's that the Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell duo simply didn't perform well. Whose fault is it if you're bad?

So ultimately, the food itself is the original sin!

Why is no one talking about Jia Fei? Because he's really good! Would the Clippers dare not let him play?

Furthermore, the Clippers' decisive victory over the Warriors without Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell demonstrates that there's no problem with not using them. Under these circumstances, Harrell's comments naturally garnered little support.

Harrell's supporters are mostly haters of Jia Fei and the Clippers, along with some imposters. These people don't genuinely support Harrell; they're simply using him as a tool to criticize Jia Fei.

Harrell thought that by venting to the media, he could put pressure on the coaching staff, but instead he was criticized for being selfish and lacking team spirit, making him feel like he had shot himself in the foot.

Lou Williams was much more experienced in this regard. He was also unhappy that the team had rejected him, but he wouldn't reveal his emotions to reporters. So only Harrell was criticized, not him.

May 16, Western Conference Finals Game 2.

The Warriors, who were dominated by Jia Fei in the last game, did not change their lineup in this game, but they adjusted their defensive strategy, focusing on defending Jia Fei, limiting him from receiving the ball, and double-teaming him when he did receive the ball.

However, the other Clippers players had a good shooting night, hitting 20 three-pointers throughout the game. Thanks to Jia Fei's double-teaming, they were able to dominate and ultimately defeat the Warriors.

贾飞全场贡献28分10个篮板17次助攻3个抢断1个盖帽的三双！17次助攻还刷新了他NBA季后赛单场助攻新纪录（之前最高是15次）。

The Clippers have won another game, bringing the series score to 2-0!

The situation is very bad for the Warriors. They've tried both one-on-one defense and double-teaming Jia Fei, but both attempts failed. Compared to two years ago, Jia Fei now has teammates; he's no longer fighting alone. And Budenholzer isn't like Doc Rivers; he's adaptable and doesn't cling to the outdated notion of starting a center. He adjusts the lineup based on the opponent's situation.

The Clippers have won two straight games, and outside predictions suggest their chances of advancing to the NBA Finals are over 80%. The Warriors look even more vulnerable than last season, and Jia Fei's playoff performance this season shows he's even more ruthless than last season. He's already so strong, yet he's still evolving, which is simply astonishing.

In Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals, Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell still didn't get a chance to play, and it's practically a foregone conclusion that they'll be benched and eliminated until the end of the Western Conference Finals.

May 18th, Western Conference Finals Game 5!

Neither side made any lineup changes, making this game a decisive one for the Warriors. A loss would mean falling behind 0-3 in the series, essentially sealing their fate; a win would offer a chance to fight back, perhaps even turning a small mistake into a huge victory.

At the start of the game, the Warriors were in high spirits, playing aggressively with everyone contributing. Jia Fei wasn't double-teamed, but the other players were tightly guarded.

In this situation, the Clippers also increased their intensity to match the opponent, but they committed too many fouls. Beverley only played for less than 5 minutes before committing two fouls and being replaced by Bridges.

The Clippers began to make substitutions, maintaining their intensity. Jia Fei steadily scored with his abilities, helping the team maintain the point difference.

In the second half, Durant suddenly left the game due to injury, which became a turning point in the game.

The Warriors panicked, and the Clippers seized the opportunity to catch up and take the lead in the final quarter.

Ultimately, thanks to Jia Fei's individual ability, the Clippers reversed the Warriors' lead on the road and won Game 3.

With this, the Clippers now lead the Warriors 3-0, just one step away from advancing to the NBA Finals for the second consecutive year.

Warriors fans' faith has crumbled, and with Durant's injury status unknown, the team's season is essentially over.

Two days after Game 3, the Warriors officially updated Durant's injury status. An MRI revealed a torn Achilles tendon, meaning he will miss Game 4. This essentially means he's out for the rest of the season…

With Durant out for the season, the Warriors' chances of making history after trailing 0-3 are even lower than the chances of you marrying Liu Yifei.

Jia Fei remembered that Durant had ruptured his Achilles tendon this season in his previous life. This time it was a tear, which was slightly better, but the rest period would still be considerable.

May 20th, Western Conference Finals Game 5!

With Durant out, the Warriors were completely outmatched by the Clippers. Although the Splash Brothers hit 10 three-pointers, they still couldn't stop the Clippers.

The Clippers ultimately won another game on the road, sweeping the Warriors 4-0 in the series and advancing to the NBA Finals for the second consecutive year!

The Clippers have fought their way through the formidable Western Conference for two consecutive years, and now few people are paying attention to the situation in the Eastern Conference, because everyone believes that neither the Bucks nor the Raptors can stop the Clippers from defending their title.

The Bucks' head coach is Doc Rivers, and the Raptors' leader is Silence. These two are already at a disadvantage in terms of momentum when facing Jia Fei. How can they win this battle?