Bishop of the Devil

The referee blew the whistle to end the game, and the Pirates won the game with a score of 97:93 at the Nets' home court.

Mourning played for 25 minutes in this game, which was obviously beyond his limit. After he came off the field, he was panting and sweating on his forehead.

Richard felt a little sorry for the veteran, but there was nothing he could do. Now he could only let Mourning support the Pirates' interior defense. Varejao was even worse than Mourning in this regard.

Milicic recorded another triple-double tonight, scoring 25 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, helping the Pirates win a very important victory.

Although Paul's statistics tonight were not very good, with only 19 points, 4 rebounds and 8 assists, his impact is hard to ignore.

He played an important role in the confrontation with Kidd. Kidd was obviously very angry with Paul tonight and was completely out of shape.

When G2 started, it was still the home court of the Nets. The Pirates were not so lucky in this game. Jefferson's powerful three-pointer from the outside defeated the Pirates in three quarters. In the end, the Pirates lost by 17 points.

This was undoubtedly a huge defeat.

But this is the Nets' home court, and Richard won't be able to accept it if they lose.

In the G3 game, Iguodala showed off his power and hit a good hit rate on both long-range and short-range shots, ultimately allowing the Pirates to keep their home court.

In the G4 game, the opponent's Carter broke out again and led the team to victory.

The battle situation became confusing, and now the two sides were tied at 2:2.

The Nets won in G5, the Pirates won in G6, and the confusing situation continued.

The league's other first-round playoff showdowns are all over. Now only the Nets and Buccaneers showdown requires a tiebreaker.

This is also the first time since Richard entered the league that he has led his team to a tiebreaker in the first round...

The main reason is that the Nets' strength is not bad, and they have a trident in the lineup. No matter how bad it is, how bad can it be.

…

There are only three minutes left in the G7 game.

The situation was not good for the Pirates. They were five points behind. In just three minutes, it was quite difficult to recover these five points.

Frank has already taken the initiative to let the Nets players start to slow down, trying to delay the last three minutes.

Time passed minute by minute, and the five-point difference was maintained steadily.

With less than a minute left in the game, the Nets had the ball.

Carter broke through with the ball and was blocked by Iguodala. He passed the ball directly to Jefferson on the outside. The latter made a three-pointer but failed to score.

Mourning under the basket grabbed this crucial rebound!

The moment he grabbed the ball, Mourning passed the ball to Milicic who was not far away from him. They had to race against time to attack and create more offensive rounds before the end of the game.

Milicic passed a long pass to Paul, who quickly controlled the ball and advanced. After reaching the frontcourt, Iguodala received Paul's pass. Facing the half-man and half-god Carter who was returning to defense, the big-hearted Iguodala did not respond. Without fear, he carried Carter's defense and rushed towards the basket like a warrior who was ready to die.

"Dudu!" Iguodala succeeded in picking up the basket, and the referee's whistle came to mind in time.

Called Carter a defensive foul!

Carter was immediately anxious. In such a critical offensive round, the referee actually blew the whistle?

He originally wanted to ask the referee to argue, but his reason told him that he must not be impulsive at this time...

Iguodala went to the free throw line and made a free throw. The score was 2+1. The difference between the two sides was only two points.

…

There were only thirty seconds left in the game, and Richard immediately called a timeout.

"Prevent their offensive round, Andre, if nothing else happens, their offensive round will be handled by Carter. You must guard against it and be careful not to foul." Richard directed at Iguoda Ra said.

Iguodala's statistics in this series are not particularly outstanding. Except for one outburst, the statistics in the remaining games can only be regarded as quite satisfactory.

But Iguodala's role on the defensive end was quite large. Without his efficient defense against Carter, the Pirates would not have been able to survive until the tiebreaker.

Now that it's a critical round, Richard needs Iguodala to step up and continue to defend Carter closely.

"Don't worry, coach, I will make you satisfied." Iguodala said with a smile.

Apart from being a little greedy for money, Brother Yi has nothing wrong with him and has a good personality.

Even being greedy for money is actually not a problem. A gentleman loves money and gets it in a proper way. He doesn't steal or rob, and makes money openly. No one can find fault with it.

…

The timeout ends and both teams return to the court.

Richard's estimate was correct, Frank indeed asked Carter to take charge of this last offensive round.

This is not difficult to guess, and it can be guessed by any other head coach.

The Nets definitely need the Trident to handle this key offensive round.

Kidd is not good at attacking and will definitely be excluded...

Jefferson's ability to hold the ball is poor, far inferior to Carter's.

Let Carter execute this final attack. Even if he is heavily defended, he will be able to distribute the ball at the right time while holding the ball.

…

There were 8 seconds left in the Nets' offensive round, and Carter started to move.

Carter's purpose for this ball is very clear, which is to hit the basket. Even if he doesn't score, as long as he can draw a defensive foul, the Nets will be sure of victory.

Brother No. 1 did not dare to reach out to steal rashly. If he was called for a defensive foul at this moment, he would be the sinner of the team.

Carter had already rushed to the free throw line and jumped directly to prepare for the mid-range shot.

Iguodala didn't expect Carter to give up the breakthrough and take a mid-range shot. It was too late to block the shot.

From such a short distance, Carter's hit rate can be imagined.

The fans at the scene were already opening their mouths and ready to cheer. If the goal was scored, the Nets would lead by four points and it would be basically difficult to lose.

But before they could cheer, Paul and Milicic came out from the side. The two men jumped up at the same time and worked hard to block the shot.

As a result, the ball was touched by Milicic's finger, deflected off the trajectory, hit the backboard, and was grabbed by Mourning under the basket.

Another priceless rebound. Mourning's final performance tonight was perfect. Two life-saving rebounds gave the Pirates hope.

Richard watched Mourning grab the rebound and immediately used the last timeout in his hand.

There are still two points left. If it were left to other head coaches, they might choose the safest two-point tactic and try to drag the game into overtime.

But Richard is different. He has a radical gene in his bones and is ready to deploy a three-point strategy next.

Of course, in addition to Richard's radical personality, he also knew that dragging into overtime would be a complete suicide for the Pirates.

The Pirates' main players, with the exception of Mourning, all played for about 44 minutes tonight. With such a long playing time, the disadvantage is too great if they continue to play overtime.

It's better to decide life and death with this last shot. If you can score a three-pointer, the team will win. If you can't score a three-pointer, just pack up and go fishing.

…

The timeout ended and both teams began to return to the court.

Paul, Granger and Iguodala are running wildly. They are the offensive points of the next attack. Whoever has the opportunity will attack.

In the end, Granger found an opportunity. He faced Jefferson, whose defense could be said to be the worst among the Tridents.

Seeing Granger's three-pointer flying towards the basket, Richard silently prayed that he would hit it.

"DUANG..." The sound of iron strikes made Richard's prayers useless.

Nets fans at the scene cheered.

But at this critical moment, Mourning stepped forward again and grabbed the rebound in Kostic's mind.

Another priceless rebound. Richard is now extremely grateful to have selected Mourning in the expansion draft.

Without Mourning's three rebounds, the Pirates would have been completely out of sorts.

There is still a chance, there are only three seconds left in the game.

Mourning passed the ball to Milicic immediately. Milicic looked at the time and there must be not enough time to pull out and shoot a three-pointer.

The ball was immediately passed to Iguodala, who was running without the ball.

Iguodala's three-point shooting is not particularly good, at least not as good as Paul and Granger.

But now he has no choice but to bite the bullet.

When he saw Iguodala shoot a three-pointer, Richard felt indescribably relieved...

Maybe it was the desperate situation that Brother Yi's words gave Richard.

Because there was too little time to shoot, Brother Yi's three-point shooting posture was already a little distorted and lost all beauty, but Richard was very confident that the ball would definitely be scored.

Sure enough, the ball stumbled on the basket, and finally got into the basket.

…

Richard breathed a sigh of relief. Iguodala's performance at such a critical moment will not disappoint.

After this three-pointer was hit, there was less than one second left in the game, and there was not much time left for the Nets.

Unless a player in their lineup can be possessed by Fisher, they will definitely lose.

Frank's face was ashen, and he had no chance to pause now. This was the most fatal part.

Kostic served from the backcourt, and Carter caught the ball and threw it long, but he didn't even hit the backboard...

"Beep!" The referee blew the whistle to end the game.

The Buccaneers advanced, defeating the winner.

Iguodala's quasi-win at the last moment directly ruined the Nets' hopes of advancing.

After the players came off the court, Richard hugged his players one by one, especially Iguodala. This talented player was praised highly by Richard.

In terms of performance, Iguodala was not the best performer in this series.

But at this critical moment, it was he who saved the Pirates.

Richard couldn't help but feel happy, this was a rare experience.

You must know that Richard has never played in such a difficult first round of the playoffs before.

After passing the first round, Richard relaxed a lot. No matter what the ending is like against the Heat, the Pirates' results this year are considered acceptable.

…

Richard led the players back to the court and shook hands with the Nets generals.

Old Robinson looked at Richard and smiled bitterly.

"Coach, you always surprise people."

"Old man, will you continue playing next year?" Richard patted Robinson on the shoulder and asked with a smile.

"Let's play for one more year. It's only one more year to play. Anyway, I have a championship ring in my hand now..." Robinson is just enjoying the game now and doesn't pursue much about the team's record.

Richard couldn't help but be in awe of this Ironman player. Robinson will be 41 years old next year...

Because apart from winning the championship with Richard, there has never been a highlight moment in his career, so even though the 41-year-old veteran is still fighting on the NBA stage, not many fans pay attention to him.

This is a lonely living fossil level veteran...

"Li, congratulations, you have done another earth-shattering thing." A smile appeared on Frank's lonely face.

"Lawrence, if you have any difficulties, remember to contact me." Richard didn't know how to comfort Frank.

He only knows that Frank's coaching career with the Nets is over. Maybe tomorrow the Nets management will issue an official announcement to fire Frank...

Frank's coaching ability is good, but his lineup matching ability is average. Of course, the Nets' lineup may have nothing to do with him. It was created by team executives.

When Frank is fired by the Nets, if he can't find a job, Richard can offer him an assistant position to help him make the transition.

As long as you can stay in the NBA, you will have a chance to make a comeback sooner or later.

"Thank you, Lee." Frank nodded with a wry smile. He understood what Richard meant and understood his current situation.

…

The lottery meeting was held in mid-May, and it was only the beginning of May, and there was still about half a month left.

By the time the second round of the playoffs is over, it will probably be the time when the lottery begins.

In the next second round of the playoffs, the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Buccaneers obviously were not so lucky.

O'Neal met Richard, and it was really a jealous meeting between enemies. This round of the series directly burst out his peak combat power, averaging 29 points, 14 rebounds and 3 blocks per game, directly defeating the Pirates. Insider.

Little Varejao suffered terribly from being ravaged by sharks. After a game, he was covered in bruises.

As for old Mourning, in a confrontation of this level, it would be good if he can play for fifteen minutes in a game...

In the end, the Pirates lost to the Heat with a score of 4:1, ending their playoff journey.

The only game they won was won by the Buccaneers' outside attack, which was a tough win.

…

Richard is quite satisfied with this year's playoff journey. After all, he has reached the Eastern Conference semifinals. With the lineup of the Pirates, he cannot ask for more.

…

As the Eastern Conference semifinals progress, major awards for the regular season are being announced.

Richard was awarded the best coach of the year. He improved from 11 wins last season to 42 wins this season. The improvement in winning rate is terrifying. There are no competitors in the entire league.

After getting another COY, Richard now holds four COY honors, becoming the head coach with the most COYs in the entire NBA history.

Although this is not a great honor, at least Richard now has an honor that ranks him at the top of the coaching community.

Everyone knows that this is just the first step for Richard to catch up with those famous coaches. Next, he will definitely break more and more records.

At present, the head coach with the most championships in the history of the league is Cardinal Auerbach. He has 9 championship rings in his hand, all of which were obtained at Green Kai.

Next is Phil Jackson, who has 7 championship rings on his hands, including six for the Bulls and one for the Lakers.

Then there is Richard...

Richard holds five championship rings, including three with the Trail Blazers and two with the Pistons, ranking third among coaches in terms of championships.

Considering Richard's current age, everyone knows that third place is definitely not Richard's limit. In the future, Richard has a great possibility of surpassing the Cardinal.

…

As for the fourth-ranked player, Pat Riley has four championship rings. However, if the Heat win the championship this year, he will have one more ring and will tie Richard.

But even if it is tied, it may not take long for Richard to get rid of Pat Riley.

At his current age, Pat Riley is basically about to bid farewell to the coaching stage, but Richard has unlimited possibilities.

…

In addition to Richard winning COY, Chris Paul also won the Rookie of the Year award.

This honor is well-deserved for Paul. Throughout the season, Paul averaged 19.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, 9.5 assists and 1.7 steals per game, a statistic of 20+10. Looking at the entire NBA history, few point guards can perform well in their rookie season. Such data comes.

In addition to these two honors, Iguodala was selected to the All-Defensive Second Team, which is also an affirmation of strength for the second-year Iguodala.

…

On May 15, the NBA lottery begins.

Although Richard did not go to the scene, he was also following the live broadcast of the lottery.

The lottery was carried out in an orderly manner according to the process. Richard was not in a hurry at all, because with the Knicks' record, the bottom line was the fifth pick, which was enough for Richard.

Of course, a higher pick would definitely be better.

Soon, except for the top three picks, the results of the other picks were released, and the Knicks were not among them.

This also means that Richard is about to receive a guaranteed top-three draft pick.

"I declare that the third overall pick in the first round is the Portland Trail Blazers." Stern announced the third pick on the court.

Under normal circumstances, the Trail Blazers actually get the fourth pick. Their luck can be said to be extremely bad. They have the worst record in the league, and they ended up with the fourth pick.

However, his luck is much better now. With the third-worst record in the league, he got the third overall pick.

…

Seeing that the Trail Blazers got the No. 3 pick, Richard was a little speechless. Could it be that he really got the No. 1 pick this time?

"I declare that the team with the second pick in the first round is the New York Knicks." Stern announced the ownership of the second pick again.

Richard smiled, it would be better if he didn't get the No. 1 pick. If he keeps getting the No. 1 pick, his character will be ruined...

This year's No. 1 pick is actually not much different from the No. 2 pick.

The Raptors, who hold the No. 1 pick in their hands, are just like Pixiu. Light can't get in and out. Don't even think about expecting them to use their chips in exchange for the No. 1 pick.

The key point is that Bargnani is not as attractive as Bogut...

Bogut's team packaged him as Duncan, while Bargnani's team was obviously much weaker in this regard.

…

"I declare that the first pick of the first round is the Toronto Raptors."

The lottery meeting was over, and Richard was officially relieved.

A first-round pick with the second pick, a first-round pick with the 16th pick, a second-round pick with the 16th pick, and a second-round pick with the 21st pick from the Bulls.

It's enough, absolutely enough. The Bulls' 21st-round second-round pick won't even be used.

Because in the second round, except for Millsap, there were no players that impressed Richard.

Of course, it's not that there aren't some good second-round picks. For example, Daniel Gibson, the 42nd overall pick, is just okay, but Richard will definitely look down on him, so he can use his roster in exchange for some benefits.