Chapter 187: Team Celebration Party! Cheerleaders and Bunny Girls All Come to Support! I Want to Fight Twenty of Them!
After Chen Hao made the game-winning shot against the Pistons, he became a hero to all of Boston.
The Celtics had not reached the NBA Finals in too long, and now Chen Hao had led the team back to the NBA Finals, which made the Fans incredibly excited and proud!
So, the team's management also held a celebration banquet at this time.
Although the game was not yet over, it was appropriate to celebrate in moderation.
At this celebration banquet, Chen Hao naturally brought his female companion, Jennifer Lawrence.
After all, she had now become Chen Hao's personal secretary.
Therefore, bringing her to such a celebration banquet was perfectly fine.
The Celtics' management also spent a large sum, even inviting the entire team's cheerleading squad.
Of course, in addition to the team's cheerleaders, a large number of Playboy Magazine Bunny Girls were also invited.
Although Chen Hao had never publicly stated that his abilities were strong, according to gossip media reports and revelations from actresses he had dated, it was well-known that Chen Hao's abilities were outstanding.
Since Chen Hao was largely responsible for the Celticsreaching the NBA Finals, he naturally deserved to be well rewarded.
This was why the male to female ratio at this celebration banquet reached 1:4!
In other words, at this celebration banquet, each player would, on average, have four women accompanying him.
Some were cheerleaders, and some were Bunny Girls.
For such an occasion, the Celtics players were ecstatic!
They finally got to experience the life of a deity!
However, even though the male to female ratio reached 1:4, not everyone was Chen Hao.
So, a scene like this appeared at the banquet:
Some players only had one cheerleader or Bunny Girl by their side.
But around Chen Hao, there were at least over twenty women, including cheerleaders and Playboy Bunny Girls.
Moreover, these women were not called over; they actively approached Chen Hao.
Such a stark contrast made many of the Celtics players feel very depressed.
For example, Jefferson only had one cheerleader by his side, and he had to actively ask her to stay.
In fact, this cheerleader was not even his type. When he saw her trying to go towards Chen Hao, he quickly pulled her back:
"Hey, where else are you going?
His side is already crowded!
Even if you line up, you'll be the last one!
You might as well stay here with me; you'll at least be the first!"
Given Jefferson's argument, the cheerleader could only choose to accept.
However, while she stayed, she kept asking about various rumors concerning Chen Hao:
"Hey, does Chen really have a big one?
Everyone says he's amazing at playing on the court!
And his ball-handling off the court is even more legendary!
Many of us in the cheerleading squad are already salivating over him!
During games, they even specifically focus on his crotch!
It's truly speechless!"
Jefferson was already in a bad mood, and now hearing this cheerleader ask him about Chen Hao made him even more depressed:
"I really don't understand!
Is that guy really that attractive to you all?
What's so good about him anyway?
Isn't he just a bit handsomer, plays a bit better, and has a bit more money?
What do I lack compared to him?"
"Haven't you just stated it?"
This sentence completely shattered Jefferson!
He instantly felt that this banquet was not something he absolutely had to attend, because he sensed the wickedness of the human world!
The game was won, and the celebration banquet was held, so why did he still not feel happy?
Perhaps it was because of the comparison!
Thinking of this, Jefferson looked towards Chen Hao with a complex expression.
Watching Chen Hao surrounded by a multitude of women, he even grumbled sourly to himself:
"Hmph, what's so great about that!
With so many women, don't you still only have one microphone?"
At this moment, Chen Hao's head was indeed buzzing a bit, because after these women surrounded him, they started to get handsy with him!
Some even took advantage of the crowd to directly try to grab his crotch.
Therefore, Chen Hao's mood was ultimately very annoyed, and he even shouted directly at these women:
"Hey, keep your hands to yourselves!
If I catch you groping again, I won't mind letting you know what true pain is!"
Chen Hao's words, however, made these women even more excited:
"Really?
That would be great!
I really want to experience what true pain is!
I'll go first!
Let me go first!"
"Why should you go first?
I was also first!
Let me!"
For a while, these women even started to argue!
Seeing this situation, Chen Hao knew he had to show them a thing or two:
"Since you are all so confident, I will satisfy your curiosity!
Come, all of you, follow me inside!
Line up!
According to the first letter of your names!"
After Chen Hao briefly stated the rules, he led the way into a private room!
The venue for this banquet was the team owner's private villa, which naturally had many rooms, and each room was fully equipped!
And Chen Hao naturally chose the largest room, because the owner had also said that he could use any room he wanted!
Hearing Chen Hao's words, these two dozen women became excited!
They actually started to line up according to the alphabetical order of their names!
This action even left Jefferson dumbfounded!
"Damn, does this guy really have some kind of magic?
Are these women all attracted by his magic?"
And A'lian, Chen Hao's good friend, also had an envious look on his face at this moment:
"Brother Hao is truly fierce!
He's even more capable than Ip Man!
Ip Man only fought ten at a time!
But Brother Hao is now fighting over twenty at once!
Can he really handle it?"
Not only did A'lian doubt Chen Hao's strength, but even the team's Head Coach Rivers began to worry:
"This guy is too impulsive, isn't he?
This is not a joke!
The NBA Finals haven't even started yet!
And he's playing such a big game?
What if he really injures himself?
Should I ask the owner to go in and stop him?"
Regarding Rivers' concerns, the team owner, on the other hand, appeared very calm:
"Don't worry, this guy has a clear understanding of his own abilities!
He won't act recklessly!
What I'm most curious about now is, what is his limit, how many people?"
Just as everyone was discussing Chen Hao's strength, Chen Hao had already begun his ultimate challenge!
Chapter 188: One person can defeat more than 20 people without any problem! Is this the strength of the bunny girl?
Under the astonished gazes of the Celtics players, Chen Hao led the more than twenty challengers into the room.
Soon, shouts erupted from within!
The Celtics players all listened intently to the commotion coming from the room, their expressions changing from astonishment to admiration.
It was now beyond doubt; Chen Hao was indeed using his true strength to continuously conquer these challengers.
Jefferson's expression at this moment was filled with envy:
"Oh my God!
I've actually always doubted this guy's strength.
But now it seems he really does possess such strength.
Is the gap between people really that vast?
I find it really hard to accept!"
His teammates, listening to Jefferson's lament, also looked deeply in agreement.
Inside the room, Chen Hao was sweating profusely; dealing with such challenges also required a great deal of physical exertion.
And those challengers had already been successively defeated by Chen Hao!
At this point, they had truly experienced the formidable strength of Chen Hao.
However, the stronger Chen Hao was, the stronger their competitive spirit became, because it made the challenge more exciting.
And they also wanted to see where Chen Hao's limit truly lay—would they fall first, or would Chen Hao?
An entire night passed, and the guests who attended the celebration banquet had already left the Celtics owner's luxurious villa one after another.
Now, only Chen Hao and a few of the more than twenty challengers remained, but very few were still able to continue fighting.
At this moment, Chen Hao still looked full of energy, and he teased the remaining three challengers:
"You've all slept for a whole night.
Now, shouldn't you be full of energy?
You should be confident about this challenge, right?
Why do you have such expressions?"
Upon hearing Chen Hao's teasing, the faces of these three challengers became extremely grim:
"Your stamina is truly too strong!
We don't feel like we can be your opponents!
But to give up just like this, we feel very unwilling!
So, we will do our best to defeat you!
We don't believe your stamina is limitless!"
"I like your defiant attitude.
You'd best keep that expression later.
Even if you are defeated by me, do not change your minds!
This is very important!"
The final outcome of this challenge, of course, ended with Chen Hao's overwhelming victory.
He looked at the more than twenty challengers lying on the ground, his heart filled with pride:
"It seems I still managed to win this challenge by luck!
You all must be quite tired!
So, take a good rest!
When you feel you can defeat me, then come challenge me again!
As for my next itinerary, I will be heading to San Antonioto play two NBA Finals games against the Spurs there.
So, if you have time, you can find me during that period.
I will definitely accompany you to the end!"
Chen Hao thoroughly enjoyed this celebration, and the owner's arrangements left him very satisfied.
Chen Hao was very interested in the act of challenging human limits.
And last night, he did it; he discovered that his stamina had not yet reached its limit, which gave him a deeper understanding of his own strength!
Therefore, after the challenge, he even invited these socialites to find him again if they had time.
After all, playing games is a relatively boring thing, and adding a little fun to a monotonous life is very necessary.
The next day, the entire Celtics team boarded the plane bound for San Antonio.
The two teams for the 2007-2008 NBA Finals had already been determined!
The Eastern Conference team was the Boston Celtics, and the Western Conference team was the San AntonioSpurs.
Originally, after the playoffs began, many Fans predicted that the Lakers would ultimately make it to the NBA Finals.
However, it was unexpected that the Lakers' star player had a fierce conflict with Chen Hao during the regular season, which led to him suffering a serious injury.
Although Kobe made a comeback shortly after the playoffs began, his injury had not yet fully healed.
Under these circumstances, the overall strength of the Lakers was naturally greatly diminished.
As a result, they were eliminated in the Western Conference Semifinals!
The team that ultimately made it to the NBA Finalsbecame the Spurs.
This NBA Finals matchup was a quite unexpected result for many Fans.
However, the Spurs are a traditional powerhouse; last year, they even swept the Cavaliers in the NBA Finals to win the Championship.
Therefore, the Spurs' strength has always been very formidable, and as the defending Championship, they possess rich NBA Finals experience.
On the other hand, the Celtics, before this, had not even tasted the playoffs for a very long time.
Now, under Chen Hao's leadership, the Celtics not only easily advanced to the NBA Finals but also met the Spurs!
Judging from the regular season head-to-head records, the Celtics had a significant advantage.
Because they had decisively defeated the Spurs in both regular season games.
Especially Chen Hao, he possessed absolute hard strength against the Spurs.
In these two regular season games, Chen Hao scored high points and achieved impressive individual statistics despite the Spurs' tight defense.
Therefore, the outside world has always said that Chen Hao is the Spurs' nemesis, and Popovich cannot do anything about him.
Of course, many Fans also stated that the regular season and the playoffs are two completely different concepts.
Losing to the Celtics by a large margin in the regular season does not mean that the Spurs' strength is much worse than the Celtics'.
Because the Spurs performed very impressively in the playoffs, especially the chemistry between GDP, which was incredibly tacit.
Their Head Coach, Popovich, applied tactics to the extreme, causing many opponents to feel extremely troubled.
Therefore, this NBA Finals is destined to be an epic clash, certainly very exciting.
The Spurs' Head Coach, Popovich, stated in an interview with reporters:
"Our opponent is a strong and very young team.
So they will have a great advantage in terms of physical fitness.
But conversely, their lack of NBA Finals experience is our opportunity!
We will remain focused when approaching this NBA Finals."
Popovich's wording was very cautious and humble because he had also experienced Chen Hao's strength.
He also knew that Chen Hao's role in the team was quite significant, so he dared not take anything lightly.
Especially after Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Popovich developed an extreme sense of dread towards Chen Hao.
In Popovich's view, Chen Hao was very different from the other superstar players he had seen in the past.
Although those superstar players had exceptionally outstanding individual abilities, and could even be said to be capable of taking on multiple opponents.
But in Popovich's view, these superstar players could actually be targeted through tight defensive tactics.
For example, double-teaming them, or committing tactical fouls against them.
However, Chen Hao was not like that!
Chen Hao's individual strength had exceeded Popovich's understanding; he did not believe that double-teaming Chen Hao with multiple players would necessarily be effective.
In Popovich's view, to defend Chen Hao, one must completely cut off his connection with his teammates.
Simply put, that means only Chen Hao can score, and other Celtics players must absolutely not have scoring opportunities!
Popovich firmly believed that no matter how strong a player is, he cannot possibly account for all of the team's scoring!
This was the method he thought of to deal with the Celtics!
Even if you, Chen Hao, score 100 points alone, but your teammates score zero, you still won't win this game!
This was the method Popovich had devised to counter Chen Hao!
Chapter 189: Little Spurs, what else is it but a bull or a horse? Easily controlled!
As the on-court referee's whistle blew, Game 1 of the NBA Finals officially began!
It was the Boston Celtics versus the San Antonio Spurs!
The Celtics' starting lineup was:
Chen Hao, A'lian, Jefferson, West, and P.J. Brown.
The Spurs' starting lineup was:
Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, Bruce Bowen, Mike Finley, and Oberto.
Among them, Bruce Bowen of the Spurs had just returned from injury.
As for the injury he sustained, it was Chen Hao who inflicted it.
Therefore, this game was also a battle of revenge for Bowen.
Popovich's assigned task for him remained to stick to Chen Hao like glue, not allowing Chen Hao any easy opportunities to catch the ball.
Tip-off!
A'lian vs. Oberto!
A'lian easily won the jump ball!
Chen Hao got to the basketball first!
Chen Hao made a gesture, and his teammates quickly got into position.
Chen Hao dribbled at the top of the arc, while Bowenstood in front of him, glaring.
Looking at Bowen, who was focused on defense, Chen Hao's face showed a faint smile:
"Hey, Bruce, I want to know if your injury has fully healed?
Actually, in my opinion, there's no need for you to return at this time!
Because even if you do return,
It won't change the outcome of your team losing!
You might even suffer another serious injury.
So, for you, returning is just a futile effort!"
Chen Hao's words instantly made Bowen's face turn ferocious; he would never forget the harm Chen Hao had caused him!
"Damn guy, I'll show you what despair is!"
Seeing Bowen's reaction, Chen Hao's expression became even more playful:
"Since you're so confident, then I'm even more looking forward to your performance!
So, you'd better be careful!"
After speaking, Chen Hao suddenly executed a large-scale crossover, and Bowen quickly followed!
Little did he know, Chen Hao used a double crossover this time, which left Bowen no time to react and sent him flying!
Chen Hao's slight move sent Bowen flying, which indeed shocked the Fans present!
Only Bowen himself knew how terrifying Chen Hao's double crossover was this time!
Because he couldn't see Chen Hao's dribbling motion at all, and then his own center of gravity was lost!
After faking Bowen, Chen Hao suddenly stopped short and shot directly in front of the fallen Bowen!
Chen Hao's speed and method of shooting this time were clearly meant to taunt Bowen, as the rhythm was very slow!
However, the other Spurs players were simply unable to rush over to double-team Chen Hao at this moment!
So, they could only watch as Chen Hao calmly and steadily shot the ball into the hoop!
"Swish!"
This sound, for the Celtics players, was undoubtedly heavenly music.
But for the Spurs players, it was quite depressing.
At the start of the game, Bowen, who was originally highly anticipated, was easily faked to the ground by Chen Hao, and Chen Hao effortlessly scored!
They found this result extremely difficult to accept!
However, considering that Bowen had just returned from injury, they could only choose to accept this cruel outcome!
After faking Bowen to the ground, Chen Hao looked at him with a surprised expression and said:
"Hey, why are you sitting down?
This is a basketball court, not a place to rest!
If you really want to sleep, you can ask to sleep on the bench!
No one there should stop you!"
Extremely insulting, and equally damaging!
Chen Hao's words almost made Bowen go berserk!
Fortunately, Duncan came to his side in time, helped him up from the ground, and proactively said to him:
"Hey, Bruce, calm down!
This is the NBA Finals; we shouldn't act rashly!"
After hearing Duncan's comfort, Bowen's expression softened slightly:
"I know, it won't happen again!"
And Chen Hao stared at Duncan with great interest and said:
"Hey, Tim, your teammate's mentality isn't very stable!
You don't really think he can guard me, do you?
I advise you to give up this unrealistic fantasy as soon as possible!"
Duncan chose to ignore Chen Hao's taunts because he didn't want to get into a verbal argument with Chen Hao.
Because he had already experienced the power of Chen Hao's trash talk; this guy was really good at annoying people.
In Duncan's opinion, as long as he ignored Chen Hao, he wouldn't get angry, and he could also focus on playing basketball.
Seeing Duncan's calm demeanor, Chen Hao became even more interested.
Making someone who is usually emotionally stable go crazy seemed like a good situation, and Chen Hao wanted to try it.
It was the Spurs' turn to attack!
Parker dribbled past half-court!
At this moment, Duncan popped out to the free-throw line to receive the ball!
When Duncan held the ball at the free-throw line, the Celtics players focused all their attention on him!
Meanwhile, Bowen, under the cover of his teammates, quickly moved to the right corner!
This was his favorite shooting spot; his three-point percentage from this position was extremely high.
Duncan's peripheral vision had already spotted Bowen's position, but he didn't choose to pass the ball to Bowenimmediately.
Because Chen Hao was also lurking threateningly in the passing lane between him and Bowen.
So, Duncan chose to pass the ball to Parker, who was cutting into the paint.
Although Parker was only a guard, he scored a lot in the paint.
Especially his floaters after cutting, which gave many big men a headache and were almost impossible to defend.
And Parker, who received the ball at this moment, instantly attracted the attention of many Celtics players and drew their defensive focus!
Even Chen Hao turned his gaze towards the basket!
It was at this moment!
Parker's peripheral vision had always been focused on Chen Hao's positioning; he also knew that Chen Hao's stealing ability was very strong.
That's why he chose to use this method to attract Chen Hao's attention, and now the effect had been achieved!
Just when everyone thought he was going to attempt a layup, Parker chose to pass the ball to Bowen in the right corner!
And Bowen had been preparing to receive the ball from start to finish!
When Parker passed the ball to him, he was already ready to shoot!
Catch, adjust, shoot, all in one smooth motion!
This was Bowen's value on the court; his three-point threat was significant!
Just as the Spurs players all thought Bowen's shot would surely go in, something unexpected happened!
Chen Hao, whose defensive attention had been drawn away, appeared in front of Bowen at some point and had even leaped high into the air!
The basketball in Bowen's hand had already been released!
But when he saw Chen Hao flying towards him, his heart was still very flustered!
Because he knew Chen Hao's powerful blocking ability, and he was also worried that his shot would be directly swatted away by Chen Hao!
But then he thought, the basketball had already been released; no matter how strong Chen Hao was, he couldn't swat the ball out of the air, could he?
Looking at the entire history of the NBA, there was no such god-like figure!
However, in the next moment, Bowen's eyeballs almost popped out!
Because Chen Hao, who was flying towards him, actually swatted the ball directly out of the air!
And the basketball flew rapidly straight towards the stands!
It directly hit a spectator in the stands!
The Fans present erupted in an uproar!
They were also very shocked by Chen Hao's block!
"Damn, this guy's quickness and jumping height are really terrifying!"
"The basketball was almost at its apex, and he could still swat it away!"
"Damn, this guy isn't on steroids, is he?"
"Impossible, absolutely impossible! Does such a person exist in this world?"
"This guy shouldn't be playing basketball; he should be competing in high jump!"
Bowen was stunned!
He had finally found an opportunity to shoot a three-pointer, but he didn't expect such a tragic ending!
That hateful guy, Chen Hao, not only easily swatted his shot away, but even flew directly over his head in the end!
He flew directly out of bounds and landed behind Bowen!
The scene was silent!
No one could believe the reality they were witnessing!
Even the Celtics players were startled by Chen Hao's brutal block!
"Oh my God! What did I see? Is Chen Hao possessed by God?"
Jefferson stared at his teammate Chen Hao with a horrified expression, exclaiming with emotion.
As for the other teammates, they had all rushed towards Chen Hao, celebrating wildly with him.
In response, Chen Hao's expression was very calm:
"Hey, it's just a block, there's no need for you guys to be so excited!"
Chen Hao's words made his teammates even more excited!
"Oh my God! That block you just made was truly spectacular!
I think it will definitely be the top play of the day's Top 10!"
These were the words of teammate West, but Chen Haoshook his head slightly:
"No, the game has just begun; to say this play is the top of the Top 10 is really too early!
Who knows, after this game, this block might not even qualify for the Top 10!"
Chen Hao's words made his teammates fall silent!
Just thinking about it made them feel incredible!
This play doesn't even qualify for the Top 10?
Then what kind of plays would make it into the Top 10?
Will this guy's performance be even crazier next?
The Spurs' morale had been dropping since the start of the game, and now everyone had a gloomy expression.
Even the usually composed Duncan felt a sense of frustration in his heart:
"Damn, why is this guy getting stronger and stronger?"
Popovich on the sidelines was also very angry at this moment, and he loudly reprimanded Bowen:
"Hey, Bruce, what are you doing?
It's just a block, isn't it?
What's there to be so upset about?
He didn't dunk over your head, and he didn't cross you over between your legs!
You haven't lost a single piece of yourself, so why are you upset?
Damn it, pull yourself together!
Show this guy what you're made of!"
It must be said that Popovich knew how to motivate people.
What he said was indeed true; a block is just a block, and no one can avoid being blocked, so there's no need to feel depressed!
Sure enough, Bowen's mood improved significantly, and he nodded heavily towards Popovich.
Then, he quickly inbounded the ball!
After Parker received the ball, he chose to run a pick-and-roll with Duncan!
Duncan's roll after the screen and catch was very smooth, and Jefferson was screened behind him!
Duncan was about to complete a layup, and at that moment, Chen Hao appeared from behind him!
He delivered a ruthless iron palm, directly pinning the basketball to the backboard!
After delivering the block against the backboard, Chen Hao smoothly secured the basketball and immediately dribbled for a fast break!
At this moment, Bowen was also greatly shocked after seeing Chen Hao's block against the backboard!
However, what Popovich had just told him made him much more resolute.
He had already quickly retreated on defense at the first opportunity!
He was even prepared to foul Chen Hao directly, absolutely not allowing Chen Hao to easily complete a fast-break score.
This would cause significant damage to the Spurs' morale!
And Chen Hao, dribbling quickly up the court, had already noticed Bowen's presence in front of him.
At this moment, Chen Hao had already made his choice!
Bowen retreated all the way to near the free-throw line, then stood firm!
By this time, Chen Hao had also dribbled to the top of the arc!
Seeing Chen Hao appear in front of him, he was already prepared to commit a direct foul!
It was at this moment that he saw a wicked smile appear on Chen Hao's face!
Then, he saw Chen Hao dribble and accelerate, charging towards him!
At this point, Bowen had no time to think further!
He knew he had to foul Chen Hao!
He didn't believe he had the ability to guard Chen Haoone-on-one, because he knew Chen Hao's explosiveness was very strong!
Just as Chen Hao appeared in front of him, and he was about to reach out to foul, Chen Hao suddenly stopped short and jumped!
This completely scared Bowen!
He never dreamed that Chen Hao would actually dare to jump in front of him!
One must know that this was near the free-throw line!
Even if he could truly fly over his head, could he complete a dunk?
This distance was quite far!
Is this guy crazy?
Thinking of this, Bowen's mood also became extremely agitated!
Because from the start of the game until now, every move Chen Hao made had shocked everyone!
Now, he even wanted to complete a dunk over his head?
Even if he couldn't successfully dunk, he absolutely could not let him fly over his head again!
So, Bowen hardened his heart and directly grabbed Chen Hao's feet, attempting to pull Chen Hao directly down from the air!
Anyone who has played basketball should know very well that when an offensive player jumps into the air, even a slight touch can cause him to fall heavily to the ground!
Because this would cause a person to lose their balance in the air, which is a very dangerous move!
This kind of situation must be prohibited!
But at this moment, Bowen had lost his temper; he didn't care about so much anymore!
At most, he would be called for a flagrant foul!
But correspondingly, Chen Hao would also fall heavily to the ground, possibly even suffering a serious injury!
Looking at it this way, it was worth it!
The referee's whistle blew sharply!
This was a flagrant foul called on Bowen!
And Chen Hao, whose feet were grabbed by Bowen, was indeed unable to complete the dunk!
However, his hands could still make a move!
So, Chen Hao directly slammed the ball towards the basket with both hands!
Chapter 190: The furious Chen Hao, relying on his own strength, prevented the Spurs' ball from crossing the half court!
Chen Hao still slammed the ball towards the rim even while being fouled by Bowen!
As he threw the ball, his entire body uncontrollably fell to the ground!
Bowen's foul this time was vicious; he had already anticipated his future, so he held nothing back.
Anyway, after this foul, he was definitely going to be ejected, so he had to make sure Chen Hao also got hurt.
At this moment, as Chen Hao was about to fall heavily on his back, he used his powerful core strength to forcefully twist his body, making his butt land first!
This would greatly reduce his chances of injury, as his body was made of tungsten-titanium alloy, making it difficult to sustain serious injuries even if he fell to the ground.
However, to be cautious, Chen Hao still chose the safest method, landing on his butt first.
The moment Chen Hao landed, the referee's whistle blew, and he rushed to Bowen's side immediately!
At the same time, the basketball hit the backboard, bounced back, and went into the hoop!
Despite such a serious foul, Chen Hao still scored, and he had an opportunity for an additional free throw!
Bowen's expression at this moment was also incredibly shocked; he stared blankly at Chen Hao, who had fallen to the ground, watching him get up as if nothing had happened—Bowen's worldview crumbled!
He had never seen a player so resilient to falls, not even Kobe could compare to Chen Hao's resilience!
He had used all his strength, gripping Chen Hao's legs tightly and slamming him to the ground!
If it were any other player, they would surely be lying on the ground unable to get up now!
They might even pass out on the spot, requiring intervention from on-site medical personnel!
But Chen Hao was completely different; he seemed to have fallen on cotton, with no injuries to his body!
And as Bowen felt immense fear towards Chen Hao and retreated repeatedly, Chen Hao, with a disappointed look, mocked Bowen:
"Is that all you've got?
You used all your strength to foul me.
In the end, it was like a tickle.
Honestly, at your level, you're not even as good as a girl!
You should retire quickly and take your talent to the WNBA; then you might even get a water boy position on the bench!"
Chen Hao's words turned Bowen's fearful expression into an angry one; these humiliating words were even more damaging!
And at this moment, the referees were equally shocked that Chen Hao was unharmed, and they even proactively asked Chen Hao:
"Hey, Chen, are you sure you're not hurt?
If you are injured, you need to request treatment immediately!"
Because they were worried that Chen Hao was faking it, which is not a good thing for many players.
You know, at a car accident scene, the person who looks fine often has the biggest problems.
They might even suddenly drop dead after the accident, without giving anyone any warning.
These referees were worried about this situation, which is why they asked Chen Hao if he truly felt nothing.
Regarding the referees' concerns, Chen Hao shrugged helplessly and said:
"I'm really fine; his foul was indeed malicious!
But he still couldn't hurt me!
However, his behavior was still very malicious!
Referees, you must make a fair judgment!"
The referee nodded silently at Chen Hao's request.
Even if he didn't say it, the referee knew what to do.
After all, this kind of defensive action is quite dangerous.
It's only Chen Hao; if it were another player, they would probably have completely lost their mobility by now!
So, the referee decisively signaled for Bowen's ejection, which immediately drew huge boos and curses from the Fans.
Because in their opinion, since Chen Hao was unharmed, Bowen should not have been ejected; this was unfair to the San Antonio Spurs!
The most agitated was undoubtedly their Head CoachPopovich, who shouted angrily at the referee:
"Damn it, he didn't suffer any injuries, so why eject Bruce?
This is unfair!
You must reverse this decision!"
Popovich's spit was almost hitting the referee's face, while Chen Hao watched everything silently, his expression becoming very playful:
"Hey, if you say so...
Does that mean I can also foul your players like that?
And whether I get ejected depends on whether their injuries are serious?
If they're not serious, then I shouldn't be ejected either, right?"
Popovich ignored Chen Hao's rebuttal; he didn't want to get into an argument with Chen Hao.
Because he knew the power of Chen Hao's trash talk, and as the Head Coach of the San Antonio Spurs, he shouldn't argue with the opposing team's player!
Seeing Popovich ignore his taunts, Chen Hao's smile grew even wider!
Sure enough, this guy is a hypocrite.
Since he's so hypocritical, he should know the consequences of being one!
In the end, the referee still ejected Bowen!
And Ginobili could only be substituted in!
The boos echoed throughout the entire arena, especially when Chen Hao stepped to the free-throw line.
After Chen Hao calmly made the additional free throw, he looked at Duncan:
"Hey, be careful!
I'm about to go all out!
If you're smart, you'd better not stop me!"
At Chen Hao's threat, Duncan's eyes instantly became serious.
Because he had faced Chen Hao twice and knew that Chen Hao wouldn't make empty threats easily.
But now that he had actively threatened him, it meant he was truly angry this time!
In fact, Duncan was also quite dissatisfied with Bowen's malicious foul just now.
Not because Bowen's foul was too aggressive, but because Bowen didn't completely send Chen Hao off the court when he fouled.
This guy always thinks he knows best, believing his defensive moves are the most reasonable!
Now his actions have completely angered Chen Hao, so Chen Hao will naturally unleash his wrath on them!
Therefore, the game will become even more difficult from now on!
It was still the San Antonio Spurs' offense!
Chen Hao was now guarding Parker, playing primary defense on him!
After Parker stopped the ball at the top of the arc, he quickly passed it to Ginobili!
The moment Ginobili and Duncan were executing a hand-off play at the left 45-degree angle, Chen Haosurprisingly stepped forward to steal the ball!
Chen Hao's move was incredibly precise, instantly snatching the basketball from between them!
Then, it was a one-man fast break dunk!
Parker's speed was already fast enough, but he still couldn't keep up with Chen Hao's speed!
He could only watch as Chen Hao easily completed the fast break dunk and scored!
And all of this was just the beginning of Chen Hao's rampage!
In the time that followed, Chen Hao put immense pressure on the San Antonio Spurs' backcourt on the defensive end!
Chen Hao's active steals made the San Antonio Spurs' guards very uncomfortable, because Chen Hao's strength was simply too great, and his moves were incredibly precise!
Whenever they tried to get past Chen Hao with speed, Chen Hao would actively engage them physically!
Chen Hao's strong body created huge problems for them; they would even dribble out of bounds or be directly stolen by Chen Hao!
After a steal, it would naturally lead to a quick scoring opportunity, and Chen Hao easily scored this way!
Under Chen Hao's immense defensive pressure, the San Antonio Spurs' guards made continuous turnovers, and even dribbling past half-court became difficult!
They also thought about trying to pass the ball directly across half-court, but the defensive capabilities of the other Boston Celtics players were not to be underestimated!
Especially with Chen Hao leading the way, their defensive attitude had become quite serious, so whenever they tried to cross half-court with long passes, they would often be stolen by the Boston Celtics!
After a steal, it would be another fast-break opportunity!
This was the first time Popovich, as Head Coach of the San Antonio Spurs, had been forced into such a situation by an opponent's defense!
Furious, he called multiple timeouts in the first half, but the effect remained poor!
Chen Hao was like a shadow, clinging tightly to the San Antonio Spurs' guards!
Chen Hao could even see through every guard's next move, anticipating their passing lanes in advance!
Therefore, such a Chen Hao was invincible!
After halftime, the San Antonio Spurs' turnovers had already reached as many as 15.
12 of those were directly caused by Chen Hao pressuring them!
And the Boston Celtics converted 12 of those 15 turnovers into points!
Thus, at halftime, the San Antonio Spurs were already trailing the Boston Celtics by as much as 30 points!
30:60!
Many people couldn't believe this was the score of the NBA Finals!
And this was the score after halftime, truly appalling!
The San Antonio Spurs' guards' stamina was also greatly depleted by Chen Hao's relentless pressure!
Originally, their stamina was enough to last them the entire game, but now their stamina was almost at its limit!
So, the live commentator also said with emotion:
"The defensive ability Chen Hao has shown has greatly exceeded our expectations!
This guy's defensive ability is simply too strong!
Look at the San Antonio Spurs' guards; they are already in despair!
As soon as they see Chen Hao appear in front of them, they fall into a panic!
It's not that their mental fortitude is lacking; it's just that Chen Hao's defensive pressure is truly too strong!
This guy's performance today can simply be considered godlike!"
In the San Antonio Spurs' locker room, all the players were dejected, because they saw no hope of winning!
Forget winning, they now struggled even to dribble past half-court, which for the San Antonio Spurs was something they couldn't even imagine!
"Damn it, is there really no way to solve his defensive problem?"
Chapter 191: Popovich confessed in the first game? Who made him offend Chen Hao?
Popovich was extremely agitated at the moment because Chen Hao was even stronger than he had imagined.
Whether double-teaming Chen Hao or letting him score, neither could solve the problem of being dominated.
Trailing by 30 points at halftime, this game actually had no meaning to continue.
However, Popovich did not want to give up on this game just yet; even if they were to lose, this game had to be lost with value.
Especially Chen Hao, they had to find his weakness and affect him.
Otherwise, in the next game, they would still be unable to deal with Chen Hao, and for the San Antonio Spurs, this was a dead end.
Now, Bowen, who had just returned, was injured again and sidelined from the game.
Popovich had one less dirty player he could use, which made him even more depressed.
Now, there was truly only one way left to deal with Chen Hao:
That was to find a way to prevent Chen Hao from continuing the game, either by being ejected or leaving due to injury!
Thinking of this, Popovich looked around at the players in the locker room.
Then, he cleared his throat and said in a low voice:
"Hey, guys, our performance in the first half was really terrible!
We didn't even execute our best tactics!
We struggled to even cross half-court, it was truly disappointing!
But fortunately, we still have the second half to turn things around!
30 points is nothing!
As long as we play good defense, we can still easily catch up on the score!
But one point I want to emphasize is that our defense must be even dirtier!
From now on, whoever faces Chen Hao, you must go all out!
I don't care what methods you use, but when you foul, you must be resolute and ruthless.
As for which part of a man's body is most vulnerable, I don't need to tell you, do I?"
Popovich's words left the San Antonio Spurs players all shocked.
They weren't fools; they all understood Popovich's implied meaning.
It meant that they should go all out in defending Chen Hao, trying their best to injure him during the game.
Moreover, such defensive actions could easily lead to on-court conflicts.
Once a conflict occurred on the court, someone would naturally be ejected.
Everyone understood Popovich's calculations.
Duncan's mood was very complicated at this moment; he even hesitated to speak.
He knew his mentor Popovich's true thoughts and that he would stop at nothing for victory.
But now they were not facing an ordinary person; they were facing Chen Hao!
How many players had Chen Hao already sidelined this season?
It seemed that any player who had a grudge with him never came to a good end!
Even Bowen and Popovich's injuries were caused by Chen Hao himself.
But now, has Popovich forgotten the pain after the wound healed?
And he still wants to provoke Chen Hao wildly?
Does he really think Chen Hao won't strike at them again?
Although this is the NBA Finals, the personal safety of players is also very important.
However, just as Duncan was about to express his opinion, Popovich seemed to have anticipated it and gave him a warning look in advance.
After being glared at by Popovich's warning gaze, Duncanfell silent!
He knew that Popovich's stubborn personality would not listen to his persuasion.
Since that was the case, he could only silently accept his arrangements.
However, Duncan knew very well that if his teammates followed Popovich's instructions, there might be serious conflicts in the second half.
Then, Duncan silently shook his head and stopped thinking about the problem.
At worst, he would just go through the motions.
He wasn't a fool; he knew what was important. Someone like Chen Hao, if you don't provoke him first, he won't attack you proactively.
But if you actively provoke him, the consequences would truly be unimaginable.
Duncan couldn't even imagine what the outcome would be!
The second half of the game continued!
Although the San Antonio Spurs were trailing by as many as 30 points at halftime, the home Fans still did not choose to leave early.
San Antonio Spurs Fans were quite loyal; they believed their home team could tie the score.
Because last season, they were the defending champions!
What kind of hardships hadn't they seen?
Just then, a reporter proactively interviewed the San Antonio Spurs' Head Coach Popovich:
"Hey, Gregg, the San Antonio Spurs' condition doesn't seem ideal today!
Trailing by 30 points, what are your thoughts on that?"
Popovich's personality was extremely eccentric; many times he would retort to reporters' questions.
But today, he was uncharacteristically firm, saying with determined eyes:
"In my opinion, 30 points is nothing!
We don't even care about this deficit!
Don't worry, the excitement in this game is yet to come!"
Popovich's words instantly erupted in huge cheers from the Fans on site.
They loved seeing Popovich's confident demeanor; they were even more excited for the upcoming game.
Chen Hao also heard Popovich's words and almost couldn't hold back.
Isn't this the famous quote from Head Coach Lao Du of the Guangdong team?
He didn't expect that at such an early stage, it would already be uttered by this damned old guy Popovich!
Now, Chen Hao was instead incredibly curious about the San Antonio Spurs' upcoming strategy.
Could it be that they really thought of a way to deal with him?
Soon, Chen Hao figured out their strategy!
Because as long as Chen Hao had the ball, the San Antonio Spurs players would aggressively double-team him, completely disregarding whether it was a foul, just wildly attacking him!
And they were quite fierce, including but not limited to various ball-stripping, hitting, pushing, and colliding actions.
The San Antonio Spurs' sudden increase in intensity also made it difficult for the referees to adapt temporarily.
Logically speaking, after a large deficit, the intensity between the two sides should not be so fierce.
But the San Antonio Spurs were not like that!
They suddenly increased the intensity of their defense, with extremely exaggerated movements, almost every action was a foul!
Although Chen Hao was protected by his Tungsten-Titanium Alloy Constitution, their actions were truly infuriating.
Chen Hao finally understood Popovich's tactics; this guy just wanted to make him furious and then cause a conflict with his players.
It must be said that this method was truly quite dirty.
What angered Chen Hao the most was that Popovichbasically sent out perennial benchwarmers onto the court.
Players who barely played in the regular season were actually appearing in the NBA Finals!
And their only mission was to foul Chen Hao, to play fiercely!
Such behavior was indeed too egregious!
So, Chen Hao had transferred all this anger onto Popovich!
Popovich's coaching habit was to pace back and forth on the sidelines, loudly scolding his players.
And this characteristic of his had already caused him trouble once.
And this time, too, he had suffered because of Chen Hao.
Now, he still chose to shout loudly at his players in the same way:
"Hey, are you a sissy?
That foul just now, you should have been stronger!
Knock him directly to the ground!
If you're going to foul, foul thoroughly!"
"Oh my God! Ginobili, what are you doing?
Why don't you try to steal his ball!"
"Damn it, Duncan, he just dunked over you!
Are you just going to watch him complete the dunk?
What are you thinking?
Damn it, I should just replace all of you!"
Although Popovich appeared to be extremely angry, even furious, in reality, the San Antonio Spurs players' defensive actions were already very fierce.
Chen Hao had forgotten how many times he had been hit by them; he attributed all of it to Popovich!
With eight minutes left in the fourth quarter, the San Antonio Spurs were still trailing by as many as 26 points.
In the third quarter, they used foul tactics to send Chen Hao to the free-throw line frequently, and Chen Hao's score kept rising.
But similarly, they also found their rhythm on offense, even outscoring the Celtics by 4 points in the third quarter.
So, in the fourth quarter, they became even more reckless, and Chen Hao could no longer tolerate it!
This opportunity finally arrived!
San Antonio Spurs offense!
Ginobili had the ball at the high post, and Popovich was standing right in front of the scorer's table.
Chen Hao stood to Ginobili's front left; he did not step forward to defend him!
So, Ginobili was in an open position!
Thus, he decisively shot the ball!
Ginobili's release point was very low, even requiring him to crouch down a bit.
And this moment of release gave Chen Hao the best opportunity for a block!
He sprinted to Ginobili's front at top speed, leaping high!
The basketball in Ginobili's hand flew right towards the hoop!
And so, an incredible block was born!
Chen Hao's big hand heavily slapped the basketball!
This wasn't over yet!
The moment Chen Hao slapped the basketball, he also adjusted the direction of the ball's flight, aiming precisely at where Popovich was standing!
Chen Hao had waited a long time for this opportunity; he wanted to send Popovich to the emergency room in a legal way!
To let him know that provoking him would not end well!
Popovich's expression was extremely ugly when he saw Ginobili get blocked by Chen Hao!
Because he felt it was an excellent scoring opportunity, and Ginobili hadn't seized it well either!
However, before he could react, he saw the basketball had already arrived in front of him in horror!
He didn't even have time to dodge before the basketball accurately struck him in the face!
Moreover, the spot it hit was precisely his nose bridge!
In that instant, he felt his nasal bone had already broken!
A sweet, metallic taste surged into his throat!
Chapter 192: Don't let grudges wait! Get revenge on the spot! Popovich has been made into various emoticons!
No one had expected that Popovich would leave the court injured in such a way.
Chen Hao's block on Ginobili directly and heavily struck Popovich in the face!
He had no defenses whatsoever!
Being hit by a fast-flying basketball in such circumstances would undoubtedly result in the most severe injury!
Therefore, Popovich couldn't even let out a scream before he collapsed straight in front of the scorer's table!
Everyone was stunned!
Even the referees on the court were incredibly shocked by this unexpected incident!
Referees who officiate the NBA Finals are seasoned veterans who have seen countless major events.
They could even proudly say, 'What kind of storms haven't we seen?'
But this time, they truly hadn't seen anything like it!
One block, and the opposing Head Coach was directly knocked out on the spot!
Even blood splattered on the court!
Who had ever seen that?
The probability of this happening must be even lower than winning the lottery, right?
No one believed that Chen Hao's block was aimed at Popovich, because it was simply impossible!
However, only Chen Hao knew that this time, he had deliberately aimed at Popovich!
That damned old man, full of malicious intentions, resorting to any means necessary for the game—that's what Chen Hao disliked most about him.
While he certainly had his expertise in coaching the San Antonio Spurs, the methods he chose were quite despicable.
To injure Chen Hao, he even put players who hadn't played in years on the court specifically to target Chen Hao, fouling him relentlessly.
In addition to that, he also had his players relentlessly mock Chen Hao, attempting to provoke him and make him lose control of his emotions.
These tactics were all designed to prevent Chen Haofrom continuing the game.
To be honest, Chen Hao detested these petty tactics the most.
Since Popovich dared to openly target him, then he could also openly cause Popovich to be injured and leave the court!
So, this time, Chen Hao used a block to completely resolve the big problem that was Popovich!
The San Antonio Spurs Fans in the arena stared blankly as Popovich was stretchered off the court; they couldn't even bring themselves to believe this fact!
"Damn it, this guy must have done it on purpose!"
"Referee, quickly eject this guy from the game!"
"We absolutely cannot let this guy off; he did this intentionally!"
"Damn it, I want to go down there right now and give him a good beating!"
"I really want to stuff a basketball up that guy's ass!"
The San Antonio Spurs Fans blamed Chen Hao for everything, because they believed Chen Hao had deliberately aimed to hit Popovich!
However, the referees and commentators on the scene were rational; they knew such a possibility was extremely low.
Therefore, the commentator at this moment also expressed his views objectively and fairly:
"The slow-motion replay shows that Chen Hao did not intentionally hit Gregg with the ball!
Anyone who has played basketball knows that such blocks are rare and cannot be planned!
Is there really anyone in this world who can decide how to aim at the opposing coach before making a block?
That is simply impossible!
So, in my opinion, we can only blame Gregg for his bad luck!
Hopefully, next time he coaches, he won't stand in front of the scorer's table anymore!
That position truly is very dangerous!"
The commentator's remarks were met with huge boos from the Fans, and the referees also did not make any calls against Chen Hao.
After Popovich was stretchered off the court, the referees signaled for the game to continue!
All the San Antonio Spurs players were dumbfounded!
It wasn't until their Head Coach was carried off the court that they finally realized he had been knocked out!
The entire San Antonio Spurs' morale instantly plummeted to rock bottom!
This indicated that their luck was at its absolute worst!
To be hit by a ball like that, how unlucky could he be?
Since their Head Coach was so unlucky, what chance did they have of winning this game?
None, hope was completely lost!
Head Coach Popovich was the backbone of the San Antonio Spurs; his injury and departure at this moment meant the game was already over!
At this point, the camera zoomed in on Chen Hao for a close-up, and the home Fans immediately erupted in loud boos and curses.
But Chen Hao remained calm, even chatting and laughing with his teammates.
A'lian even covered his mouth with his jersey and leaned closer to Chen Hao, asking in a low voice:
"Hey, Brother Hao, why do I feel like you did that on purpose?
That's too incredible!
How did you do it?
I really want to learn too!"
Regarding A'lian's curiosity, Chen Hao covered his mouth with his jersey and whispered:
"Learning this trick is very simple!
First, you need to be confident in your defensive lunge!
Believe that you can definitely block him!
Secondly, you need to make a prediction in advance and accurately identify the target you need to aim for!
Finally, while blocking, forcefully swat the ball towards that target!
So, it's actually not difficult at all!"
Chen Hao's words made A'lian's expression very strange:
"Brother Hao, for you, it's definitely not difficult!
But for me, there's no hope in this lifetime!
However, I have to say, your block just now was really cool!
I've actually been tolerating that damned old man for a long time too!"
After A'lian finished speaking, he looked at Chen Haowith a mischievous smile.
Chen Hao, in turn, spread his hands helplessly towards A'lian and said:
"Actually, I am a kind person!
It's just that they were too deceitful!
The game clearly had no hope left!
Yet they insisted on making trouble and resorting to crooked ways.
I can only let them experience the consequences of such actions!"
A'lian gave Chen Hao a thumbs up:
"That's the right thing to do!
This feels so good!
I've been tolerating that old man for a long time too!"
The Boston Celtics' atmosphere was very lively, and the players were chatting and laughing.
For them, Popovich withdrawing due to injury was his own bad luck; they didn't need to feel any guilt at all!
On the contrary, they admired Chen Hao even more!
Whatever Chen Hao wanted to do, there was nothing he couldn't accomplish!
After a short break, the game continued!
And Chen Hao, however, was already sitting on the bench!
Clocking out!
In this game, there was no longer any need for Chen Haoto play!
As for the San Antonio Spurs, their morale was completely lost, and the game had completely lost its suspense!
Ultimately, Game 1 of the NBA Finals ended with the Boston Celtics' decisive victory over the San Antonio Spurs!
80:110!
The Boston Celtics crushed the San Antonio Spurs by as many as 30 points!
If Fans watched the entire game, they would clearly understand that in this game, Chen Hao only exerted himself for two quarters.
Chen Hao exerting himself for two quarters was already enough to utterly defeat them!
Actually, the Boston Celtics' big win in this game was not the most shocking thing!
The most shocking thing was that the San Antonio Spurs' Head Coach was knocked out by a basketball during the game!
And the person responsible was none other than Chen Hao!
The process of Popovich being knocked out by the basketball was quickly turned into memes by netizens, accompanied by various captions.
It can be said that after this game, Popovich became completely famous!
However, this kind of fame was not what he wanted to see; he had completely become the Fans' laughingstock!
And his feat of being knocked out by a basketball will forever be remembered by the Fans!
After the game ended, some netizens even raised this question:
"Was Popovich being knocked out by the basketball deliberate on Chen Hao's part?"