Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters-Chapter 1095 - 614 Such Victory and Defeat_2

Chapter 1095: Chapter 614 Such Victory and Defeat_2 Chapter 1095: Chapter 614 Such Victory and Defeat_2 Fei simply shrugged and didn’t respond. In his memory, Duncan wasn’t a player who liked to interact with opponents on the court.

No, to be precise, he didn’t like interacting with opponents, but he enjoyed “interacting” with the referees.

Whenever Duncan was called for a foul, his face would always show the most innocent, aggrieved, and unwilling expression, as if he had been wronged by the heavens.

James, nearing the end of his career and known for his habit of spreading his hands, was dubbed “Old Spread Hands,” but in reality, this was just an advanced technique he learned from his younger days observing Duncan.

Setting aside Duncan’s love of interacting with referees, what does it mean for him to take the initiative to interact with me tonight?

Maybe he also knows that there are fewer and fewer games like this.

The Spurs are about to enter the 19th year of the Duncan era. Although Duncan’s contract expires in the summer of 2017, he can opt out anytime if he feels he can’t play anymore, possibly retiring next summer.

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40 is a critical point of decline for an athlete’s physical capabilities. By that age, the talents have been eroded by time and little remains.

Thus, Duncan’s athletic career is drawing to a close, but he still yearns to show a stunning performance in front of an old rival.

This is also one of the reasons why the Clippers and Spurs fought fiercely till the final moment tonight.

With the game entering the last minute, the Spurs chose to trust their young core. However, Paul George’s isolation play failed, Kemba Walker’s drive was blocked, and two critical errors allowed Nikola Jokić to take control of the ball in the crucial moments and deliver the winning blow for the Clippers.

Afterward, Duncan described Jokić’s hands as if “endowed with magic for the basketball.” He first used a precise pass to lead Fei to finish a fast-break dunk, then after the opponent’s isolated shot missed, Jokić grabbed the rebound and pushed forward on his own. Antetokounmpo was initially unhappy that Jokić didn’t pass the ball to him, but he quickly realized that Jokić’s passing intelligence far exceeded the average. He cleverly used the threat of Antetokounmpo, misleading the Spurs’ defense into thinking the ball would pass to the Greek, only to send it to Klay Thompson in a weak-side empty spot at the last second. Thompson nailed the game-winning three-pointer from the left corner.

That shot ended the game.

“We’re still a bit short,” Duncan sighed. The intensity of the game had long surpassed the regular season; it was as if they were playing in the playoffs.

But in the end, the Spurs’ efforts fell just short.

“Goodbye, Frye,” Duncan said.

Fei asked him, “What do you think of Nikola?”

“Pretty good,” Duncan replied, “He’s not a superficial player.”

This evaluation was not without basis. The detail of Jokić suggesting Ginobili drink soda to alleviate depression before the game was still vivid, and his performance on the court was full of creativity. Duncan couldn’t help but ponder, if such a player existed, even if the Greatest of All Time retired at 35, could George and the rest really take control of the Western Conference?

However, Duncan quickly realized the thought was too trivial. After all, what did it have to do with him? He just needs to do his part and leave the rest to God.

After the game, experts gave high praise to the match. They believed it resembled a preview of the Western Conference Finals. The excitement of the game was reflected not only in the fierce confrontation between both sides but also because of the excellent performances of the veteran stars and the rising talents. Especially Jokić, who not only received rave reviews from the media but also earned unanimous approval from his teammates and opponents.

“My teammates found me at the most appropriate moments,” Thompson said, “especially Nikola Jokic; the guy is simply unbelievable. He’s not Sabonis; he’s a full-time center like Magic Johnson.”

Antetokounmpo also marveled at Jokić’s final pass, “I’m usually a one-step-at-a-time person, but Nikola can see ten steps ahead in one step. That’s why he can deliver those kinds of passes in clutch moments.”

Popovich seemed regretful, not only because he couldn’t arrange better tactics in the final moments, but also because the team missed out on Jokić in the 2014 draft.

“Nikola was on our draft radar, but the Clippers picked him before us,” Popovich said, “Looking at his performance now, I really think we missed a valuable opportunity. But I’m happy for his success, too.”

Finally, Fei summarized Jokić’s performance, “If he wasn’t so outstanding, would I allow Yao to play as a backup? You know, 35 is the age for a man to strive…”

The next day, the Los Angeles Times wrote, “Is the GOAT hinting that he will continue to play?”

In any case, through the game with the Spurs, not only did Jokić play a key role in a tough matchup, building confidence, but he also rapidly increased his popularity.

By the time Christmas Day arrived, Jokić surpassed Pau Gasol in the latest voting leaderboard, becoming the leading reserve center for the Western All-Star Team.

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The coming Christmas battle might be the most significant game of the year.

The Clippers, with only two losses so far this season, are away to challenge the League’s second and Eastern Conference’s first, the New York Knicks.

If the game against the Spurs was a rehearsal for the Finals, then naturally, the game against the Knicks is considered a dress rehearsal for the Finals.

Moreover, basketball professionals really want to see Durant, theoretically a mid-generation superstar cultivated by Fei, challenge the GOAT’s reign in the Finals.