Chapter 358: Buckley Is Reimbursed for Serious Injury

The postman went down to tend to the wound, and Philadelphia brought on backup forward Toni Kukoc.

This former Bulls champion, once the league's best sixth man, is still strong. He played more than ten games in Philadelphia. As a substitute, he can also steadily contribute 12 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. Sent a steal and had a comprehensive performance on both offense and defense.

However, he couldn't show his ability against the more versatile Zhao Dong. Within 5 minutes of coming on as a substitute, he was beaten by Zhao Dong on both offense and defense.

Until the 9th minute of the first quarter, when the postman returned to the court, at 20:12, the Knicks had led by 8 points.

Both sides went to the bench.

For the Knicks, Zhao Dong continued to play and led the bench to fight. The others were Barkley and Willis, and the outside was Madman and John Wallace, who played point guard.

In terms of the digital team, Postman and Iverson continue to play, and the other three are Tyron Hill, Larry Hughes, and Kukoc.

Zhang Liji said with a smile: "Now the American media is saying that the Knicks' bench lineup is not good. In fact, if Barkley and Willis play well, this rotation lineup is not bad.

However, Barkley seems to have gained a lot of weight this season. Coupled with injuries, he can no longer jump at all and his speed has slowed down. His condition is really not good.

Willis is almost a 38-year-old veteran, and his condition has dropped a notch this season. With two partners, the Knicks' substitute inside line really didn't perform well. "

Su Qun said: "I think this is a hidden danger. The Knicks management should choose to trade. Anyway, these two veterans have basic salaries, so there is no problem in cutting them off. Willis is indeed in bad shape, and Barkley's injury is unknown. When it breaks out, he gains weight and puts a greater load on his body."

As soon as he finished speaking, Barkley, who was jumping up with the postman to grab a rebound, suddenly let out a cry of pain and fell to the floor holding his left thigh.

"Charles, can you still stand up?" Zhao Dong ran over and stretched out his hand to Buckley.

"Damn it, Feilong, I regret it so much. I shouldn't have gained weight." Buckley, who was so sweating that he almost rolled over in pain, shook his head and said regretfully.

"Did you gain weight? You just didn't control your mouth and gained weight." Zhao Dong said angrily.

"Don't worry, I will come back." Buckley said quickly.

"Come on,

Look where you were hurt? Your quadriceps are already swollen, or even torn, so you should be mentally prepared to retire. "

Pointing at Barkley's left thigh, Zhao Dong directly dispelled his fantasy with one sentence.

He remembered that in the previous life, Barkley retired this season because of a ruptured left quadriceps muscle. Otherwise, he could have played for two more seasons. However, in this life, this guy did not control his weight and was not reimbursed in advance. strangeness.

"Hey, Feilong, don't give up on me, I can still do it, I still have gas."

Buckley tried to force himself to get up, but the pain in his left thigh was so severe that he couldn't move at all. The slightest movement caused a sharp stabbing pain.

"Don't worry, Charles, I will give you a quota of five million, and then you can retire and become a commentator. Anyway, you have a ring and your career is complete." Zhao Dong said.

"real?"

Buckley said in disbelief.

Zhao Dong and Willis helped Barkley down. The team doctor took a look on the sidelines and determined that the quadriceps muscle of his left leg was ruptured.

The quadriceps are the large muscles on the front of the thighs. To strengthen your thighs, you must exercise that muscle. It is very important.

"It's over!"

The word "break" directly made Buckley's heart freeze.

"Feilong, you said, five million quota, I will pay you immediately." He immediately shouted to Zhao Dong.

"I won't forget it. Don't worry, I will take care of your family for you." Zhao Dong waved his hand.

"Fuck you, I'm going to the hospital, not to hell." Buckley laughed and cursed.

"You can still laugh, Barkley seems to be in a good mood." Hubby Brown joked.

"Maybe it's just a minor injury," Cook said with a smile.

Barkley was sent away and returned directly to New York for surgery, and Nelson was replaced by backup forward Gary Trent.

"Nair, we need transactions and reinforcements, both inside and forward." After the game restarted, Nelson said to Grant.

Grant nodded and said, "Don, what is the bargaining chip you can allow?"

Old Nelson thought for a while and said helplessly: "Three defenders, you choose one to trade, and Kevin Willis, his condition is not good, you can do it, we have no other bargaining chips."

Nodding, Grant began to make a deal in his mind.

In this game, the Knicks lost in the end, 100:108, losing by 8 points.

Even though Zhao Dong played 48 minutes and scored 40 points, 16 rebounds and 8 assists, the Knicks' substitutes couldn't withstand it. Willis was still old and his condition was obviously not as good as last season.

Iverson also played 48 minutes, scoring 42 points and shooting 53% from the field. He was in very hot form, significantly higher than in other games.

But the numbers team won, not because of Iverson, but because of the bench lineup.

The Digital Team's substitutes scored 31 points and grabbed 19 rebounds, while the Knicks' substitutes only scored 14 points and 11 rebounds. There is a huge difference.

"Nima, I wanted to attack Philadelphia, but I didn't expect to be killed." Zhao Dong was also helpless.

Of course, he also sees the shortcomings of the substitute lineup, but the team still has spots and can continue to strengthen, so he is not too worried.

At this time, Iverson was interviewed at the scene.

"Allen, what do you want to say most about defeating the Knicks?" a local reporter asked.

"The Knicks are nothing special," Iverson blurted out.

"Including Feilong?" a reporter from ABC TV station asked.

"I can beat him this time, and I can beat him next time," Iverson said.

Next to him, the postman was also being interviewed. Although his eyebrow bone was broken by Zhao Dong’s elbow, he was in a good mood after winning the game.

"Postman, what does winning this game mean to you?" a local reporter asked.

"This victory can motivate me. We can continue to win until we win the championship." The postman said excitedly.

"Postman, do you feel so excited just because you won a game against Feilong?" a New York reporter asked.

The postman's face froze and he said stiffly: "Winning any game makes me excited. I am eager to win."

An hour later, the Knicks' press conference was held.

"Feilong, do you have any ideas about the team's lineup? Will you ask the management to make a trade?" a New York Times reporter asked.

"Barkley is likely to retire. He is an important member of our rotation. We are now short of people. Of course I hope the management will make some reinforcements. The management will do the same. I don't need to ask or anything. " Zhao Dong said.

"At the beginning of the season, you said you were 100% confident of winning the championship. What about now?" a New York Sports reporter asked.

"One defeat can't shake my confidence." Zhao Dong said.

"Next, the Knicks will play the Spurs, Mosaic, and Lakers on the road. How many games do you think the Knicks can win?"

asked a local Philadelphia sports reporter.

"There are some difficulties. We will try our best to win more games. Specifically, Mosaic should be no problem. We will try our best with the Spurs and Lakers. We still have a chance to win." Zhao Dongdao.

"Don't you have the confidence to win?" the reporter asked in a teasing tone.

"Of course we are confident that we will win, but the game is contingent. Who can achieve an undefeated victory? You?" Zhao Dong said coldly.

"this?"

The reporter was speechless by Zhao Dong's rebuke.

After the press conference, back at the hotel, Grant called Zhao Dong to his room and asked him what he thought of the lineup.

Grant first said what Nelson meant, and then said: "What I mean is to trade Ginobili. He is a newcomer and is still a little unadapted to the NBA. His data is average. I trust the other two more. What do you think?"

Zhao Dong thought for a while and said: "All three of them are good, you can decide for yourself."

He still sticks to his bottom line and tries not to interfere with the team's operations to avoid making everyone look ugly.

In addition, these three are indeed good. Trading any one of them will be a loss for the team, but if you really want to trade, there is nothing you can do.

Grant nodded and said: "I will try my best to strengthen first. If it doesn't work, I will make a trade. However, before trading and strengthening, the record may be affected."

Zhao Dong nodded and said nothing more.

He will definitely not give up in the regular season. This is related to whether he can win the MVP for three consecutive seasons. If the team's record is not good, no matter how good his personal data is, the league may not give him this honor.

After leaving, Zhao Dong went directly to Old Nelson. There were some things that needed to be communicated.

"Tang, I hope that in the next schedule, even if the team does not have reinforcements, we will try our best to win." Zhao Dong said directly.

"Why?" Old Nelson asked puzzledly.

He has even decided to give up some unimportant games before the team's lineup is strengthened.

For example, the game against the Western Conference, this time against the Spurs, Mosaic, and Lakers, will not affect the Knicks' record in the Eastern Conference and can be given up.

With the Knicks' current lineup, even if they don't make trades or reinforcements, they can easily make it to the playoffs.

And if too much physical energy is wasted in the regular season, the main players will consume too much, and even cause injuries, which may affect their performance in the playoffs.

Zhao Dong said softly: "Because I don't want to give up."

What he said was very simple, but the firmness revealed in his words was immediately felt by Old Nelson.

After taking a steady look at Zhao Dong, Nelson didn't think much about it. The Knicks were Zhao Dong's team, so he could only agree.

Zhao Dong wants to win at all costs, and no one can stop him, including him, the management, and owner James Dowland.

Team leaders are the soul and core of a team, unless the management and owners choose to rebuild.

Zhao Dongdao: "I will play more time, and the rotation of others will remain unchanged to avoid injuries."

Old Nelson reminded: "Feilong, you can't get hurt."

Zhao Dong nodded and said: "I know this."

He added: "Leave it to the three of them on the outside. Fordson and I are on the inside, and Willis is the substitute. Don, I think our lineup is actually pretty good. We just need to strengthen the bench. What do you think? ?”

Old Nelson smiled and said: "I think so too. Of the three guards, Ginobili is still in the adaptation period. I think the other two are mature All-Star level guards, at least quasi-All-Star level. The difference between us is only three." The height of the position.

Even in terms of rebounding ability as mentioned by the media, with you and Fordson in the paint, our rebounding is not weaker than any other team. "

Zhao Dong nodded and said excitedly: "If we strengthen the bench, we will still be the most competitive team in the league."

At this time, Grant was contacting owner James Dowland.

"Boss, the team needs reinforcements and may need to pay more luxury tax. What is your opinion?"

"Luxury tax?"

Dolan in New York has a headache. If it were before, he wouldn't have cared at all. With the Knicks' profitability, no matter how much luxury tax it is, he doesn't have to pay out of his own pocket.

But now, he and his family have lost a lot of money on the U.S. stock market. As the U.S. stock market continues to fall, the market value of listed companies is evaporating rapidly. In the past three months, his net worth has shrunk by 40%. , less than two billion US dollars.

What he wants now is to extract money from the Knicks to make up for his losses and let him pay more luxury taxes, so he is a little hesitant.

Grant sensed Dolan's hesitation and thought inwardly, "What's going on with the boss?" This was not the attitude before.

If the team does not strengthen, how can he explain to Zhao Dong?

When Zhao Dong was renewed, the boss promised that no matter how much luxury tax he paid, he would not refuse.

The salary cap for this season is 34 million U.S. dollars. The team has now far exceeded this limit. Zhao Dong, Madman, and Stackhouse alone have reached 36 million U.S. dollars. Including other salaries, this season The Knicks paid a luxury tax of $15 million, and including salary, the Knicks spent nearly $30 million more.

His idea is to trade one or two more good guys and spend about $10 million.

The Knicks' operating income can completely afford this expense. The boss doesn't need to take money out of his pocket at all, but there is no profit.

While he was thinking wildly, Dolan spoke over there, "Nair, just do what you think. What I said before will stand."

"OK, great!" Grant was startled and said excitedly.

Dolan over there gave a wry smile. He had also figured it out. Even if he could scrape some oil and water from Knicks, it would not be much money. If Feilong was offended or forced to leave directly, the losses would be immeasurable.

On the 24th, the team arrived in San Antonio.

In this year's draft, the Spurs were unlucky. They selected Kirilenko with the first-round pick, but he would rather not play in the NBA than come to the Spurs. He only loves the Jazz.

In fact, Popovich has a headache because this season is Duncan's contract year. If he offers Duncan a maximum salary contract, he will not be able to reinforce it.

The Spurs were defeated by the Knicks in the Finals last season and lost the championship. This was the first match between the two teams after the Finals. The media had different opinions on this.

But the vast majority of the media are optimistic about the Spurs.

After arriving at the hotel, the Knicks held a press conference at the request of the media.

"Coach Nelson, how is Barkley's injury?" a reporter asked.

"Oh, it's very troublesome. My quadriceps muscle was ruptured and I've had surgery. It was successful," Nelson said.

"Will he come back?" the reporter asked.

"This is for him to decide."

Nelson did not speak out, but Barkley has notified his new agent, Jordan's agent David Falk, that he is retiring, and has also notified Knicks general manager Grant, but it has not been officially announced yet.

"So for tomorrow night's game, how many chances do you think the Knicks have to win?" a New York Sports reporter asked.

"Our main lineup is complete. We will try our best to win and will not hold anything back." Nelson said after taking a look at Zhao Dong.

Just half an hour after the Knicks' press conference, Barkley's new agent David Falk held a special press conference in New York to announce his retirement on behalf of Barkley.

As a superstar, Barkley's injury and retirement still had a considerable impact in the United States. Many media expressed their regrets and many stars sent their blessings.

ESPN acted quickly and adjusted its championship prediction rankings this afternoon. The Knicks, which had always been in first place, dropped directly to third place. The Spurs were first and the Lakers were second. The probability of winning was only 40%.

"ESPN has been acting very amateurish."

In a phone interview with the media, Zhao Dong expressed his attitude towards ESPN's adjustment, and the irony was very obvious.

On the evening of the 25th, the Spurs were at home and the game was about to start. At 7:30, the two teams announced their starting lineups.

Knicks: Zhao Dong, Fordson, Sprewell, Stackhouse, Ginobili

Spurs: David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Jerome Corsi, Mario Elie, Avery Johnson

On the TNT live broadcast, Bill Walton analyzed: "Although Barkley is injured, he is only a substitute, and his condition this season is obviously not as good as last season. His weight is not well controlled. For a veteran, this is Very dangerous, especially as an inside player.

Therefore, in fact, the Knicks' loss in strength is not large. As long as their main players play more time, the losses caused by Barkley can be offset. "

Matt nodded and said: "But the Knicks still need to strengthen the bench as soon as possible and cannot consume the main players' physical energy too much in the regular season."

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