A butterfly flapping its wings in the Amazon rainforest may cause a storm in remote Texas. This is the "butterfly effect".
The Warriors' victory over the Cavaliers was like a small butterfly flapping its tender wings, which aroused widespread aftermath after the game.
In the offseason trading market, the Warriors and Cavaliers are the two most eye-catching teams.
The Cavaliers stud all the chips in their hands, put all the future on the table, and do everything for a championship.
The Warriors almost emptied the team, trading out all the powerful veterans and outside cores in exchange for a lot of draft picks. The team is full of rookies and has completely entered the rebuilding period.
And the bargaining chip they paid was given to the opponent.
Before this game, everyone believed that the Cavaliers would win, and tonight should be a scene of "the little emperor reigns supreme" and "Monta Ellis' revenge on his old club".
Almost no one is optimistic about the Warriors. Although their record exceeded everyone's expectations, the Cavaliers' 9 wins and 1 loss showed full dominance.
But in the end, the rebuilding team defeated the championship team, and the rookie defeated the superstar.
This is a regular season, not just a regular season.
The outside world's views on the two teams have changed a lot because of this game. This change was first reflected in the post-match interview.
As the loser, the Cavaliers were the first to accept the interview, and Mike Brown and James attended.
The reporters turned their microphones on James one after another:
"LeBron, you scored 41 points in this game, but you still lost the game. What do you think is the reason?"
James' emotions have recovered, and he said calmly:
"The Warriors are a very strong team, we tried our best, but they are better, that's it."
"Besides you, the Cavaliers' highest scoring player is Mo Williams with 15 points. Did your teammates take off your back?" Another reporter asked.
James' complexion was a little ugly:
"Of course not, they also gave their best."
"Then what is the reason for the Cavaliers' loss?"
"...we're out of luck."
"But the Warriors are just a rebuilding team, and the Cavaliers are a championship team. You scored 41 points and the Cavaliers still lost the game. Does this mean that the Cavaliers' previous 9 wins and 1 loss have a lot of water? "A reporter asked sharply.
James' face became even uglier. He thought for a few seconds and said:
"I don't think so. Although the Warriors are all rookies, they are ranked third in the West. They are definitely not a weak team. Curry is a strong player. He scored 34 points today. I think he is already a star. It's normal for the Cavaliers to lose to such a powerful opponent."
He suppressed the discomfort in his heart and praised his opponent who just defeated him.
If you don't want to admit that you are weak, you can only admit that your opponent is strong.
But James knew that if he hadn't been influenced by Zhang Yu's remarks before the game and perfectly combined personal offense and teamwork in the game, the Warriors would have no chance of winning at all.
As the No. 22 scorer of the Cavaliers with an average of 14 points per game, Monta Ellis only scored [-] points in this game. He didn't get many opportunities to perform against his old club. This is already very illustrative.
James self-destructed half of his martial arts, and the advantage of the Cavaliers' many offensive points was not brought into play at all. When he finally needed his teammates to stand up, it was too late.
The Warriors, on the other hand, played the running and bombing to the fullest, crazily targeting the Cavaliers' defensive weaknesses, playing more team-oriented, and finally won the game.
Just when James understood everything in his heart, the reporter continued to ask:
"LeBron, you chose to pass the ball twice at the last moment. Can I understand that you are avoiding responsibility?"
James' complexion became very ugly:
"At that time, I was facing a double-team. It was obviously a better opportunity to pass to an open teammate. I just made the most correct judgment."
"But you rarely passed the ball in the first 46 minutes, why did you start passing the ball at the last moment?"
James' complexion was completely gloomy:
"I made it very clear. I just made the most correct decision. This is the way I play! If there is no problem, I will go first."
After he finished speaking, he nodded slightly to the reporters in the audience, then got up and left. Mike Brown hurriedly followed him. Looking at his posture, it seemed that James was the head coach and he was just a player of the Cavaliers.
The reporters looked at each other, puzzled.
Many people have questioned James' pass at the last moment in the past. He should have been calm in the face of this kind of problem. Why does it seem to break the defense this time?
The reporters didn't know that James was a little annoyed because he was arranged by Zhang Yu, but they knew that James' reaction could attract attention, and that was enough.
After the Cavaliers, the Warriors were interviewed, and Zhang Yu and Curry came to the venue.
The reporter first asked Curry a few random questions, and then focused on Zhang Yu.
Everyone knows that Curry is a good baby off the court. If you really want to dig out the hot spots, you have to look at Zhang Yu.
Zhang Yu's answers in the interview before the game were already very explosive. Now that the Warriors have won the game, the reporters are even more looking forward to what he will say.
"Coach Z, congratulations to the Warriors for winning tonight. Do you have anything to say about this?"
"I'm very happy to be able to win the first place in the league. This fully proves our strength. I don't think anyone will doubt that the Warriors' record is only temporary." Zhang Yu said with a smile.
"Do you mean that the Warriors will finally enter the playoffs with the third record in the Western Conference?" The reporter's eyes lit up.
"No, the goal of the Warriors is to enter the playoffs. I don't care about the ranking." Zhang Yu said lightly.
"Curry scored 34 points tonight, not counting this game, he ranked fourth on the scoring list, what do you think of his performance?"
"He is a real star. I think the judges should break the prejudice and select him as the best team and All-Star. He deserves these honors." Zhang Yu did not hesitate to canvass for Curry.
"Who do you think the Cavaliers should be responsible for the loss of this game, James who passed the ball at the last moment, or Monta Ellis who didn't make a three-pointer?" The reporter threw out the last question.
Zhang Yu pondered for a while, and said with a puzzled look:
"I don't understand why James didn't pass the ball earlier. Although I traded Monta to the Cavaliers, I always think he is a strong player. His performance this season has proved it... James controls the big I don't think it's reasonable to take possession of the ball in half court and give the blame to his teammates at the last moment, and he should shoulder his responsibilities as a leader."
The reporters laughed excitedly, look, Coach Z is still open, dare to say anything, this is completely tearing the face off with the Cavaliers!
...
The next day, James saw the major media reports about last night's game at his hotel in Washington.
"Washington post":
"The Warriors defeated the Cavaliers. Curry scored a large double-double of 34+11. James scored 41 points. The Cavaliers' defense exposed a major hidden danger. The Sharks may become the biggest loophole in the Cavaliers' defense in the playoffs..."
This is relatively normal. James read it carefully and found it reasonable.
Sports Illustrated:
"The little emperor lost to the No. [-] pick. James passed the ball at the last moment, ruining the good game. Coach Z was outspoken, saying that James had the sole control of the ball and his teammates did not have a chance to play. The biggest reason for the loss..."
James glanced at it roughly, his face became more and more ugly until it turned ashen.
"USA TODAY":
"The popular defense of the championship was pierced. The Cavaliers once again embarked on the old road of relying on James, but he chose to pass the ball at the last moment. Coach Z said in an interview after the game that James has no leadership qualities and dare not take responsibility..."
Swish!
James threw the newspaper on the table with an angry expression on his face.
Zhang Yu said this too bluntly, she just pointed at his nose and scolded him.
After James became a superstar, no coach or player has said that about him.
Those reporters rely on traffic to make a living, so that's all, the key point is that I can't stop him from talking.
But your coach Z is also an insider in the NBA circle. If you speak so ruthlessly, aren't you afraid of backlash in the future?
You won this game, but the Warriors won't keep winning. Everyone has a day of losing. If you don't have any good morals, aren't you afraid that others will criticize you like this?
James leaned on the sofa with a sullen face, suddenly sneered, took out his cell phone, and made a few calls.
...
At the same time, the Warriors also rushed to Boston overnight to face the Celtics back-to-back.
That night, in the TD North Shore Garden Arena, the cheers of Celtics fans were particularly loud.
Zhang Yu looked at the score on the big screen in mid-air with a calm expression on the sidelines. It was only 2 minutes before the end of the game, but the Warriors fell behind the Celtics with a score of 77:96.
This game was in line with his expectations. The Warriors were suppressed by the Celtics. Under Rondo's scheduling, the Big Three had the upper hand on both offense and defense.
Garnett played a key role. He maximized his mobility. The large-scale defense effectively limited the Warriors' running and bombing and greatly curbed the Warriors' firepower.
And this is the second back-to-back game for the Warriors. The team is not in good shape. Curry was almost exhausted last night. He didn't recover today. He felt bad. He made 10 of 1 three-pointers and only scored 15 points. No one scored more than 20.
In this case, it would be strange for the Celtics not to win.
After losing the game, instead of getting angry, Zhang Yu announced that the Warriors would have a day off after returning to Oakland, and cheers erupted in the locker room.
But the next day, there were many star comments about the game in the media.
James:
"The Warriors defeated the Celtics? I don't know the reason, maybe it's because Coach Z lacks coaching experience..."
Wade:
"I think this is the real strength of the Warriors. It's just a fluke that they can win the Cavaliers."
Bosh:
"I only saw Coach Z making no adjustments. He obviously needs more games to gain experience."
Anthony:
"This game let me know that the Chinese is not qualified to judge LeBron, it's as simple as that."
Zhang Yu watched the overwhelming criticism from the media in the office, with a leisurely demeanor, unmoved at all.
Silas knocked on the door and entered, holding the training plan in his hand, glanced at the piles of newspapers on the table, and said with relief:
"Ronan, don't worry about it. It's normal to have some criticism after a loss... But you should try not to judge other stars so directly in the future, especially superstars like James."
Zhang Yu smiled and said:
"I didn't care at all. It's possible for these players to come to the Warriors. Let them go. Anyway, it won't have any impact on the team."
These stars have one thing in common, that is, they have a good relationship with James. If they are willing to speak out, it must be James who contacted them.
Silas said:
"But this will have a bad impact on your reputation in the league..."
"Do I need this?" Zhang Yu interrupted.
Silas was taken aback, yes, Zhang Yu is not only the head coach, he is also the boss, when does he need to comment on this thing?
"But why do you have to be enemies with James?" Silas said with some confusion.
Zhang Yu smiled lightly and said:
"Of course it is for our draft picks. As long as it can have a slight impact on the Cavaliers' championship path, I will not let it go. As long as James hesitates for a second at the critical moment of the key game because of my words It's worth it. And don't forget, Monta Ellis is not a good baby, wouldn't he be dissatisfied with James' behavior of monopolizing the ball? He's too embarrassed to say it, so I'll point it out for him."
Silas suddenly nodded, and looked at Zhang Yu with a trace of awe.
He saw the shadow of a famous coach from Zhang Yu, Phil Jackson, Popovich, old Nelson... These legendary coaches are very good at using words to stir up the opponent's emotions, thus affecting the opponent's performance on the court.
Zhang Yu's words are very simple, but very useful.
If many things are kept covered up, then it is not a contradiction, but if they are singled out, it is not a simple problem.
Monta Ellis may be convinced by James now, but will he have a dispute with James over the ball in the future?
No one can tell, he may have been loyal to James, or he may be ambitious.
In any case, Zhang Yu's words have already planted a seed. At least when Monta Ellis faced his old club, he didn't have much chance to perform in the whole game. If he lost, he must have something grudge in his heart.
Although Zhang Yu thinks that the Cavaliers are unlikely to win the championship, he doesn't mind adding more fire to James's road to coronation.
Only when James goes away, the draft picks in the hands of the Warriors are valuable.
And in remote Indiana, James, who had just rushed over from Washington, read the reports in the newspaper and felt extremely comfortable.
But then he was troubled by the Monta Ellis affair.
In the past two days, Monta Ellis was criticized many times by the local media in Cleveland because of his consecutive missed three-pointers at the last moment, and he was in a bad mood.
James knew that he was taking the blame for his own problems, but he couldn't say it outright, he could only comfort him privately, and Monta Ellis barely recovered.
But he knew that a rift had been planted between the two.
And how much impact this will have on the Cavaliers, no one knows.