Reggie Miller lay on the floor and let the masseur "ravage" his body.

Although he was surrounded by boos, the old Miller still enjoyed the relaxing moment before the game.

As usual, after receiving the massage, Miller practiced his mid- and long-range shooting accompanied by the trainer.

Even in a stadium filled with opposing fans at the Palace of Auburn Hills, Miller's shooting percentage was impressive.

I took 50 three-pointers and scored 41. I took 30 free throws and scored 29.

Although he is already an out-and-out veteran, and although it is Artest and O'Neal who are really carrying the Pacers forward now, Miller has never relaxed his demands on himself.

He strives to adjust his condition to the best to cope with various emergencies.

Something like Game 2 of the series...he never wanted to happen again.

After the warm-up, there were more and more fans in the stands, and reporters began to pour into the stadium one after another.

An ESPN reporter found Miller, obviously hoping to invite this team spirit figure for a pre-game interview.

Miller nodded and reminded reporters: "Hurry up."

"Reggie, you shot a lot of three-pointers before the game. Does this mean you hope you can maintain a good touch when taking the last shot?"

The first question is very common.

Miller was not nervous and was content.

“What I care about is whether the competition I participate in reaches the standard I expected, and that is the key to my satisfaction.

In fact, I don't really care about whether I can get the right to take the last shot in the game. I don't want to have a Miller moment all the time.

I have been working hard in the league for many years, and I have become accustomed to looking at the outcome of the game with a cold eye. Therefore, I work hard to warm up before the game, just to have a clear conscience during the game."

"Really? Since you said that, why did you get so angry that you kicked the ball into the audience after the second game of the series?"

Reporters exposed Miller's lies mercilessly.

Do you look at winning or losing with a cold eye? You may say that others are the same, but you, Miller, are definitely not like this personality.

Miller's originally calm face changed slightly. He frowned, then looked up at the basket.

In the second game of the series, why are you so angry?

He began to recall what happened that night.

At that time, the game ended with 98 seconds left, and the Pacers trailed the Pistons by 6 points.

At the critical moment, no one on the Pacers was able to do anything, and in the end it was Miller who had to take action.

He stepped up and scored 4 points in a row, narrowing the difference to 2 points in the last 46 seconds.

At this time, Miller was feeling hot, and everyone hoped that he could make Miller return to the game at any time and allow the Pacers to go to Detroit with a total score of 2-0.

However, in the next key attack that determined the trend of the game, Miller's fast break layup was chased by Tayshaun Prince who appeared out of nowhere.

The miracle ended here. This risk made Prince popular across the United States and directly shattered the Pacers' confidence.

In the end, the Pistons won this dramatic game 72-67 on the road.

After the game, Miller kicked the game ball away, seemingly venting his frustration.

If he could be a little faster and two or three years younger, maybe he wouldn't be covered?

But there are no maybes and ifs on the basketball court, so Miller can only vent his anger by playing football.

Therefore, he was fined $5,000 by the league.

Thinking of everything that happened that day, Miller's expression became even more uneasy.

Yes, if you don’t care about victory, you can tell it to outsiders...

"Do you want to know why? Because the championship is a dream I have been pursuing for many years!" After Miller finished speaking, he turned around and left, ending the interview.

His lies were self-evident.

When a man who is nearly 40 years old says the word "dream".

You know how dedicated he is to this.

Today is June 1st, Children’s Day.

At the same time, it is also the start of Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Indiana Pacers, who were previously ranked first in the regular season, will face their life-or-death battle at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

That's right, a battle of life and death.

Because at this time, the total score of the series became 3-2, and the Pistons got the match point.

This "grassroots team" that was not optimistic before only needs to win one more game to reach the finals.

Their grassroots myth is really a bit like this year's NCAA championship Cowboys.

At the same time, this also means that if the Pacers, who are ranked first in the league, lose another game, they will pack up and leave.

Miller was trying to calm down before the game, so he deliberately looked nonchalant.

But the reporter's questions made him a little impatient now.

Championship, championship... His championship dream has become in jeopardy again.

After the game started, the two sides fell into physical combat as usual.

This series was played very roughly and savagely, and the score was not high because both sides paid great attention to defense.

The key to victory for both sides is to find ways to make the other party less efficient than themselves.

This style of play is very different from the style that pursued high efficiency ten years later.

Such a rough game can easily cause friction between players on both sides.

Only five minutes into the game, Artest and Ben were already at loggerheads.

A minute later, Tianzun and O'Neal had a physical collision under the basket that was beyond the scope of the game.

The game was very bloody, and both sides were almost on the verge of losing control.

Scenes of people falling on their backs and tough physical confrontations filled the court, which had nothing to do with the "beautiful basketball" and "gentleman basketball" in Stern's fantasy.

However, this "ugly" game made all fans excited.

The real battle is nothing more than this.

The game went on like this, with neither side able to open up the score.

When Wayne and Tony Allen finished training and rushed back to their residence to turn on the TV, the score had reached 63 to 67, with the Pistons leading by 4 points.

If it were in 2020, when Wayne saw this score, he would definitely feel that the game had just begun in the third quarter.

But at this time, the game has reached the last 1 minute and 03 seconds.

"I'm going, I'm so anxious. Wayne, who are you betting on to win this series? Whoever loses, who will get up and make breakfast tomorrow morning!" Tony Allen geared up and started setting up the betting table.

"If the Pistons win, I'll bet with you for three days. If I lose, I'll make breakfast for three days."

"The Pistons? They may be leading in the total score now, but the Pacers are No. 1 in the league! Moreover, the Pistons have no championship appearance. Do you really think they will become the Eastern Conference champion?"

"Well, I'll bet on the Pistons anyway." Wayne shrugged. This kind of game has no suspense for him.

If possible, if he gambles with Tony again in the finals, it is estimated that Wayne will not have to make breakfast by himself before the draft begins.

Good brother...of course I'm here to trick you!

At this time, O'Neal Jr. received the basketball in the low post, turned over and shot a jumper.

However, this crucial shot was struck due to interference from Roaring Heavenly Lord.

Although Tianzun is embarrassed when he mentions Wayne, his hard power is indeed strong enough.

O'Neal Jr.'s shooting percentage today is very bad, almost over 40%, thanks to the gift of God.

To be precise, throughout the entire series, the guy who ranks third in the MVP rankings performed very well.

Some media have begun to call O'Neal Jr. a "regular season superstar and playoff baby."

"What are you doing? We have to seize the opportunity! Fuck!" Artest yelled at O'Neal, even saying the word starting with F.

It is no secret that O'Neal Jr. does not have a stable scoring method at critical moments.

"Don't yell at me, retreat quickly!" O'Neal Jr. was also angry. His relationship with Artest was not as good as people imagined.

It would be difficult for a guy like Artest, who is full of thorns and full of aggression, and a tough guy like O'Neal Jr. to get together.

If it weren't for Miller's pressure in the locker room, if it weren't for the Pacers' excellent record this year that concealed many conflicts, these two guys would have exploded long ago.

Fortunately, for the Pistons, Prince's mid-range shot also hit the mark and the score was not further extended.

The point difference is still 4 points, but the time left for the Pacers is getting less and less.

This time, Artest decided to step up and carry the offensive banner for O'Neal. He did not trust O'Neal's performance at critical moments.

But how good is he? He is not a particularly stable scoring point, and it is even less effective at critical moments.

"Artest also missed a three-pointer. Oh my god, will the league's No. 1 team be eliminated because of this? They are just one step away from the finals!"

The commentator looked at the time and saw that the Pacers almost missed their best opportunity.

Miller sighed. This game reminded him of those experiences in the regular season.

What he was most worried about happened.

At the critical moment, this team does not have a stable scoring point.

No one can confidently slap their chest and say, "Leave the ball to me and I'll take care of it."

O'Neal can't do it, and Artest can't do it even more.

Miller didn't care much about losing in the regular season because of this.

He lost the second game of the series because of this, and he could tell himself that he still had a chance.

But if we lose again today...

"Damn it!" Miller also cursed secretly. In the end, will he still have to rely on himself who is nearly forty years old?

But this time, the Pistons gave the Pacers no chance to struggle.

Billups used an elusive ground pass to assist Ben to dunk under the basket!

O'Neal's attention was attracted by Billups, and the basket was left empty.

After the dunk, Ben didn't forget to yell at Artest.

Artest gritted his teeth. If the big guy wasn't more intimidating than him, he would have to teach that afro man a lesson.

It’s not that I’m afraid of being fined or suspended, the key thing is… I’m afraid of not being able to beat!

"There were 11 seconds left on the clock and the Pacers were 6 points behind. Coach Carlisle stopped the game. They were only a hair away from hell!"

Pistons fans cheer at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

Of course, the way they cheer is different from fans in other cities.

At this time, the Pacers players sitting on the bench had to endure the curse words spouted by the fans behind them while listening to Carlisle's tactics.

"Harrington, you help Miller block Hamilton and Jermaine. You try to contain Ben in the paint so that he can't do anything. Reggie, you take this shot!"

Miller looked at Carlisle and nodded silently.

A team competing for the championship can only rely on a nearly 40-year-old veteran for key goals...

How sad this is.

But did Carlisle have a choice? He didn't have a choice.

His team can defend key goals, but it may not be able to score key goals.

In the end, Miller, whose physical energy was nearly exhausted, did not make the life-or-death shot.

He is no longer the Miller who scored 8 points in 9 seconds, pushed away the "God" to complete the buzzer beater, or grabbed Spike Lee's neck with both hands.

He is almost 40 years old, and this burden should have been shouldered by others.

but......

"Hit your ass!" Bird turned off the TV and smashed the remote control.

Beside him, team general manager Donnie Walsh remained silent.

The general manager's office was silent for a long time, until the Indiana basketball legend stood up.

The Detroit Pistons defeated the league's number one Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals 4-2.

All their efforts for a year were in vain.

"Larry..."

"Stop talking, you've seen it, we are still one breath away from the championship!" Bird interrupted forcefully before Walsh could finish.

"how do you want to do it?"

"Reinforce!"

"Who to reinforce?"

"The people we need."

"Even if it's reinforcements from the damn draft?" Walsh also became serious. He knew what Bird wanted to do.

Walsh also affirmed that Bird knew that he had always been unfavorable to Wayne.

Bird didn't answer, but walked straight out of the office.

Walsh also cursed angrily.

From O'Neal to Artest, from Bird to Walsh...
Chapter completed!