The first game of the finals is scheduled to start on June 6. After the Eastern Conference Finals, the league gave the Nets three days off.

For the Supersonics, this is not a good decision. The Supersonics ended on May 30th, and the rest time was a little longer, one day later than the normal arrangement.

But most people think that the problem is not big. The Supersonics' style of playing this year has relatively low requirements for the status of the role players.

Iron-blooded defense has such an advantage.

Pat Riley chose the iron-blooded style of play back then. In addition to shortening the three-point line, which was conducive to defense, he also took a fancy to this point.

But the best player of the Heat team back then was Mooning, and the strongest score-scoring ability was Tim Hardaway... This is indeed not enough. The Knicks can use the same style of playing to achieve championship-level strength, including Alan Houston, Spreville, Larry Johnson... and others.

The Heat have lost their place in the playoffs.

The Supersonics have Zhang Hao, Kassel, Ginobili, Arroyo, Artest, and other hard-working styles. In the playoffs, the Supersonics play like this, and his offensive performance has not declined but increased compared to the regular season!

In the second round of the Western Conference Finals, Zhang Hao was the one with the Supersonics team who scored in double-digit points. The Supersonics often scored multiple players or scored in open shots, and only two players scored in double-digit points. One was Zhang Hao, and the other was usually one of Cassel and Artest.

Zhang Hao, Kassel, Artest, and the three have some common points on the offensive end - they don't care about the hit rate, their simple playing style, they dare to fight...

When the league announced the finals schedule, at first, some people thought that the Supersonics' advantage of reaching the finals was greatly reduced by the league, but various media, experts and professional fans analyzed it and found...

It doesn't matter...

...

What is the attitude of the Supersonics towards this finals?

I attach great importance to it, very much.

It's time to fight, and the dynasty is right in front of you, so of course you have to pay attention to it.

He even took it too much. Zhang Hao felt that he paid too much attention and thought that he could just play against the Nets.

In order to relieve the pressure from the coaches and teammates, Zhang Hao accepted the live broadcast program invited by Barkley.

On June 5, 2003, at 7:30 p.m. the day before the finals, T.N.T Sports Station played the latest episode of Barkley's basketball program "Voice of the Champions".

The guest is Zhang Hao.

After a greeting, Barkley asked: "Aix, the Nets are entering the finals! Have you ever thought they can have this day?"

Zhang Hao replied: "I always thought they could compete for the championship one day and they could reach the finals one day, and I was not surprised for a day."

Barkley was very surprised: "I didn't expect you to think they could enter the Finals. OK, just think you really think that the Nets can enter the Finals one day and win the championship, but there is still a problem. What do you feel when the Nets enter the Finals?"

Zhang Hao replied: "I'm very happy to see them enter the finals. After so many years, they finally got the players they want and successfully reached the finals. I'm happy for them. They are great opponents... puff... yes, great."

"Aix, you laughed!"

"No, you read it wrong, I didn't laugh."

"You really laughed!"

"Mr. Barkley, you are slandering me. I am a professional basketball player. Even if the situation is so good for us, even if I seem to have seen the league engrave the 'Seattle Supersonics' on the championship trophy in advance, I won't laugh."

"..." Barkley wanted to turn the table up!

But looking down, I saw the championship ring hanging with a gold necklace on my chest... What a big deal! Continue to ask: "Aix, what are your expectations for this final?"

"..." This time it was Zhang Hao's turn to be silent.

"What's wrong with Aix?"

"Mr. Barkley, don't worry, wait, I haven't made it up yet... No, I haven't figured out how to describe the expectations the Nets gave me."

"Aix, it's a bit too much."

"Mr. Barkley, I just heard in the backstage that you have started writing a review of the dynasty of our Supersonics' three consecutive championships."

"Hahahaha... I'm sorry, producer, reduce! reduce! Aix, come on, let's pretend, we all pretend to think this final is very suspenseful."

"Okay... no, I'm sorry Mr. Barkley, I can't pretend."

"Aix, you have good acting skills! I heard you were also shortlisted for the Saturn Award for Best Newcomer."

"When I acted, I didn't know that the Ultraman I played was actually classified into science fiction films...

I know I have good acting skills, but I have never lost to the Nets. I really can't think of how to act. Mr. Barkley, you have a lot of experience in losing games, teach me."

"Producer, director, camera teacher, wait a moment."

Barkley carefully took off the small gold chain with the championship ring and placed it on the coffee table, and suddenly jumped towards Zhang Hao.

But Zhang Hao had already expected it, to move flexibly and escape easily...

...

...

At 7:40 pm on June 6, 2003, at Seattle Key Stadium, the first game of the finals of the Supersonics playing against the Nets at home was about to begin.

“Ghost:

Target 1: Zhang Hao must lead the team to sweep the Nets in the regular season of the 2001-2002 season. (Completed)

Target 2: When the Supersonics face the Nets at home in the regular season of the 2001-2002 season, Zhang Hao must score, rebound, assist, steal and blocks above Jason Kidd. (Completed)

The host has received a reward: designated medal quarterback silver upgrade card fragment*1.

Advanced goal: After completing the basic goal, before the end of the 2002-2003 season, if Jason Kidd leads the team to the finals, Zhang Hao needs to lead the team to the finals and defeat Kidd's team in the same season. (Note: Just fight once in the finals and defeat it. If Jason Kidd fails to lead the team to the finals before the end of the 2002-2003 season, Zhang Hao once led the team to the finals as a completion; if Kidd leads the team to the finals, Zhang Hao fails to lead the team to the finals, which is considered a failure.)

Advanced Reward: Designated Medal Quarterback Silver Upgrade Card Fragment*1."

As soon as he entered the stadium, Zhang Hao received this task prompt. Before the finals last year, there was a similar task, ‘NO.24’, which was exactly the same as this task.

In the finals last year, the task of "Kobe Time" was completed, and the "Kobe Time" was upgraded to the silver level.

And Kidd's 'genius' mission...

‘I thought at least one of the two tasks might be completed lying down, but both tasks had to be completed by themselves… It was also good to play against Kidd, who was the absolute core, who reached the finals, and it was also a very worthwhile thing to look forward to… What are you looking forward to…’

Zhang Hao thought about it...'Looking forward to how powerful the silver-level quarterback is! This is a medal that can be used as a core technology for running, bombing or defensive counterattack! Expanding technology around this medal can be used as a core of the future small ball era...'

The show with Barkley was recorded the day before yesterday, the afternoon of the 4th, and it was the evening of the 6th, and Zhang Hao still didn't think about what expectations he could find in the Nets.

The competition is about to begin!

So, Zhang Hao chose to give up and play the game directly!

On the other hand, the Nets players saw the group of people on the opposite side talking and laughing. The man who had never won in their team history was still looking at them with malicious eyes... so angry!

Every player on the Nets is so angry!

On the other side, no one looks down on them at all!

If Kidd joined the Nets before, there would be no emotional fluctuations when encountering this situation.

But now the game is completely different, this is the NBA Finals!

Last season, Kidd joined the Nets, and the Nets directly gained the strength at the division final level. This season, he seized the opportunity of the overall strength of the Eastern Conference but the top teams declined, and reached the finals. His mentality has long changed.

Therefore, the expressions of the players on both sides were very interesting, and the TV station commentator was also laughing at the atmosphere of the two teams.

It seems that everyone thinks that the Supersonics have won the championship this season!

...

At 8 pm, the first match of the 2002-2003 season finals started at Seattle Key Stadium.

The happiness and joy of the fans on the scene, the relaxation and contempt of the opponent's players before the game, and all media believed that the Supersonics had completed three consecutive championships... The Nets were very unhappy with this situation! Furious...

After the game began, the Nets' unhappiness fury turned into incompetent fury.

After the first quarter, the Supersonics led the Nets by 6 points.

The score difference is not big, it is a very normal point difference in a quarter of the game.

But the score in the first quarter was 15-9. The Supersonics pushed the rhythm to the extreme and only scored 15 points, but limited the Nets to score in a single quarter without double points...

The Supersonics were a little flustered after the Nets advanced to the finals, but they were actually preparing for the finals with the Nets before the G6 in the Eastern Conference Finals started on June 1st.

Judging from the situation at that time, the Bulls really had no hope of turning around. Even if the Bulls win the G5, they would just be a comeback.

But it was because I started preparing for the finals with the Nets early. After discussion, analysis, tactical discussion, training and drills... I found that the Nets were not considered a strong team in the finals...

To be more straightforward, since the NBA merged with the ABA in 1976 and all the top American basketball players were concentrated in one league, the Nets were the weakest Finals team in more than 20 years, no doubt about it.

The Nets' defensive counterattack was almost completely locked in front of the Supersonics who entered the pure iron-blooded mode! The Nets only scored 4 points in the first quarter by relying on offense and defense conversion!

The defense can't fight, the running, bombing and rushing, and the positional battles are even more helpless!

After the first quarter, all the Nets players were stunned - Timberwolves, Kings, and Mavericks, are these three teams facing such terrifying opponents?

In fact, in the eyes of the Kings, the Supersonics are not much better than the Mavericks and Lakers, they are just better; the Mavericks' view is similar to that of the Kings.

The big scores of 4-1 and 4-0 cannot be considered as the Supersonics so strong that these two teams have no strength to fight back.

But the Nets really don’t have the power to fight back!

To reach the finals, it is a huge encouragement to everyone in the Nets, including Kidd, and a huge increase in confidence.

In their opinion, they are already a championship-level team.

In fact, the Nets viewed the performance of the Supersonics in the second round and the Western Conference Finals, which was the same as the Kings and the Mavericks. They did not think that the Supersonics' strength was a crushing class for the Kings and the Mavericks, but the Supersonics performed better.
To be continued...