Chapter 138: He’s Not That Person
When the Memphis Grizzlies returned to the hotel to rest with the joy of their first Playoffs victory in team history, some inevitable episodes still echoed in the night like the song of a nightingale.
Byron Scott had fully felt the defensive intensity of the Grizzlies through this loss, which was absolutely astonishing.
Because the Grizzlies in the Regular Season looked like a balanced offensive and defensive team, with the main issues being inside and bench depth.
But last night, they played like a team strong on defense but weak on offense.
The problem was, this defense was so strong it was surprising, directly throwing the Hornets into chaos, leading to the Western Conference Second losing at home.
Losing the first game of the series was certainly not the end of the world, but this loss was enough to make Byron Scott re-examine the Grizzlies as an opponent.
Since the Grizzlies’ comeback hinged on defense, the referees’ officiating scale became their lifeline—this was exactly what Scott would address next.
“I’m proud of my players’ performance; everyone played well,” Scott opened at the press conference.
The reporter followed up: “Does that mean tonight’s Grizzlies were the better team?”
“From the outcome, yes.”
“From the outcome”—what subtle wording.
If Xu Ling were there, he would instantly decipher the subtext: Does losing prove the opponent is stronger? Setting aside the score, did the Grizzlies really deserve this victory?
Sophistry always follows the same underlying logic: questioning established facts.
Scott then threw out his “not from the outcome” argument: “If you carefully examine the game process, you’ll find many details worth pondering. When a team at home struggles to get the proper game rhythm, the scales of victory naturally tip. Our players kept attacking inside but got no return, disrupting the entire offensive system.”
Then, Scott pointedly added: “On the Playoffs stage, if certain factors that should be stable fluctuate, it indeed makes the game direction unpredictable.”
This is how coaches influence the series direction: by plainly or subtly indicating referee injustice after the game.
Whether the referees were truly unfair remains to be tested, but how could the mighty Western Conference Second be completely shut down by the opponent at home? Where were the whistles? The home court advantage? Why bother with this ranking if no favors are given for the effort?
Once these words were spoken, regardless of Scott’s intent, the series would drift around the corner tonight and head in another direction.
Just like Lily Lu deciding to inject silicone into her chest, this deranged woman claimed she could withstand anything, and from then on she would have a pathological physique, while those who knew her would forget her original appearance.
That was what Byron Scott had done.
The next day, the first to respond to Scott’s accusations was the local media.
New Orleans’ most influential media《 Times Picayune》 senior sports reporter Jonathan Feigen published a column on the front page the next day, directly responding to Scott’s complaints.
The newspaper headline boldly read: 《Savage Victory? Referee Indulgence and the Grizzlies’ “Toughness”》
The article started off restrained, briefly recapping the game process and praising Chris Paul’s effort and the Hornets’ strong first-half performance.
But the tone soon shifted: “However, when the second half began, the game’s scale seemed to quietly change. The ‘adjustment’ the Memphians are proud of is not just tactical matchup changes at its core, but a permitted escalation to another level of physical confrontation—or rather, roughness.”
“Eli Xu’s tight defense on Chris Paul walked the foul line from the first possession. Countless pulls, arm blocks on driving lanes, and body contacts not aimed at the ball were all ‘wisely’ ignored by the referee crew led by Dick Bavetta. Was this really the Hornets’ home court?”
Feigen cleverly directed the spear at the referees, writing: “Mr. Bavetta and his team seem to think fans buy tickets to watch a wrestling show. They allowed the visiting team to write the game with muscle and elbows, while every similar response from the home team drew whistles. This inconsistency in scale undoubtedly strangled the Hornets’ fluid offensive rhythm.”
This report not only resonated with and enraged fans locally in New Orleans but also quickly spread through the national sports media circle.
Someone like Xu Ling, who usually liked surfing the web, naturally noticed this hot report.
Given New Orleans’ media influence, the article’s readership clearly transcended regional boundaries.
Xu Ling spent a few minutes reading this piece, and at the end, he gave his verdict: it was great bathroom reading.
But he wasn’t in the bathroom then; he was in his own bed.
This made him open his computer, retweet the article with his Twitter account, and write a line that would make Hornets fans jump: “Some people lose a game, and their first reaction isn’t to reflect on their shortcomings but to busy themselves writing fairy tales. #New Orleans Fantasy Literature Award”
When those heading to early shifts stole a moment to log into major sports sites to check Playoffs first round reports and expert analysis, they would see a bizarre scene.
Topping the headlines wasn’t the Mavericks, nor the Celtics, nor LeBron James’ Cavaliers, but Eli Xu’s Grizzlies.
This wouldn’t be too surprising, of course, because Xu Ling and the Grizzlies had frequently made headlines this season, but the issue was, last night’s game hadn’t sparked any controversy.
How suddenly did the Hornets start complaining about unfair officiating, media fanning the flames only to be topped by manufactured Hayek force on the headlines, and then Eli Xu saw the article and poured fuel on the fire with some mockery?
Compared to other first round matchups, the Mavericks crushed the Nuggets in Game 1, with post-game news being rainbow farts for Kobe and Nowitzki; the Celtics had news, but Mike Bibby complaining about Bostonians being too crude—do you need to complain? Isn’t that common knowledge?—lacked appeal; the Cavaliers crushed the Wizards in the first game, and James’ official post-game talk about controlling the fourth quarter was just as uninspiring.
Originally, this was just an ordinary Playoffs opening day.
Then from Byron Scott complaining about officiating, New Orleans media relaying the hype, the universe’s balance began tilting toward these two teams; when Xu Ling noticed, it was already big news of the day, and after Xu Ling publicly responded, it became the sports news headline.
Since Jordan reigned over the basketball world, stars and media have become slaves to the narrative.
On one hand, media like to extrapolate from the small; they often use minor incidents to describe characters’ traits, then link them to their major deeds.
Jordan is the greatest in basketball history? Why? Because he’s competitive, gambles like crazy, he even bet teammates his luggage would come out first at the airport because he tipped the staff ahead, ensuring his win. You can see from these that constant winning is Jordan’s life fuel, the reason he became the biggest winner.
Now, reporters are using the same pen to depict Xu Ling’s true face.
Unfortunately, Xu Ling became a victim of this narrative. Everything he does has reasons, but after ejecting Gay, dinging Bynum, and shaking finger at James, the world can no longer view him normally. People believe a demon lives in his heart, otherwise why repeatedly provoke fans and opponents?
This makes no sense; the only explanation is: Xu Ling has a pathological need and desire for conflict.
Compared to the “demonized” Xu Ling on the headlines, Garnett’s news of welcoming a son before G1 seemed so heartwarming.
“Sports Guy” Bill Simmons commented: “It might take me a while to get tired of Eli and his headlines. But I always believe those with pure conviction will prevail—I see that quality in this year’s Celtics and Garnett.”
Josh Howard had to get up very early; after playing so long last night, he woke up feeling sore all over, forcing him to consult the team’s physical therapist Dr. Ross.
The doctor just told him to come to the training hall first thing for therapy.
This was killing Josh; he wasn’t one for strict sleep and diet habits, and the doctor said that was why his injuries kept lingering.
Howard thought he worked hard enough, but all the effort was to live his dream life; if he had to ascetic monk it to stay healthy, he’d rather not.
Besides, everything was fine now, except the media overly focused on Eli Xu.
But Howard didn’t envy Eli at all; if he had to live like that, he might go crazy.
When Howard arrived at the therapy room, Dr. Ross was ready; he casually pressed and squeezed Howard’s body, making the latter yelp.
“Ow ow ow, Doctor, not like that!”
The doctor’s hands didn’t stop, saying leisurely: “Looks like you’re close to your dream life, Josh. After all, having a body like it was run over by a truck isn’t a dream everyone can achieve.”
“Okay, Doctor,” Howard was used to the mockery, “let’s start.”
After therapy, whether psychological or not, Howard felt much looser all over.
He decided to go to the court and shoot a few hundred mid-range shots.
Before leaving, the doctor called him back, advising: “Remember what I said, Josh; treat your body scientifically, and you can play 10 more years.”
“Thanks, Doctor.”
Howard didn’t care about playing 10 more years; he just wanted to live in the moment, enjoy every second.
When he got to the court, someone was already practicing.
Howard looked over and saw Xu Ling shirtless, doing high-intensity aerobic shooting drills accompanied by Roderick Craig.
Just standing there watching, Howard, like everyone passing by, couldn’t connect this focused young player in morning practice to the man high on sports site news headlines.
He wasn’t that person.
Howard stood there for a bit, watching the basketball arc the same path repeatedly. He thought of those ESPN headlines completely detached from reality, those bold titles now seeming especially distant.
He bent down, picked up the basketball at his feet, and walked to the other half court.
