: Four hundred and forty seven: truth

No matter how many times I visit Boston, I hate this xenophobic city. "
　　
　　 When the Grizzlies players resisted Boston, it was snowing in Boston. To be precise, it is sleet.
　　
　　 The cold weather further deepened Link's bad impression of Boston. The winter in Boston is windy and snowy, so although the average temperature of 2.1 degrees Celsius in January is not too low, Boston is definitely one of the coldest cities in the United States in winter.
　　
　　 Link and his teammates were wrapped in cotton-padded clothes and walked to the airport hall with trembling. These guys who were big and wrapped in thick clothes really looked like grizzly bears hunting.
　　
"No one likes Boston, Link. But tomorrow night, we should be able to have a relaxed and happy time. Did you know? The Boston Celtics have fallen to ninth in the East. In the past three games, they have lost 23 points per game. It’s easy to finish the game and then leave. Trust me, we won’t have trouble in Boston this year."
　　
　　 Randolph said, rubbing his hands, and then breathing into his palms.
　　
"I hope so, Zach, I hope. Or, we will also meet their desperate resistance? After all, you said, they have lost three in a row. I think the Celtics are thinking about it. How to beat the league first."
　　
　　 "Come on, close your crow's mouth, Link. I don't want to be exhausted every time I play a game in North Shore Garden."
　　
　　 "I don't want to, but everything has to be prepared for the worst. Boston is never peaceful."
　　
　　 Link glanced at the gloomy sky and stepped onto the team bus.
　　
　　 9th in the East, um, it doesn’t sound threatening. Teams that can only be ranked ninth in the East are generally not very popular.
　　
　　 But when he thinks of the Celtics, Rajon Rondo, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, Link feels uneasy.
　　
　　 The Celtics may not be ranked high right now, but after all, it is the team that just played in the Eastern Conference finals last season and reached the tiebreak with the defending champion. You know, the Oklahoma City Thunder didn't make it to Game 7.
　　
　　 At noon, the Grizzlies players arrived at the hotel where they stayed. In the afternoon, Stevens took everyone to the North Shore Garden for training.
　　
　　 As soon as they stepped into the training hall of North Shore Garden, the Grizzlies players were dazzled. No way, the training hall is full of honor pennants, it is hard not to make people curious.
　　
　　 17 championship pennants, as well as countless Eastern championship pennants, circled the walls of the training hall a full circle. Although it is only a fake, the authentic one is hanging over the official game arena. But even so, it is enough to show the honor of this ancient team.
　　
　　 As for the division championship, the Celtics simply made a big flag. The row of numbers on it is the year they won the scoring championship.
　　
　　I didn't do this for anything else, it was because the division champions really took too much. If every division champion made a pennant, the training hall would not be enough. So, just make a big one and count the years.
　　
　　 The Boston Celtics are just that wayward.
　　
　　 Link's gaze fell on the championship pennant in the 2007-2008 season. In my impression, it seemed that the Celtics won the championship not long after. But if you think about it carefully, five years have passed.
　　
In 5 years, Garnett and Pierce are no longer young. The Celtics have gone their separate ways. Rajon Rondo, who was scolded by Kobe and didn’t dare to talk back, has become the hottest player in the league. guard.
　　
　　 A team that just won the championship five years ago, will they let go of their pride and surrender? Link guessed, there is a high probability that it won't.
　　
　　 When you step into the arena and see the championship pennant, as a Celtics player, you know how to fight.
　　
Tony Allen’s views are the same as Link’s. In the locker room, Tony Allen showed everyone a blood-stained Celtics jersey. This was Tony Allen’s Celtics team. Passed during the finals.
　　
　　 Don’t forget, he was also a member of the championship team that year.
　　
"The Celtics will never compromise. Even if they fight to the end, even if they have a bad blood, they will not surrender. I know that the Celtics are in a bad situation this year. They lost all three games in a row. It was a terrible loss and has now fallen out of the top eight in the East. But even so, we can’t take it lightly. Like I said, they won’t surrender by themselves. So, everyone, cheer up and don’t underestimate it. Kill them, okay?"
　　
　　 Tony Allen’s speech had an effect. In the subsequent training, everyone had a very correct attitude and practiced very seriously.
　　
　　 Facing the ninth in the Eastern Conference, the Grizzlies, who are number one in the league, did not slack. After all, two years ago, they were also the ninth in the Western Conference, defeating one after another strong opponents. At last. Reached fifth in the West.
　　
　　 After the training, Link and Jimmy Butler stayed and practiced for a while. Link is now strictly following his training plan every day. In order to be able to upgrade again at the end of January, he dare not relax for a day.
　　
　　 Jimmy Butler is uncomfortable without training. Since his blockbuster in the Thunder game, Stevens has gradually increased Butler's playing time. Playing time increased, Butler practiced harder.
　　
　　 "I can't live up to Stevens's expectations of me." These are the original words of Jimmy Butler.
　　
　　 At 8:30 in the evening, at the urging of assistant coach Elston Turner, Jimmy Butler was finally willing to leave the training hall. And Link also has 50 sets of dribble shot training, he told Turner and Butler, "I will leave after I practice, you don't have to wait for me."
　　
　　 So Link became the last Grizzlies player to leave the training hall.
　　
　　 Link, sweating profusely, walked in the player tunnel, but saw a person coming from the opposite side not far away. And that guy, like himself, was wearing a jersey and sweaty, obviously he had just finished training.
　　
　　 After the man approached, Link realized that it was Paul Pierce!
　　
　　 "Did you finish your training?" Pierce stopped and greeted Link. But he is expressionless, you don't know if he is friendly or hostile.
　　
"Yes, how about you?"
　　
　　 "Me? It's all about the activity. It's late, kid, go back quickly. At this time, it's best not to mess around in the streets of Boston." Pierce waved his hand and walked away from Link.
　　
　　 Link and Pierce are not familiar with each other privately, and the two are going to play tomorrow, so the atmosphere is a bit embarrassing. Link didn't know what to say, so he continued walking on his own.
　　
　　 But just after walking out a few steps, Pierce suddenly spoke again.
　　
　　 "Hey, do you know what my nickname is? Kid."
　　
　　 "Huh? Truth?" Link didn't know what the old river and lake wanted to say.
　　
　　 "Hahahaha, it seems that children nowadays have not forgotten our original glory. Then, do you know why I am called truth?"
　　
　　 "Uh..." Link scratched his head, he really couldn't tell why.
　　
　　 "Okay, go back, see you on the court tomorrow, Link." Pierce finished speaking and turned to leave. This time, he didn't stop.
　　
　　 With questions, Link returned to the hotel room and turned on the computer, searching for a lot of information about Pierce. Most of them are about the fact that he got 11 dollars but returned to the court after a month.
　　
　　 Everyone knows this, and Link is no exception. But being stabbed 11 to 11 seems to have nothing to do with the nickname "Truth".
　　
　　 Finally, Link finally found something related to "truth" in a very old article.
　　
　　※※※
　　
　　 On March 13, 2001, Paul Pierce was not yet an All-Star or a championship.
　　
　　 The Celtics visited Los Angeles to challenge the arch-enemy Lakers.
　　
　　 Pierce had already played 184 games in the NBA at that time, but he still didn't know how much reaction that night would have for him.
　　
　　 That night, the Los Angelesers used their most powerful firepower. O'Neal raged at the basket, taking away 28 points and 11 rebounds in an understatement. At that time, the still young Derek Fischer blasted the 1991 second-round pick Randy Brown, scoring 26 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds.
　　
　　 Rick Fox, as a four, made three three-pointers that night ~EbookFREE.me~ points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds.
　　
　　 It seems that the Celtics simply cannot withstand the impact of the defending champion. Then Paul Pierce stood up.
　　
　　 Faced with O'Neal's supplementary defense, Pierce lightly picked the basket and made a hit.
　　
　　 turned over on Brian Shaw's head and jumped into the net hollow!
　　
　　 After receiving a pass from his teammate, a three-point long shot was still hit!
　　
　　Paul Pierce performed magic all night, he showed his omnipotent offensive skills to the fullest.
　　
　　 In the end, Pierce scored 42 points with a 68.4% shooting rate! Let the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers have an absolute advantage, get rid of their skin!
　　
　　 After the game, O'Neal pulled a group of reporters away and rushed to the Celtics coach Jim O'Brien passing by the Lakers locker room, shouting, "Paul Pierce is the truth, you should call him that from now on!"
　　
　　 Then, this nickname spread quickly in the Alliance like a virus.
　　
　　 Before that "battle of truth", the Celtics had just lost to the 76ers and dropped to ninth in the West. Thus, Paul Pierce became the truth.
　　
　　 After reading this article, Link swallowed.
　　
　　 Why did Pierce say those things to himself? Will the truth reappear in the North Shore Garden?
　　
　　 Link found that he seemed to be under a big mountain again.