NBA: Warrior godfather.

Guys there is already content on patreon, if anyone wants to become a chunin or jonnin.

patreon.com/Chuga320 (More 50 chapters)

—————————————————————————————————————————————

April 18th.

Yesterday, the playoffs began. Four fierce and exciting games set the right tone for this year's postseason. Unfortunately, there were no upsets, and all games were won by the higher-seeded teams.

However, this only heightened the fans' anticipation for today's game, especially the matchup between the Suns and the Warriors, which attracted the most attention.

The remaining three games are the Lakers vs. the Trail Blazers, the Spurs vs. the Mavericks, and the Bobcats vs. the Magic. There's no need to think too much about them. These will likely be strict positional battles. They're not as exciting as the Suns vs. Warriors game, where both teams are fast-paced and three-point heavy.

Since the first game between these two teams was held the day after the playoffs started, the pre-game warm-up was intense, and reporters interviewed both sides.

Liam still dismissed the Suns, questioning what kind of performance Nash could deliver. He continued to emphasize that the Suns were eliminated in 5 games in the previous playoffs, with Nash averaging just 16.2 points per game, and that this series wouldn't be any different.

The reporter, of course, smiled at the bait Liam had provided and asked Nash and the Suns' head coach, Gentry, the same question.

Nash replied calmly:

"Coach Liam is right, I played very poorly in the last playoffs. I'll do my best to perform better this time and help the team win... What are our chances of winning? I don't know, but we'll give it everything we have and fight for the win."

Gentry also answered discreetly:

"Coach Liam is an amazing coach. He was able to take the Warriors to the playoffs, which is an incredible achievement. Every coach knows how difficult that is. It's not easy to say that, but Steve will prove that his strength is no joke. Let's see the truth on the court."

When Jonathan shared their responses with Liam, his face suddenly became solemn. Jonathan asked curiously:

"Boss, Gentry and Nash are being so careful, they're not daring to say anything bold. Doesn't that mean something good?"

Liam shook his head:

"No, there's a saying you might not have heard: 'A dog that barks doesn't bite.' It looks like my provocation didn't work... Nash isn't James or Kobe. He won't take the bait easily... But that's fine. It doesn't necessarily mean anything, basketball doesn't lie. Only the game is real, everything else is fake. We'll see when the time comes. Maybe Nash is holding back and wants to 'prove' himself..."

His voice became softer, and Jonathan became more and more confused, but he didn't ask any further questions.

There was one thing he clearly heard: basketball doesn't lie. No need to ask, everything will be revealed during the game.

…

It was 8 PM, half an hour before the game started, but the American Airlines Center was already full. Tickets for this game had sold out two days ago. The enthusiastic Phoenix fans wanted to give the Warriors a taste of the hostile atmosphere of playing away.

This short period before the game always felt long for the fans and short for the players. The Warriors quickly completed their warm-ups and took their final break in the locker room.

Liam stood in front of everyone, looked around, and smiled:

"How does it feel? Have you experienced the playoffs yet?"

Curry nodded:

"Boss, when we were warming up earlier, there were loud boos. This is really different from the regular season..."

Butler added:

"Yeah, in past away games, a lot of people would ask for my autograph. This time, only a few Warriors fans came to see me."

Liam said:

"These are the playoffs. In the regular season, everyone is in harmony. Even divisional opponents won't be as hostile. But the playoffs are a life-or-death battle. If one side wins, it means the other side loses. There's no more warmth. The hostility of the fans is just the beginning. Once you step onto the court, you'll find that the actions of your opponents will be tougher and more brutal than in the regular season. The referees won't protect you; they'll encourage physical confrontation. You must be ready. This is war, a life-or-death war!"

Everyone was shocked by his words, and their expressions became serious. But Liam suddenly smiled after a pause:

"Of course, this is a normal situation in the playoffs. This series between us and the Suns is still different. You should be lucky that our first opponent in the playoffs is the Suns. Like us, they focus more on offense than defense. Their team emphasizes speed and shooting over confrontation. This gives us a chance to adjust. If we were up against an old-school team like the Lakers, Jazz, or Spurs... Believe me, those old basketball hooligans will confuse you."

A laugh echoed in the room, and everyone relaxed. Liam was right, maybe the Suns don't like physical confrontation as much as they do, but they do have an advantage. This was the first playoff experience for most of the Warriors' players, which was good news for the team.

"Alright, it's time to hit the court. Remember what I said? Show your full strength. We have to take it one game at a time. Don't worry about winning or losing. That's my responsibility. Just focus on the tactical arrangements," Liam clapped and said loudly.

"Let's go, Warriors!" Everyone nodded in unison, shouting a battle cry, and ran out of the locker room.

Liam stood by the door with a kind and confident smile, cheering everyone on:

"Jimmy, show them how tough you are!"

"Tyson, the defense inside depends on you. You're the leader of the team, take responsibility!"

"Kailana, play boldly and shoot when you have the chance..."

"Stephen..." The last one was Curry. Liam called his name. After Curry looked at him, he walked over, and Liam whispered, "Shoot boldly. You have the green light to shoot anytime and anywhere, as long as you think it's a good opportunity!"

Curry nodded enthusiastically:

"Boss, I won't let you down!"

It seemed like Curry didn't even know what nervousness was. He was completely at ease and couldn't wait to perform on the playoff stage.

"Let's go, kick the Suns and tell those guys in orange shirts to shut up. They're too loud!" Liam hugged Curry tightly and gave him a push on the back. He waved and ran out of the locker room.

After all the players had left, Liam turned around and said calmly:

"Stephen, Ron, let's go. We've done what we needed to do. Whether we succeed or fail, I have a clear conscience..."

…

After the contrasting entrance ceremonies for the home and visiting teams, the game was about to begin.

The Suns still had their usual five starters: Nash, Grant Hill, Jason Richardson, Stoudemire, and Collins. Among them, Collins was a pseudo-starter and would soon be replaced by Channing Frye.

The Warriors made some adjustments. Liam replaced the starter Varejao with Anthony Tolliver, while the other four starters—Curry, Butler, Azubuike, and Chandler—remained unchanged.

As a result, the Warriors' originally more defensive lineup became more balanced, with an offensive wing core, three shooters, and a point guard, which was very modern.

This change immediately attracted attention. Liam had originally planned to start Varejao as the power forward, but he switched the lineup just 10 minutes before the game started. This was when the starting lineup was finalized, which confused some people.

"Reggie, Charles, what do you think about Coach Liam's tactical change?" asked Kenny Smith.

The game between the Warriors and Suns had drawn a lot of attention, and media outlets eager to draw traffic didn't miss the chance. TNT sent a team with Kenny Smith, Reggie Miller, and Barkley to commentate on the game. During the game, Barkley even wore Curry's number 30 jersey in advance.

"The Warriors are well-prepared. This substitution is brilliant. I think Coach Liam will let Tyson face Stoudemire and Anthony Tolliver take on Jaylon Collins. Collins is a non-threat offensively, so Anthony Tolliver should have no problem against him," Reggie Miller agreed.

Barkley also nodded and said:

"This is a good choice. In fact, I don't understand why Gentry doesn't just go with Channing Frye. Everyone knows Jaylon Collins is a weak pseudo-starter. He's been given responsibilities that don't belong to him."

"I think Gentry is worried about Channing Frye's defense. He's too weak at the center position. Jaylon Collins can hold his own for a while... Let me ask you, Charles, how does it feel wearing new clothes?" Kenny Smith joked.

The three laughed together as Barkley took off his jersey's front part and said seriously:

"The elasticity is pretty good, but it doesn't look as good. It's not as attractive as the jersey I wore when I played... Hey, are you laughing? What? Don't you play like this too?"

Reggie Miller laughed and replied:

"Alright, alright, you're right..."

After the trio joked around for a bit, they focused back on the game.

At that point, the players from both teams were already on the court. Stoudemire made a quick leap and won the opening tip, giving the Suns the first offensive possession.

The Suns' five players quickly invaded the Warriors' half. Nash controlled the ball in the center, and Richardson ran the wings while Stoudemire and Collins advanced through the middle. A typical fast break.

Liam, of course, was prepared for this. Before the game, the Warriors had practiced defensive drills specifically to counter the Suns' fast breaks. Everyone stayed close to their opponents and didn't allow any Suns player to get open.

As a result, the Warriors' defensive formation became quite scattered. When Nash saw there was no good opportunity, he didn't rush. He slowed the ball at the top of the arc, raised his left index finger, and the Suns quickly shifted to a half-court offense.

If they only knew how to run and shoot but didn't have positional play, the Suns couldn't have reached the Western Conference Finals twice.

Upon seeing Nash's signal, the Suns players fell into position. Hill and Richardson were in the lower corners, and Collins stood near the free-throw line.

This was the offensive V-shape favored by European basketball. It was a tactic that D'Antoni had popularized when coaching the Benetton team in Italy. He brought it to the NBA and implemented it with the Suns as their first-choice half-court offense. Nash raised his left index finger, signaling the use of their number-one play.

Once everyone was in position, the Suns' offensive spacing widened. Nash signaled Stoudemire, who immediately came up to screen for Nash and then quickly moved away.

With the help of Stoudemire's screen, Nash held the ball and drove. Curry was guarding him, but Stoudemire blocked him off. Curry was more than half a body behind Nash and could only take a step forward to stay stuck between Nash and Stoudemire, forming a two-on-one defensive situation.

No matter how good Chandler's defense was, he couldn't stop Nash and Stoudemire's pick-and-roll by himself. No one in the entire league could do that. Butler, in the left corner, quickly moved into the paint.

Nash was always attentive to the Warriors' defensive shifts during the play. When he saw Butler closing in to help, he flicked his wrist, and the ball flew toward Hill in the bottom corner.

Butler quickly contested, but Hill's three-point shot was decisive, taking advantage of the small opening.

Swish!

The ball went cleanly through the net, 0:3, and the Suns got off to a strong start.

This attack only took 12 seconds.

After the shot, the crowd, led by the DJ, erupted into enthusiastic cheers, celebrating their first points of the playoffs. However, the Warriors were unaffected and quickly pushed the ball from the baseline, sending all five players to the attack.

Interestingly, the Warriors' fast break formation was the same as the Suns'. Butler and Azubuike were on the wings, Curry controlled the ball in the center, and Anthony Tolliver and Chandler advanced through the middle.

The only difference was that the Suns' fast break had already been their first attack. Stoudemire and Collins were ahead of Nash, while Chandler and Anthony Tolliver were behind Curry, as they were defending inside.

The Suns' defense wasn't out of position. They fought against running and shooting, and also defended against it. The formation was scattered, and the Warriors didn't have any opportunity to break open.

The Warriors' next moves were surprisingly similar to the Suns', and the Warriors positioned themselves to attack. Butler and Azubuike were on the lower corners, and Chandler was at the free-throw line. Anthony Tolliver, however, dropped outside the three-point line at a 45-degree angle to the left.

Then, Curry began a pick-and-roll with Chandler, whose larger body effectively blocked the thinner Nash behind him, while Stoudemire faced a one-on-two situation.

The Suns' choice mirrored the Warriors' choice here. Hill moved inside to help defend, but the difference was that Stoudemire's defense was much weaker than Chandler's, and Curry didn't pass the ball to the bottom corner. Instead, he found a gap in the paint and tossed the ball high into the air. The ball sailed through Stoudemire's fingertips and slammed into the rim with both hands!

Boom!

2:3, this attack also only took 12 seconds.

"Curry passed the ball... Chandler finished the alley-oop! The strategies of both teams are so similar that this is a mirror match!" Kenny Smith called out loudly.

End of this chapter

Note: Hi if you really like NBA novels, you can support me either in this pg with stones, reviews etc, or in patreon since the niche of sports and specially NBA is very small is Webnovel since people prefer to read Naruto, Pokemon, comics etc.