NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 221 First Playoff Triple-Double

Jia Fei's tough response made Pacers fans wary and put Coach Vogel in a difficult position.

When team tactics fail, you tend to unconsciously rely on your star player. But once the opposing team also has a star player who can match up against yours, the gap becomes very difficult to close.

When the Pacers forced Paul George to break the deadlock, it was already a sign that they were having problems on offense. But when Jia Fei and Paul George went head-to-head, the outcome of the game was almost certain.

The score gap did not narrow, so Jia Fei stepped up to accept the challenge and went head-to-head with Pao Jiao.

Coach Vogel has to admit that, despite both starting as 3-and-D players, Jia Fei is now more well-rounded than Paul George. Both are good defensive players with decent ball-handling and off-the-ball abilities, but Jia Fei has better passing and ball control skills and a stronger overall game awareness.

Some people are born with the talent to become generals, while others do not.

Paul George scored 13 points in a single quarter, but Jia Fei also scored 12 points in the same quarter. At the end of the third quarter, the difference between the two sides was still 15 points.

Even the commentators on site could hardly believe it. The Pacers, who pushed the Heat to such a level last season, were actually so passive against the Hawks, who were ranked 5th in the East. Could Jia Fei's strength alone be comparable to the Heat's Big Three?

Jia Fei knew that teams' playing styles often have their strengths and weaknesses. The reason the Heat struggled against the Pacers was mainly because the Pacers had defensive stalwarts on the wings and a defensive anchor in the paint. Their roster was very tall, and they didn't have any obvious defensive weaknesses that could be exploited. This was very unfavorable for the Heat, who relied heavily on drive-and-kick fast breaks. On the other hand, the Hawks didn't rely on driving to the basket or fast breaks as their primary scoring weapons. They depended more on team play and shooting after the ball was shared, including many three-pointers. Their interior players were heavily involved in the offense, making them the kind of opponent the Pacers disliked most, as they preferred their centers to stay in the paint and protect the rim.

In the final quarter, the Pacers did not use an extreme lineup and continued with their usual approach, but the Hawks' shooting touch remained hot. With Jia Fei assisting Antić to hit a three-pointer, the lead was extended to 20 points, and the suspense of the game was completely over.

Ultimately, the Hawks defeated the Eastern Conference-leading Pacers 109-91 on the road, securing their first win in the series.

The Hawks hit 15 three-pointers in this game, crushing the Pacers, who have a dominant center like Gao Yuanyuan, and showing everyone the impact of modern basketball on traditional lineups.

贾飞本场比赛出战了38分11秒，得到27分10个篮板12个助攻2个抢断1个盖帽的全面数据，这是他季后赛首个三双，这也是他季后赛单场助攻第一次超过10次。

The playoffs are a stage for superstars, and Jia Fei has not faltered at all since the start of the playoffs, and he continues to break his personal career records, making it impossible for anyone to easily deny his abilities.

At the post-match press conference, reporters showered him with compliments, praising his brilliance, but Jia Fei remained calm.

"This is only the first game of the series, it's nothing. This is a best-of-seven series, only the team that wins the first four games will be the ultimate winner." Jia Fei said calmly.

Coach Budensee was absolutely smitten with this player. As a young player, he wasn't arrogant or complacent; he was incredibly calm and collected. On the field, he was decisive, able to read the game, and responded to opponents' provocations without getting angry. His mentality was so mature. Was he really only 22 years old?

The post-game news was also quite interesting. Jia Fei's triple-double led his team to a victory over the Eastern Conference-leading Pacers on the road, sparking heated discussions among fans.

Many fans believe that those who question Jia Fei's All-Star starting status can shut up now. He is a true All-Star, and his performance in the playoffs speaks for itself.

Fans are again talking about the "basketball god," saying his judgment was truly appalling, especially considering the Pacers eliminated the team he supposedly favored. Now, Jia Fei, whom he looked down upon, led his team to a crushing victory over the Pacers on the road. If Jia Fei were with the Bobcats, the Pacers would have been eliminated. The image of Jia Fei and Kemba Walker, this backcourt duo from UConn, manipulating Gao Yuanyuan (a famous Chinese actress) is too beautiful to watch…

After the Hawks won Game 1, media outlets that had previously predicted their elimination immediately changed their minds and started favoring them. Their chances of advancing are now over 5%, and they are increasingly seen as a contender for the Eastern Conference Finals…

This fickle nature is absolutely off the charts...

Back in his room, Art Mayork, still buzzing with excitement, eagerly asked Jia Fei, "Jia, how do you think the Pacers will adjust for the next game?"

"I don't know either. I'm not a mind reader for the coaching staff, but I think it will be hard for us to win the second game," Jia Fei said, resting his hand on the back of his head.

"Why? Are we being controlled?" Art Mayor asked, puzzled.

Jia Fei countered, "Do you think our overall strength is significantly superior to the Pacers'?"

"No, if it weren't for our strong shooting ability, which perfectly countered theirs, it wouldn't have been so easy to win!" Art Mayork was telling the truth. The Pacers' interior defense was truly top-notch, and their one-on-one perimeter defense was also excellent; they didn't have any players with terrible defense. Their weaknesses were that their center couldn't defend outside the paint, and also that they were too tall, making their transition defense relatively slow.

"Yes, that's right!" Jia Fei nodded. "Do you think the league will just stand by and watch us win two games in a row on the road? Does the league like a sweep?"

Art Mayork was stumped; he'd never considered the issue from this angle before. While home-court advantage and even star player bias certainly exist in the NBA, does the league really control the games?

Jia Fei continued to explain: "Referees can certainly be fair, but they control the standard of the game. As I just said, they only have room to maneuver when the two teams are close in strength. If every game is a one-sided affair, they can't just call off all our starters."

Art Mayork nodded: "Definitely not. So do you think we should give up on the next game?"

Jia Fei shook his head: "Of course not, it's just that we don't need to fight to the death. If the situation is really not good, we shouldn't risk our lives to avoid unnecessary injuries. If we want to fight hard, we should go for the decisive third game or the tiebreaker, not the next game."

“I get it, Ja. Why do you know so much?” Art Mayork asked with a smile.

"We can choose not to believe in conspiracy theories, but the fact that the NBA is a commercial league will not change. I came to this conclusion after doing some research online. This is not the truth, but my personal opinion," Jia Fei said with a smile.