Sports Medicine Master System

Chapter 427: Chapter 363: This Old Man Isn’t Easy to Deal With

"31 points and 12 rebounds, a new career high in scoring. With an unstoppable performance, Chinese Yao helped the Lakers advance to the second round."

"Without a doubt, Yao Ming is the ultimate answer for the Lakers’ frontcourt."

"Turmoil in the West! The Lakers have entered the fray, and Kobe has found his strongest teammate yet."

In his office, Chen Yu was flipping through the newspapers.

As one of the teams with the highest profile in the league, the Lakers never lacked for attention.

So the media was flooded with hype.

Of course, you couldn’t call it all hype.

Based on the skill and potential Yao Ming had shown, he deserved such praise.

’But why did these media outlets have to take a shot at the Phoenix Suns while they were hyping up the Lakers?’

Fox Sports: "O’Neal has unfortunately sprained his ankle and is likely out for the season. The Suns have lost their dominant force in the paint, casting a shadow over their path to defending the title."

Yahoo Sports: "According to inside sources, O’Neal’s injury is severe. He is unable to walk and has been photographed in a wheelchair. It’s confirmed he’ll be out for the second round, greatly increasing the Lakers’ chances of reaching the Western Conference Finals."

This was followed by a long analysis, the gist of which was that if O’Neal was out, the Suns were basically done for.

Chen Yu was speechless. Other outlets at least said he was *likely* out, but these guys were already confirming he’d miss the second round.

’And where did this "inside source" come from? I’d love to meet them.’

Flipping through the various newspaper commentaries, it was as if they were all just short of declaring the Suns were finished.

It seemed like they couldn’t stand to see the Suns doing well and were reveling in their misfortune.

One could only say that the Suns had been too lucky these past two years. Their rise was too fast, and it made people jealous.

They were originally a team that hovered around the first round of the playoffs, and now they were suddenly aiming for a dynasty.

The first game of the second round was set for May 5th.

There was no way O’Neal could be back in time for that.

Even with the fastest possible recovery, he would probably miss two games.

To be aggressive, maybe he could play through the injury, but Chen Yu felt it was unnecessary.

’This is only the second round.’

The Lakers were strong, but ever since trading away O’Neal, they hadn’t truly been championship contenders.

So, the Suns’ biggest rivals in the West were still the Kings and the Spurs.

It wasn’t as if they had no way of dealing with the Lakers. There was no need to push so hard.

O’Neal’s mood, however, was surprisingly good. During morning rounds, he wasn’t in his room. He had run off to Michael Jackson’s room and was having a lively chat with him.

Well, O’Neal was doing most of the talking.

Michael Jackson wasn’t very talkative and barely said a word the whole time.

"Chen, I’m jealous of you. Michael actually said he’s going to sing at your wedding?" O’Neal said sourly.

If he could get Michael Jackson to sing at his wedding, he’d have bragging rights for life.

Chen Yu gestured for him to sit on the nearby sofa, then teased, "What, you thinking of getting married again?"

That one sentence made O’Neal’s face turn three shades paler. He frantically shook his head, signaling to Chen Yu not to joke about such things.

If word of this got back to Shaunie, his life would be hell.

Chen Yu undid the brace on his ankle.

It hadn’t even been forty-eight hours since the sprain. It was still in the acute phase and was quite swollen.

Chen Yu poured out the prepared medicinal wine, skillfully lit it, scooped up a ball of flame, and slapped it onto O’Neal’s ankle.

Alcohol flame therapy is quite effective for reducing swelling.

Nearby, Michael Jackson craned his neck, curiously watching Chen Yu transform into a Flame Mage.

O’Neal had been through this before and was used to it, chattering away nonstop.

Just then, Michael Jackson suddenly said, "Chen, I feel much better. Can I be discharged? I have some ideas I need to discuss with my team."

He was a workaholic. Now that his body had just started to improve, he was already getting restless, plotting out his concert for the year.

"You... should rest a bit more." Chen Yu glanced over at him and said, "How about this: if there’s still no news by the middle of the month, then I’ll arrange for your discharge."

"News?"

Michael Jackson paused.

Chen Yu didn’t elaborate.

’That Warren... why haven’t I heard anything from him yet?’

His hands never stopping, he quickly completed the alcohol flame therapy procedure. But it wasn’t over. Next came Acupuncture and the application of a swelling-reduction plaster.

Saying O’Neal would be back in a week was based on Chen Yu’s own abilities. If he were on another team, with another team doctor treating him, a sprain like this would mean being out for two to three weeks, at least.

So Chen Yu was taking it very seriously, using basically every method at his disposal and maximizing the therapeutic effects as much as possible.

Just then, Chen Yu suddenly received a system notification.

[Congratulations. Through persistent practice, you have gained a deeper understanding of physical therapy massage. Your skill has been upgraded, and you have obtained: Advanced Massage Techniques.]

[Advanced Massage Techniques: Your massages will have their therapeutic effect increased by 30%.]

’My massage skill actually leveled up!’

For a moment, Chen Yu couldn’t help but sigh at how difficult it had been.

Previously, by using the Small Needle Knife, Chen Yu’s Acupuncture skill had been upgraded to High Level.

Back then, Chen Yu had considered combining special medicinal wines with alcohol flame therapy to improve the effectiveness of his massages.

He ended up doing just that, and alcohol flame therapy had become one of his common treatment methods.

He’d had that idea during last year’s World Cup.

That was almost a year ago.

For it to upgrade only now just showed how difficult it was to level up his skills.

"You’re pretty lucky." Chen Yu patted O’Neal, looking at him much more favorably now.

O’Neal’s face was a big question mark. He mulled over the words and said, "You’re right. I am pretty lucky."

「May 5th.」

The Suns hosted the Lakers at home.

Early in the morning, Chen Yu arrived at the arena to prepare for the game.

Chen Yu had been worried that O’Neal’s injury would affect the team’s morale, but after his pre-game mental chats, he realized he’d been overthinking things.

They were a bunch of seasoned veterans who had been grinding in the league for years. There was nothing they hadn’t seen.

To them, injuries were just part of the game.

O’Neal wasn’t out for the season, just for a week. That was already the best possible outcome.

Especially the old guys. They were here for a championship. Oakley even beat his chest and fiercely declared to Chen Yu that he should focus on O’Neal; Oakley would take responsibility for the games O’Neal missed and would make sure the Suns didn’t lose.

All one could say was that morale was high.

Chen Yu suddenly felt that while veterans were old, there were benefits to their age. When it came to mentality, they were truly rock-solid.

Before the game, Chen Yu personally went to work, helping Sabonis loosen up his knees.

His knees were riddled with old injuries, as fragile as a sandcastle. They required careful maintenance.

"I heard your family is coming over?" Chen Yu asked.

At the mention of this, a smile immediately appeared on Sabonis’s face. He nodded and said, "I want them to come and see me win the championship."

At that championship moment, he didn’t want to be there without any family by his side.

"Chen, do you think we can win the championship?" After a pause, Sabonis asked again.

Without looking up, Chen Yu asked, "Well, how badly do you want a championship?"

It might have been related to his personality, but Chen Yu could sense that while Sabonis wanted a championship, his desire wasn’t as intense as Oakley’s and the others’.

It was possibly because he had already been showered with honors before coming to the NBA, and he had never been a superstar after his arrival.

"Of course."

This time, Sabonis answered quickly. "When they said I should apply for a handicapped parking spot, I knew I had to show them that I can win a championship anywhere."

He had entered the NBA facing endless ridicule and, burdened by injuries, had never put up dominant stats.

At one point, he had lost heart and returned to Europe.

But now that he was back, his goal was clearly singular: the championship.

’It’s a matter of pride!’

Chen Yu put down the athletic tape, stood up, and said, "Then go get ’em."

Sabonis moved his knee a bit and gave a thumbs-up.

At eight o’clock that night, the game officially began.

During the jump ball, Sabonis leaped up and actually managed to tip the ball away from over Yao Ming’s head.

On the sidelines, Jackson, who had just sat down, frowned imperceptibly.

’It felt like a very, very long time since anyone had out-jumped Yao Ming.’

He subconsciously looked up at the court.

Hardaway had the ball at the high post. Sabonis didn’t get tangled up with Yao Ming under the basket; instead, he immediately came up to the free-throw line area to set a screen for Hardaway.

His screens were always high-quality.

In an instant, Marion cut from the weak-side corner, driving straight to the basket.

James Posey and McDyess crossed paths, with Posey dashing toward the forty-five-degree angle.

McDyess also precisely screened Kobe, keeping him behind.

The ball was in Hardaway’s hands, but his eyes were constantly scanning the other players. With a bounce pass, he delivered it to Marion.

Horry instantly lunged at Marion.

Yao Ming also immediately turned to provide help defense.

Marion didn’t force the shot. He pump-faked and passed it cross-court to McDyess.

With no one in front of him, McDyess rose up and calmly sank the mid-range jumper.

On the sideline, Jackson’s brow furrowed instantly.

This entire offensive set involved everyone. Everyone was running, creating opportunities, setting screens, drawing defenders, and distributing the ball. It was as smooth as flowing water.

In that moment, Jackson’s mind even ran through the Suns’ potential follow-up plays if this initial attack failed.

Posey was still positioned on the perimeter.

After passing, Hardaway didn’t stand still; he immediately cut to the opposite corner.

And Sabonis, after setting the screen, was also moving in that direction, ready to set another screen for Hardaway at any moment.

"Phil, why do I feel like the Suns’ offense has suddenly become so sharp?" Lambis frowned beside him.

The Suns he remembered weren’t like this at all.

They were methodical, settling into their half-court offense. Hardaway would control the ball, look for O’Neal first, and only consider passing if O’Neal couldn’t make a play. They used a lot of screens and picks, but it was never as fluid as this.

Jackson didn’t say a word, his eyes glued to the court.

Kobe caught the ball, and Posey was on him in an instant.

He had an excellent wingspan and had limited Kobe well in their several regular-season matchups.

Jackson’s focus was on the paint. He wanted to see if Sabonis could defend Yao Ming.

Yao Ming got the ball and started backing him down.

But he couldn’t push him back much.

Sabonis also weighed nearly 300 pounds.

Unable to create space, Yao Ming used a jab step, then turned for a fadeaway jumper.

A large hand appeared in front of his eyes.

The ball wasn’t blocked, but his rhythm was disrupted.

CLANG! The basketball hit the rim and bounced out.

Yao Ming shot an annoyed glance at Sabonis before turning and running back.

On the sideline, Jackson’s heart skipped a beat. He suddenly felt a bit of panic.

’This old guy, Sabonis... he isn’t going to be so easy to deal with, is he?’