Sports Medicine Master System
Chapter 791: Chapter 709: You Can Always Trust Chen Yu
「On the ride back to the hotel.」
Skiles let out a sudden sigh.
’I just knew it. When Chen Yu makes a move, it’s always extraordinary.’
"But you did the right thing. Like you said, this is good for us, too," Skiles said.
Losing a game can drive people mad.
Especially when the fans and management are putting immense pressure on you. To get a win, that old bastard Popovich really might do something crazy.
And you can never know the severe consequences that can occur in that split second when the devil gets the upper hand.
"Chen, I’ve actually been thinking about it. I discussed it with Jim and Frank, and our playstyle still has problems. We relied too heavily on Dirk’s one-on-one play this game."
"The truth is, our roster is excellent, and Dirk has gotten even stronger. If we just play our normal game, I think we’d have a better chance of winning, even if Duncan were healthy."
’So what if the Spurs spent a fortune to upgrade their roster? Didn’t the Suns do the same?’
The Suns were paying the luxury tax, too. Their roster was also among the best in the league.
Chen Yu gave Skiles a curious look.
’Not bad. I thought it would take him a few games to realize it, but he’s already seen the light after just one.’
"Think about the past few years. We’ve always dominated the Spurs, so you have no reason to be nervous."
A few years ago, David Robinson was still playing, and the Suns still crushed them year after year.
Skiles gave a wry smile. "That was different. Our roster was so good back then. Most importantly, we had Shaq. That gave me confidence."
It’s like the old saying: as long as you have provisions, you won’t panic.
In those two years, we had O’Neal and Hardaway as our safety net. When it came to crunch time, when the opponent made their move and your mind went blank, you always knew you had one last trump card: give the ball to O’Neal.
But it’s different now. O’Neal was long gone in Dallas, and Hardaway had started to decline.
Skiles didn’t have that sense of security anymore, and his whole mentality changed.
"I get it." Chen Yu patted Skiles’s shoulder. "But now you have one, don’t you? Trust Dirk. He’s very strong."
Skiles nodded, a visible change in his eyes.
The next day, the news of Duncan’s injury didn’t make the sports headlines. Instead, Chen Yu went viral.
A photo of Chen Yu immediately getting up and walking toward the Spurs’ player tunnel right after the game ended was put on the front page.
It was unclear which media outlet had snapped the picture, but the angle was perfect.
It was a panoramic shot from the front of the scorer’s table.
On one side were the celebrating Phoenix Suns players; on the other, the dazed and dejected Spurs players.
And walking past the front of the scorer’s table was Chen Yu, a serious expression on his face, with Popovich following behind him.
Anyone who didn’t know better would have thought Chen Yu was the Spurs’ team doctor.
In the words of ESPN, they had witnessed the purest form of sportsmanship in that moment.
The official NBA website even reposted the photo on its homepage, commenting that while you never know when an accident will happen, you can always trust Chen Yu.
On Facebook and blogs, which had just become popular in the last couple of years, this photo of Chen Yu was widely shared and received a huge number of likes.
A normal person would have been ecstatic.
But for Chen Yu, it was all just business as usual.
When he arrived at the hospital the next day, the media waiting outside barely mentioned the photo.
For Chen Yu, this was all just standard procedure.
They were more interested in asking whether Duncan would be able to make it to tomorrow night’s game.
Of course, Chen Yu wouldn’t reveal that.
However, he did hear a rumor from the reporters.
"Did Greg really say that at the post-game press conference yesterday?" Chen Yu asked.
Seeing the reporters all nod, Chen Yu raised an eyebrow and said, "That sounds like something he’d say."
’What an old fox.’
After a night’s rest, Duncan had recovered a bit.
Today’s treatment was still focused on controlling the inflammation and using acupuncture to improve blood circulation.
Only after the swelling went down as quickly as possible would they consider physical therapy and massage to restore muscle support.
His wife, Amy, was also there, holding their one-year-old daughter, Sidney. The family of three looked happy and harmonious as they entered.
Chen Yu had a soft spot for daughters, so his attention was naturally drawn to Duncan’s little girl.
The girl was several months younger than Xiaoyanfei, but they were about the same height. It was obvious she was Duncan’s daughter.
He playfully teased the child for a moment. Just then, a man in a sharp suit walked up and greeted Chen Yu.
He was quite enthusiastic, handing over a business card.
His name was Charles Banks.
He warmly introduced himself as Duncan’s financial advisor, mentioning he had a financial management company that handled the wealth of numerous corporations and rich individuals.
The subtext was clear: he wanted to land Chen Yu as a client.
"Chen, Charles is a good friend of mine. I’ve always trusted him," even Duncan spoke up to endorse Charles.
The two of them had known each other since college.
"Think about it."
Chen Yu casually pocketed the business card without giving it much thought. He had his own company and a dedicated finance department.
After finishing the treatment, as Chen Yu was leaving, Duncan couldn’t help but ask him again if he could play tomorrow.
"Don’t worry, it won’t be a problem."
Chen Yu waved his hand and left the hospital room.
Chen Yu had originally planned to return to Phoenix today, but because of Duncan’s situation, he stayed for two more days and would head back to Phoenix with the team.
True to his word, Duncan appeared at the AT&T Center on time the next afternoon.
This made Popovich breathe a huge sigh of relief.
Chen Yu taped up his left foot and gave him one last physical therapy massage right before warm-ups.
On the court, Duncan pivoted repeatedly under the basket on his left foot, getting used to how his body generated power.
"Chen, thank you."
Popovich, who had been watching, thanked him again.
Chen Yu waved it off.
Unexpectedly, Popovich turned his head and added, "Chen, we’re definitely going to win this one."
Clearly, their coaching staff hadn’t been idle yesterday. They must have been studying how to deal with Nowitzki.
Chen Yu’s gaze swept over to Horry, who was shooting threes on the wing. He smiled and said, "Greg, you don’t have to tell me. Let me guess, your plan is to put Robert in, isn’t it?"
The 36-year-old Horry was still contributing his veteran experience to the Spurs.
He was the type to coast and slack off during the regular season, but he was a true playoff performer.
Chen Yu didn’t believe Popovich could come up with a real solution for Nowitzki in just one day.
At least, not a tactical one.
That left only one option: find a solution among the players.
For example, putting in Horry.
In his younger days, his defense was outstanding, and he was the most reliable clutch player in the playoffs. Now that he was older, he probably only had a wealth of defensive experience left.
He was a crafty old veteran. If you told a player like that to target someone, he had plenty of ways to do it.
And Nowitzki, being a shooter, was very reliant on his rhythm.
If you had an old-timer subtly provoking you and messing with your mentality, it could really affect your performance.
"Huh?"
Popovich froze, shaking his head a bit unnaturally. "You... I didn’t mean that."
Chen Yu laughed, patted Popovich on the shoulder, and walked back to the Suns’ bench.
Leaving Popovich standing there, completely bewildered.
His composure suddenly started to crack. He couldn’t help but wonder, ’What did Chen Yu’s laugh just now mean? Could the Suns have already figured out my plan and made counter-adjustments?’
At that thought, Popovich couldn’t help but start second-guessing himself.
Yesterday, he had planned to have Horry play a little dirty, to do whatever he could to provoke Nowitzki and mess with his mentality.
He was confident that the old veteran Horry could pull it off perfectly.
But now, Popovich was suddenly filled with self-doubt. ’Was my idea too simple?’
Horry was getting old. He couldn’t just hope for the best. What if he got on the court and Nowitzki just lit him up like an ATM?
So when it came time to submit the starting lineup before the game, Popovich was in a bind again. He no longer knew whether he should start Horry or not.

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