Xu Xin put down the phone and rubbed his eyes. Losing will generate these voices. At this time, explanation is often the weakest counterattack. Only winning can shut them up.
"I hope everyone will not be affected."
Xu Xin sighed and said to himself.
However, in the face of overwhelming negative voices, from the head coach to the players, can they really block these out perfectly? Very difficult.
The team flew non-stop to cold Minnesota early the next morning. Tonight was their second back-to-back game in five days.
Although the Timberwolves are notoriously underdogs, they often muddle through on the road, and when they return to home, they will still try their best to support their fans.
Xu Xin was not sure whether he could end his losing streak tonight. The continuous running around made the young and strong man suffer from back pain and couldn't bear it, not to mention the players who competed in high-intensity battles in every game?
"Playing 4 games in 5 days, who is the wise person who came up with the schedule? I really seem to have studied it!"
Harden walked onto the plane sleepily, cursing.
This time, even the well-known training maniac Butler did not refute. Even the "Ba Shen" who was covered in tendons was exhausted.
"In tonight's game, both KG (Garnett) and Jermaine (O'Neal) need to take turns."
On the plane, McHale sat next to Xu Xin and said solemnly.
Xu Xin nodded. The reason is self-evident. In the last game, the two veterans fought hard, especially O'Neal. As Asik got into foul trouble, he played 25 minutes and scored a season-high 20 points. 8 The rebound used up the last bullet.
For two nearly 37-year-old veterans, back-to-back away games will greatly increase their risk of injury. Although the team is in a difficult period, if such a price needs to be paid to stop the decline, it will definitely be a loss. Picked up sesame seeds.
"Then give Greg (Smith) more time. I think he is very motivated, dares to fight hard on the court, and works very hard."
Xu Xin gave his own suggestions.
"I think so too. I'm not too worried about the center position. It's mainly the power forward. If KG doesn't play, I'm afraid no one of us can restrict Love on the opposite side."
McHale smiled bitterly.
The familiar plot is happening again. He was ravaged by Nowitzki two days ago. Will he be bullied by Love again tonight?
"We can only let Tucker take the lead. If we want to win this game, we have to attack hard. The Timberwolves' defense is not good. We still have a great chance to win."
Xu Xin consoled him.
"That's all."
McHale nodded. The losing streak has put a burden on him.
In the afternoon, the team came to the arena for regular training before the game. It was not very intensive, mainly to get familiar with the competition venue.
McHale led everyone to simply run through the tactics twice, and then handed it over to the assistant coaches and trainers to help the players with shooting training.
This is Garnett's suggestion. Tonight, back-to-back, 500 goals would be too costly, so let's make 100.
"Manager, coach, I want to play tonight."
Garnett finished training, walked to the sidelines, and petitioned with Xu Xin and McHale.
Xu Xin looked at McHale and gave him an affirmative look.
"But your body's recovery speed is nowhere near as fast as it was when you were young. I'm worried..."
McHale hesitated to speak.
"I can do it, coach. Minnesota is half my hometown. I know there are many fans who drive hundreds of kilometers just to watch me play. I don't want to let them down."
Garnett said seriously.
"I have a way to help you recover quickly."
Xu Xin suddenly spoke.
He had been so busy these past two days that he forgot to massage this little "buff".
"Manager, actually I came here to ask for a fight, and I also hope to experience your massage techniques. Allen (Iverson) and I have been praising you. His rapid recovery during this period is all because you give him massages every day."
Garnett smiled sheepishly and asked the team's general manager to give him a massage. This request was a bit difficult for him to say.
"This is my problem. I forgot about it. Originally, I wanted to give you veterans a massage this time to recover quickly. Let's go to the physical therapy room now."
Xu Xin said with a smile.
An hour later, Garnett walked out of the physical therapy room refreshed.
"Manager, your massage technique is so amazing. I thought Allen was exaggerating before, but I didn't expect it to be exactly as he described."
Garnett said with a surprised expression.
"Haha, play hard tonight, try to get 20+, and lead the team to win."
Xu Xin rubbed his hands and smiled.
"That's a must. We must win it tonight."
Garnett is gearing up.
"By the way, manager, aren't you going to open a massage parlor? If you open a store, the business will be very booming."
Garnett asked.
"That's true. The store is opposite the Rockets base. My original intention is to help our players recover quickly from fatigue, minimize the risk of injury, and maintain the best competitive condition."
Xu Xin said.
"That's great. I think we can set up a membership system with an annual fee. Not only the Rockets, but most of the players in the league will be interested."
Garnett said seriously.
Xu Xin was a little surprised. Is Garnett helping him think of business methods? The people are quite nice.
"Okay, I will consider your suggestion carefully."
Xu Xin replied.
In the evening, when the starting list submitted by the Rockets was released, most people who followed the game were shocked.
"KG (Garnett) actually played this game? Doesn't he always rest in the second game of back-to-back games?"
Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch was a little confused. All the plans in the pre-game preparation meeting were based on Garnett not playing.
Unexpectedly, Rocket hit him by surprise.
"It doesn't matter, I guess KG decided to play because of the home fans, and he won't play for long. To take a step back, even if KG's playing time is the same as the season average, his physical reserves and condition will be greatly reduced, Kevin ( There is no problem with the plan with Love) as the main offensive point."
The assistant coach said firmly.
Finch thought for a while and felt that the assistant's point of view was reasonable. After all, he was a 37-year-old veteran, so how much of a threat could he pose?
Then he clapped his hands and said to the team members:
"The plan remains the same, Kevin (Love), you are still the first offensive option, and the offense is mostly launched from the inside. Ricky (Rubio) and Luke (Ridenour), if there is an opportunity from the outside, shoot decisively, don't hesitate . Others are ready to rush for offensive rebounds. In this game, rebounds are our lifeline!"
Finch said.
