NBA: Warrior godfather.

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While Liam and Ron Adams were discussing the defensive problems of the Warriors, the situation on the court took another turn.

As soon as Paul returned to the game, he took full control and organized the offense. Varejao once again became a target in front of him.

The game was not over yet. Paul had already scored 27 points. After the entire game, 30+ points were guaranteed. Scoring 40+ was not impossible. He was definitely going to set a new season-high.

On the defensive side, the Hornets raised their intensity even further, and the Warriors' lack of ball-handling skills became evident. They were good at abusing players, but with the playoff-like defensive intensity, their success rate plummeted drastically.

From minute 7 to minute 5, the Hornets showed their strength on both offense and defense, quickly surpassing the Warriors' lead and going up by 5 points, 96-91.

When Liam saw the Warriors' offense struggling, he immediately called a timeout.

This was one of his strengths: whenever the team faced setbacks, either on offense or defense, he would never just sit back and let the players adjust on their own, watching the score widen. He would always call a timeout and make adjustments. This was something that set him apart from many others. It was the kind of skill you'd expect from a "famous coach," like the well-known coach who often blew 3-1 leads.

Another strength of Liam was that he had been baptized in the era of small-ball basketball. He had seen all kinds of bizarre lineups and, most importantly, knew how to restrict defenders.

He substituted Varejao, whom Paul frequently trained against, and reassured him:

"Anderson, I can see your efforts. You've done your best. I don't blame you. I substituted you for the win. I hope you understand."

Varejao seemed obviously disappointed, but Liam's explanation made him feel much better, and most of the dissatisfaction caused by not being trusted was dispelled.

This was Liam's third advantage: he never pretended to be a detached head coach; he communicated frequently with his players and maintained a good relationship with them.

Instead of sending Anthony Tolliver onto the court, he looked at Matthews:

"Wesley, you'll take Jimmy's position later. Jimmy, you'll be the wing-pivot, or you can switch defenses as needed. I need you to limit Paul's offense. If he goes to David West, you need to attack him hard. Others rotate to cover. His ball handling isn't great, understand?"

Everyone nodded in agreement. Liam grabbed the tactical board and drew up offensive plays...

On the other side of the table, Jeff Bower didn't even look at the tactical board, but passionately said:

"Guys, we have a 5-point lead. You've done a great job. Only 5 minutes left. Let's take this one home! Chris, this game is on you. Give that Babyface a lesson!"

Paul nodded resolutely. He had carried the Hornets on his back countless times before, overcoming difficulties and winning—this time would be no exception!

In the commentary booth, Barkley was once again filled with pride:

"Reggie, did you just see the Warriors' performance? If they can't attack and defend, they can't win."

Reggie Miller shrugged:

"There are still 5 minutes left. You're being too impatient. I still think the Warriors will win. Want to bet on it?"

"Just... forget it," Barkley almost agreed, but the painful experience of the past taught him that you can say whatever you want, but you can't bet lightly.

"Why are you so confident in the Warriors? They've got Chris Paul, the future number one point guard in the league!" Barkley emphasized.

Reggie Miller laughed:

"It's simple. Yes, Paul is a star of a higher level, but Jeff Bower is not a good coach. After replacing Byron Scott, he didn't make any changes. Don't look at the Hornets' six-game win streak. That's just because they're in good form. Jeff Bower hasn't added anything new to this team. The Hornets are still a team led by Paul, and I don't think Paul's decision-making on the floor can overcome the adjustments Liam has carefully laid out."

Kenny Smith nodded:

"It's no wonder that when I watched the Hornets play, it didn't feel any different from before."

Barkley tried to remember and realized that the Hornets really hadn't changed much before and after Jeff Bower became head coach.

Naturally, he didn't change his tone, but snorted coldly and said:

"I see the Hornets players are very motivated, and Jeff Bower is still pretty good..."

"Do you want to bet or not?"

"Ahem, let's wait and see the game first..."

Bip--

The timeout ended, and both teams returned to the court for the final battle.

Liam's substitution immediately caught everyone's attention. Varejao came off the court. Jeff Bower was initially stunned, then filled with joy. How dare you take the initiative to bench an interior player?

He instantly forgot what he had said earlier and shouted to Paul:

"Give the ball to David and let him attack the little guy on the opposite side one-on-one!"

Paul saw the changes in the opposing lineup and agreed with Jeff Bower's arrangement, nodding to express his understanding.

But the ball belonged to the Warriors, so the Hornets had to defend first. Paul quickly turned his attention to Curry.

Curry entered the attacking zone, ignoring Paul in front of him. Butler moved up to cover him, using a pick-and-roll to move David West in front of him.

The Hornets had no intention of doubling Curry. Butler just slightly delayed Paul, but didn't set the screen and opted for a switch instead.

This was Jeff Bower's arrangement. He'd watched tapes of previous Warriors games and believed that Curry wasn't as dangerous as others made him out to be. The game against the Lakers was just a fluke. His defense would be enough.

Upon seeing this, Liam looked surprised at Jeff Bower.

He didn't expect the opponent to defend Curry this way. The tactic he had just organized was for Curry to attract a double team and then let Butler open up for a wide-open three, but Jeff Bower was actually giving Curry a chance. Small mistake, big reward!

How could they not take advantage of this opportunity?

Liam suddenly stood up from his seat, walked down the bench to a spot parallel to Curry, and shouted:

"Esteban!"

Curry turned his head when he heard the sound. Liam raised his right arm and patted his left elbow.

This meant to let him play isolation. Curry understood and signaled to his teammates to step away. Only he and David West remained at the top of the arc.

Liam nodded in satisfaction and returned to his seat.

He didn't want the opponent to know the team's tactics, so he couldn't shout them out. He could only use this method to remind the players. This was a common tactic in the NBA.

David West was an interesting player. He played smart, had a stable and firm style, and was precise with mid-range shots. He had a fierce look, but liked to read and had a lot of knowledge. He knew a lot about modern history, especially about Colombia, and was very sensible.

In Liam's past life, David West was a player closely associated with the Warriors. To win the championship, he gave up tens of millions in annual salary and joined the Spurs for a minimum contract. Then, he joined the Warriors and became a key bench player, receiving two championship rings.

But now, due to the butterfly effect from Liam, his future was destined to be different from his previous life.

However, his technical characteristics wouldn't change, because Liam had simply made a small change in direction, which forced David West to take a small step back. Although his lateral movement wasn't as slow as it would become later in his career, there was still room for him to react against Curry.

Curry seized that space and raised his hand to hit a three-pointer!

David West did his best to interfere and hit Curry in the face, but Curry shot so quickly that the ball flew past his hand and bounced off the rim.

94:96.

Curry walked away with a smile, tapping his chest and pointing to the sky, while reluctant sighs were heard from the Hornets' fans.

Maybe only he knew that the current scene seemed dramatic, but it was actually just an illusion. In reality, it was impossible for David West to hide it.

Curry had defeated too many opponents and was so confident in his shooting speed. As long as he felt good, he would shoot a three-pointer anytime, anywhere. To him, it was just another routine operation.

Looking back, the Hornets attacked, and Paul followed Jeff Bower's instructions, throwing the ball to David West, allowing him to target Butler.

David West received the ball in the low post, and as soon as Butler sat on him, the Warriors launched a double-team, with Curry running from the side to press.

David West protected the ball, looked around, and finally saw Devin Brown open and passed the ball. But Matthews had already rotated into position and was waiting for him.

Devin Brown looked around and kept searching for open teammates, but Azubuike, who was guarding Paul, moved in front of Peja and ran toward Paul. The Warriors' perimeter players rotated quickly, not leaving any space for the Hornets.

Devin Brown had no choice but to pass the ball back to Paul, who resorted to his old tricks. But the Warriors once again displayed an extraordinary rotation speed, causing the Hornets' passes to fall flat.

In the end, Devin Brown hastily launched a three-pointer, but the basketball hit the rim and missed. The Warriors seized the opportunity to counterattack, and Matthews chased the ball down, hitting a three-pointer.

97:96, the Warriors had taken the lead!

Liam clapped enthusiastically and shouted to his team:

"Good job! Keep fighting like that, rotate and run!"

This was the kind of defensive pressure he wanted to see—tight, aggressive, and rotating fast! This was the type of defense that could break teams down!

At that moment, he even saw the shadow of the "elite Warriors," the signature style of three-line basketball, full of life, rotating pressure, and defensive counterattacks.

The Hornets attacked, but Jeff Bower hesitated and ordered David West to attack.

In his basketball philosophy, the team that controls the paint controls the game. If the opponent exposes weaknesses inside, you must take advantage of it. However, he didn't realize that this move was falling right into Liam's trap.

In front of David West's simple post-ups, the Warriors naturally opted to double-team him, forcing him to pass the ball.

As a big man with 2.1 turnovers per 2.3 assists, David West made an error this time, with Butler cutting in and stealing the pass. Curry quickly capitalized on the mistake.

100:96, the Warriors extended their lead to 4 points!

Barkley looked furious:

"David West was really too careless. As an experienced big man, he shouldn't have handled the ball so recklessly. The Hornets need to be more stable."

Whether Paul heard what Barkley said or not, this time he didn't pass the ball to David West. Instead, he opted to play with Okafor, isolating Biedrins on the perimeter.

At that point, only 3 minutes and 21 seconds remained in the game. Paul chose his best offensive strategy, finding rhythm with a mid-range shot, and launched a jumper.

But Biedrins wasn't Varejao. He was excellent at defending both bigs and smaller players. He managed to interfere with Paul's shot. Biedrins quickly turned around, sprinted for the rebound, passed to Curry, and then sprinted downcourt.

The Warriors quickly launched a fast break, and the other four players moved at lightning speed. They shot from all over the court, completely disrupting the Hornets' defensive formation. Biedrins ran into the offensive zone, slowed down initially, then suddenly sped up. He cut behind Okafor, raised his fingers to the sky.

Curry, meanwhile, was dribbling from beyond the three-point line. Seeing this, he tossed the ball into the air, letting it bounce high. He caught it just in time, dunked with one hand, and slammed it down.

102:96, the lead grew even larger.

Liam, watching from the sideline, couldn't help but clap and shout:

"Yes!"

That's what Biedrins did every night: defend, rebound, find Curry, cut, and finish.

He doesn't know how to coordinate well, lacks shooting range, and is almost a non-factor offensively outside the paint. He's a pure workhorse, but just by doing what he does best, Biedrins had earned a six-year contract worth $54 million. He was the second-highest-paid player on the Warriors!

In Liam's mind, the Warriors' current lineup was still a semi-finished product and needed improvements in many areas. However, Biedrins had firmly secured his place as the Warriors' future starting center.

Tonight, he'd done his part, contributing both offensively and defensively to help extend the Warriors' lead.

Bip--

No matter how slow Jeff Bower was, he knew he had to call a timeout to interrupt the Warriors' momentum.

But he didn't know how to deal with the Warriors' small-ball lineup. All he could do was serve his players some motivational phrases like "keep going" and "defend hard," before the timeout came to an end.

When both teams returned to the court, the Hornets still couldn't break through the Warriors' tight rotations, so Paul was forced to attack.

Using his experience, Paul drew a foul on Matthews, broke to the basket, scored a layup, and helped Peja hit a three-pointer.

But Curry responded with an eye-for-an-eye performance. First, he nailed a floater after slicing through David West, then hit an incredibly long three-pointer over Paul's defense. Lastly, he made a cutting move off the ball, exploiting a momentary gap, and drained another three while almost losing his balance.

With 8 straight points, Curry helped the Warriors lead the Hornets by 7 points, 110:103, with just 52 seconds remaining, essentially putting the game out of reach.

Kenny Smith exclaimed:

"Look at Curry! He exploded for 8 points in a row, nearly sealing the game!"

Reggie Miller said:

"Paul isolated against Biedrins, dribbled to the mid-range... and missed! Biedrins grabbed the rebound and passed the ball to Curry. The Hornets fouled... Curry finished with 28 points tonight. Congratulations to the Warriors on their victory. Heading home for Christmas!"

End of this chapter

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