At the start of the game, the Warriors set up in a 2-3 formation, the standard opening move for the Flex strategy.

Tonight, Diagana Diop, playing as the Mavericks' "pseudo-starter," proved that he really should have accepted North Carolina's invitation to play college basketball for a year back in the day.

Because, at the moment Qin Yue, using Artest's screen, moved to the high post, this Senegalese center, who hadn't progressed since entering the NBA, completely ignored Qin Yue's movement.

In the next second, Nowitzki, without the protection of his teammates, was forced to recklessly charge towards Qin Yue.

Seeing this, Davis quickly passed the ball, and the rest of the Warriors players swiftly spread out.

Now, Dirk Nowitzki had to face his destiny head-on.

Thud——!

No unnecessary technical moves.

Almost instantly, Qin Yue tore a huge gap in Nowitzki's defense, then dribbled straight to the basket, where in the Mavericks' zone, like a raptor soaring, he unleashed heaven and earth!

Boom——!

This dunk was Qin Yue's first playoff score of his professional career.

At the same time, 1,800 kilometers away at Oracle Arena, the golden wave began to surge.

Twelve years.

With Qin Yue's domineering dunk, the Warriors officially declared their return.

After the dunk, turning to Bavita, Qin Yue pointed to his arm, which Diop had just reached out to block, and said: "Hey, Dick, you owe me a free throw."

On hearing this, Bavita looked up at Qin Yue's impressive face. Although it wasn't the first time officiating a Warriors game, he still felt...

Compared to those in the league who frequently complain about the referee's scale of calls and despite being favored, always feel the favor isn't enough, superstar players. It takes young people like Qin Yue to understand how difficult it is for referees to make calls on the court.

Since joining the league, Qin Yue has never complained or insulted a referee.

Notably, despite mutually disliking each other, Qin Yue and Kobe handle unfair calls in a way that is, if not identical, at least very similar.

Yes, Kobe never liked reminding referees through complaints or insults.

Because most of the time, when encountering unfair situations, Kobe directly told the referees they missed a foul, and asked them to remember to make up for it next time.

In the NBA, the so-called "superstar whistle" is a well-known unwritten rule.

Every superstar tries to maximize their gains in a game.

However, the different ways of fighting for one's interests often bring different public opinions and impact on the game.

For example, during the Mavericks' next offensive round, when his "Golden Chicken Stand" was mercilessly blocked by Qin Yue, Nowitzki felt very hopeless. Because Bavita, reminded kindly earlier by Qin Yue, completely ignored Qin Yue's volleyball-like block of both hand and ball.

Now, he no longer owed Qin Yue a free throw.

As for blocked Nowitzki?

Since the Mavericks had already benefited earlier, how could Nowitzki expect Bavita to change the call?

You just made a shot that might not have gone in.

But previously, Qin Yue lost a precious free throw opportunity!

Then, it was the Warriors' offensive turn.

With Davis and Richardson both having size advantages over the Mavericks' starting backcourt duo of Jason Terry and Adrian Griffin, the Warriors naturally had to utilize their advantage in this attack.

On the left side, under the double screens from Artest and Davis, Richardson successfully found a good shooting opportunity.

At the top of the arc, Qin Yue, who was in possession of the ball, had been waiting for this moment.

This double screen on the flank was originally initiated by him through a hand gesture.

Thus, at the moment Richardson got open, Qin Yue immediately passed the ball to Richardson.

Swish——!

It must be said that Johnson really is a coach who likes to keep something in reserve during a game.

In fact, besides center Diop being a "pseudo-starter," Adrian Griffin, playing shooting guard on the court, was also their "pseudo-starter" tonight.

During the regular season, by keeping Devin Harris, Jerry Stackhouse, Eric Dampier, and Marquis Daniels as backups, "Little General" Johnson ended the regular season with a resounding success.

After all, in today's league, which team's second lineup can compare to the Mavericks' luxurious bench lineup?

But in the playoffs, Johnson, still thinking about keeping something in reserve, clearly forgot...

On the playoff stage, every team reduces their rotation to always ensure the team's combat effectiveness on the court.

If the Mavericks had paired Daniels with Howard in the wing positions and started Harris as point guard tonight, how could they be so passive at the start?

Moreover, doing so would still allow them to use Stackhouse and Terry, two scoring experts, to lead the bench, wouldn't it?

From the Warriors bench, watching the genius coach on the other side, Mike Montgomery couldn't understand at that moment why the Mavericks were willing to give away their advantage at the start of the game.

This is Avery Johnson, who, after being unmasked in the future, gradually faded from memory in the NBA.

Regarding his coaching ability, NBA team general managers aren't fools, and it's impossible for them to waste money on him once they realize the truth.

Midway through the first quarter.

The Mavericks fans at the American Airlines Center fell into silence.

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