Capítulo 1323: Chapter 532.10: About the Timeline (Part 5)

Curry averaged 30.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 2 steals this season, continuing his terrifying performance of over 5 three-pointers per game, leading the Warriors to a 67-15 record and securing first place in the regular season for two consecutive years.

This season’s regular season was a disaster for the West, with your Lakers and Curry’s Warriors both achieving over 65 wins, and two other teams reaching over 60 wins.

Durant returned and maintained excellent form, averaging 27.8 points, leading his team to a 61-21 record along with Harden, who averaged 28.6 points, ranking third in the West.

The Spurs entered the peak year of team basketball with the trio plus Leonard, achieving a 61-21 record and ranking fourth in the West.

Because of your four teams’ crazy win harvest, no other team in the West besides you has more than 50 wins; the fifth-ranked Clippers only achieved 46 wins, and the Rockets, whose Westbrook and Howard have again clashed, are only eighth in the West with a 40-41 record.

This is the worst season record for the eighth in the West since the 21st century, and it’s also the first time since the 21st century that the fifth to eighth positions in the West all lag behind the East; the fifth-ranked Celtics in the East have 48 wins, and the eighth-ranked Pistons have 45 wins.

In the first round of playoffs in the West, the scores were completely consistent—Curry led the Warriors to sweep the Rockets 4-0; you led the Lakers to sweep the Grizzlies 4-0; Harden and Durant led the Thunder Team to sweep the Trail Blazers 4-0; Leonard led the Spurs to sweep the Clippers 4-0.

After the first round was completed, the NBA officially announced the biggest regular-season award.

Although you lost to Curry again in the regular-season top spot competition, this time you won in the MVP voting, receiving 79 first-place votes, overwhelmingly defeating Curry, who received 18 first-place votes, and being elected regular season MVP for the first time in your career.

With Durant’s return, Harden withdrew from the Scoring King competition, leaving only Curry to compete with you; you won the competition, and the difference in record was not as large as last season between Thunder Team and the Warriors, only two games, plus your defense was far superior to Curry’s and your performance was recognized.

In the second round, your Lakers, and the Thunder Team led by Durant and Harden met again in the playoffs, both pushing to their limits, with the entire series being closely contested.

In G1, the Lakers defeated the Thunder 112-105; in G2, the Thunder won 116-107 on the road, seizing the home advantage; in G3, the Lakers defeated the Thunder 102-99, with you and Durant showing off in a showdown, Durant’s near clutch shot tied the game but your last backward three-point shot reclaimed the home advantage.

In G4, after reclaiming the home court, you surged while defeating the Thunder 115-99 on the road, leading 3-1 and entering the match point; however, Durant and Harden did not give up, recording 30+ points each in G5 to lead the Thunder to a 116-109 victory, bringing the series back to Oklahoma City.

In G6, Durant and Harden once again both scored over 30; Durant had 34 while Harden scored 37, together accumulating 71 points, but this time you did not give them another chance: you hit 16 out of 29, including seven three-pointers out of twelve, and seven out of seven free throws, scoring the highest of the game with 46 points; combined with Bryant’s 19 points, 6 assists, Williams’ 18 points, and Gasol’s 15 points, 15 rebounds… the score was 122 to 116, you led the Lakers to a 6-point victory over the Thunder, advancing to the Western Conference Finals with a 4-2 series win.

On the other side, the Warriors and Spurs, meeting for the second consecutive year in the playoffs, played an exceptionally fierce game, with both teams holding their first two home courts and also defending the deciding seventh game and G6 at home; this time Thompson did not continue his miraculous performance in G6.

Ultimately, the Warriors implemented a strategy of exhausting the trio to a point of physical collapse, slaughtering the Spurs 92-77 in the seventh decisive battle, advancing to the Western Conference Finals with a 4-3 series victory.

You and Curry have met consecutively for 3 years in the playoffs, advancing to the Western Conference Finals for 2 consecutive years.

This time, with DeRozan and Lowry leading the Toronto Raptors to push James’s Cavaliers to a seventh game in the second round of the East, the East finished a day later than the West.

Your and Curry’s teams both got ample rest, unlike last season with many external factors, and after the Western Conference Final began, both of you defended your home court; In G1 the Warriors won 115-109, G2 Warriors won 118-112, G3 Lakers achieved victory at 116-111, G4 Lakers won at 107-103. The score was 2-2 tied, moving to the deciding battle.

In the deciding battle, you, Bryant, Williams, and Curry, Thompson engaged in a three-point duel, with 5 players collectively hitting 20 three-pointers, each side getting exactly 10, the resulting determinant of victory was—Mid-range Shot!

Playing until a little over two minutes were left, the score was 113-113; at the critical moment, you and Kobe scored in all four mid-range attempts, 3 out of 3 plus 2 out of 2 free throws accumulating 8 points, while Curry, who still hovered beyond the three-point line, missed his last two shots, and Thompson’s three-point shot also missed, winning you the deciding battle on the road with a score of 121-113 for the Lakers.

This year’s G6 did not belong to Thompson, nor to Curry; as the home and away alternate one day later, Curry and Thompson at Staples Center each produced 14 out of 4 and 10 out of 2 three-point performances, Curry was 19 out of 6 in total, gaining only 17 points, Thompson went 18 out of 6, tallying just 14 points. The Warriors’ top scorer was—Draymond Green, who had 20 out of 11, scoring 30 points.

On your side, maintaining stability with close, mid, and long-range combined gameplay, 23 out of 11, scoring 28 points; Gasol claimed 26 points, 11 rebounds, Kobe gained 18 points, 10 assists, Nick Young posted 16 points… winning against the Warriors 103-89, with a series score of 4-2, progressing to the Finals for 3 consecutive years!

This time the Finals again was exceptionally unremarkable alike the 60s, only that in recent years it was the East who lost…”