But unfortunately, tonight both he and Boozer encountered their nemesis?

In the second quarter, the Warriors simultaneously sent Brown and Biedrins onto the court.

These two players, lacking offensive abilities, allowed Mike Dunleavy to experience, a decade early, what would become Stephen Curry's future treatment.

On the court, watching the Jazz players constantly abandon defending Brown and Biedrins to rush straight toward him...

Dunleavy had no idea what sin he committed to end up playing alongside these two "Hidden Dragon and Phoenix Chick."

And the most ridiculous part was, after hitting a difficult catch-and-shoot jumper for the Warriors, these two were busy taking credit...

Didn't they know it was because they constantly drew defenders around me that I was forced to shoot under duress?

In the first half of the second quarter, mentally and physically exhausted, Dunleavy never missed Murphy so much.

Meanwhile, on the Warriors' bench, Mike Malone was prepared to re-adjust the Warriors' lineup once the season ended.

In Malone's view, aside from needing to bring in a capable center to rotate with Murphy... between Biedrins and Brown, the Warriors were destined to only keep one.

It's just...

Due to Brown, Biedrins, and Qin Yue's personal friendships, Malone hadn't been straightforward and upfront.

Malone knew very well that with a franchise player like Qin Yue, no matter his reasons for wanting to adjust the lineup, prior communication with him was a must.

Otherwise...

He'd most likely be looking for a new job the next day.

In the second half of the second quarter, Qin Yue and Davis returned to the court.

It's worth mentioning that despite Paul's personal downfall, it didn't cause the whole Jazz team to collapse.

With disciplined leadership, Jerry Sloan wisely decided to abandon a head-on clash with the Warriors for the rest of the game.

By actively slowing the game pace, more patient offensive organizing, and continuously boosting defensive intensity, the Jazz still had chances to win as late as the fourth quarter.

With the successful championship win last year...

This Warriors team underwent a transformation in their mentality, and in playing habits, they adopted those bad traits usually found in strong teams.

The NBA season has 82 regular games; no team can faithfully execute every command and treat every game seriously like an army.

Thus, regarding the Warriors players' comfortable yet carefree behavior on the court, Mike Malone could only tolerate it.

However, by the fourth quarter, the Warriors still secured the win at home with the final 17 points scored jointly by Qin Yue and Davis, with methods like "slow simmer, high heat to finish."

Final score, 101 to 114.

Davis played his strongest game of the season for the Warriors, racking up 35 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 steals.

Qin Yue garnered an easy "30+" triple-double, with a total of 31 points, 14 rebounds, 11 assists, 3 blocks, and 1 steal.

As for Qin Yue's good buddy Chris Paul?

After the game, during the handshake and hug ritual between two teams' players, Qin Yue went around asking, "Did anyone see my good buddy Chris Paul?"

In the game, the mysteriously missing Paul totaled 8 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists.

Regarding Qin Yue's ugly post-game antics, the infuriated Paul was the most honest reflection of this night's aftermath.

But Paul needn't be too upset...

Because up next, during the Warriors' March stretch...

Baron Davis, splitting through Kidd, slashing Nash, punching Deron, and stomping Parker, is practically crushing every notable point guard of this era in a loop.

This is how Anthony Lester from The San Francisco Chronicle described Davis's comeback performance: "Baron showed the world with his actions how furious he was for missing the All-Star weekend due to his injury."

Throughout March, Davis averaged 27.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game for the Warriors. (Data here only includes March)

The stellar performance of the first-generation Mr. Big Beard allowed the Warriors to successfully overtake the Phoenix Suns and land the top spot in the West at the end of March.

Moreover, this unexpectedly enraged super guard also threw a century-old dilemma to the Warriors' upcoming opponents.

If one Qin Yue is already a massive headache...

Adding a red-hot Davis into the mix...

How can opponents deal with the wave after wave, unstoppable offensive onslaught from the Warriors, akin to a tsunami?

In April, carrying the world's doubt, the Cleveland Cavaliers led by LeBron James arrived in Oakland, boasting their prowess as Eastern Conference kings.

As the Eastern Conference's number one team, they will compete with the newly crowned Western Conference number one Warriors in Oracle Arena in their second and final regular-season matchup.

Despite the Cavaliers and James facing a resounding defeat in last year's clash...

The resilient Clevelanders eventually recovered from that catastrophic confrontation and thrashing.

Prior to the game, The Cleveland Plain Dealer expressed for this imminent Eastern-Western clash, "Last year's matchup holds no reference value.

The fact is, LeBron just needed time to adjust with his new teammates then."

Before this game began...

The Cavaliers had already notched 53 wins, only four behind the Western Conference-leading Warriors.

Although the scheduling difficulty between the Eastern and Western Conferences this season is incomparable, with James leading the Cavaliers to a series of consecutive victories post-All-Star weekend, challenging Qin Yue in the regular-season MVP race...

People have every reason to believe that after months of growth, "Young James" and his increasingly harmonious King's Guard are ready to defeat the defending champions.

This is the most interesting aspect of competitive sports.

— Beautiful success can always make people instantly forget the painful past.

Moreover...

As James leads the Cavaliers more valiantly with every game as the regular season concludes...

Those bigwigs who previously intended to fashion the confrontation between Qin Yue and James as the "great rivalry" of the 21st century have also discovered...

James, who continuously revives after repeated failures, has indeed set off the "great rivalry" they eagerly anticipated.

After all, irrespective of the vast differences in scheduling between the Eastern and Western Conferences, at least at this moment, the Cavaliers are Eastern Conference number one, and their upcoming challenge involves facing the Western Conference number one, the Warriors.

If the dialogue between Eastern Conference number one and Western Conference number one cannot be deemed a "great rivalry," what type of confrontation qualifies as a "great rivalry"?

The Cavaliers arrived in Oakland early on April Fools' Day, aiming to be in their best condition for the Eastern-Western top battle on the evening of April 2.

On the same day, Warriors head coach Mike Malone, after analyzing recent Cavaliers games, changed the "all-out effort" label he originally appended to this game to "just have fun."

This is certainly no April Fool's joke.

But in Mike Malone's view...

The forthcoming Western Conference playoffs mean three rounds of the real finals.

As for overcoming three rounds of finals to emerge from the West?

"I don't want to say that emerging from the West this year equals defending the title... but I think that's the reality."

At the Warriors' last training before the game against the Cavaliers, Malone remarked thus.

...

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