Unlike the smoke-filled, intense atmosphere Zack imagined before a big battle, May 20th saw a different kind of arrival. Carmelo Anthony, who'd flown into Oakland early with the Nuggets, practically bolted off the plane and straight to Zack's mansion in the East Bay. He cut right to the chase, demanding Zack show him a good time.
Now, is Melo someone who hasn't "seen the world"? No way!
"Alright, so what's the plan for tonight?" Melo pressed.
"Why don't you ask Chauncey to take you to the clubs?" Zack retorted.
"Look, I'll admit, anywhere else, Chauncey's always my big brother. But in the Bay Area... you're definitely the one in charge."
In Zack's previous life, why was Chauncey Billups the only point guard who could ever really "tame" Anthony throughout his entire career? Was it because Billups was a master at setting up plays, always finding Melo easy, smart one-on-one opportunities on the court? Or was it because Billups had connections even Anthony was wary of?
Neither, actually.
It was because Billups, who had already earned the moniker "Prince of Nightclubs" early in his career, wasn't just better at having fun than Anthony in everyday life – he was wilder. So, for a top-tier guard like Billups, who could help him party hard off the court and also "dish out assists" on it, Anthony could only express his admiration with heartfelt conviction.
Even after they retired, Anthony and Billups, who never forgot their "brothers-in-arms" bond, would still passionately claim on talk shows that if the Pistons had drafted Anthony back in the day, they would've won at least three more championships. Billups' exact words were: "Bro, seriously, it's such a waste. If we had drafted 'Melo,' we would've won at least three more rings. I always say, if 'Melo' had come, LeBron might've left Cleveland even earlier, because he would've never beaten the Pistons." This incredibly bold statement clearly showed how much Billups adored his younger brother, Anthony. And Anthony's knowing expression at the time perfectly conveyed how much he respected his good big brother, Billups.
The deepening friendship between Zack and Anthony was quite similar to how Billups "conquered" Anthony. Last summer, back in Japan, Anthony was utterly fascinated by Zack's unique off-court lifestyle, sticking to him until the World Championships ended.
However, facing Anthony's request now, Zack couldn't shake the feeling that he was using "off-court tactics" against his own buddy. And what made it even more frustrating for Zack was that this "tactic" was practically being forced upon him by Anthony himself!
In the NBA, private interactions between star players aren't forbidden by the league. For instance, historically, Chris Paul would often stay directly at LeBron James' mansion whenever he visited Cleveland, rather than with his team at the hotel. As for Anthony seeking out an opposing team's main star to show him "the ropes" before a game? Well, that's actually documented in several biographies of Michael Jordan. Quoting Jordan himself, he'd say that no matter how much fun he had with opponents off the court, once they stepped onto the court, they'd treat each other like sworn enemies.
Once Zack wrapped his head around that, seeing Anthony's eager, almost thirsty expression, he immediately arranged a massive party, one that would make Melo "so happy he wouldn't want to leave."
Anthony was thoroughly satisfied with Zack's arrangements. In fact, it wasn't until the Denver Nuggets' head coach, George Karl, absolutely blew up his phone the next afternoon that Anthony reluctantly left Zack's East Bay mansion, declaring, "I love you, man."
---
On the 22nd, at Oracle Arena, during pre-game warm-ups, there was a moment where Zack felt George Karl's glare. It was as if Karl wanted to tear him limb from limb.
"That damned scoundrel! This is a conspiracy! A complete conspiracy against us! He got our star player drunk the day before the game! He'll stop at nothing to defend his crown!"
Karl, always hot-tempered, cursed his own aging body at that moment. Otherwise, he'd challenge Zack to a bare-knuckle fight and beat him to death just to vent his rage.
That night, Anthony, who had only managed to drag his exhausted body to join the team late on the afternoon of the 21st, missing all of the Nuggets' pre-game practices, was utterly "weak-legged" during the game.
But it must be said that the Nuggets, who were forced to take on Ben Wallace's contract (which was bound to become a bad one in a year or two) just to acquire Billups last year, actually ended up benefiting from it this season. Big Ben still clearly had gas in his tank. So, after Kenyon Martin's old knee injury sidelined him for the season, it was Big Ben's defense that allowed the Nuggets to rack up 51 wins in the regular season. While getting 51 wins and only finishing eighth in the Western Conference was pretty wild, without Big Ben, the Nuggets would likely have been "fishing" much earlier.
On the court, as the Nuggets' starting five – Big Ben, Nene, Harrington, Anthony, and Billups – lined up, and considering they still had quality backups like J.R. Smith, Steve Blake, and Linas Kleiza on the bench, Zack, who Karl cursed every time he scored for the Warriors, couldn't help but feel that the difficulty for the Warriors to break out of the West this year was miles apart from last year.
The weak-legged Anthony went 5-for-22 from the field that night, tallying 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists, including free throws. Off the court, he was Zack's good buddy. On the court, Anthony frequently "assisted" Zack's rebounding, helping him to an unprecedented stat line of 28 points, 27 rebounds, 10 assists, 4 blocks, and 1 steal in this year's playoff opener.
Without Anthony's usual scoring punch, the Nuggets were barely holding on, relying heavily on Billups and J.R. Smith. As a point guard who was always meticulous on the court, Billups couldn't stop the red-hot Baron Davis, but through a simple calculation, he indirectly nullified Davis's impact. In the game, Billups went 5-for-14 from the field, hitting all 5 shots from three-point range and 8-for-8 from the free-throw line, racking up 23 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists for the Nuggets. Meanwhile, the in-form "Original Beard," Baron Davis, shot 10-for-18, including 1-for-2 from three, and 3-for-4 from the line, scoring 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists for the Warriors.
Throughout his career, Billups, despite a modest 41.5% overall field goal percentage, boasted an impressive 58% true shooting percentage. Don't let his nickname, "Mr. Miss," fool you; by optimizing his shot selection, relying more on free throws and threes, Billups often held his own against even the league's top-scoring guards.
However, that night, even Billups couldn't rescue a struggling Anthony. The final score: 98 to 118. The Warriors took Game 1 at home, leading the series 1-0 against the Nuggets.
After the game, amidst the golden wave of cheers already roaring through Oracle Arena, as Karl shook Zack's hand, he clutched Zack's large hand tightly and declared, "Excellent, excellent. Truly worthy of being the league's new standard-bearer of virtue and integrity." Zack was certain that at that moment, Karl, who always loved to be sarcastic, was absolutely not complimenting him. Yet, he brazenly replied, "Oh, really? I actually always thought I was a role model for all young players in the league."
"..."
After Game 1, George Karl, seething with anger, practically demolished the Nuggets' locker room. And Carmelo Anthony? He was "locked down" in the team hotel by Karl's strict, even deathly, orders.
"What an utter idiot! When can't he relax? When can't he have fun? But damn it, this is the playoffs! Does he even realize how important he is to this team?"
To prevent Zack from employing any more "off-court tactics" against the Nuggets, Karl went absolutely ballistic for the next two days, putting Anthony under round-the-clock surveillance.
---
Two days later, Game 2 of the playoff series between the Nuggets and the Warriors continued at Oracle Arena. The fiery Karl, before the game, issued specific three-point shooting quotas to his shooters. "If you don't want me to drown you in spit after this game, then shoot those damned threes at the Warriors' basket like men!"
Unlike many old-school coaches, George Karl, who always believed his own decisions were the right ones, had already recognized the positive impact of three-pointers on the game from the Warriors' championship run last season. Karl knew very well that to defeat this Warriors team, the Nuggets had to exploit Golden State's relatively weaker perimeter defense and match their offense by launching a barrage of three-pointers. Furthermore, Coach Karl had another prominent characteristic: once he believed his decision was correct, he'd often double down, betting even more heavily. For this game, according to Karl's pre-game directive, the Nuggets were to attempt at least forty three-pointers, a truly audacious number for that era.
In the first quarter, even the Warriors players, who typically took the most threes per game in the regular season, thought the Nuggets had gone mad. "Are they that eager for the Messiah to keep getting '20-20' games (points + rebounds)?" Artest wondered, looking at Zack, who had already snagged 10 rebounds by the end of the first quarter.
For the Nuggets, this was undoubtedly a failed experiment. While the Warriors' defense, with offensive-minded Baron Davis and Jason Richardson, preferred to play a zone to prioritize protecting the paint, the Nuggets still needed enough accuracy to "shoot through" the Warriors' defense.
The result: 91 to 121. The Nuggets suffered an even more painful defeat in Game 2, declaring their experiment a failure, and were now heading back to their home in Denver, down 0-2 in the series.
In Game 2, Anthony still struggled, finishing with 20 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists on 7-for-20 shooting, getting most of his points from free throws. Zack, playing only three quarters, put up 25 points, 20 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 blocks, and 1 steal. The consecutive blowout wins in the first round of the playoffs had the Warriors players starting to think that Mike Malone had clearly overestimated the intensity of this year's playoffs.
Even Artest, who had easily "turned Melo into a little bricklayer" in the first two games before heading to Denver, grumbled, "Just thinking about possibly waiting nearly ten days for our next opponent... Honestly, I really don't want to hand 'Melo,' that little sweetheart, a broom." (Referring to a 4-0 sweep.)
---
On the 27th, Game 3 between the Warriors and Nuggets moved to the Pepsi Center in Denver. George Karl, once he started going crazy, only got crazier, sticking with his Game 2 strategy. However, unlike Game 2, the Nuggets' perimeter shooters capitalized on most of their opportunities in the first quarter.
Although Nuggets players, including Anthony, inevitably saw their shooting cool off in the second quarter, Billups stepped up. On the court, by "directing traffic" and creating wide-open space for Anthony's isolations, Billups quickly made Artest realize just how incredibly annoying "little sweetheart" Anthony could be.
This mid-game tactical adjustment by the Nuggets was not George Karl's idea. But when faced with Karl's skepticism, former Finals MVP Billups stuck to his guns: "To stop our threes, the Warriors have been forced to expand their defense. If you want to win, you damn old bastard, you better listen to me!"
In that moment, Karl, usually so quick to anger, was stunned. But then, as if "hit with a stick" and awakened by Billups, Karl looked at him with an appreciative gaze. This was precisely what made George Karl unique. He wouldn't hold a grudge against you for challenging him. On the contrary, the more you acted like a meek puppet, the more he would despise you.
As it turned out, Billups' on-the-fly adjustment successfully allowed the Nuggets to enter the second half with a 17-point lead. After halftime, Warriors fans, expecting their team to "turn up the heat" and pull away as usual, were instead left watching only Zack fighting a lone battle on the court.
Denver's high-altitude home court certainly affected the Warriors' shooting touch. But their overconfidence before the game clearly led them to underestimate the offensive firepower of a Nuggets team that was red-hot. In the regular season, Al Harrington's three-point percentage was a stellar 43%, averaging 2 threes per game. Billups' regular season three-point percentage was relatively ordinary, at just 36%. However, entering the playoffs, Billups, with his "big heart," elevated both his three-point percentage and volume to 40% and 4 threes per game, respectively.
Add in the "uncontainable" Anthony and J.R. Smith when they get hot, and even Kleiza, who the Warriors completely disregarded before the game, and the Nuggets were a different beast. The final score: 106 to 117. The Nuggets, who had lost the first two games by large margins, successfully "wiped away their previous disgrace" in Game 3 and kept their hopes of winning the series alive.
In the game, Anthony, back to being "Sweet Melo" in Denver, put up 38 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal. After the game, Zack, who scored 40 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks for the Warriors, said in an interview: "We can't be complacent because of our earlier wins. There are no weak teams in the West this year."
Even before the Warriors headed to Denver, Zack had noticed the team's increasingly arrogant mindset. He had specifically warned every teammate about it. But in competitive sports, "underestimating your opponent" isn't solved simply by trying to pay attention. Historically, countless losses due to underestimation have proven that humans never learn from their past mistakes when it comes to learning lessons.
---
A day later, Game 4 continued at the Pepsi Center. From the opening tip, the Warriors displayed a completely different attitude. However, compared to Game 3, the Nuggets' shooting in this game was utterly insane, giving Zack and his teammates the illusion that the Nuggets were "cheating."
Perhaps out of a hundred games against this Nuggets team, the Warriors would win eighty. But just like how you can have a "burst" of exceptional play in a basketball game, so can the opposing team. Facing the Warriors' constantly intensifying defense, when the Nuggets could still sink those "unscientific" threes, George Karl's originally absurd experiment transformed into a victory that the Nuggets had essentially "gambled their lives" to achieve. In this game, the Nuggets attempted a total of 41 three-pointers and made 20 of them. Under Karl's wild experiment, they set a new NBA playoff record for team single-game three-pointers made in that era.
After the game, George Karl, showing another side of his personality—the "smug opportunist"—gloated: "When we were down 0-2, you were all saying we were out! But what now? Not only have we successfully tied this series 2-2, but I think we've proven we absolutely have what it takes to eliminate the defending champions!"
Tying the series 2-2 was definitely not the result the Warriors wanted before heading to Denver. But after these two games, Zack felt a distinct shift in the entire Warriors team's spirit and energy. As the defending champions, it wasn't just Zack on the team who longed for a repeat. Losing two straight games after being up 2-0, combined with Karl's ugly gloating, greatly wounded the entire Warriors team's pride.
According to the schedule, the "Battle of Tennozan" (Game 5) between the Nuggets and Warriors would return to Oracle Arena. However, the Warriors players didn't see it as merely a game that would decide their fate against the Nuggets. Decide their fate? When the defending champions were awakened by two unexpected losses, the entire Warriors team now simply wanted to tell the world with a thoroughly dominating victory: they'd had their fun, they were getting tired of this series, and they would end it with an offense as fierce and overwhelming as a tsunami.
---
On May 1st, in Oakland, George Karl, who was still smugly celebrating his crazy three-point experiment before the game, was forced to call the Nuggets' first timeout of Game 5 just three minutes into the game. On the scoreboard, it was 2 to 14. The adjustments the Warriors made on both offense and defense in Game 5 caught Karl and the Nuggets completely off guard.
And as a former Finals MVP, Billups felt Zack's historic dominance for the first time in this series.
"We need to find a way to speed up the game."
"Are you crazy?! Running and gunning? That's the Warriors' preferred pace!"
"It's our only option! Otherwise, no one can stop that monster!"
From the Nuggets' bench, watching Billups' furrowed brow, Karl couldn't help but feel like he was back in the era when the Chicago Bulls dominated the league.