Chapter 36: Intentional Loss

The next evening, the Suns hosted the Spurs at their home court. This was also the final game of the regular season. If they could defeat the Spurs, the Suns would enter the playoffs as the eighth seed in the West.

The previous victory over the Spurs was largely due to Duncan being fouled out and Wade Dong's outstanding performance. Overall, the Suns were weaker on paper than the Spurs, who were the top team in the West, second only to the Bulls in the East.

This time, Nash was back, and Iverson had joined the team!

Although the pressure was immense, the Suns were united in their determination to win this game.

However, before the game started, Wade Dong noticed that Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili were not warming up on the court.

"What's going on?"

Wade Dong frowned, realizing Popovich's strategy. He smiled coldly to himself, "Popovich, this is your choice, and you will regret this decision."

The reason Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili were not warming up was likely because they had been informed before the game that they would not be playing.

This was a common tactic of Popovich's... especially since the Spurs had already secured the top spot in the West.

In fact, this game was crucial for the Suns, but for the Spurs, it was just a chance to choose their playoff opponent. If the Spurs lost to the Suns, they would face the Suns in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.

News had just come in that the Jazz had defeated the Timberwolves, so the Jazz were also paying close attention to this game!

If the Spurs won, the Jazz would make the playoffs; if the Spurs lost, the Jazz would be out of the playoffs.

The players entered the court, ready for the tip-off.

As expected, neither Duncan nor Parker were on the court, and even Leonard had been benched by Popovich. The Spurs' starting lineup included three players who had been bench players all season.

...

"Damn it!!!"

Seeing that the Spurs' star players were not on the court, Jazz head coach Snyder angrily threw his drink bottle to the ground. "I'm going to report the Spurs!"

The Jazz players were also furious.

The Spurs were shameless, clearly throwing the game. If they were eliminated from the playoffs like this, the Jazz players would be devastated.

...

The Spurs' lineup was no match for the Suns' offense.

As soon as the game started, Nash, Wade Dong, and Hill scored frequently. By the end of the first half, the Suns were leading the Spurs by 36 points, 79-43.

The Spurs were clearly not trying, not only benching their starters but also not playing their bench players seriously.

Three minutes into the second half, the lead was extended to 40 points. Wade Dong, Nash, and Hill were all taken out by Coach Gentry, as there was no need for them to play anymore.

"Do you want to go in and find your rhythm?"

Gentry asked Iverson when Wade Dong came off the court.

"Hmph~"

Iverson crossed his arms and responded with a snort.

He could accept being a substitute for Wade Dong, but facing this intentionally weakened Spurs lineup and being asked to score was an insult to him.

Iverson had played seven minutes in the first half, scoring 11 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists.

If judged by the standards of a substitute, Iverson had already performed well.

Wade Dong, after coming off the court, suddenly walked over to Popovich and extended his hand.

"No need to thank me!"

Popovich smiled and shook Wade Dong's hand.

Wade Dong said with a forced smile, "You will regret this foolish decision today."

"Oh? Is that so?"

Popovich looked indifferent. "Young man, don't talk big."

"Haha..."

Wade Dong laughed and left the Spurs' bench.

Wade Dong wanted to beat the Spurs, but winning like this and entering the playoffs made him unhappy.

The Spurs intentionally throwing the game showed they didn't respect the Suns, or perhaps they thought the Jazz were a tougher opponent than the Suns. Therefore, the Spurs would pay for this decision.

Black eight!

Popovich must have heard this term before; it seemed he wanted to experience it again?

...

With the end of this game, the playoff matchups were also set.

Eastern Conference first round: Bulls vs 76ers, Heat vs Knicks, Pacers vs Magic, Celtics vs Hawks

Western Conference first round: Spurs vs Suns, Thunder vs Mavericks, Lakers vs Nuggets, Grizzlies vs Clippers

The playoffs would begin in a week, and the Suns would face their old rivals, the Spurs, a matchup chosen by the Spurs themselves.

However, even before the playoffs started, the Spurs were fined $25,000. The league investigated the final game between the Spurs and the Suns and found that the Spurs had intentionally thrown the game, resulting in the fine.

This kind of fine was nothing to the Spurs; they received several similar fines every year.

...

The day after the game against the Spurs, Saral found Wade Dong.

With a hint of pride, he handed Wade Dong two sets of keys. "These are the keys to your villa and your car. Congratulations, you now have a home in Phoenix."

"Thank you!"

Wade Dong took the keys, feeling very happy.

Saral added, "The villa is fully furnished, with everything you need. You can move in today."

"Haha... you've thought of everything."

Wade Dong laughed. Saral had considered everything thoroughly.

Finally, he didn't have to stay at Dudley's house anymore. During this time, Daisy hadn't shown up, and the reasons were unclear.

But Dudley wasn't very loyal; every time Daisy appeared, he seemed to want to push Wade Dong towards her. Besides, Daisy knew where Dudley lived.

"Coach, I'm taking half a day off to check out my new place."

Wade Dong, excited to have the keys, immediately asked Coach Gentry for half a day off to see his new home.

In the parking lot, Wade Dong pressed the car key, and a black Lamborghini nearby lit up.

"Not bad~"

Wade Dong touched the Lamborghini and got in.

Fortunately, in this world, a Chinese driver's license was valid worldwide, so Wade Dong didn't have to worry about the license issue. He drove to his new villa.

Actually, Wade Dong didn't have high expectations for the villa; as long as he had a place to live, he was content.

But when Wade Dong arrived, he was shocked by the luxurious mansion in front of him.

It was a super luxurious villa with a garden, a pond, and a swimming pool. Wade Dong walked around and found that the total area was about 2,000 square meters, with nine bedrooms and three floors, including an elevator.

The villa also had an indoor basketball court.

The villa had been thoroughly cleaned, with no traces of the previous owner's life, and almost all the furniture was brand new.