NBA: Warrior godfather.

Guys there is already content on patreon, if anyone wants to become a chunin or jonnin.

patreon.com/Chuga320 (More 50 chapters)

—————————————————————————————————————————————

To everyone's surprise, Liam didn't seem upset after the first half. Instead, he smiled and reassured the team:

"You all did a great job in the first half. Don't forget, we're up against the Suns—a powerhouse team in recent years! And we're just a rookie squad. Why expect to lead them by more than ten points? I wouldn't even dare to dream of that!"

As the players exchanged surprised glances, Liam's casual demeanor prompted some chuckles.

He continued, "Even though we're down by more than ten points, we've got a whole half left to play. Don't panic—stick to our tactics and play our game. Remember, we're not the favorites here. There's no pressure."

When Liam finished, veteran Ronny Turiaf stood up, rallying the team with a shout:

"Let's go, Warriors!"

The locker room erupted as the rest of the players joined in, their spirits renewed. Liam looked around, smiling as if confident about the second half, though deep down, he'd already accepted the likely outcome.

The Warriors lacked the defensive resources to match the Suns' relentless offense. And while their firepower wasn't bad, it paled in comparison to the Suns, leaving little chance of a comeback.

If Curry managed to explode right from the start, the Warriors might have a slim chance. But an 18-point deficit at halftime was an enormous hurdle.

When the second half began, the Warriors showed flashes of the brilliance they'd displayed in their victory against the Rockets. Curry, energized after halftime, began hitting tough shots over Channing Frye and Amare Stoudemire, electrifying the crowd at the American Airlines Center.

However, Steve Nash was as composed as ever. The master playmaker adjusted the game's pace, steering it back into the Suns' comfort zone.

Halfway through the third quarter, the Warriors realized something unsettling: despite their offensive push, the gap had widened instead of shrinking.

While the Warriors scored, the Suns scored more—and more efficiently.

The Warriors' small-ball lineup pushed their rotation to its limit, but defensive improvements remained out of reach. They had no choice but to double down on offense.

Curry dominated the ball, breaking down Frye repeatedly and occasionally taking on Stoudemire for variety. The Warriors began to close the gap, though only slightly.

Even some Suns fans couldn't help but cheer for Curry's impressive three-pointers. Yet, despite his heroics, Curry realized with growing frustration that his efforts weren't enough.

Each time Curry nailed a three, Nash responded with a seamless assist, setting up his teammates for equally devastating plays. Curry's scoring felt futile as the Suns maintained their grip on the game.

By the end of the third quarter, the Suns led 110-86, a 24-point advantage. Curry's stellar performance hadn't just failed to close the gap—it had allowed the Suns to widen it.

In the final quarter, Liam briefly kept the starters on the court but pulled them after three minutes, seeing their morale wane and the deficit balloon to nearly 30 points. With a sigh, he called for a timeout and waved the white flag.

Suns coach Alvin Gentry, seeing this, substituted his starters as well, grinning at the assured victory.

The Suns' bench, however, lacked depth, and the Warriors' reserves clawed back points against a lineup led by a young Goran Dragic. Still, the gap was too great to overcome.

The game ended with a 125-109 victory for the Suns. While the Warriors had fought valiantly, the outcome was never truly in doubt.

Liam, though prepared for such a result, felt a deep sense of frustration.

For the first time, he experienced the helplessness of knowing the problem yet being powerless to fix it. The Warriors simply lacked the defensive assets to compete.

As he shook hands with Gentry, Liam's mind was already drifting to Lake Michigan, envisioning ways to strengthen the roster.

"Larry," Liam called out to GM Larry Riley on the way to the tunnel. "There's a player named Draymond Green at Michigan State. Look into him…"

At the post-game interview, Liam appeared alone.

A reporter asked, "Why didn't Curry join the post-game interviews?"

"Stephen was exhausted from the game," Liam replied calmly. "He experienced some back tightness afterward and couldn't attend."

"???"

The journalists had just seen Curry walking back to the locker room perfectly fine. Still, they pressed on.

"Coach Liam, the Warriors lost decisively tonight. Do you still believe this team can make the playoffs?"

"We're a lottery team aiming for the playoffs," Liam responded, unfazed. "We lost to a team led by a two-time MVP. That's normal. I'm proud of our team's fighting spirit. Curry's performance showed why he deserved to be the second overall pick. It may look like we lost this game, but in reality, we won."

The room fell silent as Liam glanced around, then stood up. "If that's all, I'll take my leave."

The next day, on the flight back to Oakland, Liam asked the staff to bring newspapers covering the game.

Curry, seated beside him, looked uneasy as headlines criticized the team and himself:

"Suns Overpower Warriors: Nash's 17-Point, 20-Assist Double-Double Shines"

"Curry's 34 Points Fall Short: Rookie Struggles Against Veterans"

"Coach Liam Exposed Against Elite Teams but Talks Tough"

"Warriors' Loss Sparks Controversy Over Post-Game Interview Absence"

Curry glanced nervously at the headlines, recalling how quickly the media's praise after their victory over the Rockets had turned to scorn.

Liam flipped through the newspapers, then handed them to Curry. "This is your first taste of adversity. Save these. Read them whenever you need motivation."

Curry carefully folded the newspapers, his determination hardening. "Coach, now I understand. The NBA is no place for losers. Only winners are respected."

Liam smiled. "Exactly. In this league, there's no fairness—only the strong are celebrated."

End of this chapter

Note: Hi if you really like NBA novels, you can support me either in this pg with stones, reviews etc, or in patreon since the niche of sports and specially NBA is very small is Webnovel since people prefer to read Naruto, Pokemon, comics etc.