Oxford Night: Halliburton s final victory and the big dream of small market teams

"Last year we were swept in the Eastern Conference Finals. Everyone said we shouldn't be there. It was a lucky or an accident. The players were full of anger," he said after the game. "We were 10 wins and 15 losses at the beginning of this season, and everyone started to laugh at and negatively evaluate us. I think as a team, we regard these as personal grudges... This is not my own business, but everyone's business. This is the DNA of our team. We are very good at turning these into motivation, which makes us more confident. I am proud of this team, we always support each other, and no matter who is negatively evaluated, we absolutely believe in each other. Now everyone says we are the weak, which makes us more confident - we like this."

Especially when the game ends in this way. "Terese has a special energy," Buchanan said. "He has confidence in himself at the critical moment, but more importantly, he can feel trust from the people around him - everyone believes in him, and the ball can make the right choice in his hands. When you feel this understanding and trust, you will have more confidence and then you will see these great moments that are happening now."