From sparring to superstar

Chapter 332 330. Tie-break battle!

The finals are tied at 2-2, and the Clippers and Magic will face the battle at Tianwang Mountain!
Magic fans, who were surrounded by a large number of fans from the Clippers, Celtics, Trail Blazers, 76ers, Pacers, Nets... in the past two days, were shocked and started counterattack and taunting mode.

After the Clippers won two games in a row, the media began to hype the topic of surpassing the Lakers with 16 wins and 1 loss.

Now that the Magic have won G4, the possibility of the Clippers surpassing the Lakers has been shattered. The media are swarming in favor of the Clippers. Morality does not exist.

Clippers fans, while passionately quarreling with Magic fans, were furious about the NBA Finals schedule.

The 2-3-2 finals schedule was drawn up decades ago because long-distance charter flights were expensive at that time. Now in the 21st century, it’s time to change the rules.

Magic fans firmly support this schedule, and Clippers fans can't afford to lose.

After the first four games, the excitement for the finals has reached a boiling point.

The Clippers and Magic both attracted a large wave of fans after the first four games.

If you only look at the scores, statistics, and shooting percentages, the two teams look very similar, with a strong style of play and a strong head.

But after watching the game, you know that the two teams are completely opposite.

While the Clippers' style of play remains unchanged, several core players have been seeking changes.

As for the Magic, no matter how the opponent changes, their style of play remains the same.

The team's playing style has distinctive characteristics, and the stars also have their own characteristics.

The God of Basketball is unparalleled in singles, Spider-Man, whose potential seems to have unlimited potential, the White Devil, who is cold-blooded and deadly in key shots, the Little Shark, who is becoming more and more stable and powerful, the left-handed magician who has a flash of inspiration... The ultimate stable and extremely powerful basic skills, capable of everything T-Mac, who can do everything well, Mr. Extraterrestrial, the old and evergreen tree...

A bustling rest day passed, and at 6 pm on June 16, the battle of Tianwang Mountain in the finals began.

O'Neal won the jump ball and the Clippers went first.

Li Ao caught the ball in the high post and hit McGrady with his back. He turned around and rushed in. With McGrady's pursuit and Clifford Robinson's defense, he stopped suddenly and took a step forward to shoot a jump shot... The direction was very positive, but the force was a bit too strong.

The first attack was a hit, but in the next attack, he successfully received the ball and saw that the defender was Mike Miller. Instead of taking a direct shot, he slowed down the rhythm, relying on the ball, turning over and shooting a jumper...hit!
Although I didn't score in the singles, I became more confident and comfortable in my technical moves.

The rhythm of running, catching and shooting, and the choices after receiving the ball have also become better. Seeing that the defender is Mike Miller, who is stronger in assist defense than single defense, he immediately switches to singles.

After a defeat, Li Ao made progress again!

接下来的9分钟时间里，他7投3中，其中三分球3中1，加上4中3的罚球拿到10分，加上前面的两分，10分钟时间拿到12分！
This is the first time for any player in this finals to score in double figures in a single quarter!
Under the leadership of Li Ao, the Clippers scored 27 points in the first quarter, setting a new record for their highest score in the first quarter of this finals!

But...the Magic played better offensively in the first quarter!

McGrady scored 8 points in the first quarter. Most of his shots were blocked. In 9 of the 8 minutes he played, he did not have a good offense and only scored two points. However, before the first official timeout, he made two consecutive passes. He caught the ball from the top arc and hit a three-pointer, helping the Magic go ahead by 3 points and enter the official timeout.

麦迪8分、邓肯5分、迈克-米勒5分、卡塞尔4分3助攻……魔术队首节以28比27领先快船队1分！
The two teams combined to score 55 points in a single quarter, both setting a new high for their scores in a single quarter in the finals.

The offense of the two teams is so hot, it's not that they don't defend well.

On the contrary, in terms of defensive tactics and coordination, they did better than the previous four games.

But under heavy pressure, the stars of both teams burst out with amazing fighting power, and performed better in the face of stronger defense!
During the break, the commentators were analyzing the performance of four players tonight-Li Ao, Bibby, Duncan, and Tracy McGrady.

Li Ao was evaluated - amazing.

Under the Magic's stable and strong defense, his off-ball offense has improved again, his running rhythm is better, and his use of off-ball screens has also grown under pressure. He has done better and faced different situations after receiving the ball. Defenders also make better choices.

Duncan was rated - shocking.

Since G2, he has scored between 20 and 25 points in every game, which is not high, but in a game like this, it is definitely not bad!
The key is that no matter how high the opponent's defensive intensity improves, his scoring in the past three games has been very stable. He scored 3-10 points in about 5 minutes in each quarter, and it is the same tonight!
McGrady was rated - surprise.

He shows his comprehensiveness in every game, and the level of every ability is above the first-class level, which is qualitatively different from those comprehensive but mediocre players that have emerged in recent years.

Tonight, he scored two consecutive three-pointers under the pressure brought by Spider-Man, which made a surprise and left a deep impression on the audience.

Bibi...terrible!
He has the second-highest playing time on the Clippers team, but he seems to be invisible on the court most of the time. But at a certain moment, he suddenly appears, helping the Clippers stop the decline and even end the game. After one game , he always gets about 15 points and five or six assists.

After the interval, the two teams continued their fierce battle.

第二节比分24比22，快船队以51比50反超魔术队1分进入中场休息，快船队最多的时候领先优势达到5分，前半节的比分14比8，但后半节魔术队还了快船队一个14比10，将分差追至可以忽略不计。

After the halftime break, the Clippers fielded their strongest lineup in the third quarter. Under the leadership of Li Ao and Jordan, the Clippers' scoring decline was stopped and they scored 26 points in a single quarter.

But the Magic scored 29 points in this quarter!
The Clippers had the advantage in the first half of the quarter, 14 to 11, and the lead reached 4 points when the official timeout entered.

In the second half of the quarter, the Magic made three consecutive outside shots and looked like it was about to collapse. However, Duncan grabbed offensive rebounds in these three rounds and hit consecutive tip-ins, single-handedly saving the building from collapse. .

Duncan did not let the point difference be widened, but instead scored 6-2 on his own, helping the Magic tie the score!
Not only that, Duncan continuously grabbed offensive rebounds, allowing his teammates on the outside to shoot with more confidence. In the following time, the Magic scored 12 to 10, overwhelming the Clippers!
79 to 77, the Magic overtook the Clippers by two points entering the final quarter!
At the end of the quarter, the Magic showed terrible stability, and the Clippers counterattacked wildly, but the Magic remained unmoved and continued to suppress the Clippers!

The score was 23 to 20 in the final quarter!The Magic won by 3 points in the final quarter!
首节12分、第二节6分、第三节7分、第四节8分，李敖打了40分钟，25投12中，其中三分球7中3，加上8中6的罚球，拿到33分8板2助攻3抢断2盖帽。

乔丹17分、毕比13分6助攻、小奥尼尔12分8板1助攻1盖帽、奥多姆6分8板4助攻……不敌魔术队！

邓肯28分16板2助攻1抢断5盖帽、麦迪22分4板4助攻、卡塞尔20分7助攻、迈克-米勒15分……

102 to 97, the Magic defeated the Clippers, defended their last home court, and won the battle at Tianwang Mountain!
...

The Clippers' road trip...Spider-Man fulfilled his promise and brought the Finals back to Los Angeles.

But that's it.

2 to 3, the Clippers are on the verge of elimination!

This time for three consecutive away games, the Clippers started high and then went low. They took back the home court advantage in the first game, and then lost two consecutive games...

After the game, major media analyzed the performance of the two teams in this game.

The Magic's style of play actually didn't change much compared to the previous game. They followed the established style of play in a strict manner throughout the game.

The only difference is that it feels better.

The Clippers didn't play badly. It can even be said that the Clippers played their best offensive game since the finals.

But as the Magic team has the highest ceiling in the league, when they feel hot...invincible!
After G5, the two teams got two days of rest. The next two games were played at the Clippers' home court, but the media generally believed that the Magic had a higher chance of winning.

The Magic have won an away game before, and they have reason to make this judgment.

In addition, there is a precedent of the Magic winning 0 consecutive games and sweeping the Eastern Conference finals after falling behind 2-4. Some media even think that they may not need to play two more games and believe that the Magic can directly win three consecutive games to win the championship.

The noisy public opinion did not affect the preparations of the two teams.

The Magic players in the leading position had no pride and prepared meticulously after arriving in Los Angeles.

The Clippers, who were trailing 2-3, were not discouraged. The God of Basketball, Spider-Man, and Captain led their teammates to prepare patiently.

Two days passed quickly. On June 6, the Clippers ushered in Game 19 of the series against the Magic at Staples Center.

David Stern came to the sidelines to watch the game tonight, and the championship trophy may be handed out tonight.

After the game started, the Magic continued to show their invincibility!They continued their performance in G5, scoring 25 points in the first quarter and leading the Clippers by 25 point 24-1 entering the second quarter.

The Clippers actually played well tonight. It was a little worse than G5 and G3, but better than G1, G2, and G4. It belongs to the middle level of this finals. For most playoff teams, the Clippers The team's performance in the first quarter was enough to beat the opponent, but when they encountered the Magic team, which was in good shape halfway through the finals, they were overwhelmed.

Such a start made the fans at the scene frustrated and unwilling!They cheered loudly and loudly for the Clippers with all their strength, praying in their hearts that God would bless them.

It's a pity that God did not bless them. In the second quarter, the Magic continued to advance and scored a 15-10 half-quarter score.

40 to 34, the Magic's lead reaches 6 points!
The Magic have one characteristic - strong continuity.

When they are in good form, their continuity is also strong!
The fans at the scene are already desperate. They can't suppress the Magic team at this time. How can they fight in the future?
Rivers was also very excited now. He said to the equally excited defensive assistant Tom Thibodeau: "Tom, I'm going to become a championship coach!"

Just when Rivers was thinking about how to make a lineup rotation after stopping the opponent to make Duncan satisfied, Bibby's pass from the three-point line through the entire three-second zone was sent to the left baseline. Li Ao received the ball and hit the three-pointer. He took a long stride, knocked away Clifford Robinson who was coming to cover, and smashed the ball into the basket with one hand!

The referee's whistle blows, Li Ao's goal is valid, and there will be an additional penalty!

Halfway through the second quarter, this time the dead ball automatically entered the official timeout.

Li Ao's brutal eating of cake this time shocked Rivers, but seeing that the score was still leading, and thinking of the hot state of their Magic team tonight, he didn't pay too much attention and made normal lineup adjustments and tactical arrangements.After returning from the timeout, Li Ao also scored an extra free throw, helping the Clippers chase the score to 37-40.

Not only did Rivers not take the dunk to heart, but so did the rest of the Magic team.

The route Bibby passed to Li Ao just now had two people in the middle, which was a risky pass. If Bibby could pass such a ball in place every time, the Clippers would not be behind 2-3.

Magic players firmly believe that as long as they remain consistent, they are the best basketball team in the world.

Cassel received the serve and advanced to the frontcourt, screened with substitute Sean Lukes, and passed to McGrady. McGrady then passed to the top spot-up shooter Piakowski who replaced Mike Miller...a mistake!

Li Ao flew to the left sideline, slapped the ball away and grabbed the ball before Piakowsky received it!

Bibby received the ball, quickly advanced to the frontcourt, and passed it to Li Ao on the left side of the three-second zone.

Li Ao received the ball and was blocked by McGrady and Cassel.

Duncan, who returned from defense, first blocked Bibby's pass to Big Q who was following up from the right. After Bibby passed the ball to Li Ao, he immediately moved inward and blocked the middle of the three-second zone, blocking the space on the right side for Li Ao to pass.

Li Ao jumped up to distribute the ball, Big Q caught the ball from the right sideline, chased and shot a three-pointer...hit!
It is difficult for Bibby to pass this kind of pass that is separated by several people. Occasionally, there is a fortune teller.

But Li Ao can!
When he passed the ball, McGrady jumped up and didn't even stop him!
40 to 40, the Clippers beat the Magic 6 to 0 and tied the score!

The fans at the scene were instantly excited!

They didn't play a role in God's service, but the cheers they sent to the players did!
After being suppressed for a quarter and a half, the Clippers players also figured out that since it was a last-ditch battle, and since the opponent could continue such a good state, then let's fight.

Just like Spider-Man said during the official timeout just now - "If you win, keep fighting, if you lose, take a vacation!"

Li Ao's 2+1 dunk and Big Q's chasing three-pointer raised the Clippers' sluggish morale to the top and unleashed an amazing fighting force.

In the next 5 minutes, the Clippers and the hot Magic team played back and forth.

As Matt Halprin, who came on the rotation, hit a layup against Duncan, the score was 50 to 51 at the end of the half. The Clippers were 1 point behind entering the intermission.

26 to 26 in a single quarter, the Clippers tied the Magic in the second quarter!
Withstanding the ravages of the hot and stable Magic team, the Clippers players' confidence was greatly boosted. In the third quarter, the Clippers launched a counterattack!

Jordan scored two goals in three rounds after coming on the court, and also fed O'Neal under the basket, shooting a 3-6 and quickly taking the lead.

The Magic can't suppress the situation!

The Magic can turn a hot state into a regular state. This continuity is terrifying and very special in the entire history of the NBA.

But there is a flaw - they are unable to perform better.

As for the Clippers, they have Jordan, Li Ao, and Bibby. Their regular state is not as good as those stars of the Magic, but when they rise, there is no limit to their upper limit!

Facing the runaway Clippers, the TT combination made the most prudent adjustment - strengthening defense.

Facing the Clippers' defense, they are no longer able to play a better offense. According to their basketball philosophy, this is the best choice.

The Clippers scored 25 points in the third quarter while limiting the Magic to 19 points.

After three quarters, the Clippers led the Magic by 75 points, 70-5!
In the fourth quarter, the Clippers continued to play hard on offense and defense.

Yalic, Big Q, Gerald Wallace, Matt Halprin, and Campbell went up to play pure defense for a few minutes, and then Bibby, Li Ao, Matt Halprin, Odom, and O'Neal Jr. The combination played and the Magic continued to grind.

When it comes to playing rogue after gaining a clear lead, Gentry is now as good as his teacher...

The final score was 14 to 16!

With 2.6 seconds left, McGrady made a super long three-pointer two meters away from the top of the arc... It's a pity that he is not his cousin. His cousin has made two buzzer-beating three-pointers in this position this season. no……

At 10:23 p.m., the final whistle blew.

邓肯18分10板4助攻1抢断2盖帽、麦迪12分6板3助攻2抢断2盖帽、卡塞尔12分5助攻、迈克-米勒11分、克利福德-罗宾逊12分5板2助攻……

10 of the 10 players from the Magic team scored, and 5 of them scored in double figures. It can be seen that the overall condition of the team is really good. At one time, it seemed that everyone could pass and everyone could score.

But when they need someone to stand up and compete with Li Ao, Jordan, and Bibby, their shooting rights were too scattered tonight, and no one could stand up and shoot the ball against the defense for a while!

Judging from the contingency selection, the TT combination did nothing wrong, but they were beaten...

李敖23投9中，其中三分球7中2，加上5中5的罚球，拿到25分6板5助攻4抢断2盖帽。

毕比15分4助攻、乔丹14分4板3助攻、小奥尼尔13分15板1助攻2盖帽、大Q12分、奥多姆6分5板3助攻2盖帽……

89比86，快船队3分险胜魔术队，将大比分追成3比3平！
...

The tiebreaker!

The finals did not end in Game 6. Except for Magic fans, other basketball fans were very excited.

The last time there was a tiebreaker in the finals was 9 years ago.

In the 93-94 season, Dameng and Gorilla met in the finals. Dameng narrowly won the championship in a tiebreaker, and defeated the Admirals and Sharks successively in the second season.

In those two years, there was a saying in the NBA that there were only four centers in the NBA, which is what people call the four major centers.

Dameng used his strength to prove that what people said was wrong. There are not only 4 centers in the NBA, but only 1 center.

In two years, Dameng defeated the other three of the four major centers.

Every time the finals reaches a tiebreaker, some classic scenes will be produced.

Big Dream made people know that he was the only super center. In 88, James Worthy completed the only consecutive championship in the 80s. In 84, Big Bird announced that the NBA is not only a super team with the Lakers...

In the eyes of the fans, no matter which side wins the championship, this final will become a classic final that will be discussed repeatedly in the future, just like the three tie-breaks in the past 20 years.

On the morning of the off day, long lines formed outside the Staples Center and various ticket sales points in Los Angeles.

The finals tie-breaker may not happen again for several years. For fans of a certain team, it may be the only opportunity in their entire fan career to see their team play the finals tie-breaker. Naturally, they are very enthusiastic. I thought about grabbing a ticket to watch the game live.

Ticket sales are booming, the growth of live broadcast bookings has also increased significantly compared with the previous six games, and fans' enthusiasm for watching live broadcasts has also soared.

The day off quickly passed, and on June 6st, the last game day of the NBA season arrived.

After a day of preparation, at 7:40 pm, the Magic and Clippers entered the court one after another.

Finally, the two teams had a tense moment before the game.

After the entrance ceremony, Li Ao had a passionate fight with McGrady and Mike Miller, one against two without losing.

Jordan... originally wanted to have a fight with Duncan, but Duncan squatted silently under his own basket, jumped up and did a pull-up, and ignored anyone. He could only exchange words with his old rival Clifford Robinson. .

The two met in the Finals 11 years ago in 1992. The Bulls and Trail Blazers won one of the first four games and tied 4-2. After that, the Bulls won two games in a row and won the championship. champion.

Jordan was not venting his pressure. He felt very strange. It was not that he had never played in tiebreakers. When he was 26 and seven years old and young and vigorous, he felt huge pressure when he played tiebreakers with the Pistons. But now that he is 40 years old, he has no pressure. Ability alone determines the game, but there is not so much pressure.

Not only this season, but also in the tiebreaker with the Lakers last season.

It’s not that his competitive spirit is not as strong as before, but it is even worse than before. Otherwise, he would not be willing to play as the sixth man. Although he wants to play all the games in the regular season, he still wants to win. The substitute can really improve the overall strength of the Clippers. This is the most important thing. If he does not play as a substitute, Gerald Wallace will not have room to grow, and Li Ao will have to invest more in single defense. With more energy, the improvement in offensive efficiency will not be that big...

But he just felt that the pressure was not that great... He looked at Li Ao and saw the scene of Li Ao using 'multiple affirmations' to make Mike Miller extremely angry, and the pressure became less.

Maybe it's because I have such a teammate...

He had to admit that this guy was better than him as a leader.

After the first and last time the two teams choked each other in this finals, the players from the two teams returned to the bench to listen to the coach's final arrangements.

The concentration of the players from both teams has been raised to the extreme. Even Odom's eyes were very sharp tonight, unlike most of the time.

If you win, you will be glorious throughout the summer, and you will be crowned the 'defending champion' in the new season. If you lose, it will be a long-term regret, and for many players, it will even be a regret for their entire careers. Both teams, from the core to the most peripheral players, have done everything they can to win. Well, get ready to give it a try!

(End of this chapter)