25 to 23 in the first quarter, 17 to 20 in the second quarter, 24 to 22 in the third quarter... After three quarters, the score came to 65 to 64. The Clippers led the Magic by 1 point entering the intersection break.
Li Ao returned to the bench, took the towel and wiped his sweat. He took a glass of water and took a sip. After wetting his mouth, he spit on the towel where he had wiped his sweat. He complained: "That poker face and dead fish eyes, really I want to punch them in the face and see if their expressions change!"
Big Q, who was handing over towels and water, looked at Duncan and McGrady across from him. The adjective "boss" was so appropriate!
Bibby rarely took the initiative and said: "Many of the strategies we came up with during this period based on the last match were ineffective. Duncan, McGrady, and Cassell are very strong. If they play against such an opponent, It’s going to be hard whether you win or lose.”
Li Ao took a sip of water and responded: "I guessed it, but I have to give it a try. But now it seems that if we want to defeat them, we can only rely on on-the-spot performance. The effective changes we made today will be effective when we play against them next time." It will become difficult to use, and Duncan will always find a way to make up for it, and he has that ability."
Jordan on the side said: "This man can be said to be the strongest insider I have ever seen. I used to think Malone was the strongest insider in the past ten years, but now it seems that Duncan is. He is like Magic and Javier. Barr, nothing can stop Magic from running and gunning, no one can stop Kareem Abdul-Jabbar from scoring, and no one can stop Duncan from leading the team to perform like this cold-blooded robot. I will put him on the same level as me for the time being. .”
Li Ao also turned his head and looked at Jordan - you really want to brag about yourself.
Li Ao retorted: "I think O'Neal is the strongest insider."
"You have never seen Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Malone at their peak. If you have, you won't think that O'Neal is the strongest!"
"Jabbar? Malone? I think Olajuwon is stronger!"
"***, Olajuwon, he just won two championships while I was retiring..."
"Ah, you were defeated by O'Neal in 1995, Olajuwon defeated O'Neal..."
"It was just that I hadn't played for too long, and the next year I swept O'Neal!"
"..."
Da Q and Bibi looked at each other and came again.
Neither of them believed how much Jordan admired Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Malone, nor did they believe how much Li Aojuon liked Olajuwon and O'Neal. These two arrogant players just wanted to influence each other.
The coaching staff had just finished their discussion when they heard the two men's movements.
Larry LaRue asked, "Aren't you going to stop them?"
Gentry shook his head: "Let them argue. They are such thieves and can't fight. If they argue, it will divert the attention of others and the pressure will not be so great."
When the inter-section break was almost over, Gentry rotated the players, set up a suitable basic tactical framework, and ended the adjustment of the inter-section break.
Watching the players take the field, Doug Collins asked: "Alvin, are we really not making any adjustments?"
He asked what the rest of the coaching staff was thinking.
"After defeating the Lakers in the playoffs, I understood why Jackson would not adjust easily no matter what crisis situation he encountered."
Gentry didn't answer the question, but Doug Collins understood what he meant.
To put it simply - I can't think of a way. If you ask me to arrange the tactics for a round, I can do it. How to turn the situation around, let the players do it themselves. Since there is no sure way to do it, don't add to the chaos.
When the Zen Master was working as a teaching assistant for Doug Collins, he said such a thing, but he dismissed it at first... Later he found out that the Zen Master was right!
…
After the start of the fourth quarter, the Clippers players wanted to stand up and played well, but the Magic also played well. McGrady and Duncan started a pick-and-roll attack, just like the Clippers got Yaric's back triangle. The offensive power has also greatly increased. With Cassel as a teammate, McGrady and Duncan's pick-and-roll offensive power has also increased greatly.
Cassell's rhythm control, high-position reception and support capabilities are unparalleled by Mike Miller, Troy Hudson and others.
In the original time and space of the 2004 Western Conference Finals, the Timberwolves relied on the pick-and-roll offense of the Madman and the Wolf King to overwhelm the Lakers in the early stages of the series. The one who controlled the rhythm and sorted out the offense was Cassell, but Cassell was injured later. , the Timberwolves collapsed.
The Clippers players felt the horror of Cassell tonight.
Bibby has never been so uncomfortable facing Cassel. This 10th-year veteran of his career has never won any awards except two championships and two Best of the Week, but Bibby feels so good on the court. , no worse than those top point guards who have won awards.
Bibby feels that Cassell was completely dragged down by his teammates in the past few years. The Bucks have stars, but one is arrogant and the other has never thought about playing well...
Bibby didn't like Ray Allen because he was too similar to him. He didn't realize that he didn't like Ray Allen because they were too similar, and he just didn't like Ray Allen.
He has complete contempt for big dogs. He hates players who waste their talents.
But he resonated with Cassel. Neither of them were likeable, and they were discriminated against because of their respective 'flaws'. Cassel was because of his appearance, and he... it was also because of his appearance. In middle school and high school, he didn't Less likely to get into fights because of the color of skin being insulted by other children in the slums.
The Magic withstood the onslaught of Bibby, Li Ao, Jordan, Matt Halprin, and O'Neal at the beginning of the fourth quarter. In the middle of the fourth quarter, the Clippers' offensive slowed down a bit, and the Magic quickly gained the upper hand. After the official timeout, The Clippers tried to counterattack but were blocked. Instead, Cassel seized the opportunity to widen the gap.
At 8 minutes and 22 seconds, the score reached 86-78, and the Magic's lead expanded to 8 points.
The process is different, but the situation up to this point is almost the same as the last time the two teams met. The Magic relied on their stability that shocked everyone this season, withstanding the Clippers' attacks again and again, and forced The lead was sharpened every step of the way.
Facing the opponent in front of them, trailing by 8 points with only 3 and a half minutes left, the Clippers, as the defending champion, also felt desperate.
So far this season, the Magic have yet to come back. The only game they lost was because the Pistons had too much outside firepower. Ray Allen and Billups combined for 12 three-pointers. , the Magic didn’t have to play.
The Clippers actually played very well tonight, but they have too little experience playing against the new version of the Magic, and their strength is not strong enough to stabilize the Magic. The Magic players were in good shape tonight, and they seized the opportunity very well... …It seems reasonable for the Clippers to lose.
TV commentators are saying that even if the Clippers lose, it does not mean that they are weaker than the Magic. It is just because the Clippers are the defending champions, their style of play and tactics are well-known, and the regular changes they made were also expected by the Magic. , the Magic team has made targeted preparations. As the season progresses and the Magic team's playing style has been thoroughly studied by everyone, it is not certain who will win or lose when the Clippers play against the Magic team again.
People on the Clippers also understand what the commentator said, and it is indeed the case.
But they are not willing to give in!
Gentry called a timeout and replaced Jordan again. Li Ao contained it, and Bibby and Jordan were the main attackers.
At this time, Gentry actually trusted Li Ao more, but Li Ao didn't rest for a minute tonight. He has been playing from the beginning of the game until now. It is the first time in the new season. He can see that his disciple is already very reluctant to defend. Can you believe Bibby and Jordan.
After returning from the timeout, Bibby and Jordan showed no mercy in critical moments. They scored in the next three attacks and scored 7 points.
But Cassell withstood the pressure at the critical moment and scored two emergency-stop field goals and scored 4 points.
90 to 85, the Magic firmly maintained a 5-point lead.
When the Clippers were on offense again, Bibby's mid-range shot from Jordan's pass hit the neck of the basket with a bang.
I can't maintain the stability of my shooting force, I'm tired!
At 11 minutes and 02 seconds, Bibby's strike seemed to sound the death knell for the Clippers tonight.
There is less than one minute left in the game. At this time, the offensive firepower is cut off, which means that there is no hope of a comeback!
At this moment, O'Neal Jr., who had been suppressed by Duncan for the whole game, stood up and grabbed the rebound before Duncan.
Duncan didn't mess around and covered O'Neal's head, blocking O'Neal's space to take action.
At this time, O'Neal was not thinking about shooting, but looking for the person he wanted to beat...
Give the ball to Spider-Man!
Li Ao received a pass from O'Neal Jr. in the right corner, and Clifford Robinson made up for it immediately.
Li Ao did not pause at all. After receiving the ball, he immediately jumped up and raised his hands.
'Residual blood level 5' is triggered, and it feels hot!
Two rounds ago, he had already received the reminder that his physical strength could no longer be maintained.
But at that time, Jordan had just scored a goal, and he didn't ask for it. Now that his teammates were asking for it, he took action decisively!
Jumping directly towards the defender without dribbling, 'Tracy's Elbow Pad (Purple)' is triggered, jumping +3, core strength is greatly improved, and shooting speed is accelerated by 25%...
Clifford Robinson did an excellent job of covering up the defense, and he was also very good at interfering with his jump, but he was just a little bit short. When he reached to Li Ao's shooting point, Li Ao had already thrown the ball!
"Shua"
Hit!
Li Ao's nearly exhausted physical strength recovered after playing the whole game, and he immediately called on his teammates to defend.
88 to 90, the Clippers narrowed the point difference to two points!
McGrady and Jordan were shocked, as the nightmare memories of half a year ago emerged in their minds.
However, the confidence of the two has not wavered. They are still in the lead, just hold on!
The two looked at each other and knew each other's thoughts.
Duncan picked up the ball and prepared to serve, and the Clippers players started a full-court press!
The TT combination's idea of slowly running out the time was shattered. Duncan sent the ball to Mike Miller. Mike Miller took a few steps and was caught by Jordan, and he quickly passed it to McGrady.
McGrady almost made a mistake when catching the ball under Bibby's defense, but it was not easy after receiving the ball. Bibby continued to press with his strong body, and McGrady could only dribble to get rid of the opponent's press.
At this time, passing to Cassel is the safest choice, but McGrady cannot pass.
Li Ao, who couldn't make up for the defense in the last round, is now clinging to Cassel like a big spider. Cassel has no chance to catch the ball.
The newly added bonus of restoring a bit of stamina at the full level of 'Residual Blood' was originally supposed to ensure the continuity of the offense in the residual health state, but Li Ao used it for defense... He didn't have these skills and equipment. Several are serious ways to use them.
Bibby pressed hard and was suspected of fouling, but the referee did not call it. At this time, unless there was a very obvious foul, the referee would not interfere with the game.
McGrady had no choice but to take a sudden step, grab the ball, take off, and shoot a long two-point shot...it went in!
Li Ao immediately made a quick move when McGrady took action, focusing on a soldier with great speed.
Regarding the fact that Li Ao was able to rush up and dunk directly even though he looked tired at the critical moment, the Magic were already on guard, with Cassel and Mike Miller chasing after him.
When his teammates saw Li Ao coming down quickly, they also moved faster. Matt Halprin picked up the ball and quickly passed it to Bibby. McGrady was too late to interfere with the ball. He didn't expect the opponent to be so uncool at the critical moment, but he He is very calm now. He didn't prevent the opponent from receiving the ball and got close to him immediately.
Bibby's strong body worked, protecting the ball steadily, and lobbed the ball over when Li Ao was approaching the three-point line.
Li Ao took a step inside the three-point line and leaned on Mike Miller who was fighting to receive the ball. Mike Miller immediately stepped back and blocked the basket with Cassel.
But Li Ao received the ball and pretended to rush in, but did not move in. Instead, he patted the ball to find a feeling, stepped back, and shot a three-pointer... McGrady rushed up and Mike Miller and Cassel retreated to the basket. Let’s curse together.
Not only them, Jordan, who followed but was a little slower, also cursed.
Do you dare to be extravagant at the critical moment?
The four of them looked up, their eyes following the ball... "Shua"...
Enter again!
Li Ao, who was feeling hot, scored another three-pointer!
The fans cheered wildly!
coming! The situation becomes more and more dangerous, and the invincible Spider-Man is here after his physical strength reaches its limit!
Tracy McGrady, Duncan, and Mike Bibby, the three veteran players of the Magic, are feeling numb.
Come again!
Isn't Spider-Man already unable to run defensively? How come it's so much more accurate now?
McGrady thought of that high school friend... No, the one in front of him was more exaggerated. That one had obviously slowed down a bit and needed the big shark to hold on to the situation.
This guy is different. He has been continuously outputting, and he is already on the verge of death. At this critical moment, he suddenly becomes nervous again, without any warning!
Duncan waved his hand to stop Rivers from calling a timeout on the sidelines. Calling a timeout at this time is equivalent to giving the opponent time to rest, and it also wastes the time-consuming stage of advancement.
And when a timeout is called, the opponent will inevitably replace the exhausted Jordan and replace him with Odom or Gerald Wallace to defend.
McGrady didn't need Duncan's command. He called on Mike Miller to serve quickly.
Cassel received the ball before Jordan pressed forward and wanted to pass it to McGrady, but the big spider stood up again and stuck to McGrady.
Cassel couldn't pass the ball out, so he could only quickly advance to the frontcourt under the pressure of Bibby who rushed up.
Jordan ran back to the backcourt and flanked Cassel with Bibby from outside the three-point line. This scene reminds people of the Finals more than ten years ago. Pippen couldn't guard Magic, and Jordan went to help defend against the flanker... Aliens are full of cards!
But this wealth, Cassel said, whoever wants it can take it.
He originally wanted to pass to Clifford Robinson, but he noticed Li Ao's position. Fortunately, there was another option. He complained about McGrady's poor position awareness without the ball. He did not stop his hand and was in the gap. Pass the ball to the basket.
Duncan relied on brute force to force O'Neal, who was slightly heavier than him, into the reasonable collision area. After receiving the ball, he jumped to dunk... "Pa"... O'Neal slapped Duncan... on the arm.
The referee's whistle blew, O'Neal fouled, and Duncan got two free throws!
Duncan had no expression on his face, but when he turned around, he shook his hand. It hurt! Next time it's his turn to foul, he must fight back... It seems to take a long time next time... It doesn't matter, a year is not too late for a gentleman to take revenge!
He stepped to the free throw line and made the first free throw as fans booed him.
93 to 91, the score difference came to two points.
The fans let out an "ooh" and continued to boo.
A long bass whistle sounded from the technical stage, and both teams made personnel adjustments.
The Clippers replaced Odom and Big Q, and replaced Jordan and Matt Halprin.
The Magic replaced Mike Miller and replaced him with the young and defensive 2001 first-round pick Jair Thaser.
The Magic players are very excited now. Duncan's free throw performance this season is still the same. There is a slight improvement, but not much, 62% shooting rate, but the free throw shooting is very good at critical moments. In the last 3 minutes of the first 11 games, the free throw shooting rate exceeded 80%, 13 of 16 free throws in total!
As long as Duncan makes the second free throw, they will lead by 3 points and be invincible!
Even if the opponent finally makes a three-pointer and drags it into overtime, Jordan and Li Ao are already so tired, and the advantage is in their hands!
Their last defense can even only defend three-pointers and ignore the basket.
However, this time Duncan took his second penalty iron!
O'Neal Jr. protected the defensive rebound and quickly passed to Odom.
Together with Li Ao, Bibby, and Da Q, we will fight back across the board!
Although the Magic players were confident in Duncan's free throws at critical moments, they did not relax and kept up with the defensive target immediately.
Duncan missed the second free throw, which made defense more difficult for his teammates, who had to mark each other.
Odom advanced the mid-point ball to Bibby, and Bibby passed the ball again. Li Ao caught the ball with a big step inside the three-point line at a 45-degree angle on the left, raised his hand and feinted a shot. McGrady immediately bounced up like a frightened bird.
No wonder Tracy McGrady was so flustered, the opponent had already scored two three-pointers in a row. The image of the opponent scoring 13 points in a row at the last minute in G3 of last season's finals is still vivid in my mind...
Li Ao collected the ball and leaned forward!
'Marathon Level 3' is triggered, and your stamina will be full within two seconds after catching the ball!
After McGrady landed, he tried to catch up, but couldn't!
Li Ao is faster and faster every step!
Three steps to the world!
Li Ao took three steps with his long legs to reach the sideline of the reasonable collision zone, grabbed the ball, took two more steps, and took off... Clifford Robinson rushed in to block the shot, but stopped his foot and knocked Li Ao down.
Before contacting Clifford Robinson, Li Ao had already thrown the ball...
With the referee's whistle, the ball fell into the frame!
After Li Ao stood up holding the hand of his teammate who rushed in, he celebrated appropriately and eased the pain of his fall. He felt that he was almost done, and then walked to the free throw line amidst the urging of the referee.
Duncan hit the key free throw, but Li Ao didn't. He made the extra free throw amidst the cheers of the fans!
The Magic called a timeout!
94 to 93, Li Ao scored 9 points in 55 seconds, plus the 7 points from Bibby and Jordan, the Shenxiagui beat the Magic 16 to 7 in three and a half minutes!
No matter how calm and steady the TT team is, their mentality is cracked at this time.
In last year's G3, Spider-Man killed their hope of counterattack in this way!
After the timeout, in the last 2.8 seconds, Rivers still had abundant tactical reserves, and Clifford Robinson successfully sent the ball to McGrady.
But McGrady caught the ball, turned and took a step to throw away Li Ao's long two-point shot... paying tribute to his friends who were watching on the sidelines.
Three no-sticks!
The ball flew out of bounds before hitting the fans, and the final whistle sounded...
Thunderous cheers erupted again, and everyone shouted "Spider-Man" loudly.
The OK group who came to the scene tonight to watch, Snake turned his head, the high school students from South Coast are really useless!
Can you lose this?
The big fat man was so shocked that his mouth opened wide.
The two had different reactions, but the mood was the same... Two years later, they had already let go of their previous regrets, especially after losing to the Clippers in the playoffs. They didn't think about it for several months, 'What if Spider-Man was us? What a great teammate'.
But now they are starting to go crazy again... If I had known better, I wouldn't have come here to see how the TT team tortured Spider-Man!
McGrady made 8 of 16 tonight, including 1 of 3 three-pointers, plus 3 of 5 free throws, scoring 20 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks; Cassell had 23 points, 3 rebounds and 7 assists; Duncan had 22 points and 14 1 rebound, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks; Clifford Robinson had 11 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block... The performance of the Magic's four major stars couldn't be better.
But it was still overturned!
Li Ao scored 9 points in a row at the last moment, finishing the game with 26 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks, leading the Clippers to reverse the Magic 94-93, avenging the defeat of a few days ago!
(End of chapter)
