Popovich told Bowen that if he couldn't defend him, he could foul Wei Guo off the ball. With one minute left, the Spurs led by 11 points.

Victory is in sight; all we need to do is exhaust this last minute!

Popovich only wanted to disrupt the Rockets' offensive rhythm, but he never expected Bowen to be so brave... He actually grabbed Wei Guo around the waist and threw him to the ground.

This action...

If this weren't the Western Conference Finals, and if it weren't a crucial moment in the game, the referees would at least have given Bowen a Flagrant Foul 2.

......

As Wei Guo stepped to the free-throw line, the Rockets players, who had been grumbling, calmed down.

The substitutes also returned to the bench...

In that brief moment, Cummings even grabbed his weapons.

"Whoa~~~"

"Whoa~~~"

"Whoa~~~"

Boos echoed throughout the arena as fans tried their best to distract Wei Guo during his free throws.

"Whoosh!!!"

When Wei Guo scored his first penalty, the boos subsided considerably.

"Whoosh!!!"

Wei Guo scored his second penalty, and the boos stopped.

107:98!!

The Rockets are still down by 9 points.

The Spurs had Ginobili in possession of the ball, dribbling around the court and slowly running down the clock until there were only 3 seconds left on the shot clock. Ginobili then drove to the basket and passed the ball to the basket.

"Yao Ming, watch out for Robinson!"

Wei Guo suddenly reminded him, but it was too late.

Ginobili passed the ball to Robinson, who immediately shot after receiving the ball, just as the 24-second shot clock expired!

109:98!!

The Spurs still lead by 11 points with only 45 seconds left in the game.

Victory is assured!

At that moment... no one believed the Rockets could turn the game around.

Gentry did not call a timeout.

Even the Rockets' players and coaches might be starting to think about how to play the next game... Francis dribbled very slowly, and with Parker's full-court press, it took Francis a full seven seconds to get the ball to the frontcourt.

Wei Guo was anxious and came out shouting, "Give me the ball!"

Everyone knew Francis wanted to pass the ball, so Ginobili just abandoned his defense on Mobley and instead double-teamed Francis with Parker!

"clever!"

Popovich smiled smugly.

Double-teaming the player with the ball is the right thing to do, but double-teaming Wei Guo at this moment is actually less effective. Seeing that Francis was about to make a mistake, Wei Guo followed up and shouted, "Throw the ball into the air!"

Francis understood and threw the ball directly at Wei Guo's head!

Wei Guo jumped and grabbed the basketball. He was still two steps away from the three-point line. Time was ticking away. Just as he released the ball, Wei Guo glanced at the timer. There were 35 seconds left in the game.

"Whoosh!!!"

The basketball swished through the net!

109:101!!

The Rockets are down by 8 points.

The Spurs weren't in a hurry. With 35 seconds left and an 8-point lead, they continued to run down the clock. The Rockets would only have one more offensive opportunity at most, and they were certain to win!

"All of you, go up and seize it!"

Wei Guo gave orders to his teammates.

The Spurs inbounded the ball from the baseline. Parker dribbled to the frontcourt and passed it to Bowen. Bowen tried to dribble a couple more times to run down the clock, but Wei Guo intercepted the ball instantly.

Steal successful!

Wei Guo dribbled behind Ginobili, then stopped abruptly and shot a jump shot after crossing half-court, three steps away from the three-point line.

Ginobili blocked Wei Guo's shot from behind, hitting him in the wrist!

Popovich was furious, jumping up and down, yelling, "Don't foul me!!!"

A foul would send Wei Guo to the free-throw line, but this time... Ginobili committed a defensive foul, but it didn't interfere with Wei Guo's shot.

"Whoosh!!!"

The basketball went into the net.

109:105!!

With 26 seconds left in the game, the Rockets were down by only 4 points (Wei Guo made his free throw).

........

Popovich panicked; four points were no longer safe!

The Rockets saw hope...

"Holy crap, awesome!"

Gentry reflected, "I was wrong. For a moment just now, I actually thought about giving up the match!"

Popovich called a timeout.

"The next attack is crucial; we must play it safe and absolutely cannot afford to make a mistake!"

The Spurs need to score; if they miss this next shot, they'll give the Rockets a chance for a game-winning shot.

........

After the timeout, Parker dribbled to Duncan, who then drove to the basket against Yao Ming and scored!

111:105!!

Popovich breathed a sigh of relief. With 15 seconds left, the Rockets were down by 6 points, and their chances of winning were slim!

"It's okay if you can't defend against it!"

Wei Guo patted Yao Ming on the shoulder and said, "Give me the ball, I'll score."

Yao Ming inbounds the ball from the baseline. Wei Guo receives the ball and dribbles to the frontcourt. Duncan defends Wei Guo, but Wei Guo flicks his wrist to shake off Duncan, leans against him, and shoots!

"Whoosh!!!"

Another three-pointer, and it's a 3+1 play!!!

111:109!!

The Spurs are only leading by 2 points!

Should they call a timeout at this point? Popovich pondered the question. With 9 seconds left in the game, the Spurs had possession of the ball, and the Rockets couldn't call a timeout. If he did call a timeout, he could set up an offensive strategy, but it would also give the Rockets an opportunity to set up a defensive strategy. As long as the Spurs didn't make any mistakes and used up the last 9 seconds, they would still be the winners.

only...

This match was so thrilling!

With 35 seconds left, the Spurs had an 11-point lead, but in that short time, their lead dwindled to just 2 points.

"Don't make a mistake!"

Popovich shouted, "Use those last 11 seconds!"

Popovich didn't call a timeout, and the Rockets players hesitated, unsure of what to do... Should they foul in the final nine seconds?

The foul sent the Spurs to the free-throw line. If the Spurs make both free throws, their chances of winning will be even slimmer, unless Wei Guo can get another 3+1. If they don't foul, can they steal the ball from the Spurs?

"They're just stalling for time; they're unlikely to actually make a move!"

Wei Guo whispered, "Press them! Start pressing them from the frontcourt! Once you get the ball, pass it to me!"

The Spurs inbound the ball from the baseline!

Yao Ming stood in front of Robinson, spreading his arms to block him, while every Spurs player was closely marked by the Rockets players.

Parker circled around to receive the ball, Francis reached out to steal it, and it looked like a turnover was about to happen. Parker narrowly passed the ball to Ginobili, who then threw the ball to Bowen!

At this time...

Bowen is in the attacking third; his position is the safest!

The Rockets players had retreated on defense, and there were only 3 seconds left in the game. Bowen dribbled from the corner, and while he was still dribbling, the basketball suddenly disappeared!

"Where's the ball???"

Bowen was still pondering where the basketball had gone when he saw everyone looking up at the sky.

The lights are so bright...

Bowen seemed to have returned to his childhood, when conditions were very simple, but in order to get ahead, he practiced ball desperately every day.

Even late at night, Bowen would bask in the moonlight, practicing dribbling and shooting again and again... because he firmly believed that one day he would enter the NBA and become a professional basketball player.

The moonlight was soft, unlike the glaring lights of the stadium.

Under this light...

Bowen saw a basketball, a basketball that carried his childhood dream. The basketball glided through the air and finally fell into the basket.

"Wild and unrestrained~~~"

When the basketball went in, Bowen couldn't help but clench his fist and cheer.

It's like...

Every three-pointer he made when he was a kid.

The stadium was quiet; it seemed as if only Bowen was cheering for the goal.

"Beep!!!"

The final whistle woke Bowen.

"Brother Wei!!!"

"The Grand Finals, here we come~~~"

"We won!!!"

The Rockets players rushed onto the court to embrace their country.

Bowen finally remembered...

The moment he dribbled the ball, Wei Guo stole it. He didn't know where Wei Guo had appeared from, but after stealing the ball, Wei Guo dribbled it to midcourt and shot!

111:112!!

Wei Guo sealed the victory against the Spurs.

With 35 seconds left in the game, Wei Guo scored 14 points.

35 seconds and 14 minutes...

That's terrifying. If Bowen had done this, he could brag about it for the rest of his life.

........

Duncan and his teammates stood dejectedly on the court, their hands on their knees, panting heavily.

A tough guy shed tears; everyone fought to the very end...

But Wei Guo's 35 seconds and 14 points shattered their entire effort. At the crucial moment, Bowen's dribbling was intercepted by Wei Guo twice in a row. Can we blame Bowen for this?

No wonder!!!

In that situation, Bowen was unguarded, and the Rockets were pressing too hard, so passing the ball to Bowen was the best option.

........

Match statistics:

Wei Guo: 72 points, 19 rebounds, 7 assists, 6 steals, 3 blocks

Duncan: 50 points, 22 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 5 blocks

Bowen: 5 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 0 steals, 1 block, 5 fouls, 7 turnovers

........

Duncan delivered a peak performance, but Wei Guo was simply too strong! 72 points in a single game, an astronomical number on the basketball court, was something Wei Guo could easily achieve.

This is at the Spurs' home arena...

The Rockets players, however, celebrated their victory and their advancement to the NBA Finals with unbridled abandon on the court.

The audience left, grumbling and cursing!

The game was lost, and words seemed utterly inadequate... The agitated fans cursed and cried at the same time, shouting, "Fuck you, give us our money back!"

"Bowen, get out of the Spurs!"

Such voices were heard incessantly.

After the game, Bowen was the first to walk into the players' tunnel and hide in the locker room to cry.

He was an excellent player who would do many things to win, including mustering the courage to foul Wei Guo fiercely. After he tackled Wei Guo to the ground, Wei Guo did not hit him, but instead shattered his basketball dream with two steals.

The Spurs players also returned to the locker room.

"It's alright, Uncle Bao!"

Duncan walked over to Bowen, squatted down next to him, and stroked Bowen's hair to comfort him, saying, "Let's do it again next season."

This statement is very poignant.

However... their professional careers are long, and they will definitely win the championship again.

........

The Rockets haven't had time to summarize or reflect on this season.

One by one, their playoff opponents are going home to fish. It's said that Malone has caught a 58-pound fish, just like the number of points they lost to the Rockets.

The Rockets' opponent in the Finals awaits them.

The Nets eliminated the Pistons to advance to the NBA Finals, with the same score as the Rockets: 4-2!

seem...

Apart from the Lakers the year before last and the 76ers last year, no team has been able to sweep their opponents all the way to the Finals. This is the best of times.

........

Before the game, the Rockets held an internal meeting.

Once everyone was present, Gentry chaired the meeting. "Wei, you played against the Nets last season, could you analyze this team for everyone?"

"The Nets aren't a strong team!"

Wei Guo held a beer bottle in his hand, toying with the bottle. "Their defense is not bad, but they have a very obvious weakness: the paint!"

The Nets don't have a good interior player.

Their centers are Collins and Mutombo, and Mutombo is getting old... In fact, Mutombo probably doesn't even know how old he is this year. Mutombo is Collins' backup, but Collins only averages a few points and rebounds per game. Some of the weaker teams in the league have centers who are better than the Nets' centers.

"The Nets play very unselfishly, which also shows that they don't have a dominant scoring option."

"Ha ha ha ha...."

A burst of laughter erupted in the conference room; Wei Guo was absolutely right.

If the Nets had a strong scoring option like Wei Guo, there would be no such thing as selflessness in the game. Francis's scoring has declined this season, but his assists have increased, simply because it's too easy for him to pass the ball to Wei Guo.

at the same time...

Wei Guo did indeed occupy a large number of action opportunities.

After chatting for more than two hours, Gentry concluded, "If we can't sweep the Nets, we've failed!"

The Rockets' four playoff opponents are, firstly, the weakest, the Jazz, and then... the Nets. This is also related to the current situation in the league. Since Jordan retired, the West has become stronger than the East. Last season, the Rockets were in the East, which was a brief period of glory for the Eastern Conference teams.

.........

Beijing time, June 4th, the 2002-03 season finals began!

Beijing time, June 11th, the 2002-03 season finals ended!

The Rockets have won by large margins in four consecutive games, especially Yao Ming... Although he is only a rookie, he has wreaked havoc on the Nets' interior defense.

Collins and Mutombo took turns on the court, but they still couldn't stop Yao Ming.

Finals average stats:

Wei Guo: 30.5 points, 12 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.5 steals, and 5 blocks.

Yao Ming: 20.7 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3 assists, 0.5 steals, 3 blocks

Kidd: 18 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.2 blocks

Kenyon Martin: 16.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.7 steals, 1.5 blocks

Yao Ming delivered his best performance... The Chinese duo shone brightly on the finals stage.

Wei Guo lifted his second NBA championship trophy and second Finals MVP trophy on the road!

"Brother Wei, please come to the Nets!"

"Brother Wei, please come to the Nets!"

"Brother Wei, please come to the Nets!"

The fans didn't leave; they took out banners they had prepared to express their long-cherished wishes.