The Celtics' star duo has been dazzling this season, yet few people compare them to the 76ers' star duo.

It looked like the score was about to be caught up...

Iverson has the ball!

Wei Guo and Mutombo made cross-cutting runs under the basket. The defender was drawn away by Wei Guo, and Iverson jumped up and slammed the ball into Mutombo's hands.

There was no one under the basket!

"Bang!!!"

Mutombo got up and slammed home a dunk.

37:33!!

Leading by only 4 points, the 76ers' defensive momentum was different. Pierce wanted to continue to isolate Weiguo, but the same trick could not be used a third time.

Fuck you!

When Pierce took another shot, Wei Guo slapped the ball away and said, "Stay away from me when you shoot next time."

Pierce, "???"

The Celtics, a long-established powerhouse, have their own pride. If it weren't for the fact that Wei Guo had just choked a player a few days ago, making Pierce somewhat wary, Pierce might have gotten into a fight with Wei Guo just because of that one sentence.

The basketball was swatted out of bounds.

The Celtics inbounded the ball but Iverson stole it and scored on a fast break layup.

39:33!!

Celtics head coach Jim called a timeout.

........

This timeout was very wise; it wasn't just about setting up tactics.

A block and a steal, and the 76ers are on the rise. The Celtics need to use this timeout to stop the 76ers' momentum.

Jim also made a substitution, replacing Battier with McCarty, an inside player with three-point shooting ability.

On the 76ers' side.

Brown, holding a clipboard, said, "Pierce and Walker are both very strong offensive players. We must protect the rebounds; that's our biggest advantage..."

This tactical explanation had basically been given before the game; Brown was simply emphasizing it again.

........

The timeout ends, and the Celtics are on offense.

Jones defends Pierce...

The Celtics executed a transition play, with Michael Carter moving out to the three-point line to create a mismatch, and he launched a three-pointer over Iverson.

"bang~~~"

The sound of the ball hitting the brick was crisp; Mutombo grabbed the defensive rebound.

There was no rush to launch a fast attack.

Wei Guo continued to facilitate from the low post, and he and Mutombo had an inside pass combination, with Mutombo shooting a hook shot.

"Whoosh!!!"

The basketball went into the net.

Mutombo's offensive repertoire is limited, making him much easier to defend than Wei Guo. However, when Wei Guo moves from the basket to the perimeter, Celtics players have to follow him because Wei Guo is a significant threat both in the paint and on the perimeter. This 2.16-meter tall player holds the top spot in three-point shooting percentage this season.

Moreover, Jim's adjustments to the roster have increased the Celtics' offensive threat from the perimeter while weakening their interior defense.

Mutombo got more attacking opportunities...

At halftime, the 76ers' best player was Mutombo, with 21 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 1 steal.

......

In the home team's locker room, Wei Guo was huddled in a corner, resting with his eyes closed.

"Brother Wei..."

Mutombo walked over and said, "You passed me so many great balls today."

Wei Guo opened his eyes. "Old Mu, why are you calling me brother too?"

"Eh~~~"

Mutombo grinned and said, "It's a title of respect, it has nothing to do with age."

Wei Guo looked at Mutombo and asked, "Speaking of age, I'm a little curious, how old are you exactly?"

"Me?"

Mutombo pointed to his nose, "I'm 36 years old."

Wei Guo raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Are you really 36? You look more like 46 to me..."

"I'm not that old."

Mutombo scratched the back of his head. "I just look older than I am, but I'm actually not that old."

........

The second half of the game has begun.

53:45!!

The 76ers lead by 8 points.

Based on the pace of the game between the two teams, it's unlikely that the third quarter will become garbage time, and the outcome may not be decided until the latter half of the fourth quarter.

Jim reminded the players, "Don't keep your defensive focus on Wei Guo. He doesn't have a strong desire to attack and is deliberately feeding the ball to Mutombo."

"Nonsense!!!"

Hearing Jim say that, Russell slammed his cane on the floor. "Are Mutombo and Wei Guo on the same level offensively? How can you let these kids relax their defense against Wei Guo?"

Wei Guo is making the right offensive choices, but if he wanted to, he could take on two opponents at once, whether inside or outside.

To put it bluntly...

The team that poses the biggest threat to the Celtics is still Wei Guo.

Brown also has his own offensive system. As Russell said, Brown's offensive tactics in the second half still revolve around the two core players, Wei Guo and Iverson.

"Old Mu..."

Wei Guo leaned close to Mutombo's ear and reminded him, "You just need to establish position under the basket. I'll draw the defense and then pass the ball to you. You have to be decisive on offense."

"ah???"

Mutombo blinked hard; this was different from what the head coach had said.

Wei Guo laughed and said, "I'll let you experience the joy of scoring 40+ points in a single game."

"Um..."

Mutombo nodded vigorously, "Okay!"

......

Pierce hits a mid-range shot!

The 76ers launched an attack. Iverson was double-teamed, so he passed the ball to Weiguo. Weiguo received the ball and took a step to shake off Battier. Walker came up to help defend, and Weiguo slammed the ball to the ground.

"Bang!!!"

The basketball bounced into Mutombo's hands.

"Bang!!!"

Mutombo rose up and slammed home a dunk.

"That was a perfect shot!"

Both Russell and Brown nodded.

In that situation, Wei Guo used a step to shake off Battier, and as Walker came to help defend, Battier also took a step forward, giving Mutombo space to shoot under the basket. Therefore, Wei Guo's decision to pass the ball was correct.

But...

In the following game, Wei Guo constantly drew double teams. Even when he had a clear shot opportunity, he would give up and wait until the Celtics had someone to help defend before passing the ball to Mutombo.

Although the Celtics kept the score close, the coaching staff sensed something was wrong.

Mutombo has already scored 10 points on 5-for-5 shooting in the third quarter.

........

"Celtics call a timeout!"

Jim had to call a timeout.

Jim said, "If the defender guarding Wei Guo is not out of position, don't blindly rush up to help defend. What's the difference between leaving Mutombo open under the basket and letting Wei Guo go one-on-one?"

Furthermore, Wei Guo might not even score in a one-on-one situation, but if you leave Mutombo open, his shooting percentage is 100%. Anyone can dunk with no one guarding them!