"Don't be discouraged just because the score has been tied."
"I actually hope Wei Guo continues to play like this, because then... Wei Guo will run out of stamina before the fourth quarter."
"Everyone, cheer up!"
Johnson was inspiring the players, worried that they might lose their fighting spirit because of the team's exceptional performance.
In two minutes...
Wei Guo dominated both ends of the court, especially his chase-down block on Terry. When Terry passed Nash, Wei Guo was still three meters away from him, but he was able to block Terry's shot after he had already released it.
This kind of instantaneous burst of power consumes a lot of physical strength.
As Johnson said, if they continue playing like this, even Wei Guo's stamina won't last until the fourth quarter. The only problem is that Johnson didn't know Wei Guo had a 'stamina rune'.
......
After the timeout, the Mavericks players rallied and returned to the court.
The Suns suddenly made a substitution...
The Suns' decision to replace Nash with Cummings at such a crucial moment in the game surprised many.
......
tNt live stream room.
Johnson: "Gentry's substitution was stupid. Cummings is a player who only plays in garbage time."
Barkley: "That doesn't prove anything..."
Johnson said, "The Suns aren't short of players. Joe Johnson seems to be having physical issues, but Richardson and Jackson are both available, and Barbosa is also a good player."
Barkley said, "You have to remember that in the first three seasons, only Weiguo and Cummings both had championship rings."
Johnson: "Haha... My grandma could have won three championship rings with Wei Guo."
Barkley: "I'm a big fan of Cummings. Want to make a bet with me?"
Johnson, "What are we betting on?"
Barkley: "I'm betting on how many points Cummings will score in this game."
Johnson, "It's still uncertain how long he'll be able to play!"
Barkley, "Want to bet?"
Johnson: "I bet Cummings won't score more than 10 points!"
Johnson is being a bit unfair here. In most games, a team can only have five or six players scoring in double figures. Not to mention Cummings... even Richardson would have a hard time scoring in double figures.
Gentry made this arrangement simply to distribute playing time.
But...
Wei Guo, Stoudemire, and Marion remained on the court; all three were strong scorers. Cummings replaced Nash.
Anyone looking at the game would see that Wei Guo is in charge of organizing the attack and playing one-on-one, while Cummings' role on the field is defense, and he's practically just a decoration when it comes to offense.
Barkley: "I bet Cummings can score more than 10 points!"
Johnson, "You'll pay the price for this stupid idea. What are you willing to bet on?"
Barkley: "One hundred thousand dollars!"
Johnson, "Okay... hahaha... I'm going to tell you my bank account number right now!"
......
The Mavericks have started their offense. Terry stopped the ball at the top of the key and lobbed it to Dampier in the paint.
Nowitzki started running towards the outside...
Wei Guo followed Nowitzki and handed Dampier over to Stoudemire for defense.
Dampier actively sought physical contact, then turned halfway and hooked the ball in.
"Whoosh!!!"
The basketball went into the net.
Dampier's teammates all rushed over to encourage him, shouting, "Great shot!!!"
At this time...
The player the Mavericks need most encouragement is Dampier. If Dampier starts scoring, the Mavericks will gain the upper hand.
79:81!!
Wei Guo quickly dribbled the ball up the court, and as Johnson said, Wei Guo took over the offense after Nash went off the court.
Facing Finley's defense!
Wei Guo used his speed to get past Finley and drove straight in. Nowitzki and Dampier quickly positioned themselves under the basket, trying to prevent Wei Guo from scoring.
However...
After jumping, Wei Guo flicked his wrist and passed the ball to the three-point line.
Cummings was already lurking near the three-point line at a 45-degree angle. When he received the pass from Wei Guo, Terry was still a step away from him. Although Terry rushed over, Cummings still took the shot decisively.
With a swift stroke, the knife fell!
"Whoosh!!!"
The basketball went into the net.
82:81!!
The Suns took the lead for the first time.
"Cummings!"
"Cummings!"
"Cummings!"
The audience started chanting Cummings' name. He had been sitting on the bench and writing and drawing throughout the regular season, almost like an invisible man. Unexpectedly, he surprised the audience as soon as he appeared!
turn out to be...
The Suns have always had this trump card up their sleeve.
......
tNt live stream room.
Johnson: "Impossible, it's just a coincidence. Terry didn't defend!"
Barkley: "Hahaha... I told you long ago, don't underestimate Cummings. There must be a reason why Wei Guo has always kept Cummings by his side."
Johnson said, "Anyone who misses an open three-pointer won't get another chance like Cummings."
......
Barkley laughed wildly, while Johnson began to pray silently.
if...
If Cummings can actually sink four three-pointers, he'll lose $100,000 to Barkley, which is no small sum.
How could an unexpected outcome occur in a bet that seemed like a sure win?
Johnson wouldn't dare renege on his debt, especially since it was being broadcast live and millions of players were watching... Besides, Barkley himself is a scoundrel; if Johnson dared to renege, Barkley could have blocked his doorstep with a blanket.
The Mavericks begin their attack!
Finley's pass was intercepted by Marion, and Cummings had already run up the court. Marion made a long pass to Cummings, who dribbled to the vicinity of the three-point line.
Stop abruptly, raise your hand...
Cummings didn't make a move. He had already noticed Terry rushing forward. His feinting motion sent Terry flying, and then Cummings confidently made his move!
"Whoosh!!!"
Another three-pointer!
The audience was thrilled; the Suns had such a trump card!
Wei Guo was still present...
Stoudemire is still on the field...
Marion was still there...
Cummings' decisiveness in shooting after receiving the ball demonstrates his great confidence in his shot.
The Mavericks dare not be careless!
Johnson called the timeout to help the players regain their confidence, but the Suns unexpectedly used their trump card... Nobody paid attention to this benchwarmer. Other teams only paid attention to Cummings because Wei Guo took him everywhere.
When he played for the 76ers, Cummings averaged about 10 minutes of playing time per game.
That level...
Making it into the rotation is the best they can do.
When Cummings joined the Rockets and Nets, he simply settled for the bench, not playing in the regular season and rarely getting a chance to play in the playoffs and finals, which led everyone to ignore Cummings.
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