The game has reached the fourth quarter with 5 minutes and 55 seconds remaining.
The Spurs are finally showing signs of fatigue...
109:91!!
Trailing by 18 points, the Spurs are essentially out of the game.
Joe Johnson isolated Bowen, hit a step-back three-pointer, and then turned to Bowen and said, "The game is over. See you in San Antonio."
This is Joe Johnson's fifth one-on-one score against Bowen tonight, and his 26 points are also a new playoff high... This score is still increasing. With Stoudemire out, Wei Guo has been moved to the center position, allowing the Spurs to focus their defense on the inside, and Joe Johnson has taken on the mantle of the team's perimeter offense.
Although there were still six minutes left in the game, Popovich knew in his heart that the Spurs' fate was sealed.
so...
Popovich stopped giving any tactical instructions and let the players play freely on the field.
The Spurs ultimately failed to close the gap... With three minutes remaining in the game, Popovich substituted Duncan and several key players, effectively giving up on the game.
"Beep!!!"
With the whistle blowing, the game came to an end.
......
127:107!!
......
Match statistics:
Wei Guo: 46 points, 21 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, and 7 blocks
Nash: 17 points, 3 rebounds, 17 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
Joe Johnson: 31 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
Duncan: 29 points, 17 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, and 5 blocks
Ginobili: 31 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 0 blocks
......
The score and stats are now finalized; the Suns defeated the Spurs by 20 points at home.
No one expected that even without their starting center Amar'e Stoudemire, the Suns would still be able to dominate the Spurs, especially in the third quarter and the first half of the fourth quarter, where Wei Guo and Joe Johnson, one inside and one outside, tore apart the Spurs' defense.
Wei Guo was very excited and pressed Johnson's head into his arms, "Buddy, one day you will also become the star player of a team."
"Brother Wei..."
Joe Johnson expressed his true feelings: "I don't want to be the team's leader, I want to stick with you."
"Buddy, the future is yours."
After saying this, Wei Guo pushed Joe Johnson away from his arms.
Britney, his girlfriend, sat on the sidelines with a playful look on her face... She was probably a little jealous of the bromance between Wei Guo and Joe Johnson.
Wei Guo had long recognized Joe Johnson's great potential; he wasn't Cummings... Cummings occasionally had flashes of brilliance, but his talent limited his ceiling. Plus, Wei Guo and Cummings had the best relationship when they first entered the league, so Wei Guo was willing to take Cummings with him wherever he went.
Joe Johnson, who scored a new playoff high, went to celebrate with his teammates.
This game made the league realize once again how terrifying the Suns are. After watching the entire game, Kobe posted on social media: "As a spectator, I witnessed the strength of the Suns, the strength of the Suns. I'm thinking... how many All-Star teammates would it take to beat a team like this?"
This is an interesting statement...
This seems to be a way of putting pressure on the Lakers' management, as even the usually arrogant Kobe felt that he couldn't defeat Wei Guo on his own.
What's even more interesting is...
Several All-Star level players liked Kobe's comment, including McGrady, Gasol, and Iverson... Only Iverson himself knows why he liked it.
......
After the game, the Spurs checked into their hotel.
There's no need to fly back to San Antonio overnight...
Fans don't have good memories. Wei Guo was injured and carried off the court for more than ten minutes before returning to the court. Besides, Kimura Takeru received the punishment he deserved. This man will never appear in the league again. Tonight's exhilarating victory will make them forget the bad things Kimura Takeru did to Wei Guo.
As expected...
Unlike the hotel, which was packed with people after the last match, there were only two drowsy security guards at the hotel entrance tonight.
Veteran Barry wanted to talk to a few people about tonight's game, but all his teammates were uninterested, so he had to give up the idea, thinking to himself that the young people nowadays have lost the fighting spirit of the older generation.
Ultimately...
The Spurs only lost two away games.
With the Suns losing key player Stoudemire, the Spurs have a great chance to turn things around after returning to their home court. However, this is Duncan's team. In addition to Duncan, there are also Parker and Ginobili. Veteran Barry is just a bench player, averaging only about 10 points per game at his peak, and he is not even considered a locker room leader.
No one wanted to discuss the match; everyone went back to their rooms to rest early.
Tonight is destined to be a sleepless night, with many people unable to sleep... not just the Spurs players, but also many superstars in the league who crave a championship.
They seemed to understand the bitterness of Starkton, Malone, Barkley, Miller, Ewing, Drexler, Dumars... These guys were dominant in the 90s, but were suppressed by Jordan for a decade.
But...
Wei Guo is different from Jordan.
While Jordan was strong in the early years of his career, he couldn't be considered to have dominated the league. He also suffered against players like Bird and Thomas. On the other hand, Wei Guo dominated the league from his rookie season. Coupled with Wei Guo's incredible physical talent, if Wei Guo were to play for 20 years before retiring, it would really leave no room for other players.
Kobe was the one who couldn't sleep, and after a sleepless night, he had a bold idea.
The Heat made an attempt this year by forming a true Big Four, which is different from the Lakers' original F4. The Lakers' lineup, which was called F4, had Malone and Payton at the end of their careers, their contributions on the court were very limited, and they were not compatible with their teammates. There were constant internal conflicts and no one was willing to submit to anyone else.
Malone retired after the season ended, and Payton is also nearing retirement.
The Heat are testing the waters...
In this era, there aren't many superstars who like to team up, but if the opponent is so strong that one person cannot defeat them, teaming up is a good strategy.
If the Heat make it to the Finals this year and defeat the Suns, who have Wei Guo on their pedestal, it would be a significant blow to Wei Guo's legendary status. After all... changing teams every year and leading them to championships no matter which one is involved is simply superhuman.
......
The very next day, Kobe arranged a small get-together with several players in Los Angeles.
After receiving the call, these people quickly rushed to Los Angeles...
There are four great shooting guards in the league: Iverson in the East, Kobe in the West, Carter in the South, and McGrady in the North. Among these four, Iverson and Kobe have both won their own championship rings, and Carter is also a regular in the playoffs. Only McGrady, who is called a once-in-a-century player, has never made it past the first round of the playoffs.
McGrady and Kobe knew each other from a young age, playing and playing basketball together. Kobe entered the NBA in 1996 and McGrady in 1997, and both made a name for themselves.
When Gasol arrived at Kobe's house, McGrady was playing one-on-one with Kobe.
"You just stepped out of bounds on the three-point line!"
"Absolutely not..."
"I caught it out of the corner of my eye, you crossed the line!"
"Are you a sore loser...?"
"It's 10-9 now, you're only one point ahead, and I still have one more chance to attack."
"You've already lost. I had 8 points before, and then I hit a three-pointer to seal the victory in this one-on-one!"
"Let's watch the video then!"
The two were arguing about whether McGrady had stepped out of bounds on that shot. Kobe thought McGrady had stepped out of bounds, so it should only be worth 2 points. McGrady thought he hadn't stepped out of bounds and it should be worth 3 points. So this one-on-one was really tough.
Gasol has arrived...
The two were still arguing, and Gasol could only cough and say, "Ahem... Since there's a dispute, why don't we play another round?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Gasol regretted it... What did the two brothers' argument have to do with him? Would they even take his advice? If they did, wouldn't that mean Gasol would have to be the referee? Refereeing is a thankless job. He remembered a referee who lost his job because of a wrong call against Wei Guo.
"Paul's suggestion is excellent!"
Kobe snatched the basketball away. "Let's play another round, with Paul as the referee."
really...
Since it was Gasol who brought it up, he can only act as the referee.
On the first possession, Kobe attacked, blew the ball, turned, and took a fadeaway shot.
*Smack!!!*
McGrady reacted quickly and blocked the shot.
"You can't do it..."
McGrady wagged his index finger. "I've figured out your offensive tactics."
Gasol, with his sharp eyes, noticed that when McGrady blocked Kobe's shot, he also hit Kobe's wrist. The ball and hand are one... Kobe didn't say anything, so Gasol couldn't say that McGrady had committed a defensive foul.
On the second possession, McGrady attacked, he held the ball with one hand, faked a shot, and took a big step to drive past Kobe for a layup!
Kobe defended very well...
McGrady could hardly find any space to shoot after jumping, and his forced shot missed.
"Tsk tsk tsk..."
Gasol clicked his tongue. Both of them had a strong desire to win. It was just a casual one-on-one match, but they were giving it their all.
......
The bullfight lasted for more than ten minutes.
final...
McGrady defeated Kobe 11-9.
This also shows just how talented McGrady really is.
Gasol even wondered how strong players, surrounded by All-Star caliber teammates like Yao Ming and Gu Tao, could consistently be eliminated in the first round like him.
You should know...
Gasol's first-round opponent is Wei Guo.
......
Shortly after the one-on-one match ended, Kobe's third guest arrived.
Seeing this person...
McGrady and Gasol both looked surprised, even displeased. They were curious as to why Kobe would invite this person to his home.
The person disliked by Gasol and McGrady is Ron Artest, who is still serving his suspension. Few people like Artest, especially after the Malice at the Palace incident, which made his reputation even worse. This player has a bad temper, a violent personality, and his relationships with coaches and teammates are a mess.
Many players even hope that this suspension will make Artest disappear from the league.
That's not what Kobe was looking at...
Putting aside his personality flaws, Artest's defensive ability was recognized even by his opponents. His defensive awareness, positioning ability, help defense ability, and physical strength were all top-notch in the league. Even Jordan praised Artest.
Only those who have faced Artest truly understand how formidable he is.
This is the most important piece of the puzzle on Kobe's road to the championship. If Artest plays with all his might, he can defend Kobe for at least one and a half quarters, which greatly reduces the defensive pressure on other players.
"Everyone's here..."
Kobe took out a bottle of decanted red wine and poured a glass for everyone. "I'll get straight to the point. I invited you all here today because I want to be your teammates."
"To be teammates?!"
McGrady looked up abruptly; he really wasn't prepared for this.
He just signed with the Rockets last season, and his contract hasn't expired yet... A transfer isn't something you can just do on your own; it requires the team's management to do the same. Besides, if the Lakers really want McGrady, they have to offer corresponding assets. With the Lakers' current roster, the Rockets won't agree to the trade unless they include Kobe. The management isn't stupid.
"Be teammates!!"
Artest looked excited.
His contract expires this summer, and he was worried that no team would want him. He was eager to take advantage of this offer. As for the price, Kobe took the initiative to recruit him, so the Lakers wouldn't treat him badly, right?
"To be teammates..."
Gasol was the only one completely bewildered; this was all too obvious.
Putting aside Artest, McGrady is an established star who is at the peak of his career. He has just proven his worth and is looking forward to a big contract. The Lakers can't afford to waste money, no matter how much they have.
Kobe said, "I know this is very difficult, but if you agree, I'll figure something out."
"Hey buddy..."
McGrady joked, "Will the Lakers' management listen to you?"
Superstars are very important to a team, but the league is also a business. Unless you reach the level of Jordan and Wei Guo, it's a pipe dream to think that one person can force the management to confess.
"It doesn't necessarily have to be with the Lakers. The Rockets the year before last, the Nets last year, and the Suns this year all changed owners and then made sweeping reforms to the team. We can follow suit."
Artest said he desperately wanted a job, and even more so, he longed to be teammates with these three.
McGrady quipped, "Do you know any big bosses like that?"
"I don't know him..."
Artest scratched his head.
After being fined by the league and suspended, Artest was left without pay by his team and was barely able to afford food. He had no idea who his boss was.
"The method you described is not feasible."
Kobe explained, "I have a good relationship with Wei Guo. Last summer, when I went to China for a business event, I even went to Wei Guo's house for drinks... That day I met the owners of the Rockets and the Nets. I suspect that Wei Guo bought all three teams himself, and those owners are just his puppets."
"So rich? Then why does he even play basketball..."
Artest said sourly, "If it were me, I'd be chasing girls every day and throwing money around in nightclubs."
......
Kobe achieved his goal at this small gathering.
All three also expressed their desire to become teammates in the new season if such a possibility exists.
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