Wei Guo rarely goes online, let alone browses forums or social media.
Before Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals, Britney accompanied Weiguo for an extra practice session in order to keep him in good competitive condition.
A breathtaking battle of offense and defense...
Sweating profusely, Wei Guo went to the bathroom to take a shower, while Britney grabbed a towel and half-covered herself while playing on her phone.
2005...
Smartphones aren't fully widespread yet, but you can still use them to browse the news.
A news item caught Britney's attention.
Just as he was engrossed in watching, Wei Guo came out of the bathroom and leaped onto the bed. "Want to do it again?"
"don't want..."
Britney rubbed against Weiguo's arm, "You exhausted me so much, honey, look at this..."
"What's this?"
Wei Guo leaned closer and rested his head comfortably on Britney's shoulder.
......
This is a short video that caught Britney's attention because many fans left comments on her Twitter asking her to watch it.
In the video, a ten-year-old boy is lying in a hospital bed.
"Uncle Weiguo, I'm a fan of yours, but I won't be able to watch tomorrow's match..."
I'm going into surgery tomorrow. The doctor said my sister has leukemia, and only my bone marrow can save her...
I need to save my sister...
Uncle Weiguo can score 100 points in a single game...
My sister will definitely live to be a hundred years old...
Uncle Weiguo, I'm scared...
I'm not afraid of pain. The doctor said I'll feel better after a nap. I'm afraid that when I wake up, I'll never see my little sister again...
Uncle Weiguo, you will protect my sister, won't you...?
Go for it, Andrew!
Uncle Weiguo, can you promise me you'll score lots and lots of points in tomorrow's game? I don't want to lose my sister...
Go for it, Ruth!
The video ends here. The little boy's name should be Jack, and his sister, Ruth, has leukemia. Wei Guo admires the little boy's courage; at only seven years old, he bravely donated bone marrow to his sister.
......
What are your thoughts?
"This little boy is very brave..."
"Anything else?"
"Have Xiaxia find this family tomorrow. I'll pay for their surgery. In your country, medical care is ridiculously expensive."
"I also want to become a Chinese citizen..."
Britney blinked. "Let's get our marriage certificate this summer, then I'll be a Chinese citizen too."
"sure."
Love can be that simple sometimes; a few words can seal a lifelong commitment.
Britney was deeply moved...
Coming back to her senses, she remembered the little boy named Jack. "Honey, can you get 100 points tomorrow night?"
"Scoring 100 points isn't hard, but Popovich, that old man, will go crazy..."
Wei Guo grinned.
......
The next morning, just as the Suns boarded their plane to San Antonio, Nash mentioned the little boy in the video.
Wei Guo said he watched the video last night... Several players who hadn't seen the video grabbed Nash's phone and gathered together to watch the whole thing.
Richardson: "Andrew is very brave."
Marion, "He's a die-hard fan of Wei Ge."
Nash suggested, "How about we go visit this little boy together after the Finals?"
The proposal was approved by everyone.
Only Cummings, inappropriately, made a joke, "Steve, are you so sure we can make it to the Finals?"
"Holy crap, you're asking for it!"
Everyone realized Cummings was joking, but they still swarmed him and beat him up.
Everyone returned to their seats only after the flight attendant reminded them that the plane was about to take off.
Nash sighed softly, put on his eye mask, and prepared to take a nap. Donating bone marrow to loved ones is a common thing, but it was only because the little boy named Andrew was a fan of the US that the Suns took notice. Moreover, Andrew was not from the US, but from the neighboring country of J, which happened to be the same country as Nash, so Nash was the one who felt it the most.
......
After losing two games in a row, even with Stoudemire absent from the Suns, the Spurs are not favored by outsiders.
but...
The Spurs will not give up easily; they are well-prepared for Game 3.
Starting lineup for this match:
Phoenix Suns: Nash, Richardson, Joe Johnson, Marion, Weiguo
Spurs: Parker, Ginobili, Bowen, Duncan, Muhammad
Despite losing two games in a row, Popovich has no plans to change the starting lineup. So far, this is the most reasonable starting lineup for the Spurs.
"Beep!!!"
The whistle blew, and the game began.
Wei Guo won the jump ball. Nash dribbled past midcourt and, just a step away from the three-point line, set up a pick-and-roll with Wei Guo, delivering a behind-the-back bounce pass. Wei Guo caught the ball and shot.
"Whoosh!!!"
The basketball went into the net.
3-0!!!
Pick and roll is a standard basketball tactic, but... pick and roll at the three-point line is common, but it's rare to see Wei Guo and Nash run a pick and roll together when Wei Guo is still a step away from the three-point line, and Wei Guo still takes the shot.
The Spurs are on offense, and Wei Guo is standing outside the three-point line.
Losing interior defense...
Parker easily broke through and scored a layup.
3:2!!!
Why is he standing there?
Popovich muttered to himself, somewhat confused about Wei Guo.
Marion walked to the baseline to inbound the ball, and Wei Guo had already run to the frontcourt. Nash received the free throw from Marion, held the basketball in both hands, and pushed it out from his chest.
The basketball spun rapidly in the air...
He passed Parker, passed Ginobili, passed Duncan, passed Bowen, passed Muhammad, and reached the top of the basket.
Wei Guo jumped up and caught the basketball in mid-air, tucking in his stomach and lifting his buttocks.
"Bang!!!"
A powerful double-handed back clasp!
5:2!!!
The Suns took an early lead, continuing their signature run-and-gun offense.
This was completely unexpected by Popovich.
The Spurs suffered a crushing defeat in their last half-court game, and Popovich thought the Suns would continue with that strategy, but the Suns unexpectedly changed their tactics at the last minute.
Very soon...
The Suns' problems were exposed.
The bombardment tactic was decided on the plane, just to extend the game by ten or twenty possessions and increase the defense's score. However... before, Stoudemire was on the court with the bombardment tactic, and Gentry didn't plan to change the tactic after the last game, so he gave the players a day off after the game.
Suddenly change tactics...
Apart from Nash and Weiguo, the other players failed to adapt.
Defensive lapse...
Offensive error...
Five minutes later, the first official pause was initiated.
17:19!!
The Suns are down by 2 points.
The Spurs went 8-for-9, a near 100% shooting percentage... With Wei Guo positioned beyond the three-point line and no big men in the paint, the Spurs had every opportunity to score under the basket.
......
Spurs bench.
Bowen remarked, "I really don't understand what the Suns are trying to do. Playing like this... they could win the game in less than three quarters."
"I also find it strange."
Ginobili frowned. "15 of those 17 points came from Wei Guo. Can the offense really be sustained by Wei Guo alone?"
The brilliant Horry raised an eyebrow, slapped his thigh, and said, "I get it... the Suns are throwing the game!"
"Get out of here, this is the Western Conference Finals!"
"If they can fix games in the NBA Finals, what about the Western Conference Finals..."
Do you think Wei Guo is that kind of person?
Veteran Barry had great respect for Stoudemire, and he was about to argue with Horry when Horry added, "Stoudemire is suspended for four games..."
Barry asked, "What does Stoudemire's four-game suspension have to do with whether the Suns are throwing games or not?"
"Are you stupid..."
Horry rolled his eyes. "If the Suns sweep us and we face the Heat in the Finals, Stoudemire won't be able to play in Game 1. Without Stoudemire, can they beat the Heat?"
"Shut up!"
Popovich picked up the clipboard and slammed it on Horry's head. "No matter what the Suns think, we're going to keep attacking the paint and not double-team Weiguo... Just let Weiguo get one kill, he'll be tired of shooting before the third quarter."
The spectators near the Spurs were also chatting quietly.
"Did you see the video yesterday of a little boy donating bone marrow to his sister who has leukemia?"
"I've seen it..."
"I feel like Wei Guo watched it too, and he's probably going to get 100 points again tonight."
"......"
"This time, I support Wei Guo scoring 100 points in a single game."
"Me too..."
"Keep your voice down, don't let Horry hear you, these players have terrible tempers."
The Phoenix Suns' bench.
Gentry encouraged them, saying, "It's okay to make some mistakes at first because you're not used to it... I'll give you two quarters to get used to the rhythm."
......
The timeout has ended, and the game has resumed.
Suns offense...
Wei Guo retreated to the three-point line to receive the ball, and Bowenka, in front of Wei Guo, took the initiative to physically engage him.
That makes it simple!
Wei Guo easily blew past Bowen with a turn, drove to the basket, and swung his arms wide for a powerful dunk!
"Bang!!!"
Muhammad dodged away instantly; he didn't want to be on camera.
19:19!!
The Suns tied the score.
but...
Just as Popovich said, the Suns' defense has too many holes!
Parker's two layups were blocked by Nash, but with Duncan anchoring the paint, he easily grabbed the defensive rebounds and put the ball in.
The commentator said, "This Suns team has the most dazzling offense I've ever seen, bar none... Completing an offensive play in seven seconds, is there anything cooler than that?"
This is a case of praising someone to death...
Without even turning around, Cummings could picture the commentator's gloating expression.
Many viewers, like the commentators, were secretly delighted. As long as Wei Guo didn't go inside or defend, and he kept launching fast breaks, they were willing to give Wei Guo the loudest applause for every basket he scored.
35:41!!
At the end of the first quarter, the Suns trailed by 6 points.
39 points in a single quarter...
This is something Popovich wouldn't have dared to think about before the playoffs.
Although the team has a host of scoring talents such as Duncan, Ginobili, and Parker, as well as veterans like Barry and Horry, Popovich's tactics emphasize a balance between offense and defense. They rarely score high points. 120 points in a single game is already a high score for the Spurs. Judging from tonight's situation, they might score 150 points in a single game.
By the way...
They defeated the Suns by 20 points.
Although the Suns were not far behind, it was because Wei Guo kept launching fast breaks and had an unstoppable scoring ability. However, anyone who knew basketball would have seen just by watching the first quarter that the Suns had been completely overwhelmed by the Spurs.
......
Huaxia, Jianye University of Science and Technology.
Dormitory 301, Building 5.
A dozen or so patriotic fans gathered around a laptop.
"This defense is absolutely terrible..."
"Marion simply couldn't defend Duncan..."
"Why didn't Weiguo defend itself...?"
"We must defend our country on offense, and we must defend our country on defense. Can't the Suns win without defending our country?"
"Stoudemire isn't here..."
"As a football fan who has been watching for eleven years and seven months, I have to admit I don't understand this game either..."
......
This is a group of ordinary college students' evaluation of the Phoenix Suns' first quarter game.
Well...
Even amateur fans can see that the Suns' tactics have major problems.
In order to launch a fast break, Wei Guo abandoned interior defense. Is this Wei Guo's problem or the head coach's problem? Admittedly, Wei Guo had the highest success rate in fast breaks on the team, which was the main reason why the Suns were only down by 6 points in the quarter.
......
tNt live stream room.
Johnson said, "The Suns sacrificed defense to improve their offensive efficiency, but unfortunately... no matter how brilliant the offense is, it's all for nothing if you can't win the game."
Barkley: "I don't think so..."
Johnson: "I'd love to hear your opinion."
Barkley: "I saw a video yesterday of a little boy named Andrew who is going to have a bone marrow transplant tonight to save his sister who has leukemia."
Johnson: "Very touching... What does this have to do with tonight's game?"
Barkley said, "Andrew is a Weiguo fan, and this video was made for Weiguo. In the video, he said that if Weiguo scores 100 points, his sister will live to be 100."
Johnson: "Western Patriots must have seen this video."
Barkley: "I think so too, which is why the National Guard has such a strong offensive desire tonight."
Johnson: "So, Weiguo will play the whole game tonight?"
Barkley: "That's what I think."
actually...
Barkley and Weiguo both misinterpreted Andrew's meaning. In the video, Andrew said that he hoped his sister would live to be 100 years old, just like Uncle Weiguo could get 100 points. However, Andrew did not make any demands on Weiguo, nor did he say that he hoped Weiguo could get 100 points tonight.
......
After a break, the second quarter begins.
Just as Barkley predicted...
Wei Guo, who scored 27 points in the first quarter, was the first to step onto the court.
With a comfortable lead, the Spurs confidently substituted three reserve players: Horry, Barry, and Robinson. It's worth noting that Robinson is not a former Spurs player; he is David Robinson, nicknamed "The Admiral," and his real name is "Big Dog," or simply Glenn Robinson.
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