In theory, the Heat could still catch up.
51 seconds is plenty of time...
After being scolded by Van Gundy, Damon didn't dare to be careless and focused on his free throws.
Kidd dribbled the ball up the court and faced Nash's close defense. Kidd chose to use his strong body to score one-on-one, and after finding a shooting space, he passed the ball to Miller.
Miller receives the ball and goes for a layup!
Wei Guo burst out from the side and slapped the ball to the sidelines. "Goodbye, old man of sports."
An elderly man exercising?
These words were even harder for Miller to accept than being covered up by the Defenders.
The Heat inbound the ball.
Van Gundy reminded him, "Pay attention to the time!"
The Suns defended this play very well. It looked like Kidd passed the ball to Miller, who was then blocked by Wei Guo. However, 19 seconds had already passed, and the Heat only had 5 seconds left to attack.
Within 5 seconds...
The Heat must take the shot, or they will commit a 24-second violation.
The Suns knew the Heat had little time left on offense and were playing even more intense defense. If they could just force a 24-second violation and then sink a three-pointer, the Suns would take a double-digit lead, and the game would be going back to the way it was in the last one.
Marion blocked Damon from passing the ball!
Wade pushed Richardson aside, retreated to the three-point line to receive the ball, and Wei Guo came up to defend again... Time was running out, he couldn't pass the ball anymore, he had to take a one-on-one shot!
Break through from the left flank of Weiguo...
Wade's first step was quick, and Wei Guo's lateral movement was also fast, so he was not shaken off by Wade. This was just a feint. Wade had not originally planned to drive to the basket. He made a sudden stop while moving, turned around, and released a huge fadeaway shot.
The defense was very tight, which interfered with Wade.
An outrageous three-no-stick...
Wei Guo's shot was an airball, and the ball landed in O'Neal's hands. Before O'Neal could even shoot, the 24-second shot clock had expired.
"Fuck!!!"
Enraged, Van Gundy kicked the chair.
The referee merely glanced at Van Gundy and didn't issue him a technical foul. The Heat were already on the verge of elimination... there was no need to add fuel to the fire at this crucial moment.
The offensive and defensive shifts!
With 27 seconds left in the third quarter, the Suns started running down the clock.
Nash steadily dribbled the ball across the frontcourt, not in a hurry to attack... He would just pass the ball to Wei Guo when the time was almost up.
Van Gundy had given up hope of closing the gap in the third quarter and just hoped the Heat would let the Suns drop the ball and not extend their lead to double digits.
"Defense! Defense! Defense!"
The Heat players on the sidelines also stood up to cheer on their teammates.
Only 5 seconds left on the 24-second shot clock...
This is so similar to the Heat, except that the Suns' offensive player is Wei Guo, who has already walked around to Nash and handed the basketball to him hand-to-hand.
There were no fancy moves at all!
Wei Guo simply timed it perfectly, pressing down to the last second before pulling up for a three-pointer.
The basketball traced a beautiful arc in the air...
"Whoosh!!!"
The basketball went into the net.
82:72!!
The Suns are leading by 10 points.
With only 3 seconds left for the Heat to attack, Wade hastily inbounded the ball, dribbled only one step, and threw the basketball toward the basket.
So far...
It's inevitable that the shot will miss.
......
Van Gundy shouldn't have instilled some wrong ideas in his players, such as that being down by more than double digits is dangerous.
Something happened...
The players' morale and spirit were also affected.
......
There's one quarter left, with 12 minutes remaining.
Van Gundy tried to salvage the situation and reassure his players... They were only down by 10 points, there were plenty of opportunities, there were countless examples of players who had led by 20 points and then been overtaken, and they were among the best players in the league.
Shaquille O'Neal was once the league's best center...
Kidd was once the league's best point guard...
Miller dared to challenge Jordan in his rookie season...
Dwyane Wade, who is 5 centimeters shorter than Michael Jordan, has the potential to surpass Iverson (East), Kobe Bryant (West), Carter (South), and McGrady (North) to become the league's best shooting guard...
In short, praise them, instill confidence in them, tell them to play well in the fourth quarter, and that they must win this game. If they lose, this will be the Heat's last game, and they can go home and go fishing tomorrow.
On the Suns' side...
Cummings told the staff to prepare champagne, as they were about to celebrate in advance.
......
The break is over, the fourth quarter begins!
The Heat initially fielded three reserve players: Mourning, Damon, and Eddie, along with Kidd and Haslem.
This lineup...
You could say Kidd led four substitutes, or you could say Kidd led four starters. Any one of them could be a starter. With a lineup like that, they had the ability to make the playoffs.
Van Gundy wasn't expecting these players to catch up.
If they can hold on for just three minutes and give O'Neal and his teammates a little rest, then a comeback will still depend on O'Neal and his teammates.
On the Suns' side...
Wei Guo, Nash, and Marion all remained on the court, along with young players Barbosa and Richardson.
Joe Johnson stopped chattering and demanding to play...
Gentry was also thinking of him, but when the team won the championship, Joe Johnson sat on the sidelines, feeling empty inside, as if the championship had nothing to do with him.
Suns on offense!
Marion sets a high screen, Wei Guo breaks through and receives a pass from Nash, then lays up the ball.
"Whoosh!!!"
The basketball went into the net.
Mourning didn't have time to cover the defense...
84:72!!
The Suns lead by 12 points.
Van Gundy clenched his fist. Damn it... the point difference is getting bigger and bigger. Wei Guo is like he's on a cheat code. Can someone come and drag Wei Guo away?
Suddenly, I thought of a player who left the league: Takeru Kimura!
At this moment...
Van Gundy hesitated. If Takeru Kimura were on the Heat, would he ask him to do the same thing?
Although it's unclear whether it was Popovich's arrangement, Kimura's action of pressing down on Wei Guo's arm was definitely intentional, meant to injure Wei Guo and prevent him from continuing to play.
Heat on offense!
Kidd orchestrated the offense from the high post, passing the ball to Damon Jones, who then launched a three-pointer.
"bang~~~"
The basketball bounced off the rim.
Wei Guo secured the rebound in the backcourt.
Even God doesn't favor the Heat...
Van Gundy thought that if the Suns scored again on the next basket, he would have to bring his starters into the game.
Suns on offense!
Wei Guo positioned himself under the basket, preparing to grab the rebound, when Nash dribbled to the three-point line and suddenly unleashed a long-range shot!
"Whoosh!!!"
The basketball went into the net.
87:72!!
The Suns are leading by 15 points.
O'Neal and his teammates felt like they had nails stuck in their butts and couldn't sit still.
Van Gundy was thinking, "The last shot... if this shot doesn't go in, I'll immediately bring on O'Neal and the other two."
The Heat are on offense.
Eddie Jones received the ball near the free-throw line and cut to the basket, intending to score a layup.
Wei Guo attacked from the side...
*Smack!!!*
He slapped Eddie Jones' shot away.
Out of bounds!
The Heat still had possession of the ball.
But...
With only 7 seconds left on the shot clock, Kidd received the inbound pass from his teammate, went one-on-one against Nash, and made a tough three-pointer!
"bang~~~"
Why aren't you going in?!
They had to call a timeout to make a substitution... but the Suns had possession of the ball and wouldn't call a timeout. Van Gundy didn't think about making a substitution; there was only one way: to get the player to foul.
It's not a shooting foul, so there's no need for free throws, but what kind of head coach would do that... It's too demoralizing. The best way is to stop the Suns' offense, which would allow for substitutions and boost team morale.
Weiguo receives the ball on the left side of the basket.
He's a one-on-one player like Mourning... a turnaround fadeaway jumper.
"Whoosh!!!"
The basketball went into the net.
89:72!!
Two minutes into the fourth quarter, the Heat had not scored a single point, while the Suns had scored seven straight.
......
"Heat calls a timeout!"
......
"We must attack, we must score, this is our last chance!"
Van Gundy said, "Let's create a miracle together in the last 10 minutes!"
......
The timeout has ended, and the game has resumed.
The Suns also substituted their entire starting lineup...
Heat on offense!
O'Neal received the ball, drove hard against Stoudemire, and scored with a hook shot.
89:74!!
The Heat are down by 15 points.
Van Gundy exclaimed excitedly, "Shaq, hit that spot! Give him a good beating!"
That's a great idea!
Wei Guo, however, would not let the Heat have their way.
Receive the ball...
singles...
Step-back three-pointer...
"Whoosh!!!"
The basketball went into the net.
92:74!!
The Suns continued to extend their lead, and at this rate, the difference would reach 20 points in just a few more minutes.
Wade drives and passes to Miller!
Miller takes an open three-pointer!
"Whoosh!!!"
The basketball went into the net.
Miller made no celebration after scoring; he had no right to celebrate. The Heat were still down by 15 points, and if the Suns didn't score, he would need to hit five more three-pointers to tie the game.
Time waits for no one...
The Suns' strategy was very clear: target Wei Guo.
Wei Guo seemed to have unlocked a cheat code, and even multiple players couldn't stop him... The only two times he didn't score from open play were because he was fouled, but he still managed to score from free throws.
......
There are 3 minutes and 27 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
"Whoosh!!!"
Wei Guo made a three-pointer.
Time seemed to stand still at that moment, and Wei Guo looked up at the scoreboard.
107:85!!
The Suns lead by 22 points.
"It's over. We've won another championship."
Wei Guo muttered something under his breath.
"Splash..."
Cummings poured a barrel of champagne over Gentry.
"Holy crap..."
Gentry jumped up, "My suit!"
The Suns have already started celebrating, and the audience is singing and dancing. There's no suspense left in this game.
Van Gundy slumped back onto the bench.
it's over...
And that's how it ended...
Last year, the Heat only had Wade, yet he was able to cause the Nets a lot of trouble. Although they were swept, there were three very close games.
Offseason...
Riley orchestrated a deal, and the Heat acquired O'Neal.
Van Gundy saw hope for the championship, especially after learning that Wei Guo had joined the Suns, who were at the bottom of the league. Van Gundy was even more confident. In order to ensure that they could win the championship, he traded Kidd and Miller in the middle of the season. The Heat's roster had not changed much. It was as if they got two stars for free.
After a resounding victory over the Suns in the regular season, Van Gundy was brimming with confidence!
He's already starting to dream about where he'll go on vacation this summer after winning the championship...
......
The Heat have basically given up; their offense is no longer sharp, and their defense is also listless.
The last 3 minutes...
Van Gundy and Gentry did not call a timeout, letting the game end naturally.
"Beep!!!"
The whistle blew, and the game ended.
119:91!!
The Suns defeated the Heat by 28 points at home.
The Heat held on for three quarters, but lost to the Suns by 18 points in the fourth quarter.
The score is now set.
4:1!!!
The Suns defeated the Heat to lift the NBA championship trophy.
......
Match statistics:
Wei Guo: 67 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, and 5 blocks
O'Neal: 29 points, 17 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 3 blocks
Nash: 17 points, 3 rebounds, 13 assists, 2 steals, 0 blocks
Kidd: 15 points, 7 rebounds, 11 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
Stoudemire: 19 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 0 steals, 2 blocks
Kidd: 27 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 1 block
......
Wade and O'Neal played well, but they just lost to the powerful Wei Guo.
Wei Guo played like they were on fire in the second half...
Especially in the fourth quarter, even when the Heat double-teamed or triple-teamed Wei Guo, they couldn't stop him from scoring. That's what a true clutch player is like.
Bill Russell is very grateful to Wei Guo, because he doesn't have to fly around like this anymore... If the Suns lose this game, he'll have to fly to Miami.
The atmosphere is different when you win a championship at home versus away.
Balloons and ribbons kept falling... rousing songs filled the stadium, and not a single spectator left; they were all immersed in the atmosphere of victory.
Many players cried...
Nash has been in the league for almost ten years and has finally won a championship.
The young players were also very excited...
The road to the championship was not easy. Even with Wei Guo, they had experienced many setbacks. After Stoudemire was suspended, fans thought the Suns would lose to the Spurs. Even if they beat the Spurs, most people did not think the Suns could defeat the powerful Heat, after all, the Suns had obvious weaknesses, namely defense.
It was Brother Wei who led everyone to persevere!
Defeating the Spurs...defeating the Heat...and lifting the championship trophy, Phoenix's first championship trophy, is of extraordinary significance.
......
After the match, there is another very important thing.
The Finals MVP award...
There is no doubt that this trophy can only go to Wei Guo. Regardless of the regular season or playoffs, Wei Guo ranks first in the team in four out of five statistical categories, except for assists.
and...
When the Suns are in trouble, Wei Guo is always the first to step up.
......
The 2004-05 season has ended, with the Suns winning the championship.
Wei Guo won his fourth Finals MVP award, a four-time consecutive MVP and a four-time consecutive FMVP. Wei Guo is undoubtedly the best player in the league, and no one can match him.
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