"I don't need to elaborate on the importance of this attack."
Rivers paused for a moment, then asked, "For the final shot, we absolutely have to score. Who among you is confident in taking the shot?"
This is a long pause!
There was enough time to devise tactics, but the players' physical strength had reached its limit. They were supported by a strong belief, and it would come down to whoever had the stronger belief. That would be who would get the attack!
The five key players looked at each other in bewilderment!
Garnett said, "If it's the defender who's guarding me, I'm not confident I can score."
This is not a sign of weakness, but a clear understanding of the team's strength. Wei Guo alone is comparable to a triple-team. The success rate of attacking Wei Guo is too low. Game 3 of the Finals is about to end. Among the Big Three, Garnett has the worst stats, but his role is the most important. The team needs him to contain Wei Guo.
Pierce said in a deep voice, "I still have the energy!"
"good!"
Rivers pulled out his tactics board. "I'm going to lay out the tactics now."
For the Lakers, Wei Guo was in charge of strategizing. He quickly outlined two offensive plays the Celtics might use and then provided corresponding defensive strategies. With the timeout fast approaching, Wei Guo gathered his teammates together, and the five of them put their arms behind their backs and huddled together to listen to what he had to say.
......
The timeout is over, and the Celtics launch an attack!
Garnett set a screen for Rondo in the backcourt, allowing Rondo to dribble the ball smoothly across the frontcourt. The Lakers' defensive range was very wide, extending all their defense to the perimeter, leaving only Gasol in the paint!
This is a very standard defensive strategy...
After the Celtics scored, there were only 37 seconds left on the clock. The Lakers then took 7 seconds to complete their offensive possession. The reason it took so long was that the ball took 3 seconds to fly through the air. So now there are only 30 seconds left. If they don't use a fouling tactic, the Lakers will only have one more offensive opportunity.
Even if we prevent the Celtics from scoring two points, we can't let them attempt a three-pointer!
If the Lakers hit a three-pointer, they will be down by 4 points. At that point, they not only need to get a shot off, but they also need to use fouling tactics!
According to Gentry's idea, the Lakers should adopt a fouling tactic now, fouling the Celtics directly to give them enough time to attack. Wei Guo can shoot a three-pointer and then foul him, and then Wei Guo can shoot another three-pointer. Even if the Celtics make all four free throws, the Lakers can still take a one-point lead.
The premise of this tactic is that Wei Guo can receive the ball and make two three-pointers steadily. The difficulty lies in how to get Wei Guo to receive the ball. As long as Wei Guo can receive the ball, even if he is double-teamed by four players, he will still have a way to put the ball into the basket.
certainly...
The game is still going on; this is not the time to think about this!
The Lakers extended their defense to the perimeter, creating the perfect one-on-one opportunity. Pierce received the ball from Rondo, attempted several crossovers and spin moves, but couldn't break through Kobe's defense. Kobe moved laterally very quickly, his expression seemingly saying, "You're still too green to beat me one-on-one."
Rivers was frantic, scratching his head in frustration. He couldn't shoot three-pointers, and if he couldn't get inside, they would lose the game.
Only Kobe and Wei Guo played almost the entire game for the Lakers. The rest of the players rotated frequently. Whenever Rivers called a timeout, Wei Guo would make an adjustment to the lineup. So, until the last minute, everyone still had plenty of energy!
The defensive intensity is very high...
The Celtics couldn't execute their plays effectively, and their isolation plays were prone to errors. Pierce nearly lost the ball twice, only managing to retrieve it by diving to the floor the second time, barely managing to pass it to Ray Allen. The scene was, to put it mildly, a complete mess.
Garnett, as expected of an experienced veteran, seized the opportunity to slip to the basket!
Ray Allen seized the opportunity and passed the ball to Garnett with a bounce pass. Garnett dribbled once and then went for a layup.
"Brother Wei..."
Gentry yelled, "Give him a big hat!"
Gasol was only two steps ahead of Wei Guo, and with Wei Guo's speed, catching up would be no problem at all. Gasol stood under the basket trying to draw an offensive foul from Garnett, but Garnett did not lose his composure. He dodged Gasol with a layup in mid-air and hooked the ball towards the basket with his right hand.
Wei Guo followed closely behind!
With a flick of his fingertips, Rivers deflected the basketball in mid-air, altering its trajectory. Rivers yelled, "Rebound!"
We absolutely must control this rebound, because the Celtics are still leading with only 9.6 seconds left. Controlling the rebound means taking control of the game. Even if the Lakers foul early, as long as they make both free throws, they'll have a three-point lead.
Ray Allen rushed over!
As soon as Wei Guo landed, before Gasol could turn around, Ray Allen grabbed a rebound. After securing the rebound, Ray Allen immediately dribbled towards the three-point corner. Odom rushed over, Ray Allen dribbled to the corner, turned around, and shot a three-pointer!
If the shot misses, Wei Guo will still be under the basket, and no one can grab the rebound from Wei Guo's hands!
Too little time to think...
Ray Allen was betting on his three-pointer; he was confident he could put the ball in the basket, and Rivers nervously closed his eyes.
"Whoosh!!!"
"Yeah!!!"
The sound of swishing nets and cheers rang out simultaneously!
Rivers opened his eyes. Ray Allen, Pierce, and Garnett were already embracing each other, as if they had already sealed the victory. And it seemed that was indeed the case. With a 4-point lead, the Lakers only had 2.7 seconds left to attack. If they made a quick three-pointer, they would be 1 point behind. The Celtics would be the winner tonight!
Kobe suddenly said, "Ray Allen's three-pointer was out of bounds!"
Ray Allen dribbled to the three-point corner, turned and shot. Only Kobe could see it clearly: Ray Allen stepped out of bounds. This was the Finals, and the most crucial minute. The player had objections, and the referee dared not be careless.
The three referees walked toward the scorer's table.
Rivers and Gentry followed and, upon reviewing the footage, discovered that although Ray Allen had only crossed the line by two centimeters, no one could deny that.
Three points turned into two...
90:93!!
The Lakers are down by 3 points.
......
"Lakers request a timeout!"
......
Gentry called his second timeout of the playoffs; the final possession was crucial.
The situation on site was extremely tense...
Leading by three points with 2.7 seconds left in the game, the situation is very delicate. Wei Guo has never missed a game-winning shot. In these 2.7 seconds, as long as the ball gets into Wei Guo's hands, he will definitely be able to drag the game into overtime!
The Celtics players were already exhausted, and they would definitely lose if the game went into overtime. Wei Guo was known as the King of Overtime, and he had never lost an overtime game. Every time they played overtime, Wei Guo's score alone exceeded the combined score of the other nine players on the court.
so...
We must defend against their attack with 2.7 seconds left!
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