Jim isn't entirely right; Mutombo had a strong offensive drive tonight.
The Celtics wouldn't really leave Mutombo open for a shot; on several occasions, when Mutombo had the ball, there were players helping to defend him.
Mutombo's attack finally found its footing.
He is decisive whenever he has a scoring opportunity. Although he only has two ways to score, dunking and hook shots, they are still hard to defend against.
........
With 3 minutes and 17 seconds left in the third quarter, Jim's timeout was mainly to set up defensive tactics against Mutombo.
Let's pause and come back.
"Holy crap!"
Jim noticed that Mutombo was sitting on the bench, grinning from ear to ear.
Coleman replaced Mutombo.
With Wei Guo and Iverson remaining on the court, the 76ers were now leading by 13 points. If they entered the fourth quarter with a 20-point lead, the Celtics would have no chance at all.
The Celtics inbound the ball from the baseline.
Pierce had the ball and attacked, passing it to McCarty, who dribbled one step and stepped back to the three-point line to shoot.
"bang~~~"
Missed a shot.
Iverson grabbed the defensive rebound.
"That was a terrible shot selection!"
Russell stomped his feet in anger. When McCarty received the ball, Wei Guo had already rushed out from under the basket. With Wei Guo's speed, this was equivalent to shooting right in front of Wei Guo's defense. How many players can make a three-pointer under such circumstances?
Iverson dribbles the ball up the court and initiates the offense!
Wei Guo positioned himself under the basket, and Iverson passed the ball to Wei Guo. Wei Guo made a small turn over McCarty and hooked the ball in.
"Whoosh!!!"
The basketball went through the net cleanly.
75:60!!
The 76ers are now leading by 15 points.
Coach Thompson said, "Wei Guo's scoring ability under the basket is no less than that of O'Neal. It would be difficult for Michael Carter alone to stop Wei Guo from scoring."
Offense and defense reversed!
Pierce hit a three-pointer.
75:63!!
........
The third quarter has ended.
81:77!!
The 76ers were still unable to pull away, leaving the game in the fourth quarter.
"Old Mu! The fourth quarter is still your showtime."
"Oh, haha..."
"If Mu can maintain this form, we can sweep all the way to the finals."
"It's mainly because Wei Ge (Guo Wei) has been drawing the defense."
Mutombo scratched his head.
Mutombo was very popular with the 76ers, and Wei Guo knew that Mutombo's hometown was very poor. He had earned some money in the NBA and had never forgotten to give back to his hometown, so Wei Guo had a very good impression of Mutombo.
......
The fourth quarter began with Mutombo returning to the court.
tonight...
Mutombo has played the most minutes for the 76ers, and so far he has only rested for 7 minutes. If the fourth quarter doesn't end early and it's garbage time, Brown doesn't plan to take Mutombo off the court.
Jones missed a mid-range shot.
Mutombo leaped into the air, grabbed the basketball, and dunked for a score!
83:77!!
The DJ's energetic voice blared through the crowd, "Mutombo~~~"
"Mutombo!"
"Mutombo!"
"Mutombo!"
The home fans also chanted Mutombo's name.
Mutombo has already scored 33 points, 13 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 5 blocks!
He tied his career-high score!
"elder brother..."
Brown turned to Coach Thompson and said, "I see championship spirit in everyone."
"But you can't be careless."
Coach Thompson cautioned, "In this league, a moment of carelessness can cost you the game."
......
Mutombo continued his consistent performance, keeping the score around 15 points.
Wei Guo then sat down to rest on the sidelines.
With 4 minutes and 27 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Wei Guo walked to the scorer's table and replaced Harprin.
"It's going to be tough now."
Jim sighed and sat back down on the bench.
During Wei Guo's absence, the Celtics failed to catch up in the score, but now that Wei Guo is back, they're ready to reap the rewards.
"Let me hear your cries!"
The DJ was also chanting, "MVP!!!"
"mVp!!!"
"mVp!!!"
"mVp!!!"
The fans shouted along with the DJ.
This was Wei Guo's first game after becoming the 2001-02 regular season MVP. Although Mutombo stole the spotlight from Wei Guo, whenever Wei Guo entered the game or received the ball, the fans would chant "MVP!!!" along with the DJ.
Wei Guo comes on and gets the ball!
A right-hand crossover, then returning the ball with the right hand—that's a classic move, Sam Gold!
Then...
Wei Guo made another small turn, got to the basket, and hooked the ball with a reverse hand, sending it flying into the air.
"This shot..."
Many people looked puzzled, saying, "If you throw it too high, it won't fall into the basket."
If this were a layup, it would be considered an offensive error, as Wei Guo rarely makes such offensive errors. However, what happened next dispelled all doubts.
"Bang!!!"
Mutombo appeared behind Wei Guo and dunked the ball over McCarty!
It turned out to be... an aerial relay!
"Great shot!!!"
The 76ers' bench erupted in cheers.
With such boundless imagination, there's no big man in the league who can pass the ball better than Wei Guo. Strictly speaking, there aren't many players in the league who can pass the ball better than Wei Guo.
103:85!!
The 76ers are now leading by 18 points.
The outcome of the match is no longer in doubt...
........
"Beep!!!"
The match ended with the referee's whistle.
111:97!!
The 76ers narrowly defeated the Celtics by 14 points at home.
Match statistics:
Mutombo: 41 points, 17 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 7 blocks
Wei Guo: 17 points, 6 rebounds, 13 assists, 2 steals, 3 blocks
Iverson: 27 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, 0 blocks
Pierce: 27 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
Walker: 21 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 0 steals, 2 blocks
Without a doubt...
Mutombo was the best player of the game. Although it may not be the best game of his career, he scored the highest points of his career.
"Mutombo!"
"Mutombo!"
"Mutombo!"
As soon as the game ended, all the 76ers players rushed onto the court and lifted Mutombo up and tossed him into the air.
"don't want!"
"Haha..."
"don't want!"
Mutombo kept laughing and struggling.
"Oh ho ho~~~"
After throwing the ball seven or eight times in a row, everyone seemed to have a telepathic connection and immediately let go of Mutombo after he was caught.
"Are you guys trying to kill me?"
Mutombo got up from the floor and chased his teammates into the player tunnel.
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