"Something's wrong with O'Neal!"
Popovich nudged Duncan. "His eyes are full of provocation... Tim, you can come on after one more minute of rest."
If O'Neal has a breakout performance, only Duncan can contain him for the Spurs.
......
The Suns are on offense. O'Neal cuts to the basket, positions himself, and receives a pass from Nash!
Turn around and squeeze past Oberto!
Pulling onions from dry land...
Oberto is an undrafted player who entered the league two years ago. This season, he was promoted to the starting lineup by Popovich. In 20 minutes of playing time, he contributed 4 points and 5 rebounds. He has the characteristics of European players, such as physical strength, tactical awareness, high shooting accuracy, and stability. However, with a height of 2.06 meters, it is nothing short of wishful thinking to try to limit Shaq!
In a desperate attempt to help defend, Oberto grabbed O'Neal, trying to foul him to stop him from scoring!
But...
Even when O'Neal is in a fit of rage, being grabbed doesn't stop him from dunking!
"Bang!!!"
The basketball hoop was bent at a 30-degree angle.
A gasp rippled through the Suns' bench: "Wow! God, that familiar Shaq is back!"
D'Antoni is secretly pleased, and he really thanks Kobe and Cummings. Without their pressure, how could Shaq have regained his peak form?
"Beep!!!"
The whistle blew.
Oberto not only failed to stop O'Neal from scoring, but also committed a foul, but he didn't care... anyway, O'Neal's free throw shooting was terrible, with a success rate of less than 50%, and the probability of making a free throw was like playing rock-paper-scissors.
O'Neal stepped to the free-throw line and took a deep breath.
"Smack!"
"Smack!"
"Smack!"
After dribbling the ball a few times, O'Neal threw it toward the basket.
"Whoosh!!!"
Hollow-core netting!
O'Neal excitedly pumped his fist, yelling, "Outrageous!!!"
It's clear that throwing the ball into the basket from the free-throw line made O'Neal happier than dunking on Oberto.
33:30!!
The Suns are down by 3 points.
......
Popovich didn't rush to bring Duncan back in; he said he'd rest for another minute, and he meant it!
so...
The Spurs still have one offensive and one defensive option.
Parker dribbled to the frontcourt and passed to Ginobili. Ginobili made a serpentine drive and attempted a layup over O'Neal, but missed. Hill grabbed the defensive rebound, and the Suns quickly launched a fast break.
Fast breaks are the Suns' most effective scoring method...
This is also what has been criticized about the trade: O'Neal is too slow and can't keep up with the Suns' fast break pace!
Kobe shouted anxiously, "Shakel, run!"
O'Neal tried very hard, but his speed was simply no match for the guards. Nash had already reached the three-point line, while O'Neal had just crossed midcourt. If they wanted to wait for O'Neal, they would have to settle into a half-court offense... Nash was the one controlling the ball. Anyone who has played basketball knows that passing is passing, assisting is assisting, and organizing is organizing!
These three should not be confused...
White Chocolate is a passing master, capable of making all sorts of fancy passes with ease, but he doesn't possess excellent assist and playmaking abilities.
There are also guards who deliberately rack up assists just to get double-digit assists and achieve a triple-double. Even if they win the assist title, it doesn't necessarily mean that their playmaking ability is outstanding.
A true master player knows how to read the game. Even without the ball in their hands, they can direct their teammates to move and create scoring opportunities. This is what makes a playmaker, like Nash, Kidd, and Paul.
With a crossover, Nash beat Parker!
After breaking through to the basket, Nash was met with Horry's help defense. Instead of forcing a layup, Nash dribbled out of the three-second zone. At that moment, O'Neal followed up. Nash, with his back to the basket, made a behind-the-back pass to O'Neal in a very tight space. O'Neal caught the ball and jumped.
"Bang!!!"
Thunderous dunk, knocking Horry down!
33:32!!
The Suns are down by one point.
In less than a minute, O'Neal completed two dunks... Popovich couldn't sit still any longer and quickly substituted Duncan in!
Only Duncan...
Only then could he compete with O'Neal under the basket!
......
The four members of the Wei Kingdom are discussing the match.
Cummings thought Duncan would limit O'Neal's performance when he came on the court. Kobe thought O'Neal was angered by Cummings' mention of the U60 league and would find someone to beat him up after the game. Gentry firmly believed that the Suns would definitely be the winners of this series, while Weiguo thought that the Suns would lead by 10 points in the first half.
......
How terrifying is an angry Shaquille O'Neal?
He is already 37 years old...
Facing the 33-year-old Duncan, he showed no fear, stubbornly preventing Duncan from getting close to the basket to score, forcing Duncan to pass the ball to the outside. Parker dribbled but was intercepted by Bell. Parker signaled to the referee that Bell had committed a foul during the interception, but the referee ignored him, which delayed the chase.
Bell scores on a fast break layup!
33:34!!
The Suns took a one-point lead.
Once the momentum picks up, the situation becomes very favorable for the Suns... The Suns' greatest strength is their fast break, and O'Neal is giving it his all, abandoning his usual carefree attitude and taking the game very seriously.
There are four 'divine beasts' in the alliance.
Two meters...
Peak Wheat...
Reasonable science...
Diligent Shark...
The idea of a two-meter-tall McGrady only exists in fantasy, and the claim that McGrady was at his peak and his offense was unstoppable is somewhat exaggerated!
Only rational science...
It really happened this season, and it's one of the factors that has kept the Lakers undefeated. It's hard to guarantee a win in the regular season with just Wei Guo. Even when he teamed up with Nash, Stoudemire, and Marion, they still lost nine games in the regular season.
tonight!
Hard work and dedication are what make Shark dominate the game!
......
At halftime, the Suns led by 13 points!
Popovich angrily said, "The league must give O'Neal a drug test; he's acting very strangely tonight!"
When Kobe and Cummings were talking to O'Neal, Popovich was busy setting up tactics and his attention was not on the Suns, so he didn't know what had happened that caused O'Neal to suddenly explode. O'Neal, who only scored 3 points in the first quarter, played 7 minutes in the second quarter and scored 13 points on 5 of 7 shots!
The key lies in defense...
The paint, guarded by O'Neal, became a no-fly zone, and he delivered three blocks in seven minutes, which was the main reason why the Spurs trailed by 22 points in a single quarter.
"Either..."
The assistant coach reminded Popovich, "Shaq, how about we use the 'Hack-a-Shaq' strategy in the second half?"
Is it reliable?!
O'Neal made 5 of 7 free throws in the first half, a free throw percentage of over 70%.
......
D'Antoni really has to thank Kobe and Cummings.
If it weren't for these two provoking and squeezing him, how could O'Neal have performed like this... as if he had returned to his peak, who could afford to mess with an enraged warrior?
most...
If they can carry this form into the Western Conference Finals, they'll have a fighting chance against the Lakers!
A Shaq in this form, plus Stoudemire, is far superior to the Gasol/Bynum frontcourt duo. Paul has improved significantly, but is still somewhat inexperienced compared to Nash. If Bell goes on a rampage, plus Hill, they could trade two for Kobe!
From this perspective...
The Lakers only have a slight advantage at the Wei Guo position?
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