"The Spurs are gambling, gambling that they can make every shot. They want to gamble, but we can't gamble with them."
"There are still 2 minutes left in the game. Horry will foul Wei again in a bit, but that's not important... The important thing is to defend against the Spurs' next attack!"
After exchanging a few meaningless words, Gentry looked at Wei Guo and asked, "Brother Wei, what's your opinion?"
"Let Marion guard Ginobili, and the Spurs will give him the ball on their next possession."
Wei Guo replied that if he were to defend Duncan in the paint now, the Spurs would not easily target Duncan.
Aside from Duncan, the two players with the strongest offensive capabilities are Ginobili and Parker. However, Parker's mid-range and long-range shooting abilities are relatively poor, and with Wei Guo in the paint, Parker doesn't dare to rush into the paint to score recklessly.
......
Although he didn't care about Parker, Gentry still substituted Barbosa for Nash.
Taking off the star defender in those crucial two minutes is understandable...
The Spurs started using fouling tactics five minutes earlier, and Nash was ineffective on the court.
Timeout over, game resumes!
Despite considering fouling, the Spurs still employed a double-team strategy when the Suns inbounded the ball, trying to prevent Wei Guo from receiving the ball.
Bowen and Ginobili stuck to Weiguo like glue.
Joe Johnson stands on the baseline...
Holding the ball, he moved it left and right but couldn't find a passing space. With the inbound time fast approaching, Joe Johnson passed the ball directly to Barbosa.
This is Popovich's strategy!
He wasn't worried at all about Barbosa receiving the ball. Letting Barbosa score two points would have the same effect as letting Wei Guo score two points. Moreover, at such a crucial moment, young players like Barbosa were very likely to make mistakes due to nervousness. Even if Barbosa passed the ball to Wei Guo, it would still take more than ten seconds.
For the Spurs...
Time was just as hateful as Wei Guo; leading by 5 points, they wished the game would end right now.
Parker pressed hard, and Barbosa finally managed to dribble the ball past midfield. Despite not having played much, beads of sweat were already forming on his forehead as he anxiously searched for his good brother, Weiguo.
Fortunately...
The Spurs have stopped double-teaming Wei Guo.
Wei Guo used his speed to shake off Bowen and got behind Barbosa, shouting, "Give me the ball!"
It was almost a hand-to-hand pass. The moment Wei Guo received the basketball, he was about to shoot, but Parker was quick to react, lunging and grabbing Wei Guo the instant he released the shot.
Weiguo: s(?｀ヘ′?;)ゞ
Again and again!
The Spurs' shameless defensive tactics have enraged Wei Guo.
Stepping to the free-throw line...
"Whoosh!!!"
"Whoosh!!!"
Both free throws were made.
133:136!!
The Suns are down by 3 points.
Cummings frowned and flicked his pen. "98 points. 100 points came so easily... but winning the game won't be so easy."
Even Cummings could see that the Spurs kept fouling Wei Guo in the fourth quarter, helping him achieve his goal of 100 points. However... the Spurs' offense in this game was almost unstoppable, and it was hard to say who would win this game.
......
Popovich did not call a timeout.
There are 1 minute and 45 seconds left.
Every offensive play by the Spurs is crucial; if they miss even one shot, they will be on the back foot.
The reason Duncan dares to foul Wei Guo so recklessly is his high offensive success rate... Even if he misses one or two shots, Duncan can still grab the offensive rebound. But now, with Wei Guo and Duncan battling for position under the basket, it's a five-star difficulty level to try and steal the rebound from Wei Guo.
Ginobili leisurely dribbled the ball up the court...
Marion kept physically attacking Ginobili, but he couldn't affect Ginobili's dribbling or make it difficult for Ginobili to shoot comfortably.
Duncan positioned himself in front of Wei Guo, shouting, "Manu, give me the ball!"
This is a plan...
It's just a distraction for the Suns' defense; Ginobili won't actually pass the ball to Duncan.
With the 24-second shot clock about to expire, Ginobili circled behind his back and unknowingly passed the ball to Parker. The moment Parker received the ball, Barbosa slapped it away.
"nice shot!"
Gentry was so excited he jumped for joy!
But...
"Beep!!!"
The referee blew his whistle, calling a foul on Barbosa for stealing the ball.
"How was that a foul?"
Gentry spread his hands. "What a beautiful steal!"
Barbosa stood there holding the ball, looking completely innocent... The Suns players surrounded the referee and argued with him. The referee tried to explain but refused to change his call.
......
Huaxia Live Room.
Old Xu: "There's nothing wrong with this ball."
Old Yang said, "From my perspective... Barbosa and Parker didn't make any physical contact; it was a beautiful steal."
Old Xu, "Wei Guo went over there too. Is he going to put pressure on the referee?"
Old Yang said, "Given Wei Guo's temperament, he doesn't like to waste his breath on trivial matters. He was probably trying to persuade his teammates."
......
As expected, Wei Guo walked into the crowd, said a few words, and the crowd dispersed.
It was just a misjudgment...
The referee breathed a sigh of relief and signaled for the Spurs to inbound the ball from the sideline.
There are 3 seconds left to attack!
If the ball is not shot within 3 seconds after it is inbounded, it is a 24-second violation, and possession of the ball remains with the Suns.
Ginobili moves to the sideline!
Popovich yelled, "Tim, Bowen, you two go inside and box out for the rebound!"
Even Popovich didn't think the Spurs could make that shot in three seconds, whether it was a three-pointer or a two-pointer. Parker and Bowen started moving, and Joe Johnson, who was originally guarding Horry, followed Bowen into the paint, leaving Horry wide open.
"Robert...it's up to you now!"
Ginobili prayed and passed the ball to Horry.
Horry received the ball, and Marion rushed out to intercept it. Seeing that there was no chance for him to shoot, Horry threw the ball powerfully towards the basket while shouting, "Rebound!"
The curvature is very high... the arc is not straight...
It was Joe Johnson's defensive lapse that just happened. Fortunately, Marion's help defense was timely. Judging from the trajectory of the basketball in the air, it was impossible for it to go into the basket. Joe Johnson and Wei Guo were both stuck under the basket, while Duncan and Bowen were also squeezed under the basket.
Five burly men were crammed into this tiny three-second zone!
In that instant...
There's not even a place to stand in the three-second zone.
The basketball hit the backboard, and Bowen and Joe Johnson both jumped up, but Wei Guo and Duncan didn't. They both judged that the basketball was still hitting the front edge of the rim before bouncing off, and that it was not allowed to touch the ball as long as it was directly above the rim.
As expected...
The basketball bounced off the front edge of the rim and into the air.
Joe Johnson and Bowen landed awkwardly, and as Wei Guo and Duncan prepared to fight for the rebound, they saw the basketball bounce straight up and then fall straight down.
"Whoosh!!!"
The basketball went into the hoop as more than 10,000 spectators watched.
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