This defense was purely a matter of brute force.
In the confrontation...
O'Neal's shots were also affected.
This happened many times in this year's Finals; after missing a shot, O'Neal would run back to the backcourt with his head down.
Wei Guo dribbled the ball past midfield and passed it to Iverson.
......
Iverson took on Kobe one-on-one and made a pull-up jump shot.
"bang~~~"
The basketball bounced off the rim.
O'Neal grabbed the defensive rebound, and Kobe came around to receive the ball.
The 76ers have set up a zone defense.
Kobe passed the ball to Fox, who evaded Iverson's defense on the weak side and made a run, receiving another pass from Fox.
This is a tactical positioning move.
Kobe received the ball on the baseline, turned his back to Harpring, and turned to shoot during the contact.
A beautifully executed fadeaway shot.
"Whoosh!!!"
The basketball went through the net cleanly.
Phil Jackson and Brown remained silent. At this point in the Finals, the battle was no longer about the coaches' tactics, but about the individual abilities of the star players.
Brown had considered having Mutombo guard Kobe.
However, this mismatch works for ordinary players. For a top player like Kobe, whose speed is too fast, it's easier for a big man to find a shooting opportunity when guarding a smaller player.
........
"We absolutely cannot lose this game, Shaq and Kobe. You two have to grit your teeth and hold on until the very last moment."
"Wei Guo is just a rookie. Shaq, if you get completely dominated by him, are you willing to accept that?"
The Zen Master stared at O'Neal, hoping O'Neal would say what he most wanted to hear.
"I'm not reconciled!"
O'Neal shouted.
In the second round of this year's playoffs, O'Neal was slightly outmatched by Duncan, but his team still won the game.
Grand Finals...
If the Lakers lose the game, and O'Neal loses to Wei Guo in their matchup, the nickname "The Big Shaq" might have to be changed to "Little Carp".
The 76ers' bench.
Brown was also motivating the players, saying, "Don't think about being up 3-1. Treat this game like a Game 7, understand?"
"clear!"
The players responded loudly to the head coach.
........
Barkley said, "These four players cannot rest until the victory is decided."
Johnson said, "We still need to focus on defense. The 76ers gave Kobe a lot of scoring opportunities."
Barkley said, "Iverson's offense was also very decisive, but it was Weiguo and O'Neal who could decide the game."
Johnson: "That's your bias. Why should only interior players decide the game?"
........
The second quarter began, just as Barkley had predicted.
O'Neal and Kobe, Weiguo and Iverson, all four of them stayed on the court.
The Lakers' regular rotation consists of only eight players:
Fisher, Kobe, Horry, Fox, O'Neal, George, Brian, Samaki – apart from the starters, the remaining three didn't get much playing time, each only getting about ten minutes of playing time.
Bryant dribbles!
Bell stuck to Kobe, following him wherever he went. Wei Guo blocked O'Neal, preventing him from receiving the ball.
Brian passed the ball to George.
After receiving the pass, George dribbled to the three-point line, and Kobe made a quick run to shake off Bell and take the ball from George.
With only 3 seconds left in the 24-second shot clock, the shot clock has been reduced to 24 seconds.
Kobe received the ball and attempted a fadeaway jump shot, but Bell lunged at him and hit Kobe's wrist.
"Beep!!!"
The referee blew his whistle and called a defensive foul on Bale.
Bell was somewhat frustrated.
Wei Guo walked over and patted Bale on the shoulder, "Great defense!"
Kobe stepped to the free-throw line, blew two breaths into his palm, dribbled the ball, and shot.
"Whoosh!!!"
The first free throw was made.
......
"Whoa~~~"
"Whoa~~~"
"Whoa~~~"
The crowd booed loudly, distracting Kobe from his free throws.
......
Kobe's gaze remained firm, unaffected by the boos from the fans.
"Whoosh!!!"
"Whoosh!!!"
Both free throws went in again.
29:27!!
With those three free throws, the Lakers narrowed the gap to just two points.
The 76ers are on offense.
Iverson dribbles the ball, Wei Guo circles around to the outside of the three-point line, and Iverson passes the ball to Wei Guo.
O'Neal came out from the inside to defend.
Wei Guo held the basketball in one hand and seemingly casually flicked it, sending it on a long, bounced pass that landed perfectly in Iverson's hands.
at this time...
Samaki realized what was happening and turned to try to block Iverson.
"Whoosh!!!"
Samaki was a step too slow; Iverson had already scored a layup.
31:27!!
......
"Wei Guo is a very formidable player."
Russell said, "He's invincible in any era, and this guy will change the landscape of this league."
Sitting with Russell were some league officials.
And... many retired legends.
Some legends also serve as advisors to other teams.
They also had a small task with them: to estimate the value of the Weiguo contract.
The entire league knows that Wei Guo's contract with the 76ers is only for one year, and the offseason is when each club will show its skills.
As for these clubs, which team Wei Guo will join next season... those with money will be offered a chance, those without money will let him go.
......
Wei Guo and O'Neal were constantly at odds with each other.
When the Lakers were on offense, Wei Guo blocked O'Neal from receiving the ball; when the 76ers were on offense, O'Neal blocked Wei Guo from receiving the ball.
Increasingly intense...
Fox missed his shot, and the basketball bounced very high.
O'Neal and Weiguo landed simultaneously with the basketball, their large hands wrapped together so that the basketball was no longer visible.
After landing...
O'Neal and Weiguo were locked in a fierce battle, each throwing the ball forcefully at the same time. Neither of them managed to take the basketball, but Weiguo and O'Neal's shoulders collided.
"Let go!"
"Let go!"
The two shouted at the same time, and O'Neal pulled the ball into his arms.
Wei Guo swung it again!
"Bang!!!"
O'Neal held onto the basketball tightly, and as a result, he and Wei Guo fell to the ground at the same time.
"Beep!!!"
The referee immediately blew his whistle, and teammates from both sides rushed over to separate the two.
O'Neal got up and questioned Wei Guo, "Do you even know how to play basketball?"
"What the hell..."
Wei Guo roared, "I could crush the Lakers even with your grandma on my back!"
"You insulted me?!"
O'Neal stepped forward and shoved Wei Guo.
fight? ? ?
Wei Guo never backed down and pushed O'Neal so hard he stumbled.
Teammates and referees quickly separated the two!
In Game 5 of the Finals, the referee ignored this minor conflict and only called a jump ball.
"Fighting for the ball..."
Wei Guo stood in front of O'Neal and asked, "Have you ever won a jump ball against me?"
"Can you please shut up!"
The referee was thinking to himself, "It's only because it's the 76ers' home court. If it were the Lakers' home court, I would have called a technical foul on Wei Guo."
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