Wei Guo landed with the basketball, a display of physical prowess that left Ma Long in despair.
The moment he received the ball, Malone hesitated between dunking and layup, but then he noticed Wei Guo right behind him.
There was no time to think...
Malone opted for a layup, which would allow him to get the ball into the basket more quickly.
But Wei Guo was too fast. The basketball slipped from Ma Long's fingertips and was slapped onto the backboard by Wei Guo.
........
Wei Guo got the ball, and the Jazz players quickly ran to their backcourt.
They dared not slow down for even a second.
Even if Wei Guo is dribbling, as long as he is in the lead, very few people can catch up with him. Moreover, Wei Guo can dunk with his feet on the free throw line, so even if he is fouled, it won't matter.
because...
Wei Guo's free throw percentage this season is 100%.
Most players, when defending Wei Guo, will rarely foul him to send him to the free-throw line unless absolutely necessary.
The league has a 180 Club. To join this club, you need to have a free throw percentage of over 90%, a field goal percentage of over 50%, and a three-point percentage of over 40%.
This year, Weiguo created a new club: Club 210.
The 210 Club refers to a team with a field goal percentage of over 60%, a three-point field goal percentage of over 50%, and a free throw percentage of 100%. This club has only one member, Wei Guo, and there has never been one before, nor will there ever be one in the future.
Very few players can achieve a shooting percentage of over 60%.
Players with a three-point shooting percentage of over 50% may emerge in the future, but this season there is only one: Wei Guo.
The most difficult thing is the free throw percentage. A 100% free throw percentage throughout the entire season is something that no human can do, but Wei Guo did it.
Relatively speaking...
There is a greater chance that a 190 club or a 200 club will emerge in the future.
For example, a 60% field goal percentage, a 50% three-point percentage, and a 90% free throw percentage constitute the 200 Club.
........
The Jazz got back on defense very quickly, so Wei Guo wasn't in a hurry.
The ball was passed to Francis. Wei Guo made an off-ball movement, received the pass from Francis, shook off the defender, and drove to the basket, only to be double-teamed by Malone and Ostertag.
"Bang!!!"
Wei Guo made a bounce pass, and the basketball slipped through the crowd to Yao Ming's hands.
"Bang!!!"
Yao Ming catches the ball, jumps, and scores with a one-handed dunk.
39:29!!
One attack, one defense, one attack!
The Rockets extended their lead to 10 points once again.
...
The point difference widened again, forcing Sloan to call a timeout.
"The Jazz are calling a timeout!"
Back on the sidelines, the players looked dejected.
Sloan said, "Play it safe, fight a positional game against the Rockets, pay attention to the support from the Guardians, and make sure no one is left unmarked when covering for the Guardians."
Even if you force Wei Guo to play one-on-one, you can't let him pass the ball. There are no weak players in this league; anyone can score if given a wide-open shot!
After four regular-season matchups, Sloan still couldn't figure out a way to defeat the Rockets.
He had spoken with Stockton privately, and Stockton said helplessly that if he and Malone were both at the peak of their careers, and had a good shooter and a 3-and-D player, they would still have a chance against the current Rockets. But now, they are really no match for the Rockets.
........
On Huaxia Live, the viewership rating for this match reached 5.3%.
Lao Yang and Lao Xu are commentating on this match.
Old Yang: "It's clear that the Rockets players are in excellent form."
Lao Xu: "Yao Ming has no problem one-on-one against Malone under the basket. He has a height advantage, and Yao Ming's touch is softer."
Old Yang: "The main problem is that the Jazz don't have any players who can limit Wei Guo's performance."
Old Xu: "He's too steady. He's only 23 years old, but his mentality is more mature than any other player."
........
After the timeout, Sloan came up with a brilliant idea.
He sent in the young Kirilenko, intending for him to defend the country.
The Jazz are on offense.
Stockton missed a three-pointer, and Yao Ming grabbed the defensive rebound.
Francis receives the ball...
Wei Guo moved to the weak side to draw the defense, and Francis broke through for a layup.
41:29!!
Gentry laughed and said, "The game will become much easier as long as Wei is back on the court."
Yes~
Cummings nodded in agreement, "Even if Wei Ge just stands there and doesn't move, the Jazz will still have to assign two players to keep an eye on him."
Gentry wasn't truly without tactics. Under Wei Guo's guidance, Gentry's coaching level improved significantly. Moreover, Gentry's greatest role in the team wasn't just coaching; he was more like the team's anchor.
Whenever the team falls behind...
Old Jin served up a bowl of chicken soup, and the players immediately felt full of confidence.
The Jazz are also a very resilient team.
Continuing with positional play, Stockton passed the ball to Harprin, who went one-on-one under the basket, and Wei Guo came up to help defend.
"Whoosh~~~"
Halprin flicked his wrist and passed the ball to Malone behind Wei Guo.
Malone received the ball and made a jump shot under the basket. Wei Guo was a man who owned the 'Karl Malone Star Card'. He could guess Malone's offensive moves without even turning around, and he jumped up and slapped him across the face.
*Smack!!!*
The basketball was swatted out of bounds.
Another block. Wei Guo walked past Ma Long and said, "If you were ten years younger and moved a little faster, I probably wouldn't have been able to block this shot."
Ma Long gritted his teeth, his anger tinged with helplessness.
"Retire after this season..."
Wei Guo patted Ma Long on the shoulder, like an elder giving advice to a younger person.
Malone shrugged in frustration. Stockton was preparing to retire after this season, but Malone wanted to join a championship-contending team next season and try for the title one more time.
The Jazz inbound the ball from the sideline.
With only 7 seconds left on the shot clock, the Jazz were unable to get a shot off due to the Rockets' defense.
24-second violation!
This is very demoralizing.
Sloan sighed softly. If the score difference widened to more than 20 points in the first half, it would be difficult for the Jazz to catch up.
........
The Rockets are on offense, and Wei Guo's mid-range shot misses.
"Good defense, Kirilenko!"
Sloan shouted.
Kirilenko effectively disrupted Weiguo's shot, giving Sloan renewed hope.
but...
Yao Ming grabbed the offensive rebound and scored on the putback.
43:29!!
Since Wei Guo returned to the court, the Jazz have not scored a single point.
When Wei Guo came on, the biggest change he brought to the team was in defense rather than offense. Sloan also saw this, but he couldn't change anything.
........
Wei Guo played for a little over six minutes before the second quarter ended.
55:34!!
The Rockets led by 21 points going into the second half.
This has become the norm; in four regular season matchups, the Rockets have won by a large margin every time.
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