We won the crucial match, bringing the score to 3-2!
Everyone on the Rockets was happy, except for Cummings, who had a slight complaint.
After the press conference, he secretly pulled Gentry aside and said, "Old Gentry, I have something to tell you."
"Are you going to buy me a drink?"
"I need to tell you something..."
"Shall we go for drinks right away?"
"never mind!"
Cummings said bitterly, "Just ignore me."
"You little rascal~"
Gentry blinked.
Did Cummings think he didn't know what he wanted to say to him?
He definitely needs to be blamed. Putting Cummings on the court in the second quarter wasn't because Cummings was tired, but mainly because it was disrespectful to Cummings, the great hero, to play before the game had even entered garbage time.
actually...
Judging from the team's scrimmages, Cummings is definitely not a benchwarmer. He may not be able to play as a starting point guard, but he is definitely a qualified substitute and can play more than ten minutes a game.
If paired with Wei Guo, Cummings might be even stronger; Cummings' passing efficiency to Wei Guo is higher than Francis'.
But...
Such a player is content to be a mascot.
........
Three days later, Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals took place in San Antonio.
On the same day...
There is another game in the NBA, the Pistons vs. Nets, which is Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, with the Nets leading 3-2.
The Rockets and Nets are the most popular contenders to meet in the NBA Finals.
With their backs against the wall, the Spurs had all their players arrive at the arena early. They didn't leave until the Suns players had finished warming up, and Duncan took a dozen or so shots before walking to the sidelines to prepare for the game.
"Beep!!!"
The game began with the sound of the whistle.
Francis received the ball, and while dribbling, Wei Guo stepped up to run a pick-and-roll with Francis. However, Francis was not Stockton, and the Spurs easily broke through the pick-and-roll.
Wei Guo failed to receive the ball, and Francis took a mid-range shot!
"Whoosh!!!"
The basketball went into the net.
"That was a really cool goal!"
Francis pumped his fist, giving himself a pep talk.
Wei Guo: "???"
During the Spurs' offensive possession, Duncan also made a mid-range shot!
......
"We are the champions!"
"We are the champions!"
"We are the champions!"
Fans used this kind of chant to cheer on the team.
1999...
Duncan led the Spurs to a championship trophy, and fans believe... Duncan will definitely bring the team a second championship trophy this year.
........
After their victory in the previous game, the Spurs made some adjustments.
The Spurs were more decisive on offense, and Duncan made all his first shots. On defense, the Spurs kept switching on defense, keeping Wei Guo out of the game and preventing him from receiving the ball. The Rockets made several mistakes when they tried to pass the ball to Wei Guo.
17:11!!
Seven minutes into the first quarter, Wei Guo called a timeout.
This is the first time the Rockets have called a timeout earlier than the Spurs, even in the two away games they lost, the Rockets didn't call a timeout first.
The Rockets players formed a circle, with Wei Guo standing in the middle. He asked, "Are the fans too noisy?"
"It's really noisy!"
Mobley said angrily, "The Spurs are down 2-3, but the fans keep chanting 'championship.' How can they have the nerve to do that?"
Wei Guo retorted, "You're a veteran player, how can you still be bothered by fans?"
"I was just saying..."
Mobley stopped talking, afraid that if he continued, Weiguo would lose his temper.
Wei Guo said, "The reason I called a timeout is because the pace is similar to the two away games we lost. The Spurs switch defense very quickly, which means there are always two players guarding me closely. You need to be decisive on offense and not just think about passing the ball to me."
"Okay, Brother Wei!"
Francis nodded.
Wei Guo looked at Gentry and said, "Old Gentry, bring me the tactics board."
"Francis, you have the ball on the strong side, I'll come over and set a screen... I'll draw two Spurs players to the front, Mobley will cut around the baseline."
Yao Ming, you stand in this position and set an off-ball screen for Mobley. Francis quickly passes the ball to Mobley, who catches it and goes for a layup...
Wei Guo took a marker and drew lines on the tactics board, representing each person's running position.
........
The timeout has ended, and the game has resumed.
Mobley received a pass from Francis and scored a layup.
"That was such a beautiful team play."
Popovich asked curiously, "Is this a tactic devised by Gentry?"
The most ingenious part of this play was that the Spurs players seemed to be led by a rope, with every defensive positioning anticipated by the Rockets.
17:13!!
This successful play allowed the Rockets to close the gap to two points.
but...
It's impossible to pause every attack and defense to allow Wei Guo to devise tactics.
The game continued at the same pace.
29:21!!
The first quarter ended with the Rockets trailing by 8 points!
Duncan had 15 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block in the first quarter, while Wei Guo had 7 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 0 steals, and 1 block in the first quarter.
The cheers from the fans never stopped...
Every mistake the Rockets made drew jeers from the fans, which greatly disrupted the game!
Before the match begins!
Gentry gave the players orders to win this game and prepare for the Finals... The Rockets' performance in the first quarter was not bad, with key players scoring, and Francis even scoring 9 points in the quarter, making him the Rockets' current leading scorer.
"I'd like to share a short fable with you..."
I don't know why, but Gentry always has a good story to tell, and he never repeats himself.
During a break in the game, Gentry told a short fable that got the Rockets players fired up and made them firmly believe that they would win the game.
........
At the start of the second quarter, Wei Guo stood up from the bench.
"Old Jin..."
Wei Guo stopped Gentry, saying, "If I win this game, I can rest for longer!"
This is a very simple account.
If the Rockets lose this game, they'll have to play another one. Rather than playing another one, it's better to play this game for the full 48 minutes and secure a win.
Duncan rested on the sidelines for two minutes.
In two minutes, Wei Guo repeatedly broke through the Spurs' defense and drove to the basket to draw fouls.
"Whoosh!!!"
"Whoosh!!!"
"......."
"Whoosh!!!"
Wei Guo made all six free throws, drawing two fouls from Robinson and one foul from Rose.
31:27!!
The Rockets are still down by 4 points.
The Spurs are on offense. Steve Kerr receives the ball beyond the three-point line, ready to shoot a three-pointer.
Kerr is a veteran who excels at shooting three-pointers. His peak was with the Bulls, where he had several seasons with a three-point shooting percentage of over 50%, comparable to Wei Guo.
But... a veteran is still a veteran.
*Smack!!!*
Cole's shot was caught in mid-air by Wei Guo.
"Retire..."
Wei Guo received the basketball, and the coaching profession seemed more suitable for him.
Cole: "???"
He didn't understand what Wei Guo meant by those words. It wasn't that Wei Guo was mocking him; it was more like... a piece of advice?
Hat snatch!
After getting the basketball, Wei Guo quickly launched a fast break.
31:29!!
In less than three minutes, Wei Guo scored 8 points in a row, leading his team to close the gap to 6 points, trailing the Spurs by only 2 points.
......
Kobe was watching the game live at home, and he was worried for the Spurs.
"This won't work... The key to the Spurs' zone defense is Duncan. If Duncan isn't on the court, Weiguo can take on three or even five opponents at once!"
Only after fighting them did I realize how strong Wei Guo was!
Even someone as ambitious as Kobe Bryant never dared to dream of defeating Wei Guo.
The Lakers beat the Rockets and the 76ers by relying on the individual abilities of their star players and teamwork, ultimately scoring more points than their opponents. However, it is almost impossible to contain Wei Guo. If Wei Guo is given even a little opportunity, he can lead the team to a comeback.
Kobe even suspected...
Even if the game is down to the last minute, even if the Rockets are down by 10 points, Wei Guo can still turn the tide.
........
Kobe could see it, and so could Popovich.
so...
Duncan returned to the court after less than three minutes of rest.
In the following game, the Spurs maintained their lead, while the Rockets trailed by 5 to 10 points.
The Spurs' defense was like an iron barrel, and their movements were very aggressive. Even if the referees were intentionally biased towards the Spurs, Wei Guo had already scored 27 points from free throws by the fourth quarter.
23 out of 27 free throws made!
Wei Guo has already scored 23 points from free throws.
That's not the point...
The key point is that Wei Guo, who had a 100% free throw percentage in the regular season, has already missed 4 free throws in this game!
With two minutes left in the game, the Rockets are down by 8 points!
With the Spurs leading, Kerr, sitting on the bench, noticed something and whispered, "Did you guys notice? Everyone on the court is exhausted, but Wei Guo hasn't even broken a sweat..."
Even Duncan was covered in sweat, his skin glistening under the arena lights, while Wei Guo seemed to have even more stamina in the fourth quarter than in the third.
Is this even human?
Francis played for 43 minutes, and his stamina was nearing its limit.
At the crucial moment...
Francis's pass was intercepted by Ginobili, who launched a fast break. Francis lunged at Ginobili but failed to catch him, falling to the floor and unable to get up.
Ginobili dribbled to the three-point line, and Wei Guo was less than two meters away from him.
Ginobili thought for 0.1 seconds, made a decision, and shot!
Now...
The two best options are to shoot or stop and wait for your teammates.
Ginobili knew he couldn't fast break for a layup. Wei Guo was less than two meters away. If he continued dribbling forward, Wei Guo would catch up, and his layup would definitely be blocked.
This decision was very wise!
Ginobili decisively took a three-pointer, and Wei Guo's pursuit failed to disrupt Ginobili's shot.
Time is very long...
The fans in the stadium all stood up, waiting for the crisp sound of the basketball going through the net.
"Whoosh!!!"
For Spurs fans, this is the most beautiful sound in the world, even surpassing the encouragement their girlfriends give them during a sprint.
107:96!!
The Spurs are leading by 11 points with only 1 minute and 17 seconds left in the game!
"Ah!!! Good shot!!!"
The fans went wild, as if Ginobili had already sealed the victory for the Rockets.
...
"Rockets request a timeout!"
Gentry called a timeout; he wasn't going to give up on the game.
Because across the ocean are hundreds of millions of fans he cares about most, and these fans are all watching this game, wanting to see the Rockets win.
"We don't have much time left..."
Gentry smiled before saying, "That phrase has always been used to describe our opponents. Today it's different, but being down by 11 points doesn't mean we'll lose the game!"
"We will win!"
Gentry said, "Hold on for one more minute. If the Spurs want to run down the clock, then intensify the game and force them to make mistakes. Everyone, take the shot whenever you have the chance, don't hesitate!"
The Rockets players have developed a sense of dependence.
There were many mistakes in this game, mainly because anyone who got the ball would immediately look for Wei Guo, which gave the Spurs many opportunities.
"certainly..."
The timeout was about to end, and Gentry added, "The offense still needs to revolve around Wei!"
This match...
Wei Guo scored 56 points, making 13 of 27 field goals and 23 of 27 free throws, making him the game's leading scorer.
........
The timeout has ended, and the game has resumed.
As the Rockets attacked, Wei Guo gave Francis a look, and Francis instantly understood.
Francis dribbles very quickly...
Parker stuck close to Francis, while Duncan and Bowen focused their defensive attention on Wei Guo.
Popovich said that with so little time left, if they can stop Wei Guo and they will win.
Francis threw the ball over the basket from two steps away from the three-point line. No one but Wei Guo could catch it from that height!
"This is a pass to Wei Guo!"
Popovich shouted, "Block the defense's attack route!"
Wei Guo had already charged towards the basket, and Bowen, seeing that he couldn't defend him, suddenly rushed diagonally and grabbed Wei Guo around the waist in a wrestling move.
"Bang!!!"
Bowen and Weiguo fell to the ground at the same time.
The basketball flew out of bounds...
"court death?!"
Wei Guo reached out and grabbed the collar of Bowen's jersey, pulling him up from the floor.
What are you going to do?
"stop..."
"Release Bowen!"
The Spurs players all rushed over, surrounding Wei Guo and protecting Bowen at the same time.
Francis and Mobley rushed over, ready to fight... but it was Wei Guo who calmed down first. He released Bowen and turned to Francis, saying, "It's okay, let's continue the game!"
"Brother Wei, let me beat him up!"
Francis still wanted to rush over.
Wei Guo glanced at the game time and said, "There are 1 minute and 9 seconds left. We still have a chance to win. Let's win the game first!"
Dealing with Bowen...
There are plenty of opportunities, but winning the game is more important right now.
........
The game continued, and Popovich secretly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
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