On June 5, 2002, the NBA Finals began.
A clash of titans!
The Lakers had a dual-core system, Kobe and Shaq, while the 76ers had a dual-core system, Allen Iverson and Shaq.
This is also the result the league most wants to see. The 76ers vs. Lakers Finals will definitely have skyrocketing viewership. If they can create a strong atmosphere, the league can make a lot of money. This is just the league's idea. For Wei Guo, Iverson, O'Neal, and Kobe, they all hope to finish the game within four games.
Sweep away the opponent!
Last year's finals...
Allen Iverson couldn't carry the team alone; the lone hero couldn't overcome the "OK combination," and the 76ers lost to the Lakers 1-4 in the Finals, breaking the Lakers' sweeping curse.
This year is different; the 76ers are significantly stronger than last year.
O'Neal has repeatedly stated in the media that if he meets the 76ers in the Finals, he will definitely dominate Wei Guo in the paint.
........
The Philadelphia arena was packed to capacity, with many celebrities in attendance to watch the game.
There are also some female celebrities...
Of these female celebrities, Britney Spears is the most famous.
Starting lineup for this match:
76ers: Jones, Iverson, Harplin, Coleman, Weiguo
Lakers: Fisher, Horry, Fox, Kobe, O'Neal
When the roster was announced, O'Neal grinned. Wei Guo wasn't backing down; he really wanted to play center. Well then... welcome to the confrontation lane.
actually...
Even if O'Neal hadn't made any tough statements before the game, Wei Guo would still have played center.
This season, Wei Guo has faced off against Jordan and Olajuwon. Undoubtedly, both of them lost badly to Wei Guo. But these were Jordan and Olajuwon in the twilight of their careers. Olajuwon once said that Wei Guo lacked sportsmanship and liked to bully older players.
O'Neal is at the peak of his career, and Wei Guo's biggest expectation is to face off against O'Neal.
......
Wei Guo and O'Neal are already standing in the center circle.
"Beep!!!"
As the whistle blew, the basketball was tossed into the air.
Wei Guo and O'Neal jumped at the same time, but Wei Guo jumped higher and had a faster jump speed, giving the 76ers possession of the ball.
Jones dribbled past Fisher and passed the ball to Wei Guo.
Wei Guo holds the ball with one hand...
Shaquille O'Neal, sporting a defensive stance, declared, "Welcome to the Confrontation Lane!"
Fox saw Wei Guo holding the ball with one hand and lunged to take it away, but Wei Guo's long arm swung him away and the basketball fell to the ground.
Wei Guo dribbled the ball, turned, and suddenly jumped.
"Trying to dunk on me?!"
O'Neal spread his arms wide and kept physically challenging Wei Guo.
Holy crap!
Wei Guo was not to be outdone; he folded his body in mid-air and pinned O'Neal down.
"Bang!!!"
A brutal two-handed dunk.
2-0!!!
"On the top lane, there can only be one strong player!"
Wei Guo pounded his chest with one hand and retreated to defend.
Coach Thompson muttered, "Tonight's game is destined to be extraordinary."
"mVp!"
"mVp!"
"mVp!"
The DJ at the scene was already leading the audience in chanting 'mVp' to cheer on Wei Guo.
......
Lakers on offense.
Fisher passed the ball to Kobe, who, facing Iverson's defense, blew the ball, turned, and took a fadeaway jump shot.
"bang~~~"
It's time to strike!
O'Neal pushed past Wei Guo, jumped to grab the offensive rebound, and hooked the ball in with a reverse hook shot.
2:2!!!
In this brief encounter, O'Neal emerged victorious.
Wei Guo's advantages are speed, jumping ability, strength, and all-around skills, while O'Neal's advantage is his massive size, which allows him to block a man's length and a half of a body length.
Before the match...
Brown wanted Weiguo to play the power forward position, using his outside shooting to draw O'Neal's attention.
However, both Wei Guo and Coach Thompson rejected him. Shooting is Wei Guo's strength, but Wei Guo is the only player on the 76ers who can compete with O'Neal in the paint. Mutombo is good at defense, but his offensive ability is much worse.
The Zen Master isn't stupid. If Wei Guo floats on the outside to shoot, the person guarding him will be Fox. The Zen Master won't let O'Neal leave the paint, because the paint is their biggest advantage.
so...
This match was destined to be a physical battle between Wei Guo and O'Neal.
........
2001-02 season MVP rankings:
First, defend the country
Second, Duncan
Third, Kidd
Fourth, O'Neal
Fifth, McGrady
Sixth, Kobe
Seventh, Payton
Ninth, Allen Iverson
Four out of the ten players on the court are in the top ten of the MVP rankings, which reflects the strength of the Lakers and 76ers.
Kobe and Iverson cannot be ignored.
Taking advantage of Wei Guo's distraction, Iverson made a jump shot, a high-arcing shot.
"Whoosh!!!"
The basketball went through the net cleanly.
7:5!!!
This was a goal scored in the third minute of the first quarter.
immediately...
Kobe takes a pull-up three-pointer.
"Whoosh!!!"
The basketball went into the net.
7:8!!
The arrival of Wei Guo relieved a lot of pressure on Iverson. He no longer needed to fall to the ground every time he attacked, which was heartbreaking, like last year.
........
Go 76ers!
Go 76ers!
Go 76ers!
The cheers from the audience never stopped.
Wei Guo received the ball under the basket again, and this time he faced off against O'Neal. The Lakers players quickly spread out to defend!
Before the game, Phil Jackson had warned that Wei Guo should not be careless when he has the ball, because he has a high basketball IQ and is a great passer. If he is careless, a player on the 76ers will have an open shot opportunity.
Wei Guo bravely battled O'Neal under the basket.
However, this time, O'Neal held his position, and Wei Guo was unable to push him away, which was also related to O'Neal's size.
The attack was about to happen in three seconds.
Wei Guo nimbly turned and hooked the ball into the basket.
"Whoosh!!!"
The basketball grazed O'Neal's fingertips and fell into the hoop.
"Is this my move?"
O'Neal's eyes widened. "How did you learn that?"
"Such a simple trick? Do I need to learn it...?"
Wei Guo scoffed and turned back to defend.
O'Neal was furious. Everyone knew he wasn't a clumsy player; his post-up skills were incredibly refined. And his signature hook shot was just a simple move in Wei Guo's eyes.
Lakers on offense.
O'Neal received the ball under the basket and bumped into Wei Guo twice, but Wei Guo didn't budge.
This has nothing to do with tonnage, but everything to do with strength.
Without being able to move Wei Guo, O'Neal simply turned around and made a small hook shot.
Can...
Wei Guo had anticipated this move.
"Smack!"
Wei Guo poked the basketball with his fingertip, and the basketball flew straight into the air.
O'Neal jumped immediately...
Wei Guo landed 0.3 seconds later than O'Neal and jumped.
"Under the basket!"
Wei Guo grabbed the basketball and held it tightly to his chest, shouting, "This is my territory!"
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