After receiving the ball, Duncan made a bank shot!
"Whoosh!!!"
The basketball bounced into the hoop.
63:51!!
After scoring, Duncan and Parker gave each other a high five to celebrate this wonderful play.
During the Rockets' offense and defense, the Spurs players exchanged glances.
During halftime, they were also analyzing the Rockets' strategy for the second half. Wei Guo's 16-for-16 shooting had already set a league record, but if Wei Guo missed a single shot in the second half, that record would vanish.
Who knows when I'll have this much of a feel for the game again...
Popovich believes that Wei Guo has a passion for breaking records. In just two years in the league, he has already broken many league records, and now another new record is on the horizon.
Wei Guo would cherish it very much...
In the second half, Wei Guo will definitely reduce his outside shots and keep attacking the basket to maintain this shooting percentage.
......
The Rockets are on offense. Francis dribbles the ball up the court and takes a jump shot over Parker's defense.
"bang~~~"
The basketball bounced off the rim.
Duncan and Wei Guo battled for position under the basket, but Duncan lost the rebound to Wei Guo, who secured the offensive rebound.
Wei Guo got the basketball...
Duncan immediately blocked Wei Guo, preventing him from turning around and finding space to shoot. However, Duncan underestimated Wei Guo's offensive ability. Wei Guo, with Duncan on his back, used his left hand to hook the ball.
"Whoosh!!!"
The basketball went into the net.
Duncan couldn't help but ask, "You can use your left hand too?"
Although Wei Guo was blocked by Duncan, he had many offensive options, such as passing the ball to Mobley outside the three-point line, or retreating to the outside of the paint to find another offensive opportunity.
At the very least... Wei Guoqiang dunked over Duncan, and his success rate was still over 70%.
But Wei Guo actually used his left hand to shoot, and judging from the fluidity of his movement, he had obviously practiced.
Little did they know...
Wei Guo possesses a full suite of star skills, including many players who excel with their left hand. Even if he only used his left hand, he could still become a superstar in the league.
65:51!!
The point difference remains at 14 points.
The next two possessions, defense and offense, will be crucial. If they can stop the Spurs' offense and score another basket, the point difference will be widened to more than 15 points.
In this way...
The tone of the competition has been set.
Popovich is a very pragmatic head coach. He tanked to get Duncan back then, and in the last few games of the regular season, Popovich would rest his key players.
In games like this, if you fall too far behind, Popovich will tactically give up.
Knowing that something is impossible, one should not do it; this is Popovich's philosophy of life.
......
The Spurs were well aware of the importance of this offensive play, so they handed the ball to Duncan.
This time...
Facing Wei Guo's defense, Duncan made no extra moves, just a short fadeaway jump shot!
"bang~~~"
The basketball bounced off the rim!
Duncan was not surprised. Wei Guo's defense was watertight, and Duncan's lack of confidence when he took the shot led to the missed shot.
Yao Ming grabbed the defensive rebound!
Wei Guo walked over to Yao Ming, took the basketball from Yao Ming's hand, and saw that it was Wei Guo dribbling the ball across the frontcourt. The Spurs players immediately collapsed towards the basket.
Even Bowen gave Wei Guo a step of space to shoot when he was defending him.
They firmly believe...
Wei Guo will no longer attempt long-range three-pointers; he will use the safest methods to score, thereby maintaining his 100% shooting percentage record.
Gentry's eyes widened. "They actually dared to let Wei Ge throw the ball!"
"This kind of defense..."
A Rockets reserve player chuckled, "I've never seen Wei Ge before."
Strictly speaking, Popovich only figured out Gentry, but he didn't figure out Wei Guo. Gentry did beg Wei Guo to attack the basket in the second half and reduce his outside shooting.
But... Wei Guo didn't agree.
Wei Guo is confident in his shooting, and now the Spurs are giving him a break, focusing on defense against drives but not shots. So why wouldn't Wei Guo shoot?
"Whoosh!!!"
Just one step beyond the three-point line, Wei Guo took the shot and made it cleanly!
68:51!!
Three minutes into the third quarter, the Spurs had only scored 1 point, while the Rockets were already leading by 17 points.
"He actually dared to throw it!"
Popovich was shocked. "Is he confident in his shooting touch, or does he not care about records?"
The tactic of defending against drives but not against shots has failed!
Wei Guo really took the shot from a step away from the three-point line, and Popovich immediately gave the signal.
The Spurs players understood that this was a "number 7 play".
Just like in the first half, we defended Weiguo, trying our best to prevent him from scoring, but never letting him pass the ball.
Obviously...
This tactic is also ineffective.
After the third quarter, the Spurs were down by 21 points, and it was unlikely that they could close the gap in just one quarter.
......
In the fourth quarter, Popovich substituted all the starters.
His teammates also played well, which limited Wei Guo to only 6 shot attempts in the third quarter. However, Wei Guo made all 6 of his shots in the third quarter, so by the start of the fourth quarter, he had already made all 23 of his shots and scored 60 points, and he didn't return to the court...
Cummings is all geared up; it's time for his stage.
Sometimes when Cummings gets up in the middle of the night to pee, he briefly contemplates life. He regrets meeting Wei Ge too late, wishing they had entered the league in the same year and become teammates.
When Cummings retires...
The entire league will applaud him; he might even be able to achieve a record that even Wesley couldn't.
100% win rate in his professional career.
But it was all just a dream, because he entered the league a year earlier than Wei Guo, and his career had already seen some defeats.
Although he substituted his key players, it didn't mean that Popovich gave up on the game. He remained on the sidelines, constantly encouraging the players on the field to move, defend, and attack!
Unfortunately...
Led by Cummings, the Rockets ultimately won the game.
"Beep!!!"
As the final whistle blew, the score was set.
109:93!!
The Rockets defeated the Spurs by 16 points at home.
Match statistics:
Wei Guo: 60 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, and 5 blocks
Yao Ming: 17 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks
Francis: 19 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 0 blocks
Cummings: 5 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 0 steals, 0 blocks
Duncan: 41 points, 16 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 3 blocks
Parker: 17 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 0 blocks
Robinson: 7 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 0 steals, 1 block
Statistically, both Wei Guo and Duncan performed very well, but Wei Guo's 23-for-23 shooting was simply unstoppable, which was the main reason why the Rockets won the game.
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