93 to 103.

Although the Mavericks never gave up in the fourth quarter, they were unable to stage another miracle comeback.

The Bulls scored from multiple points, with Rose getting a team-high 32 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists, including 4 of 7 three-pointers, rebounding from the bottom;

Xu Yong scored 13 points in the last quarter and ultimately contributed 26 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks;

Chicago's duo combined for 58 points, breaking through the Mavericks' defense.

Yao Ming played an atypical game in his career, scoring 15 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 blocks, and almost got a triple-double in the finals.

Nowitzki scored a game-high 33 points, scoring 30+ points for two consecutive games in the finals, but he only made one shot in the fourth quarter and scored 4 points from two free throws. This performance was very different from G1.

Just as the content of the game showed, his performance was exactly the same as Xu Yong's in the previous game.

If the Mavericks no longer play team basketball and just give the ball to Nowitzki, they will obviously not be able to beat the Bulls who have adjusted back to form.

"Charles, do you still think the Mavericks can win an epic championship?" Smith asked Barkley a soul-searching question as the game was about to end.

"Yes, I believe in Rick Carlisle's ability to adjust and I believe in their desire for the championship." Barkley said firmly.

Although the Bulls defended their second home court, as analyzed before, due to the competition system, the next three home games will be played in Dallas, and the Mavericks are now the team that truly has the home advantage.

After the game, Xu Yong took Swift... to the training hall for training.

Although G2 won, he also knew the difficulties the team would face next and could not relax at this time.

Swift cooperated. Although Xu Yong asked her to go back to the hotel and wait for him at the beginning, because she was interested in basketball, she sat on the sidelines, holding her chin and watching Xu Yong train quietly.

As she watched, a smile appeared on her face unconsciously.

Serious people are always the most handsome.

It was also the first time she understood why Xu Yong didn't have much time to spend with her. The busyness of a professional NBA player was beyond her imagination.

Of course there were other reasons behind her smile.

When your boyfriend plays a high-intensity basketball game in which he is the core output, and then has a high-intensity extra training, the corners of your mouth will unconsciously rise.

And later on, Swift was not satisfied with just watching, she went straight onto the court to help Xu Yong pick up the ball.

However, as they were picking up the balls, the two started to have fun, and Xu Yong even hugged Swift to fulfill the latter's wish of dunking.gif.

Fortunately, there was no one else in the training hall, otherwise seeing this scene would definitely make people feel like they had eaten a few pounds of dog food.

After the training, the two went out for a walk and then returned to Xu Yong's villa to rest.

"Don't take off your jersey."

"Um?"

"You're wearing the opponent's jersey. I'm going to teach you a lesson tonight."

…

Because the next game will be moved to Dallas, there will be three days of rest between G3 and G2.

That is, the day before G3, the other three of the Devil's Four Musketeers, Harden, DeRozan and Ayers all went to Dallas.

They are still planning to return to Tempe for training next summer, but before that, they will support Xu Yong in Dallas.

The friendship of having won the championship together is like that of a comrade who has fought in the tunnel.

So before the Bulls left for Dallas, he got a call from Harden.

"The temperature in Dallas has dropped and it suddenly feels like winter. Remember to bring more clothes." Harden even kindly reminded him.

Xu Yong didn't take it too seriously at first, but when he actually took a plane to Dallas and was shivered by the wind when he got off the plane, he realized that Harden was not exaggerating.

This horrible weather is so bad that if you don’t know, you would think it’s the movie “The Day After Tomorrow” come true.

Because the team had no training scheduled in the evening, Xu Yong took them into the training hall after arriving.

The foursome has changed a lot since they first entered the league three years ago.

There is no need to say much about Xu Yong. He reached the finals in his sophomore year and has a chance to win the fMVP. The other three are so envious that their eyes are almost popping out of their sockets.

Otherwise, why would they get together and come to Dallas at this time?

Harden's words are much stronger than in history, and because of Westbrook's struggles in this season's playoffs, many fans are discussing whether the Thunder should trade Westbrook for a star center and promote Harden.

This may sound nonsensical at first, but it does make sense if you analyze it carefully.

The fundamental reason why Harden cannot start in the Thunder is that he is more effective with the ball than without it, but there is only one ball, which is in Westbrook's hands.

But after the playoffs, Westbrook proved that he was not good enough, while Harden was good enough.

And more importantly, there is a successful Bulls case here.

Honestly speaking, if the Bulls management had not traded for Yao Ming with a potential player like Noah and a ready-to-play player like Deng, they would most likely not have made it to the finals this season.

The Thunder have a group of young talents that are very similar to the Bulls last season.

Of course, these are all fans’ imaginations. Only the Thunder management knows what they think.

As for DeRozan, he is averaging 18+ points per game this season, nearly 10 points more than last season. He is already the Raptors' second-leading scorer and ranked sixth in the previous Most Improved Player voting.

Ayers is also doing well with the Heat.

In fact, to be honest, the Heat's way of team formation is destined to make the rotation players weaker in strength.

Take the Celtics for example. They have developed high-quality role players like Rondo and Perkins. But the Heat only have Chalmers and Haslem. Haslem didn't play many games last season due to injuries. Although he returned before the playoffs, his condition is hard to guarantee.

However, this did give Ayers an opportunity. Although his talent was relatively mediocre, he was at least a ready-to-fight rookie. He also had good mid-range shots and passing abilities, which made him quite suitable for the Big Three.

Of course, the focus of what Ayers brought to them was never on the court. What this "devil spy" brought to them was outside the court.

For example, James demanded the firing of Spoelstra, but ended up causing the entire team to face the wall.

When Xu Yong heard this, he couldn't help laughing out loud.

Just tell me, isn't it a happy thing to be on the same team with James? There is always something fun to watch.

However, Ayers also told Xu Yong about James' plans for the summer.

Although Ayers didn't know whether those were true or not, because he had been teammates with James for two seasons, he also knew that James liked to use the media to establish his own persona.

However, after listening to this, Xu Yong knew that James was serious this time.

Not to mention that in history, James reached his true personal peak in the next two years. If he didn't work harder after being swept last season, he would not be James but Simmons.

Although the season is not over yet, it seems that he still has to work hard during the offseason.

It feels good to sweep others, but if you are avenged next season, then it is others who will feel good.

…

On match day, two major events occurred outside the stadium.

The first thing was that in order to show his support for the Mavericks, Barkley dressed himself up as a cowboy, wearing a cowboy hat, riding a tall horse, and marching in support of the Mavericks in the streets of Dallas.jpg.

Because the publicity had been done two days in advance, despite the significant drop in temperature in Dallas, this scene still attracted a large number of fans to watch, and a large number of Dallas fans flocked to the streets to take photos.

Since drinking tiger urine, Barkley has done something big off the court again.

Although he was almost fallen down because of the saddle when he got off the horse, this wave of traffic earned him a lot of traffic again.

It is no exaggeration to say that if the Mavericks really win the championship in the end, there must be a seat for Barkley at the celebration party.

The second thing is rumors.

There are rumors that due to the sudden drop in temperature in Dallas, Nowitzki has a cold and fever, and his participation in Game 3 is doubtful.

This rumor cannot be confirmed for the time being, because the Mavericks officials will definitely not announce such things before the game. It is difficult to tell the truth from the falsehood of such news leaked from within the team.

However, influenza is very common in the United States. Not to mention getting sick, tens of thousands of people die from influenza every year.

And just like O'Neal's injury during the previous game against the Heat, there is no smoke without fire. If there was really nothing wrong, such news would not have been reported.

"Is this good news?" Rose asked Xu Yong before the game.

Ever since he regained his form in the last game, the suppressed emotions on his face finally disappeared, and he became a lot more cheerful.

"Okay." Xu Yong nodded. Although it was an uncontrollable factor, the opponent was injured, which was definitely good news for their side.

If he remembered correctly, the reason why Nowitzki's statistics in the finals were not good was largely because his condition declined after he fell ill.

"But we can't take it lightly." Xu Yong went on to say that after Nowitzki fell ill, the Mavericks won three games in a row and won the series.

Even if there is no direct relationship, there must be a connection.

Rose nodded. Although Xu Yong said that he was the team leader, that was more of a respect. Since the start of the playoffs, Xu Yong was the one who was more like a leader, both in terms of performance on the court and his actions off the court.

And G3 is also very crucial for the Bulls.

They have three consecutive away games coming up, and if they fall behind 1-2 at the start, they might be taken away directly in Dallas.

As the game gets closer, fans are already crowded outside the American Airlines Center.

The blind student has already discovered the highlight: the names of the home stadiums of the Mavericks and the Heat are almost the same.

Because both arenas are sponsored by American Airlines, in order to distinguish them, the Heat's home stadium is literally translated as the American Airlines Arena, and we generally call it the American Airlines Arena, while the Mavericks' home stadium is the American Airlines Center, abbreviated as the American Airlines Center.

Because of historical reasons, Texas was originally a territory of Mexico, and the people here have never gotten along well with people from other parts of the United States.

Therefore, when it comes to this kind of sports, the enthusiasm of local fans has always been very high.

In particular, the Mavericks have only made it to the finals twice in the 21 years since the team was founded, both during the Nowitzki era.

The fans are extremely enthusiastic as they have the opportunity to make up for the regrets of five years ago.

Not to mention that Barkley had organized a parade before.

An hour before the game, the American Airlines Center was already full, and even outside the American Airlines Center there were a large number of fans gathered.

Many of them wore jeans and held the Lone Star Republic flag, which was very local.

During the pre-game warm-up, the on-site photographer was looking for Nowitzki.

The Dallas star did not participate in the warm-up. Although he was wearing a training suit, he just sat quietly on the sidelines.

This basically confirmed the pre-match rumors.

Xu Yong also saw Harden and the others on the big screen at this time, but they were sitting relatively far back, so it seemed that tickets to the American Airlines Center were not easy to get.

Swift was also present, but she was very obedient today and wore Xu Yong's No. 6 red away jersey.

A few days ago in Chicago, her legs were shaking when she woke up the next day. She would never dare to provoke Xu Yong again.

After the pre-match warm-up, the scene entered the opening ceremony and the starting lineups of both sides were announced one after another.

Chicago Bulls: Rose, Xu Yong, Artest, O'Neal, Yao Ming;

Mavericks: Kidd, Stevenson, Marion, Nowitzki, Chandler.

Nowitzki still plays tonight.

Although he did have a cold and was still running a fever, he couldn't afford to miss this game.

How many five-year periods do professional players have? He will not miss such an opportunity.

The game started quickly. The Mavericks did not attack Nowitzki at the beginning, but used Nowitzki to contain the opponent as before.

Marion attacked the basket and scored the first goal for the Mavericks.

The Bulls' defensive condition tonight was clearly weaker than in the last game.

This is also normal. The Mavericks are stable because they have many veterans who have experienced many ups and downs and have good tacit understanding.

But the Bulls are young, and none of the five starters on the field have played in the finals. They were on full alert after losing a game, and fell back a bit after winning a game. This is very normal.

Fortunately, the Bulls' offensive state is online.

Because the Mavericks didn't dare to play zone defense, the Bulls threw the ball to the inside at the start of the game.

Yao Ming also successfully scored the first point for the Bulls with a hook shot.

This also became a microcosm of the first five minutes of the game.

The two teams tied at 11.

The Bulls failed to limit the Mavericks' performance like they did in the previous game, and after Carlisle did not dare to use a double team defense tonight, Yao Ming's offensive efficiency in the interior was also very high.

Seeing this, Thibodeau reached out and called a timeout.

"What are you yelling about!" Thibodeau's temper is not very good, but his temper is usually directed outwardly, not inwardly. But this time he just started yelling.

"Did this damn weather in Dallas freeze your dicks? Harden up!"

Thibodeau's words, which were full of harmonious words, immediately woke up everyone on the Bulls.

Yes, there are very few head coaches in the NBA who dare to curse like this, but Thibodeau, the rookie coach, dares to do so.

But I have to say that he got angry at the right time.

After the timeout, the Bulls' defensive intensity was significantly increased.

With Xu Yong assisting in defending Marion, Rose intercepted Kidd's pass. After the Bulls made consecutive fast breaks, the Mavericks had very few options again.

Just like in the last game, they had no choice but to pass the ball to Nowitzki.

Nowitzki first attacked O'Neal, and after a series of turns, his one-legged shot went wide of the basket.

Although it was just one round, you could clearly feel that Nowitzki's movement speed was obviously not as fast as in the previous two games.

But the Bulls will not show mercy just because Nowitzki has a cold and fever.

On the contrary, after being berated by Thibodeau, the Bulls played more proactively.

Rose looked for Nowitzki during the offense, broke through quickly and scored a layup.

Nowitzki then attacked with the ball and tried to cause damage to the basket, but was ruthlessly blocked by Xu Yong.

After the transition from offense to defense, Yao Ming had a chance to face Nowitzki and scored 2+1 directly on him.

This wave of consecutive scoring instantly put the Mavericks into a disadvantage.

Carlisle had no choice but to replace Nowitzki with Terry.

When Nowitzki sat on the sidelines after the game, he was sweating profusely as if he had been in a sauna.

The cruelty of competitive sports was fully reflected at this moment.

Perhaps at this moment Dallas fans can deeply feel the saying "luck is also part of the game."

However, God did not completely block the Mavericks' championship window tonight.

Nowitzki was absent due to a fever, but Terry, who came off the bench, was in hot form.

On his first ball, he faced O'Neal's help defense and hit a mid-range shot without seeing the basket.

Immediately afterwards, he was forced into a negative angle at the baseline by Xu Yong and then hit a difficult fadeaway.

Terry's touch in the first half can be said to have pulled the nearly desperate Dallas fans back from the edge of the cliff.

At the end of the first half, the score was 43 to 32, and the Bulls ended the first half with an 11-point lead.

Although Terry scored 18 points on 8 of 11 shots, Nowitzki only made 1 of 8 shots in the first half.

Unable to get going on offense, the Mavericks could only passively compete with the Bulls on defense.

But it is obvious that their offense is not getting going, and it is almost unrealistic for them to beat this Bulls team just by relying on defense.

Both sides entered the halftime break.

Nowitzki did not return to the locker room with his teammates, but went to the infirmary with the team doctor.

He now felt like he was sitting on the crater of a volcano, and his body seemed like it would catch fire at any moment.

After barely managing to enter the locker room, he nearly fell down, but luckily the team doctor beside him was quick to catch him.

But the moment he touched Nowitzki, he was frightened by the burning feeling on his hand.

That's not the body temperature a normal person should have.

He took out a thermometer and took Nowitzki's temperature. He was stunned when he saw the temperature displayed on the thermometer.

40.2 degrees.

For normal people, a fever over 38.5 degrees Celsius is considered a high fever and they are prone to high temperature convulsions.

40 degrees is basically a danger signal, and death is likely to occur if it is not controlled.

Not to mention that Nowitzki was playing with such a high fever.

The doctor checked the time.

Of course, Nowitzki took antipyretics before the game. Generally speaking, the effect of the medicine lasts for 4 to 6 hours, which is enough to cope with the game in front of him.

But it is obvious that the effect of the drug disappears quickly under strenuous exercise.

There are also certain risks if you continue to use the medication repeatedly.

However, despite this temperature, the team doctor continued to take the risk and gave him medication, and then used various physical cooling methods.

It took a long time for Nowitzki's sluggish condition to improve.

"Dirk, don't play in the second half. The series is long and you should look back." The team doctor has been with the Mavericks for many years and is an old acquaintance of Nowitzki. He started to persuade him.

In fact, he had already persuaded Nowitzki before the game, but Nowitzki insisted on playing.

"Chris, you know, this may be my last chance." Nowitzki said, breathing heavily.

After hearing this, the team doctor didn’t know how to continue.

Nowitzki is 32 years old this year, and in a few days on the 19th it will be his 33rd birthday.

For an inside player, this age has already begun the inevitable decline.

Maybe because of his playing style, he can stay at the end of his peak for another two years, but this team will not stay.

Terry and Marion are both 33 years old, and Kidd is 38 years old.

Even Thibodeau can analyze that their team's ability to reach the finals has a lot to do with their form.

But as for the state, it is easy to maintain it once in the playoffs, but it is unrealistic to maintain it all the time.

Do you know why it is so difficult to win three consecutive championships? Because every time you succeed, your status will drop a level.

Status and desire are linked. The most important reason why the Lakers were swept this year is that their desire to win the championship has dropped to freezing point, while the Mavericks' desire to win the championship this year is the strongest.

After a while, Terry came to the locker room door.

The second half of the game is about to begin.

The NBA halftime break is only 15 minutes, which passes by in a flash.

After returning in the second half, the Mavericks made adjustments to their starting lineup.

Nowitzki did not start the game. He was replaced by Peja Stojakovic, and Terry also started instead of Stevenson.

It takes time for the antipyretic medicine to take effect, and Nowitzki was still suffering from a high fever.

"What a damn weather." Barkley couldn't help but sigh in the commentary booth.

He said this not only because the Mavericks were likely to lose and he was going to be slapped in the face again, but more importantly because of how exciting the game was.

As a commentator, what I hope most is that the game is exciting so that there will be topics to talk about.

The first two games of the finals were very consistent with this characteristic. Both sides deployed their troops, fought wits and courage, and the fight was back and forth.

If you really get swept like in the Eastern Conference Finals when you're 8 vs. 5, then there's not much to talk about regarding this game except making fun of the Kings and having fun.

Now Nowitzki has a fever and can't even play, so the next half of the game is just a formality.

The facts are indeed moving in this direction.

After both teams contributed two misses in the second half, the Bulls' Xu Yong took the lead in breaking the deadlock. He took advantage of Peja's mismatch, forced his way through the opponent, and scored 2+1 on the latter.

Peja is actually not too old, only 33 years old, but the key is that he has been injured.

The white shooter's defense was not very good to begin with, and after the injury, it was basically useless. Otherwise, a top shooter like him would not have been bought out.

Although he had performed well against the Lakers before, his playing time will be greatly compressed in the intensity of the finals.

Xu Yong made the free throw steadily, and the Bulls continued to widen the gap to 14 points.

Terry wanted to respond from the outside, but his shot missed the basket due to interference from Xu Yong.

It was obvious that after the halftime break, his touch was not as hot as it was in the first half.

After the Bulls secured the rebound, they launched a defensive counterattack. Rose's fast break layup caused Terry to commit a defensive foul, earning him two free throws.

It was during this dead ball time that Nowitzki wiped the sweat off his body and stood up from the bench.

When he walked to the technical table to come on as a substitute, many fans at the American Airlines Center stood up and applauded and cheered.

Most of them thought that Nowitzki would not be able to play tonight, but when they saw that Nowitzki was going to continue playing, they suddenly became excited.

Nowitzki came on to replace Peja, and Rose had two free throws.

There was a loud noise of interference at the scene, but Rose withstood the pressure and made both free throws.

48 to 32.

The score difference reached 16 points.

This is not just the biggest point difference between the two sides tonight, but the biggest point difference between the two sides since the start of the series.

The Mavericks advanced to the frontcourt, and after everyone else moved away, Nowitzki was allowed to hold the ball in the high post.

At this time, all the hopes of Dallas rested on him.

Amid Thibodeau's shout, the Bulls decisively double-teamed him. They would not cooperate with the Mavericks' performance.

However, Nowitzki's reaction was obviously faster than in the first half. He turned and broke through to the baseline, and then before reaching the penalty area, he stopped and shot.

The basketball shot touched the hearts of all the Dallas fans at the scene.

“Swish!”

A crisp sound was heard, and the American Airlines Center was instantly filled with cheers.

Not only the fans, but even the expressions of the Mavericks players on the court became noticeably different.

Nowitzki also let out a long breath.

He was feeling the most comfortable now tonight.

Anyone who has taken antipyretic drugs should know that when the drug takes effect and you start sweating and your body temperature goes down, it feels like you've been reborn.

"Defend! Defend!"

The roar of Dallas fans rang out at the scene.

Rose broke through Terry and got to the free throw line, but his shot was interfered by Chandler who rushed out to defend, and the basketball hit the front edge and bounced out.

Moreover, Chandler even turned around and fought with Yao Ming to protect the defensive rebound.

At this moment, Xu Yong somewhat understood the answer to his previous question about Nowitzki being sick but the Mavericks winning three games in a row against the Heat.

The Mavericks already had a strong desire for the championship this season, and Nowitzki's performance despite his illness only fueled their desire to the maximum.

The Mavericks pushed forward and Nowitzki continued to position himself high up the field.

It was obvious that he wanted to attack more while his people were feeling more comfortable, because after the experience in the first half, he didn't know how long the effect of the drug would last this time.

However, this time the Bulls' double-team was faster, and he had no chance to shoot directly, so he could only pass the ball back to Kidd.

Kidd made another pass, and this time Nowitzki made a turnaround jump shot at the baseline before the help defense came.

This movement has a huge amplitude, and I guess only he can do it except Durant.

He also performed his very personal signature stand, which made it impossible for O'Neal to block his move.

“Swish!”

There was another crisp sound coming from the loudspeaker.

Nowitzki only scored one goal in the first half, but after coming off the bench in the second half, he made shots in two consecutive rounds!

After scoring the goal, Nowitzki exhaled another breath of hot air, just like a steam engine in the cyberpunk world.

Xu Yong was shocked when he saw this scene.

As a fan of Jordan, he had certainly heard about the flu game, in which Jordan scored 38 points while running a fever.

But Jordan is unique, and that man's story cannot be replicated.

From what he knew about history, Nowitzki didn't play well in the games when he had a fever.

This is one of the reasons why he answered that Ross was good news.

And this is really normal. As a normal person, there is no one who has never had a fever. How can he play well in the NBA Finals? Theoretically, it is basically impossible.

But Nowitzki's performance as a substitute was not what he expected.

Even because it was a personal experience, it was more shocking than Jordan's story.

Of course, this also aroused his fighting spirit.

Although competitive sports are cruel, beating a sick Nowitzki always gives people a feeling of unfair victory.

However, if Nowitzki still thinks this way given his current state, he is simply courting death.

When the offense and defense changed, Xu Yong directly asked for the ball with his back to Kidd in the high position.

The game strategy is dead, but people are alive. Instead of waiting until the last quarter to win, it is better to maintain the lead now.

This change came a little suddenly. The Mavericks did not double-team him immediately, so Xu Yong chose to turn around and jump shot towards the baseline.

“Swish!”

Although he didn't score many points tonight, he was ruthless in his shots at crucial moments.

The defensive shouts at the scene came to an abrupt end, and Xu Yong's scoring response was very tough.

50 to 36.

The score difference on the field is still 14 points.

Nowitzki then held the ball in the high post, but this time the Bulls double-teamed him, and the ball was passed to Terry.

Terry's three-point shot went wide of the basket due to interference from Xu Yong.

He had already taken advantage of the situation in the first half.

However, after the long rebound of this ball bounced out, it was actually grabbed by Nowitzki.

Nowitzki quickly launched a second attack with the ball, made a three-step layup, and finally completed a high rebound shot while leaning his body under Yao Ming's defense.

“Swish!”

The ball bounced and fell steadily into the net!

Nowitzki's scoring continues.

The fans at the American Airlines Center have gone completely crazy.

This performance of the king's return is really exciting.

"Incredible!" On the commentary side, Barkley could hardly hide his excitement.

He experienced the Jordan era and has been a commentator for ten years, but this is the first time he has seen someone replicate Jordan's miracle.

It's really incredible.

Moreover, Nowitzki's ruddy face and sweaty body all show his physical condition tonight.

Carlisle also arrived at the sidelines at this time.

When Xu Yong was getting into position, Kidd got around him, and Marion was ready to come over to assist at any time.

The Bulls couldn't get the ball to Xu Yong, so Rose passed the ball to Yao Ming in the paint.

Yao Ming played against Chandler alone, but Chandler defended him hard!

At this time, the entire Mavericks team seemed to be energized and performed beyond their usual level.

After Chandler grabbed the defensive rebound, the Mavericks ran for a fast break.

What's even more incredible is that Chandler was the second fastest runner in the fast break. After receiving the return pass from Terry, he jumped directly into the air and performed a flying slam dunk over Rose.

After landing, Chandler waved his fists and roared.

But don’t forget, his nickname is “Boxing Champion”.

Thibodeau called a timeout in time.

Although the score difference was still 12 points, it was not too dangerous.

But it's clear that the Mavericks are on the rise in this period, and he also needs to solve some offensive problems.

After the timeout, the Bulls made some personnel adjustments, with Hinrich and Battier replacing Rose and O'Neal Jr.

Thibodeau used the same one-big-four-small space lineup he used in G1.

Rose's performance from beyond the three-point line in the last game was not normal, and this lineup was actually very efficient in G1, but it would consume more physical energy of Xu Yong.

But the Mavericks are trying to gain momentum, so he can't worry about his physical condition at the moment.

Hinrich advanced to the front court with the ball, and Xu Yong took a high position.

The Mavericks did not hesitate and directly attacked from the side.

And because Xu Yong had just scored a goal, this double-teaming continued.

Xu Yong passed the ball to Artest in the corner, and Artest took a three-pointer.

"when!"

Smash the frame and come out.

Artest performed well in the first three rounds, but his touch from beyond the three-point line was not very good after entering the finals.

Chandler secures the defensive rebound.

The Mavericks launched another defensive counterattack, and this time it was Nowitzki who shot a three-pointer against Artest's defense.

“Swish!”

The basketball seemed to be equipped with a positioning device and went through the net in one shot!

50 to 41.

The score difference was narrowed to 9 points.

At the same time, this was also Nowitzki's 9th point in the second half!

After Nowitzki scored the goal, he raised his arms, and the American Airlines Center was set off again.

Now all the pressure is on the Bulls.

Don't be fooled by the fact that they are still leading by 9 points. If they can't continue to score on the offensive end, then the Mavericks will reverse them tonight just like they did against the Heat in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

Moreover, the Mavericks have previously reversed the Lakers and Thunder, and their experience in this regard is even richer than the Bulls.

Xu Yong did not go to the high position to ask for the ball again.

He passed the ball directly to Yao Ming and then ran without the ball.

Now the Mavericks' entire defensive focus is on him, and it is difficult to be effective by fighting alone.

Yao Ming handled the situation quite calmly at this time. While holding the ball and playing one-on-one against Chandler, he was also paying attention to Xu Yong's position.

When he turned around and saw Xu Yong breaking through and cutting in from the middle, he threw the ball over without hesitation.

After receiving the ball, Xu Yong did not choose to shoot directly, but took the next step to shoot.

Now getting two points is not enough to quench the thirst. The important thing is to suppress the Mavericks' momentum of chasing points.

Nothing does that better than a dunk.

Chandler continued to perform exceptionally well at this time, and actually squeezed past Yao Ming and pounced on Xu Yong.

After seeing this, Xu Yong immediately pulled the ball back with both hands to avoid Chandler's defense, and after gliding in the air for a while...

“Bang!”

He slammed the ball into the basket with both hands.

In an instant, the cheers at the American Airlines Center stopped abruptly.

After landing, Xu Yong raised his hands and yelled at his teammates.

You can clearly feel the change in the expressions of the Bulls players on the court.

This dunk was a real morale booster.

The Bulls players also showed this change in morale on the defensive end. After Nowitzki was double-teamed, his pass was directly intercepted by Artest.

The Bulls made a fast break, but just as Hinrich was making a layup, Marion blocked his shot from behind.

Influenced by Nowitzki's return, the Mavericks are now in even better shape than in G1!

"Go! Mavericks!"

The deafening roar of Dallas fans rang out again.

Nowitzki also realized at this time that it would be difficult for him to have an easy one-on-one opportunity, so this time he went directly to play pick-and-roll with Terry and then went to the basket.

Xu Yong used puppy steps to bypass the pick-and-roll, but O'Neal Jr. couldn't keep up with Nowitzki's rhythm.

Terry passed the ball inside, Nowitzki received the ball and leaned sideways to complete a long-distance layup, causing Yao Ming to block the shot.

He beat me like crazy, really like crazy!

"Incredible!" Barkley exclaimed.

On a feverish night, after a struggling first half, Nowitzki played his best game of the Finals in the second half.

Nowitzki once again exhaled steam as he stepped onto the free throw line.

“Swish!”

He made the free throw and scored 12 points in the quarter.

52 to 44.

The score difference has been narrowed to 8 points.

Xu Yong continued to pass the ball to Yao Ming, but the Mavericks players on the court reacted quickly and cut off the connection between him and Yao Ming.

Yao Ming finally chose to attack the basket. He played very tough, turning around and making a layup, and also caused Chandler to commit a defensive foul.

After adjusting his breathing, he made the free throw steadily, helping the Bulls to widen the gap to 11 points again.

The scene was in great turmoil.

Even though Nowitzki played like that, the Bulls still maintained their lead.

Moreover, Xu Yong and Yao Ming scored points both inside and outside the line through hard-driving abilities. Although the Mavericks were chasing points with great momentum, as long as the scoring stopped, the gap would be quickly widened again.

This period puts more pressure on the Mavericks.

Nowitzki continued to play pick-and-roll with Terry, this time he shot from the outside.

Terry consciously looked for Nowitzki in his sudden pass, but Xu Yong chose to switch the ball and almost stole the ball directly.

Even if Nowitzki managed to catch the ball, he was forced by Xu Yong to be unable to score.

Relying on Xu Yong's defensive awareness, the Bulls managed to disrupt this cooperation.

However, Xu Yong did not expect Nowitzki's next choice. When he failed to create a comfortable offensive space, he chose to shoot directly.

This is when I feel my hands are as hot as my body, and I completely ignore the defense!

Xu Yong jumped up and tried hard to interfere, but Nowitzki's shooting point was too high and he was unable to stop it in the end.

The basketball flew in the air and drew a parabola.

“Swish!”

Nowitzki made his sixth shot in the second half!

Moreover, this was his 15th point in this quarter!

"The God of Basketball is wearing No. 41." Barkley exclaimed.

Nowitzki's performance tonight was not his best in the playoffs.

Because before that, he had scored 48 points in a single game against the Thunder, making 12 of 15 shots and 24 free throws.

But his performance tonight was the most shocking since the playoffs, because you have to know that he was playing with a high fever.

As Barkley described, Nowitzki in the third quarter was like Jordan wearing the No. 41 jersey.