After the third quarter, the score was 62 to 54.

Although Xu Yong and Yao Ming both played well, Nowitzki made 8 of 9 shots in the third quarter and scored 18 points and 2 assists in a single quarter. Under his leadership, the Mavericks successfully narrowed the gap.

Although the Mavericks only caught up to 3 points in this quarter before the start of the second half, in fact, the Bulls had already narrowed the gap to 16 points when he came on the court, so in a real sense, the Mavericks caught up to 8 points after Nowitzki came on the court.

At the beginning of the fourth quarter, Xu Yong rested on the sidelines.

He played the entire third quarter, and was the main attacker on offense, while also chasing Terry on defense, which consumed a lot of physical energy.

His mood at this moment was the same as he felt in the third quarter, and he was still shocked by Nowitzki's performance.

He didn't know how Nowitzki did it. Maybe after having a fever, his mind became clear and his mind was free from distractions, so he played like he was inspired.

But with the mentality of an apprentice, Nowitzki gave him a vivid lesson tonight.

Although it’s not nice to say this, maybe if he encounters this situation one day in the future, he may have the opportunity to perform like this.

On the court, Rose traveled at off-peak times.

Thibodeau's rotation in the second half showed his personal level.

No matter how well Nowitzki played in the third quarter, it was impossible for him to play the entire second half due to his physical condition.

If Rose and Xu Yong are used separately, the Bulls can maintain their intensity on the court, but the Mavericks cannot.

And Rose's ability to avoid peak travel times was demonstrated during the Finals.

However, the charm of basketball games lies in uncertainty.

Rose did perform well in this period, but on the Mavericks side, Puerto Rico's A Mountain, who had performed well in previous divisional games but had been silent in the finals, also performed well.

Barea scored both inside and outside, using a fast-paced style of play to lead the Mavericks and the Bulls to a stalemate.

Almost five minutes into the final quarter, the score was 72 to 66. Not only did the Mavericks not fall behind, they narrowed the gap by 2 points.

This is the team with the strongest resilience in this year's playoffs, having completed two consecutive comebacks, like a real-life version of the indestructible cockroach.

The 6-point difference made the game full of uncertainty.

Whether Nowitzki can continue his magical performance in the third quarter and whether the Bulls can maintain their advantage are the highlights of the last seven minutes.

After coming on the court, Xu Yong took a special look at Nowitzki's expression.

Although his face seemed a little more flushed, Nowitzki's mental state seemed to be not much different from the third quarter.

It seems that this last quarter of the game will not be easy.

At this time, the two teams on the court were: Bulls: Rose, Xu Yong, Artest, Battier, Yao Ming;

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

The Bulls have the ball.

Yao Ming singled out Chandler in the low post, successfully created damage and got two free throw opportunities.

Because the Mavericks played man-to-man defense most of the time, Yao Ming had the most room to play tonight since the Finals.

And as the third quarter came to an end, Chandler had already come out of his abnormal state.

Yao Ming went to the free throw line and made both free throws despite the interference.

74 to 66.

The score difference was 8 points, which was a hurdle that the Mavericks were unable to close in the third quarter.

Nowitzki continued to receive the ball in the high post, and this time Carlisle's tactical arrangement was very thorough. Except for Kidd who was preparing to pass the ball at a 45° angle at the three-point line, the other three all pulled to the weak side.

Kidd passed the ball in, and Rose retreated to double-team at Thibodeau's request.

Nowitzki passed the ball back to Kidd, who shot it without hesitation.

"when!"

The ball hit the front of the basket, but bounced a bit and fell into the net a second time.

Maybe Nowitzki's willpower moved God, and God chose to stand on the side of the Mavericks!

This three-pointer has a huge impact on the situation.

Because for a long time before, the score difference fluctuated between 6 and 10 points, but this time it broke through to 5 points.

It's not just about the score difference, but also psychologically.

"Defend! Defend!"

The Dallas fans at the scene quickly expressed this psychological change through their shouts.

The sound was overwhelming and the players on the field felt their eardrums were buzzing.

Thibodeau couldn't sit still at this time. He stood up and walked to the sidelines, looking eagerly at the front court.

If the Bulls are reversed tonight, the team's morale will likely collapse.

Carlisle was also on the sidelines at this time. From the Mavericks' perspective, if they played with such momentum tonight but ultimately failed to make a comeback, it would be a huge blow to their confidence.

You have to know that the Mavericks can be in their current state because they firmly believe that they can do it.

The self-confidence that was like faith collapsed when it was broken.

Carlisle was directing the game on the sidelines while Chandler was defending Yao Ming in the low post.

"Defend! Defend!"

Dallas fans also continued to give the home team thunderous cheers.

Rose couldn't pass the ball, and he tried to break through but couldn't find an opportunity, so he dribbled the ball back to the outside.

Xu Yong waved for the ball at this time.

After Xu Yong got the ball, he asked Yao Ming to move to the high post on the right side to play pick-and-roll.

After Yao Ming opened the ball, he took Kidd away.

Xu Yong made a pass to the basket, forcing Chandler to retreat and turn around to prepare for defense, and then he jumped directly from outside the three-point line.

Mac's pull-up shot was so sudden that Chandler was too late to react and could only raise his hands.

Xu Yong completely ignored this interference, stayed in the air and then completed the attack in two stages.

“Swish!”

Xu Yong demonstrated his psychological quality and ability in the key ball and directly hit the answer ball!

77 to 69.

The score difference was pulled back to 8 points!

Just like his dunk in the third quarter, the cheers from the audience came to an abrupt end again.

In order to continue to boost morale, Xu Yong also made his signature hand-spreading celebration gesture.

This scene was captured by the photographer on the large LED screen at the scene, and the scene suddenly became restless.

Xu Yong really deserves a beating!

Is this guy really a sophomore, though?

Is this the psychological quality a normal 20-year-old should have?

Looking back, Nowitzki continued to receive the ball in the high post.

Because Kidd had just made a three-pointer, Rose didn't dare to retreat too completely at this time and could only retreat halfway.

At this time, Artest also continued to confront Nowitzki.

Although he is at a disadvantage in defending Nowitzki due to his height, his abilities in other aspects are very suitable.

Moreover, Artest has a very high defensive IQ. At this time, his hips were blocking Nowitzki's direction of turning towards the baseline.

Because Rose was in a half-double-team, if Nowitzki turned to the three-point line, he would be double-teamed by Rose and his shot would be disturbed.

Nowitzki chose to turn towards the baseline, but after realizing he was blocked, he did not turn around. Instead, he jumped up on one foot and leaned back.

Artest jumped up to interfere, but the height difference made it difficult for him to interfere with Nowitzki. This ball depended more on Nowitzki's own feel.

“Swish!”

Then Nowitzki immediately used a hollow shot to tell everyone that he was still in a hot form in the third quarter!

In fact, after Nowitzki left the court in the third quarter, he was worried that his temperature would rise, so he kept drinking water on the sidelines.

Fortunately, he was sweating in the second half, and his body temperature remained relatively low as the sweat evaporated.

77 to 71.

The score difference was narrowed to 6 points again.

As the Bulls advanced to the frontcourt, Xu Yonggang was double-teamed as soon as he received the ball.

It was obvious that Xu Yong's celebration just now had stimulated the Mavericks a little.

But this is what Xu Yong wanted.

Yao Ming has a clear advantage in the interior, and attracting the defense will be more beneficial to his performance.

After the double-team was formed, he passed the ball to Rose, forcing the Mavericks to assist in the defense rotation.

Rose's choice at this time was also correct. After receiving the ball, he faced Marion who was helping in defense and made a fake breakthrough. He rushed to the three-second zone and forced Chandler to help in defense before passing the ball to Yao Ming under the basket.

After Yao Ming got the ball, he finished with a two-handed dunk.

From this round just now, you can feel the growth of the Bulls.

Maybe they haven't experienced as many games in the division as the Mavericks, but after two consecutive high-intensity games, everyone from the coaching staff to the players have been constantly adapting and adjusting, and now they have obviously become much more mature.

"I feel like we're not playing the same game with them." Harden said with his eyes wide open in the back row of the audience.

He originally thought that the Western Conference Finals against the Mavericks was intense enough, but compared to tonight's game, it was really not on the same level.

DeRozan and Ayers on the side didn't say anything, because they felt almost the same way at the moment.

Especially Ayers, he felt that if the Mavericks were facing the Heat instead of the Bulls, they would have been reversed long ago with the state they were in tonight.

The three of them almost made up their minds at the same time that they must work harder this summer than in the past.

As players, they also want to experience this high-level game, but the prerequisite is that they have reached the level of ability.

While they were talking, Nowitzki hit another jump shot facing Artest on the court.

In these two consecutive rounds, Nowitzki used his height to overpower Artest.

And back on the defensive end, Battier also missed a good three-pointer opportunity.

After Chandler secured the defensive rebound, the Mavericks now had a chance to narrow the gap to within 5 points.

"Go! Mavericks!"

It was unknown how many times the cheers of Dallas fans were heard at the scene. Although some people's voices had become hoarse by this time, their shouts were still as firm as at the beginning of the game.

Xu Yong found Artest while retreating.

When the Mavericks advanced to the frontcourt and Nowitzki was about to ask for the ball again, everyone noticed that the person defending Nowitzki had changed from Artest to Xu Yong.

The gap between these two positions is a bit large. Nowitzki plays as a power forward but stands in the center position. Xu Yong stands in the center position but defends the center position.

But you know what, it really does seem to be the case.

Although Xu Yong is the second position on the court and has a weight disadvantage, his height is similar to Battier and he has an advantage in height over Artest.

Nowitzki held the ball and played one-on-one, trying to use his weight to suppress Xu Yong, but he soon discovered that Xu Yong's resistance was stronger than he expected.

After two hard hits, he chose to turn around and break through.

However, just as he turned around, Xu Yong quickly poked the ball directly.

It's just a pity that the ball went out of bounds after being poked, and the Mavericks still have the ball.

The sideline ball was sent out, Nowitzki continued to hold the ball, Xu Yong also continued to defend closely to prevent him from passing the ball, and was ready to attack at any time.

That’s right, Nowitzki’s playing style is similar to Durant’s, and Xu Yong is defending Nowitzki in the same way he defends Durant.

Nowitzki was forced to continue using his back to the basket, and this time he did not force his opponent to play hard. Instead, he just made a quick move and then turned around and performed his signature one-legged stand.

It was at this moment that Xu Yong realized why this move could not be defended, because it was somewhat dirty.

The so-called "Golden Rooster Stand" is a backward movement, but the force is exerted on one foot, and the other foot is bent to create shooting space.jpg.

Generally speaking, when shooting, we only talk about the supporting hand, and rarely have we heard of the supporting foot, but now you have seen it.

That bent knee is like a gangster hook installed on the back of a car. You just stay away from it when you see it.

If you really jump up to block the shot without hesitation, you run the risk of getting kneed in the abdomen.

Even if you jump too high, you have to consider whether your second brother is strong enough.

Xu Yong jumped on the spot, trying to solve the problem with a bounce, but Nowitzki increased the amplitude of his fade away and completed the shot with an ultra-high angle.

The basketball drew a parabola in the air.

“Swish!”

It still fell steadily into the net bag.

Coming back in the fourth quarter, Nowitzki made three consecutive shots.

79 to 75.

And after he made this shot, the Mavericks narrowed the gap to within 5 points for the first time in the second half.

Thibodeau called a timeout.

The shouts of "MVP" resounded throughout the American Airlines Center.

Although Nowitzki is not the MVP this year, he has always been the MVP of Dallas.

Nowitzki also responded by clapping as he left the court.

"The God of Basketball has not taken off his No. 41 jersey." Barkley expressed his emotion again in the commentary booth.

At this moment, all those who supported the Mavericks, and even many neutral fans, felt that they were witnessing the birth of an epic.

Nowitzki will eventually lead the Mavericks to a comeback tonight, just as Jordan did in the Finals 14 years ago.

When the game was timed out, Thibodeau pulled Xu Yong directly to his side.

"I don't need to guard Dirk. I don't need you to waste your energy on defense. I need you to score. Got it? I need you to make those shots!"

Thibodeau spoke at a rather loud volume, and it was obvious that he was very anxious at the moment.

Xu Yong nodded vigorously.

Thibodeau's reminder was very timely. He consumed too much energy in the third quarter and it was impossible for him to take on both offense and defense in the last quarter, not to mention that Nowitzki was in too hot a state in the second half and he might not be able to limit him.

As long as they can score on the offensive end, they will still have a better chance of winning as they have the lead.

After seeing Xu Yong's reaction, Thibodeau punched him lightly in the chest, then picked up the tactical board and began to make arrangements.

After the timeout, the Bulls made adjustments to their lineup, replacing Rose and Battier with Hinrich and O'Neal Jr.

Thibodeau's performance in the rotation tonight was somewhat above average. He always kept three points on the court to shoot three-pointers, thus ensuring space on the court.

"Xu, come on." Harden couldn't help but speak in the stands.

Nowitzki's performance tonight is destined to go down in history. It depends on whether Xu Yong can also leave his mark in history on this night.

"Defend! Defend!"

The fans of Dallas could no longer sit still at this point and stood up to cheer for the home team.

There are only more than 3 minutes left before the end of the game, and it is completely possible to make a 4-point difference.

Even if they could just defend against the Bulls in this possession, they would have a chance to narrow the gap to one goal.

After the Bulls advanced to the frontcourt, they adopted an offensive formation similar to that of the Mavericks. Except for Hinrich who was ready to feed the ball on the strong side, everyone else moved to the weak side.

Moreover, Xu Yong is an outside player, and his movements after receiving the ball are even faster than Nowitzki. After receiving the ball, he went straight to the baseline, passed Kidd and broke through to the basket.

Kidd used a small movement to pull Xu Yong's jersey and tried hard to catch up.

But Xu Yong made a quick stop and jump shot, and Kidd was unable to brake and was directly carried out of the baseline.

The fans at the scene were stunned.

Xu Yong's explosive power in his sudden starts and stops is too strong.

“Swish!”

With old Kidd looking up to him, Xu Yong made the jump shot steadily.

81 to 75.

The score difference is still 6 points.

There was an uproar at the scene.

Xu Yong's goal and the way he scored dealt a heavy blow to the Mavericks' confidence.

The Mavericks just couldn't get over the 6-point hurdle tonight.

"We still have time! Keep fighting!" Carlisle waved and shouted on the sidelines.

The Mavericks' offense, Nowitzki is resting.

Reality is not a game. Playing singles is very physically demanding, especially in a match of this intensity. You definitely need to rest after playing several times in a row.

The other players of the Mavericks were running tactics, but after Xu Yong hit the ball just now, the morale of the Bulls had returned and their defensive enthusiasm was at full throttle.

The Mavericks still had no chance with only seven or eight seconds left.

There was no choice, Nowitzki took a deep breath, and got the ball with his back to O'Neal outside the three-point line.

Without much preparation time, he broke through the basket and then stopped and faked a jump shot.

He knew it was difficult to hit the ball, and when he saw O'Neal Jr. being called up, he consciously leaned towards him.

Although O'Neal Jr. reacted, it was too late for him to dodge in the air.

In the end, Nowitzki was knocked to the ground and the referee's whistle sounded.

This is purely game experience. He was able to get a lot of free throws when playing against the Thunder, and a big reason for that was that Ibaka liked to jump too much.

Nowitzki went to the free throw line and made both free throws amidst the shouts of MVP, once again narrowing the gap to 4 points.

This was truly a godly performance that kept the Mavericks hoping for victory.

And when they retreated to the defensive end, the person defending Xu Yong changed from Kidd to Marion.

Carlisle's adjustment was very timely. At this moment, both sides were almost playing with open cards, competing on the finishing efficiency of Xu Yong and Nowitzki.

Artest tried to cut to the basket, but Kidd was following closely and Chandler also shrank in the three-second zone.

Finally, after failing to get into a mismatch, Xu Yong signaled Hinrich to move to the top of the arc and outside the three-point line. After he distanced himself from Marion, he chose to face the basket directly.

He took a step down, jumped up suddenly, accelerated, changed direction without slowing down, and Xu Yong passed Marion directly.

But Marion's long arms actually hit the ball in Xu Yong's hand and directly hit the ball out of bounds.

There was a burst of cheers at the scene.

Carlisle reached out and touched his chin. He must be regretting not arranging Marion to defend Xu Yong earlier.

Fortunately, the ball still belongs to the Bulls.

The Bulls sent the ball from the baseline, and Xu Yong continued to play one-on-one facing the basket.

Looking at Marion again at this time, he was much more cautious.

Marion's defensive characteristics are comprehensive, with long arms, flexibility, and strength. He is a rare player like Draymond Green who can defend from 1 to 5.

He did not choose to break directly to the basket, but instead broke through to the baseline to seek an opportunity for a quick stop jump shot.

Marion remained in defensive position.

Xu Yong chose to make a quick stop shot about 14 feet away from the basket.

Because Kidd was knocked down by Xu Yong's sudden stop in front, Marion's shot was basically an instinctive small jump.

But Xu Yong caught him at this moment, and he turned around with beautiful steps.

However, Marion once again demonstrated his top-notch flexibility and made a great effort to interfere with the shot by taking off for the second time.

But Xu Yong didn't make a move at the first moment, but jumped up and leaned back after he started to fall.gif.

At this point, even Marion could only watch the ball and sigh.

“Swish!”

With a crisp sound of the ball entering the net, Xu Yong made this beautiful fadeaway jump shot.

At the same time, it was also his second consecutive goal after returning from the timeout.

The scene was in great turmoil.

Stevenson, Kidd, and Marion, the three most defensible players of the Mavericks took turns defending Xu Yong tonight, but none of them could defend him.

Really, no one can do it!

Barkley looked at the time and saw only one minute and a half left in the game.

Thanks to Xu Yong's two key goals, the Bulls still firmly held on to their 6-point lead.

Nowitzki's night of becoming a legend may be in vain.

"Go! Mavericks!"

Of course, Dallas fans haven't given up yet, and they can't give up.

Almost all the fans in the stadium stood up and cheered.

Nowitzki and Kidd played pick-and-roll.

After the break, Kidd returned the ball to Nowitzki, who then faced Hinrich and made a three-pointer.

Because the time and score difference could not be narrowed, the Mavericks had to attack at this time.

This ball's chance is not good, but...

“Swish!”

Nowitzki continued his miracle and still hit this three-pointer!

After hitting the three-pointer, Nowitzki raised his hands high and made his signature three-point celebration.jpg.

83 to 80.

For the first time, the score difference between the two sides came to one goal.

Nowitzki scored another 11 points in the quarter and had already scored 30 points in the second half, a godly performance.

The Bulls had one final timeout, but Thibodeau didn't call it.

There are only 45 seconds left before the end of the game, and the next offensive and defensive rounds are crucial.

If the Mavericks want to have a chance to tie the game, they must defend this round.

As long as the Bulls could score in this round, they would basically win the game.

Thibodeau did not pause to make adjustments, and the Bulls still stuck to their original game strategy.

The others moved away, and after Hinrich made the pass, he moved to the top three-point line, leaving Xu Yong with enough space for a single play.

Although this scene looks magical, Xu Yong, as a sophomore, now has the opportunity to decide the outcome on the finals stage.

This time he chose to move and play, because in the last round he found that Marion was afraid of his shooting, so the defense was a bit large, which was a detail that could be exploited.

He changed directions continuously and then looked at the basket.

Sure enough, Marion rushed directly towards him.

But in the next moment, he used his explosive power to accelerate and passed between Marion and Terry who came to defend in one step.

After Marion realized that he had made a wrong judgment, he wanted to chase him, but he had already taken a step forward. The force of his body and feet was in the wrong direction, and he fell directly to the ground!

Amid the fans' uproar, Xu Yong had already rushed into the paint with big strides, and jumped high before Chandler could return to defense...

“Bang!”

He slammed the ball into the basket with both hands.gif.

Because he rushed forward so hard, the muscles in his arms bulged and he hit the basket for a while before landing on the ground.

The Dallas fans at the scene all widened their eyes in disbelief.

Not only did Xu Yong score the crucial goal, but he did so in such a calm and violent manner.

"God! He is a cold-blooded killer!" Barkley was also dumbfounded.

After failing to defend Nowitzki in that round, Xu Yong came back and scored three consecutive top-five goals, which killed the Mavericks' hopes of a counterattack.

Moreover, this was set against the backdrop of Nowitzki's god-like performance.

"No, he is Satan," Smith corrected.

Satan, the demon king from hell, is much more cruel than a cold-blooded killer.

Barkley was stunned for a moment, then shook his head helplessly.

On the court, Carlisle called a timeout.

When Xu Yong left the field, he was celebrated wildly by the bench.

In the last three minutes, Xu Yong single-handedly helped the Bulls win the game.

Xu Yong's performance in this section was almost perfect, except that he did not press the time in his previous attack, leaving the Mavericks with 35 seconds.

This means that if the Mavericks can complete a fast break, they can choose to defend the Bulls' final round and then look for a chance to tie or even win the game.

This way, they have a much greater chance of getting a shot than if they try to get the ball and then send the Bulls to the free throw line.

Of course, the risk is that if this quick attack fails to score, the game will be over early.

This is the countdown stage of the NBA game. A few seconds more or less may lead to completely different results.

This timeout seemed particularly long, and many Dallas fans at the scene were praying with the Lone Star Republic flags in their hands.

Many more people put their hands on their chests and took deep breaths.

"Tom, I'm going to defend Dirk." On the Bulls' bench, Xu Yong volunteered to Thibodeau.

At this point in the game, physical fitness is no longer important, and he also wants to try again.

Thibodeau agreed. On the one hand, O'Neal was not very effective in defending Nowitzki.

On the other hand, if the Bulls can finally win this game, then Xu Yong will definitely be the first contributor and he deserves a chance to prove himself again.

After the timeout, Kidd took the ball from the backcourt and quickly advanced to the frontcourt.

In the frontcourt, Nowitzki had already positioned himself ahead of time.

Carlisle's final option was indeed to grab a quick two points.

Kidd quickly passed the ball in, Nowitzki backed down Xu Yong, then quickly turned around and stood on one leg.

Without any foreplay, this wave of main attack goes straight to the point.

However, this was precisely the key to Xu Yong's initiative, because he predicted Nowitzki's offensive choice.

So before Nowitzki turned around, he had used his puppy steps to dodge to the side, then jumped from the side almost at the same time as Nowitzki, and then grabbed the ball in Nowitzki's hand.

No move is invincible. Even Jordan's turnaround and fadeaway has been blocked by many people.

The same goes for Nowitzki's one-legged stand. His auxiliary foot is more targeted at the defender in front of him and cannot interfere with the defense on the side.

At the moment of shooting, Nowitzki noticed Xu Yong coming from the side like an eagle swooping down on a rabbit, and his eyes were full of surprise.

He didn't know how Xu Yong discovered his weakness, nor did he know when Xu Yong pounced on him.

But those are no longer important, because all he can do now is to raise the shooting angle as much as possible.

He completed a fadeaway shot at his maximum potential, but it still couldn't escape Xu Yong's clutches.

Xu Yong, a dunker by profession, is good at jumping.

“Bang!”

In the stunned eyes of everyone, Xu Yong directly grabbed the ball from Nowitzki in the air!

It's a block, but it's also a shot that's caught!

Moreover, it was a decisive blow!

Block shot and win!

After landing, Xu Yong raised the ball high the first time.

Thibodeau on the sidelines was quick to call the final timeout.

All the Dallas fans at the scene held their heads in disbelief.

No one blames Nowitzki. Without him, the Mavericks would not have made it to the end.

And let alone Nowitzki, no one would have thought that Xu Yong would do this, and that he could do it.

Xu Yong!

After a near buzzer beater that almost sealed the victory, Xu Yong used a block shot to extinguish the Mavericks' last hope.

"Larry Bird is right." Barkley said with a wry smile in the commentary booth.

What he said was a bit incoherent, but everyone understood.

"God wore the No. 23 jersey," Bird said, and almost all fans around the world know it.

This has also become one of the many classic remarks praising Jordan.

But in fact, just like many sentences where people only remember the first half, but the second half makes it completely different, such as "Genius is 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration, and the most important 1% is inspiration", this sentence is actually a standard out-of-context quote.

Because how could a bully like Bird praise Jordan?

The original text of this sentence is: God wore the No. 23 jersey, but we defeated him.

Yes, the God of Basketball wore No. 41 tonight, but Satan put an end to him.

And this statement is so self-evident. If there ever comes a day when God is brought to an end, then the one who will end him will surely be Satan, the devil king from hell.

After the timeout, the sideline ball was sent out and the Mavericks tried to steal the ball, but after the Bulls used Yao Ming as a fulcrum to pass the ball back and forth several times, the Mavericks were forced to foul.

Xu Yong was sent to the free throw line.

“Huh~”

Xu Yong let out a long breath, and then made the first free throw despite the interference.

Next, it was the second penalty.

87 to 80.

These two free throws sealed the victory for the Bulls.

The Mavericks finally chose to shoot a three-pointer. Chandler also grabbed a frontcourt rebound. Terry made a three-pointer at the end, but the time was up.

87 to 83, the Bulls finally defeated the Mavericks by 4 points and won this epic battle.

The Bulls' bench began to celebrate. After winning such a game, their morale was high.

On the other side, on the Mavericks' bench, Nowitzki was lying on the bench, without even the strength to stand up, which was really pitiful.

The camera captured this scene and thunderous applause broke out at the scene.

Although the Mavericks ultimately lost the game, Nowitzki still played a great game.

He made 1 of 8 shots in the first half, scoring 4 points, and made 12 of 15 shots in the second half, scoring 30 points, and got a game-high 34 points.

And the key point is that this game was played in a feverish state, which is enough to rival Jordan's "flu game".

Although, it was ended abruptly by Xu Yong.

The players on the field had already started the post-match handshake ceremony. Xu Yong did not see Nowitzki. After seeing Nowitzki being helped to sit on the sidelines, he walked straight over.

This scene was captured in time by the photographers on the scene, and the fans who had not yet left the stadium were also full of curiosity.

Xu Yong walked up to Nowitzki, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "You played a great game."

After hearing this, Nowitzki let out a long breath, then stood up and gave Xu Yong a warm hug.

It was really hot, Xu Yong felt that Nowitzki was hot all over.

"Take him to treatment quickly." Xu Yong then turned to the Mavericks team doctor and said.

The team doctor nodded, and together with Xu Yong, he helped Nowitzki walk towards the player tunnel.

There was applause at the scene.

As the saying goes, heroes appreciate heroes. Although Xu Yong won, he admired what Nowitzki did tonight.

Although the fans don't like the man who "ruined" Nowitzki's battle to become a legend, Xu Yong won fairly, which at least deserves their respect.

When he reached the players' passage, other staff members came over and Xu Yong did not go any further.

He then turned back, and at this time Harden and others had already rushed towards him ahead of Swift.

"You are the God Killer!" Harden jumped directly on him and gave him a big bear hug.gif, almost knocking Xu Yong to the ground.

Nowitzki's performance is crazy, but so is Xu Yong.

He scored 27 points in the whole game, 20 points in the second half, and 11 points in the last quarter. Especially the three consecutive goals in the last moments, each of them was fatal.

Not to mention the block on Nowitzki, it was so cool.

After chatting with Harden and the others for a while, Xu Yong realized that Swift was waiting for him on the side.

He greeted Harden and the others, and then, in the envious gazes of the three of them, he started to flirt with Swift.

Of course, it was very brief because Malone came over and asked him to go and be interviewed by reporters.

At this moment, fans on social media were already going crazy.

"This is the finals, a great game, thanks to the Bulls and Mavericks, my eyes that were polluted in the Eastern Conference Finals have regained their sight." Comment from "KBfnas".

"Nowitzki scored 30 points in the first half despite having a fever of 40 degrees at its highest. He deserves all the applause tonight."

"The basketball gods wore No. 41, but the Bulls beat it."

"The God-killer is Satan."

"I am a Mavericks fan. If Xu hadn't been there, we would have won tonight. Although this is very painful, I have to pay the greatest respect to Xu."

"Great game, great opponent. The Mavericks fought back and forth with the Bulls despite being underestimated by everyone. They also deserve respect."

"Xu will become a superstar. This is only his sophomore year, but he already looks so mature." Comment from "KBforever".

"I agree. Although this is related to the Bulls' outstanding strength, Xu has saved the team at many critical moments. If the Bulls win the championship, I will vote for him for FMVP."

"Come on, Bulls, charge towards your seventh championship!"

…

"Dirk is a legend. I never thought he was as 'soft' as the outside world said, because soft and hard should not be determined by the way of playing. Is frequent breakthroughs and dunks tough? No, real toughness is the choices and performances people make when they encounter difficulties. He taught me a lesson tonight."

At the press conference, Xu Yong became the focus of all questions. When asked about his opinion of Nowitzki, he was generous with his praise.

He was very bold in saying this.

Nowitzki has always been unwelcome in the American media because of his German ancestry.

Garnett's mid-range shot is iron-blooded, while Nowitzki's one-legged stand is soft, a typical American double standard.

It is really bold for Xu Yong, as an opponent, to praise him so publicly.

"If the Mavericks win the game, do you think it would be a more romantic ending to tonight?" asked a local Dallas reporter.

Xu Yong nodded.

His reaction immediately drew surprised looks from the people below, because they were in Dallas, and many of the reporters below were locals.

"But I have to do my best to help the team win. No one wants to be a loser, but this is the charm of competitive sports. We all try our best for the same goal. I think this is what the fans want to see most, no matter who has the last laugh among us."

Xu Yong's next words also seemed very cultured.

This also won him a round of applause.

Compared to other people who pretend to love reading but only read the first page of a book, Xu Yong, the reborn person, is obviously much more cultured in this regard.

After finishing the press conference, Xu Yong made an appointment with Swift to attend her concert in the summer and sent her on the plane, then went to party with Harden and others.

It was at this time that Harden patted his chest and said that the three of them were going to stay in Dallas for the next few days.

"We don't want to miss your championship moment." Harden threw a curse at him, and Xu Yong smiled calmly.

Cricket Harden is not that guy Barkley.

But he couldn't help but think of Kobe at this time.

After Kobe won the championship in 2008, he returned to the NBA and won two consecutive championships.

He and Yao Ming helped the Chinese team win the World Championships, and now they can already see the shadow of the championship trophy.

And it would be wonderful if he could become a world champion at the end of his first year and an NBA champion at the end of his second year.

But he quickly pulled his thoughts back to the topic. The finals were only halfway through, and it was too early to think about these things.

"If it's true as you said, I'll wear the Devils jersey and participate in the championship parade, and to round it off, you guys will win the championship with me."

Xu Yong's words made the other three laugh.

But in their hearts, they were looking forward to it more and more.