The big score of 2-2 has brought the finals to this point, which can be said to have aroused the fans' enthusiasm.
Because next came the legendary Battle of Tianwang Mountain.
This term originated from the era of village feuds in Japan and represents the most crucial battle.
Winning the decisive game means getting the match point, which is second only to the tie-break that decides the outcome.
Then, TNT gave an explosive warm-up for the game.
When Barkley appeared in the latest episode of the show wearing a JK outfit that was about to burst and a wig, the live broadcast effect was explosive.
The topic and popularity of the finals reached a peak at this time.
However, the most criticized aspect of the 2-3-2 format came out. The two sides were clearly evenly matched, but such a crucial game was not played at the home court of the Bulls, who had the best record in the league, but at the home court of the Lakers.
But everything has two sides. Since the players don't have to travel a long way, they can focus on training and preparing for the competition.
During the training session that day, Xu Yong arrived at the gym half an hour early, but found that Yao Ming had arrived earlier than him, and there was a large wet spot on his chest, obviously he had been training for quite some time.
Due to physical reasons, he seldom trains like this, which shows how much he values this game.
The two chatted for a while, and Xu Yong was deeply impressed by one of Yao Ming's words.
"Instead of asking Ron and the others to do more, it's better to do more myself."
Although they have done enough, it is not easy to go further.
But you cannot control to what extent others achieve. The only thing you can control is yourself.
…
On game days, the Staples Center was packed, and the front row was filled with big names.
There is no need to say much about the Hollywood actresses, among whom is Scarlett Johansson, who became very popular for her role as "Black Widow" in "Iron Man 2". She wore a burgundy long dress with half of her breasts exposed, looking very charming.
Marvel's first hero assembly movie "The Avengers" was just released last month, and her appearance naturally attracted attention.
Even Xu Yong couldn't help but glance sideways.
Scarlett was about 27 or 28 years old at this time. Not only was her appearance and figure still in good shape, but she also had the charm of a young woman.
She really was. She had just ended her first marriage two years ago. That marriage experience did not ruin her, but made her even more charming.
Well, of course, Xu Yong was not consciously looking at others, it was just an instinctive appreciation of beautiful things.
But just then, he noticed Scarlett smiled at him.
It wasn't surprising that Scarlett knew Xu Yong. After all, he had dated Megan Fox and Taylor Swift, and he probably had a good reputation in the Hollywood circle.
After the opening ceremony, the starting lineups of both sides were announced one after another.
Lakers: Paul, Kobe, Ariza, Dio, Bynum;
Bulls: Hinrich, Tony Allen, Xu Yong, Battier, Yao Ming.
Thibodeau made a small adjustment to the lineup tonight, replacing Artest with Battier as the starter.
The game started quickly, Yao Ming pushed the ball back to half court, and the Bulls got the right to attack first.
Xu Yong held the ball and played pick-and-roll with Yao Ming, then passed the ball to Battier in the corner.
After receiving the ball, Battier faked a shot and first dribbled past Dio who was flying over to defend, then took a step and readjusted himself before shooting a three-pointer.
“Swish!”
The basketball went in steadily.
Battier had an outstanding performance in last year's finals. This time he was given the task and he still lived up to his mission.
But in the next moment, Kobe received the pass from Paul and returned the ball with a fake turnaround jump shot.
There is a very crucial detail here, Paul is cooperating with Kobe in tactics.
After the last game, Paul's performance was questioned by many Lakers fans, but it can be seen that he has adjusted back.
This was also within Xu Yong's expectations.
The previous psychological tactics were successful because Paul was very close to the FMVP.
When people are faced with the desire that is within their reach, they will be impulsive and will not care about so many things.
The eight-point release of military power happened only one season ago, so it is understandable that Paul, who is also a member of the Banana Boat, imitates the new leader.
Moreover, Paul is 27 years old and Kobe is 34 years old. If he can win the FMVP, it would be good to complete the transition of status within the Lakers.
It is true that Kobe has a high status in the league, but I only have one year left on my contract.
This is also what Howard thought after he joined the Lakers in history.
But after the last game, his performance of 11 points and 7 assists was basically over.
And there is a difference between the Lakers and the Suns team that made it to the finals.
Kobe is not Booker. He even dares to confront O'Neal. It's not easy for him to get angry during the game when Paul did something like that, but he will definitely look for Paul after the game.
Although I don’t know how they communicated, the result is already in front of us.
In other words, there is no new strategy to use in tonight's game. If the Bulls want to win the decisive game, they can only fight head-on.
In the Bulls' round, Xu Yong found that Yao Ming had good space under the basket after getting the ball.
This is directly related to the three-pointer Battier just made. The weak side corner is the point that can best open up offensive space.
Seeing this, Xu Yong passed the ball in.
Yao Ming played one-on-one against Bynum in the low post, turned and stepped to the baseline for a reverse layup, then pulled back and faked a turnaround. After making Bynum spin around, he took another step and put the ball steadily into the basket.gif.
There was an uproar at the scene. This action was so cool.
Moreover, it seems a bit familiar.
That’s right, it was the Shanghai dance steps that Yao Ming performed when he first entered the NBA.
Yao Ming was very light at that time, so he could use this footwork with ease. The first time he used it, it amazed the NBA.
But later on, in order to be able to hold his own in the paint, and then to dominate in the low post, he increased his weight, and this kind of footwork offense disappeared.
I didn't expect that he would use it again today.
This is obviously closely related to his weight loss in the past two seasons.
The Lakers cooperated in the frontcourt. Dio cut in and received the pass from Paul, then attracted Yao Ming to help defend and passed the ball to Bynum under the basket. After Bynum caught the ball, he directly raised his hands and dunked to score.
This instantly ignited the Staples Center.
With a smooth system and wonderful cooperation, the familiar Lakers are back this season!
Bynum also roared excitedly after the dunk. Although the Lakers had an overall advantage in strength, he was suppressed by Yao Ming since G2 and felt very depressed.
After receiving the ball in the frontcourt, Xu Yong continued to observe and found that Bynum still did not go around Yao Ming and then lob the ball in.
Yao Ming's movements were faster this time. After receiving the ball, he suddenly turned towards the baseline.
In order to push Yao Ming, Bynum lowered his center of gravity and pressed on Yao Ming, and he was completely unable to react.
Yao Ming easily put the ball into the basket.
He scored 4 points in a row at the start!
After scoring the goal, Yao Ming stretched out his hand and clenched his fist in front of his chest.
Just as he said when communicating with Xu Yong before, instead of asking teammates to do more, it is better to do more yourself.
But in fact, Yao Ming's performance has been gradually improving since G2.
Yao Ming's performance is also a good motivation for other players of the Bulls. When they retreat to the defensive end, the Bulls' defensive enthusiasm is maximized.
Kobe was finally forced to challenge Allen, and his shot went wide of the basket under Allen's strenuous defense.
Yao Ming grabbed the rebound and threw the ball forward.
Xu Yong received a pass from Yao Ming and rushed out of the three-point line. He quickly broke through to the frontcourt against Paul, then took three steps with the ball and knocked Paul away, then pulled the ball up and did a gliding tomahawk.
“Bang!”
Slam the ball into the basket.
This ball was somewhat like a declaration of war, which made the entire Staples Center restless.
In the front row of the audience, Scarlett adjusted her sitting position.
Strong men are always so exciting.
At this time, Jordan, who was far away in Charlotte and paying close attention to this year's finals and watching the live broadcast on TV, couldn't help but nodded.
It's not just because of Xu Yong's performance, but also because of the fighting spirit shown by the Bulls tonight.
Oftentimes, the outcome of a basketball game is not determined by who is stronger on paper, but by who is more eager to win.
If you don't have the desire to win, even if you are leading your opponent by more than 20 points, you may still be overtaken in the end. Even if you are given the opportunity to end the game, you may not be able to seize it.
Kobe then showed his competitive spirit. He had just been defended by Allen in the previous round, but he immediately scored with an off-ball mid-range jump shot.
9 to 6.
Although I had made sufficient mental preparations before the game, the game was still much more intense than expected.
"Defend! Defend!"
Feeling the pressure, the Lakers fans began to cheer for the home team in unison.
Bynum also began to defend Yao Ming from the front.
Seeing this, Xu Yong asked Yao Ming to move to the high post to play pick-and-roll.
After breaking the ball, he passed it to Yao Ming with a beautiful shot.
The angle and strength of this shot were very comfortable. This was not only because Xu Yong had improved in his passing ability this season, but more importantly, as a teammate of the national team, he was too familiar with Yao Ming.
Yao Ming received the ball and took a step over Dio who was helping defend him.
“Bang!”
"beep!"
Yao Ming smashed the ball into the basket through Dio, and the referee's whistle sounded.
Dio's blocking foul makes this a 2+1!
After seeing the referee's gesture, Yao Ming excitedly pumped his fist, and then gave Bynum, who returned to the basket, a tomato, which was his favorite.
At this time, Xu Yong rushed directly into the inside and had a chest bump with Yao Ming.
Yao Ming is in exceptionally good shape tonight, and he came at the perfect time!
The Lakers fans at the scene had complicated expressions at this time.
In fact, the Lakers also launched a fierce pursuit of Yao Ming two years ago, and Lakers fans also had infinite fantasies about the combination of Kobe and Yao Ming. It's a pity that Yao Ming finally chose the Bulls.
So when I saw Yao Ming's dominant performance in the finals, I felt a mixture of love and hate.
A simple math problem. Given that the Lakers have Paul and Kobe, if Bynum is replaced by Yao Ming, how many championships can the Lakers win?
Yao Ming went to the free throw line, adjusted his breathing, and then made the free throw.
Looking back, Paul and Bynum played pick-and-roll, and then shot Yao Ming from mid-range.
But what he didn't expect was that Yao Ming actually rushed forward with all his might.
Although Yao Ming failed to block Paul's shot due to speed, he successfully interfered with Paul psychologically.
Paul's shot finally hit the rim and bounced out.
Battier showed his intelligence at this time, and he immediately tried to block Bynum's position.
Then, Xu Yong flew back to the basket, jumped high and grabbed the ball.
The Lakers missed consecutive attacks!
However, with Kobe's shouts, the Lakers retreated quickly this time, and with Xu Yong's retreat to grab the rebound, the Bulls' fast break failed to start.
The two sides fell into the position, Xu Yong and Yao Ming continued to play pick-and-roll, this time the weak side had a shrinking defense, Xu Yong chose to break through the basket, and after attracting the defense, he returned the ball to Yao Ming who bounced out to the free throw line.
This ball was obviously "fabricated". With Yao Ming in such good shape, he was trying to get the ball into Yao Ming's hands more often.
After receiving the ball, Yao Ming was very decisive and shot without hesitation.
“Swish!”
The basketball went into the basket accurately.
For a center with a free throw percentage close to 90%, he can basically make the shot just by raising his hand if there is no major interference.
This is Yao Ming's 9th point tonight.
Five minutes into the game, Yao Ming had already scored 9 points!
It's obvious that the CD bar has been accumulated enough and it's going to explode tonight!
Thibodeau couldn't help but pump his fist excitedly when he saw Yao Ming's performance on the sidelines.
Yao Ming's dominance can directly influence the course of the game.
This is not simply a problem of Yao Ming's low-post offense, because if the inside cannot be defended, it means the Lakers must shrink their defense.
The pick-and-roll between Yao Ming and Xu Yong is difficult to defend. If Yao Ming is still in such good shape, if you don't shrink, you will have to choose between Xu Yong and Yao Ming.
But the Lakers didn't dare to close the game tonight because Battier was in good form tonight.
It can be seen from the first ball at the beginning that he is not a fixed-point shooter like Novak.
The course of the game was exactly as Thibodeau expected.
Poison, poison, no matter which cup you choose you will die.
Brown made up his mind and completely left Allen open, allowing Kobe to get to the basket as soon as possible.
This response strategy was very effective. Kobe's hands were quick and he stole the ball directly from Yao Ming's hands.
But in the second round, this strategy failed.
It's not that Kobe's retreat was slow, but Thibodeau replaced Artest, and the first thing he did when he came on, Artest hit a three-pointer.
Artest's three-point shooting has been very stable this season.
Moreover, he shot more than just three-pointers tonight.
When he retreated to the defensive end, he used tough defense to block Kobe's post-up shot.
You could feel the difference in him tonight from every bit of his body language.
Yes, the tough Artest from last season is back tonight!
Because he has already won the championship and with his age, Artest's condition has declined significantly, especially on the defensive end, not only in terms of ability but also in mentality.
But due to outside doubts and Thibodeau's unexpected demotion of him to the bench, he was reactivated.
Yao Ming, Xu Yong, and Artest, the Bulls started with the troika again for the first time after Rose was injured.
Although a little shaky, it helped the Bulls lead the Lakers by 8 points, 51-43, at the end of the first half.
This is incredible, because the Lakers were not targeted tonight, nor did they compete for honors like in the previous game. The Bulls suppressed the Lakers in the half with their remaining lineup!
"The Bulls' performance in the first half was respectable." This time Barkley's evaluation was unanimously recognized by O'Neal and Smith in the commentary booth.
Although this does not mean that the Bulls will definitely win the final game, the Bulls did play a tough half.
In the locker room at halftime, Thibodeau directly praised the players' performance, which was rare in the locker room.
"Your performance showed me what a championship team should look like. Remember, you are the champions."
After Thibodeau left, Xu Yong sat next to Yao Ming and asked with concern, "How are you?"
When everyone was paying attention to Yao Ming's performance, Xu Yong was concerned about Yao Ming's health.
It's not that he was thinking the worst, but it was just a short time ago that Ross's incident happened.
Rose was injured in the last game, and it was a non-contact injury, just after he had an extremely outstanding performance.
Although Yao Ming does not have the same playing problems as Rose, his injury frequency this season is no less than Rose.
To use a vivid metaphor, his body has long been like an old car that may break down at any time.
Yao Ming shook his head.
Unlike Rose's situation at that time, it has been a while since the halftime break, his body has cooled down, and his sense of his body is still relatively accurate.
Seeing this, Xu Yong finally relaxed a little.
Although defending the title is very important to them, especially after fighting all the way to the end, no one wants to give up.
But he and Yao Ming have more important Olympics to play this summer.
If Yao Ming really can't play in the Olympics because of the finals, it will be the biggest regret of his life.
After the halftime break, the camera turned to the Lakers players, and the expressions on their faces were very serious.
Especially Kobe, his determination was mixed with a hint of ruthlessness.
Then as soon as he came back, he broke through the inside and made a 2+1 on Allen.
He took the lead in sounding the clarion call for counterattack.
It was the decisive battle at home, and he found it hard to accept the loss.
But looking back, Yao Ming made a shot after a confrontation with Bynum, causing the latter to commit a foul.
Although it was a halftime break, Yao Ming's performance remained strong.
After Yao Ming made two free throws, Kobe continued to break through the inside, this time causing Battier, who was assisting in defense, to foul.
Judging from Kobe's offensive choices in the second half, he chose to break through the inside more often, obviously intending to cause damage.
This was both an opportunity to create a foul on Yao Ming, as Yao Ming had already committed two fouls in the first half, and also a bayonet-fighting attitude.
After all, the boss has taken the lead in the charge, so how can the others stand still?
This really worked. After retreating to the defensive end, accompanied by the defensive shouts of the fans on the scene, the overall defensive intensity of the Lakers was obviously improved.
Yao Ming was double-teamed when he received the ball in the paint. He was double-teamed again when he received the ball again and had no chance, so he could only pass the ball back to Xu Yong.
With little time left in the offense, Xu Yong received the ball and made a buzzer-beating jump shot.
“Swish!”
The basketball is shot into the pocket.
Although Xu Yong was more focused on creating opportunities for Yao Ming in the first half, he was also present when needed.
His offensive slump was limited to G3, and his output in the remaining three games was very stable.
The cheers at the Staples Center came to an abrupt end. With the Bulls' momentum back in the second half, they might just win the decisive game in one fell swoop.
Kobe continued to ask for the ball in the high post, and after getting the ball, he quickly broke through to the basket.
This time his movements were too fast and Allen was dribbled past him.
He rushed to the basket and saw Yao Ming coming out to help defend. He took the initiative to get close to Yao Ming and tried to make him foul.
But at this moment, an accident happened.
Kobe's right knee collided with Yao Ming's right knee during this process. Yao Ming fell to the ground instantly, covering his knee with a painful expression.gif.
Xu Yong was also rushing to the basket to assist in defense. When he saw Yao Ming fall down, his heart ached.
He ignored Kobe and went to check on Yao Ming's condition first.
Yao Ming had recovered a little by now and stood up from the ground with the help of him and the team doctor.
But he tried to step down and found that he couldn't.
Thibodeau held his head in his hands in disbelief. Rose fell down, Yao Ming also fell down. How could he play in the finals?
Yao Ming was finally helped by his teammates to the sidelines for check-up.
Xu Yong walked up to him and whispered in his ear: "Don't be impulsive."
Yes, don't be impulsive.
As a reborn person, what just happened was too profound for him.
In the 2008-2009 season, the Lakers and Rockets met in the playoffs. It was a similar situation. Kobe hit Yao Ming's knee, and then Yao Ming staged a comeback, but that also became Yao Ming's swan song in the NBA.
So he didn't want Yao Ming to make a comeback as a king. Even if they lost the decisive game, they still had a chance by returning to Chicago.
What's more, they don't necessarily lose.
Yao Ming nodded.
The game continued, Kobe came back for free throws and made both.
Looking back, Xu Yong rushed directly into the inside and slammed the ball into the basket through Bynum, and then caused the latter to commit a defensive foul.
That reckless style of play not only intimidated Bynum, but also scared Thibodeau so much that he jumped up from the bench and called a timeout.
Two of them are injured now. If Xu Yong gets injured again, he won’t be able to play in the next games.
Xu Yong came down, and Thibodeau quickly pulled him aside to remind him.
Xu Yong nodded mechanically, his attention focused on Yao Ming.
Before the timeout ended, Yao Ming entered the player tunnel with the help of the team doctor and Yi Jianlian.
The game continued, and after the timeout, Xu Yong made all free throws, helping the Bulls continue to lead 58-51.
But Paul broke through the basket and made a layup.
After Yao Ming left the court, the Bulls replaced him with O'Neal Jr.
O'Neal was a reliable defensive master in his prime, but frequent injuries caused his speed and athleticism to decline continuously, especially not long after his return this season, his overall rim protection ability cannot be compared with Yao Ming.
He was fine against other teams, but when facing the two super backcourt players of the Lakers, he was obviously not enough.
And looking back, Xu Yong also encountered problems in his breakthrough, because after Yao Ming left the court, there was no strong offensive point to restrain him, and the Lakers directly attacked Xu Yong with three people.
After defending the Bulls' offense, Kobe continued to attack the inside and got to the free throw line.
The score difference was about to close to within 5 points, and the Bulls were really in big trouble.
But at this moment, there was a sudden commotion at the player's passage.
When the photographer on the scene turned the camera, the scene became restless.
Because of Yao Ming, he is back!
…
Let's rewind the clock two minutes.
Although Yao Ming's feet were able to touch the ground after resting on the bench for a while, he still couldn't exert force. The team doctor finally decided to let Yao Ming return to the locker room first.
But when they were halfway there, Yao Ming signaled to the team doctor to let him go, and then he tried to take two steps to show that he was fine.
"We need to check." The team doctor insisted.
As a team doctor, he is not only responsible for Yao Ming, but also for the team.
Yao Ming is a very important asset to the Bulls, and they will not risk Yao Ming to continue playing.
"I want to go back." Yao Ming knew that the Lakers were in good shape tonight, and without him the Bulls would most likely be overturned tonight.
Even if there is still a chance if they return to Chicago, the Bulls' morale will be low at that time and they will most likely fail to defend their title.
The team doctor still shook his head.
When Yao Ming saw that the team doctor didn't listen to him, he thought that the doctor didn't believe in him, so he kicked the wall twice.
The team doctor quickly reached out to stop it.
He could feel Yao Ming's desire to win the game, and as a team doctor who had always been with the team, he was also very clear about how competitive Yao Ming was.
But he had to fulfill his duty. After stopping Yao Ming, he asked Yao Ming: "Is it worth it to risk your career for tonight's game?"
The team doctor's words stunned Yao Ming, because at this moment, what Xu Yong said before also popped up in his mind.
“Don’t be impulsive.”
Yes, don’t be impulsive, there are still the Olympics to come.
He turned his head to look in the direction of the locker room, then turned his head to look in the direction of the stadium.
Just at this moment, cheers were heard from the audience.
It was obvious that the Lakers launched a counterattack after he left the game.
Xu Yong was fighting alone.
Yao Ming took a deep breath and then gave his answer in his usual way:
"worth."
…
When Yao Ming came back, not only the fans but also the players were stunned.
While the Lakers were feeling incredible, the momentum brought about by Kobe was instantly gone by more than half.
The main reason they were able to catch up was because of Yao Ming's injury, but now, the giant is back.
The Bulls players were excited after they realized what was going on.
The king returns, what a classic scene!
Even in movies and TV shows, audiences can resonate with it, not to mention when it happens to themselves in real life.
Even Xu Yong, when he saw Yao Ming, smiled helplessly, then went over and gave him a tight hug.
He advised, but Yao Ming made his choice.
Now that he has made the choice, there is no point in saying anything more. All he can do is to win the game together with Yao Ming.
Only in this way can we live up to Yao Ming's efforts.
The game continues.
Kobe's first free throw missed.
It can be seen that Yao Ming's return not only hit the Lakers' momentum, but also caused fluctuations in their mentality.
Kobe made one of two free throws, and Xu Yong held the ball in the frontcourt and played pick-and-roll with Yao Ming to continue breaking through the inside.
After attracting another double-team from the Lakers, this time he calmly passed the ball to Yao Ming in the elbow area.
Yao Ming shot a mid-range jump shot from 20 feet away.
This location is a bit far for him.
“Swish!”
But Yao Ming's shot hit the target!
The entire Bulls bench was in an uproar.
Thibodeau's body was also shaking a little.
If injuries can't bring Yao Ming down, then nothing can stop him!
Yao Ming's spirit is extremely contagious.
Not to mention the Bulls players, even the audience couldn't help but applaud Yao Ming's performance.
Then, amid the applause, Yao Ming retreated to the defensive end and blocked Paul's shot.
The Lakers' momentum to catch up was obviously suppressed after these two rounds.
…
In the end, the Bulls defeated the Lakers 96-95 and narrowly won the decisive battle.
Although Yao Ming staged a comeback, performed well on both offense and defense, and brought great morale encouragement to the Bulls, the Lakers only lost by 1 point in the end.
If Xu Yong hadn't successfully blocked Kobe's buzzer-beater in the end, the Lakers would have won.
The Lakers' performance on both offense and defense tonight was their best since entering the finals.
According to the post-match statistics, Xu Yong scored 30 points steadily. Although Yao Ming did not score many points after his return, he still got a big double-double of 28 points, 16 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks in the end.
The two of them scored a combined 58 points, and one point less would have been enough to win the game.
So it is easy to draw a conclusion: if Yao Ming had not come back, the Bulls would have had a high probability of being overturned tonight.
After the game, social media was abuzz with discussion about Yao Ming's comeback.
"Yao Ming, who is 2.26 meters tall, is called the 'little giant' by fans, but when he stepped onto the court again tonight, he was much taller than his height in my mind. He is a real 'giant'!" Comment from "KBforever".
"On this day, people recalled the horror of being dominated by giants!"
"I am a Lakers fan. Although we didn't win the final victory, I pay tribute to Yao and the Bulls. They deserve tonight's victory. Come on, Lakers."
"I really didn't expect the Bulls to be able to play like this after Rose was injured. Their performance in the finals fully illustrates the saying: 'Never underestimate the heart of a champion.'"
"Yes, Thibodeau is also an underrated coach. His use of Artest proved that the Bulls' championship last year was not a matter of luck."
"I am a Rockets fan. When I was watching the game, the familiar melody kept echoing in my mind: Yao Ming is dying~"
"I just don't know how Yao Ming's injury is going. If he can't play in the next games, the Bulls will be in danger."
…
"Just hit a nerve?"
Xu Yong followed Yao Ming on an overnight flight back to Chicago, and then went to the hospital that cooperated with his own team for a check-up. When he heard the doctor's final diagnosis, he felt a little bit unbelievable.
Although he didn't know any medicine, he knew something about numbness, which is the kind of numbness that occurs when a certain part of your elbow is hit.
After getting the doctor's nod of confirmation, Xu Yong felt even more dazed.
Because in his memory, it was Kobe who hit Yao Ming's knee, causing Yao Ming to be out for the season, thus making Yao Ming's swan song in the playoffs that year.
Because of this, there are endless discussions about whether Kobe did it on purpose and whether Yao Ming's career ended because of Kobe.
So is it that his memory is confused, or is what is happening now different from what happened in history?
The former is not completely impossible. Not to mention what happened before rebirth, even things that happened in this life can lead to this situation.
There is even a professional term for this, called the "Mandela Effect."
He didn't know which one it was, but it didn't seem to matter, because Yao Ming was not injured, and that was the best news.
"My advice is that he should rest for four to five days," the doctor then said.
"His recent matches have been too intense, and his body is already showing signs of fatigue. Most people don't react that strongly when their muscles are hit. This is like an alarm. If he continues to play, it's hard to guarantee that he won't get injured in other parts of his body." The doctor also gave his explanation.
Xu Yong seemed to be thinking deeply. If it was really the Mandela effect, then what the doctor said was a possibility. Yao Ming was not ruled out for the season because of Kobe hitting his knee. Instead, he continued to play and his old injuries in other parts of his body recurred, ruling him out for the season.
"Brother Yao, the doctor said you only need to rest for four or five days, so you should rest for four days. This way, if we lose Game 6, you can still come back in Game 7. Wouldn't that be another 'return of the king'?" Xu Yong said to Yao Ming with a smile.
Yao Ming did not laugh, because he could hear that Xu Yong was thinking about him. But if he let Xu Yong play in Game 6 alone, what if Xu Yong got injured?
Seeing Yao Ming's reaction, Xu Yong could probably guess what Yao Ming was thinking. He put away his smile and said calmly, "You don't want me to fight alone in London, do you?"
This sentence is the ultimate killer.
It’s a blessing in disguise that I wasn’t injured this time.
And there is no time to recover in the swimming pool this time, because the Olympics will be in a month and a half.
If he really falls in the finals, he will definitely miss the Olympics. That will not only be a regret in his life, but also irresponsible to everyone in the national team.
During the game, he was too excited to think about so many things, but now sitting here calmly, he had to consider these things.
"Then I can only rely on you." Yao Ming finally nodded.
"Don't worry, there's no pressure. This will be our home court." Xu Yong said with a smile.
G6 is a gamble. It would be best if a miracle happens, but it doesn't matter if it doesn't, because as he said, if there is a Game 7, it will be played in Chicago.
…
"Yao Ming missed Game 6 of the Finals due to injury."
When the media broke the news, the fans who had just cheered for Yao Ming's comeback were now filled with endless emotion.
Especially for Bulls fans.
This finals game was simply a microcosm of their entire season in the past.
First Rose fell, then Yao Ming fell, and finally only Xu Yong was left standing among the three core players of the team.
While they lamented the current situation, they also couldn't help but feel sorry for Xu Yonglai.
This season, Xu Yong is really like an ox in the field. He will keep plowing until he is tired to death.
All they could do was pray that Xu Yong would not fall again.
In Game 6 of the finals, both teams will return to Chicago.
Due to Yao Ming's absence, this game was considered to be one without much suspense.
But the interesting thing is that before this game, Barkley acted quite high-profile on the TNT show, completely forgetting that he had staged a shameful scene in the studio wearing a JK outfit a few days ago.
He made another bet with O'Neal.
And this time the bet is even bigger. The loser has to eat a bowl of horse manure directly.
Barkley was also quite confident and asked Kenny Smith to remember to remind them.
Of course, Barkley still supports the Lakers, while O'Neal supports the Bulls.
It can be seen that Barkley is a die-hard Lakers fan, while O'Neal does not behave like a Lakers legend at all.
Their actions also caused a surge in attention to G6, which seemed to have little suspense.