From sparring to superstar

Chapter 293 291. In the finals, they became the Clippers steadily.

Mike Miller pressed up to guard Jordan.

He was extremely excited to face the God of Basketball!
Jordan admired Mike Miller's courage and gave him the most enthusiastic response.

Jordan relied on hitting to reach a comfortable distance, grabbed the ball, and shook his shoulders continuously.

Mike Miller actively defended and blocked Jordan... and got a chance to jump and shoot from the free throw line in front of the basket.

When Mark Miller, who was shaken out of position, pounced on him, Jordan had already thrown the ball out of rhythm... and it was a hollow hit!
39-year-old Jordan is still as beautiful as ever!

When the Magic attacked, the TT combination continued to play pick-and-roll offense. This time O'Neal shrank early. Li Ao, Jordan, O'Neal, and Matt Halprin successfully blocked Duncan, McGrady, and Mike Miller.

McGrady has excellent offensive awareness and steadily delivers the ball to Horace Grant.

Horace Grant took an open mid-range shot...a good chance, but it was dead!
O'Neal Jr. and Jordan blocked Duncan and McGrady, and Li Ao protected the defensive rebounds.

In the transition between offense and defense, Jordan continued to single out Mike Miller.

Taking a step ahead of Mike Miller, Jordan grabbed the ball, stretched the ball toward the free throw line, and turned his body. Mike Miller immediately threw it to the right... and missed.

Jordan firmly grasped the ball, and without moving his left foot, he turned 270 degrees to the left and stretched the ball to the right side of the three-second zone. Mike Miller stopped his foot, turned around, and pounced toward his back...and pounced again. null!

The fans at the scene screamed wildly!Jordan firmly grasped the ball and took it back. His left foot did not leave the position where he hit the back at all, but he made Mike Miller spin around!
Li Ao looked at Jordan's footsteps and became jealous. This is the state he wants to achieve.

Mike Miller's mentality was broken. Watching Jordan adjust his direction and take off to face the basket, he no longer had the motivation to pounce. He felt that he would miss again if he pounced.

Jordan made a solid mid-range shot! 8 to 4, the Clippers lead by 4 points!
After confirming the opponent's balance in the last round, Jordan became excited!
Those opponents in front of him, Byron Russell, Rick Fox, and Doug Christie, are either experienced or capable, which can put some restrictions on him. The second-year player in front of him... Just having fun!

Looking at Jordan sticking out his tongue while retreating, Mike Miller didn't know whether he was experienced or capable.

Anyway, Rivers assigned him the task of bringing Jordan to the double circle, and now he has no confidence at all.

Rivers saw that the OK combination could overwhelm the Clippers with their individual abilities, and he believed that the TT combination could do the same. He wanted to rely on the personal abilities of the TT combination to gain an advantage in the star battle stage at the beginning, and then rely on the stability of the TT combination to hold on. Advantage.

The whole Magic team thinks there is nothing wrong with this strategy. They are the most stable team in the league, and they are also confident that the TT combination is not weaker than the OK combination.

But as one of the participants in the opening star battle, Mike Miller wanted to ask the head coach after two rounds: Your tactical intention is very good, but have you considered that I can’t even stick to the God of Basketball? live?

In fact, Rivers really considered that it was almost impossible for Mike Miller to guard Jordan, but he discussed this matter with the coaching staff and TT combination, and felt that it would be a better choice to exhaust Jordan's energy first in the opening game. .

No matter how good Jordan is, he can only be used as the main offensive point for about 20 minutes, which is enough for half a quarter.

It was expected that Mike Miller was beaten by Jordan. Li Ao's two consecutive goals against Tracy McGrady at the beginning was a headache for the combination of Rivers and TT.

When the Magic team attacked, McGrady and Duncan stopped playing the pick-and-roll. Looking for stability, Duncan came to the left side of the three-second zone to jam O'Neal, and received McGrady's pass and hit hard!
O'Neal Jr. was not weaker than Duncan in height and weight, but Duncan knocked him into the basket in two steps and let out a groan... Duncan pressed O'Neal and dunked and scored two points!

O'Neal Jr. was dunked, but he was not discouraged at all. He was used to it long ago when he played in Los Angeles. He worked hard to confront Duncan.

It was the Clippers' turn to attack, and the ominous premonition of the TT combination came true.

Jordan played two rounds and took a break. It was Li Ao's turn to play singles!
In the first two rounds, Li Ao's extremely difficult pull-ups, backwards turns, and horizontal pulls forced McGrady to defend closely and did not dare to defend in an integrated manner.

Li Ao turned around and blocked McGrady's advance. Duncan and Horace Grant's defensive cooperation inside was in place.

The defense Rivers used to deal with Jordan's back-up was used on Li Ao. While covering Li Ao's shot, it also cut off Li Ao's pass to Matt Halprin on the wing and O'Neal Jr. under the basket.

Li Ao passed back the high post, and he also had Jordan!

Jordan ran to the free throw line to catch the ball and then passed...Troy Hudson shrank to block Matt Halprin's cut, and Bibby caught the ball in the open and made a solid mid-range shot!

Jordan's coordination ability and awareness are not as good as Li Ao's, but he is rich in experience. With the cooperation of the two, the Magic's defense was penetrated!

When the Magic team attacked, the TT combination continued to attack.

Hubie Brown of Time Warner Cable Sports' commentary said: "Rivers wanted to drag the Clippers into the quagmire of star competition, and now they have fallen into it themselves."

Bill Walton responded: "Maybe he hasn't discovered this problem yet, but if he has discovered it, it will be difficult to respond."

"Yes, his ability to adapt is very poor. It would be great if Hill was here. There would be one more outside attack point. At this time, Hill can be used to compete with Jordan and Spider-Man."

"Even if Hill is not injured, I still think the Clippers are stronger, their lineup is more perfect, and there are no obvious flaws. The Magic spent all their money on three stars in 2000, and the middle class used it to renew Armstrong's contract. Horace Grant was poached from the Lakers. He failed to make an effective signing last summer. He can reach the Finals this year only because Duncan and McGrady are stronger."

"Oh, Bill, that's strange. Haven't you always said you were a star of the Trail Blazers and Celtics? Now you're a star of the Clippers?"

"What are you talking about! I have played more time with the Clippers than I have with the Celtics, and almost the same time as I have with the Trail Blazers. Of course I am a Clippers star. If you don't believe me, ask Ballmer. , see what he says.”

"I didn't expect you, a stammering person, to be so thick-skinned..."

As analyzed by the legendary coach and legendary center, the Magic are stuck in the quagmire of star attack and cannot get out.

Jordan rested for a few days. He was in good physical condition and experienced. He was at his best in the finals. He played singles, and the Magic could only respond with two super singles.

Li Ao's opening two goals were so amazing. Regardless of whether his subsequent shots were accurate or not, McGrady did not dare to give him a chance to complete the shooting action. He took the opportunity to break through and organize the offense.

Jordan's support + support cooperated well with Li Ao, and Bibby, Matt Halprin, and O'Neal also performed well in support.Li Ao launched the attack in singles, and the Magic could only respond with star players.

It’s not that the TT combination doesn’t want to trust their teammates, but as Bill Walton said, their teammates’ ability is really poor. The shooters and cutting forwards can work together for a while, but they can be the main attack point... They were dragged away by the Nets in the Eastern Conference Finals. Seven, the most important reason is not how strong Kidd is, but that their role players are too poor.

Their strongest teammates are Mike Miller and Armstrong, who are probably on the same level as Big Q and Boykins on the Clippers.

The TT combination attacked hard, led Troy Hudson, Mike Miller, and Horace Grant to play defense. They could also play back and forth with the Clippers' starting five. They switched to team play. They gave it a try. Don't even dare.

Halfway through the first quarter, the Clippers led the Magic by 15 points, 12-3.

Entering the official timeout, Rivers breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Jordan put on his training uniform. He almost managed to survive the opening stage.

In the second half of the first quarter, Rivers sent out a combination of Troy Hudson, McGrady, Monty Williams, Pat Garrity, and Duncan to continue the TT combination's onslaught.

Gentry sent a combination of Bibby, Big Q, Li Ao, Odom, and Campbell.

Jordan went down to rest, Big Q and Odom came up, but the Clippers' offensive firepower still dropped a lot.

McGrady suffered a loss in strength, and coupled with the threat posed by Li Ao's two consecutive difficult goals at the beginning, his defense against Li Ao was average, but he did a good job in basic defense and did not give Li Ao a chance to rise.

Li Ao looked at Monty Williams with envy, but since the opponent didn't have a veteran to guard him, he was very upset.

It's better to play the Jazz...

Campbell came on the court, and Duncan's offense under the basket was restricted a lot, but Campbell's close protection was far worse than O'Neal. McGrady and Duncan played Li Ao in pick-and-rolls, and the offensive firepower increased.

The two teams played this way for half a quarter. The Clippers only scored 12 points in the half, and the Magic scored 16 points.

After the first quarter, the Magic led the Clippers by 28 point, 27-1!
Rivers was relieved when he saw the lead, but Gentry had no disturbance in his heart.

Without Jordan, the TT combination will continue to be full of firepower. Unless Big Q or Li Ao feels better, or Odom suddenly becomes coquettish...otherwise, it is normal for the Clippers to fall behind.

Bibby is very fierce in the anxious stage and can always seize the opportunity to shoot the ball. However, in this kind of back-and-forth offensive battle, Bibby also has the advantages of excellent ball distribution and stable open shots.

After the break, Gentry put on a lineup of Greg Anthony, Jordan, Matt Halprin, Odom, and O'Neal Jr. to play steadily.

Rivers gave McGrady a rest, and Duncan brought Darrell Armstrong, Jaren Jackson, Mike Miller, and Ewing on the court.

The head coaches on both sides want to stabilize the situation. Rivers' purpose is to give McGrady and Duncan a chance to take turns to rest. Gentry just wants to continue to consume Duncan.

But Jordan didn't agree!

After the start of the second quarter, Jordan scored 3 goals in a row, one of which was 2+1, and cooperated with O'Neal to prevent Duncan from hitting two irons in a row.

If Ewing had scored two points in the open space at the beginning of the second quarter, Duncan would not have to face a double attack. But Ewing was determined and Jordan scored consecutive goals. Duncan could only play alone and did not dare to pass to Ewing again.

Jordan went on a 7-0 run on his own, and the Clippers overtook the Magic by 34 points, 28-6. Rivers quickly called a timeout and replaced Tracy McGrady. The TT combination fired again, and the Magic stabilized their position.

After McGrady came on the court, the Magic responded with a 12-8 run against the Clippers. When the official timeout entered the second quarter, the score reached 40-42, and the Magic chased the point difference to two points.

The two teams once again rotated their lineups. This time Rivers did not dare to let anyone in the TT combination rest and continued to fight.

Gentry replaced the combination of Bibby, Big Q, Li Ao, Odom, and Jaylon Collins.

The Magic suppressed the Clippers in the second half of the second quarter, and Li Ao, Bibby, and Odom couldn't fight hard.

After halftime, the Magic led the Clippers by two points, 55-53.

到了下半场，第三节开局阶段魔术队趁着第二节后面10分钟打出的27比19的气势，半节时间打出了15比9的比分，将分差拉开到8分，70比62领先快船队。

When the official pause came, many TV station commentators were touting that TT was the best group in the world and was even stronger than OK.

There is not much of a problem with this statement. They all have a mediocre role player lineup. The TT combination has entered the finals, but the OK combination has not.

Despite the fact that the Clippers were obsessed with star players, except for the early stages when Jordan was at his strongest, they couldn't beat the TT combination.

However, in the first half of the third quarter, the Magic scored 15-9, and the Clippers only had one starter on the court. O'Neal led Odom, Greg Anthony, Big Q, and Sean Lukes on the court. Consume TT combination.

After the official timeout came back, the combination of Bibby, Li Ao, Jordan, Matt Halprin, and Campbell came on the court!
Jordan's singles, Bibby and Matt Halprin's pick-and-roll attack, and Li Ao's full running, catching, shooting and supporting mode for the first time in this game!
The Magic just stormed for half a quarter. After the official timeout came back, the TT combination needed to slow down and their offensive performance declined.

McGrady attacked hard for half a quarter, continuously attacking the inside. Now it is the time of fatigue and he can't keep up with Li Ao!
神侠鬼三人组在第三节后半段带队打出了17比8的半节比分，三节打完，快船队79比78反超魔术队1分进入末节！
The Magic team scored 15 points in the first half of the quarter, but only scored 23 points in the entire quarter!
In the fourth quarter, the TT combination fought hard and played much better offensively than in the second half of the third quarter, scoring 24 points in a single quarter.

However, the TT combination could barely support the offense, but the defense was powerless. They were too tired. The Magic team's defense was no better than in the second half of the third quarter.

李敖末节拿到9分、毕比6分、小奥尼尔7分，乔丹打了7分钟拿到3分3助攻、奥多姆4分3助攻……快船队末节狂轰30分！
At 10:25 pm, Troy Hudson missed a three-pointer in the half, and the final buzzer sounded when he threw the ball.

李敖25投12中，其中三分球5中2，加上5中5的罚球，拿到31分7板3助攻2抢断2盖帽。

乔丹25分4板6助攻、毕比18分5助攻、小奥尼尔13分10板、奥多姆10分6板6助攻……力压拿到37分12板的邓肯、33分8助攻的麦迪。

The Clippers defeated the Magic 109-102 and won their first victory in the Finals!
(End of this chapter)