From sparring to superstar

Chapter 333 331. We are still the championship!
The preparation phase is over and the two teams start the game.

The live TV camera showed O'Neal in the center circle. He was looking at Duncan with no fear on his face.

The commentator praised O'Neal Jr.'s performance in the finals.

The live broadcast screen posted the data of O'Neal and Duncan. Looking at this, there is no doubt that O'Neal was beaten by Duncan.

But except for O'Neal, any insider who faced Duncan in the playoffs would only be beaten. O'Neal Jr. averaged 11.5 points, 12.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2 blocks per game against Duncan. His performance was already very good.

It can even be said that O'Neal Jr. is the strongest opponent Duncan has encountered in the three years since he joined the Magic.

虽然小奥尼尔无法阻止邓肯每场比赛拿到20+10+2+3，但邓肯想要像打肯扬-马丁、安东尼奥-戴维斯时那样动不动就30+或者双20，完全不可能。

Without the restrictions played by O'Neal Jr., if Duncan, who was in his prime, performed as well as he did in the first three rounds, the Clippers would have been gone.

O'Neal Jr. has been growing up as a traditional center for two and a half years, and finally let people see him on the big stage.

However, when the fans in front of the TV heard the commentator calling O'Neal a 'young center', they always felt something was strange.

If they remember correctly, Duncan seems to have entered the NBA a year later than O'Neal...

At 8 o'clock in the evening, the game started.

'Young center' O'Neal Jr. beats 'the number one power forward in history' Duncan to win the jump ball, and the Clippers attack first!
Bibby advanced to the frontcourt to Li Ao. Facing McGrady's defense, Li Ao took a step forward, shook his shoulders, lost his rhythm, and suddenly turned over and shot a jumper...

Picturesque jump shot!

After Li Ao landed, he said to McGrady: "You want one too?"

After speaking, he didn't wait for an answer, turned around and ran to the backcourt.

As he expected, McGrady had no intention of answering. He narrowed his eyes and followed Cassel, who was receiving the serve, ready to respond at any time.

Bibby started the first defense and started a hand-to-hand battle with Cassel.

McGrady is completely different from last year's finals. His desire for stability has been engraved in his bones. As the finals progress, his desire for stability has become more determined.

This kind of McGrady is not as dazzling as the original scoring champion, but he is strong in the playoffs!
Now McGrady's stability is reflected again.

When it came to the Magic's offense, McGrady had poor shooting opportunities under Gerald Wallace's rough perimeter defense and the wing attention of Li Ao and Matt Halprin.

McGrady's overall scoring performance in this finals was not great, with a 6% shooting rate in the first six games.

If the opportunity is not good, he will not shoot, but will help Duncan and Cassel open up space, provide movement support, and save his energy for the defensive end.

Cassel attacked with the ball, picked and rolled with Clifford Robinson, and passed to McGrady.

McGrady received the ball and Gerald Wallace immediately followed him. McGrady passed the ball directly to the basket. After receiving the ball, Duncan faced Li Ao who flew in and passed the ball to the right baseline. Mike Miller received the ball and made two long passes. Score hits!
The tactical coordination was still excellent and the timing of the ball was still accurate. After the Magic's first attack, the Clippers players understood that the opponent's explosive state continued into the tiebreaker.

That being the case, let's fight!
All they have to do is perform better than their opponent!
Bibby advanced to the frontcourt and the Magic continued their solid team defense.

The two teams entered a tug-of-war, and just like the previous games, they staged rough confrontation and iron-blooded defense.

By the time the game reached the tiebreaker, the two teams were well aware of each other's offensive tactics, and their defense in every round was extremely targeted.

At this time, it is purely about the personal ability and on-the-spot status of the star.

In this finals, which team is in better shape is naturally the Magic.

They turned their explosive state into a regular state. It was the first time for even the god of basketball Michael Jordan to encounter such an opponent.

In the first half of the quarter, the Magic team integrated offense and defense, scoring 13 to 9, leading the Clippers by 4 points into the official timeout!
He was beaten again and the fans stopped praying for God's blessing this time. It was useless.

They shouted at the top of their lungs to cheer for the team members.

It is better to believe in God than to believe in Spider-Man!

This time they were praying for the right person. After the official timeout came back, Li Ao took advantage of the screen and hit Pat Garrity, who was covering the defense, for a three-pointer!
The TV commentator used the word "unrestrained" to describe Li Ao's style of play.

In fact, Li Ao has been playing very unrestrainedly tonight. The difference is that he didn't score many goals in the first half of the quarter, but this shot was scored.

By the time the game reached the tiebreaker, he and his teammates had determined that playing conventional games against the Magic would lead to a dead end.

Their style of play in the five games from G2 to G6 was considered 'new' at first, but after two or three games, it became a 'regular' style of play.

So they lost two games in a row in G4 and G5.

They won the last game because they scored some unreasonable goals and succeeded in some aggressive defense on the defensive end.

In that case, vote!If you can't make a shot, defend!

When the Magic attacked, Duncan caught the ball and turned around and hooked, causing Jaylon Collins to foul. He made one of two free throws and the score was 14 to 12.

It's the Clippers' offense again. Li Ao's pass around the pile was blocked by Pat Garrity's early movement. Bibby seized the opportunity and passed the ball to Odom who cut in. Odom passed the ball again, and Jaylon Collins was in the three-second zone. Received the ball from the right and made a close jump shot...missed!
Odom jumped high, reached out from behind Duncan and grabbed the rebound first. After landing, he turned around flexibly, bypassed Duncan and made a low layup!

The fans at the scene just let out a sigh of regret, which instantly turned into cheers, and several fans choked.

Duncan looked slightly stunned. With this ball, he felt like he had met a larger version of Weber!

In the first six games, Odom's performance was unsatisfactory, not bad, but far below the fans' expectations for the "second best sixth man".

He can do what a No. [-] big man should do, score, rebound, pass, and block shots, but that's all. Facing the twin towers of Duncan and Clifford Robinson, he looks weak.

But Odom looked very tough tonight!

His concentration is also different from before. This offensive rebound can't be obtained if he hesitates. His turn and lowhand layup after grabbing the ball is also full of imagination.

Li Ao stopped the Clippers' decline with a three-pointer. Odom stepped up and helped Li Ao. In the next few rounds, the Clippers led the Magic to a 6-6 score.

At 10 minutes and 21 seconds of the first quarter, the score reached 21 to 21. At this time, Bibby passed a low through ball out of bounds. The ball was dead. Gentry was about to replace Bibby and Li Ao... and saw Li Ao swinging towards him. Wave your hands.

After hesitating for a second, Gentry changed the substitution list. Li Ao and Odom continued to play, and Jaric, Jordan, and Campbell were replaced.

The Magic are just waiting to outlast Li Ao. One of the strengths of their steady style of play is their ability to outlast him.

Based on the lessons learned from the past three games, Li Ao knew the other party's intentions and did not want the other party to get his wish.

We’ll talk about the next three quarters later. Now let’s deal with each other first.

After the timeout, the Magic sent out Cassell, Piakowsky, McGrady, Duncan, and Sean Kemp.

The Magic players were quite surprised to see that Li Ao did not go to rest at the end of the first quarter like he did in the past five games.

But they resolutely implemented the established tactics, and Duncan turned around and hit a short-range jumper with a single!

When the Clippers attacked, Yaric handed the ball to Jordan.

Jordan relied on turning around and passing the ball to Odom.

Odom dribbled behind his back to avoid Piakowsky's defense and broke into the paint.

This coquettish behind-the-back dribbling would have made Li Ao jealous in normal times, but now he doesn't have that free time. Regardless of whether there is a chance to catch the ball or not, he actively moves with Odom's position to create opportunities for receiving.

When McGrady moved to the top corner on the left side of the free throw line, he saw Odom rushing into the paint with only the basket in his sights, so he decisively retracted to defend.

Li Ao actively stretched to the left side of the top arc...the ball really came!

No-Look-Pass!

Odom jumped up and hit the ground to pass the ball. The ball flew under the crotch of Tracy McGrady and bounced to the left side of the top arc from a long distance.

Li Ao caught the ball and made a three-pointer...hit!
24 to 23, the Clippers lead by 1 point!
In 4 and a half minutes of play, Odom scored 4 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists!

When the Magic team attacked, Cassel used the screen to rush to close range and made a pull-up jump shot... and it went in, 25 to 24. The Magic and Clippers were once again at odds!

With 22 seconds left on the clock, the Clippers had the ball on the last attack of the first quarter.

Odom's fancy dribbling in the top arc was time-consuming, and Duncan stayed one step inside the three-point line. He was very steady and did not make any risky moves.

With 6 seconds left on the clock, Odom moved and changed direction to break through!

Duncan did an excellent job of "defending the small one". He had a sense of sight like the Wolf King. He fought and retreated. His instantaneous movement speed is not as good as Garnett's now, but he predicted what Odom would do. His movements and steps seem to be on par with Odom's.

The Magic team defended well, but Odom still sent the ball to Li Ao in the gap.

When Odom is focused, he is like a left-handed magician, as good as a superstar in every aspect!
Half a quarter into the game, the Magic had already anticipated Odom's pass. As soon as Li Ao received the ball, he was stuck by Cassel and Piakowsky. In just a few seconds, he decisively attacked.

But the Magic's defense was eventually torn apart by Odom's pass through the seam. Li Ao's receiver pushed the ball out without stopping. When Jordan received the ball, there were 1.8 seconds left on the clock and he passed the ball. Take action quickly...

Jumping shorter is also beneficial!
It only took 1.2 seconds for Jordan to turn around and take a shot. The ball left his fingertips and flew a long distance before the whistle sounded. The referee raised his hand to indicate that the ball had not timed out.

The ball drew a beautiful arc and then fell into the frame. Jordan made a buzzer-beating mid-range shot!

26 to 25, the Clippers bucked the trend and overtook the Magic by 1 point to enter the break!
...

Something happened beyond the Magic's expectations again!

But the TT team did not panic and remained calm.

If Spider-Man fights like this, the continuity will definitely not be enough!
Although Spider-Man's physical strength exceeded their expectations and he could maintain full offensive and defensive output for 40 minutes, at 48 minutes... G1 had already determined that Spider-Man couldn't do it!

Stability does not mean that there is no change, but that changes are all aimed at maintaining stability. If this goal cannot be achieved, it is better to remain unchanged.

During the break, Duncan told his teammates that if Spider-Man continues to play without a break in the second quarter, they will increase the intensity so that Spider-Man will never play again!

Spider-Man's remaining health is indeed scary. In G3 of last season's finals, the Magic team was defeated by Spider-Man's remaining health.

However, as long as they get a big enough lead at the last moment, they can win, because they also have Alien and Penny Plus stable versions!
I have tried this in G1, and I am confident in my basic skills!
After falling behind in the first quarter, the Magic players were a little impatient, but seeing the boss and second team members being so calm, their teammates also calmed down.

After the interval, seeing the opposite Spider-Man continue to play, the Magic players' morale was boosted - the boss's prediction was correct!

They are full of enthusiasm, and the boss said that since Spider-Man is not going to rest, then don't rest tonight!

At the beginning of the second quarter, the Magic maintained their offensive and defensive intensity in defending the quarter and fought hard against the Clippers.

The Clippers also have a desperate style of play. No matter what, fuck him!
Jordan was replaced after playing for 3 minutes. He came up in the first half just to get his body moving and get into game mode to prepare for the third quarter.

Gentry let Li Ao go up and fight, and other things had to be done well, and they had to be done better.

Li Ao continued his performance in the second half of the first quarter in the second quarter. Although his constant attack and defense without rest will affect the continuity of the second half, it has no impact now.Li Ao played the entire quarter, making 7 of 3 shots, including 2 of 1 three-pointers, plus 2 of 2 free throws, scoring 9 points and 1 assist.

Coupled with Zuo Mo who is in a focused state, Big Q who comes out of nowhere, O'Neal who actively grabs boards, Gerald Wallace and Matt Halprin who are sharp in attacking the frame in rotation...the Clippers are in the fourth. In the second quarter, the Magic team was beaten, with a score of 23 to 20 in a single quarter.

At the end of halftime, the score reached 49-45, and the Clippers' lead expanded to 4 points!
However, although the Magic fell behind, they showed no signs of frustration.

The TV commentator also believed that although the Clippers were in the lead, the initiative was about to be taken away by the Magic.

Because Li Ao's offense was obviously weak at the end of the second quarter, one of his shots crossed the bridge and one of his runs was slow to turn around and catch the ball, causing O'Neal Jr.'s bold pass to go out of bounds.

If Li Ao can score one of these two goals, the Clippers will be able to establish a clearer lead.

But Li Ao didn't score, which also exposed his predicament of declining physical strength after half-time when he tried his best to attack and defend!

...

After returning from the intermission, Gentry did not think about letting Li Ao rest and sent out the strongest lineup as always.

It’s the last battle, let’s fight!
Rivers also put on the strongest lineup. The starting combination of Cassell, McGrady, Mike Miller, Clifford Robinson, and Duncan came on the court, ready to harvest the game.

At the beginning of the third quarter, as the commentators analyzed during the intermission, the Magic took the initiative and went ahead with a 9-4 run!
Although Li Ao can contain someone's defense even if he stands still on the court, Li Ao's "stroke" on the offensive end cannot disrupt the defense!The Magic played with ease on the defensive end.

Leading the score 54 to 53, the Magic players felt stable. The next step was to play steadily like G1, slowly opening up the score to the point where even Spider-Man couldn't catch up even if he went berserk at the last moment...

Just when the Magic thought they were sure of victory, Jordan suddenly went berserk and scored three consecutive mid-range shots!
尽管卡塞尔和邓肯在这期间也连进两球拿到4分，但快船队开始依靠乔丹连砍6分以59比58反超魔术队1分！
It's time for the Magic to attack again. Li Ao, who was struggling on the offensive end, still worked hard on the defensive end. McGrady wanted to retaliate to Jordan's mid-range pull-up three-pointer, but Li Ao's interference hit the basket!

O'Neal protects the defensive rebounds!

The Magic retreated quickly and positioned themselves in an orderly manner.

Jordan's sudden rampage caught them off guard, but they felt that Jordan was over.

Their Magic team surged to 4 points in more than 13 minutes, and now the team's offense is a little tired. Otherwise, McGrady, who is very ineffective in singles against Li Ao, would not be allowed to play in singles.

McGrady followed Jordan, and Mike Miller went around and got stuck in front of Li Ao, who was standing on the baseline.

Bibby passed the ball to Jordan, and McGrady stayed close to him, not giving him any chance to shoot. Jordan turned around and charged in!
The Magic's defense was not affected, and they moved tacitly to cover and cut off passing lanes.

Among Jordan's current offensive methods, breaking into the offensive frame is what the Magic are least afraid of.

Clifford Robinson covered Jordan's short-range shooting space. McGrady followed closely behind Jordan. Jordan did not pass the ball, went straight to the basket, slid to the baseline, took off, turned 180 degrees in the air, and pulled the lever...

A layup that avoided Duncan's interference!
An unnamed No. 8 player who was hiding in the box watching the game jumped up from the sofa, turned 180 degrees in the air, roared and punched.

Michael Jordan!

He is still him!

Attacking the frame like this is the god of basketball!

It's not over yet!
When the Magic attacked, Cassell passed the ball to Mike Miller. Bibby, who switched defenses, used his strong body to press Mike Miller to complete the steal!

During the transition between offense and defense, Jordan followed up and caught the ball at the free throw line. He feinted a shot past Duncan who was retreating, changed direction and rushed inside. Under Duncan's pursuit, he came to the right side of the three-second zone, held Duncan up with his back, and came up with a low hand. Avoiding Duncan's long arms, layup and hit again!

The Magic called a timeout!

Fight!Jordan is risking his life!
When he saw the winning expressions of the Magic players, his whole body was about to burst.

He just wants to score goals, Spider-Man is playing with his life, Zuo Mo is playing with his life, Little Shark is playing with his life... He is the god of basketball!How could he still calmly wait for his teammates to feed him the ball?
After scoring 10 consecutive points to help the team lead by 63 points at 58-5, Jordan vented the inexplicable anger in his heart!
However, after returning from the timeout, looking at the still calm expression on the other side, Jordan finally calmed down.

This opponent is a bit scary!
If a normal team encounters the situation where a player from the opposite team scores 10 points in a row, it will be affected no matter what, right?
But the opponent seems to be more determined to take a stable route...the game is not over yet!

Sure enough, the Magic continued their aggressive style of play in the second half of the quarter, using their team strength to regain the upper hand.

Jordan scored in 5 consecutive rounds, which was very fierce and very taxing on his physical strength.

After all, the opponent is an iron-blooded army whose defense is not weaker than their Clippers team.

However, just like Jordan can't sit back and watch his teammates risk their lives to play "easy ball", his teammates don't want to be decorations or a burden!
O'Neal Jr. actively cuts into the frame and tries hard to find close-range shooting opportunities; Bibby makes decisive offensive moves after the pick-and-roll and distributes the ball steadily; Odom, who plays in the rotation, continues to stay focused and full of excitement...

The Magic scored 14 points in the second half of the third quarter, but the Clippers players worked hard and scored 11 points.

74 to 72, the Clippers maintained a slim lead entering the final quarter!
In the fourth quarter, the Clippers players continued to play hard, and the performances of Bibby, Jordan, Big Q, Gerald Wallace, Matt Halprin, O'Neal, Odom... and others all declined. However, Li Ao struggled on the offensive end in the third quarter, barely regaining his physical strength, and became more active on the offensive end. The efficiency of the Clippers' desperate play continued!

The Magic's play style is still stable, but it is difficult to gain an advantage. They choose to endure!
Now, it’s about who can last longer!

The Clippers' weak lead was overtaken by the Magic within two rounds, but the Clippers quickly took the lead back. The scores of the two teams increased alternately and continued to maintain an anxious state.

Seeing that the opponent was risking his life no matter who was playing, Duncan's respect for this opponent increased by one point.

Regardless of the final result, he will regard this finals as a precious memory in his basketball career.

At the last 10 minutes and 14 seconds of the game, the Clippers failed to score in 4 consecutive rounds, and the Magic failed to score in 3 rounds. The two teams fell into a scoring drought that lasted for two and a half minutes!
The one who broke the deadlock was...the Magic!

Cassel hit a long two-pointer, 88 to 87, and the Magic overtook the Clippers by 1 point!
Then Jordan, who came on the rotation, missed a long two-pointer. Turning around, Duncan also made a mid-range shot from a 45-degree angle. 90 to 87, the Magic's lead expanded to 3 points. So far in the final quarter, the Magic have scored 18 to 13. !
With 58 seconds left, the Magic finally took the real initiative!

Seeing that the opposing stars were exhausted, the Magic players were extremely excited.

They are going to get the championship trophy!

Although their physical condition is not that good, they are much better than their opponents!

This is the benefit of adopting a steady flow of play!The continuity is stronger than any team!

Just when the Magic were ready to defend their opponents and then score a goal to completely seal the championship, Li Ao asked Bibby for the ball, received the ball and took a direct mid-range shot...

McGrady thought Li Ao was going to play from behind or dribble behind his back to open up space for a shot. Unexpectedly, the opponent actually imitated him and directly pulled up to shoot. He rushed forward in panic... and patted Li Ao's palm.

However, the moment before McGrady hit Li Ao's palm, the ball had already flown out!

"beep"

With the referee's whistle, the ball fell into the frame!

The goal is valid, and a penalty will be added!
After the Clippers fell into a scoring drought, they were beaten 4-0 by the Magic. At this point, many fans at the scene had their mentality broken, and some even shed tears.

Seeing Spider-Man's sudden mid-range shot, the fans were stunned for a moment and then cheered wildly!

Cry, you will become numb and continue to have fun!
'Residual blood level 5' is triggered, and your physical strength will recover slightly after scoring a goal!
Li Ao went to the free throw line and hit the extra penalty steadily. 90 to 90, the score was tied!
The Magic players panicked briefly, then calmed down again when Cassel slowly pushed the ball across half court.

Cassel passed the ball to McGrady. Although McGrady made 12 of 2 tonight...but at this time, he still chose to believe in McGrady.

But it is a pity that McGrady faced Li Ao's defense and hit the front of the basket with a pull-up mid-range shot!
The speed of Li Ao's interference bullet was faster than Maddie expected!
McGrady saw that Li Ao was so tired, so he wanted to make a direct sneak attack, but was forced to fall back and fell short!
O'Neal Jr. was stuck in position, and Jordan overpowered Clifford Robinson to grab the defensive rebound.

With 35 seconds left, the offense and defense transitioned, and Bibby steadily advanced to the frontcourt with Cassel's defense.

Li Ao defended for one round, but the little physical strength he had recovered was gone. He did not choose to continue to make strong shots, but stretched his body and ran.

An amazing scene appeared...

The score was tied, and Li Ao actually no longer had any remaining blood.

But the Magic didn't know that Li Ao turned and ran to the bottom corner, and McGrady and Clifford Robinson on the baseline pounced on him.

A double team attack on an off-ball pitcher is unheard of!

Although it has only been in the past two years that double-attacking players who are not holding the ball has been allowed...

But the scene still caused the commentators to spout profanities.

Odom has a keen sense of offense. He lifted up early and helped Bibby block Cassel. Bibby used the screen to catch the ball and shoot... At critical moments, you can always trust the White Devil!

Bibby made a mid-range shot, 92 to 90, and the Clippers led by two points!

With 21 seconds left, the Magic did not call a timeout. It was not that Rivers was as calm as a Zen master, but that they did not call a timeout.

Although Duncan tried his best to avoid it, he was still held back by Rivers at this time. In this game, once the Clippers had a brief climax, Rivers called a timeout.

There is no good way, I just want to disrupt the Clippers' rhythm.

It's hard to say whether it disrupted the Clippers' rhythm, but they themselves were affected - no timeouts were available at critical moments!

There was no other way, Duncan could only pick up the ball and pass it to Cassel, and attack directly.

After Cassel advanced to the frontcourt, he wanted to waste time and shoot the winning ball.

Just like Jordan in 98, he used a buzzer-beater to win the championship. How handsome!
He is an alien and a top-notch clutch player. In his rookie year, he made a clutch shot in the finals tiebreaker and scored 6 points on 4-of-13 shooting in the second half...

But at this time, the alien wants to be cool and T-Mac is calm, but the basic skills are in a hurry.

Seeing that Cassel was protecting the ball and not moving, he pulled it to a 45-degree angle and leaned against O'Neal to ask for the ball.

This... Cassel can only pass the ball.

Unlike other bosses, Duncan doesn't usually speak much, but once he does, you have to give him the ball, otherwise he won't talk to you for a while.

What Cassel fears most is that others ignore him...

Duncan caught the ball and hit O'Neal in a single, turned around and made a mid-range shot. O'Neal defended well and interfered in place!
Duncan turned right to the CIC at a 45-degree angle on the left!
Li Ao took back the basket and blocked McGrady to protect the defensive rebound!

McGrady reached out and took out the ball... "Pop"... and hit Li Ao on the arm.

The ball was shot, but the referee's whistle also sounded!
The number of fouls committed by the Magic in the final quarter had already reached 4 times. At the critical moment, Li Ao got two free throws!
At the critical moment, both TT combinations lost their chains!
Li Ao turned around and panted towards the opposite free throw line. No one paid attention to him, and he didn't care about the fans shouting his nickname. He took the time to regain his strength.

The game is not technical yet, there are still 2.8 seconds left!
It's not impossible for the opponent to make a three-pointer with a direct long pass. He has to make at least one free throw!
But when he stepped to the free throw line, he was still shocked.

I don’t know who started, but the fans’ chants changed from “Spider-Man” to “MVP” and spread quickly.

When Li Ao received the ball from the referee, the shouts of "MVP" echoed throughout the audience!
Li Ao was stunned for a while, smiled, and concentrated on the free throw.

The cheers of the fans made Li Ao burst out with a little bit of strength again, and he made two free throws steadily...

94 to 90, with 2.8 seconds left.

After Li Ao made his second free throw, he ignored the rest of the game and rushed to the bench...win!
They won!

They... are still the championship!
(End of this chapter)