20demayo Chapter 442 The Final Battle! Two Teams' Completely Different Choices
Chapter 442 The Final Battle! Two Teams' Completely Different Choices
2003 6 Month 8 Day.
"Hello everyone! Welcome to Game 4 of the 2002-2003 NBA Finals!" Barkley's voice rang out on the television as he cheerfully greeted the fans, his joy and excitement completely undisguised.
Anyone could tell how he felt right now: incredibly happy!
"Charles, shut your mouth. Even if the Indians win the championship tonight, it has absolutely nothing to do with you!" Kenny reminded him from the side. "Especially since the Lakers haven't surrendered yet!"
"In the last game, Game 3 of the series, the Lakers battled the Pacers to double overtime! I think that game is one of the five most exciting Finals games in NBA history!"
「科比拿下40分9篮板7助攻，奥尼尔42分19篮板5盖帽，再加上马龙的17分8篮板，湖人队的三大球星在上一场比赛可是展示出了无与伦比的状态！无比渴望冠军的他们，很可能会在今晚继续着自己强硬的表现！」
"They definitely don't want to surrender so easily!"
"Yes, yes! I know the Lakers are in good form." Barkley waved his hand impatiently, "But so what? The Lakers played absolutely brilliantly in the last game!"
「科比常规时间结束前5秒的3分让湖人队一度拿到了2分的优势，奥尼尔在第一个加时赛结束前3秒的2+1也让湖人队拿到了3分的优势，可那又怎幺样呢？」
"McClean hit that mid-range jumper that we still talk about now before the end of regulation time, and Lin hit a super long three-pointer from 40 feet at the end of the first overtime to force a second overtime."
"Then, Lin dominated the second overtime, scoring 7 points and leading his team on a 10-2 run to defeat the Lakers and take the series lead!"
"I know Shaq and Kobe's stats and form are excellent, but are Lin and Michael really that bad? In Game 1 of the series, Lin played a full 57 minutes, rested for only one minute the entire game, and put up a phenomenal 51 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists!"
"Although Michael only played 51 minutes, he still scored 39 points, grabbed 5 rebounds, and dished out 2 assists. The combination of Michael and Lin is just as strong, if not stronger, than the OK combination!"
"The Lakers are hungry for a championship and don't want to lose anymore?"
"What I'm saying is: the Pacers also crave a championship, and they also don't want to lose!"
"They went 15-0 in the playoffs this year! This is another chance to go undefeated in the playoffs! The Pacers won't let this opportunity slip away! They won't let such a good chance slip by."
"So, I agree with your statement that Game 3 of the series was one of the five most exciting games in NBA history, Kenny."
"But I don't think the Lakers can win this game, I don't think they can beat the Pacers tonight!"
"Tonight is the night the Pacers will be crowned with their fourth consecutive championship! We'll see!"
Barkley and Kenny were arguing about the outcome of the game, while the ten starting players from both sides had already taken to the court.
That night, the Pacers didn't change their lineup. They had won three games in a row, and there was no reason for them to change their lineup.
But after losing three games in a row and being pushed to the brink, the Lakers finally changed!
Or rather, Jackson was finally going to take a desperate gamble!
He made a change that surprised and even shocked everyone.
Take down Fisher.
Well, getting Fisher isn't a particularly shocking change. After all, if the Lakers were to make a lineup change, getting Fisher, who has the lowest profile and the most unremarkable performance, would be the most appropriate and conventional approach.
What was surprising about Jackson was the players he substituted.
He's not a regular rotation player for teams like Shaw, Horry, or Fox.
He was the rookie the team drafted this year, who hadn't played a single minute in the first two games of the series, only playing 8 minutes in the third game due to foul trouble with key players.
Tayshaun Prince!
In the Lakers' strong and championship-caliber team, Prince didn't get many good opportunities throughout the year. He only played 41 games in the regular season, averaging less than 8 minutes of playing time and only 2.1 points and 1.4 rebounds per game.
In the playoffs, he was basically banned from playing, appearing in only 5 games in total, with less than 5 minutes of playing time in each game. In other words, he only appeared during garbage time!
Those 8 minutes in the last game marked Prince's first time entering the team's rotation in this year's playoffs.
As for his performance
It was alright. I contributed one steal and one rebound, and scored 2 points on 1-for-1 shooting on offense. Other than that, I didn't have any other statistics.
No matter how you look at it, this guy shouldn't be the Lakers' starting player at this point.
"Jackson's player selection is truly unpredictable! Why would he field a rookie who has never even entered the team's regular rotation at this time? Even if it's a fake starter, even if it's just a test, there's absolutely no need to go to such lengths and make such a big fuss."
"Jackson could have had much better methods and candidates!"
Kenny also said he completely didn't understand Jackson's substitution!
"Maybe it will have a surprising effect?" Barkley said tentatively, while taking out Prince's draft report from a stack of documents in his hand.
"A mature senior player with average potential but a high level of completion. He is tall and slender with near-perfect size, strong will, and tough defense. He is a natural defender, good at three-pointers, fast breaks, and layups, and has good finishing ability and excellent basketball IQ."
"The downsides are that he is too thin and his ball-handling ability is mediocre. He knows a lot of offensive skills, but most of them are not at the NBA level."
After reading Prince's rookie report, Barkley looked at Kenny and said, "Why do you think Jackson suddenly substituted Prince in at this time?"
"I think the biggest reason is his maturity and composure!" Kenny said. "TyShawn played four full years in the NCAA. Compared to other rookies, he is definitely more experienced. There's no need to worry about him being intimidated. At the same time, his size, defense, and speed can greatly help the Lakers on the defensive end."
"This is a kind of help that the Lakers' other bench players can't provide."
"But do you think he can have a breakout performance in this match, or become the key to victory?"
"I can only say I don't know. We'll only know after the fighting starts!"
"But from any perspective, I hope tonight's game is exciting and intense! I hope Prince and all the players on the court will deliver outstanding performances and give us a perfect night!"
"Alright, look, both teams' players have entered the field, and the match is about to officially begin!"
"Beep beep!"
The referee quickly blew the whistle to start the game, which was a win-or-go-home situation for the Lakers!
O'Neal displayed overwhelming power from the start, slapping the ball into Kobe's hand with a fierce slap. As the only guard in this point guard-less lineup, Kobe raised a hand to signal everyone not to rush.
Then, he slowly dribbled the ball to the frontcourt, preparing to attack.
While directing his teammates' movements, Kobe showed no intention of attacking himself. Since he was playing point guard, he had to suppress his personal offensive desires.
Especially tonight, in a game where the team has been completely pushed to the brink, Kobe needs to stay calm!
Kobe started with a pick-and-roll with Malone, quickly creating space to face Webber. Then, after Malone dropped into the low post, Kobe lobbed the ball to Malone, letting him isolate and attack Christie.
Facing Christie, who was much shorter and at least 20 kilograms lighter than him, Malone easily dominated her, using his height and weight to turn and lay up the basket, making a solid 2-point play!
"The Lakers' offensive strategy has indeed changed! Instead of starting with Shaq and Kobe in isolation plays, they're having Malone mismatch against Christie! This tactic is quite unexpected, and Malone's success rate against Christie is quite high!"
No sooner had Barkley finished speaking than Lin Tian had already dribbled the ball up the court. Facing Kobe's defense, Lin Tian dribbled between his legs for a series of times before suddenly accelerating and forcing his way to the basket. With a powerful one-handed shot, the ball bypassed O'Neal's block and went in off the backboard!
Kenny added, "The Lakers seem to be trying to start with their role players, but the Pacers seem to be relying on their superstars to solve the problem. In this play, no one else on the Pacers touched the ball; Lin Tian practically drove the length of the court to make that layup!"
"Let's see if both sides will stick to the strategy from the first round!"
The Lakers' offense still started with Kobe in possession of the ball. He then set a screen for Malone once again, but this time, after drawing a double team, Kobe passed the ball to Kirilenko. Kirilenko took a step towards the paint and then passed the ball again.
Prince got the basketball in the corner, and then, without any hesitation or stage fright, he pulled up and shot from beyond the three-point line!
"Whoosh!"
"Great shot!" Kenny yelled. "Prince held his nerve under pressure, and that three-pointer is definitely a good thing for his confidence! He'll probably play even more confidently from now on! If he can contribute a bit more on the defensive end, the Pacers will have an even bigger headache!"
Both commentators spoke very fast, but the Pacers' offense was even faster!
Before Kenny could finish speaking, and even wanted to praise Prince's decisiveness again, Lin Tian had already launched his attack!
In the second round, Lin Tian unleashed the Pacers' trump card.
Lin Dan sets a screen!
Lin Tian had the ball, and Jordan quickly stepped up to run a pick-and-roll with him.
Then the two players simultaneously cut towards the inside from the left and right.
As Lin Tian dribbled rapidly forward, he reached the edge of the three-second zone and encountered O'Neal's help defense. Suddenly, he placed the ball behind his back with one hand, making O'Neal think that Lin Tian was going to make a behind-the-back pass.
But before O'Neal could even move his body slightly towards Jordan, Lin Tian's left hand was already in front of him again, the basketball still in his hand!
"You can't fool me!" O'Neal roared. This time, he didn't hesitate and quickly rushed towards Lin Tian. He felt that Lin Tian was definitely going to do it himself!
But basketball disappeared once again!
It's still a behind-the-back pass!
After pulling the ball in front of him, Lin Tian pulled it back behind him again and passed it to Jordan on the other side.
At that moment, no one could stop Jordan from attacking the basket!
"boom!"
After a loud bang, Jordan slammed home a one-handed dunk, scoring 2 points for his team!
Then it was the Lakers' turn to attack, and this time they finally got the ball to O'Neal in the low post.
O'Neal held the basketball with one hand, observing the Pacers' defense, and then suddenly spun around to the baseline. As Webber came to help defend, O'Neal also showed his playmaking talent!
With a one-handed through ball, he sent the basketball flying past Webber's waist and into Kirilenko's hands behind Webber.
Jump and shoot.
"Whoosh!"
Kirilenko continued his cold-blooded approach, scoring 2 points with a floater after receiving the ball!
Then, with Kobe immediately marking Lin Tian and preventing him from easily receiving the ball and advancing the ball, Jordan got the basketball and took Lin Tian's place to start advancing the ball towards the frontcourt.
Then, it was Lin Dan's pick-and-roll again!
Lin Tian stepped forward to block Kirilenko, and the two quickly switched positions at the top of the arc, followed by both cutting inside to the basket at the same time!
The only difference from the last time was that this time Lin Tian only ran one step inside before suddenly making a reverse run, rushing out towards the three-point line instead.
Kirilenko was stunned for a moment. In addition, Lin Tian subtly nudged him with his shoulder as he ran out, giving him a push that caused Kirilenko to stumble and fail to chase after him immediately.
In the blink of an eye, Lin Tian had enough time to break through the three-point line, receive Jordan's pass, and then sink the three-pointer!
The Pacers' two stars were on fire again today!
On the Lakers' side, this time Malone scored. Kobe drove into the paint, drew a double team, and then made a last-second pass to Malone, who slammed home a dunk!
This time, the Pacers didn't run pick-and-rolls. Instead, they went straight to Jordan and had him post up against Kirilenko for a score!
"Beautiful! Both teams played exceptionally well offensively tonight! And we can clearly see that both teams have brought out their full potential and strength!"
Barkley couldn't help but continue his analysis: "And if you look closely, you can actually see that the two sides have completely different playing styles!"
"The quality of both teams' stars is undeniable; I'd even dare say that four of the top five players in the league today are in tonight's game!"
"Although both sides have top stars, the Pacers' style of play is to have two absolute core players constantly exert their offensive power and keep taking shots to score. All of their points so far have come from Lin and Michael."
"The Lakers are the complete opposite. They use Kobe and Shaq as bait, constantly passing the ball to their other players to score. So far in the game, every Lakers player except Kobe and Shaq has scored!"
Kenny continued, "Two completely different basketball styles, a clash and collision of two philosophies! Let's see tonight whether the Lakers' team basketball prevails and allows them to escape defeat, or whether the Pacers' superstar basketball can secure their fourth consecutive victory and lift the Larry O'Brien Trophy!"
As the two commentators analyzed the game, it progressed rapidly on the court. Just as they said, the Lakers took ball sharing and teamwork to the extreme tonight!
Jackson, who was often criticized for relying on superstars to win games but lacking a system to build, proved tonight that when he wants to play tactics and play as a team, he plays better than anyone else!
The Pacers continued to rely on their superstars to pave the way, either through Jordan's isolation plays, Lin Tian's isolation plays, or unstoppable pick-and-rolls between the two. In short, almost all of the Pacers' offensive shot attempts were concentrated on those two.
第一节比赛，双方的效率都算不错，湖人队登场的7名球员全部有得分入帐，而球队的绝对核心科比和奥尼尔这两人却在第一节分别只拿到4分2板3助攻和5分4板2助攻。
Their offensive firepower was completely dispersed!
On the other hand, the Pacers had the opposite situation. Lin Tian and Jordan scored 13 and 11 points respectively, accounting for more than 70% of the team's total points! Apart from these two, the rest of the Pacers only scored 9 points in total!
33: 31!
In the first quarter, the Pacers led by 2 points!
In the second quarter, neither side fielded their full starting lineup, opting instead to use their rotation players.
After all, by this point in the season, even players with ample stamina and excellent physical condition are nearing their limits and could collapse from exhaustion at any moment.
Therefore, necessary rest must be provided!
But the similarities between the two teams don't stop there; both the Lakers and the Pacers have opted to rest only one of their key players.
The Pacers rested Lin Tian, who had played the entire first quarter, while Jordan, who had already rested for a while in the first quarter, led the team into the game.
The Lakers were the same. Kobe, who played the entire first quarter, sat on the bench to catch his breath, while O'Neal led the rest of the team to continue the fight!
This time, both sides changed their tactics from the first quarter.
With Lin Tian absent, the Pacers were left with only Jordan, so their double-teaming of him was faster and more decisive! Jordan's response to the double-team was to pass the ball repeatedly, finding open teammates to solve the problem!
On the Lakers' side, O'Neal, who barely attacked or took shots in the first quarter, no longer held back his firepower, constantly attacking Miller's defense under the basket, taking on one-on-one situations when the Pacers didn't help defend.
He didn't care who the Pacers were guarding, and he was too lazy to even observe the opponent's defensive matchups.
As long as he's not double-teamed, Shaq is a monster! He scores almost anything under the basket!
Whether it was Ben Wallace, Miller, or Webber, none of the Pacers' interior players who lined up to take the court could stop O'Neal's one-on-one attacks!
Less than five minutes into the second quarter, O'Neal had already scored eight points on four of six shots!
The Lakers, on the other hand, did the opposite. Because they were in such good form in the first quarter, and with Lin Tian out of the game, the Lakers immediately double-teamed Jordan. Faced with the double-team, Jordan chose a rational approach.
Parker cuts to the basket, Christie passes to the three-point line, and Ben Wallace makes an alley-oop pass.
Compared to O'Neal's firepower, the Pacers' scoring speed was just as fast!
In the first four minutes of the second quarter, the game remained extremely close, with neither side able to completely change the situation. Although the Lakers managed to take the lead several times, they were unable to maintain it. Overall, the game was incredibly intense!
43: 42!
Five minutes into the second quarter, both coaches took advantage of an official timeout to make substitutions, with Kobe, Malone, Lin Tian, Christie, and others entering the game, officially kicking off the final stage of the first half!
With both sides fielding their core lineups, their playing styles changed once again.
For the Lakers, O'Neal once again left his usual spot in the paint. He ran out to the three-point line, set a screen for Kobe, and then immediately turned and cut to the basket, trying to receive the ball and create an offensive opportunity.
The Pacers' defensive focus was immediately tricked by O'Neal, and Ben Wallace immediately turned around and followed O'Neal as he tried to walk towards the basket.
Ben Wallace's turn was not a big deal, but Jordan, who was supposed to be guarding Kobe, was blocked by Shaq, and Ben Wallace did not guard Kobe. Kobe, who was beyond the three-point line, was thus given a fairly open opportunity!
Kobe wouldn't let such an opportunity slip by so easily. He paused slightly beyond the three-point line to steady himself, and then, taking advantage of the moment before the help defense came up, he changed his previous steady and calm approach and took a three-point shot!
"Whoosh!"
After a crisp crack, the Los Angeles fans once again raised their arms and roared!
We've taken the lead!
It has to be our 'Peter Pan'!
"Communicate more! Always communicate when defending! Whether it's a pick-and-roll or you're blocked from seeing the situation on the court, always remember to communicate!"
Lin Tian received the ball from the baseline, stretched out his hand and shouted loudly, reminding his teammates to pay attention to the Lakers' screens and picks, while emphasizing the importance of communication on the court.
Then, Lin Tian accelerated again!
He once again broke through Kobe's defense, drove all the way to the basket, and, despite Malone's defense, scored another layup with one hand!
After this round, the tactical approaches of both teams became quite clear.
The Lakers started playing their trump card, the OK pick-and-roll, which they rarely use. They brought out their signature move in the first half and began frequently executing pick-and-roll plays on the court.
As for Lin Tian and Jordan, the two were determined to turn the game into a personal show, with each of them almost taking on one player at a time, constantly using one-on-one duels to destroy the Lakers' defense!
That is, the Pacers, which have two of the league's best one-on-one players, Jordan and Lin Tian. Either of them could score 5-60 points in a single game and single-handedly take down an entire team.
Now that they're together, they're both in great form and focused on scoring.
At the same time, if you dare to double-team these two, their vision and passing ability can completely break down your defensive formation in no time!
When these two are on the court together, it's a nightmare for every team in the league.
When you encounter two people like this together, what can you do besides praying and constantly cursing "FUXX" in amazement at their incredible shots?
Even Jackson couldn't do anything about it.
Honestly, the Lakers' defensive resources are already terrifying enough. They have O'Neal and Malone in the paint, Kirilenko and Prince on the wings, both tall and long-armed natural defensive talents, and even in the backcourt, they have Kobe, one of the best backcourt defenders in history.
With such limited defensive resources, they simply couldn't withstand the Pacers' firepower.
What could Jackson do?
He was helpless too!
What kind of good family could possibly have gathered two such monsters together?!
Anyway, Jackson really had no way to deal with these two.
The only method he could think of was to fight back!
Aside from trusting his players' offensive firepower, Jackson really didn't have any other options.
Well, if praying to God to prevent those two guys from scoring again counts as a solution, then Jackson has this last trick up his sleeve.
In short, in the following match, both sides once again launched an offensive offensive. Although the efficiency was not top-notch, overall, neither side had many ways to deal with the other!
Meanwhile, the score remained close throughout.
For most of the game, both teams stuck to their own style of play. The Lakers played as a team, and unless there was an exceptional opportunity, they would always pass the ball to open players to allow role players to attack as much as possible.
Meanwhile, the Pacers continued their duo of Lin Tian and Jordan, whose scoring kept rising. The Lakers dared not take a chance on these two, and were forced into a very passive and uncomfortable situation.
However, because both sides focus on offense and don't put much effort into defense, and both coaches prefer to change the team's situation through offense rather than defense, the pace of the game is very fast, regardless of the efficiency of both sides or whether they are scoring goals.
There were few timeouts and few fouls/free throws. Both sides even wanted to launch their baseline and sideline balls immediately to avoid slowing down their own progress!
How fast-paced was this match?
In the blink of an eye, the game is about to end!
105: 107!
With five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the score difference between the two teams was only two points!
The Lakers currently hold a 2-point advantage.
By this point in the game, both the players and coaches were nearing their limits, their physical and mental strength were extremely strained and exhausted.
They were all exhausted!
As the game entered the second half, both coaches became more cautious in their player selections. The four star players did not rest for a second, and the other key players only had a few minutes of rest.
Both coaches were extremely cautious that night!
Carlisle didn't want to give the Lakers any chance to turn things around or catch their breath; he didn't care if any team in the league's history had ever come back from a 0-3 deficit.
Anyway, he didn't want to make history.
As for Jackson, needless to say, this is their last chance, and Jackson will definitely seize it!
At this point in the game, Kobe Bryant had recorded a triple-double with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists—his first triple-double in his Finals career! Shaquille O'Neal had also scored 20 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, dished out 6 assists, and blocked 3 shots. Both of them played incredibly rationally, restrainedly, and logically tonight!
Although they still scored the team's highest and second-highest points, their number of shots was far below their average in previous games!
Besides these two, Malone scored 17 points and 6 rebounds, Kirilenko scored 15 points, and Prince, who was promoted to the starting lineup tonight, also lived up to expectations, hitting 3 three-pointers and attacking the basket twice, and has already scored 13 points!
In addition, players like Fisher and Fox on the bench also contributed to the team's offense tonight.
The situation for the Pacers is exactly the opposite of that for the Lakers!
So far, only three players on the team have scored in double figures: Lin Tian with 40 points and Jordan with 35 points! The firepower of these two players is almost equivalent to that of the Lakers' five starters!
With the Lakers' OK duo following Jackson's advice and playing with extreme restraint, the Pacers' two players have completely unleashed their firepower. Judging from their form, these two are likely to combine for over 100 points tonight!
During this timeout, Jackson glanced at the score, then pulled everyone on the team together and said, "The next five minutes could be the last five minutes of our season, or it could be the last five minutes of our team playing together."
"If we lose again this year, I think we might face the misfortune of disintegration next season. To be honest, after such a season, after such a season of giving it our all, I'm really not willing to be swept out of the competition like this!"
"In these final five minutes, let's give it our all! Let's offer everything we can!"
"Let's win this game for our dignity!"
"Kobe, Shaq! You played almost perfectly for the first 40 minutes, I couldn't find a single flaw, but now it's the last 5 minutes, the game is yours!"
"Do whatever you want! Go! Unleash your full potential and crush the Pacers!"
"clear!"
With Jackson's motivational speech, the Lakers' starting five stepped onto the court with renewed vigor!
Like the Lakers, the Pacers did not make any substitutions at this time.
Full starting lineups, another showdown!
Now, let's see if these remaining five minutes are the final five minutes of the season! (End of Chapter)