The format of the NBA Finals was originally a 2-3-2 format. For example, last year's Finals between the Heat and the Spurs, they played two games at the Heat's home court, then returned to the Spurs' home court to play three games, and finally played at the Heat's home court. Two games. This competition system lasted from 1985 to the 2013 finals.
In October 2013, the then NBA commissioner David Stern decided to change the finals format to 2-2-1-1-1. After both sides played two consecutive games at home, there would be three games. Swapping home games. Future finals will also increase the rest time, making it take 17 days to complete a series.
Therefore, the fifth game between the two sides will be held at the Heat's home court.
June 15, AmericanAirlines Arena, Miami. Although it was a home game, the surrounding spectators still couldn't hide their disappointment.
The Heat are already 1-3 behind, and no team in the history of the Finals has ever been able to complete a comeback from a 1-3 deficit. Many fans know that this game may be the last performance of the Big Three at home this season. Even if they can survive this home game, they may still end up losing in Los Angeles.
But Miami fans don’t know that this is James’ last performance as a Heat player for professional fans. When James returns to American Airlines Arena next season, he will be wearing a Cleveland Cavaliers jersey. .
On the court, James was still working so hard, and he was obviously unwilling to fail. In this game, James once again transformed into an all-around warrior, scoring, rebounding, and assisting. He took almost all the work on himself.
The Lakers' offense was not as smooth as in the previous games, mainly in terms of shooting percentage. Even Zhang Guan failed to score three-pointers many times in a row, wasting more shot opportunities.
In the first half of the game, the Heat temporarily led the Lakers by 4 points, 54 to 50. However, this four-point advantage was all lost at the beginning of the third quarter. The Lakers took advantage of their recovery and launched a 12-4 offensive climax, which actually led to a lead.
However, in the crucial fourth quarter, James once again showed his leadership qualities. He scored 18 points in the fourth quarter alone. Ray Allen and Chalmers also contributed 2 three-pointers each in the fourth quarter. , and ultimately helped the Miami Heat narrowly defeat the Lakers 113-110 at home.
Although the Heat avoided losing at home, anyone with a discerning eye can see that the Heat are now supported by James alone, while the Lakers use a 12-man rotation, and the playing time of several starting players is also limited. It didn't last more than 20 minutes, so he was obviously building up his strength.
For the Lakers, this game is more like taking the initiative to avoid the edge. After all, the Heat will definitely fight against the enemy. The Lakers might as well wait until they return to their home court in Los Angeles to end the relationship with the Heat.
Two days later, on June 17, Game 6 of the Finals came to Los Angeles.
Nothing excites fans more than winning a home game. The last time Los Angeles won a home championship was back in 2010. At that time, the Los Angeles Lakers faced the Big Three of the Celtics. The two sides reached the seventh game. In that game, the defensive competition between the two sides was a bayonet. Red, Rasheed Wallace and Garnett came on the field with six fouls, and each also received five fouls. The winner was decided at the end of the game. The Lakers finally defeated the Celtics 83-79 and won the championship.
After four years, the Lakers once again have the opportunity to win the championship at home.
…
Kobe was wearing a suit and sitting on the sidelines with a smile on his face, but there was an inexplicable feeling in his heart.
Sitting on the sidelines, watching his teammates continue to score goals, watching the team get closer and closer to victory... Kobe never thought that he would win the sixth championship in his career in this way.
Kobe has participated in a total of 7 finals and won five of them. In each finals, he was the most important player on the court, but today he has to sit on the bench and look at his teammates as a spectator. Fighting on the court is such a strange feeling, not to mention that if his teammates win, Kobe will also get a championship ring, or he will get a championship ring.
"Get a championship ring?" Kobe suddenly laughed at himself. Back then, he once laughed at O'Neal, saying that he hugged Wade's lap in order to win the championship, and that he joined the Cavaliers and Celtics just to win. A championship ring, but today, he was reduced to "getting" a championship ring with the team.
"After today, I will definitely be laughed at by that damn fat guy!" Kobe stared at the field helplessly, but there was an impatience in his heart. He wanted to go onto the court and have fun like other players. Play a ball dripping wet.
For those who know how to play, it is also a torture to stand on the sidelines and watch others play without being able to play in person.
At this time, the two sides were still going back and forth, and the Lakers were slightly ahead, but the lead was not enough to secure a victory.
"Zhang Guan didn't have a strong desire to score today. He only scored 6 points in the first quarter. It was almost 5 minutes into the second quarter and he only scored 10 points."
"But Zhang Guan's other statistics are very good. He seems to have grabbed 9 rebounds now and has 8 assists. Zhang Guan is very comprehensive today. He has only played less than 15 minutes and is about to get it." It’s a triple-double. On the other hand, James has already scored 22 points, and maybe he can score 30 points in the first half.”
"Today, Zhang Guan and James seem to have been completely swapped. In the past, it was James who had a triple-double and Zhang Guan was scoring like crazy, but now it's Zhang Guan who is about to get a triple-double, and James is scoring like crazy."
While everyone was talking, Zhang Guan assisted Gasol to score, and then Wade of the Heat missed a mid-range shot. Zhang Guan grabbed the defensive rebound, and then cooperated with Whiteside for an aerial leverage. At this time, Zhang Guan's data has reached a triple-double of 10 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
The TV broadcaster promptly printed a subtitle, which showed that it only took 16 minutes for Zhang Guan to complete the triple-double.
"The fastest triple-double in history, 16 minutes. This is the fastest triple-double in history! One minute faster than Jim Tucker's 17-minute triple-double in 1955."
After the commentator explained this, everyone understood that Zhang Guan had unknowingly broken a new NBA record.
This sudden "fastest triple-double" dealt a heavy blow to the Heat's morale. Chalmers was somewhat affected. He hesitated slightly when shooting, and then blocked another shot by Zhang Guan.
Wade is also considered to have quick eyesight and quick hands. He grabbed the ball and took off to shoot.
Zhang Guan immediately rushed forward, jumped up high, and stretched out his hand to cover Wade's face.
"So high!" Wade was shocked, but he had already made the move to take off and shoot. Now that the arrow was on the string and he had to shoot, he had no choice but to throw the ball out.
"Bang!" Zhang Guan slapped the ball accurately and blocked the ball again.
"Zhang Guan, blocked two shots in a row, no, three times!"
While the commentator shouted, Wade caught the ball again after losing the ball and threw it directly to the basket. This time Zhang Guan only jumped slightly and blocked the ball.
The sound of 24 seconds sounded. At this time, everyone realized that the 24-second attack time had expired. Wade had no choice but to make a hasty shot just now, but ended up blocking Zhang Guan.
"Thanks to the three consecutive blocks just now, Zhang Guan has blocked 6 shots. Before the first half is over, Zhang Guan has blocked 6 shots. Maybe he can get a 'quadruple-double' today!" "The commentator said in amazement.
The term quadruple-double is really too far away for the NBA. If you don't count errors, the last quadruple-double dates back to 1994. David Robinson scored 34 points against the Pistons. 10 rebounds, 10 assists, and 10 blocks. After entering the 21st century, Kidd once had a quadruple-double due to 14 turnovers.
…
"Ray Allen, three-pointer!" The DJ lowered his voice, as if he didn't want to mention the name.
"This old guy seems to be able to fight. I relaxed my defense a little and threw two three-pointers." Zhang Guan glanced at Ray Allen in surprise, and couldn't help but feel sorry for the 39-year-old veteran. A hint of admiration. This season, Ray Allen averaged 9.6 points per game. Although this was achieved in 26.5 minutes per game, considering that the Heat's ball rights are mainly concentrated in the hands of the Big Three, this score is normal.
What's more, at the age of 39, he can still play an average of more than 25 minutes per game, which shows that Ray Allen is indeed in good condition.
As the saying goes, you can’t tell the difference without comparison. Nash in the Lakers is considered a peer of Ray Allen, but looking at Nash’s current physical condition, he only plays for more than ten minutes in a game, and sometimes there are still defensive loopholes on the court. Ci Shiping, who is several years younger than him, although his physical confrontation and defense are still very good, he can't run after playing for more than 20 minutes. On the contrary, Ray Allen is no worse than the young man on both offense and defense.
Even though Ray Allen is 39 years old, as long as he stands outside the three-point line, the Lakers have to free up a man to keep an eye on him. Such a cunning guy can suddenly run out to pick up a ball. If the ball comes in an open position, it can cause huge damage.
It's just that most of the Heat's ball rights cannot reach Ray Allen's hands. Even if Wade and Bosh don't have very good touch, they will get the right to take shots second only to James.
With Ray Allen's two three-pointers at the end of the first half, the Heat managed to hold on to the score and trailed the Lakers 51-55, ending the first half.
…
Bosh cooperated with Cole in pick-and-rolls twice in a row, and then successfully scored, scoring five points in a row. He finally looked like a giant.
In terms of the quality of pick-and-rolls, Bosh is relatively poor. Some even say that Bosh is the star insider who is least able to play pick-and-rolls. However, after substitute Norris Cole came on the scene, the two played a very pure cooperation, which seemed to be more pure than the cooperation with James.
The two cooperated in a pick-and-roll again, and the ball went into Bosh's hands. However, this time Zhang Guan rushed directly to double-team Bosh.
Double-teaming the outside ball carrier was originally the Heat's best defensive tactic, but Zhang Guan suddenly used it like this. The Heat seemed to have been punched by themselves, and they were really uncomfortable. Zhang Guan's hands were also quick, and he took advantage of it. The moment Bosh passed the ball, he intercepted the ball.
Oppressive high-intensity defense, coupled with interceptions of passing routes, is the defensive strategy used by the Lakers in the second half. This defensive strategy is very gambling. If you are not careful, you will miss someone, often like that. Only a very resilient team will use this kind of defense. However, the Lakers do not rely on defense to make a living. In the Lakers' tactical system, constant scoring is the key. As for defense, in many cases, as long as they can get their own defensive rebounds, it is considered a passing rate.
Since it was a life-and-death battle, the Heat's main players played relatively long minutes, especially the Big Three, who had almost no rest. James did not rest for a minute in the first two quarters and played a full 24 minutes; Bosh only rested for two minutes; Wade rested for four minutes, which is the longest rest among the Big Three.
The Heat's Big Three did not rest, and the Lakers' two main players, Zhang Guan and Gasol, did not dare to rest easily. Therefore, in the third quarter of the game, both sides' shooting percentages dropped, and their mistakes gradually increased.
James was holding the ball, and Wesley Johnson on the opposite side also knew that the two sides were not on the same level, so he simply took two steps back to defend. But even so, James still chose to break through. Obviously James also knew that with Wesley Johnson's defense level, not enough to stop yourself.
Wesley Johnson is one of those players who has outstanding physical talent but a very low ceiling. He entered the NBA with the No. 4 overall pick, but has never played at a level that matches him. There are many similar players in the United States who have outstanding physical talents. They could crush their opponents with their physical talents in high school or college. However, after entering the NBA, facing a large group of muscular players, their physical talents can no longer crush their opponents. And if there is no improvement in technology, they will gradually become marginalized.
Now facing James, Wesley Johnson's defensive effect is really not as good as Ci Shiping. Ci Shiping has the weight and experience. Facing the advancement of a "human tank" like James, he has the capital to fight, and Wesley The same cannot be said for Leigh Johnson, who needs someone to help defend him.
Zhang Guan immediately rushed to help defend, and James passed the ball to Wade. However, James never expected that this was a flaw deliberately exploited by Zhang Guan. When James passed the ball, Zhang Guan stepped back fiercely, reached out and intercepted the ball again.
"It's broken! Zhang Guan holds the ball on a fast break. The Heat's replay is very fast. Zhang Guan is even faster. He lays up and scores two points! It's 21 points. In the fourth quarter, Zhang Guan's score finally exceeded 20 points! But Zhang Guan’s other statistics are very eye-catching, 14 rebounds, 15 assists, 8 blocks and 7 steals. Zhang Guan is far away from a quadruple-double, with only 2 blocks or 3 steals left! The rest! In the last 10 minutes, Zhang Guan should be able to do 2 blocks or 3 steals. The last quadruple-double in the NBA happened twenty years ago. Twenty years later, we may be able to do it in today's game. Witness a quadruple-double!”
As the commentator was talking, the Lakers made a pass error. After successfully stealing the ball, Wade immediately took the ball for a fast break, while Zhang Guan followed closely behind and took advantage of Wade's layup to send a flying block.
"Damn, I was fooled. If it had been seven or eight years ago, I would have dunked directly. How could I have been fooled!" Wade thought to himself, and at the same time, he flew forward and grabbed the basketball. He didn't have time to lay up again. , Zhang Guan had already pounced in front of Wade.
"There is no chance for a fast break, let's attack from a position!" Wade was about to stop the ball and waited for his teammates to come over, but Zhang Guan reached out again and quickly fired the ball.
"Steal, Zhang Guan stole! In the blink of an eye, Zhang Guan added a block and a steal to his statistics. He is only one block away from a quadruple-double!"
However, Zhang Guan did not insist on blocking this shot, but increased the intensity of the press.
With 7 minutes left before the end of the game, Zhang Guan successfully intercepted Chalmers' pass, and his number of steals changed only 9 times.
With 6 minutes left before the end of the game, Zhang Guan made a steal and committed a foul.
With 5 minutes left before the end of the game, Zhang Guan stole the ball again, but unfortunately the ball went out of bounds.
With 4 minutes left before the end of the game, James made a breakthrough but was blocked by Whiteside. Just as James was about to pass the ball, Gasol immediately pounced on James. James had stopped the ball. With no hope of a layup, he could only He was able to pass the ball, but James' intention to pass the ball was too obvious. Zhang Guan flew up into the air and successfully stole the ball again.
"10 steals, quadruple-double! After 20 years, another quadruple-double was born! And it was a quadruple-double of steals. It was the second quadruple-double of steals in history. Only Erwin Robertson had made a steal before. Quadruple-doubles! Other players, Nate Thurmond, Olajuwon, and David Robinson, all had four-doubles in blocked shots." The commentator exclaimed.
These people who have got quadruple-doubles are all well-known figures in the NBA. In addition to the people mentioned in the commentary, there is another person who must have got a quadruple-double, and that is Chamberlain, but Chamberlain's one There is no statistics on blocked shots in the era, and Chamberlain's official data can only stay at a triple-double. According to the impressions of the audience, commentators, and technical statisticians at the time, Chamberlain once scored 22 points, 25 rebounds, and 21 rebounds against the Pistons in 1968. A 20+ super quadruple-double with assists and 22 blocks.
The score at this time was 109 to 101. The Lakers led by 8 points, and the ball was still in the hands of the Lakers. The Heat's situation was already very passive. Then Whiteside made a successful tip-in, which even extended the score gap to double digits.
There are more than three minutes left before the end of the game, and it is quite difficult for the Heat to chase ten points in three minutes. At this point, the Heat can only resort to foul tactics!
Rashard Lewis shot a three-pointer, but the basketball missed the basket and the Heat immediately fouled Whiteside.
Whiteside's free throw shooting percentage was not high, only about 50%. He missed two free throws after standing on the free throw line, which seemed to give the Heat hope. An athlete who is inaccurate in free throws happens to be using the "shark tactic" on the court.
James scored the ball with a single mid-range throw, narrowing the score gap to 8 points again. Then the Heat continued to foul Whiteside, and Whiteside still missed two free throws.
James once again broke through and scored, resulting in two plus one. However, James' free throws were still so unreliable. Such a crucial extra penalty was not scored. The difference between the two sides was 6 points. The Lakers took advantage of James's free throw to beat White. Seid replaced him to prevent him from becoming the target of being "chopped".
However, Whiteside only went down to rest for a short while, and when the game entered the last two minutes, he was immediately replaced. According to the rules, fouls can only be committed against the person holding the ball in the last two minutes. If an intentional foul is committed against a person without the ball, it will be counted as a physical foul. The opponent will not only have to make free throws, but will also continue to hold the ball. This rule is precisely to prevent the "shark-killing tactic" from appearing at the last moment of the game.
With Whiteside guarding the inside, the Heat became more cautious when attacking the basket. At least James didn't break through as unscrupulously as before. As Zhang Guan hit a key three-pointer, the score gap widened to 9 points again.
The Heat could only fight for three-pointers. James took the first shot and missed the three-pointer. Bosh desperately pushed the rebound outside the three-point line. James tried another three-pointer and finally scored.
At this time, except for taking a break at the end of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth quarter, James had been on the court the rest of the time. By the end of the game, his physical strength had bottomed out, which was obvious from his shooting posture. figure it out.
The Lakers attacked, and Zhang Guan's breakthrough caused Bosh to foul. After making two free throws, the game entered the last minute of competition.
The Heat quickly advanced to the frontcourt, and after several passes, the ball was once again given to James' hands.
James seized the fleeting opportunity and directly chose a three-point jumper. However, this time, his movements slowed down.
"I'm so tired. I feel like the basketball has become heavier, and my shooting posture has become deformed! No, if my posture is deformed, I will definitely not be able to make a shot." James thought of this and worked hard to adjust his shooting movements.
"Whoosh!" The basketball shot.
"Bah!" Zhang Guan slapped the ball out of bounds.
"Beautiful block! Wait, this is Zhang Guan's 10th block! In the last minute of the game, Zhang Guan got his 10th block! 27 points, 16 rebounds, 17 assists, 10 blocks and 10 steals , five-double! The first five-double data in NBA history was born!"
(End of chapter)