"Manu, keep an eye on me the whole time. Finley, wait for the opportunity to double-team."
Zhang Zhiyuan scored 14 points in the first half of the quarter, and Popovich could not sit still, but he did not ask the players to double-team the whole game. He just replaced Oberto to add another striker on the court and increase the speed of defense.
After adjustments, the two sides returned to the court again.
The Spurs attacked, Ginobili ran quickly, and Zhang Zhiyuan spared no effort to pursue the defense.
Seeing Zhang Zhiyuan being so active and the team still leading, other Rockets players also ignited their fighting spirit and defended very actively.
The Spurs kept moving the ball, looking for the Rockets' loopholes.
Unfortunately, they didn't find a chance until 24 seconds later.
The Rockets completed a beautiful defense and then launched an offense.
Zhang Zhiyuan held the ball after halftime and saw that only Ginobili was still in front of him.
"Popovich also asked you to defend alone. Tell me honestly, did you offend him?"
Zhang Zhiyuan complained.
"Shut up, I can handle you alone."
Ginobili said angrily.
Zhang Zhiyuan smiled, and then suddenly broke through to the left. Ginobili quickly moved, Zhang Zhiyuan changed direction, and Ginobili also wanted to change direction, but unfortunately his body weight did not allow it, and he sat down directly on the ground.
Zhang Zhiyuan had a smooth road ahead, but he did not take the opportunity to break through. He wanted to win Ginobili's heart, and at the same time he wanted to show off.
He took two steps back with the ball, patted the basketball, hooked his hand toward Ginobili and said, "Get up, I'll give you another chance."
"Watfalk, what is he doing?"
Smith exclaimed.
Zhang Zhiyuan's behavior was too childish and he couldn't understand it.
Not only did he not understand, there were very few people in the world who could guess Zhang Zhiyuan's thoughts.
Ginobili couldn't stand the humiliation and stood up suddenly and rushed towards Zhang Zhiyuan.
Zhang Zhiyuan jumped up and took a shot, but Ginobili's slap hit Zhang Zhiyuan's arm.
The whistle blows and the thug commits a foul.
Immediately afterwards, the fans were surprised to find that the basketball fell into the basket.
"I prefer four points, what about you?"
Zhang Zhiyuan smiled at the fans.
"cool."
"******, well done."
"I prefer four points, too."
The fans at the scene cheered directly, this way of scoring was so damn domineering.
He didn't need a solid two points and had to force his opponent to defend, but in the end he got 4 points.
How big of a heart does one have to do such a crazy thing?
Perhaps, only those who dare to bet their careers can be so crazy.
Extra penalty hit.
15 to 27.
"Charles, eat."
Smith picked up a basketball from his feet and put it in front of Barkley, because Barkley had just said that as long as there was a more exciting goal than that dunk, he would eat a basketball.
"No, no, no, this goal is not as good as that dunk."
Buckley quickly argued.
"Please, don't be ridiculous. How could this ball be inferior to the dunk just now? A dunk is only 2 points, and this goal is 4 points. Many players can dunk, but which player would give up a solid two points and let him fall down?
The defender gets up again and takes another shot?"
Smith asked.
"This is just your opinion. I will only eat it if everyone agrees it is more beautiful."
Buckley.
No matter what Smith said, Barkley just didn't agree with it.
This scene actually made the fans very happy.
On the court, the Spurs attacked and relied on Duncan's rebound goal to recover two points.
17 to 27.
The Rockets attacked, and after Zhang Zhiyuan got the ball, Ginobili felt like he was facing a formidable enemy.
Zhang Zhiyuan's performance just now was so terrifying that he already had some fear in his heart.
Fortunately, Finley came over to double-team at this time, and Zhang Zhiyuan had no room to shoot, so he passed the ball to Battier.
Battier missed the shot.
This further strengthened Finley's determination to double-team. In the following rounds, Zhang Zhiyuan encountered double-teams.
Zhang Zhiyuan passed the ball twice, Battier hit one, and Juwan Howard missed one.
In addition to passing the ball, Zhang Zhiyuan also made two forced shots, but neither scored.
Fortunately, the Spurs' offensive efficiency is also declining, and the Rockets are still leading by double digits.
In the tenth minute, the Rockets faced a truly difficult moment.
Van Gundy replaced Yao Ming, and the Rockets lacked inside control.
Ever since, the Spurs put all their defense on the outside.
"It's all up to Zhang in these two minutes."
Smith said.
"This is a good time for Spurs to chase points."
Philip shouted excitedly.
"Hold on."
Zhang Lili.
The Rockets attacked, and Zhang Zhiyuan was double-teamed by Ginobili and Finley.
What's even worse is that both Lutherhead and Battier were blocked by Spurs players, and Zhang Zhiyuan couldn't find a passing target for a while.
Seeing that he was about to make a mistake, Zhang Zhiyuan jumped up and threw the ball towards the basket.
This shooting posture is very irregular and is purely a random throw.
However, this ball luckily triggered the 20% sure-hit mechanism.
The basketball hit the backboard and fell straight into the net.
"A double team of two people is not enough."
Zhang Zhiyuan got the answer.
"Damn it, he tricked me again."
Barkley complained.
"Does this ball count? He faced two double-teams and hit it with no space at all."
Smith asked.
"Of course not, it must be the kind of ball that comes only once in a thousand years, okay?"
Barkley continues to cheat.
The Spurs counterattacked, Juwan Howard missed the ball, and the new Elson shot from the basket and hit.
The Rockets attacked and Zhang Zhiyuan continued to be double-teamed.
He chose to force the shot and the ball missed.
But fans don't think he is unique. Besides him, fans don't know who else in the Rockets can shoot?
During the transition between offense and defense, the Spurs missed a shot.
In the next round, Zhang Zhiyuan was double-teamed and pretended to take action, but actually secretly threw the ball towards Luther Head.
The Spurs players' attention was focused on Zhang Zhiyuan, and they did not notice that Rutherhead had run into an open space.
Rutherhead made a three-pointer and scored.
The fans at the scene immediately applauded, but no one knew whether they were dedicated to Hyde or Zhang Zhiyuan.
Relying on Zhang Zhiyuan's strong shooting and distribution, the Rockets miraculously survived these two minutes.
At the end of the first quarter, 26 to 37, the Rockets led by 11 points.
Zhang Zhiyuan made 8 of 12 shots, 2 of 4 three-pointers, and 3 of 3 free throws. He scored 21 points in a single quarter.
"You played well. Your team's score has surpassed mine."
The moment the time ran out, Zhang Zhiyuan applauded the Spurs players.
Every one of the Spurs players fell to the bench in shame, and no one even had a fight with Zhang Zhiyuan.
"Don't be anxious, take your time, I don't believe he can play like this for a whole game. Even if he plays the whole game, he can't keep doing this all the time.
Such a shooting percentage. Even if he is amazing in this game, we will still win this series."
Popovich expressed relief.
His current mentality is relatively relaxed. Even if he loses this game, the Spurs still have a huge advantage.
What's more, they may not lose this game.
Only 11 points behind.
Not only Popovich thinks so, but most commentators and even fans still think so.
"How long can he last like this?"
Philip said disdainfully.
"This is just a desperate struggle. No one really thinks that the Rockets can reverse our team, haha."
The local San Antonio station's commentary is still struggling.
"It's a pity that such an excellent player with unlimited potential has to retire from the league."
abc tv.
"Director Zhang, is there any way to solve this problem? For example, the league does not allow him to retire, or our national team does not allow him to retire."
Sun Zhengping also talked about this topic.
"Of course the league and our national team are willing to do this, but now it seems that Xiao Zhang is determined to keep his promise."
Zhang Lili said helplessly.
"Then we can only pray for the Rockets to reverse course?"
Sun Zhengping expressed that he was speechless. This hope was too slim.
"Yes, at this point, we can only believe that he will create miracles."
Zhang Lili said.
"If he can really reverse it, that's really..."
Sun Zhengping couldn't find the right words to describe it for a while.
The short inter-section break is over and the second quarter officially begins.
Yao Ming, who had just rested for a while, came on, and Zhang Zhiyuan took a rest.
However, after only two rounds, Zhang Zhiyuan stood up and asked to play.
He found that the time limit for the arrival of gods was decreasing, and it was not suspended just because he was not on the field.
In other words, resting at this time is a waste.
"Zhang, I can understand your mood, but you need to rest now."
Van Gundy kindly reminded. Zhang Zhiyuan took many shots in the first quarter and was double-teamed many times. Every round was centered on him, which consumed a lot of money.
"After I die, I will have plenty of time to rest. Now I want to play the whole game."
Zhang Zhiyuan said.
Now that the words have come to this, Van Gundy can only compromise.
With Zhang Zhiyuan's appearance, Van Gundy once again took the blame, and the major commentators complained that he had no tactics and would only rely on the main force.
The Rockets attack, Zhang Zhiyuan catches the ball and beats Brent Barry.
As a pure shooter, how could Barry withstand a violent attack like Zhang Zhiyuan's?
Zhang Zhiyuan just touched him with his elbow, and the guy could only fall backwards, which looked like a fake fall.
Oh my god, Barry really didn't dive, he just had a weak defense.
After getting to the basket, Duncan jumped up and tried to block the shot.
Zhang Zhiyuan folded his body in the air, retracted the arm he was about to extend, avoided Duncan's block, and threw the ball from a different angle.
cast.
A pull-up layup.
30 to 41.
"Oh Maika, with this physical quality, are the scouts blind?"
Buckley exclaimed.
"Maybe it's because he's still growing. After all, he was less than 19 years old when he entered the draft."
Smith offered a reasonable guess.
The age of eighteen or nineteen is the golden age for men to gain muscle.
The Spurs attack, Duncan catches the ball and takes off.
Zhang Zhiyuan rushed from the outside, jumped from behind Duncan, and slapped the basketball.
After being stunned, Zhang Zhiyuan excitedly shook his finger at Duncan.
This is Uncle Mu's exclusive move. Anyone else who does it will get a kick out of it.
But this time, the referee hesitated with his whistle in his mouth and did not blow it in the end.
Mutombo laughed happily in the audience and even clapped.
Popovich was protesting to the referee and seemed very emotional.
In fact, there is nothing too extreme about this action, and it does no substantial harm to the Spurs.
But Popovich still protested angrily, successfully portraying the image of an aggrieved little daughter-in-law.
The game continues.
The Rockets attack and the Spurs are facing a formidable enemy.
Zhang Zhiyuan, however, struck while the iron was hot and took advantage of the opponent's panic to play singles with the ball.
After pushing away Barry, he turned around and shot a jumper, and the ball went in.
The Spurs immediately called a timeout, and Popovich replaced Barry and Horry with Finley and Ginobili. He also asked them to double-team Zhang Zhiyuan indefinitely.
He no longer cares about the other Rockets. If others can kill them, Popovich will admit it. In short, he doesn't want to see Zhang Zhiyuan score high scores.
The Spurs were double-teamed, and it immediately became much more difficult for Zhang Zhiyuan to score.
Although the strong throw has a 20% chance of triggering a sure hit, this efficiency is too low.
Therefore, Zhang Zhiyuan began to pass the ball and attract defense from the outside to create opportunities for his teammates.
Alston and Battier made consecutive shots.
Unfortunately, the efficiency is so-so.
3 out of 7 between the two of them cannot be considered a cheat, but they cannot be considered good either.
Fortunately, their continuous shots caused the Spurs' defense to shift to the outside. Then Yao Ming got a chance under the basket and scored two consecutive goals.
While Zhang Zhiyuan attracted the defense, he would also make sneak attacks from time to time.
Not only did he score, he also made it impossible for the Spurs to ignore him.
This style of play made the Spurs uncomfortable. With 30 seconds left in the first half, the score was already 44 to 62, and the Rockets led by 18 points.
Zhang Zhiyuan only scored 9 points in the second quarter, but under the repeated emphasis and explanations of the commentators and guests, the fans also understood the huge role Zhang Zhiyuan played on the court.
There was a dead ball on the field and Zhang Zhiyuan was replaced.
The camera followed his figure and didn't even care about the game on the field.
30 points in halftime of the Western Conference Finals, regardless of ancient times, this is already the second-highest score in NBA history.
The highest score was the 33 points Dirk Nowitzki scored last year, and he scored in the second half. If we look at the first half alone, Zhang Zhiyuan's 30 points were already the highest.
Of course, only in the Western Conference Finals.
Zhang Zhiyuan sat on the chair and took a few breaths, then called the team's uniform staff and asked him to drink water.
The teaching assistant immediately offered Gatorade.
Zhang Zhiyuan unscrewed the bottle cap and was about to drink water when Alston made a mistake on the court and the ball was knocked out of bounds by Parker.
The Rockets only had 1.3 seconds of attack time left.
"Let me go up and shoot."
Zhang Zhiyuan saw a good opportunity to show off, so he volunteered.
It doesn't matter even if he doesn't win, it's just a waste of an opportunity that had no hope. But if he succeeds, he can leave a classic picture again.
"All right."
Van Gundy doesn't matter either.
"Hold it for me first, and then drink it after I hit it."
Zhang Zhiyuan handed Gatorade to Van Gundy.
In ancient times, it was said that Chang warmed wine to kill Hua Xiong, but now he wants warm water to beat the buzzer.
"..."
Van Gundy was speechless about Zhang Zhiyuan's weird behavior. Seeing Zhang Zhiyuan's outstanding performance just now, he chose to do it.
When the whistle sounded, Zhang Zhiyuan used Battier's cover to shake off Ginobili and ran to the sidelines.
Hayes threw the ball lightly, and the basketball flew over Duncan's head and into Zhang Zhiyuan's hands.
Then Zhang Zhiyuan didn't adjust, just took off and threw the ball towards the basket.
After throwing it, he took two steps directly to Van Gundy, took the Gatorade and drank it, regardless of whether he made it or not.
"Buzzer."
"Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh... Selling cakes."
"Fuck Fuck beautifully."
.......
The deafening cheers made Zhang Zhiyuan understand that he had succeeded in pretending.
At this time, he became more and more calm and drank up the whole bottle of Gatorade.
"Damn it, he's tricked me again, I'm so jealous."
Barkley complained.
In just half the game, Zhang Zhiyuan has contributed three or four extremely exciting moments, which is a number that most players will never achieve in their lifetime.
Barkley had more than three or four wonderful moments, but none of them were as wonderful as Zhang Zhiyuan's.
"It's so cool. Why didn't I think of putting on a show like this when I finished the buzzer? I dare say that his drinking water action will definitely become a promotional poster for the league in the future and will definitely be selected into the top 50 wonderful moments in history...
..."
Before Smith could finish speaking, Buckley quickly interrupted: "Wait, stop, you've gone too far. What do you want to do?"
"You know, this ball is more exciting than the previous dunk. So, please have a meal."
Smith once again held a basketball in front of Barkley.
"Farke, can't you bring me a chocolate basketball?"
Barkley stared at the basketball and opened his mouth, but he couldn't say anything. Finally, he threw the basketball away and asked Smith to get a customized chocolate basketball.
His actions can be regarded as recognition of the wonderfulness of Zhang Zhiyuan's goal.
Of course, there is no need for him to admit that every fan has a steelyard in his heart.
"Wow...so handsome."
Xie Nan said infatuatedly.
"...."
Liu Yan was speechless, Xie Nan was right, he was really handsome.
"Are you sure you have nothing to do with him? Then I'm not polite. But will he like me? His hands are so big, and my two balls are not enough for him to grasp with one hand. Oh, no wonder he likes you."
Xie Nan continued to make fun of Liu Yan.
Of course, it is also possible that she expressed her true feelings in a joking way, and only she knows this.
Liu Yan suddenly blushed when she heard this. She found that Xie Nan's angle made some sense.
Basketball players have very big hands. No wonder they all like women with good figures. If they are too small, it may be inconvenient to grab them.
...
During the intermission, the ratings of major TV stations not only did not drop, but continued to rise.
They repeatedly played Zhang Zhiyuan's wonderful goal just now. The audience was fascinated by it and rushed to tell each other. More viewers turned on the TV.
In the second half, Zhang Zhiyuan did not continue to use props because he was already leading by 21 points.
We can't let such a huge advantage be reversed.
Furthermore, even if something unexpected happens, he can still use the King of the End in the fourth quarter.
Without the props, Zhang Zhiyuan was immediately knocked back to his original form.
And because of the excessive physical exertion in the first half, his condition at this time was even worse than usual.
Fortunately, the Spurs didn't know this and still guarded him tightly.
Zhang Zhiyuan was snickering in his heart and simply continued to pretend.
The Rockets attack, Zhang Zhiyuan reaches for the ball.
Ginobili quickly went in front of him to prevent him from catching the ball, while Mike Finley stood behind him to prevent him from running.
Zhang Zhiyuan ‘can only’ give up.
Alston passed the ball to Battier, and Battier took a shot from mid-range, but unfortunately he didn't score.
"It's more reliable. You can't expect Xiao Zhang and Dayao to shoot every ball."
Zhang Lili complained.
If you still can't make a shot at such a good opportunity, then it's really a question of ability.
In the next round, Zhang Zhiyuan continued to act, but unfortunately his performance failed.
Ginobili was slow to get around, so Alston passed the ball to him.
When the ball came to him, Ginobili and Finley were already surrounding him.
In the first half, he could continue to throw in this situation, and his hit rate was pretty good.
But now, he was not sure.
At this time, the take-off will definitely be seriously disturbed, and it may not even be possible to adjust the shooting posture.
He wanted to pass the ball, but his teammates mistakenly thought he would take the shot and did not actively run.
Zhang Zhiyuan was immediately embarrassed.
When Ginobili saw this, he immediately reached for the ball. The two of them grabbed the basketball and fought for it, and then they fell to the ground.
The referee awarded a scrum.
Although he did not concede the ball, Zhang Zhiyuan's actions just now showed a signal that he was not as decisive as he was in the first half.
No energy left?
The corners of Popovich's mouth raised.
"Why didn't Zhang just vote? Is he too tired?"
Smith also guessed the same.
Two more rounds followed. Although Zhang Zhiyuan tried his best to cover it up, the sharp-eyed Popovich still saw Zhang Zhiyuan's decline in physical strength and the decline in Zhang Zhiyuan's desire to attack.
"Manu, you defend alone, don't double-team."
Popovich immediately adjusted his defensive strategy.
This adjustment immediately made the Rockets uncomfortable, and they could only hand the ball to Yao Ming and Zhang Zhiyuan frequently and let them solve it.
Yao Ming beat Duncan under the basket, and his efficiency was average.
Zhang Zhiyuan no longer needs to face double teams, but after his physical strength declines, it is not particularly easy for him to beat Ginobili alone.
However, it is not easy but it has to be fought.
The Rockets attacked, Zhang Zhiyuan broke through with the ball, and Ginobili actually followed up.
Then Zhang Zhiyuan made a strong shot, but the ball missed.
"Damn it, even if you want to save some hatred points."
Zhang Zhiyuan cursed inwardly.
Zhang Zhiyuan suddenly lost his courage, and everyone else in the Rockets panicked.
Zhang Zhiyuan has become their backbone. Zhang Zhiyuan can't even stand up. They think they can't save the team.
The Spurs took the opportunity to create a point-chasing climax, beating the Rockets 8-2.
"The Rockets lost in the depth of the lineup. Zhang and Yao alone are not enough. Except for these two points, the Rockets have loopholes in other positions, not to mention the substitutes. Zhu Wan's performance is disappointing, and Rutherhead is temporarily unable to
Embarrassment goes a long way, Hayes is just a small role. Even the coaching, there is a gap between the two teams."
Smith analyzed.
"The Rockets need some miracles to win, such as Zhang maintaining his performance in the first half."
Buckley said.
After hearing the experts' analysis, Rockets fans felt their hearts drop.
Some fans who like Zhang Zhiyuan couldn't help but sigh, and a small number of emotional fans even choked up.
They could not accept that Zhang Zhiyuan's efforts were in vain, and they felt that Zhang Zhiyuan's efforts should be rewarded.
Unfortunately, reality is so cruel. On the court, the Spurs are gaining momentum.
Halfway through the third quarter, the Spurs have already chased 7 points. At this rate, the reversal is more than enough.
Van Gundy called a timeout and prepared to adjust his tactics.
As a result, before he could speak, Zhang Zhiyuan spoke first: "Coach, I want to rest and regain my strength first, and then go on the field for the final battle in the last quarter."
The King of the End recovers 30% of the current physical strength. If there is less physical strength left, the recovery will be less.
Therefore, he needs to recover some physical strength first, and then he can be resurrected with full health in the last quarter.
If you don’t have physical strength, you can’t catch the ball, and you can’t shoot accurately no matter how accurate you are.
Van Gundy wanted to cry but had no tears when he heard this. How could he fight without Zhang Zhiyuan?
But he couldn't refuse, after all, it was obvious to all how tired Zhang Zhiyuan was from the previous fight.
"Brother Yao, hold on and don't get overtaken. I'll take over the game in the last quarter."
Zhang Zhiyuan asked, please.
"Don't worry, I will risk my life and I will withstand it."
Yao Ming said.
"To put it bluntly, this is unnecessary."
Zhang Zhiyuan said.
When the timeout ended, the fans were surprised to find that Zhang Zhiyuan stayed on the bench to rest.
And this guy was so heartless that he covered his face with a towel and looked like he was asleep.
"His oil has burned out."
Buckley said.
"Without Zhang, can the Rockets still fight?"
Smith asked.
"Xiao Zhang was so tired. Although he only played 29 minutes, he was double-teamed almost the whole time, running around every moment, and he also shot so many balls. He also worked hard on the defensive end and even blocked the ball.
Covering Duncan. This kind of consumption is greater than the usual 48 minutes of playing."
Zhang Lili explained to the fans why Zhang Zhiyuan needed to rest.
This explanation made many female fans overflow with love, feel sorry for Zhang Zhiyuan, and feel inexplicably uncomfortable.
Especially on the court, the Spurs are still chasing points, swallowing up Zhang Zhiyuan's efforts.
When he thought that Zhang Zhiyuan worked so hard and played so well but could not win a victory, the corners of Liu Yan's eyes became sore and he had the urge to cry.
"Don't worry, I think he can create miracles."
Xie Nan said, but these words sounded like a kind of comfort.
After the third quarter, Yao Ming lived up to his expectations and led the team to maintain the advantage, if one point can be considered an advantage.
83 to 84, the Spurs beat the Rockets 37 to 19 in the third quarter.
"The rocket is finished."
Philip smiled.
"Spurs fans, please bring out your beer and champagne so we can celebrate in advance because we are definitely going to win."
San Antonio local station.
Amid these doubts, when the fourth quarter started, Zhang Zhiyuan threw the towel away and reloaded.
"There are only two outcomes in this series."
Zhang Zhiyuan said to the Spurs players: "One is that I won the series easily, and the other is that I won the series hard."
