At the beginning of the second quarter, both teams fielded their strongest lineups for the game, with Payton, Davis, Pierce, Milicic, LaFrentz from the Celtics, Iverson from the 76ers, and Iverson from the 76ers.
Godara, Robinson, Thomas, Dalembert.
Payton, who was out of temper, no longer worked hard, but treated the game wholeheartedly. Although his speed and reaction were far inferior to Iverson, his experience and awareness could always make Iverson better.
Sen's steals failed again and again. He suppressed the rhythm. There was no need to attack from the outside when the two big men on the inside had acceptable offensive abilities.
Milicic pulled to the outside to create a pick-and-roll for Payton. After the pick-and-roll, he cut outside and stood outside the three-point line. When Payton attracted Thomas and Iverson to his side, the ball was thrown to Milicic, who was unmarked on the outside.
, Milicic was about to shoot, and Glenn Robinson rushed over to interfere. Milicic passed the ball to Pierce at a 45-degree angle outside the three-point line without hesitation. Pierce's three-pointer from the front was still very accurate.
, a three-point shot, hit!
Iverson attacked with the ball, and Payton worked hard to take care of this junior. Needless to say, Payton's defensive skills, known as the "glove", were the only point guard in NBA history to win the championship.
He is the best defensive player. Whether it is the delay on the offensive line, the sliding step of the lateral movement or the timing of the steal, no one in the entire NBA can match him. Although his body and condition have declined sharply, he is still the best defensive player.
A very good defensive player. Iverson was very uncomfortable being stuck by Payton. He took two steps back and dribbled under his crotch again to observe Payton's movements. Suddenly he started to break through to the right. Although Payton judged the direction correctly
, but Iverson was still thrown out of position. Milicic came to cover up the defense. Iverson threw his body forward again. When he hit Milicic, he fell backwards.
The ball was thrown out. The ball circled around the basket and then fell in. The whistle had already sounded. Milicic committed a foul and Iverson added a penalty.
The extra free throw was made and the two teams returned to the same starting line again.
Iverson defended Payton and kept saying: "I heard that you used to be an All-Star. Why don't you even dare to challenge me one-on-one? Come on! Give it a try and let me see if your bones are good."
Too old to break through."
Although Payton has always been a loudmouth and speaks unscrupulously, he is definitely not a fool. In his current state, he would be humiliating himself by challenging Allen Iverson, the best little player in the NBA.
He endured this breath, ignored Iverson, and handed the ball to Pierce. Milicic came out to set a pick-and-roll for Pierce. Glenn Robinson was blocked behind Milicic, and finally got around, and
Thomas and the two double-teamed Pierce, not giving any chance to take action. Pierce hit the ball to the ground in the gap where the two did not completely seal him, and passed it to Milicic who cut inside after the pick-and-roll. Milicic had a wide open space in front of him.
Dalembert, who came to defend from the side, was obviously a beat late. Milicic made a light layup with ease and scored two points again.
Heinsohn on the sidelines said with appreciation: "First Milicic assisted Pierce to score, and then Pierce gave Milicic a perfect assist. Seeing the two of them, I seemed to have seen the prototype of a dynasty, although it was not
Not very mature, but their talent will allow them to reach a higher level."
Gorman also gave a timely comment: "The arrival of Milicic has changed the team's single model of attacking from the outside. Darko has excellent passing awareness and techniques, which will make Milicic's offensive tactics
There are dozens of changes in the game. His arrival is not about his performance in a game, but the greater significance is that it enriches the team's tactics and also liberates Pierce's offense to a certain extent."
After the ball scored, Payton immediately ran to Milicic and said: "Don't be fooled by Iverson's actions. What you want to see is not his hands and the ball, let alone his footsteps. You just need to keep an eye on his butt."
, Butts don’t lie. I will block the route on the right and let him break through to the left. You pay attention to his movements and block him."
The 76ers switched to the offense again. Payton did not guard Iverson but always kept one step away from him to prevent being broken through. He was betting on Iverson's three-pointer. Iverson did not take advantage of this from the outside.
On the one hand, the success rate of shooting three-pointers in the gap is much higher than that of three-pointers. On the other hand, our own rebounding ability is not as strong as it was in the opening game, and the Celtics have Pierce and David on the outside.
Si has also always done a good job in rebound protection.
Just when Iverson was about to make a move, Payton had already moved to the left. Iverson was about to push to the right. Suddenly he realized that this was Payton's usual trick. It was a fake move in judging the direction when defending.
Unexpectedly, Payton's movement to the left was not carried out. Iverson really broke through to the left at this moment. The two quick steps of the breakthrough had already left Payton far behind. Just as he took the last step to get the ball.
When he took the shot, Milicic appeared, blocking his path. Milicic's tall figure and excellent wingspan made Iverson seem to have a high wall in front of him. If he takes the shot at this time, he will definitely
The shot was blocked by Milicic, but if the ball was not released, it would be a walk. Iverson had already jumped up, but he glanced to the outside with his peripheral vision and quickly passed the ball out. The ball was indeed heading in the direction of Iguodala.
The pass was passed, but there was a green figure on the way to intercept the ball. Payton took the ball into his own hands and quickly counterattacked with the ball. While running, Payton seemed to have found the feeling of his youth.
When he was young, counterattacking after stealing was his specialty. He intercepted the opponent's ball at critical moments time and time again, and used a counterattack layup to quench the opponent's enthusiasm for counterattack.
The head coach of the 76ers O'Brien asked for a timeout. The North Shore Garden Stadium burst into cheers. At this moment, all the cheers and applause were dedicated to Payton. Looking at the green sea in the audience, Payton seemed to have returned.
In the SuperSonics era when he was also wearing a green jersey, he would enjoy such cheers and applause countless times every home night. This feeling had not been felt for a long time. Only at this moment did Payton realize that his original intention of retiring had already happened.
Changes, he wants to win back the honor that should belong to him in the last stage of his career. Michael Jordan has completely left this league. No one is as terrible as him anymore. Who else can stop him from entering the NBA?
Top.
Payton raised his arms toward the audience again and again, just like he did ten years ago.
