Chapter 462 Forty minutes after hand-to-hand combat
At 7:30 that night at the Pepsi Center in Denver, this much-anticipated game finally took place as scheduled.
Before the game, the players from both teams were gearing up.
It can be seen that O'Neal's fighting spirit is very strong after his comeback. Although he didn't say anything before today's game, he pretended to be dumbfounded when asked by the media, pretending not to remember what happened half a month ago. But in fact, he
I still care about it in my heart.
After all, this involves a face issue. And O'Neal is one of the league's most face-conscious superstars.
Although it is impossible for O'Neal to score the 80 points he boasted in this game, but at least he can't play too poorly. He always needs 40 or 50 points. Otherwise, how can he have face after the game?
What about the media and Chen Jie?
From the beginning, O'Neal was indeed very active, constantly attacking in singles.
The Heat teammates really gave O'Neal face. Everyone, including Wade, put the ball in O'Neal's hands whenever he had a chance.
Wade keeps saying that in this game, victory is more important, but now it seems that the Heat team should have reached a consensus, that is, regardless of victory, helping O'Neal score first is the key.
In fact, there is no doubt about this.[
The Heat are currently ranked third in the Eastern Conference. The gap between them and the Bulls is relatively large, and the gap between them and the next place is also very large. The outcome of a game is really not that important. At this time, helping O'Neal score first is better.
of the past.
However, if the Heat wants to help O'Neal score, it must first see whether the Nuggets agree.
Kenyon Martin put down his bold words before this game and said he wanted to look good to O'Neal. When it came time for the game, of course he worked very hard.
Every time he defended, Kenyon Martin basically put his body on O'Neal to prevent O'Neal from scoring.
Even if O'Neal's score could not be blocked, Kenyon Martin would rather get a foul to stop him.
As we all know, O'Neal's free throw shooting percentage is not high. Kenyon Martin tried his best, but O'Neal's scoring was not high.
In this way, a game of helping O'Neal score and preventing O'Neal from scoring became intense at the beginning.
The Heat players gave almost all the ball to O'Neal, and the Nuggets' Qiu Yan also focused his defense on O'Neal.
Anthony, Camby, and Miller. These people all help Martin defend, and sometimes even ignore their own defenders.
Both sides focused their energy on this, to the point where the two teams no longer cared about the score difference.
Sometimes, face is really more important than winning or losing.
In the sixth minute of the game, Kenyon Martin had already received his second foul of the game and had to be taken off the court to rest.
However, he didn't need to worry, because O'Neal's crazy offense during this period also greatly consumed his physical strength. When Kenyon Martin was replaced, O'Neal also came off the court to rest.
At this time, O'Neal scored eight points, and the Nuggets' defense against him was very effective.
Kenyon Martin alone fouled him twice. Not to mention Anthony's foul on O'Neal, Miller's two fouls, and Camby's foul.[
In six minutes, O'Neal only scored two goals in the sports game. The other points were obtained from free throws.
However, he stood on the free throw line a total of eight times, but only scored four goals. The shooting rate is indeed a bit low.
Eight points in one quarter is unjustifiable.
After all, O'Neal's bold words were only eighty points. Even if he scored forty-five points to save face, eight points was still a bit shabby. Sitting on the bench, O'Neal's face looked very ugly.
But there was nothing he could do. Now, after so many physical fights under the basket, his physical strength really couldn't keep up, so Van Gundy replaced him. It was also a desperate move.
O'Neal can't blame the coach.
He could only hold back his energy and wait until he came on the field to go on a killing spree.
O'Neal and Kenyon Martin came off the court. It was mainly after O'Neal came off the court that the two teams entered the normal course of the game.
Because the Heat's offense was a little one-dimensional before, so at this time, they are six points behind the Nuggets.
Wade began to lead the Heat players to chase points.
But Anthony, who was in the same class as him, was no match for him, and the two began to compete.
When O'Neal came back on the court at the beginning of the second quarter, Anthony and Wade both scored 14 points, both exceeding O'Neal's score.
After O'Neal came on the court, the Heat's ball rights returned to his hands again.
At this time, the Nuggets had a bunch of substitutes on the court.
Without Kenyon Martin back, O'Neal can finally wreak havoc around the basket.
Dunks, hooks, 21, O'Neal used all the skills he had learned in his life to improve his score.
When Kenyon Martin finally returned with seven minutes left in the second quarter, O'Neal's score had reached 18 points.
If we keep playing like this, it's still possible for O'Neal to score 40 points.
However, Kenyon Martin didn't want to give him such a chance.
After he came back, he started fighting with O'Neal again.
Kenyon Martin also used his special skills to prevent O'Neal from scoring. Coupled with the help of Anthony who returned to the court, Kenyon Martin finally contained O'Neal's explosion.
In the rest of the second quarter, O'Neal only scored 7 points.
But even so, his score reached 25 points.
With 25 points in the half, the Nuggets were unwilling to accept this reality.
In the second half, they intensified their efforts to defend O'Neal.
Not only was Kenyon Martin fighting hand-to-hand, as soon as O'Neal got the ball, someone immediately came up to double-team him. In many cases, it was even a three-person double-team.
Every time he scored, O'Neal gritted his teeth and put the ball into the basket. After landing, he even felt pain everywhere in his body.
It is obvious how brutal the confrontation under the basket is.
In this game, O'Neal can be said to have been tortured.
Now he really regrets what he said without hesitation.
However, even if he regrets it, O'Neal can only grit his teeth and persevere.
In the third quarter of the game, the two teams fought for every inch of ground under the basket. The main manifestation was that O'Neal wanted to score, but the Nuggets did not want O'Neal to score.
The Nuggets almost gave up on game-like gambling defense, and it paid off.
By the fourth quarter of the game, O'Neal's score had only gone from 25 points to 35 points.
To be able to score such points in the past would have been very satisfying for O'Neal.
After all, after coming to the Heat, O'Neal has actually reached his peak, and now he no longer has the dominance he had when he was with the Lakers.
Moreover, as an inside player, every score is obtained through actual confrontation, unlike outside players who can often create high scores.
But today, O'Neal has to continue to fight.
If you want to regain face, how can 35 points be enough?
In the last eight minutes of the fourth quarter, the Nuggets led the Heat by 15 points, but the Heat still insisted on letting O'Neal play in isolation.
It was obvious that the Heat just gave up on the game.
The Nuggets simply put all their defensive energy on O'Neal. The last eight minutes of the game were brutal.
Every time O'Neal scores, it can almost be described as killing a bloody path.
Kenyon Martin even fouled out with two minutes left in the game.
Anthony received five fouls.
When O'Neal scored 40 points, there was only one last offensive opportunity left in the game.
Camby took on the important task of defending O'Neal. Even on the last ball, it seemed that the Nuggets did not want O'Neal to have an easy time.
O'Neal squeezed Camby with his butt and forced him to sit inside. Camby's body was not as good as Kenyon Martin's, so he was at a disadvantage against O'Neal. After several confrontations, O'Neal occupied a good position.
Turning around and bypassing Anthony who came to help defend, O'Neal made a hook shot.
At this time, Camby jumped up high, and slapped the ball hard over O'Neal's head.
When the basketball flew into the air, the whistle sounded at the end of the game.
In the end, the Nuggets defeated the Heat, but none of this mattered.
O'Neal's score was finally fixed at forty points, and this is the focus of everyone's attention! (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote at Qidian. Your monthly vote is my biggest motivation.
