Chapter 87: If you fail to make up for the deduction, then kill it
But there is a saying: Whatever you worry about, it will come to you!
The original plan of the Trail Blazers was to let Lillard, the iron man, lead the team's rotation to maintain the score. No matter what, it would be delayed for 3 or 4 minutes, so that Wang Zelin and Aldridge could get a chance to breathe.
In this way, the team can let the remaining two players come back to finish the game in the last few minutes.
In comparison, the Thunder have the same plan.
However, the X factor still emerged.
After Kevin Martin came on the court, he and Westbrook led the rotation to launch a fierce attack.
Especially Kevin Martin, with his weird shooting, caused three consecutive fouls by Trail Blazers players in just two minutes, and went to the free throw line to make 6 of 6, helping the team to take the lead.
87:91.
To be honest, before Harden, the master of foul drawing at shooting guard was none other than Kevin Martin. In his highest-scoring season, he averaged 9 free throws per game.
This kind of player, the media are willing to call him very smart and efficient in playing, but only when you play against him can you feel how disgusting this style of play is.
Harden was once considered a low-end version of Martin, but who knew he was better than his predecessor... No wonder he was disliked by so many people later on.
In desperation, coach Terry had no choice but to put Aldridge back on the court after just one minute of rest.
The point difference cannot be widened any further.
Fortunately, Aldridge, as an old man who has been in the league for 6 seasons, is much better at reserve and distribution of physical fitness than Wang Zelin, a rookie, and it is not uncommon for him to occasionally play the entire game.
Moreover, Wang Zelin also triggered two gold-level dunks in this game, which played a certain role in restoring blood to his teammates, so Aldridge's physical pool is still sufficient.
After Aldridge came on the court, he quickly stabilized the morale of the team with his favorite left-sided low singles and mid-range shots, but then Westbrook succeeded in a breakthrough dunk 2-1, once again opening the score.
What's even worse is that Aldridge also has four fouls.
The Trail Blazers are in danger!
There are still more than three minutes left before the end of the game.
"Wang, how are you resting?"
Coach Terry chose to call a 60-second long timeout. After the timeout, he wanted to put Wang Zelin back on the court for the final competition.
"It's not a big problem."
Although his face was still very pale, Wang Zelin still nodded.
"Get ready to play, Portland is going to depend on you for this victory."
After adjusting his condition, the last moment came when Wang Zelin followed his teammates to play again.
We have been working hard all night, and we must not be discouraged in the last few minutes.
The Trail Blazers attack first.
After arriving at the basket, the defender in front of Wang Zelin was no longer Perkins, but Ibaka again.
"Give up, you can't guard against me. You are as soft as a donut in front of me, and it will melt as soon as you bite it."
At this point in the game, Wang Zelin no longer cared about the superficial friendship with Ibaka, and immediately started talking trash after receiving the ball.
"Won't you know if you try it?"
Ibaka licked his tongue and just smiled weirdly.
After pushing Ibaka to the low post on the right, Wang Zelin leaned on the opponent and prepared to hit hard. He was confident of scoring the goal.
Just as Wang Zelin was turning around, Ibaka suddenly fell down behind him.
"Beep beep beep!"
Offensive foul.
grass
At this critical moment, Ibaka successfully caused an offensive foul on Wang Zelin.
This is the fifth foul in this game. Wang Zelin is in danger.
Obviously the Thunder coaching staff has figured out that the reason why the Trail Blazers have been able to persist with them until now is largely due to Wang Zelin's performance in the paint.
???God, No. 36 on the opposite side has already got 25 rebounds, we must not let him break through 30.
So they took advantage of Wang Zelin's shortcoming of having four fouls. After letting the players come on the court, they tried their best to get Wang Zelin off the court first no matter what.
As long as this Chinese giant is missing, the Blazers' inside advantage will no longer be there.
Coach Terry on the side hesitated several times before giving up the decision to call a timeout.
At this time, he is more willing to believe that his players can handle their own problems. After all, he is not the one playing on the court.
After suffering a frustrating loss, Wang Zelin didn't say much, just clenched his fists and ran back to his own half.
The Thunder attacked, and after some movement, Durant found Wang Zelin in a misplaced position. The intention was very clear, it was to bully you with five fouls, and you would definitely not dare to show off your skills on the defensive end.
After Durant approached with the ball, he used a routine that Wang Zelin will remember deeply.
Wheel arm swing!
Originally, when defending a superstar player like Durant, he would easily be called for a foul if he didn't make the right move, but this guy still used this trick.
A good athlete can and should use all the tricks allowed by the rules to help you win.
After all, basketball is essentially a scoring game. As long as you can keep scoring goals, who cares about the means?
Wang Zelin agrees with this statement, but don’t forget that double standards have always been another major essence of human beings.
As an opponent, Durant's arm swinging loop is very uncomfortable for defenders.
When some senior fans who knew the ropes saw that Durant was going to use this move, the popcorn in their hands immediately lost its flavor, and the boos in their mouths quickly started.
Coach Terry on the sidelines was so frightened that he stood up suddenly, his whole heart clenched.
"be careful!"
Seeing this, Wang Zelin quickly put his hands behind his back: If you use your hand, I won't reach out anyway.
In the end, although Durant succeeded in a layup, he did not cause Wang Zelin to foul.
However, Wang Zelin's weird defensive move made Barkley in the live broadcast room happy.
"I really didn't expect that there is such a defensive move. Kenny, have you ever seen anyone put their hands behind their back when defending? It's so interesting."
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Barkley couldn't help but pat his belly when he laughed at the end.
"Ahem, it's weird enough, but after all, he is trying to protect himself. KD's move is too insidious and goes against the spirit of basketball."
Although Wang Zelin's defensive actions were a bit funny, Kenny Smith still held back with his professionalism.
And he also knew that what the fans wanted to see was a normal basketball game, not tricks that took advantage of various loopholes in the rules, so he condemned Durant's big swing.
"The NBA is not a pure basketball league."
Buckley suddenly replied, leaving Kenny Smith silent.
…
The Blazers were having trouble scoring at this time.
Center Wang Zelin was fouled with 5 fouls, and team boss Aldridge was fouled with 4 fouls. This made the two of them very timid in the paint, both on the defensive and offensive ends.
Lillard on the outside didn't feel very good in this game. He took 13 shots and only hit 5 of them, including the three-point opportunity just now, which also ended in a blackout.
For a full minute, the Trail Blazers entered a scoring drought.
On the other hand, the Thunder's offensive efficiency is not very high, but they can at least score and score.
In the last 51 seconds of the game, Durant made an underhand layup, expanding the score again.
104:99.
The Trail Blazers are already 5 points behind.
Without hesitation, Coach Terry called his second timeout in the last two minutes of the final quarter.
"Look at what you are all fighting for. It's nothing but bullshit. Even an old man like me can fight much more reliably than you."
During the timeout, Coach Terry did not provide any tactical guidance or psychological counseling, but directly cursed.
"The opponent is a team that is much better than us. You don't need to have any psychological burden. Just play hard. If you win, it's yours. If you lose, it's mine."
If you win, it's yours, if you lose, it's mine!
In one sentence, Wang Zelin and Aldridge's inner struggles were completely shattered.
Yes, what are we afraid of?
No matter how strong our opponent is, they are just a team about the same age as us, so what do we have to be afraid of!
"Beep beep beep!"
The referee's whistle sounds and the timeout is up.
"Remember, the players on the opposite side are almost the same age as us. Even if we lose, there is nothing shameful. I hope you can play to your true level and don't have any regrets..."
When the players took the field, Coach Terry kept talking.
"Boy, I admit that you are strong, but victory belongs to us."
Lillard controlled the ball all over the court. Westbrook looked at this young man who broke through his defense several times, and his heart was filled with emotion and admiration.
You deserve to wear jersey No. 0!
Lillard didn't reply, he controlled the ball meticulously, glanced at the basket, and suddenly made a sharp change of direction to shake away Westbrook in front of him.
At this time, Lillard got a chance to shoot from mid-range, but he didn't shoot because he had a better choice.
I saw Lillard pass the ball straight to the basket, but there was no one... The next moment everyone knew the answer, a yellow-skinned arm appeared there and caught the basketball.
"Don't even think about it!"
Ibaka was the first to notice something was wrong. When he saw Wang Zelin appear under the basket, he ran over from the other side and quickly took off.
Wang Zelin was already standing up from the ground, with only the basket in his eyes.
"Do you think you can stop me? Dream!"
Wang Zelin had long noticed Ibaka taking off almost at the same time as him, but his eyes were filled with madness as he fearlessly threw the ball toward the basket.
At that moment, it was as if there was no one around him.
As the league's new shot-blocking leader, Ibaka's blocking awareness and ability are very good, and he also has a good grasp of the timing of blocking shots.
His prediction of this ball was very accurate, both in terms of the height of the bounce and the precision of the palm of his hand.
Seeing the basketball getting closer and closer, Thunder fans couldn't help but feel happy.
A medical insurance card is indeed a medical insurance card. This ball seems to be sealed...
Is this really the case?
No, they also overlooked something.
strength!
There is an earth-shattering power inside the body of Trail Blazers No. 36. The basketball clenched in both hands seemed to turn into a bomb at this moment, carrying a power that Ibaka could not imagine.
"The Gold Level Dunk God has been triggered..."
The force of Wang Zelin's dunk and the speed of his slam suddenly changed slightly at this moment.
A slight difference can lead to a loss of thousands of miles!
Although Ibaka's hand has touched the basketball, it cannot affect its trajectory at all.
An orange-red basketball found its home with a loud "clang".
The duel between Wang Zelin and Ibaka, the spear and shield, also came to an end.
The orange basketball was forcefully pushed into the basket by Wang Zelin, and Ibaka's hand hit the basketball and the back of Wang Zelin's hand at the same time.
If the cover can be flipped up, it will undoubtedly be a good hat.
Unfortunately not.
"Beep beep beep!"
The referee blew the whistle, indicating that the Blazers' No. 36 attack was valid, the Thunder's No. 9 thug fouled, and the former received an extra penalty shot.
And one!
"Hoo! Hoo! I told you, you can't guard against me."
With a heavy breathing sound, Wang Zelin turned around, his eyes were like lightning, looking at Ibaka proudly.
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"
Although he was furious in his heart, Ibaka still suppressed it on the surface.
Losers have no say!
His incompetent rage will only highlight his cowardice.
"Whoosh!"
Extra penalty hit, 2 1 won.
104:102.
The Trail Blazers were only two points away, with 31 seconds left on the clock. No matter what, the Trail Blazers still had a chance to make a final attack.
Westbrook holds the ball to find someone and directs his teammates to move.
But Sihu's dunk just now was so shocking that the Trail Blazers players clung to their opponents as if they were beaten to death, and their teammates did not get out of the open space.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! "Then I'll do it myself!"
Westbrook stared at the basket not far away, his mood was surging, and his eyes instantly turned red.
What he didn't notice was that Durant had already circled around 45 degrees to the right from a low angle and waved to him for the ball.
After calling Ibaka to come forward and set a screen, Westbrook started to accelerate when he reached the top of the arc and sprinted towards the left side of the triangle area.
What is he going to do?
The pioneers had some doubts in their hearts.
After Westbrook slipped to a position one step away from the left side of the penalty area, Wang Zelin became frightened.
Shouldn't it be deducted again?
Wait...he's just getting ready to shoot?
A jaw-dropping scene happened. Westbrook, who obviously had a strong ability to rush to the basket, chose to use a stiff jumper as a finishing method at such a critical moment.
Obviously attacking the basket is what Westbrook is best at, but he actually chooses a mid-range shot that he is not sure about...
What are you doing?
Everyone's eyes were attracted by this basketball.
"Bang, bang, bang..."
Backboard!
Wang Zelin took the lead to take off and caught the ball with one hand. The basketball just spun a few times and fell from the basket. The timing was just right.
"Beep beep beep!"
To be on the safe side, the Trail Blazers called the last timeout of the game. They still had 15 seconds to handle the last offensive ball.
"King, you did a great job."
"How many rebounds is this for you?"
"There must be at least twenty or thirty of them!"
"cool……"
Back on the bench, all the players gave Wang Zelin a loving pat on the head.
"Bah bang bang, okay, okay, the game is not over yet, now let me talk about the arrangements for the final attack."
Coach Terry took a picture of the tactical board, attracting everyone's attention.
The tactics are also very simple: keep two and chase three!
The first choice to handle the ball is of course Aldridge, the team boss.
Followed by Lillard and Wang Zelin.
"Don't be too rigid at this time. If LaMarcus and the three of them are locked up, whoever has the opportunity will shoot decisively without hesitation."
"Understood!"
"learn!"
"..."
After the timeout, the Trail Blazers served the ball from the frontcourt.
The Thunder are leading by two points and there is no need to take the initiative to foul. Their mission is to try their best to put down this ball and win.
Lillard held the ball and Aldridge stepped forward to pick and roll, but Westbrook squeezed in and never left.
With 11 seconds left on the clock, Lillard stabilized his rhythm and waited for his teammates to move.
At the same time, Lillard also secretly decided in his heart that if his teammates failed to get a chance in the last five seconds, then he would end the game himself.
No matter whether he can score in the end or not, he must not leave the opportunity to the opponent anymore and must use up all the time.
Finally, in the last 8 seconds, Aldridge ran out of opportunities under the repeated pick-and-rolls of Matthews and Batum, and received Lillard's pass at the left waist position.
This is his most reliable shooting hot spot, but...
"Oops, rebound!"
As soon as he took the shot, Aldridge knew that there was a high probability that the ball would be lost.
Durant, who was closest just now, rushed over and interfered with the shot with his long wingspan.
The basketball hit the neck of the basket, causing the fans present to wail.
But they suddenly found a figure that still persisted and rushed towards the basket.
Wang Zelin!
At this moment, Wang Zelin was like a hero with colorful auspicious clouds. Once again, three Thunder players took off offensive rebounds, and judging from his trend... he wanted to make up for the dunk!
"Got you!"
The moment Wang Zelin caught the rebound and pushed the ball down, a huge force came from behind. Without paying attention, the basketball was knocked out of his hand.
It turned out to be Ibaka, who made the final defense near the end of the game.
"It's over!"
"No chance."
"It's all my fault that Aldridge is a coward. He didn't seize such an important opportunity."
"Coward!"
"Coward!"
"..."
The audience next to him began to boo, Aldridge looked miserable, and his heart was filled with desolation.
"Oh, it's like this again..."
"Boss, catch the ball!"
A voice came from the front, and Aldridge looked around to see an orange-red basketball coming towards him.
This is...basketball!
It turned out that Ibaka's block hit the edge of the basket. Seeing that there was still a chance, Wang Zelin, who landed first, jumped up twice and grabbed the priceless rebound in his hands.
At this crucial moment, the corner of his eye accidentally caught sight of Aldridge, who was in the low-corner three-point position and was left open.
At this moment, he made a crazy decision in his heart.
Why must stability be required?
Why does it have to be two points?
He wanted to give it a try... a decisive blow!
In the last three seconds, Wang Zelin got the basketball and quickly passed it to Aldridge.
In the last two seconds, Aldridge received the ball.
At the last second, raise the ball, shake your wrist, and take action!
When the ball flew into the air, a red circle lit up on the edge of the backboard.
But the orange-red basketball didn't seem to give up. It was still flying desperately, waiting for its final fate.
Some people’s faces are filled with fear!
Some people’s faces are full of expectation!
And some people are waiting for redemption in their hearts!
"Whoosh!"
The crisp sound of basketball passing through the net is so beautiful and sweet at this moment.
Aldridge successfully took the shot before the red circle lit up and successfully hit a buzzer-beating buzzer beater.
This was the first buzzer-beating buzzer-beater in his career.
At this time, Aldridge raised his hands and looked carefully, his eyes full of disbelief.
Did I invest?
Did I really invest?
But the cheers that filled the sky could never be deceptive.
Aldridge knew that he really scored the buzzer-beating goal.