am i proud?

Chapter 184 The Late Finals

After some sampling, Wang Dalin obtained the four A-level star skills of "serpentine breakthrough", "golden bell falling to the ground", "Ma Long's iron elbow" and "glove stealing".

The "serpentine breakthrough" is naturally the famous trick of Argentine basketball star Manu Ginobili who has not yet landed in the NBA. This breakthrough has made him kill all directions in the league.
Once upon a time, Ginobili's long flowing hair and nimble breakthroughs were always a dazzling sight in the NBA. Unfortunately... Later, he was bald by Deng Dadai, leaving only nimble breakthroughs.

"Admiralty Falling to the Ground" is the star skill of Wang Dalin's sworn brother Daben. After assembly, it can be used 5 times in a game. Each time it is used, the host's strength can be instantly increased by 8%, and the body weight can be increased by 10%.

Thinking about it, Daben relied on this trick to occasionally withstand O'Neill, otherwise, with his height of 201cm and weight of 109KG, no matter how good his strength is, how could he be able to withstand the impact of O'Neill, a behemoth inside?
Needless to say, "Ma Long Iron Elbow", as the name suggests, it is Karl Malone's ball-protecting move. Of course... sometimes it is also good for hitting people!

"Glove steal" is of course Gary Payton's stealing trick.

With his superhuman judgment ability, Payton has maintained a very strong stealing ability for a long time. In his career, he averaged more than 2 steals per game in 8 seasons, and he also won a steal in the 1995-1996 season.

After assembling this skill, the host can increase the stealing ability by 2% in the last 10 minutes of each game. If the game is very tense, this move may affect the outcome of the game.

It's a pity that Wang Dalin can't equip this skill for the time being, because his stealing ability is only 79, which has not yet reached the minimum requirement of 85 for this skill.

However, he was able to assemble the other three skills, which gave him a slight improvement in both offense and defense.

5月31日湖人队和国王队的G6战在洛杉矶“斯台普斯球馆”打响，双方前五场打成了3:2，国王队大比分暂时领先。

The arena covers an area of ​​about 88258 square meters and can accommodate 18997 spectators during a basketball game.

The arena has nearly 300 luxury boxes and 160 luxury suites, 15 of which are top-level suites. It should be considered a very luxurious arena in the entire league.

And the scoreboard in the arena is the best in the entire league, even fans sitting in the last row of stands can see it clearly.

In addition, the arena is located in the bustling area of ​​Los Angeles, and there are many good hotels and restaurants around it... The transportation is also very convenient, and the light rail can directly send fans to the door.

The Lakers only lost 7 times at home in the regular season this season. Of course, they have reason to believe that with the support of the home audience, they will definitely win this life-and-death battle.

……

Wang Dalin, Da Ben, Billups and Hamilton made an appointment to watch the game at their home. In order to entertain the three righteous brothers, Wang Dalin cooked a table full of authentic Sichuan dishes, and everyone gave their thumbs up.

Game starts at 8pm.

The starting lineup sent by the Lakers is point guard Derek Fisher, shooting guard Kobe Bryant, small forward Rick Fox, power forward Robert Horry, and center Shaquille O'Neal.

The Kings' starting lineup is point guard Mike Bibby, shooting guard Doug Christie, small forward Hedo Turkoglu, power forward Chris Webber, and center Verratti Divac.

Of course, anyone who is familiar with these two teams knows that Fisher is just a "dribble guard" on the Lakers, and Kobe, the "black mamba", is the real commander in the frontcourt.

And Kings point guard Bibby is also a "pseudo point guard". He obviously plays the role of shooting guard on the offensive end. The real organizers of the team are Webber and Divac.

Kings head coach Rick Adelman is undoubtedly happy to have Webber and Divac at the same time, because he knows no other tactics except the "Princeton style of play", and it happens that he has the most suitable power forwards and centers for the "Princeton style of play".

Of course, Webber's ability is not irreplaceable. At least Garnett, Duncan and Wang Dalin can play well under this system in the league, but center Divac is really irreplaceable.

As the big center who can pass the ball most this year, Divac is very important in the Kings system. It can be said that without him, there would be no "Princeton play" of Adelman!
While eating fruit salad, Billups asked inarticulately, "Who do you think will win this game?"

Da Ben asked back, "What do you think?"

Billups thought for a moment and replied, "I think the Kings!"

Hamilton interjected: "I also think the Kings should win!"

Big Ben looked at the monster wearing the No. 34 purple and gold jersey on the TV screen and was wreaking havoc on the inside of the Kings. There was a trace of solemnity in his eyes: "I still think the Lakers will win, and the Kings can't defend against Shaq!"

Billups was unconvinced: "But the Lakers can't guard Chris, Chris scored 10 points in the first quarter alone!"

Wang Dalin smiled and said, "Shaq scored 11 points for the Lakers, and Kobe also scored 9 points. The Lakers took the lead in the first quarter, right?"

Big Ben nodded and said: "That's right! If the Kings can't stop Shaq and Kobe, they won't be able to win this game! Do you remember the game between us and the Lakers in March? If there was no fourth brother's last lore, we would have lost!"

Billups smiled and said, "The Lakers are indeed strong, but the Kings are also very good. They beat us twice this season!"

Wang Dalin asked with a smile: "Then who do you want to enter the finals?"

The three righteous brothers said in unison: "Of course it's the Kings!"

Big Ben paused for a moment and added: "Kings' Chris is not strong against the fourth brother, but the Lakers...Shaq has an advantage no matter who they are against. I don't want to guard against monsters like him!"

Wang Dalin nodded, and then said with a solemn expression: "Brother, I advise you to be mentally prepared to face Shaq! In this year's finals, our opponent should be the Lakers...the king can't beat them!"

Billups said unconvinced: "That's not necessarily true! Fourth brother, do you want to make a bet? I'll bet on the Kings winning!"

Wang Dalin was also interested, and asked with a smile, "Then what do you want to bet on?"

Billups thought for a while and said, "I'll just bet you with my Larry Bird's signed jersey. What do you use as a bet?"

Wang Dalin smiled and said, "How about my 'Three-Point Shootout Contest' trophy?"

Billups' eyes lit up, and he hurriedly said, "This is a good bet... The two of us are here to swear by high-fiving, are you not allowed to go back on your word?"

Wang Dalin raised his palm and said, "Come on, high-five for oath!"

"Snapped!"

After the two clapped their hands together, Billups said with a smile, "You are doomed, fourth brother!"

Wang Dalin laughed and said, "That's not necessarily the case!"

In fact, he doesn't know if the Kings can defeat the Lakers and advance to the Finals in this life, because the Western Conference Finals was really dark in time and space. It should be said that the Kings are the strongest opponents of the Lakers in the three consecutive championships at the beginning of the 21st century... none of them!

Wang Dalin also knows...if there is no "help" from the referee Tim Donaghy in the G6 game, the Lakers will lose!

Many fans know about this... Donaghy went to jail in 2008 for being accused of game manipulation. Just before he went to jail, he entrusted a lawyer to hand over a document, which mentioned the shady scene of the G2002 game in the Western Conference Finals in 6. He claimed that this was an arrangement by the league!
But he didn't mention another thing... In the G5 game between the two sides, the Kings also got 33 free throw opportunities, while the Lakers only had 23 times.

From this figure, it can be seen that the league is not completely biased towards the Lakers. They just hope that this round of fierce series can be played longer, so that the league can earn more money!

Sure enough, the game was just as Wang Dalin remembered. In the first half, the Lakers temporarily fell behind 51:56. In the second half, the referee Donaghy started his performance...

In the third quarter, the Lakers only got 5 free throws, while the opposite Kings got 3 free throws... It was normal at this time, and no one noticed anything wrong.

But starting from the fourth quarter, the situation on the field changed suddenly...

The two sides scored 75:75 in the first three quarters. The strength of the two teams is indeed evenly matched. Neither side has an absolute advantage. The outcome of the game is often on the line.

Donaghy played this ignominious role, and he got the Lakers to the free throw line 27 times in the fourth quarter, while the Kings only 9 times!
Especially in the last 5 minutes of the game, the Lakers made 18 of 15 shots from the free throw line, while the Kings only made 7 of 7 shots... Although the Kings' free throws are more accurate, their free throws are too few!

In the end, the Lakers defeated the Kings 106:102, and finally dragged this round of the series to the tiebreaker.

After watching the game, the "Four Li Ning Brothers" looked a bit solemn... They are professional players, and all they can do is fight with all their strength on the court, and they are powerless to do things like this off the court.

"Shaq's free throws today are really accurate!" After a long silence, Da Ben finally said, "He actually made 17 of 13 shots... I wouldn't be able to do it!"

Billups looked serious, and suddenly asked: "If the Lakers also come to play the trick of 'slashing the shark' against Big Brother, what should we do?"

Hamilton gritted his teeth and said, "If they kill Big Brother, why don't we kill Shaq too?"

Da Ben immediately waved his hand and said, "I don't want to compete with Shaq in free throws! You know...my free throws are indeed worse than his!"

Wang Dalin moaned for a moment, then suddenly said: "Brother, can you try the action of 'inverting the urinal'? Just like Joan's father did!"

Although Joan Barry of the Pistons was just a role player throughout his career, his father, Rick Barry, was a big shot. He led the Golden State Warriors to win the championship that year!

The FMVP averaged 23.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game in his career. He was one of the best small forwards in the league in the 70s.

Because the age is too long, what fans are most impressed with him now is his "inverted urinal" free throw action... Don't look at this action so ugly, his career average free throw percentage is as high as 90%!
Hearing Wang Dalin's question, Daben froze for a moment, then waved his hand and said, "Fourth brother, are you trying to trick me on purpose? That kind of action is really embarrassing, even if it can improve my shooting rate... I will definitely not use it in the game!"

Wang Dalin immediately asked: "Brother, you said that this kind of action can improve your hit rate... You have tried it before, right?"

Daben hesitated and said: "That's right... I did try this move before... It is indeed much more accurate than my usual free throws, but this move is really ugly... Can you please spare me?"

Hamilton laughed: "Brother, if you can't solve the problem of free throws, no matter whether the opponent in the finals is the Kings or the Lakers, we have no chance!"

Billups also said: "That's right, so for everyone's dream of a championship... Brother, can you sacrifice a bit?"

Wang Dalin patted Da Ben on the shoulder and smiled, "Brother, I can't help you this time either!"

Da Ben said with a mournful face: "You guys...do you cheat your elder brother like this?"

Billups said with a smile: "Tomorrow we will supervise you during the team's training. You must practice 'inverting the potty' well. As long as your free throw percentage can reach about 65%, neither the Lakers nor the Kings will dare to attack you!"

Da Ben was about to cry, and he wanted to struggle one last time: "Brothers, the brothers of the whole team will be here tomorrow, let them see... How embarrassing, you should let me go!"

Billups laughed and said, "Brother, do you think we'll let you go... just accept your fate!"

With a tragic expression on his face, Da Ben couldn't help looking up to the sky and screaming, "I'm really unkind..."

……

The next day, the Pistons conducted restorative training as usual.

湖人队和国王队的G7战安排在了6月2日晚，总决赛要到6月5日才开打，他们还得等好几天。

You can't be idle during this period of time. Of course, reaching the tiebreaker in the division finals will consume a lot, but if you rest for too long, your state may not be good.

So during this period of time, Carlisle arranged more than 2 hours of light training every day. He did not engage in intense training like group competitions, but he just hoped that everyone could maintain their state.

Sure enough, under the supervision of his brothers, Big Ben practiced 500 free throws. After using the "invert the urinal" action, he hit a total of 343 balls...Compared with his own free throw percentage of 42.3% in the regular season this season, this shooting percentage is really too high!

Even Carlisle was amazed after watching Big Ben shoot 500 free throws. He made a decision immediately: "Ben, I don't care what you think. In the finals, you must use this action to make free throws. This is my order. Do you understand?"

Big Ben cried and begged: "Coach Rick, please, this kind of action is really embarrassing!"

Carlisle said seriously: "Do you think the championship is more important or your face?"

Big Ben hesitated for a moment, but still replied: "The championship is important!"

Carlisle smiled and said: "So as long as we can win the championship, no one will make irresponsible remarks on your free throws. Look, who doesn't praise Joan's father now when he mentions it?"

Joan Barry interjected with a smile on the side: "I've always thought my dad's move was cool. If I didn't use this move to shoot correctly, I would definitely have made a free throw like this!"

Da Ben said angrily: "Joan, you are looking for excitement, right? Come here, how about we practice the confrontation under the basket?"

Joan Barry's expression changed drastically when he heard that, and he hurried to the other side of the court, saying as he ran, "I still need to practice corner three-pointers!"

Wang Dalin patted Daben on the shoulder and said, "Brother, you don't have to be so awkward. At worst, I will use the 'inverted urinal' to make free throws in the finals. If you want to make a fool of yourself, I will accompany you!"

Billups also said: "Count me in... I tried it just now, and I use the 'inverted urinal' to make free throws and it's pretty accurate. The shooting rate is no different from my usual!"

Big Ben was inexplicably moved, and put his arms around Wang Dalin and Billups' shoulders and said, "You are indeed brothers, and brothers should have the same blessings and the same difficulties!"

After speaking, he looked at Hamilton again, and Hamilton hurriedly said, "I'll save it, I really can't shoot correctly with this kind of action!"

Da Ben smiled and said: "Forget it, it's enough to have my second and fourth brothers to accompany me, at least I won't lose face alone!"

……

On the evening of June 6, the tiebreaker between the Lakers and the Kings finally started.

The "Four Brothers of Li Ning" gathered again at Wang Dalin's house. First they ate a spicy and delicious Shancheng hot pot, and then they sat in front of the TV with red faces and sweating profusely, drinking iced juice.

Before the game, Billups asked again: "Fourth brother, how about we bet again tonight? I bet the Lakers can win, do you dare to bet on the Kings?"

Wang Dalin asked, "What's the bet?"

Billups smiled and said, "If you lose, give me back the signed jersey you won last time. If I lose, I'll give you my signed Bill Russell jersey too!"

Wang Dalin was speechless immediately, and asked, "When you were with the Celtics, did you go to those old men to collect autographed jerseys?"

Billups said with a smile: "There are not many other things in Boston, but there are many members of the Hall of Fame... If I don't collect a few autographed jerseys, wouldn't it be a waste of such a good opportunity?"

Big Ben asked, "Do you have Kevin McHale's signed jersey? If so, I'll bet on you too. I bet the Kings will win!"

Billups asked: "It's okay to bet, what are you betting on?"

Big Ben smiled and said: "I have a signed jersey signed by Wilt, is it qualified to bet?"

Billups' eyes lit up for a moment, and he hurriedly said, "Okay, I'll bet you!"

After a short pause, he asked again: "Fourth brother, do you want to bet or not?"

Wang Dalin pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "Okay, I'll bet with you!"

Of course he knew that the Lakers had a better chance of winning, but he could also tell... Billups obviously valued Larry Bird's autographed jersey, so he might as well just lose it back to him, anyway, he has no interest in collecting these things.

After the start of the game, the rhythm of both sides was very slow, and the shooting rate was quite normal. In the first quarter, the Lakers were 22 of 9, and the Kings were 21 of 9.

However, the Kings' free throws are a bit ironic. They only made 6 of 2 shots. Among them, Divac and Turkoglu missed both free throws, and only Weber made both free throws.

After the first quarter, the Lakers lead the Kings by 22 point at 21:1. The strength of the two sides is indeed quite close.

首节比赛科比的手感冰凉，9次出手仅命中3球，还是奥尼尔表现正常，4投3中砍下7分4篮板1助攻。

第二节科比的手感回暖，他在这一节中10投5中砍下12分4篮板1助攻，奥尼尔也有11分1助攻1盖帽进账。

The two sides fought at 52:54 in the first half, and the Kings led by 2 points.

国王队这边上半场表现最好的球员是韦伯，他11投6中得到14分4篮板4助攻2盖帽，毕比也得到12分2篮板1助攻，迪瓦茨6分6篮板1助攻1抢断。

In contrast, the "OK combination" performed better. In the first half, O'Neal scored a total of 18 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block, obviously blowing up the Kings' starting center Divac.

科比也砍下了18分6篮板2助攻，只是命中率稍微有点低，只有19投8中。

In the second half, the Lakers' shooting percentage dropped a bit, and the Kings' offensive efficiency was not high... This round of the series reached the tiebreaker, and the players on both sides were a little tired.

In fact, the Lakers struggled significantly in the second half of the sports game. They only hit 41 goals in 16 shots, and the shooting percentage was only 39%, while the Kings scored 38 goals in 18 shots, and the shooting percentage reached 47.4%.

The reason why the Kings' offensive efficiency is not high is because they only hit 18 goals in 9 shots from the free throw line, which is a bit hip!
On the other hand, the Lakers made 17 of 12 free throws. Although the shooting percentage was not high, it was this 20.6% free throw percentage advantage that eventually became the key to the outcome of this game.

The Lakers won the tiebreaker 112:106, thereby defeating the powerful opponent of the Kings, and finally reached the NBA Finals for three consecutive years.

Since Jordan's Bull Dynasty, there has been no team in the league that can win the championship for three consecutive years... The Lakers once again approached the Finals as the defending champion. They are likely to create a Lakers Dynasty after the Bull Dynasty. Almost all the eyes of the outside world are focused on them.

After the game, at the press conference, a Los Angeles reporter asked Phil Jackson, "Coach Phil, do you think the Lakers will win the championship this year?"

Jackson didn't hesitate at all, and immediately replied: "Of course, our whole team is ready. We will definitely defeat the Pistons and win the 14th championship in team history!"

O'Neal said domineeringly: "The Pistons have no way to stop me, not even the 'shark hacking tactic'! You all saw that my free throw percentage in this year's playoffs was 63.8%...Shaq never loses the chain at a critical moment!"

Kobe also said: "They swept all the way in the East, so they didn't experience a real hard battle, but we defeated the mighty Kings, and our competitive state is undoubtedly above them!"

Finally, Jackson made a concluding speech: "Obviously, this year's Western Conference Finals is the finals staged ahead of schedule. The Pistons are not our opponents. We will sweep them 4:1!"

The Pistons also immediately held a press conference. In front of many reporters, Wang Dalin smiled and said: "They obviously underestimated us, and this will cost them a heavy price... Gentleman sweep? Very good! I will not be as arrogant as Coach Phil, so I predict that the final score of this year's finals will be 4:2, and the Pistons will win the championship!"

Carlisle also smiled and said: "We have waited too long, this is really a belated finals!"

……

　Thank you "Long Ao Lang" for the encouragement of the monthly ticket... Lao Wang is a little speechless. I thought I could write about the G1 match of the finals today, but I didn't expect to have a transitional chapter. If I knew it, I would combine this chapter with yesterday's chapter. I'm sorry, everyone!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)