NBA: I am the card dealer

Popovich had to call a timeout to try to suppress the Spurs players' frustration.

But it didn't have much effect. The Spurs' offense didn't change much. They still had those three tricks: conduction, coordination, and the double D'Antoni.

The defense continued to be tired, probably because they had too much output in the first half, and Ginobili and Aldridge's physical fitness faced serious challenges.

Fortunately, the Lakers did not have that kind of overwhelming momentum.

After three quarters, the score was 89:72, with the Lakers leading by a full 17 points.

There was already a lot of groaning at the scene, and the disappointment on everyone's faces had turned into despair.

Do they still have a chance?

Countless fans asked themselves this question in their hearts.

The commentator also asked: "Do the Spurs still have a chance now?"

The commentator shook his head slowly. "They are already 17 points behind, which is a huge gap in the playoffs. If the Spurs want to turn the tables, they have to have all the players on the field explode and launch a devastating offensive frenzy. But to be honest, the Spurs' personnel configuration and tactical system cannot support them to launch such a crazy offense. So... the Spurs are in great danger, there is no doubt about that."

Host: "Their lineup is too bloated, their speed is not fast, and their players are seriously aging. Under such circumstances, you expect them to play a top-level wave, which is simply impossible to achieve."

The commentator added: "There is another possibility, Xue Liancheng suddenly lost his engine, otherwise... it is impossible."

no doubt.

The entire commentary team is pessimistic about the Spurs, just like everyone in G6 was pessimistic about the Lakers. This is the style of the media.

It gives people the feeling that people will lean towards whichever side the wind blows.

And the fourth quarter begins soon.

When the Spurs players walked onto the court, everyone was stunned, with a look of disbelief on their faces.

what's the situation?

The commentator blurted out: "Popovich actually replaced Aldridge? Am I dazzled?"

The shock was palpable.

There is no way not to be shocked!

Aldridge is the pillar of the Spurs, a real core figure. Now at the beginning of the fourth quarter, they were 17 points behind, but they actually took Aldridge down. It was really shocking.

The commentator was also extremely surprised: "What is Popovich trying to do?"

Host: "At the last minute, he tried this incredible change. I seriously doubt that Popovich is crazy."

No one could accept this sudden change. Most importantly, the most crucial point of the change was to remove the team's second-in-command. The fans at the scene also expressed their confusion.

For a moment, even Xue Liancheng was a little dazed.

Popovich actually took down one of the two D's, which also shocked him beyond words.

He really didn't understand what Popovich wanted to do?

Do you want to compete with them in terms of speed? Or should you go with a smaller lineup?

You have to know that the Lakers' combination of fast-paced and small-man mobile lineups is already fully mature, and their tactical system is also unique in the entire league.

It can be said that except for the Warriors who can compete with the Lakers, other teams playing against the Lakers in a fast-paced whirlwind is no different from seeking death.

The Spurs' lineup change is indeed confusing.

After the lineup change, the Spurs' lineup became: Parker, Ginobili, Danny Green, Jonathan Simmons, and Leonard as substitutes.

It's really a pure small lineup, even much smaller than the Lakers.

Amidst everyone's stunned gazes, the game continued.

as predicted.

The Spurs' immature fast break coordination was immediately exposed, and they missed shots or made mistakes repeatedly in the first three rounds.

The score difference went straight to 20+.

The fans at the scene had no other emotions except despair.

But old Parker is indeed fast. Although he is old, he still has energy. Every time he attacks the basket, he can tear the Lakers' defense into pieces.

Ginobili gradually found his feeling in cutting in and cooperating with the ball.

Leonard's mid-range shots after the pick-and-roll are still very stable.

What is the biggest change?

Jonathan Simmons is really good at three-point shooting, and his presence can create a wide space for the Spurs.

With 6 minutes and 26 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Jonathan Simmons made a three-pointer and the Spurs got the score back to 16 points.

At this moment.

Xue Liancheng only then realized that this group of swaying elderly people was a lineup of short people with far less talent.

They actually used breakthroughs, cuts, cooperation, screens, and Leonard's containment point to expand their space. It was not a matter of playing fast at all.

On the defensive end, the mobility of the small lineup immediately reduced the impact of Randle and Vonleh.

The reason is actually very simple.

The Spurs' overall retreat speed not only caught up with the Lakers, but was even faster than the Lakers. They had positioned themselves in advance, so it was not so easy for you to rush forward.

This is why Popovich is determined to go with a small lineup despite widespread opposition.

That’s exactly right.

At the moment, the Spurs are gaining momentum, and the Lakers simply cannot defend against this extreme coordination of the Spurs.

Look back.

After Xue Liancheng and Randle set a pick-and-roll, they were unable to break through smoothly. The Spurs also used unlimited switching to deal with them, causing Xue Liancheng to have difficulty in attacking the inside when he was double-teamed.

Because if he broke through and passed the ball, the Spurs' replacement and defense were obviously much faster. Even if he passed the ball, he couldn't create enough shooting space for his teammates.

Facing the Spurs' double-team, it became difficult for Xue Liancheng to force his way forward.

In the end, it was Clarkson who took the shot and missed.

Switch offense here.

The Spurs were passing the ball around when suddenly Ginobili received the ball and made a layup without any warning at all.

The score difference widened to 14 points.

At this time, the commentator's words changed slightly again: "It's incredible. The effect of this change of formation is surprisingly good. Popovich is worthy of being the tumbler of the league. His keen sense of the court is simply awe-inspiring."

It was a completely different look from the incredible one just now.

The commentator also lamented, "In fact, they should have tried to change the lineup long ago. Aldridge and Gasol are too slow and their movements are too slow. They became the targets on the defensive end. In the last moments of the first half, the Lakers took advantage of Aldridge's inability to keep up with the rhythm and beat the Spurs 11:0."

This is definitely hindsight.

Host: "There are still more than five minutes left. As long as the Spurs maintain their form, there is still hope."

The home court, which had been silent for a long time, finally became lively again.

They did see hope. It only took a few minutes to catch up from 20+ to 14 points.

So it is completely conceivable that the score could be tied or even surpassed from 14 points in just over five minutes.

But then, Xue Liancheng gave them a heavy blow.

When pushing the fast break, he suddenly shot a three-pointer.

middle!

It directly extinguished the Spurs' momentum.

17 points difference.

But the Spurs were steady and not impatient. They kept playing one round after another. With 1 minute and 20 seconds left in the game, they finally narrowed the gap to 10 points.

This is already a very good result. In just a few minutes, we caught up with another 7 points.

Xue Liancheng also pushed the ball over without haste.

Just gesture to open it.

Then he stood one-on-one with Leonard in the center circle, just staring at each other.

Time passed by little by little, and when there were only 8 seconds left for the attack, Xue Liancheng finally moved.

Advance to the left.

Pull back.

A forward change of direction.

After confirming that Leonard's body was shaking, he rushed to the left again.

He pushed forward to within one step of the three-point line and suddenly pulled up.

Leonard did not lose his position, but he still had to watch Xue Liancheng complete the shot.

Three points!

Hit again!

This knife cut silenced the scene again.

58 seconds, 13 points difference.

The commentator couldn't help but sigh: "Xue Liancheng never disappoints at critical moments. I said early on that if you drag the game into the final stage, you will most likely face Xue Liancheng's strong kill, not to mention you are still more than ten points behind. There is no doubt that this ball has killed the game."

Commentator: "Xue Liancheng is indeed tough. Leonard from the Spurs must step up and respond. Otherwise, they will be in great trouble..."

Leonard did respond, but he just missed the mid-range shot. Danny Green fought hard under the basket and finally picked up the frontcourt rebound.

The ball was divided and reorganized, and finally Parker broke through and passed it to Jonathan Simmons.

The latter still has three points.

With 38 seconds left in the game, the Lakers had a 10-point lead.

Even if the shot went in, the game was basically over and the series was over.

Because in just 38 seconds, it is difficult for a miracle to happen.

After all, not everyone is McGrady and Xue Liancheng. Even if McGrady is so amazing, he can't reverse a double-digit score difference.

In fact, Xue Liancheng did not give the Spurs any more chances. He rushed over to press the time and hit another three-pointer in the final moments.

There were 16 seconds left and the difference was 13 points.

everything is over.

The commentator finally concluded: "Congratulations to the Lakers for reaching the finals. They have been legendary all the way. Xue Liancheng used his personal charm and ambition to announce to the world how strong he is and fulfilled his promise."

Commentator: "Until this moment, I still felt a little bit unbelievable. The Lakers actually made it to the finals with Xue Liancheng leading the team alone. Everything is so incredible."

In the end, no matter how hard the Spurs struggled, it was useless. They lost the seventh game 117:104 and watched the Lakers advance to the finals with their heads held high.

The host couldn't help but sigh: "Three Finals in three years! Xue Liancheng's dominance is truly evident. No one can deny this. He is definitely the most dominant player in NBA history. He has completed the Finals in Miami, New York, and Los Angeles in three years, and this year he was still in single-core mode. This time, Xue Liancheng can break everyone's doubts. No one thinks he is only suitable for playing in a group anymore."

In the previous two championships, many people did raise this point of view.

Xue Liancheng has formed super teams, like the Miami Heat, with Wade + Bosh + Xue Liancheng in the early stage, and Wade + Gasol Jr. + Xue Liancheng in the later stage, a perfect Big Three model!

This is also the reason why Xue Liancheng’s first MVP was questioned.

And the second year with the Knicks, looking back with the benefit of hindsight, it was also a Big Three model, with Xue Liancheng + Lopez + Oladipo, three All-Stars that season, it was no problem to call them the Big Three.

But people didn't think so when Xue Liancheng first switched to the Knicks.

Lopez is relatively famous, but the soft label follows him tightly, and no one thinks that Lopez can perform at the price of an All-Star.

As for Oladipo, who was later acquired in a trade, he was truly an outcast of the Magic, a down-and-out second pick, and no one thought he could play well right away.

result.

Both of them put up numbers and gained confidence alongside Xue Liancheng, especially Oladipo, who became an All-Star and a top guard in the Eastern Conference.

In the true sense, this is not a team.

With the benefit of hindsight, many people believe that Xue Liancheng once again formed a group of three giants, which created the legend of Xue Liancheng's two consecutive championships.

And after coming to the Lakers.

The doubts have subsided a little, but as one of the four small forwards, George is well-known in the league both in terms of reputation and strength, and the double star combination is not bad either.

Coupled with Randle's sudden rise, the embryonic form of the Big Three was formed again, and people's doubts came again.

It was not until George was injured in the playoffs and Randle performed very poorly that the doubts about Xue Liancheng gradually disappeared.

And now, Xue Liancheng led the team to the Western Conference Finals alone, and finally advanced to the finals through a game seven. This time is enough to prove Xue Liancheng's dominance.

Commentator: "He is indeed great. He has been in the league for three years and has made it to the finals three times. This record alone is enough to crush countless legends. Now it is time to discuss Xue Liancheng's historical status."

Commentator: “I think it’s still early…”

The host was surprised: "Why?"

Commentator: "Because the Lakers' opponent is the Knicks, the team that Xue Liancheng defended the title with last season. He is more familiar with the Knicks than anyone else. And one more thing... this is the team that James is on, you know..."

That's right.

The Knicks eventually defeated the Heat 4:1, and James led the team to the finals again, and their momentum was revived.

At least it proves that there was a reason why the Knicks successfully defended their title last season. If Xue Liancheng was replaced by James, they could also reach the finals. James has proved himself again.

But now he will face a huge problem.

Because his old rival Xue Liancheng also made it to the finals again.

Strictly speaking, in the history of their battles, James has never defeated Xue Liancheng in a direct confrontation. They are simply nemesis.

That's why the commentator said so.

Because with Xue Liancheng's dominance and restraint of James, the Lakers really have a chance to reach the top and win the championship again.

So……

After Xue Liancheng won three consecutive championships, it is the most appropriate and correct time to discuss his historical status.

Instead of talking about reaching the finals...