After Jordan scored a goal, it was the Lakers' turn to attack. He began to get into the basket and get the ball, hoping to use the strongest offensive to defeat his opponent.
In a direct competition between muscles under the basket, Lao Wang relied on his more abundant physical fitness and the most powerful force to suppress O'Neal, stuck him behind him, and got into position under the basket.
The center took a strong position under the basket and was ready from the outside. Kobe saw the right moment, suddenly jumped and passed the ball, and threw the ball in from Charlie Ward's head with both hands.
Oakley, who was ready to double-team the basket at any time, was at the right waist of the paint area. He immediately half-turned and pounced, but the ball passed very fast and he failed to complete the early double-team.
"Crack!"
Behind him was O'Neal's surging defensive power and heavy breathing. Lao Wang grabbed the ball with one hand. In the next moment, he bent over and dribbled the ball once with both hands. At the same time, he took the opportunity to half-turn to the right, avoiding Oakley's double team.
action, then step down with both feet, unite the six forces into one, and lean back violently.
"Peng!"
Under the back arch of a ferocious iron mountain, O'Neal, who was weak in physical strength, groaned, his upper body leaned back sharply, and he fell down.
After knocking over O'Neal, Lao Wang glanced at Oakley indifferently, and then he stood up, holding the ball with both hands and smashed it towards the basket.
You just dunk it, what do I do? Oakley's heart skipped a beat, this damn old K is so cruel!
"Bang!"
The next moment, the basket roared.
"This is the physical advantage of old K. He played 7 minutes more than O'Neal, but now he has more physical energy than O'Neal. O'Neal is no longer good, but he is still like a ferocious tiger." Barkley said excitedly
roared.
"This is the scariest thing about Old K. You can block him in the first three quarters, but you can never block him in the fourth quarter." Bill Walton shook his head with emotion.
"The last quarter is the time for Old K to feast on his opponents." Kenny Smith said excitedly.
In the 10th minute of the game, under Lao Wang's ferocious attack at the basket, O'Neal finally couldn't hold on any longer and couldn't keep up with the rhythm at all. He was forced to commit consecutive fouls and ended the game with six fouls.
At this time, the Lakers had already led by 10 points, and the Knicks called a timeout in advance.
On the court, Jordan put his hands on his knees, sweat dripping down in lines, and did not leave the court immediately. He was really exhausted and wanted to take a breath first.
Although he does not compete with old K, his physical exertion is no less than that of O'Neal. So far, he has scored 38 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 steals and 1 block. At his age, it is already a miracle.
Even if his body is well maintained, at this moment, he can no longer hold on.
But what made him unable to persist was his psychology.
With O'Neal's dismissal, the balance of victory and defeat in this game has tilted heavily towards the Lakers, which disappointed him extremely.
In the previous three finals with Lao K, we all lacked strong teammates inside, so we lost one, two, and three. Bah, shit, one, two, and three.
This time, he had the most powerful inside teammates, but Old K's physical fitness was actually so strong. He and O'Neal were exhausted to death, but Old K was still like an exhausted cow. This time, why did he
Still don’t see a chance to win?
It was this mentality of not seeing hope that hit him hard.
When he was young, no matter how powerful the Bad Boys were, he never gave up hope of winning the championship because he was young enough and the Bad Boys were getting older.
But now, he is the one who is getting old. The feeling of not seeing hope gives him a great sense of frustration. This feeling makes him extremely disgusted.
At this time, there was a constant sound of breathing from beside him. He bent over and turned his head to look, and it was Old K who was leaving the game.
Like him, Old K was panting constantly and sweat was dripping from his body.
"He's also very tired."
When he turned his head, Jordan's eyes lit up, and his strong psychological quality instantly healed him of his psychological shock.
He felt that he had seen hope. Old K was also very tired and must be gritting his teeth and persisting. As long as he and O'Neal could carry on until the moment when Old K's physical strength collapsed, there would be an opportunity.
Old K played the entire game from the second round, and his physical exertion far exceeded that of him and O'Neal. He felt that his idea was right, and if he persisted, he would definitely be able to win.
But just as he was about to get up and leave the game, he suddenly remembered that O'Neal had just been sent off. This time, he had the urge to curse.
Not long after, Game 3 of the Finals ended. The Lakers won on the road and won their second victory in the series, leading the Knicks by a huge score of 2-1.
After the game, Bill Walton said: "The next G4G5 game is also the home court of the Knicks. The G4 game is a life and death battle for the Knicks. They cannot lose. Losing allows the Lakers to get the match point. This series is basically
It’s a foregone conclusion.”
Kenny Smith said: "If the Knicks lose the G4 game again, then Michael Jordan will have to face the miserable situation of losing one, two, three, and four."
Barkley said with emotion: "Six years ago, I would never have imagined that Michael would face this situation. At that time, I didn't have a championship, no MVP or FMVP, but he was already full of honors, completed two consecutive championships, and was competing for three.
A dynasty that has won consecutive championships. But I didn’t expect that now he would..."
At this point, he sighed with emotion and said no more.
Kenny Smith asked: "Charles, do you think the Knicks have any hope of coming back?"
Barkley nodded and said: "Of course, otherwise how could they win the last game? The Lakers won today because of their physical fitness, or more accurately, because of Old K's physical fitness. He completely defeated O'Neal at the last moment of the game.
So if the Knicks can allocate O'Neal's physical ability more reasonably, including Michael's physical ability, I think the Knicks have a greater chance of winning.
In fact, in terms of the main lineup, the combination of O'Neal and Michael is more threatening than Old K and Richmond. They can really reach the level of 1+12, but Old K and the others cannot.
When the Knicks' main lineup is on the court, they have the opportunity to gain a certain advantage, but once it comes time for substitutions, the Lakers' advantage will be reflected."
Kenny Smith laughed and said: "The Lakers are also lucky. Chris Mullin rejected Jordan and chose Old K, and Rick Fox actually signed a low-paying contract with the Lakers in his prime for Hollywood.
Haha, if the Lakers didn’t have Fox and Mullin, then today’s championship would definitely go to the Knicks.”
Bill Walton smiled and said: "So sometimes, luck is also a kind of strength."
In the CCTV live broadcast, Su Qun took the statistics table and read: "Old K played the whole game, 38 points, 18 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 steals, 5 blocks, 4 turnovers and 5 fouls. It's a pity that he didn't get one in the last few minutes.
Assist."
"This data is already quite powerful."
Zhang Lili said: "Today the Lakers played very unitedly, the total number of assists for the team was 27, while the Knicks only had 19.
Tiejun's role in the low post today was not the end point of the offense, but the starting point of the offense, and he dominated the Lakers' offense."
Su Qun nodded and said: "Besides Old K, three other Lakers scored in double figures. Kobe Bryant had 18 points, Richmond had 12 points, Fox had 16 points, Mullin, Price, Hill, and Fordson all scored 5 points.
Above, the eight-man rotation played quite evenly, and everyone could score. But for the Knicks, only Jordan and O'Neal scored in double figures, and the scoring was very uneven."
Zhang Lianda said: "The Knicks, Qiao Shark's cooperation is indeed good, but the physical fitness of the two is also limited, and they cannot be overly relied on. After focusing so many shots on the two of them, once their physical fitness collapses, offense and defense will
If the quality drops, the Knicks will collapse directly."
Su Qun smiled and said: "Today the Lakers not only had a good offensive quality, but also grabbed 7 rebounds better than the Knicks."
Zhang Lili said with a smile: "So even though Qiao Shark and Qiao Shark scored 68 points, the Lakers still relied on the accumulation of various advantages to withstand the first three quarters, and then won the game in one fell swoop in the final quarter.
It looked very difficult and the game was very anxious, but actually I think the Lakers played quite steadily, knew where their advantages were, and relied on them to win in the end."
At the scene, Lao Wang was interviewed, and then asked Yu Feihong and Dabao to go back to the hotel first. After seeing them off, he returned to the locker room with his teammates.
Jordan's guess was correct. He is very tired now. Even if he has 105-level physical fitness, he is not invincible. From the second round of the series to now, he has played all games, and his physical reserves have been depleted. But in
I just persisted. After the game, my body felt like it had been hollowed out. When I returned to the locker room, I soaked in the medicinal bath.
In the five positions, there are very good rotation players in other positions, and even the main substitutes are similar, but only for his position, there are only marginal substitutes with poor strength. This is what he has to play for the whole game after entering the second round.
reason.
It's not that the Lakers are unwilling to find a good substitute for him. First, they can't squeeze out space, and the shields are now worth millions a year. Second, they can't find a good center at all. Which team is willing to let him go now?
From a certain perspective, the six championship-level teams have become public enemies of the management of other teams in the league and try to avoid transactions with them.
That is because these six teams can bring a lot of benefits to the league, and also bring a lot of benefits to other weak teams, so there is no group attack.
Almost all of the Lakers' reinforcements in the offseason were gains from the free market, including Fox, Chris Mullin, Mark Price, etc. Only Richmond was traded in, but at the cost of Peja.
The Lakers are also in pain.
Fortunately, G3 has already been played in the finals, which is almost halfway through. With his remaining physical reserves, there shouldn't be any big problem if he persists for a few more games.
The home team's locker room lost their first home game, which was a blow to the Knicks' morale. It seemed very dull and no one spoke.
In the bathroom, both Jordan and O'Neal were soaking in the medicinal bath. Phil Jackson had just finished his summary and came in to communicate with the two.
Jordan raised the issue of physical fitness, which he believed was the most critical reason why the Knicks lost two games and the inertia collapsed in the final quarter.
He said: "Phil, in the first three finals, Old K's physical fitness was definitely not that strong. Obviously, his physical fitness only reached its peak this season. I think this season, both technically and physically, he has reached his level.
In the peak state, physical fitness is a new problem we have to face."
Phil Jackson nodded and said: "Old K played against Postman and Sabonis in the second round, and played against Duncan and Dameng in the Western Conference Finals. They were all in the game, and he contributed in all directions. His physical exertion must be very high, and now he is facing each other again.
Shaq still plays the whole game, his physical fitness is really a miracle, he can definitely participate in a triathlon."
The two sighed at the same time. It was really bad luck. From the Bulls to the Knicks, they actually met the stronger old K.
Jordan thought for a while and said: "But I think Old K's physical fitness should be almost at the limit. He just finished the game and he can't walk anymore, so we should stick to it and not be intimidated by him. I think who can stick to it?"
In the end, whoever has the chance to win the final victory."
There was a splash of water, and O'Neill moved in the huge bucket and said: "I think Old K relies on this thing to improve his physical fitness. The formula of medicated bath is his, and he has been using medicated bath for the longest time. Perhaps, he also
He's hiding his secret, this guy is very cunning."
Jordan nodded and said: "The effect of medicated baths is certain. Not only are we using them, but so many stars in Hollywood are also using them, and so many billionaires in New York and Los Angeles are also using them. If they don't have any effect, they can't be used by them."
accepted.
I have asked some users, and I mean ordinary people, not athletes, that after using medicated baths for a few months, their physical fitness has been significantly improved, and the effect is better than ours."
Phil Jackson said: "What we have to face now is how to solve the problem that our physical fitness cannot keep up with old K. What do you think?
If this problem cannot be solved, when Old K exerts his strength in the final quarter, our problem of collapse in the final quarter is likely to reoccur."
Jordan has been thinking about this issue since the game. Hearing this, he said: "We can only rely on more rotations to give the main players more rest time.
During rotation time, Phil, we have to hold on, which requires you to use tactics to solve the problem."
Phil Jackson wants to scratch his head. Old K plays the whole game. He is on the court and our main players have to take turns. How can I use tactics to solve the problem of Old K? If it is so easy to solve, do we still go to the Knicks?
At this time, O'Neal said: "I think if I continue to use medicated baths, there should be room for improvement in my physical fitness. After all, I am still very young, only 26 years old."
"Old K is only 25 years old." Jordan reminded angrily.
O'Neill argued: "But he used medicated baths earlier than me. Human bodies have limits. Maybe his physical fitness has reached its limit, but I haven't yet."
When he said this, Jordan and Phil Jackson also believed that there was some truth in it, but they also understood that distant water could not save nearby fire, so the current problem still needed to be solved.
After thinking about it, Phil Jackson said: "In the first three games, Dahler has never activated this point, and we have not used his three-pointers. If his ability is activated, his three-pointers can help us reduce a lot of pressure.
Michael, Shaq, you have to pay attention to the distribution of balls to him."
Jordan shook his head and said: "The Lakers watch him very closely, and there are no open opportunities. Old K always guards Shaq alone, and the intensity of double-teaming me is actually not great, especially the people guarding Dahle rarely participate in double-teaming me."
Dale Ellis was taking a shower in the bathroom and said at this time: "The Lakers' defense on me is very tight. No matter who is guarding me, they will not leave me a big open space. Even if they leave, they will quickly return to defense."
Phil Jackson did not look back at Ellis, because when he looked back he would see a large black and white butt, he said: "So Dahler, we are going to develop some tactics for you to activate your shooting ability.
We need your scoring, and your scoring can save Michael and O'Neal a lot of energy, and at the same time, it also prevents the Lakers' defensive pressure from being concentrated on them."
On the morning of the 6th, the hotel room was very dark with the curtains drawn. Lao Wang opened his eyes and felt that after a few hours of sleep, his body, which was empty after last night's game, had recovered a lot.
However, it is obvious that the degree of recovery is not as good as during the regular season, which means that his physical reserves are not as good as before.
"It's almost 9 o'clock?"
Rubbing his eyes, he reached out and grabbed the watch on the bedside table. He checked the time and put it down again. He yawned. He got up and went to the window and opened the curtains. The room suddenly became brighter.
Fei Ge and Dabao were in another room. The team required abstinence from sex during the finals. Players were not allowed to live with their wives and girlfriends.
After taking a shower, he left the room and went to Fei Ge's place.
Dabao also got up, Fei Ge ordered breakfast, and mother and son were eating in the room.
"dad!"
Dabao shouted happily.
"good!"
Lao Wang was also hungry. When he saw three pieces of bread on Dabao's plate, he took one piece and ate it. Dabao looked at him without saying anything. When he went to get the second piece, the little guy stopped.
"Mine, Dabao's."
Dabao protected the plate with one hand, pointed at the landline next to him and shouted: "Dad is calling."
He just saw someone delivering food after his mother called, so he asked Lao Wang to call too.
"Little thing, do you still know how to protect your food?"
Brother Fei laughed and asked Lao Wang if he wanted to order breakfast for him. Lao Wang shook his head and said, "Forget it, I'll go to the restaurant to eat."
When he got up and left, he suddenly grabbed a piece of bread from Dabao's plate. Dabao curled his little mouth, glanced at his father who was walking away in a sultry manner, and quickly grabbed the last piece of bread in his hand to avoid being eaten again.