Chapter 292 Fighting to the point of cramps, three points of the return of the king
After the start of the fourth quarter, the score between the two sides was still tight.
Playing in such an environment is like carrying a heavy load, and the efficiency on both sides is not high.
For the Spurs, this kind of off-game move is an act of killing one thousand enemies and damaging eight hundred. After all, the average age of the Spurs is greater than that of the Suns, and there are many more veterans in the team than the Suns.
However, their players' condition seems to be slightly better than that of the Suns. After all, this is the home court of the Spurs, and their players can use electric fans and ice buckets to cool down at any time.
The game was heated on the court, and it was extremely hot off the court.
Fans have begun to artificially cool down, pouring cold Cokes and cold beers on their heads.
This scene can't help but remind some old fans of the 1984 finals.
A similar scene also occurred in the classic yellow-green battle between Lakers v2 Celtics. When the finals reached G5, the score was deadlocked. At such a critical point, the Celtics head coach 'Cardinal'
Auerbach enlarged his move and turned off the arena's air-conditioning system with a wave of his hand.
After turning off the air conditioning, the temperature at the North Shore Garden Stadium once reached 38 degrees!
In the end, the Celtics relied on this unique move to win the Battle of Tianwang Mountain and win the championship that year.
Popovich's behavior tonight paid tribute to the Cardinals.
Halfway through the final quarter, the physical fitness of both sides was severely tested.
Chen Yan was already sweating profusely, and the new jersey he put on during the break almost turned into a tights due to the sweat.
Popovich also noticed the decline in Chen Yan's physical fitness and began to send players in turns to protect him.
The purpose of sticking defense is not to limit Chen Yan's scoring, but to further consume his physical energy.
Popovich is a tactical wizard. He can think of any kind of move. He understands that Chen Yan is the Suns' only firepower tonight.
Except for a three-and-a-half-minute break in the first quarter, Chen Yan played the entire remaining time!
Moreover, entering the second half, almost every round requires Chen Yan to hold the ball and finish, which further increases Chen Yan's physical consumption.
Even with top physical fitness, Chen Yan was a little overwhelmed.
Soon, the time came to the last 2 minutes and 07 seconds.
Sun attack round.
Nash used the screen to try to move inside, but the physical exertion made it impossible for him to pick up speed. Nash took a step against the defensive player and then threw his hand and passed to the outside.
Raja Bell took the ball and shot a three-pointer from a 0-degree angle!
"Clang!"
The iron is not struck.
Laga Bell's shot is also the epitome of the Suns' shooters in this game.
Except for Chen Yan, the other Suns outside players in this game only made a pitiful 3-for-15 three-pointers, which can be said to be a big loss.
Fortunately, this offensive rebound was picked up by Diaw.
Diaw didn't even have a firm grip on the ball, so he took advantage of the situation and gave it to the center. His peripheral vision had already caught sight of Chen Yan, who was cutting without the ball!
The decline in physical fitness cannot affect Diaw's creativity. Chen Yan hits the basket hard after catching the ball!
Duncan and Finlay work together to bring him down!
The Spurs players understand that even if Chen Yan is sent to the free throw line at this time, he will not be able to score directly. This is a matter of momentum.
Chen Yan lost his balance after landing and fell to the ground.
The Suns players quickly pulled him up. Almost no one was worried that Chen Yan would be injured. However, after getting up, Chen Yan was not in good condition and limped towards the free throw line.
"Whoosh!"
"Whoosh!"
Chen Yan's strong two free throws tied the score at 75!
But at the same time, he also made a substitution gesture toward D'Antoni on the sideline!
Due to severe dehydration and straining, Chen Yan suffered from thigh cramps.
D'Antoni quickly replaced him with Grant Hill, and the Spurs also replaced Bowen, who had been cut before.
NBA rules stipulate that if you foul someone without the ball in the last two minutes, you will be punished with two free throws and a throw. Popovich does not have to worry that Bowen will be cut off at this time.
Chen Yan was helped by the assistant coach to the sidelines. He would not cry and ask his teammates to carry him off, nor would he go back to the locker room directly. All Chen Yan could think about now was to get back to the court quickly.
Chen Yan understands that the Sun needs him very much now.
Chen Yan kept asking the team doctor to help him press his hamstrings on the sidelines. Seeing this scene, Popovich seemed unfazed and was secretly happy.
This ball is stable!
The game continues on the court.
Popovich motioned to hand the ball to Duncan, the most stable point on the Spurs court.
Duncan turned around immediately after catching the ball. Affected by his physical fitness and temperature, Duncan's turning speed also slowed down a lot.
But even so, Duncan still caused Stoudemire's defensive foul.
Duncan showed no mercy at the critical moment and made two free throws to make the score 77-75.
Chen Yan was very anxious. How could he not be anxious when he was not on the court during the hottest stage of the game?
Looking back, Duncan used his big palm to block Stoudemire's layup in the penalty area, proving with his actions what a historical power forward is!
Duncan was panting heavily after landing. His physical strength reached the critical point and he was teetering on the edge of collapse.
Neither side scored in the next minute, but the Spurs frequently won free throws in the paint.
With one free throw after another, the Spurs opened the point difference to 4 points with 39 seconds left in the game!
The score was 82 to 78. At this time, there was a dead ball situation on the court.
The domestic fans in front of the TV suddenly burst into cheers. It turned out that Chen Yan was standing on the sideline again!
D'Antoni signaled the Suns to make substitutions, and Chen Yan returned to the field!
Although he returned to the sidelines, attentive fans found that Chen Yan's steps were still a little staggering. The cramps had not yet left him so quickly, but Chen Yan knew that the game would be over if he didn't play again.
The Suns attack the ball.
"Defense!"
"Defense!"
The home fans inspired the team with the loud 'defense' throughout the stadium.
After Chen Yan received the ball, he immediately moved in and cut inside.
D'Antoni's strategy was to grab a quick two points.
Unexpectedly, the Spurs formation recovered very quickly, especially when Duncan almost used his last strength to move his feet to prevent Chen Yan from rushing into the frame.
Chen Yan didn't force himself, he turned around and handed the ball to the outside.
After Raja Bell caught the ball, everything around him was empty, but he did not choose to take action this time.
He was too tough tonight and didn't have the confidence to take such crucial shots.
Laga Bell stopped the ball to observe, and Chen Yan came out again.
After the two exchanged hand-to-hand coordination, Chen Yan turned around and sniped away!
This shot caught Bowen behind him a bit off guard!
Chen Yan didn't even look at the basket for this shot, it was a blind sniper!
Chen Yan's move was helpless. If time continues to pass, the Suns will still be passive even if they score this round.
The entire audience was watching the ball's trajectory.
If this ball fails to hit the Suns, the game will basically be over. If the ball does hit, there will still be suspense in the game!
The basketball sliced through the sky of ATTS Arena and plummeted into the net!
"Whoosh!"
82 to 81.
The Suns bench suddenly jumped up!
In the cctv5 studio, Zhang Lili and Yu Jia looked equally happy.
"What is a big-hearted player? This is a big-hearted player!"
"Three points for The Return of the King!"
Nash was completely out of sight tonight, shooting 2 of 9 in the game. Also missing the mark were Stoudemire, who was 3 of 10, Diaw, who was 2 of 6, and Laga Bell, who was 1 of 6.
Even so, Chen Yan still relied on his strong personal ability to carry the game until the last 30 seconds!