One Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy Six. Sixty+ in the Playoffs!
Iguodala and Harden wanted to steal the ball from Sun Ce!
The Warriors didn't expect Sun Ce to be able to predict the ball!
They thought that even if Sun Ce blocked Harden's passing route, the Warriors predicted that Sun Ce would think Harden would force a shot.
After all, Harrison Barnes only made 1 of 5 three-pointers tonight!
Harrison Barnes didn't cut in because he wanted to downplay his presence.
As for letting Harrison Barnes shoot this key three-pointer, he wanted to catch the Grizzlies by surprise. Even Harden's counter-running to receive the serve was purposeful, using the off-ball pick-and-roll to let Sun Ce defend Harden.
When Sun Ce went to defend Harden, he would definitely pay attention to the players cutting into the basket, because Sun Ce was the best player in the Grizzlies' defense, and his best defensive work on the defensive end was the medium and short-range defense.
On the Warriors side, Steve Kerr can be considered to be betting this time. Maybe their idea is right. Maybe Harrison Barnes can withstand the pressure and make an open three-pointer at a critical moment after receiving the ball... But Sun Ce didn't give them a chance!
Iguodala and Harden failed to steal Sun Ce's ball. Before Sun Ce passed the ball or advanced on his own, Iguodala fouled directly! The number of fouls has not yet reached.
In the fourth quarter, the two teams had very few fouls and scored a super high score, so the number of fouls of both teams has not reached the point of foul free throws.
Iguodala's judgment this time was very sharp. They haven't lost yet! There are 1 minute and 3 seconds left, they still have a chance!
If they can defend the next attack of the Grizzlies, they still have a chance!
The Warriors have no timeouts. In order to deal with the star play of the Grizzlies tonight, they made various temporary adjustments, and indeed made many good adjustments. With that momentum, the Grizzlies didn't get any advantage in the first three and a half quarters, but the last time they called a timeout, they had already used the last timeout.
The Grizzlies will naturally not help the Warriors call a timeout and continue to attack.
Taking advantage of the dead ball, the Warriors replaced Speights with Thabeet, and the Grizzlies did not make any substitutions and continued to play.
Sun Ce chose to serve the ball, since he had no chance to receive the serve anyway.
However, after Paul George received the serve and advanced to the frontcourt, Sun Ce found that the opponent did not continue to double-team him without the ball. Just now, he saw Iguodala greet the Warriors players on the court and communicated with them.
Sure enough, the defensive strategy was adjusted, because Thabeet was on the court and there was a super strong rim protector under the basket. At this critical moment, the Warriors' defense suddenly returned to normal!
At this moment, the Warriors' strength as a championship-level team was fully demonstrated, and they also showed the temperament that their championship-level team should have!
Iguodala's defense against Sun Ce was particularly good, and Sun Ce had no chance to receive the ball.
Paul George began to act decisively, passing the ball to Aldridge, who backed up Draymond Green in the high post and turned over to shoot from mid-range... but it didn't go in!
The Warriors saw that hope was really coming! In the next round of attack, they will have a chance to tie the game, and then they can try to prevent the opponent from counterattacking...
Just when the Warriors players saw the chance to win and the dawn, a player beside Thabit jumped up and tapped the ball in the air with his left hand, which was tied with a handband. The ball, which had just left the cylinder of the basket, followed the force of the tap and hit the backboard and bounced into the frame!
There were 40 seconds left! Sun Ce made a tip-in, 136 to 131. The Grizzlies scored 5 points in a row with Sun Ce at the critical moment, creating a 5-point lead!
Since the Warriors had no timeouts and could not stop the clock, they could only serve the ball and attack immediately.
They were afraid that Sun Ce would score 60+ in a single game in the third playoff in NBA history. Since the fourth quarter, they had been desperately trying to stop him, and the Grizzlies found an opportunity to take the initiative...Forget it, they played away at the critical moment and had a chance to tie the score and chase victory. Even if the Warriors were tortured by Sun Ce and the Grizzlies in the second half, it didn't matter.
In just a few dozen seconds, Sun Ce first hit a three-pointer in a fast break, and then hit a tip-in, and still got 60 points!
That's not all. The Warriors failed to stop Sun Ce from getting 60 points, and because of the defensive end, they gave the Grizzlies many opportunities, allowing the Grizzlies to take the initiative. Sun Ce's last two shots seized the advantage brought by the initiative and helped the Grizzlies lock in the victory!
Curry was really furious. He abandoned the idea of impatience and competing with Sun Ce... and other factors that were not conducive to the game, just to help the team well.
He didn't even care about the data or personal honors, he just wanted to help the team beat the Grizzlies and Sun Ce.
He can be said to be the one who sacrificed the most in the team. He gave up the ball and averaged only 3.6 assists per game in the regular season this season, which is similar to Iguodala, the big man who pretended to be dead. He also sacrificed his shooting rights. Most of the time, he was to contain the opponent's defense and shoot and receive the ball. He averaged 5.2 three-pointers per game, but only averaged 25.1 points per game. He averaged 11.5 three-pointers per game, but only 17 shots per game. In other words, in addition to three-pointers and free throws, he only made two or three mid-range and short-range shots in a game. He was also very clear about the key shots. When the team couldn't play and Harden couldn't play, he would solve the problem.
In fact, most of the key shots can't be made. The more shots you make, the more you miss. Even Kobe and Jordan are like this, so Curry also has the notoriety of being keen on personal heroism at critical moments...
Curry endured all these, and helped the team get to where it is now, helping Harden become the league's top shooting guard and further reducing his own players so that Draymond Green can play better.
But today, not only did he fail to stop Sun Ce from scoring terrifying data, but in the last and most crucial minute and a half, Sun Ce helped the Grizzlies create a 5-point lead.
Curry, who had been playing patiently and calmly tonight, couldn't hold it this time. He received the serve and advanced to the frontcourt to shoot a three-pointer... Seeing Curry's posture, Sun Ce and Klay Thompson knew what he was going to do. The two of them directly double-teamed him, and Curry missed a 45-degree super fadeaway three-pointer!
Yi Jianlian received the defensive rebound, and Draymond Green accepted Steve Kerr's instructions and fouled Yi Jianlian directly, not giving Sun Ce another chance to shoot. This time the number of fouls reached the fourth time, and Yi Jianlian got two free throws!
The fans at the scene have been cheering since Sun Ce made a tip-in!
Since Sun Ce made his first three-pointer in the 4th minute of the 4th quarter, the fans have been looking forward to this moment, and Sun Ce did not disappoint them!
60 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks, 2 steals!
The third player in NBA history to score at least 60 points in a single playoff game was born tonight! Moreover, this is the first 60+ in a single playoff game in the new century!
At this time, the fans saw the Warriors deliberately fouling Yi Jianlian, how could they not know what the Warriors were thinking?
"Kerr-out... Kerr-out... Kerr-out..."
The scene was filled with the shouts that the Suns' home court would hear almost every night in the 2009-2010 regular season, but this did not affect the Warriors. Yi Jianlian made one of two free throws at a critical moment. Although he missed one free throw, he still helped the Grizzlies to score 137 to 131, leading by 6 points, with seconds left, completely locking in the victory!
Sun Ce also guessed the other side's idea. The opposing head coach Steve Kerr would not let him continue to score no matter what. If he threw in another three-pointer, he would tie Jordan's single-game scoring record in the playoffs, and he would tie the record while winning the game.
Seeing that the Warriors were wasting time, Sun Ce had no reason to steal the ball. That would be him taking the initiative to make trouble and might really want to fight.
On the Warriors side, Curry wasted time with a green face and did not continue to shoot. He would rather lose face than let Sun Ce tie the historical record in front of him!
The final whistle sounded, relying on Sun Ce's 22 of 37 shots, including 7 of 10 three-pointers, plus 9 of 11 free throws, he scored 60 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks and 2 steals!
Add Randolph's 19 points and 7 rebounds, Klay Thompson's 15 points, Yi Jianlian's 13 points, Aldridge's 11 points and 3 assists, Paul George's 9 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists... The Grizzlies relied on the star singles strategy. The total number of assists for the whole team was only 19, but they scored 137 points, 137 to 131 at home, and won the second game of the series with difficulty, making the score 2 to 0!
In contrast, the Warriors' team offense was too good. Harden scored 41 points, 7 rebounds and 11 assists, Draymond Green scored 9 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists, and Iguodala scored 7 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists... Curry made 9 of 18 shots tonight, including 7 of 11 three-pointers, plus 4 of 4 free throws, and scored 29 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 steal. Curry and Harden have already soared 70 points.
But! Sun Ce scored 60 points alone! Moreover, Sun Ce only successfully shot 37 times, Harden shot 27 times, Curry shot 18 times, and the two shot a total of 45 times!
After the final whistle sounded, the Warriors players walked towards the player tunnel without looking back.
They have played to this point tonight, even exceeding their initial expectations. They disrupted the Grizzlies' defense by changing the formation, took the lead by strong offense, and led for so long. In the end, they lost to Sun Ce alone!
It really was lost to Sun Ce alone! In the fourth quarter, Sun Ce scored three three-pointers in a row, and the last three-pointer and a tip-in directly helped the Grizzlies lock in the victory!
On the other side, Sun Ce was surrounded by his teammates, and the fans on the scene were cheering wildly!
22 of 37 shots soared 60 points!
Among them, Sun Ce scored 33 points in 12 of 17 shots in the second half, which was terrifying!
No one expected the process and result of this game!
Who could have thought that the Warriors would play so unexpectedly? The effect of their unconventional style of play once made the fans at the scene despair, but in the end, Sun Ce once again turned the tide, and it can almost be said that he completed the reversal on his own in the second half!