Chapter 630 [God Heard His Voice]
In the NBA, it is not difficult to score 50+ points in a single game. Many people have done it. But to put this stage in the finals, the difficulty has increased dozens of times. To this day, there have only been three 50+ performances in a single game in the history of the finals.
The most recent time was June 16, 1993. Michael Jordan played 46 minutes in the Finals against the Suns, making 21 of 37 shots, 13 of 18 free throws, and scored 55 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists. It is worth mentioning that Jordan only took one three-point shot in this game and failed to hit it. 55 points is also the highest score in a single game in the history of the NBA Finals.
However, the single-game scoring record of 55 points in the Finals is not held by Jordan alone. He only tied Rick Barry's record in 1967. That year, Barry made 22 goals in the third game of the Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers. What's interesting is that this master who is good at using the "urinal" posture to shoot free throws only made 11 of 19 free throws in that game. If With a little more accuracy, I'm afraid he can set a record of 60 points in a single game in the finals.
Another 50+ performance in a single game in the Finals came from Lakers legend Jerry West. In the first game of the 1969 Finals against the Celtics, West showed off his power and scored 53 points.
Now, Yao Ming has become the fourth player in history and the only inside player to achieve such statistics in the finals.
Barkley analyzed: "Yao Ming can produce this kind of data because his offensive skills are both inside and outside. Another important reason is that the opponent is the Magic. The Magic players believe too much in Howard's single defense ability. They have not been like other teams throughout the season. The team used a zone defense system to defend the penalty area, and Yao Ming got too many singles opportunities."
Kenny Smith sighed: "It is really difficult to limit Yao Ming's one-on-one defense. He can't block shots even if he makes a jump shot from the middle in the last quarter and is double-teamed by the Magic. He is too tall."
Yang Rui trained Yao Ming into a weird insider. In previous lives, Nowitzki and Durant also had amazing performances in the finals. Once such a big man who can shoot finds his touch, playing in the game is simply cheating. Pulling out to shoot, double-teaming and single defense have the same effect, anyway. It can't be covered.
This is not possible for a center like O'Neal, who can only attack close to the basket. If the opponent cannot prevent it, he can double-team him and force him to pass the ball, or directly foul and send him a free throw.
If O'Neal is accurate in free throws, he will definitely score 50+ in the finals, but it's a pity that he doesn't have that ability. What O'Neal couldn't do, Yao Ming did it, which makes him even more awesome.
After Yao Ming left the game, Yang Rui did not let go of the Magic. He planned to leave an indelible memory for the fans this season. So, he sent Brooks, James Jones, Duntay Jones, Landry, and Odom.
This is not the Lakers' fringe lineup. If these five players are used in the regular season, they can beat many teams' starters.
Because Lewis likes to be pulled out to shoot, Millsap and Posey play more time, and Odom didn't play much in this game, Yang Rui has just the reason to let him improve his statistics in the contract year.
Odom lived up to expectations, playing inside and supporting the bench to score, which made the Magic miserable. At the end of the game, 133-75, the Lakers won by 58 points.
Howard played 35 minutes, making 1 of 6 shots and 6 of 8 free throws. He scored 8 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 1 block. He was completely blown away. The only thing he performed beyond his level was the free throw.
Even through the pick-and-roll, the Magic guard leads away Yao Ming, and Howard makes an air cut to receive the pass. There is not much threat. The Lakers outside players can foul before he takes off.
Pietrus scored the most points for the Magic, and he got it in garbage time, with 14 points and 3 rebounds.
Lewis made 5 of 14 shots, Turkoglu made 3 of 11 shots, and Nelson made 3 of 9 shots. The Magic shot 30.8% overall and were poorly defended. Only three people on the team scored in double figures.
Six Lakers players scored in double figures, and no one except Yao Ming scored 20+. With this game alone, Yao Ming locked up the MVP.
Paul's pressure has also been reduced a lot, and this "58 tragedy" is obviously easier to remember.
As long as he doesn't join Howard on the same team in the future, the team might be called the "58 Brothers" by fans.
After the game, Yao Ming was the only protagonist among the players. All reporters wanted to interview him. There were 950 press boxes in the Lakers home lobby, 200 more than last year, but it was still not enough, and they were all occupied.
When Yao Ming walked into the hall, there was a commotion in the press area and the sound of shutters kept coming. He walked steadily, waving continuously all the way to his seat, and then smiled and waved to reporters in different directions.
If every reporter asked Yao Ming a question, he would probably be dumb. Fortunately, everyone wanted to ask similar questions, and Yao Ming answered some representative questions, and he passed the test.
When it comes to senior basketball players in the NBA, Yao Ming is still very low-key. Even though Chamberlain has not recorded the statistics in this game, he said that he still has a long way to go.
Yao Ming smiled very happily when he mentioned Yang Rui: "Without Jerry's tactical arrangements, I would not have been able to do all this. I still feel like a dream. Maybe many people have the potential to become superstars, all they lack is one Good coach.”
As soon as Yao Ming said this, Larry Brown will definitely be pulled out and whipped to death again. A basketball magazine is going to analyze how many potential basketball stars Larry Brown has ruined in the next issue.
Yang Rui also accepted an interview, and he refused to say anything shocking. "I am not surprised that the team won a big victory. The Lakers have the ability to defeat any team. We are the strongest. Here, I want to tell other teams good news."
The reporters focused their cameras on him, wondering what good news other teams could have if the Lakers were strong.
Yang Rui smiled and said: "The good news is that I will not renew my contract with the Lakers after this season. I have never thought about leading the Lakers to win three consecutive championships. Next season, other teams should have the opportunity to compete for the championship. "
Immediately a reporter asked: "Did you leave the Lakers because of the conflict with Kobe?"
As long as Yang Rui nods, there will be headlines in sports news all over the world tomorrow.
Yang Rui didn't mention Kobe, his words were much more arrogant. "No, I think it's because it's too unchallenging to win here. If this continues, I might suggest the management sign a contract with O'Neal's grandma in the summer to prove that grandma winning the championship is not a joke."
A reporter asked: "When Kobe was here in the regular season, the Lakers rarely beat their opponents, and the player statistics were much lower than in the playoffs. You once said in the mid-term that Kobe was too independent, and now he can't play. It was the Lakers who became stronger." The reason?"
Yang Rui thought for a while and said seriously: "No, I think the opponent has become weaker. This must be because Kobe prays for us at home every game. God heard his voice, so we can play so well. You guys Don’t discredit him.”
Reporters fainted in the venue. This was probably the most serious nonsense in NBA history.
Reporters also interviewed Lakers players to hear their opinions on Kobe. Everyone had a tacit understanding to keep silent and no one wanted to do anything that would hurt others but not benefit themselves.
This is an unspoken rule in the NBA. In Yang Rui's previous life, even if the Lakers never made it to the playoffs after 13 years, no player publicly criticized Kobe. Whether it was good or bad was left to the fans to evaluate.
The reporter also interviewed everyone from Magic.
Howard said depressingly: "I think the most difficult person to defend in the paint is Yao Ming. He is much harder to defend than Duncan, Stoudemire and others. His defense is also terrible. As long as he is in the penalty area, you can almost Can’t get to the basket.”
Magic coach Hollins also spoke highly of Yao Ming. "He is the best offensive center currently active, and he is also seriously underestimated on the defensive end. I don't know why he has never been selected for the All-Defensive Team. I voted for him."