Advancing to the Finals! Stern's Scheme! The Losing Team's MVP? [Daily update

Chapter 103 Advancing to the Finals! Stern's Scheme! The Losing Team's MVP? [Daily update of 20,000 words, please subscribe]

Daniels sprinted towards Fisher to try and disrupt his shot, but Fisher became completely confident. He first calmly raised his hand to fake out Daniels, then dribbled forward, took a step back, and pulled up for a sudden stop.

A pull-up jumper from just one step inside the three-point line went in!

"Whoosh!"

In the next possession, Duncan completely lost his composure under the basket. He forced a turn and tried to shoot against O'Neal, but was blocked by O'Neal again. He didn't even get the ball out before O'Neal firmly pressed it down!

"Counterattack!"

After Lin Ze grabbed the basketball, he shouted and then dribbled forward. During the counterattack, he found Fisher and passed the ball to him!

Fisher received the ball, faked out Porter who was chasing him, and then dribbled towards the inside.

At this moment, David Robinson had already fought his way back to the basket to defend, spreading his arms and taking position to try to block Fisher's attack on the rim.

"boom!"

The ball that silenced the entire Staples Center has been born!

Fisher dunked over David Robinson!

"WTF?" Wilmarcus's mouth dropped open, his voice filled with disbelief. "Has he ever dunked before? I mean, even during practice or warm-ups, has anyone ever seen him dunk? Even once?"

Smith shook his head and said, "I don't remember! I have absolutely no recollection of Fisher ever dunking."

Wilmarcus kept shaking his head, still unable to believe what he was seeing: "Unbelievable, unbelievable! I wouldn't be surprised if any Lakers player dunked on Robinson's head, but Fisher?"

The players on the court went wild. Just then, Popovich called a timeout, and the Lakers players rushed onto the court during the timeout.

Don't even mention that the two commentators hadn't seen Fisher dunk before; they hadn't seen it either!

After all, although this guy is all muscle, he almost never drives to the basket. Whether it's training or a game, he's just a pure utility player for the Lakers: dribbling the ball across half-court, passing it to the star player, and then waiting for an open shot.

Now, this guy actually came with something this big?

Fisher's bald head was repeatedly stroked and ruffled by his teammates, making it even shinier, while the entire Staples Center crowd chanted his name.

This play not only forced the Spurs to call a timeout, but also brought the atmosphere in the arena to a fever pitch!

Amidst the wild cheers, Fisher couldn't suppress the smile on his face.

Although Jackson said tonight could be his career night, he also knew very well that it was just a pie in the sky, a pie he was unlikely to get.

He never expected that he would actually be able to erupt, and erupt so completely!

He himself never imagined that he had just rushed in and dunked over Robinson.

If anyone at the scene wasn't too surprised by Fisher's dunk, it was Lin Ze.

Lin Ze remembered two videos he had seen in his previous life, so blurry that the people in them were almost indistinguishable.

It shows Fisher dunking over Iverson and Bradley.

This guy can really dunk!

Fisher's dunk was like a chubby kid on a trip to Nagasaki. After that dunk, the Spurs completely lost all resistance and lost all hope of winning.

In the following games, the Spurs' system, which was always described as operating like a machine and having a seamless system, disappeared. The players played in a chaotic manner and acted individually, and it was clear that their minds were no longer on the game.

The game quickly lost its suspense, with the gap between the two sides widening. Jackson substituted his starting players and went to the water bench, signaling the game was over. Popovich, after persisting for about three more minutes, also called a timeout.

Stop, substitute Duncan and the rest of the team.

The Spurs have surrendered!

They accepted the situation and the fact that they were down 3-0.

In the end, the score of the match was 72:109!

The Spurs suffered a crushing 37-point defeat!

"The Spurs are finished," Wilmarcus said. "Down 0-3, and by a margin of more than 30 points, the Spurs are completely finished. They can't come back."

"They most likely won't be able to bring the series back to San Antonio!"

Smith said, "There are many reasons why the Spurs lost tonight. For example, Duncan was completely dominated by O'Neal, only scoring 15 points and 8 rebounds on 5-of-17 shooting. Fisher suddenly exploded, scoring a career-high 25 points in the playoffs, and that amazing dunk."

"But I think there's only one real reason the Spurs lost: the Lakers were too strong! They couldn't withstand the Lakers' relentless, wave after wave of crazy offense."

"Even if Fisher doesn't explode tonight, given the Lakers' current style of play and situation, someone else will explode and crush the Spurs."

"I'm thinking about something else right now," Wilmarcus said. "The Lakers have won 10 straight in the playoffs so far!"

They haven't lost a single game, and I can't imagine how the Spurs are going to win their next home game.

"The Spurs are already recognized as a top team, at least stronger than the 76ers and Bucks in the East. If even the Spurs can't beat them even once, then who can beat the Lakers? Who can beat the Lakers even once in the playoffs?"

"I can't answer that question," Smith said. "But if I had to pick one team that could achieve a 15-game playoff winning streak and win the championship undefeated, then I would definitely choose the Lakers. Their strength is obvious to the naked eye; they are clearly superior to all other teams in the league!"

At the press conference after the game, Jackson only brought Fisher along; the entire trio opted to skip it.

Of course, to reporters, these guys might seem lazy, but they're actually quite busy.

O'Neal was even on the phone while showering, constantly yelling, "I want the prettiest girl, you get it? The prettiest! Oh, and a few pretty moms too, you know what I mean? Tonight's my brother's career night! He loves divorced moms with kids!"

"He's the star tonight, we're going to make him—FUXX! Lin, what are you doing?"

Lin Ze looked at O'Neal like he was an idiot and said, "Of course I'm here to take a shower. Why would I come here to eat?"

O'Neal suddenly hung up the phone, muttering curses as he left the shower room with his phone.

This guy has never liked showering with Lin Ze.

"Shaq, that's it."

"Shaq, this is the most terrifying big guy I've ever seen."

FUXX!

Every time O'Neal saw Lin Ze, he felt that those sweet words from the past were like lies that mocked and ridiculed him, causing him great pain.

Next, after two days of rest, in the fourth game between the Lakers and the Spurs, they only needed three quarters to extend their lead to 23 points. Although the Spurs launched some counterattacks in the fourth quarter, once narrowing the gap to 15 points.

But O'Neal was in top form tonight. When the Spurs used the "Hack-a-Shaq" strategy to try and narrow the score, he went to the free-throw line 8 times and made 6 of them, while the Spurs only made one basket and scored 2 points during that time.

The failure of the shark-cutting tactic became the final straw that broke the camel's back.

80: 103!

Ultimately, the Spurs lost to the Lakers by 23 points.

Duncan was also dominated by O'Neal for the second consecutive game.

That night he only made 8 of 21 shots, and although he eventually scored 23 points, he was completely unable to help the team win.

而和他对位的奥尼尔今晚27投15中不说，罚球线上也有19罚12中！轰下42分21篮板！

Although the Spurs are ranked first in the league this season, they did not put up any resistance in the Western Conference Finals, losing 4-0!

The Lakers successfully avenged their defeat two years ago, sweeping the Spurs and advancing to the NBA Finals for the second consecutive year!

Meanwhile, the day after the Lakers swept the Spurs 4-0 without any suspense, Iverson, who had an incredibly poor shooting performance in the first three quarters of Game 4 of the series, scored 11 points in the fourth quarter, leading his team to a hard-fought victory in Milwaukee and tying the series 2-2!

The next battle is at Tianwang Mountain!

The Bucks' three sharpshooters all performed well in this game: Robinson scored 22 points, Allen 20 points, and Cassell 18 points and 12 rebounds.

Meanwhile, knowing the importance of this game, Cassell delivered a perfect performance on the defensive end. He closely guarded Iverson throughout the game, defending him tightly from start to finish and not giving him any easy opportunities to receive the ball or shoot.

In addition to Cassell, who was the main defender, the rest of the Bucks players also gave Iverson special attention. Whenever Iverson passed by them, they would definitely give him a good whack!

Under such relentless defense, Iverson only made 5 of 27 shots throughout the game.

Although Iverson had a poor performance, Mutombo, who scored 21 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, became a surprise weapon, taking advantage of the Bucks' strong performance.

Taking advantage of the gaps in Iverson's attention, he grabbed 7 offensive rebounds and scored 12 points with them!

Mutombo single-handedly turned the Bucks' hard-fought effort to force Iverson to miss a shot into a performance where he easily grabbed the rebound and put it back in.

除了穆托姆博之外，板凳席上的斯诺9投7中拿下18分，再加上虽然效率不高但表现全能，拿下15分5篮板5助攻3抢断2盖帽的阿隆·麦基，众志成城的76人队拿下天王山之战！

The following Game 6 became the Bucks' last chance. Although Allen had a breakout game, hitting nine three-pointers...

He scored 41 points, but still couldn't win the game!

3: 3!

The 76ers returned to their home court and began a fierce seven-game battle with the Bucks.

Although the Bucks' three sharpshooters played exceptionally well, combining for 70 points, the 76ers outperformed them. Allen Iverson scored 40+ points for the second consecutive game, hitting 17 of 33 shots for 44 points and 7 assists, while Dikembe Mutombo became the guardian of the paint, racking up a near triple-double with 23 points, 19 rebounds, and 7 blocks.

Led by these two, the 76ers successfully defended their home court and won the decisive Game 7!

4: 3!

The 76ers won Game 7 once again, successfully advancing to the NBA Finals!

This is their first time reaching the finals since Moses Malone led the team to victory!

This year, their opponents are far stronger than those faced by the "prophet" Malone back then!

On one side, Iverson led the Philadelphia team through a bloody battle, winning seven consecutive games and fiercely making it to the NBA Finals!

On one side are the Lakers' Big Three, who have swept three consecutive rounds and are 11-0 in the playoffs so far.

This matchup is definitely the one the league most wants to see!

MVP, scoring champion, best defensive player, superstar, defending champion, super team, grassroots passion, top coach —

All the elements fans love are in this series, and everything fans want to see is in this series!

There were even rumors that on the night the 76ers defeated the Bucks to advance to the NBA Finals, Stern's office was filled with barely suppressed cheers.

Because Philadelphia is a much bigger city than Milwaukee! And the 76ers' market is much bigger than the Bucks'!

With two major market teams making it to the Finals, how could Stern not be happy?

Of course, it would be even better if the 76ers were replaced by the Knicks!

In the two days leading up to the finals, Stern received nothing but good news.

More business collaborations and brand value that continues to skyrocket.

And the negotiations for a brand new broadcasting agreement have already begun!

Traditional American sports media outlets such as TNT, ESPN, CBS, and NBC are all hoping to be part of the next broadcasting deal and have already made some exploratory, informal offers with outrageous sums.

Seeing all this, Stern felt excited and incredibly gratified!

This is what he wanted, this is proof that the alliance has been getting better, and this is a testament to his abilities!

This Finals series, a series that has already yielded significant results even before it begins, is one that Stern certainly doesn't want to end. He doesn't want it to be like the Lakers' previous series, where it was practically over from the start. He wants it to be tense and exciting, a series that's very close. If there could be another Game 7, that would be ideal.

"How do you think this series will go? What are the odds of both teams winning?"

The day before the start of the first game of the Finals, Stern gathered key personnel from several departments in his office at the league headquarters for a final meeting.

"The Lakers have a high probability of winning, and they'll likely sweep the championship for the second year in a row!" one person said. "Their strength is terrifying; they are far stronger than the 76ers."

"I don't think it'll be a sweep. The Lakers have had too much rest, while the 76ers are in great form." Another person...

He said, "I think the 76ers can win the first game and get off to a winning start."

"And then?" someone immediately asked.

"That's it," the man replied. "The 76ers are lucky to win this game. What's the next thing? Their only chance is Game 1. The only game they could possibly win is Game 1."

"4-1, the Lakers ultimately won the championship."

As Stern listened to the discussion and analysis, about half of the dozen or so people present thought the Lakers would sweep 4-0, while the rest mostly thought it would be 4-1.

Only a very small minority believe that the 76ers can win two games.

Nobody thought the 76ers had a chance to win the championship, not a single one.

The most enthusiastic fan at the scene, an Allen Iverson fan from Philadelphia, made the wildest prediction: the Lakers would win the championship 4-3, and Iverson would become the second player in history to win the Finals MVP award despite being the loser.

Even the most die-hard Iverson fans only dare to believe that Iverson can steal the Finals MVP.

Listening to his subordinates' analysis and predictions, Stern also confirmed his own thoughts.

As he predicted, this would normally be a crushing defeat.

So, after the previous topic was discussed, the meeting officially began, and the group started discussing the league's development and the various aspects of the finals.

When the meeting ended a few hours later and everyone was preparing to leave, Stern suddenly said, "Jamie, stay behind for a moment. I have something to tell you."

Jamie, the referee representative, sat curiously in his chair until everyone had left the meeting room. Stern then cleared his throat and said, "If this series is close and exciting, with the score neck and neck and dramatic twists and turns, it would be a wonderful thing, wouldn't it?"

"Yes, Mr. President." Jamie instantly understood what Stern meant. To reach his position, comprehension was more important than business acumen.

Stern nodded in satisfaction and left first, while Jamie pondered how to explain the situation to the referees.

How can we explain it in a way that makes them understand without letting anyone know, and even if someone does know, we must make sure they can't find any fault with it?

On the Lakers' practice court, a short but muscular guy wearing a number 3 vest and sporting a flashy, arrogant cornrow hairstyle was dribbling the ball at breakneck speed. After being double-teamed by Kobe and Fisher, he suddenly stepped back and passed the ball to Fox.

"Stop! Stop! Stop!" Jackson stood up in dissatisfaction, walked onto the court, and glared at the smaller player, saying, "Tyron, what are you doing? Why are you passing the ball?"

"I'm being double-teamed!" The short guy spread his hands in frustration; this was the very same guy who would later throw the entire league into chaos.

Tyronn Lue.

"I told you to imitate Iverson!" Jackson yelled. "Is this how you imitate him? Is this how Iverson plays basketball?"

"I forgot," Tyronn Lue said, sounding aggrieved. "I'm used to passing the ball."

"You're used to sitting on the bench," Jackson said irritably. "If you want playing time in the Finals, you'd better imitate Iverson's playing style!"

"But I can't make the shot like that," Coach Lu said, still looking aggrieved.

"Who told you to make that shot?" Jackson was getting impatient. "I don't fucking care if you make it or not, I only care if you shoot! Get on with the fuck and play according to the tactics!"

"Your job is to throw it however you want! Throw it like Iverson. I want everyone to get used to Iverson's style of play—stopping suddenly, pulling up, and shooting. Got it?"

"clear."

"Alright, continue!"

Jackson sat back in his chair, watching as Coach Lue finally got into the zone.

This training session was incredibly enjoyable for Coach Lu.

He threw the balls like crazy, trying out all sorts of balls that he would normally want to throw but wouldn't dare to.

Accuracy and such are not important.

The important thing is whether the people guarding him can benefit from training.

Everyone knows that the 76ers are Iverson's team, and that the strength of the rest of the team besides him is simply not worth mentioning.

It was a standard one-star, four-defense lineup, with Iverson playing all-out offense while the others took care of defense and supporting roles.

Apart from Iverson, almost everyone on this team is a role player.

You can beat a team like that as long as you shut down Iverson!

The three teams in the East did the same thing, but while they were able to keep Iverson out of form and missing shots in some games, they weren't able to do it consistently throughout the series.

The Bucks allowed him to shoot 5-for-27, and the Raptors also made him shoot very poorly in several games. Missing more than 20 shots in a single game was commonplace for Iverson.

Even so, he still managed to drag the 76ers into the NBA Finals.

Get Iverson sorted out!

That's the Lakers' only mission in the Finals.

If they can handle Iverson, they can win easily.

As for the rest of the people?

No matter who it is, McGee, Snow, or Mutombo, they are not a threat; none of them can cause any trouble for the Lakers.

Although Jackson didn't put the team through any high-intensity training during the team's week-long break, he did prepare quite a few surprises for Iverson and Brown!

Jackson is 90% confident of sweeping this series; the only remaining slight surprise is Iverson.

A superstar of Allen Iverson's caliber—who knows what he might do when he's on fire?

Soon, the Lakers' week-long break came to an end, and Iverson and Brown led their Philadelphia contingent to Los Angeles.

Unlike the Lakers, who had a full week of rest, the 76ers had only played a decisive Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals the day before yesterday. They had less than 48 hours of rest and also had to endure the long journey from Philadelphia to Los Angeles.

This is why teams strive for the best possible results in the regular season and want to eliminate their opponents in the playoffs as early as possible.

Those are precious rest days, especially during round after round of playoffs. Every extra day of rest allows players to recover a lot of their physical strength.

The Lakers now have a significant advantage in terms of physical fitness.

On the day of the game, fans arrived at the venue early and all changed into T-shirts provided free of charge by the Lakers.

It's gold, and the slogan Lin Ze used last year is still printed on it.

"To be number one!"

Accompanied by the unified chants of the fans, the starting players from both sides took to the field.

The Lakers did not change their starting lineup, and the 76ers' starting combination is also the one they have used all the way up to this point.

Point guard Eric Snow has almost no offensive ability, relying only on open mid-range shots and sporadic three-pointers.

He scores points, but has an excellent overall view of the game, a calm personality, and impressive defensive abilities.

Allen Iverson, the undisputed core of the team, and the only core of the team, is the most passionate shooting enthusiast in the entire league.

Dikembe Mutombo, the team's defensive anchor, seamlessly integrated after joining mid-season. He is recognized as a top-tier blue-collar center in the league, and his defense and rebounding are indispensable to the 76ers, second only to Iverson's scoring.

In addition, the starting forwards Jumaine Jones and Troy Hill are typical blue-collar workers whose scoring relies almost entirely on open shots.

With his ability to chip away at the basket and second-chance points, and his strong and aggressive defense, he is the perfect partner for Iverson at the 3-4 positions.

Looking at this roster, you can tell that the 76ers are relying on Iverson to unleash his full potential. He has already led the team all the way to the Finals, and now it remains to be seen whether he can snatch another championship.

"Beep beep!"

Game start!

O'Neal easily defeated Mutombo, earning the Lakers their first offensive opportunity.

As expected, Iverson rushed over to guard Harper after he received the ball.

Kobe, unusually, started trash-talking: "Coward! I thought you'd have the guts to go up against me!"

"He's so shameless." Lin Ze, strolling forward, shook his head and sighed, then turned to Jones, who was facing him. "Have you ever seen such a shameless person?"

"Iverson is less than 180 centimeters tall, and Kobe actually let him guard him. Don't you think he has any shame?"

Jones didn't reply. He stood cautiously in front of Lin Ze, one hand on Lin Ze's waist, remaining on guard.

However, Lin Ze was not lying this time.

The Lakers' offensive focus in the early stages of the game was indeed not on him; the Lakers needed to start by attacking O'Neal!

This was arranged by Jackson before the game.

"Destroy Mutombo, and we'll destroy their entire defense. Their entire defensive system will become worthless. Shaq, take him down!"

So, as soon as the game started, the basketball immediately came into O'Neal's hands. Jackson also specifically instructed Lin Ze to stand on the weak side, so that Jones, who was guarding Lin Ze, would not have time to double-team O'Neal, and O'Neal would have more space to attack!

With a muffled "thud," Mutombo was almost lifted off the ground by O'Neal's impact. With his entire body airborne, Mutombo naturally couldn't withstand O'Neal's charge.

In the next instant, O'Neal had already taken off.

He practically rode Mutombo on top of him for a dunk!

"Mutombo can't handle O'Neal," Wilmarcus said. "The 76ers can't play one-on-one like this, Mutombo will be destroyed."

"That depends on whether Brown is willing to change," Smith said. "Everyone knows that Brown hates changing his game tactics. Judging from this play, Brown is going to have Mutombo guard him one-on-one. I don't think he will change that, at least not in the first quarter."

Wilmarcus shook his head: "Then he will pay a heavy price."

Turning back, Iverson received the ball beyond the three-point line. Facing Fisher's one-on-one defense, he didn't call a screen, but instead...

He accelerated his attack and drove straight towards the inside.

But just as Iverson approached the free-throw line, Harper's help defense arrived. The two of them completely surrounded Iverson from the front and back. But no one expected that this guy would actually pull up and take a mid-range shot right in the middle of the double team!

"Whoosh!"

Iverson hits a jump shot, 2-2!

"That's really impressive." Wilmarcus swallowed back what he originally wanted to say—that this was just a random jumble of words—and replaced it with a helpless compliment.

In the next quarter, the two sides played back and forth, just like in the first round!

O'Neal kept taking shots against Mutombo's one-on-one defense.

Iverson continued to take shots despite being double-teamed by multiple Lakers players.

From a tactical perspective, both sides strictly adhered to their respective game strategies.

However, in terms of results, the effects were vastly different.

Shaquille O'Neal beat Dikembe Mutombo like it was his own son. He played the entire first quarter, shooting 6-for-9 and going to the free-throw line 4 times, scoring 14 points in the first quarter alone. Apart from committing two fouls, Mutombo was almost powerless to fight back.

Iverson faced double teams and took more shots than O'Neal, attempting a total of 13 shots but only making 5, plus 4 free throws.

He scored 14 points in the first quarter.

Different levels of efficiency will naturally result in completely different scores.

20: 28!

The 76ers were down by 8 points in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, O'Neal rested, and Lin Ze and Kobe led the team.

Without Iverson, the 76ers have two most prominent characteristics: slow and poor offense.

There's nothing we can do about it; apart from Iverson, none of the others really have that ability.

Slowing down is necessary, because if we rush ahead, we'll only fall further behind.

Fortunately, Iverson's stamina is unfathomable. He averaged 44 minutes per game in this year's playoffs, so the 76ers won't have to wait too long.

At the start of the second quarter, Lin Ze scored two consecutive three-pointers, and the Lakers' lead quickly expanded to 14 points!

Iverson immediately stood up, not waiting any longer! He went on the court ahead of schedule!

So, after resting for less than a minute, Iverson put on his armor and went back onto the court.

He immediately drove to the basket and drew a foul from Grant, making both free throws to narrow the gap in the score.

As soon as Iverson came up, Kobe seemed to lose his composure immediately. In the next possession, he asked everyone to spread out and then took a shot one-on-one, but it missed.

"Do you have a grudge against him?" Lin Ze asked curiously, "How come you acted like you were on an aphrodisiac after seeing him?"

"I have a grudge against the 12 people drafted ahead of me! So what?" Kobe looked at Lin Ze and said, "Don't you think there are too many people ahead of you, that they're an eyesore and annoying? Don't you want to beat them all and become the strongest in your draft class?"

"That's too tiring," Lin Ze shook his head and refused. "There are almost 30 people ahead of me. Who can remember so many names? Besides, aren't you right in front of me too?"

"You were born in '96?" Kobe seemed quite surprised.

"I'm your father." Lin Ze was too lazy to pay attention to him. This guy really only remembers the first twelve people, right?

Iverson attacked again with the ball, and this time Kobe went to meet him.

After two crossovers, Iverson accelerated past Kobe. Although Kobe was chasing closely, Iverson still recklessly attacked the basket. He then forced a shot under the double-team of Grant and Kobe, but missed.

But just as he missed, the referee blew his whistle.

"Number 8 committed a pushing foul! Two free throws!"

"What?" Kobe's eyes widened in disbelief, and he spread his hands. "I didn't touch him!"

"I didn't foul! Are you guys crazy?!"

Kobe's protests were completely ignored by the referees.

They stand by their ruling and will not and cannot change it.

"Take note, high schoolers." Iverson stood arrogantly at the free-throw line: "That's the difference between an MVP and a nobody."

"Who are you calling a nobody?" Kobe seemed more easily provoked when facing Iverson, especially Iverson who had won the scoring title and MVP.

"He said you're a nobody." Lin Ze said, pulling Kobe back. "Stop trash-talking, Kobe. You're no match for this short-handled brush."

"Then why do you always trash talk to others?" Kobe was pulled away by Lin Ze, but he was very dissatisfied with Lin Ze's advice.

"Because I've never lost. For example, can you think of a nickname like 'short-handled brush,' which would be incredibly fitting for him? I don't even need to think about it; that nickname just comes to mind." Lin Ze said dismissively, "I'll give you one minute. How about you come up with a nickname that's both fitting and original enough for him?"

"————" Kobe actually lowered his head and started thinking. He couldn't think of a suitable nickname until Iverson made both free throws. When Iverson deliberately bumped into him on defense after the free throws, Kobe finally glared at Iverson and opened his mouth.

"Get lost, you short-handled iron brush!"

OK OK.

Lin Ze heard everything clearly from the side. Kobe, you with thick eyebrows and big eyes, you're resorting to this kind of thing when you can't beat them, right?

However, Kobe wasn't the kind of person who would just join and then stop working. When the Lakers were on offense, he would hold the ball and constantly seek screens, always trying to find a mismatch opportunity to attack Iverson.

Unfortunately, he missed!

At this point in time, Kobe was clearly inferior to Iverson.

In the following game, the 76ers, led by Iverson, began to catch up. Their tight and high-pressure defensive system also began to show its power. They surrounded the perimeter and immediately collapsed to double-team after the Lakers drove in. With Mutombo, the best aerial defense expert in the league, on the court, Lakers players had to face his threat every time they drove into the paint, so their efficiency was naturally hard to guarantee.

Before long, the 76ers narrowed the Lakers' deficit to 10 points, and Jackson immediately made a substitution, bringing O'Neal back in.

The situation changed immediately!

After O'Neal entered the game, he easily destroyed Mutombo. Once Mutombo, the defensive anchor, was completely destroyed, the 76ers lost the ability to compete with the Lakers, and their defensive system immediately collapsed.

The Lakers widened their lead once again, reaching 16 points at halftime.

O'Neal recorded a double-double of 24 points and 10 rebounds in the first half alone.

"You can see the huge gap between the East and the West from this half of the game," Wilmarcus said. "The West has a lot of top-tier big men, including Duncan, O'Neal, Malone, Garnett, and Webber. So the strong teams in the West will, and must, stockpile a lot of big men."

"Whether they are tanks or role players, there must be enough of them. If we don't have enough depth in the paint, we will inevitably be at a disadvantage in the playoffs."

"However, the Lakers are an exception because they have O'Neal, and most of the time they are the ones who make the opponent's interior players look weak."

"And another thing!" Smith corrected him, "Don't underestimate Lin. He plays like a small forward, but he's a true power forward."

"But the East is completely different," Wilmarcus continued. "The East has many star perimeter players, like Iverson, Carter,..."

Mashburn, Allen, Jones, Houston, McGrady, Miller—at least these eight Eastern Conference teams made the playoffs this year, including the Heat who had to make changes due to Mourning's season-ending injury.

"They've all built their teams around perimeter players as the primary core!"

"Therefore, the Eastern Conference's depth of interior players is significantly lower than that of the Western Conference. They don't have as many players available, nor as many players to rotate."

"The 76ers already have the deepest frontcourt in the East, with Mutombo and Matt Geiger on the bench, but they're still far from enough against the Lakers and O'Neal!"

With the two commentators' analysis complete, the halftime break has ended, and the second half of the game has resumed.

Just as these two said, O'Neal continued his rampage in the second half, and Mutombo simply couldn't keep up!

This is Shaquille O'Neal at his peak, in the most insane phase of his career. Let alone Mutombo alone, even the Pistons after the Wallace duo joined forces couldn't withstand O'Neal, who was already showing signs of aging a few years later. Let alone the current O'Neal.

By the end of the third quarter, O'Neal had already scored 35 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. He scored more than 10 points in each of the first three quarters.

However, because Iverson had a good shooting touch in this quarter, hitting several difficult shots despite being double-teamed, the 76ers did not fall behind, and the gap between the two sides remained at 16 points for the time being.

However, both sides also have their own hidden dangers.

For the 76ers, Iverson played 35 minutes in the first three quarters. At this pace, unless it's garbage time, he will definitely play the entire second half. Having just finished a Game 7, can he keep up physically?

Furthermore, despite Mutombo's best efforts across three quarters, he couldn't contain O'Neal, and he also committed four fouls. Given O'Neal's destructive power, he could have been knocked out at any moment.

The Lakers' biggest concern is also their foul count.

First, there's Harper and Fisher, the two who were relentlessly attacking Iverson. Harper has four fouls and Fisher has three. Iverson's offensive firepower tonight was no less than O'Neal's, and the Lakers' perimeter defense couldn't withstand his attacks.

Then there's O'Neal, who also committed four fouls because he got too excited while playing.

"The most crucial battleground and the key to victory in the fourth quarter is the centers of both teams!" Wilmarcus said. "Whoever's center gets their fifth foul or is ejected first will have the advantage!"

"Mutombo is more likely to be benched," Smith said. "O'Neal will probably be brought back in with 8 minutes left in the fourth quarter, but Mutombo will probably have to play the entire second half with Iverson."

Soon, the fourth quarter resumed!

Just as Smith predicted, neither Mutombo nor Iverson got a rest. The only time they could get a break was probably during garbage time.

With O'Neal absent for the Lakers, both teams reverted to their lineups from the start of the second quarter.

Then, Kobe started playing recklessly again. This guy really wanted to prove himself in front of Iverson and prove that he was no worse than Iverson!

Unfortunately, he was facing Lynch, a defensive expert, and Brown had clearly sensed something was wrong in the second quarter. At the start of the fourth quarter, he intensified his defense against Kobe, and the guy took the bait, with several of his forced shots proving quite ineffective.

Iverson took advantage of O'Neal's absence to attack the paint multiple times. Although his success rate was so-so, it was at least higher than Kobe's!

With 8 minutes left in the fourth quarter, the 76ers narrowed the gap to 10 points once again!

Jackson called a timeout!