"This guy can really calm down." With the start of the second half of the game, due to more than 15 shots in the first half, coupled with the non-stop running consumed too much physical strength, Reggie Miller's hand fell off a cliff after the start of the third quarter of the game, and Tyshawn Prince, who was similar to Reggie Miller, also felt cold after the start of the third quarter, and the Mavericks also took this opportunity to equalize the score in the fourth minute of the third quarter of the game, but the Pacers, or Meng Xu, who was the core of the team, behaved very coldly. There is no point in chasing points in a hurry.

Originally, in the old Nelson's expectations, when the Mavericks approached the score or overtook the score, Meng Xu would definitely be unable to hold his breath and jump out to take over the game, after all, as a two-time scoring champion and one of the most outstanding players in the entire league in singles, it would be somewhat unspeakable if he didn't stand up at this time, but contrary to the old Nelson's expectations, Meng Xu had no intention of taking over the game at all. Even if his teammates are empty, he is still unbridled with the madness of ultra-long-distance three-point shots.

"I'd like to see how long you can endure!" After seeing Meng Xu squeeze out a gap with his body under the bag of Walker and Finley, and then stuffed the basketball straight to Jermaine O'Neal on the edge of the paint area, the old Nelson admired Meng Xu a little, and so far in today's game, Meng Xu has only made 4 shots and scored 5 points, which is only slightly higher than Mutombo's score in the Pacers' starting five.

As a more traditional head coach, the old Nelson actually dislikes players like Meng Xu, Kobe, and Iverson, this kind of player has a strong desire to score, has super single ability, and can easily score in the face of multiple people, this super personal scoring ability also brings them strong self-confidence, the kind of self-confidence that ignores team tactics and teammates, and thinks that I can play five by myself, the discord between Kobe and O'Neal, and the falling out between Iverson and Larry Brown are also related to their strong self-confidence. And the old Nelson's arrangement today is also deliberately aimed at this factor, this strategy has been used in the face of the Lakers and the 76ers, but it has repeatedly worked, Kobe and Iverson can at most insist on a quarter of no offense is the limit, as for Meng Xu, in the two matchups in the regular season, Meng Xu also insisted on half the game, and attacked crazy after the start of the third quarter, but Meng Xu was surprisingly calm today, as long as he faced the bag and did not attack, it was like a different person.

However, the old Nelson also has a worry now, that is, Meng Xu's scoring explosiveness is too strong, not to mention the scoring record in the regular season, the single-game scoring record in the finals and playoffs is held by Meng Xu, and 20+ or even 30+ in a single quarter is as simple as drinking water for Meng Xu. After entering the league for 6 seasons, Meng Xu has almost refreshed all kinds of playoff scoring records in the league, so the old Nelson's heart is actually very conflicted now, on the one hand, the old Nelson wants Meng Xu to shoot crazy under the bag regardless of it, and on the other hand, he is a little worried, in case Meng Xu is in a single quarter 30+ or something, this game will definitely be over for the Mavericks.

"Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki's pick-and-roll, Steve Nash shook Jermaine O'Neal and cut to the basket, will Steve Nash go straight to the basket? Mutombo's defensive position is very good, Steve Nash jumped and faced Mutombo's block, and handed the basketball to Antoine Walker on the outside with a behind-the-back pass, a very beautiful three-pointer, Antoine Walker's three-point help the Mavericks overtake the score, Antoine felt very good today, he has scored 23 points in this game. ”

Although the old Nelson's team is not very good defensively, there is really nothing to say about the offense, especially now that there are 5 All-Stars at the peak of integrity, although the sum of the 5 All-Stars may not necessarily play a total role greater than 5, but because everyone has first-class offensive ability, this makes the Pacers never be able to choke the Mavericks' offense.

Although after being overtaken by the Mavericks, the Pacers immediately began a wave of counterattacks, and at the same time sacrificed their own full-court pressing, but because James Posey could not play, the Pacers' full-court pressing of the Mavericks was always not ideal, because Reggie Miller's pressing was easy to crack for Michael Finley, and Michael Finley's offensive ability with the ball was very strong, so although the momentum of the Pacers' counterattack was very strong, the Mavericks still maintained the lead until the end of the third quarter.

"Herb, looks like you're going to have a good chance of losing this home." When the referee blew the whistle at the end of the third quarter, looking at the score of 87-85 on the scoreboard, in the box in the center of the Bankers' Life Arena, the Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who came to watch the game with the team, looked at the Pacers' owner Herb Simon proudly while smoking a cigar, originally Mark Cuban was still a little worried that the Mavericks couldn't get the Pacers, after all, the Pacers had a 74-win record in the regular season, and the playoffs were 12 games, but now it seems that the Pacers are nothing more than that, The first game of the finals is likely to be lost.

After taking over the Mavericks in 2000, Mark Cuban dreamed of winning a championship trophy for Dallas, after one investment after another, the Mavericks' total salary this season has reached $79 million, ranking first in the league, and the Mavericks did not disappoint Cuban, under the leadership of Nelson Sr., they went all the way to the Finals, although the series with the Kings was a little less glorious, but the winner was not condemned, and faced with the opportunity to win the first championship in team history, Mark Cuban is now smug as well.

"Mark, the game is not over yet, the most famous sentence in this league is that basketball is round, and no one knows the final outcome until the moment the game is over." Skillfully cut a cigar, Herb Simon replied to Mark Cuban with a slight smile, Herb Simon's brother Melvin Simon hated Mark Cuban very much, so after hearing that Mark Cuban was going to Indiana with the team, Melvin Simon asked Herb Simon to entertain Mark Cuban on the grounds of physical discomfort, while he hid in the office to watch the live broadcast.

"Haha, Herb, I didn't say you, do you think these old men in your team can beat me? I've got five All-Stars, what do you have? In addition to Meng Xu and O'Neal, there are a bunch of rookies and old men left, I really don't know how you spend so much money in a year. Mark Cuban's current philosophy is similar to that of the Trail Blazers' boss Paul Allen, they all believe that as long as they are willing to spend money, smash a team of All-Stars, and win the championship with two kings and four twos, but after the Trail Blazers were hacked and hacked by the league year after year, Paul Allen gradually gave up this idea of building a team by throwing money, and Mark Cuban is still indulging in the joy of the Mavericks reaching the Finals.

"Mark laughed, we walkers were worth every penny we spend!" Herb Simon, who had already lit the cigar, glanced at Mark Cuban very dissatisfied, and then took a hard puff of the cigar.

"Is it worth giving a 38-year-old man an annual salary of 10 million? When you lose the game, you won't say that. After Herb Simon finished speaking, Mark Cuban pushed back with great disdain, $10 million can be added to a few million to sign an All-Star, and the average salary of the five All-Stars in the Mavericks is only 11 million.

"You've had a team for more than 10 years and you've had a player on your team for 10 years, then you know."