Chapter 358 [We Are the Champions!] 】
The players sitting on the Bobcats bench are waiting excitedly, they are getting closer and closer to the championship, and it only takes a little more than a quarter to experience the championship in the NBA.
Halfway through the third quarter, the Bobcats led by 20 points, and the Lakers were already difficult to catch up, and Lakers fans were also half of the way back. Every time the Bobcats scored, there was a round of applause from the audience. Especially when Hayes scores, no, Hayes just needs to get the ball, it's enough to make the fans excited.
The atmosphere in the arena was not as oppressive as it was in the first half when the Bobcats were leading.
At first, the home fans wanted to see the Lakers beat the Bobcats, and the Lakers couldn't beat the Bobcats to make it a foregone conclusion, and the fans were relieved. At this time, people began to want to see miracles again, and Hayes was the one who performed miracles.
Every time Hayes scores, he can get the applause of the Lakers fans, and it seems to have become the home court of the Bobcats, and the Lakers players are deeply stimulated by the defection of the home fans, and the defensive action is getting bigger and bigger, and the Bobcats players are sent to the free throw line many times.
People invariably counted Hayes's scores. Towards the end of the third quarter, the Bobcats quickly counterattacked, and Hayes hit his eighth three-pointer of the game, and a new three-point record was set. In the fourth quarter, he pushed that record to nine.
With 6:17 left in the fourth quarter, Hayes grabbed a rebound and attacked again, causing Gasol to foul. Hayes hit both free throws to put his personal score at 62, just one point shy of Jordan's playoff record of 63 points.
Hayes has broken the Finals individual scoring record, previously held by Lakers passing star Elgin Baylor, who scored 61 points in Game 5 of the 1961-62 NBA Finals.
A minute later, Hayes hit a hook shot to score 64 points. By this time, the Bobcats had a 108-85 lead of 23 points. Hayes was substituted to a round of applause.
Hayes is gone, and the Lakers players don't have the motivation to chase points. A mental rout was scarier than a score deficit, and every player on the Lakers, including Kobe, had the idea that the Bobcats were invincible.
The score was 121-104 with 14 seconds left, Rondo was in possession and delayed time to wait for the game to end, and the two sides were already out of play, and the Bobcats were about to sweep the Lakers 4-0 overall at Staples Coliseum to win the championship.
The veteran Camby suddenly stood up from the bench and walked towards the court passage. Landry asked, "Marcus, where are you going?" Come back? It's almost over. ”
"Let him go. He didn't want to be seen crying. The mood of our veterans is not something you boys can understand. Billups, who had a shield on his face, laughed. Smiled slightly, his face hurt a little. The doctor told him to stay in the hospital, but he went to watch the game anyway because "I'm going to win the championship with my teammates!" ”
Billups was right, Camby burst into the visitors' dressing room and didn't get into the shower. Instead, he found a seat and cried like a child, he had experienced too many failures.
The whistle blew and the game was finally over. Rondo tosses the ball into the air. The Bobcats players rushed onto the field together and cheered to their heart's content. Kobe Bryant covered his face and walked to the player's tunnel first, and the Lakers players and coaches also chose to leave silently. The cheers of opponents celebrating their victory on their home turf were harsher than any sound. The finals were swept 0:4! Bryant and his teammates were disgraced losers.
No one pays attention to the loneliness of the Lakers players, people only care about the winners.
History is often written with the victor as the protagonist!
It's different from the scene when the Timberwolves won the championship, when a group of veterans cried. The Bobcats players are all laughing because the Bobcats players are young people who haven't experienced too many failures, and some are just binge. The happiest are Landry and Azubuk. Landry bared two rows of white teeth and smiled like an orangutan! Azubuuk is happy only because he is a recognized champion hero. Experts believe that if the Lakers win Game 3, there will still be suspense in the Finals. It was the stunner in the last game that made the Lakers players lose their fighting spirit.
Anthony Morrow, George Hill, and Marc Gasol were also excited. They didn't contribute much in the playoffs, and the championship rings were indispensable. And they're just first-year rookies, and there are too few people who can win a championship in their first season.
Fieldside staff stepped up and handed out championship hats and vests to Bobcats players, which were prepared in advance, as is the case every year after the Finals.
One by one, the Bobcat players proudly wore their hats on their heads and changed into white vests. Camby walked out of the locker room with red eyes and a fully dressed escort accompanied by the staff, and he couldn't afford to miss the championship photo with tears because he didn't want to be seen by others.
Reporters also gathered around for interviews, and the busiest person was, of course, Hayes, the Bobcats' number one contributor to the championship.
In this game, Hayes played god-level statistics, with 64 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists and 4 steals. He also got a triple-double while breaking the scoring record, almost killing the Lakers with one blow. In this series, his stats are 30 points, 16.5 rebounds, 11 assists and 2.5 steals.
Hayes' triple-double in the regular season, some have questioned. After entering the finals or a triple-double, there is only one explanation left, that is, "invincible"!
Hayes was surrounded by a group of journalists.
"Mr. Hayes, you led the team to win the championship in a magical game, is there anything you would like to say?" Kayla, a pretty blonde female reporter, asked. Squeezed by the people next to her, she was so close to Hayes that she almost fell into his arms.
This Kayla and Hayes are old acquaintances, and they have secretly shown love a few times. Hayes was not disgusted by her audacity, as many American female surnames do. Hayes straightened his hat and smiled: "I feel very happy, I feel very good today, maybe it is God's will." Plus I have an amazing group of teammates who are heroes. ”
"How can you keep your composure when you've achieved so great results? I think you're the most lackluster of the Bobcats. Why? Kayla asked.
"Because it's not my first title, and it definitely won't be the last. The Lakers' lineup is very strong, so strong that I felt very nervous in the first game, and I didn't know the bottom of my heart. But reality has proven that the bobcat is invincible. If such a Laker can't win against us, who can stop my third and fourth championships in the future? My goal is a dynasty. For me, every success is a new beginning! Now we have taken the first step towards the Lynx dynasty! ”
As soon as Hayes finished speaking, Kayla forcibly hugged Hayes and kissed him the face. Hayes hit Gasol's strength, but he could only deflect his head and not be kissed on the mouth.
"I just like people like you, dare to say and do! Fearless!" Kayla laughed.
Hayes sweats. 'You're the one who has nothing to fear, aren't you?' Won't the reporter be fired for doing this? ’
Compared to Hayes's calmness, veteran Camby is a bit incoherent. "I'm so happy, so happy. I don't think I'll ever forget this day. I want to thank Chuck, thank you to all my teammates, thank you to my mother, thank you to ESPN, tn*t, thank you to Hollywood, thank you to all the fans, thank you to my mother, wife ......" (save the 3000).
Brook Lopez, who has become the starting center of the Bobcats, also cried in an interview. His voice was a little stumbling. "I want to ...... It's luck. At the time of my draft, my economic man said...... He said I probably didn't stand a chance of being selected in the top 5. But the Bobcat chose me, and I later learned that it was Chuck who asked for it. I started playing badly and he kept helping me improve. Now that I've won a championship in my first season with the team, and I've got a championship ring that a lot of stars haven't gotten in their lifetimes, I'm really lucky. I will definitely work harder in the future! ”
Billups said in an interview: "I said before that although I can't play in the last two races, it doesn't affect the Bobcats to win the championship. I'm not wrong. I remember some people saying that I would be a strong contender for the MVP of the Finals, and now that I have watched Chuck's performance in the last two games, no one thinks so, right? How can I compare to him? ”
The reporter also interviewed Jordan, the small boss of the Bobcats.
Jordan is as popular with reporters as Hayes. Speaking of Hayes, Jordan smiled: "Before the game, I was asked who was better than me at my peak or Chuck now. I don't know what other people think, but now I think Chuck has surpassed me and he's already the best basketball player. ”
Reporters were in an uproar. These words came out of the mouth of Jordan, the god of basketball.
Jordan continued, "I'm just the best basketball player on my own, and I can keep scoring and make the opponent stop me. But Chuck really understands the game of basketball. His judgment of the situation on the pitch and his understanding of tactics are not comparable to me. I show people what is the limit of what a person can achieve. Chuck tells people the right way to play basketball! He's an amazing guy. ”
In his remarks before presenting the championship trophy, David Stern said: "This is a Grand Final that will be remembered by everyone because there are so many miracles happening in this series. Because this edition has a miracle-creating MVP! He's Chuck Hayes! ”
Hayes proudly stepped onto the podium and took the Finals MVP trophy in the hands of legendary superstar Bill Russell, who was half a head taller than him. At this point, he has all the NBA MVP awards.
NBA superstar Bill Russell has worn a championship diamond ring 11 times in his life, but unfortunately, he was never crowned MVP of the Finals because of the different criteria of the year. However, his name will always be with this honor.
From this year onwards, the NBA Finals MVP trophy will be titled "Bill Russell Cup", so this honor is also presented by him.
"I heard your goal is to surpass me?" Russell asked softly as he hugged Hayes.
"That's right. I wish I could get more rings than you. Hayes smiled, "You're the ultimate goal I'm chasing." ”
"I'm looking forward to your performance." Russell said solemnly. There was a kind of encouragement in his eyes, a kind of affirmation! At this moment, he had raised Hayes to the same heights as himself.
Hayes then took the championship trophy from Stern on behalf of the Bobcats and held it high! Announcing that the Bobcats have reached the pinnacle of the NBA!
(To be continued)