Chapter 325: The Critical Moment
Tentative stepping is an extremely common skill in basketball offense.
Zheng Ke Wuxian is a master of this way, and his tentative steps are extremely deceptive, and they are legendary continuous tentative steps. When the left heel was off the ground and the right toe took two steps on the ground in a row, Zheng Ke suddenly started! In fact, the right foot that straddled continued to take a step to the right, and then the right hand holding the ball dribbled from the outside crotch to the left hand, and the body suddenly changed direction sharply, and changed to the left side of the breakthrough route.
Bogans couldn't change it, and it was difficult for his body's center of gravity to adjust it back.
Zheng Ke took the opportunity to speed up and whistled away from Bogans' left side. His leaning body was now driven straight into the free throw line with a long dribble.
In front of Bonner's supplementary defense, Zheng Ke seemed to be at ease.
Jumping in the air, his abs exploded, his hands danced in one go, dodged Bonner's sky-covering defense, and hit a layup with ease.
"5 points!"
Zheng Ke clenched his fists and secretly cheered himself up. After he made that shot, the Timberwolves were able to lead the Spurs by five points at 81-76.
It's 35 minutes!
Popovich was extremely unhappy, Zheng Kesheng scored 35 points on the head of the Spurs, and this number is still rising. It's very bad for the Spurs, and no one wants to be tied to someone else's wall of honor. If Zheng Ke scores high points today and leads the Timberwolves to victory, the chances of the Timberwolves turning the tables will be much higher, which is absolutely intolerable for Popovich.
However, he had no other way, and Bogans was already the Spurs' best outside defender since Jefferson. But today both of them were blown up.
Thinking of this, Popovich stood up and paced a few steps, then called Duncan over.
"It can't be helped. Tim. Zheng Ke was in such good form today that our defense could not achieve the results of the previous two games, and now only you can suppress his performance. Let's play and blow them up! ”
Duncan nodded solemnly and took off his training jersey jacket.
"Oh, is Duncan going to play early? It seems that Coach Popovich can't sit still, and Zheng Ke's offense has been quite fierce in recent times. Played his aggressiveness. The host of Quds TV immediately came to his senses, and in his heart, Duncan was a god-like being. Duncan's arrival meant the Spurs' counterattack horn sounded.
On the first ball of the game, Duncan made a tight block for George Hill in the high post.
Hill spun his wrist and the basketball snapped a few times, and he wiped Anderson's body into the interior. A low-handed layup.
81 to 78. The Timberwolves lead by three points.
Zheng Ke asked for the ball with his back in the low post, and everyone pulled away and gave him space to play alone. Zheng Ke pouted his ass and rubbed his back to test Bogans' defensive strength.
The Spurs immediately stepped forward to wrap up, and Hill reached out and pressed in on Zheng.
"Bang!"
Zheng Ke hit Bogans on the back and then rolled over in reverse. Forced shots. When the basketball was thrown, it was a little more forceful, and it hit the hoop and bounced off.
Duncan stretched out his long arms. grabbed the rebound with both hands, then immediately turned around, raised the basketball high, and raised two big elbows.
The play of Dinghai Shenneedle really gave the Spurs a peculiar change, and in the face of Zheng Ke's pressing step by step, the Spurs gradually stabilized their position and began to approach point by point.
At 7 minutes, Zheng Ke held the ball in one hand from beyond the three-point line.
At this time, the Spurs replaced Jefferson, who had rested for a long time, Zheng Ke bent his waist, his body arched like a cheetah, and looked directly into Jefferson's gaze, revealing a little murderous aura.
Blocking and dismantling, Pekovic under the basket ran out and made a block for Zheng Ke.
After Love's injury, Pekovic became the first choice for blocking and pick-and-roll as the team's most burly player, and his coverage was also of high quality.
Zheng Ke went around Pekovic's block and faced Duncan on the defensive with a straight face.
The two had a rare direct dialogue in this game, but the scene made the fans excited.
Zheng Ke still shook his shoulders like a juggler, and with his nimble steps and fast speed, he forced his breakthrough from Duncan's side in the blink of an eye.
Packs are everywhere, and McDies has also given up on defenders and come to pack Zheng Ke.
Almost in a moment's time, Zheng Ke picked up the basketball with both hands, drew a big circle, and jumped on the ground with both feet, jumping away from the defense of McDyce, who came to wrap up.
With a hint of backwards, Zheng Ke tilted his body and threw the goal.
"Dry"
Popovich clapped his hands in exasperation. Zheng Ke's Spurs have defended quite well, Duncanka's position, McDice's bag is just right, but he didn't expect Zheng Ke to jump out of the encirclement, and hit a very difficult backward jump shot, which made him unwilling.
All players who defend well will feel uncomfortable when they see that their opponent still hits.
Jefferson pressed even tighter, as if he was going to stick to Zheng Ke. One of his arms kept waving in front of Zheng Ke, interfering with his catch
At four minutes, the Spurs trailed by just one point, 91-92.
At this time, it was the most tense moment on the court so far, and the Spurs fans had already stood up, waving plastic sticks and cheering flags in their hands, cheering hard for the home team.
The intensity of the penalty was a key to Zheng's impressive performance, which caused Jefferson's fifth foul with three minutes remaining. And the Spurs have been fouled 4 times in this quarter, and Zheng Ke went directly to the free throw line to make free throws, which is basically a point for his shooting percentage.
Zheng Ke walked to the free throw line and hit two free throws.
The Timberwolves led the Spurs by two points 95-93, and the score was still scorching, while Zheng Ke had already scored 40 points at this time, and the Spurs had scored 40 points on their heads, which few people have been able to do in recent years.
At 2 minutes, Ginobili broke through and caused Anderson to foul, making two free throws and two free throws, and the two teams were tied at 95.
At 1 minute and 43 seconds, Zheng Ke gave the ball to Billups outside the three-point line, and Billups received the ball and jumped directly to shoot three points. The arc is slightly higher, and the basketball brushes out of the frame.
At 1 minute and 22 seconds, Parker and Duncan blocked high posts.
Parker's mid-range single-block cover shot!
Hit!
Spurs lead by 2 points 97-95! This is the game since then. The Spurs' first lead, but at such a fierce and crucial moment.
The fans in the stadium immediately cheered, as if they had thrown a stone into the water of a lake, and there was a huge repercussion.
The Timberwolves were forced to request a timeout.
It was a devastating moment, leading the game only to lose the game by a goal or two. The Timberwolves' players seem to have a tragic scene in front of their eyes. "Can we just be reversed?"
"No!"
Zheng Ke was the first to say no!
He didn't want to simply lose the game, and the Timberwolves struggled for a year. He Zheng Ke has worked hard for so long, there is no reason to lose like this!
A flame in Zheng Ke's heart burned with a bang. He clenched his fists. His expression was hideous, and he was full of astonishing momentum.
"What's wrong, Zheng." Billups looked at Zheng Ke's expression and asked with concern.
"Nothing." Zheng Ke shook his head. But he clenched his fists even tighter.
After a short pause. The players from both teams are back on the field. Zheng Ke, Billups, Afflalo, Gibson and Chris Anderson are the current Timberwolves lineup.
On the Spurs' side, Parker, Ginobili, Jefferson, Duncan and McDice made up the lineup on the court.
The Timberwolves serve the sideline. All the players started running in an orderly manner.
Zheng slipped out to the wing and took Billups' serve. He didn't stop the ball. Dribbling straight to the baseline, Jefferson followed him closely.
After a few steps, Zheng Ke suddenly withdrew his strength and took a large diagonal step with his right foot.
A step-back jumper with a lot of amplitude!
Jefferson couldn't catch up, and when he stretched out his hand, Zheng Ke had already thrown the ball out.
The arc of the basketball is very high, like a rocket launched, flying straight into the air. Then, at the highest point, it began to fall sharply again.
"Huh!"
The basketball passes through the hoop and rolls up a white net.
"Good shot!"
Zheng Ke's goal was exciting, and the big heart goal at this critical moment was exciting, and several Timberwolves players suddenly refreshed their spirits and rekindled their strong fighting spirit and desire.
Compared to the jubilation of the Timberwolves, the fans at the AT Center were a little depressed. Seeing that the team had the initiative, this damn No. 17 ran out to disrupt the situation again.
Parker held the ball across the halfcourt, and he looked at Popovich on the sidelines and saw that Popovich was gesturing for him to organize the offense himself.
Parker gathered his mind and began to organize the players' runs.
Sixty seconds after the clock ticked, Parker looked up at the clock, lowered his hands, and kept swinging the basketball. He looked at the timer from time to time, pinching the time of the Spurs' offense.
Ginobili and Duncan's running tactics paid off, and he got an excellent open shot at 45 degrees from the three-point line!
Parker decisively splits the ball, Ginobili shoots resolutely!
"Bang!"
Although he is a big-hearted player, it is inevitable that there will be times when he misses, and this time the shooting angle is slightly off, causing the basketball to smash out of the frame, and Anderson, who has long been eyeing the side, grabbed the rebound!
This was undoubtedly a disappointing shot for the fans at the scene, but they didn't have time to shout "defend, defend" again, because Zheng Ke had already advanced quickly with the ball.
Zheng Ke's advance speed is fast, but the Spurs' retreat speed is not slow, after half time, he found that the players have already stood in their positions, in front of him is the Spurs' 32 formation of the joint defensive iron pass, blind breakthrough can only make him fall into the encirclement, so he stopped, waiting for the arrival of the other Timberwolves players.
Everyone thinks the Timberwolves are going to regroup, including Jefferson.
Unexpectedly, Zheng Ke actually put them together, Zheng Ke stopped, and after controlling the basketball, he suddenly accelerated again, directly impacting Jefferson's defense.
Jefferson subconsciously stretched out his hand, Zheng Ke hit him, screamed, and staggered two steps. Then Zheng Ke retracted his body and looked at the referee with pitiful eyes.
The referee hesitated for 0.5 seconds before blowing the whistle (to be continued......