"The competition for the guard position is too fierce, players like Parker and Roy didn’t make the playoffs, so they can’t make the All-NBA Team. This year, there are many super talented guards entering the draft. That kid nad Harden who ca to our gym every day seems even better than Baron Davis. Your goal is very tough." Okafor dampened the enthusiasm again.
Felton wasn’t discouraged by this shower of cold water, responding: "So what? I have this goal, and whether I can achieve it is another matter. Just like Jack said, soone has to win, why not ?"
Okafor nodded: "You’re right, let’s work hard together then."
After dinner, the trio gathered at Zhang Yang’s house to watch two live gas, the second battle between the Bulls and the Magic, and the first battle between the Spurs and the Warriors.
Amidst the overwhelming buzz, newly anointed boss Howard exploded, grabbing 4 offensive rebounds in the first quarter as the Magic’s outside line went wild, scoring 29 points in a single quarter while holding the Bulls to just 21 points.
However, Howard went overboard in the first quarter, slumping in the second quarter with not a single offensive rebound, only grabbing two defensive rebounds, and the Magic’s scoring dropped to 11 points in the quarter.
The Bulls seized the offensive rebounds this quarter, counterattacking vigorously, returning a single quarter of 29 points to the Magic, leading by 10 points with a halfti score of 50 to 40.
Howard rallied again in the third quarter, another aggressive push, with the Magic tossing 12 three-pointers and making 7, soaring to 36 points in the quarter, strongly pressing the 28-point Bulls, narrowing the gap to two points. Then, Howard wilted again, with the Bulls relentlessly grinding the Magic down in the fourth quarter, ending 30 to 17...
to 93, the Bulls won a decisive victory over the Magic by 15 points, leading the series 2 to 0.
Howard made 7 of 16 field goals, plus 4 of 7 from the free-throw line, scoring 18 points and 15 rebounds, 10 of which were offensive rebounds, along with 3 blocks, 4 turnovers, and 5 fouls. Yao Ming made 8 of 13 field goals, plus 10 of 10 from the free-throw line, scoring 26 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and 6 blocks.
After watching the first live ga, the Bobcats trio fell silent.
Felton spoke first: "What exactly did we just watch?"
Zhang Yang: "We watched Howard showcase his jumping skills. When he jumps high, the Magic’s threes are accurate; when he doesn’t, the Magic’s threes disappear."
Felton: "5 three-pointers in the first quarter, 7 in the third quarter, 12 throughout the ga. This is the first ti I’ve seen such an abstract ga."
Okafor: "Perhaps this is Stan Van Gundy’s attempt. He loves making bold adjustnts. Judging only by the first and third quarters, his strategy was effective, but Howard’s stamina distribution was poor."
Zhang Yang: "But if Howard hadn’t pushed hard in those two quarters, the Magic wouldn’t have perford well either. It’s hard to grasp the balance, and there might not be much room for adjustnts. Howard’s matchup against Yao is too difficult."
Okafor thought for a mont, responding: "That’s true, not everything can be solved by finding solutions..."
The Bulls completely outplayed the Magic, mainly because Yao Ming completely outplayed Howard.
The ga between the Spurs and the Warriors broadcast afterward was intense.
In the first quarter, under the leadership of Baron Davis with 8 points and 4 assists, the Warriors slightly edged out the Spurs 28 to 27.
The second quarter saw Duncan lead his team to a score of 29 to 28, tying the ga.
In the third quarter, the Warriors held the upper hand as Ellis, Stephen Jackson, and Artest tead up, leading the Warriors to a score of 27 to 21, gaining a 6-point advantage.
In the first 9 minutes of the fourth quarter, the Warriors and the Spurs played to a 20 to 20 tie.
But in the final 3 minutes, "The Blade" was unleashed!
Three-pointers, breaking through under the basket to slam dunk over Biedrins 2 1, then hitting a three after a screen from Yan Ye over Al Harrington... Ginobili single-handedly led a 9 to 2 run against the Warriors, overturning the score.
In a crucial mont, Artest aggressively drove inside for two points, but Duncan didn’t choke either, hitting a mid-range shot to finish a quasi ga-winner.
With Ellis missing a three-pointer with 1.8 seconds left, the ga concluded.
to 107, the Spurs narrowly defeated the Warriors by one point, winning G1.
Felton watched with his blood boiling, sighing with regret at Ellis’s missed shot in their draft class.
"Are the Warriors really this strong? Why do I feel they’re even stronger than last year’s eighth seed upset?"
Zhang Yang: "The credit goes to Artest."
Felton: "Is Artest still that good now?"
Zhang Yang: "He definitely isn’t as strong as he was before that year, but his personality really inspires his teammates. Plus, he has given the Warriors’ outside line the aggressiveness they didn’t have before. If we had such a small forward on our team..."
Okafor: "Don’t think about it, we can’t trade for him."
Felton, defending his buddy, quipped: "Is it a cri to dream?"
Okafor: "..."
These two mischievous ones can’t talk so sense?
...
The second round of 4 matchups has already begun.
The first and fourth seeds in both conferences are blowout matches, with Yao Ming outplaying Howard, Kobe defeating Keslon;
The second and third seeds are intensely contested, with scores extrely close.
Fans have gained a clear understanding of the second round’s 4 series situations.
On the 11th, there were no NBA gas today, and at 8 p.m., a nationwide live draft lottery was held.
The oracle coach who drastically lowered his coaching record bottom line finally got the first pick.
The Timberwolves, fourth from the bottom, received the second pick, while the SuperSonics, second last, got the third pick.
The Clippers took the 4th spot, Knicks 5th, Bucks 6th, Celtics 7th, Brooklyn Nets 8th, Pacers 9th, Kings 10th, Rockets 11th, Trail Blazers 12th, 76ers 13th, Grizzlies 14th.
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