Coach, I don't want to retire yet

Chapter 621 Choice!

In Game 6 of the Finals, the Lakers and Bobcats entered the decisive stage of the fourth quarter with a three-point difference between the two teams.

83 to 80, this is an extremely tense score. The Lakers are leading by 3 points, but the Lakers' star player Yao Ming is certain to not return for this game, and may not even return for this finals.

For the Lakers, this means that if they lose this game in the end and the score is 3-3, then the Lakers will probably have a really difficult time in this finals.

The Lakers were risking everything in this game, and if they still couldn't win the game, then even the most optimistic Lakers fans could imagine the final result.

It can be said that the Bobcats worked together to push the Lakers into a desperate situation in this game.

So, during the break in the third quarter, when all the cameras on the scene were facing the face of Lakers head coach Popovich, the expression on Popovich's face was quite nervous.

Even the battle-hardened Popovich couldn't remain calm at this moment. Losing such a finals was definitely not something he wanted to see.

On the Bobcats side, the atmosphere was much more relaxed.

In fact, the atmosphere of a team depends on the backbone of the team.

The backbone of the Bobcats is Coach D, and the whole world knows that Coach D is not a person who likes to panic, nor is he a person who resorts to losing control of his emotions.

As for the Lakers, their pillars are Kobe, McGrady and Popovich. Not to mention Popovich, just Kobe and McGrady, whose mentality and skills have reached perfection, facing Yao Ming's impending injury, it is hard for them not to have fluctuations and negative emotions.

However, when it comes to NBA games, there is no rule that a relaxed team will definitely win, nor is there a rule that a nervous team will be at a disadvantage.

In fact, moderate tension is often a good thing.

On the contrary, blind relaxation will make things uncontrollable.

Du Kang certainly knew this.

So during the timeout, Du Kang made it very clear that the team withstood the Lakers' offensive in the third quarter and gave the team's starting players more rest time, which was a good thing for the Bobcats.

However, having an advantage does not necessarily lead to victory. Even if the Bobcats are in a better situation than the Lakers now, and even if the Lakers no longer have Yao Ming, it does not mean that the Bobcats will definitely win.

The Lakers still have a lot of very good players.

Kobe, McGrady, Jokic, Antetokounmpo, McCaw, Roy, Ebanks and so on.

These players are the ones who can decide the outcome of the game. If you are not careful, any of the opponent's superstars or superstars may explode and it is possible to end the game.

Therefore, even though the Bobcats are in a more advantageous position now, they still need to be more cautious.

You can be relaxed, but you must be cautious.

Just as Du Kang and Popovich were making the final tactical arrangements and playing style for the fourth quarter's decisive battle, the commentators from various countries on the sidelines, the experts in the studio, and the superstars were frantically discussing the final lineups of the two teams in the fourth quarter's decisive battle.

"There is no doubt that the fourth quarter is the most important quarter of this finals. Whoever wins the fourth quarter will win the game, and whoever wins this game will win this year's finals."

"According to the official message from the Lakers just now, Yao will not return to the court in this game. He has already put on protective boots. The Lakers, who originally had an advantage in the interior, will become disadvantaged in the interior!"

"More importantly, Jokic just played for 12 minutes in the third quarter, and played the entire quarter with extremely high intensity. It was difficult for Jokic to maintain his physical condition in the fourth quarter. If I were Popovich, I would let Jokic rest for a few minutes at the beginning of the game and use a small lineup to deal with the Bobcats' inside advantage!"

"If the Bobcats were an unbalanced and flawed team in the third quarter, then now, the Lakers in the fourth quarter will become an unbalanced and flawed team. The Bobcats can now attack or defend!"

At this moment, many experts and commentators are offering advice to Popovich, asking him to give up the inside and go directly with a small lineup to attack the Bobcats.

The Lakers, who have McGrady, Kobe, Roy Ebanks, Dinwiddie, Ricky Leakes and other excellent outside players, can indeed field a very threatening small lineup.

For example, the lineup that Kenny Smith imagined when he was commentating was McGrady, Ebanks, Kobe, Dinwiddie, and Ricky Leakey, although the inside defense was completely flat.

However, the outside offensive firepower of this lineup is terrifying. Everyone in this lineup can break through, shoot, organize, and run. It can run to death some large lineups that lack mobility.

If the Bobcats want to use the advantage of a large lineup to beat the Lakers in the fourth quarter, using this lineup is indeed a very feasible method.

With Jokic needing to rest, Antetokounmpo's offense is unstable. Without Yao Ming's help, Antetokounmpo is likely to be defeated when he meets Duncan.

Antetokounmpo is unable to take on the team's inside responsibility.

Antetokounmpo needs a center partner who can pull out to the three-point line, and Jokic and Yao Ming are such players, but the reality is that both Yao Ming and Jokic are gone.

In this way, Antetokounmpo will become a burden on the Lakers' offense on the court.

Similarly, if we don't consider the balance between offense and defense, and rely entirely on offense and go all out, there is actually no need for McCaw to appear on the list of the final lineup.

Therefore, with Yao Ming unavailable in the fourth quarter, Jokic temporarily unavailable, McCaw and Antetokounmpo unfit, the Lakers were left with only six of the ten players left by Coach D. Among these six, Roy had played the entire third quarter and was in the worst physical condition. After all, he is older than youngsters like Ricky Lee and Dinwiddie and will definitely have a harder time recovering.

So, if we have to eliminate one of the six, it must be Roy.

Therefore, the Lakers actually had no other options for the final lineup in the fourth quarter: McGrady, Kobe, Dinwiddie, Ricky, and Ebanks.

If the Lakers want to win this game, and want to withstand the stronger and more balanced Bobcats in the fourth quarter, they can only use this desperate lineup.

"Bobo's current situation is extremely critical..."

Budenholzer, who originally wanted to build a team for Popovich, was now full of worry in his eyes. As a tactical master, how could he not see Popovich's current situation.

If the Lakers can lead by 10 points in the third quarter, no, even if it is more than five points, they will still have some room for error.

But the reality is that the Lakers were leading by three points after the third quarter, and the Bobcats attacked first in the fourth quarter, which means that the Bobcats could tie the score in the first round, which was too much pressure.

"It's time and fate..."

Many Spurs coaches around Budenholzer were sighing at this time.

Yao Ming played strongly in the first half, trying to lay the foundation for victory. Yao Ming's performance was indeed explosive, but the opposing Bobcats coach D blocked Thabeet, O'Neal, Duncan, and Hill, and almost used the physical strength and energy of his entire starting lineup to withstand Yao Ming's madness.

In the end, Yao Ming was exhausted and injured.

This is Yao Ming!

Yao Ming, who can defeat an entire team by himself!
I was actually blocked by Coach D...

Yao Ming is the most relied upon guarantee of victory behind the Lakers and Popovich.

As long as Yao Ming is there, no matter how critical the situation is, the Lakers believe that the final victory will belong to them.

And now, Yao Ming is no longer around, which is really adding insult to injury.

Yao Ming was gone, and the Lakers, who had an advantage in the third quarter, would have been happy if they could have gotten the upper hand and scored. In the end, Beasley and Rose stood out together, withstood Jokic's crazy pressure, and even tied the Lakers against the odds.

Whether it was O'Neal, Hill, Tabeet and others who stood out in the first half, or Rose and Beasley who stood out in the third quarter, it all showed that Coach D's preparations for this finals and this game were extremely precise.

"I even wonder if Coach D has a computer in his head that can calculate what will happen after a season. It's hard to imagine that one person can bring the art of commanding a game to such a high level!"

It's really incredible.

It's not just Budenholzer who thinks so. Kerr, Magical Monty, Old Nelson, Pat Riley and others all have the same idea at this time.

Even Phil Jackson, who had a deep hatred for Du Kang and had sent his disciple Kidd to be an undercover agent beside Du Kang, had the same thought at this moment.

"The Lakers are the strongest team in the NBA this season, but this strongest team was blocked by the Bobcats at every turn after the game started. The accuracy of Coach D's blocking of the Lakers with the Bobcats was jaw-dropping. It is hard not to suspect that Coach D was probably preparing for this game when he left the Lakers and joined the Bobcats."

The Lakers are the strongest team, not just this season, but the strongest in NBA history. The whole NBA knows that the Lakers will eventually make it to the finals, so preparing for the game with the Lakers as the imaginary enemy is actually nothing. Many NBA head coaches can calculate some things, but look at this finals.

In G1, Coach D took the lead in the start, then Coach D fought to consume the opponent's energy, and in this game, Coach D blocked the Lakers layer by layer.

You can make a prediction about the Lakers for a season, but your prediction will never reach the level of Coach D.

For the six games of this finals, it felt like Coach D had already made plans for these six games early on, and this finals was indeed going according to Coach D's plan.

Coach D's plan is that the Bobcats are no match for the Lakers in any case, and they have no chance in a head-on fight against the Lakers. Therefore, Coach D has been training these Bobcats players since the beginning of the season, probably just to consume the Lakers in the end.

"And now, Coach D has succeeded!"

Popovich and the Lakers have indeed been exhausted to the brink of the cliff.

Facing an opponent like Coach D, at this moment, these Spurs coaches can feel Popovich's despair.

"Pop once said that when Coach D directs the game, he is like God looking down on the world. It is definitely not an easy task to defeat such a Coach D in the playoffs or in the finals. No, it should be said that it is almost impossible, because even God cannot defeat Coach D in the finals!"

"but!"

"but?"

"Bobo hasn't given up yet!"

Budenholzer clenched his fists and looked at the nervous but stubborn old man on the big screen.

Yes, he hasn't admitted defeat, he hasn't given up.

The timeout is over, and there are no surprises in the Lakers' lineup. McGrady, Ebanks, Kobe, Dinwiddie, and Ricky Lee. This is a small lineup that fights hard. It's not that Popovich wants to fight hard, but he has to fight hard. People who know Popovich know that what Popovich hates most is three-pointers and fighting hard. Popovich hates things that are beyond his control.

Popovich likes to defeat his opponents and control the game steadily and safely.

However, Coach D beat Popovich and made him do things he didn't like to do.

This is what makes Coach D so scary.

Now many experts and fans feel that Popovich has no choice now and Coach D did it on purpose.

Coach D deliberately left Popovich with no choice but to do things he didn't like and wasn't good at.

This is no longer a duel, this is simply a joke.

Therefore, at this moment, many experts, celebrities, and players at the scene looked at Popovich with sympathy.
The players who were messed with by Popovich and the Spurs back then now had very happy smiles on their faces.

When they were messed with by Popovich and Bowen, they never dreamed that someone could play with Popovich like this on the NBA court.

This is so cool!
Coach D is truly a god!
At this time, Du Kang had no idea that his image had become so great.

Forcing Popovich and the Lakers into only one choice, was this something he had anticipated?

This certainly couldn't be something he had anticipated.

Not to mention that Popovich was forced to make a choice, he didn't even think that he would be able to win this finals.

All I can say is that in this finals, many things were beyond Du Kang's control.

However, these people were right about one thing. Although he could not predict the trend of this finals, his prediction of this finals was that the Bobcats would not be able to win no matter how hard they tried. In the end, the Bobcats could only rely on attrition.

Fortunately, the entire Bobcats team worked together and really succeeded.

Now, it's time for the Bobcats to reap the fruits of their hard work.

Duncan, Thabeet, Ding Yanyuhang, Jordan, and Rose, this is the starting lineup of the Bobcats in the final battle.

There are corresponding players for each position, from center to point guard, each position is very conventional. Compared with Coach D who used to like to be unconventional, this lineup is very un-Coach D.

Especially compared with the Lakers, the Bobcats' starting lineup is quite balanced.

and!

In the first round, Duncan made a strong attack under the basket, causing the Bobcats to double-team him. He passed the ball to Rose outside the three-point line, and Rose hit a three-pointer in the bottom corner, 83 to 83!

After the game started, the Bobcats, who had been lagging behind, finally caught up!
"No luck! There will be no luck in the next game. The Bobcats, who have a huge inside advantage, will definitely win!"

Then, the Lakers attacked, but they did not play fast. Under the command of Popovich, McGrady slowly came to the basket. When he came in front of Duncan, the whole world was shocked!
"Oh my god!!! Popovich didn't play small, he used a small lineup to play big!!! McGrady played center!!!"

McGrady plays center!
McGrady vs. Duncan!

Popovich and McGrady faced Duncan led by Coach D under the basket!
"OMG!!!"

“Crazy scene, crazy world!!!”

At this moment, I don’t know how many people are shocked.

Even Du Kang was actually shocked.

At this time, Popovich was quite calm.

"Who said I don't have a choice? Coach D, I still have a choice!!!"

(End of this chapter)