So I am the god of basketball?

Chapter 89

前三节14投4中，最后一节6投4中，全场20投8中，命中率堪堪达到了40%……

According to the judgment standards thirty years later, Meng Lang would be a laggard. If he had entered the state earlier and made 14 of 8 shots, or 14 of 7, this game would not have been so difficult.

In theory, there is nothing wrong.

Data doesn't "lie".

But tonight, as soon as the game ended, everyone, including Shaq, came to Meng Lang to give him a high-five.

His recovery in the fourth quarter and his consecutive hits were so crucial to helping the team.

Meng Lang first sat on the bench for a while, then wiped his face with a towel. The towel instantly became much heavier.

so tired!

He muttered something secretly in his heart.

This is the most tiring game he has played in the playoffs so far.

The scale tonight is definitely higher than the previous two rounds.

But this is normal. Indiana hates him now. The belief in revenge plus the belief in winning, with the double buff superimposed, will naturally be more difficult to deal with.

In addition, their head coach is Larry Brown, a stubborn "veteran".

I won’t judge here whether Pat Riley or Larry Brown has a higher defensive theory and level, but to say who has a deeper obsession with defense, there is no need to judge at all. There is a pull and a pull, and there is no pull. "Ladi", who comes from this sect, attaches great importance to defense.

But even Gentry and Popovich combined are not as obsessed with defense as a hair on Larry Brown's legs.

This is a head coach who doesn't care about offense at all and just wants to do his best on the defensive end.

Such a head coach coaches the Pacers, a team that most believes in "what doesn't kill me makes me stronger" in the league. Tonight's game alone has proven that the road ahead to the Eastern Conference Finals is not going to be easy.

Time has also proven this.

In the second game of the Eastern Conference Finals, the two sides fought hard until the last minute. In the last 30 seconds of the fourth quarter, the score difference between the two sides was only 1 point. Shaquille O'Neal stood up this time, continuously hitting the basket, causing fouls, and using 4 of 3 free throws to lead the Magic to defend their second home game.

The Pacers only lost by 3 points this time.

The two games were lost by no more than 10 points combined.

Two games in a row were just one breath away. In the third game, the Pacers fought even harder.

The scale is so big that even the referees who encourage large scale can't help but control the field.

Of course, this scale is huge and applies to both sides.

Chuck Daly's favorite thing is large-scale confrontation. Standing on the sidelines, he coaches with much more ferocity than usual.

In this game, the Magic's Shaquille O'Neal left the game with 6 fouls, Meng Lang committed 4 fouls and received a technical foul, and Hardaway committed 5 fouls; for the Pacers, Dell Davis left the game with 6 fouls, and Reggie Rice Made 5 fouls and received a technical foul.

In the end, it was overtime when Reggie Miller made a layup that caused Hardaway to foul and made two free throws to help the team lead 101-100 by 1 point, leaving the Magic with 2.3 seconds to take action.

Meng Lang, who completed the tying three-pointer and led the Magic into overtime, failed to get the ball at the last moment. Anderson made a mid-range jumper and the ball went into the basket and flew out again. It scared everyone on the Pacers team into a cold sweat, but they still lost the game.

The score was tied to 1-2.

In the fourth game of the series, under continuous large-scale confrontation, three rookies of the Magic had problems adjusting to their status. The Pacers won another game by 95 points, 84-11.

The big score was 2-2.

The Indiana media clamored after this game: "The Pacers have clearly seen the tricks of these rookies on the Magic. They can't win any more games in this series!"

The media's public opinion also turned towards the Pacers at this time.

After all, the Magic went from a 2-0 lead to two straight games, and in the fourth game, they were indeed unable to fight back.

Chuck Daly saw all this, and he didn't collect the reports and use them to inspire the Magic players.

At this time, such incentives are likely to have the opposite effect.

He gave a speech in the locker room: "Guys, when I was the head coach of the Pistons, we did a good job. You should also know that we won two consecutive championships and we blocked Michael for at least 2 years. , he should have been more brilliant, but we almost didn’t do it.”

In the 90 Eastern Conference Finals, the Pistons and Bulls fought until the seventh game, and finally barely eliminated the Bulls and reached the finals.

"Scotty said he had a migraine. He said he couldn't see clearly. He excused himself by being sick. He was cowardly!"

"So he only got 2 points and 4 rebounds, and he was sleepwalking the whole game!"

"But at that time, we also had doubts, whether we could beat Jordan and his Bulls this time!"

"We've done that before, but that was before!"

"We had that mentality and overcame the fear of failure, and we succeeded and Scotty was the one getting laughed at!"

"What I want to say is that any situation is the same for us and for them. When we feel tired, it proves that they are also tired. What we are competing now is who can overcome this situation better. Kind of tired!"

"2-2 is not a problem, this is a new beginning!"

"Let the Pacers, let everyone outside see what kind of team we are!"

“How we became the ‘dark horse’ this year!”

"Everyone, everything comes from, we are born to be great!"

Great player, doing great things!

Great players can certainly overcome problems that ordinary players cannot overcome.

Even if he is just a rookie, even if he is only standing on the playoff stage for the first time!
  “Let’s do the big ticket thing!”

This is a sentence that Chuck Daly has been saying in the new season, and now it comes from the mouth of Shaquille O'Neal.

A sophomore, with a core team of two first-year students, reached the finals. He didn't know if there was any such precedent in history.

He only knew that this was a very awesome thing!

Something that is very suitable for a "big shark" to do!
  The start of the day at the Orlando Arena was not very lively, and the low opinion from the outside world made them also doubt the current state of the Magic.

Less than 5 minutes into the game, the Magic used their performance on the court to clear away the concerns of the Orlandoans.

The Pacers obviously didn't expect that the Magic team would be so energetic when they returned home tonight. The defensive end was repeatedly poked holes, and by the time Larry Brown reacted, the Magic had already launched an 11-5 "scoring wave."

The scenes from the last game are repeated tonight.

Just adjusted everything.

The team that had the upper hand the entire game became the Magic.

The Pacers were beaten throughout the game.

Chuck Daly was right, the tiredness is mutual.

When the Magic were gasping for air, the Pacers' chests were rising and falling much more intensely than usual.

109 to 94, a 15-point difference. The Magic used a more hearty victory to rewrite the score to 3-2!

In less than a day, the Indiana media was slapped hard by the Magic.

In Game 6 of the series, they moved to the "Cornfield" and the Pacers fought to the death. The core attitude of the Pacers, led by Reggie Miller and Schmitz, was very good. But this night, Reggie Miller was in no shape.

The Magic were prevented from shooting 40% of the field, but the Pacers' shooting rate was even lower. Reggie Miller didn't even shoot 30%.

76 to 71, a "forge" battle ended, and Reggie Miller and the Pacers' journey this season has also reached the end.

"This game is for you sons of bitches!"

As soon as the game ended, Meng Lang shouted at the Indiana fans in the front row, then sat on the bench, covering his face with a white towel, and stopped moving despite the bursts of boos coming from behind him.

tired!
  I’m so tired!
  His physical fitness level reached 90, but after playing such a series, he was really tired!

Why don't we all play the fourth position from now on? It's easy for him to play against players like Oakley who have bad legs and feet.

When the New York team attacks, he needs to fight at the basket and defend.

It's better than "hugging together" with Reggie Miller for the whole game!

That's really the same defense as brown sugar!

From his data in this series, we can also see how difficult it was to play.

Averaged 17.6 points per game, a career low in three series. The lowest score was 8 points, and the score in the two games did not exceed 15 points. In terms of shooting percentage, it was just over 42%, and its three-point shooting percentage was only 40%!

Of course, he is not alone in his inefficiency.

Throughout the series, the Pacers and Magic had the same players.

Even Shaquille O'Neal's field goal percentage only averaged 50%!

In such a difficult game, Meng Lang's first reaction was to vent his anger on the Indiana fans. He had seen people working hard, but he had never seen people working so hard.

It’s really a matter of life and death!

Then I immediately found a seat to sit down and relax.

However, before he could catch his breath, he suddenly felt his body lose balance. When he came to his senses, Hardaway and Shaq had already pulled him up.

"Enter the finals!"

"Dream, we're in the finals!"

The two men pulled Meng Lang up while shouting.

A sentence popped into Meng Lang's mind for no reason:

Stop being numb and hey!
  It was only at this time that he reacted and eliminated the Pacers. They...

Into the finals!
  These four words instantly sobered up Meng Lang's mind, which had become sluggish due to fatigue.

"Enter the finals!"

"Enter the finals!!"

The shouts grew louder and louder, echoing in Indiana's home court, and seemed so abrupt.

The Pacers fans who had not left the field suddenly burst into tears as they listened. Once again, they were defeated by Meng Lang and the Magic, especially in the great situation of tying 2-2. You know, most of the media at the time believed that the Magic was finished and the Pacers would definitely complete a great comeback. The advantage is mine.”

The result can be...

Before their smiles could fully bloom, the Magic quickly adjusted their status at their home court and defeated them neatly in two consecutive games.

The gap between before and after was too big. The huge change happened in an instant. Before they had time to react, the Pacers were gone!
  Looking at Meng Lang's arrogant look, and then looking at their "big baby" Reggie Miller who lowered his head, they believed that he would not bow down just like that, but they kept losing. Reggie Miller could stand it, but they couldn't stand it!

Amid silent wailing at the scene, officials had prepared a ceremony to award the Eastern Conference Finals trophy in the away team's tunnel. ——This was supposed to be held in the center of the field, but the Pacers obviously wouldn't do what they wanted.

But it doesn't matter. Wherever the Eastern Conference finals championship trophy is, it will be the center of the stage.

Shaquille O'Neal was the first to hold the championship trophy in his hands, kissing and chewing it. After the trophy was covered with his saliva, he handed the trophy to Hardaway beside him with satisfaction. Hardaway hesitated for a moment, but couldn't hold it back and put his big lip print on the trophy.

When handing it to Meng Lang, he pointed to the open space next to him, which meant:

Brother, I haven’t kissed you here, I just keep it for you!
  Meng Lang waved his hand and asked him to put it back with a look of disgust:

It’s just an Eastern Conference championship trophy. Look, you’ll be happy!
  Hardaway suddenly discovered that he might never be Meng Lang's opponent in the important matter of pretense.

Meng Lang filled a medium-sized cup, and the host next to him keenly noticed his interaction with Hardaway. He specifically asked: "Dream, you don't seem to have any intention of embracing the Eastern Conference Championship Trophy?"

Meng Lang nodded and said, "This is not a real trophy. What I want is a real trophy!"

What is a "real trophy"?
  Needless to say?

That is of course the championship trophy!

He doesn't want to wait until he retires from his career to compete against Michael Jordan and the others and have to piece together things. He may even need the league to hold another "NBA March Madness" to make up for the honors that he really can't catch up with.

One thing about Jordan that he has always found cool is that when he talks about honor, he always stretches out six fingers to show his championship ring. Rather than talking about how many "scoring champions" he won in 6, how many regular season MVPs he won, or the "Best Defensive Player Award" and the like.

Everyone knows that those personal honors are vulnerable to a championship ring!
  Meng Lang's words made Shaquille O'Neal next to him look unnatural for a moment, but he quickly covered it up.

Looking at Meng Lang's attitude towards the Eastern Conference Finals trophy now, and then thinking about the way he just held the Eastern Conference Finals trophy while kissing and chewing it, he suddenly felt that the self-proclaimed "Boss of the Magic Team" was outclassed by Meng Lang in terms of layout and vision. .

The people in Orlando were extremely excited because of Meng Lang's words!

They ran to the Orlando airport overnight to pick him up.

Early the next morning, news spread throughout the United States that the Magic had reached the Finals for the first time in franchise history.

Michael Jordan saw Meng Lang's name again.

It’s been less than 3 months since the last time, and that time it was because of Karl Malone. At that time, he specifically read some news about Meng Lang and the Magic team, and found that this "youth army" was playing well this year, and Meng Lang also played well in his rookie season.

Not only in that 52-point "three-point show", but also in the entire rookie season, the media gave Meng Lang very high praise.

But even so, Michael Jordan never thought that three months later, he would hear the news that Meng Lang and the Magic would reach the finals.

Think about it, it took me 8 years to enter the finals for the first time, but now this newcomer...

a season?
  "Listen, Jordan, sooner or later you're going to lose because of my shooting, we'll see!"

damn it!
  Why did I think of this sentence again!
  Jordan had been deliberately avoiding this scene. With his status in the world, there was no need to take the words of a rookie so seriously.

But every time...

When the news about Meng Lang came to him, he couldn't help but think of Meng Lang's words.

Because every time, Meng Lang's news always brought him surprise and surprise.

"Should we win the championship this season?" He cursed secretly. I felt angry for no reason.

The reason is also very simple. It took him 8 years of hard work to reach the finals.

This Magic team, with one sophomore and two first-year students, surprisingly led the team to the finals.

Is it...

Jordan felt aggrieved for the seven years he lost.

Why does he have to go through so much?
  Give him a teammate with a migraine.

How come these three newcomers don’t have migraine symptoms?

Facts have proved that the Jazz can enter the Western Conference Finals this year, just like the WBG in 23, they got a good draw. They have some quality, but not the quality to enter the Western Conference Finals.

So when they faced the Rockets in the Western Conference Finals, they lost to the Rockets 1-4 very simply.

The Eastern Conference finals are held three days earlier than the Western Conference finals. However, after the final winner of the Eastern Conference finals was decided yesterday, the Rockets also made a strong push to advance out of the Western Conference. The two spots in this year's finals have been determined:

The absolute "youth army", the Orlando Magic led by Shaquille O'Neal, Hardaway and Meng Lang VS the old-school team Houston Rockets led by the "old gangster" Olajuwon!

The media was excited about this matchup. ——Although what they want to see more is the Jazz entering the Finals. In this case, before Meng Lang arranges the octagonal cage, there will be a little more hatred between Karl Malone and Meng Lang!

However, this set of duels is still very interesting to watch.

The league's "old and strong" are facing off against young and emerging players.

Moreover, after last year's draft, Meng Lang once shouted in front of the media that he would make the "93 generation" a "golden generation" comparable to the "84" generation.

Judging from the current momentum, the quality of the "93 generation" is indeed very high. Not to mention Meng Lang, Hardaway, and Webb, there is also Leder who averaged 16.6 points per game and won the "Slam Dunk Contest". In addition, Vin Baker This "lottery" that scratches out half of the grand prize also has the momentum to go further in the future...

Further down the line, players like Mashburn and Alan Houston still have the possibility of realizing their potential. This can be clearly observed at least in some of the regular seasons they have played.

Including the Rockets, Sam Cassell, who was selected with the 24th overall pick in the first round last year, has gradually become the Rockets' No. 21.7 substitute. Even in the playoffs, he averaged 9.4 minutes of playing time per game. To the data of 4.2 points, 1 assists and [-] steal.

If we continue to maintain this momentum, we may not be able to evaluate the "10 Generation" as a "golden generation" when we re-evaluate it 93 years later. But this still needs time to be verified. Now, I don’t know whether the “93 generation” can become the “golden generation”, but they do have the opportunity to challenge the “84 generation”.

In addition to Olajuwon, the Rockets' starting power forward Otis Thorpe is also a member of the "84 generation".

So the day after the Rockets were confirmed to advance to the finals, the media, led by ESPN, came up with the finals promotion slogan of "Generation 93" vs. "Generation 84".

And the Western Conference runner-up Jazz, who was just eliminated yesterday, has no trace at all.

However, Karl Malone is still active in the media.

Of course, Malone himself shouldn't be too happy about this popularity.

because……

All questions are related to the Octagon in the summer.

These reporters really don’t mind it!

The same question was asked from late February to the end of May now. They didn't bother to ask, and Karl Malone was tired of answering. He repeated what he had said countless times: "As long as that bitch dares to do this, I will definitely do it." It will make him regret it!”

And as long as he opens his mouth, Meng Lang will inevitably face relevant questions again when he is interviewed again.

Meng Lang's attitude has not changed: "I have already asked my agent to prepare, but the specific progress is not convenient to disclose for the time being. You can look forward to it. Of course, by the way, I pray that Karl Malone will not be timid."

Meng Lang answered this question patiently, because only in this way could the reporters calmly ask questions related to the finals.

Sometimes, these reporters still need to get used to it.

This also makes it easier for you to end the interview as quickly as possible.

At the same time, leave a good impression on these reporters.

Who knows that we are still in the enlightenment stage of the Internet, and the pens in their hands are really hard?
  "How does it feel now to enter the finals for the first time?"

"Hmm...very peaceful!"

"Don't you feel excited? Or, you reached the finals in your rookie season, so you don't think it is difficult (to reach the finals)?"

Meng Lang smiled and shook his head: "I don't have the capital to be arrogant. If I can enter the finals next year, it won't be too late to say this. However, it is really difficult for me to understand the feeling of losing in the finals after 8 years." At the gate, it was not until the 9th year that I finally tasted the finals, so I would definitely have a lot of emotions."

This statement made the reporter call him "bold", but he couldn't suppress the smile on his face. Meng Lang's words and this interview will definitely be adopted by the editor-in-chief.

Not busy.

Houston is not a city with a very good basketball atmosphere. To be precise, the entire Texas, except for the group of lunatics in Dallas who are enthusiastic about any sports event, neither Houston nor San Antonio has a very good basketball atmosphere.

When Meng Lang first came to Houston, it happened that the Rockets completed the feat of "undefeated in a single month." This would have been crazy in Los Angeles or New York, but in Houston, there was no overly fanatical atmosphere.

It's the same this time. The Rockets have reached the finals for the third time in team history, but the basketball atmosphere in Houston has not changed significantly.

It wasn't until the bus arrived at the Compaq Center Sports Arena on the day of the game that Meng Lang felt some of the atmosphere of the finals.

But it's no wonder that Rockets home fans are notoriously arrogant. Whenever they see the game going in the wrong direction, they will immediately leave the game early. This habit has not changed in any way until the "Yao Ming era".

So much so that they missed one of the most classic moments in the NBA - the "T-Mac Moment."

In a city with mostly white-collar workers, the attendance rate is not linked to the performance, but whether the elites in the office have time to come to the arena to watch games and have fun. The situation in Houston is similar to that in Seattle.

This is one of the reasons why the Thunder owner chose to relocate.

But when the game was about to start, the venue was still full of fans.

Even if there is not such a fanatical atmosphere, it is not a big problem for Houston's population of 180 million to squeeze out more than 1 fans interested in the finals.

This is the atmosphere...

When the Magic entered the field, Meng Lang felt that the boos here were not much different from when they came during the regular season.

It is indeed too difficult to expect those "human-looking" white-collar elites to be hysterical one by one, unless they can really see something that can make them happy.

Because it is the finals, there are many celebrities on the sidelines tonight.

in……

"Hey, Dream, I finally see you in person!"

As Meng Lang passed by, a beautiful figure came up and patted his arm.

Fortunately, this was not in a restaurant, and there were no bodyguards around Meng Lang.

Fortunately no...

otherwise……

Meng Lang subconsciously kept his distance, and then saw clearly the person who touched him:
  Blonde, blue eyes, fair skin, beautiful, red lips and white teeth, sexy and charming...

He can apply any word that praises BBW to the woman in front of him, and no one will object.

The woman who touched his arm and stopped him was none other than Madonna Ciccone.

Meng Lang showed a slightly embarrassed smile, took a step back again, and then nodded politely. He rarely felt so unjust, but facing Madonna, he found that he really had no confidence.

Madonna looked at Meng Lang's appearance. Having read countless articles, she could keenly feel the trace of apology that still existed in Meng Lang's heart, which made her feel a sense of accomplishment for no reason. You know, the man standing in front of her is preparing to enter the "Octagon" with Karl Malone this summer.

She once asked Rodman a very serious question: "If you and Karl Malone really had a conflict on the court, would you take action or just run away?"

Rodman hesitated and finally gave the answer:
  run!
  And for such a man who was not afraid to face Karl Malone, when he just faced her, he took one step back, or to be precise, two steps.

If she hadn't remembered that Rodman was still her nominal boyfriend, according to Madonna's personality, she would have stepped on her 10-centimeter high heels at this moment, took a step forward, and then half-seduce and half-sullied. Ask casually: "You seem to still care about that matter?"

Pity!
  This is not the first time that such thoughts have appeared since she officially confirmed her relationship with Rodman, but this time it was particularly strong. So much so that she felt that her relationship had been going on for a little too long.

Meng Lang didn't know what was going on in the "Queen's" head. As soon as his eyes met those breathtaking eyes, he immediately returned to the field.

He is here to play games, not to be "Cao Cao"!

In the first 10 minutes of the game, the camera kept switching between Meng Lang and Madonna. Every time such "camera language" caused screams from the scene.

Then the live shots gave more to Shaquille O'Neal and Olajuwon.

"The No. 84 Scholar in 92" and "The No. [-] Scholar in [-]"!
  What is more similar than the status of "No. [-] pick" is the experience of the two of them in the first two years of their careers.

This is not the first time Olajuwon has reached the finals.

As early as 86, in the second season of his career, he and 83 No. [-] pick Ralph Sampson led the team to defeat the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals and enter the Finals.

Although not as young as Meng Lang and Hardaway, Ralph Sampson was only a first- and third-grader at the time.

The Rockets can also be called a "youth army."

So even if they lost in the Finals that year, the media and Rockets fans thought it was no big deal and they would dominate the league in the future.

But after reaching the Finals, Sampson was injured, and then his condition declined significantly. The management had no choice but to send him to the Warriors. It took eight years for Olajuwon to lead the Rockets to the Finals again. .

The second-year "rookie" at that time was already one of the "four major centers" and became the "nemesis of the God of Basketball" who was believed to have been the "nemesis of the God of Basketball" if they had entered the finals in the past three years. ".

Olajuwon never imagined that it would be so difficult for him to reach the finals for the second time.

Before the game started, reporters asked him, as a senior entering the Finals for the second time, if he had any advice to give to the young people of the Magic team.

Olajuwon didn't say anything at the time.

But now, as he recalled this issue, he had something to say:

He hopes that the young people on the Magic team can cherish their opportunity to enter the finals.

Because no one knows whether they can make it to the finals next season...

Even though they are young.

But he and Sampson were also very young at the time, but they encountered injuries.

The game officially started soon, and the starting lineups of both sides were shown on the big screen:
  "Magic team: No. [-] Hardaway; No. [-] Meng Lang, No. [-] Nick Anderson, No. [-] Turner, No. [-] Shaquille O'Neal;
  Rockets: No. [-] Vernon Maxwell, No. [-] Kenny Smith, No. [-] Robert Horry, No. [-] Otis Thorpe, No. [-] Hakeem Olaju prosperous;"

In a VIP room in the auditorium, Rockets owner Thomas looked at the close-ups of Thorpe, Vernon, and Meng Lang flashing on the big screen, and pursed his lips slightly.

Before the start of this season, the news that he asked general manager Steve Patterson to trade Meng Lang with these two people had already spread in Houston.

At that time, he already had the idea of ​​​​transferring to the Rockets. Especially because he did not get Meng Lang, he almost made up his mind.

But the time for the "Chinese Market" and the best deal had passed, and he had to suspend this idea.

But he really didn't expect that this season, Olajuwon and the Rockets would actually reach the finals.

Many Houston media were mocking him for almost ruining the Rockets' third trip to the Finals.

In other words, it is the closest opportunity to the championship!

Facing the Rockets twice in the regular season, the Magic were the losers. When they met the Rockets, they looked a little helpless.

Therefore, many media believe that the Rockets are the team with more hope of winning the championship.

Could it be that I really almost made the wrong decision? ——This is a typical "advantage self-blame". The Rockets have reached the finals. If they really win the championship, the Rockets will take off in terms of commercial endorsements this season. It is also this good news that makes Thomas feel free. Think about your “mistakes”.

Thank you to the Timberwolves for being "sighted and blind"!

Fortunately, I didn’t agree to their trading plan!
  Shaquille O'Neal successfully helped the Magic get the first offensive right.

Facing Vernon, Hardaway held the ball and changed back continuously, rushing to the free throw line. He glanced at Meng Lang's position out of habit, but without any hesitation in his hand, he stuffed the ball directly into the paint.

The gorgeous "no-look pass" was seen through by Olajuwon, who beat Shaq one step ahead and took control of the ball.

On the first possession of the game, the Magic ended with a turnover.

Olajuwon gave the ball to Vernon.

The Rockets went to the frontcourt at position [-] and did not attack directly. Instead, they waited until "Big Dream" was in position before giving the ball to him.

"Dream Steps" was used. Shaquille O'Neal did not rush to take action. He stared at Olajuwon's movements, waiting for the moment he took action, and then...

I was stunned!

"Shh!"

The ball fell into the basket easily.

The Rockets scored first when they lost the right to attack.

Hardaway advanced to the frontcourt with the ball this time. His movements were much more honest, and he did not dare to play "fancy tricks" anymore. He waited steadily for Meng Lang to run out of the open space, and then made a solid pass to the ground, predicting it in front of him in advance. .

"Shh!"

Meng Lang made a crisp mid-range shot to help the Magic open up the situation.

Chuck Daly was visibly relieved to see him score as soon as he came up.

He has led Shaq for a total of 2 seasons and is very aware of Shaquille O'Neal's lethality at the basket and his presence away from the basket.

It's almost inversely proportional.

How lethal O'Neal is under the basket is how weak his presence is when he leaves the penalty area.

If the Rockets reduce the space under the basket, Shaquille O'Neal's offensive firepower will be immediately hindered.

Meng Lang has become the key to unlocking the "raging shark".

It's just that his data is not as good as "Shark".

After all, in the "Insider Version", the ease with which the insiders can produce outstanding data is similar to the ease with which the outside players can produce gorgeous statistics in the "small ball era".

To put it more bluntly, Meng Lang is now the "outside version of Anthony Davis", but in terms of "blood-sucking degree", Shaquille O'Neal is much better than LeBron James. No wonder, LeBron is 93 Well, it is inevitable to "suck some blood".

But one thing is for sure, if LeBron and Davis reversed their roles, LeBron would definitely not be willing to let Davis be so "blood-sucking."

In the same way, Meng Lang has much less shot rights than Shaquille O'Neal in each game. If he takes more shots to finish, O'Neal will definitely not be willing to do so.

The good news is that Meng Lang's current offensive methods are limited, and the shots he can absorb are almost at their limit.

He can't be open every possession.

But when he feels loose, Shaquille O'Neal is able to absorb more shots.

"Bah!"

The Rockets played very simply in this round. Olajuwon asked for the ball in the low post. After drawing Shaquille O'Neal out of the basket, he quickly hit the ball to the basket and assisted Thorpe to complete a dunk.

This "One Star Four Shooting" play...

Meng Lang looked at the relaxed and happy Olajuwon and shook his head slightly.

Compared to someone's "one star, four shots" system, Olajuwon is obviously much more calm, probably because he can stand in the low post, and the rest of the Rockets obviously have more room to move.

Thorpe's "inside cut" was mainly aimed at Turner's unfavorable legs and feet.

4-2!

The Rockets defended a "pseudo zone defense" this time. They seemed to be defending Shaquille O'Neal at the basket, but they were mainly targeting Meng Lang from the outside.

Hardaway noticed this very well. Instead of looking for Meng Lang's position, he held the ball and scored decisively.

"Dangdang!"

Olajuwon was stuck behind Shaquille O'Neal, but Thorpe jumped out of nowhere and interfered with his layup.

The ninth pick in the first round of 84 showed a strong presence in these two rounds.

Seeing Olajuwon collect the rebound, Chuck Daly immediately shouted: "It's okay, it's okay, focus on defense, guard against this attack, and we can equalize the score!"

This is the home court of the Rockets. Even if the atmosphere is not enthusiastic, in Daly's vision, the Magic must get the start if they want to win.

Don't forget, they were swept by the Rockets in the regular season.

If there is no starting advantage, the momentum and psychology will be suppressed.

But compared to the Rockets' smooth offense, the Magic's ability to find scoring opportunities is obviously much worse.

Shaquille O'Neal can catch the ball, but the Rockets' interior defense is very good and they are not afraid of him catching the ball at all.

Another successful defense and the atmosphere in the Conner Center is starting to get heated!
  Meng Lang was a little strange.

In the Finals a year later, the original Shaquille O'Neal was not so embarrassed in the Finals. He averaged 28 points, 12.5 points, 6.3 assists and 2.5 blocks per game, and his shooting percentage was as high as 59.5%. Compared with Olajuwon, He averaged 32.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks per game, and shot 48.3% from the field, with no obvious disadvantage.

Although it is not the 95 Finals, it is only one year away. This time they have been baptized by the New York Knicks and Pacers. Even if they are not as mature as in 95, they are not one or two behind. Grade distance.

Even if he doesn't reach that level, his performance won't be suppressed like this, right?

However, seeing Turner once again being suppressed by Thorpe's physical fitness, Meng Lang finally reacted:
  After the original Rockets won the championship this year, they sent Thorpe to the Trail Blazers in exchange for "Glider" Drexler, and then used Horry as the 4rd position as the [-]th position to accompany Olajuwon. Play inside.

The Magic will soon have "Cobra" Grant this summer, and with his help, the more mature Shaquille O'Neal, the two of them joined forces and just tied with Olajuwon.

That's why there was the saying "Olajuwon beat Shaquille O'Neal".

If Grant is replaced by Turner, Shaquille O'Neal is not that mature yet...

As it is now.

Ok……

Meng Lang was not surprised at all by Shaq's embarrassment.

(End of this chapter)