The longest river

Chapter 242 The Throw of Judgment
Some media outlets even brought up Yang Shuai's experience with the Pacers back then.

Yang Shuai "snatched" the Finals MVP from Miller when he was with the Pacers.

The day after G2 ended, before the training session began, Carlisle chatted with Yang Shuai.

On the surface, they were discussing away game plans, but Carlisle was subtly asking about Yang Shuai's FMVP award.

Clearly, Carlisle heard those voices from the outside world, and as the head coach, he couldn't ignore them.

After all, Yang Shuai's status is now higher than Jordan's back then. Just as it's hard to imagine the Bulls winning the championship and the Finals MVP not being Jordan, it's equally hard to imagine the Trail Blazers winning the championship and the Finals MVP not being Yang Shuai.

"Rick, all I want to do right now is help the team win back the championship."

Yang Shuai's attitude is very clear.

I don't want a championship that isn't the Finals MVP?

Although any normal player would care about honors, he would never do something like that.

It's important to understand that honor is built on winning. Don't be fooled by their seemingly huge 2-0 lead; in history, there have been more than a few instances where players have been overturned because they were preoccupied with the pursuit of honor.

A day later, the Trail Blazers traveled to Indianapolis for Game 3 against the Pacers.

The Pacers regained their touch after returning to their home court.

Or rather, their overall performance from the perimeter this season has been at a very high level, which is a key factor in their ability to achieve 60 wins.

Furthermore, they made an important change on the defensive end: Miller, who was originally responsible for guarding Billups, was switched to guard Reed.

Miller's defense was at best above average, but he was quite effective at defending Reed.

The fundamental reason is that Miller, being a fellow shooter, is extremely familiar with shooter tactics and positioning, and Reed's physical talent is not top-notch, so it's unrealistic to expect him to defeat Miller in a one-on-one situation.

As it turns out, those comments from the outside world were laughable.

Although Reed has performed well this season, he is still not as good as Yang Shuai was back then.

Yang Shuai took on the offensive burden of the team when Miller was injured. Without Yang Shuai, the Pacers would have had a hard time winning the championship. That was like sending charcoal in snowy weather.

But no one thinks this team can't beat the Pacers without Reed; Reed's performance is more of an added bonus.

In fact, even looking at the data, Reed only scored more points per game than Yang Shuai in the first two games, while Yang Shuai averaged 12 assists per game in the first two games.

Reid couldn't break the deadlock, so Carlisle had Yang make more hard breaks.

Attrition tactics require an entire series to be effective.

Back then, Yang Shuai didn't just defend Jordan until he fell to the ground in one game; he did it in a full seven-game series.

Therefore, allowing Yang Shuai to dominate the game in Game 3 is acceptable to the Trail Blazers.

Because if they win Game 3, the outcome of the finals will basically be decided.

There has never been a Finals series where a team has come back from a 0-3 deficit, not even in the playoffs.

In short, how could a team that can sweep its opponent 4-0 be down 0-3?
Unless the Pacers injure Yang Shuai, that's not a possibility.

However, having experienced the previous Western Conference Finals and learning from the Spurs' experience, no one dared to do that.

Yang Shuai frequently scored in one-on-one battles, and today's performance of Yang Shuai brought back memories for Indiana fans, reminding them of his 83-point performance in the Christmas Day game.

However, this Pacers team is really good at shooting. With accurate three-pointers from the outside and the continuous cheers and encouragement from the fans in the arena, they managed to lead the Trail Blazers 87-83 at the end of the third quarter.

They have a good chance of holding onto their first home game, and also have a chance to equalize or even overtake the score.

Because of the current competition format, the away team has three consecutive home games.

The fans at the stadium were full of anticipation, but when the game entered the final quarter, they experienced what despair truly meant.

In the fourth quarter, Carlisle adjusted his defensive strategy again, and the Trail Blazers stopped double-teaming O'Neal, giving him more opportunities to score inside.

I don’t know if it was because he was cut too much in the last game, or because he didn’t take many shots in the last two games, but O’Neal’s touch was not very good. Although he could use his agility to get past Sabonis, he just couldn’t put the ball in the basket.

No one knows if O'Neal missed the time he played with Kobe during this period, but Yang Shuai's scoring continued, even though he looked a bit exhausted.

With seven minutes remaining in the quarter, Yang Shuai drove into the paint and scored a 2+1 against O'Neal, bringing the point difference to seven.

In the era of small ball, a difference of seven or eight points was not considered significant. However, in this era, seven or eight points is a watershed moment in the game, because the difference will reach double digits in just one more possession, making it very difficult to catch up.

Under these circumstances, the only thing the Pacers could do was try to score three points.

Miller hit a three-pointer over Wallace to ignite the Pacers' comeback, and Carlisle immediately substituted Prince for Reed.

This adjustment is aimed at improving defense, but it also means that the Pacers can commit more defensive effort to Young.

With increased physical exertion and defensive intensity, Yang Shuai's scoring efficiency inevitably declined.

Yang Shuai quickly realized this as well, and after realizing it, he chose to invest more in the defensive end.

The Trail Blazers are currently in the lead, and as long as they don't allow the Pacers to go on a three-point shooting streak, they will naturally win the game.

With Prince on the court and Yang Shuai committing to defense, the Trail Blazers' defensive intensity surged, and the Pacers' outside shooting began to miss frequently.

Moreover, because it's a three-pointer, if it misses, it becomes a long rebound, and if the Trail Blazers get it, it's a fast break.

Yang Shuai's fast break ability is beyond question, and the key is that the Trail Blazers' current lineup can all initiate long passes from the backcourt.

The Pacers quickly fell behind by double digits.

It was at this point that they fell into a vicious cycle.

Because they were falling further behind, they had no choice but to keep shooting three-pointers, and the more they missed, the further they fell behind.

As a result, the Pacers attempted a whopping 16 three-pointers throughout the fourth quarter, but they only made one in the final quarter – the one Miller made.

The outcome of the match was predictable.

The Trail Blazers won 107-96 on the road, bringing the series score to 3-0.

When the game ended, the Pacers players on the bench looked dazed, and the fans in the arena couldn't help but reach out and cover their heads.

Judging from the games of Game 1 and Game 3, three-pointers did give the Pacers a competitive edge over the Trail Blazers, especially when they were on fire.

However, it turns out that in this era, this style of play, which relies heavily on three-pointers, is still quite unstable.

Or, to put it another way, this illustrates that if Jordan hadn't retired back then, it would have been very difficult for Olajuwon to lead the Rockets to defeat the Bulls.

Because three-pointers can fluctuate, but the performance of superstars is very consistent, even almost mechanical.

在经历了前面两场得分上相对平平无奇的比赛后，杨帅在G3有一个强势反弹，他全场比赛38投20中轰下了51分11板5助攻4抢断2封盖。

After this game, the previous Finals MVP comments vanished instantly. For NBA players, doubts are ever-present, whether big or small; the only thing that can break them down is their performance on the court.

At this point, the only remaining question was whether O'Neal would be swept again.

If O'Neal is swept in the Finals again, he will truly be the GOAT of being swept, unprecedented and likely never to be repeated.

Even his historical standing might not be as high as Barkley's; after retiring, he'd be constantly teased by Barkley when he came to the commentary booth.

Amid intense public scrutiny, Game 4 of the Finals continued in Indianapolis.

Generally speaking, when a team is down 0-3 and on the verge of being swept, their morale will plummet.

But the Pacers unleashed amazing energy in the face of adversity, scoring both inside and outside on offense and playing aggressively on defense.

This is the effect of team culture. O'Neal was often swept before, but the Pacers never suffered a sweep during Miller's era.

At the end of the third quarter, the Pacers were even leading the Trail Blazers by double digits.

The fans at the scene were also deeply moved.

Although it's unrealistic for the Pacers to win now, they can at least retain some dignity.

However, Carlisle reappeared once again in the final quarter.

He put Okur in the decisive period and then had Yang Shuai frequently run pick-and-roll plays with Okur.

Okur plays an outside shooting style, and O'Neal looked very uncomfortable after he received a pass from Yang Shuai and hit a three-pointer.

What's even more frustrating is that the Trail Blazers have once again resorted to the "Hack-a-Shaq" strategy.

Carlisle is exploiting O'Neal's weaknesses relentlessly.

It may sound unbelievable, but O'Neal's weaknesses dragged the Pacers down throughout the Finals.

The Pacers without O'Neal are not in the same league as the Trail Blazers, but the Pacers with O'Neal are always targeted in crucial moments, which is a logical paradox.

It can only be said that all the sweeps that O'Neal experienced in his career were deserved.

Thomas was once again forced to substitute O'Neal off the court.

But this time, the Pacers did not collapse because of it.

Their relentless fighting spirit allowed them to drag the game into the final moments.

But at that very last moment, a missed call occurred on the field.

Harrington's foot was out of bounds when he lunged out to catch the ball, but the referee didn't see it due to a lack of visibility. Miller then caught the rebound and hit a three-pointer.

This three-pointer gave the Pacers a 96-95 lead in the final moments.

The game then went into a timeout by the Trail Blazers.

Just then, a replay of the play was shown, and Stern's face in the stands looked extremely grim.

Just like the privileges Yang Shuai enjoyed before, the league will not stop the Trail Blazers from winning the championship this season, even if they are swept.

However, this crucial oversight felt to Stern like he was all set to open the champagne, only to discover the corkscrew was broken. Even though the champagne could eventually be opened with other tools, it was still frustrating.

The referee broke out in a cold sweat after seeing the replay, and he felt with an overwhelming sense that his refereeing career was coming to an end.

Carlisle also went to the technician's table to protest after seeing the replay.

The referee looked helpless, because according to the rules, a round that had already taken place could not be changed.

Even with only 6 seconds left in the game, meaning the Trail Blazers had one last possession, it would be difficult for them to make a whistle to balance the game.

The fans at the stadium breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that the score remained unchanged. Although it was a bit dishonorable, winning was better than losing.

Of course, they weren't completely at ease yet, because 6 seconds was enough time for the Trail Blazers to make a game-winning shot.

After the timeout, the Trail Blazers inbounded the ball in the frontcourt.

All the spectators felt their palms sweating; this was the first game in this year's finals to go down to the wire.

The Trail Blazers' goal was clear: to get the ball into Yang Shuai's hands.

However, the Pacers' defensive strategy was also very clear: to limit Yang Shuai's ability to receive the ball.

The Pacers displayed perfect defensive execution. Sabonis, who was inbounding the ball from the sidelines, failed to pass it to Young before the 5-second shot clock expired, and with the Trail Blazers running out of timeouts, he had no choice but to pass the ball to Billups first.

Billups hit a game-winning three-pointer against the Wizards in the Finals, and his receiving the ball naturally drew the Pacers' defensive attention.

Just then, Yang Shuai finally got a chance to receive the ball thanks to a beautiful back-run.

Billups' progress over the years was also tangible at this moment, as he passed the ball while Yang Shuai was making a run.

When Yang Shuai received the ball, he had a sliver of space to shoot.

Although it wasn't a huge chance, and although there were only 2 seconds left on the clock, it was enough.

Thomas's heart sank the moment he saw Yang Shuai receive the ball. He tried to shout but found himself unable to make a sound. He could only frantically wave his hands to signal his teammates to come up and defend.

Actually, Thomas didn't even need to shout at this point, because Miller and Harrington had already pounced on Yang Shuai.

However, Yang Shuai's ball control and release speed were too fast; before they could pounce, the ball had already left Yang Shuai's hand.

As the ball spun in the air, the red lights on the sidelines came on.

All the audience members held their breath instantly.

The commentators, including Barkley and Kenny Smith, followed the ball's movement with their eyes.

Back in the day, it was Yang Shuai who assisted Billups for the game-winning shot to win the Trail Blazers' first championship. Now that the two have switched positions, can Billups help Yang Shuai regain the championship?

"Shh!"

When the crisp sound of the ball going through the loudspeaker came through, the fans in the stadium were left only with despair, clutching their heads in their hands.

Never let Yang Shuai receive the ball in the final moments. This is something most people know, but doing it is far more difficult than imagined.

"He made it!"

The moment the ball went in, Barkley excitedly stood up from the commentary box. Recalling the referee's missed call in the previous round, he excitedly uttered another memorable quote.

"This is a judgment!"

(End of this chapter)