The Paper's trainee reporter Hu Jie
This is the 30th Battle of Tennoyama in NBA history, and in the previous 29 games, the team that won this game has a 72% chance of winning the championship.
On the morning of July 18, Beijing time, the fifth leg of the NBA Finals was staged, and finally the Bucks won 123-119 and took a 3-2 lead.
Holliday defends Paul. This article picture CFP
Before this game, the Suns were pulled twice in a row with a large score of 2-0. Under pressure, Monty, who lost two games in a row, encouraged his teammates: "Previously, Rivers texted me and said' it was an honor to be stressed. The situation is tough, but that's what we want. You can't find greatness on the beach, you can only find greatness in struggle. ”
The good news for the Suns is that they have home-court advantage — in this year's playoffs, the Bucks are 9-1 at home and the Suns are 8-2 at home, both of which are veritable home Dragons.
However, the Bucks are the more experienced team, and this is their third consecutive series to experience the Battle of Tianwangshan, they have fallen behind 2-0 in the Eastern Conference semifinals and finally reversed the promotion, and only four teams in the history of the Finals have achieved such a feat.
Alphabet brother admitted that although the team has fallen behind many times this year, the team has not panicked, "I attribute the team's honor and disgrace this year to the habit of winning during the year." Even though we are sometimes at a low point, we can still find a way to win. ”
In the last game, Paul's last mistake caused the team to lose, which also put him on the cusp of public opinion. After four games, Paul's form has dropped visibly, and the score has continued to decline - 32 points, 23 points, 19 points and 10 points.
Not only that, but Paul has made 15 turnovers in the last 3 games, the most since 2012. Veteran Paul also understands that only winners have a say, "Unless you win the game, no one cares about your story." ”
Speaking about how the team forced Paul to make mistakes, Holliday said: "I think it's about trying to make him feel uncomfortable and always having 2 or 3 people around him. But the high level of attrition on the defensive end also affected Holliday's offensive feel, and he shot just 4 of 20 in G4.
For the Bucks, the team couldn't play at full capacity today — players Sanassis Antetokounmpo and assistant coach Oppenheimer both missed the game for triggering a health and safety deal. The referee who was supposed to enforce the game, Sean Wright, also missed today's game due to a health and safety agreement, and he was replaced by James Williams, who blew a total of 587 regular season games and 25 playoff games.
The Battle of Tennozan in the Finals also attracted many stars to watch. Among them, James of the "Banana Boat Brothers" came to Phoenix today to cheer paul up. In addition, rapper Lear Wayne, famous singer Adele and others all watched the game live.
At the beginning of the game, Holliday was hot on the offensive end, hitting two mid-range hits, but Ayton and Paul made fouls in succession, leaving Holliday only able to go off in the middle of the first quarter. Teague, who came off the bench, couldn't adapt to being targeted continuously in the intensity of the game, and the Suns played a clear 37-21 lead in the first set.
Entering the second quarter, Holliday scored consecutive points on the offensive end inside and outside, and the gap narrowed all the way to 42 draws, and then the two sides fell into a stalemate. At the crucial moment, it was Holliday's long-range three-point shot, and the Bucks rebounded 60-59. At the end of the half, the Bucks took a three-point lead 64-61 and scored as many as 19 points more than the Suns in the second quarter.
In the first two quarters, the two teams each played a good game, and Holliday was the most dazzling one. In the first half, he played 18 minutes and scored 18 points, shooting 8 of 11 from the field and 2 of 3 from three-point range, becoming the biggest contributor to the Bucks' subsequent top.
In the third quarter of the game, Holliday's firepower did not decrease, breakthroughs, jump shots, steals, three points... The Bucks' lead extended to double digits, stopping the Suns directly. Paul took a third foul and then went off to rest.
Alphabet brother is also gradually improving his feel, continuous scoring to help the Bucks maintain a double-digit lead, and in the final stage of the third quarter, alphabet brother also got time to rest. The Bucks entered the fourth quarter with a 10-point advantage.
In the final quarter, both teams have no way back. With two and a half minutes left in the game, Ayton's two free-throw shots narrowed the gap to five points, and a few rounds later Booker hit another three-pointer, narrowing the gap to three points.
In the final moments, the Sun sent The Alphabet Brother to the free throw line, under pressure The Alphabet Brother missed two free throws, and then Paul threw the point difference closer to only 1 point, but Holliday completed the key steal, and then connected the Alphabet Brother to complete the empty dunk and also got a free throw, although the Alphabet Brother did not score a free throw, but the Bucks grabbed the rebound in the front court and got the free throw opportunity again, Middleton took a 4-point lead for the Bucks in two free throws. In the end, Paul missed three points, and after the final horror moment, the Bucks still saved the victory.
According to the schedule, the 6th round of the two sides will be played on the morning of July 21, Beijing time. Previously, the Bucks won only one championship in 1971, and now they are just one step away from the second championship in team history.
Editor-in-Charge: Pu Yaolei
Proofreader: Zhang Liangliang