The longest river

Chapter 159 The Finals Disaster

After the timeout, the Jazz finally scored when Malone, holding the ball in the low post, assisted Hornacek, who was cutting in, to score.

The Jazz's pick-and-roll plays include many backdoor cuts, which are familiar to some fans as the "UCLA cut".

This goal sent the Jazz bench into a frenzy; they were like drowning people who had finally surfaced and gotten a chance to catch their breath.

However, as soon as they sat down, the Pacers executed a beautiful passing and cutting play in the frontcourt. After receiving a pass from Jackson, Schmitz passed the ball back to Mark Jackson, who then cut into the middle and scored a layup.

When attacking the opponent's penalty area using a spatial system, the attack doesn't necessarily have to be initiated by players on the wings.

Moreover, after retreating to the defensive end, Yang Shuai continued to double-team Stockton with Mark Jackson.

Although Stockton passed the ball out, Yang Shuai quickly returned to the defensive position, which successfully forced the ball out of Stockton's hands.

Moreover, after Russell lobbed the ball to Malone, Yang Shuai quickly went to help defend Malone, forcing Malone to turn and shoot towards the baseline.

Bird's defensive strategy tonight was very clear: strike while the iron is hot, frequently double-teaming to prevent you from executing plays and forcing you to pass the ball or shoot quickly.

This might not work when the opponent is in good form, because it's easy to get carried away by their passing game. But when the opponent is out of form, it's a sure thing.

In his hasty attempt, Malone completely missed the target!
Fans holding signs that read "Ma Long is a softie" immediately waved their KT boards excitedly.

Moreover, after the Pacers gained possession of the ball, they quickly launched a fast break.

During a fast break, Yang Shuai received a pass back from Miller and suddenly pulled up for a side-body dunk.

The city square gardens were bustling with excitement once again.

This is Yang Shuai's fourth dunk tonight!
Kamp's friend's description was spot on: Yang Shuai was like top-quality bourbon whiskey poured into a glass of ice water, constantly igniting the emotions of the fans in the stadium.

The Jazz created an opportunity through quick passing in the frontcourt, and Stockton received a pass from Malone on the sideline and took a three-point shot.

"when!"

Unfortunately, he still failed to hit the target.

The ghostly incident last night, coupled with the freezing temperature of the locker room during afternoon training, completely ruined their performance.

Ostertag fought hard to grab the offensive rebound, but before he could prepare for the second attack, Yang Shuai jumped up from the side. The two crossed up and down, and Yang Shuai blocked the ball from his hands!

Miller once again leaped and stole the ball.

Moreover, with Bird waving his hand on the sidelines, the Pacers continued to speed up, forcing the Jazz to foul early again to stop them.

Furthermore, in the half-court set, Mark Jackson drew Stockton's second foul of the quarter with a back-to-the-basket layup.

Sloan had no choice but to substitute him off the field.

As if things weren't bad enough, the Jazz's morale plummeted to rock bottom.

At the crucial moment, Malone stepped up, breaking the Jazz's scoring drought with a quick turnaround jump shot after receiving the ball.

15:4.

The Pacers still hold an 11-point lead.

Sloan couldn't sit still any longer. He got up and went to the sidelines, frantically waving his hands at the players on the court to signal for defense.

With their aggressive approach, the Jazz successfully disrupted Miller's three-point attempt from the outside.

Miller's shot hit the rim and went out.

But Jermaine O'Neal grabbed the offensive rebound and then turned and passed the ball to Yang Shuai.

After receiving the ball, Yang Shuai was closely marked by Russell. He made a fake dribble outwards, then suddenly turned and rushed towards the basket, facing Ostertag's flying layup.

Ostertag got a little desperate and grabbed Yang Shuai's shoulders with both hands to pull him down, but Yang Shuai, despite being fouled, made a difficult reverse layup.

The referee blew his whistle, and the ball flew through the air in a high arc...

"Shh!"

It fell into the net!
That was a 2+1!

After landing, Yang Shuai saw the ball go in and raised his fist in celebration.

The scene was boiling again.

Even with the entire Pacers team in red-hot form, Yang Shuai's performance remained dazzling.

This goal, which had an element of luck, also illustrates the saying: "When things go smoothly, everything goes well."

With about 10 minutes played in the first quarter, the score was 25-8.

Yang Shuai was substituted off the court along with the other key players at this point, having scored 13 points in the quarter.

Bird gave each of his teammates a high-five.

Although this quarter is not over yet, the Pacers' performance has been nothing short of perfect.

Because of the high level of physical exertion, the Pacers had five substitutes on the court at this point, while Malone was still on the court for the Jazz.

Malone is a monster when it comes to physical fitness; he's the kind of guy who can play the entire game.

Malone was not substituted by Sloan for a rest until two minutes into the second quarter.

Thanks to his "off-peak travel" during this period, the Jazz narrowed the gap to 13 points.

However, this forced comeback was not very meaningful, because when both teams' starters returned, the Pacers maintained their defensive intensity on the court.

Already exhausted and without sufficient rest, Malone began to make some very basic mistakes. For example, when attempting a three-threat drive to the basket, he committed a traveling violation.

Another time, during a Jazz pick-and-roll, he kicked Mark Jackson while going for a layup, knocking him to the ground and resulting in an offensive foul.

Malone's struggle was a microcosm of the Jazz's performance in the first half.

At halftime, the score was 51-28.

The Pacers had a 23-point lead at halftime!

This point difference is among the largest in Finals history.

Furthermore, the Jazz scored 28 points in the first half, setting a new record for the lowest score in a first half of the Finals.

From Sloan to the Jazz players, you could see the confusion on their faces.

I don't know if they were cursing their own fans in their hearts, because in the end the harm was transferred to them.

Barkley's smile in the stands was brighter than a chrysanthemum.

His only regret is probably that he's not a member of this Pacers team now.

During halftime, commentators Ernie Johnson and Mike Breen were already discussing the biggest point difference in the Finals.

After all, with the Jazz in abysmal form facing a Pacers team playing with all their might, it's very possible that a record could be broken.

Prior to this, the largest point difference in NBA Finals history was between the Bullets and the SuperSonics in 1978.

Trailing 2-3, the Bullets returned to their home court for a do-or-die game and scored 35 points against the SuperSonics.

The Bullets then went on a comeback to defeat the SuperSonics and win their only championship in franchise history.

Although the Pacers are not fighting for their lives, their current form gives them a good chance to break records and win their first championship in franchise history.

After halftime, the Jazz attacked first, and Malone made a turnaround jump shot in the low post.

Moreover, once they returned to the defensive end, they were basically able to keep up with the Pacers' tactical movements.

It's clear that their form has improved after the halftime break.

But just then, as the shot clock was about to expire, Jermaine O'Neal hit a mid-range shot over Malone!

This goal instantly ignited the stadium.

Even the Pacers' bench erupted in cheers.

Although it was just one goal, the fact that a rookie like Jermaine O'Neal could make such a crucial shot greatly boosted the morale of the home team and their fans.

Bird's one-season training was most clearly demonstrated at this moment, as he instilled a strong sense of confidence in Jermaine O'Neal.

The Jazz's offense clearly improved in this quarter, scoring 21 points with their starters playing almost the entire game, just 7 points less than their total score in the first half.

But the Pacers were even more insane in this quarter, scoring 33 points in a single quarter!
Jermaine O'Neal's basket was like opening the floodgates of the Pacers' offense, and the Pacers played with incredible fluidity.

At the end of the third quarter, the score was 84-49, with a difference of 35 points.

It's fair to say that the Pacers players thoroughly implemented Bird's tactical instructions in the first half, completely dominating the Jazz.

Moreover, this point difference has already tied the largest point difference in the history of the Finals.

In the final quarter, Sloan did not field any more starters, effectively ending the game prematurely.

Bird also didn't field any more starters; he had already achieved his goal, and historical records were not something he cared about.

Bringing the main players on at this point would only increase the risk of injury, which would be counterproductive.

The final quarter was a battle between the substitutes and bench players.

However, it was during this very moment that the fans at the scene seemed very excited.

Bird's indifference doesn't mean they don't care.

Such a record-breaking opportunity only comes once every few years.

And things are going in the direction they expected.

Trailing by such a large margin, and on the stage of the Finals, the Jazz's bench players seemed disheartened, frequently missing shots and making mistakes.

On the other hand, the Pacers have bench players who don't usually get much playing time, such as Reggie Williams as a third center and Jerome Allen as a third point guard.

This might be their only chance to appear on the finals stage, so they're definitely giving it their all.

The point difference quickly surpassed 40 points.

This really got the fans at the stadium completely excited.

Just before the final buzzer, Allen hit a three-pointer, bringing the final score to 107-59.

The Pacers ultimately set a new NBA record with a 48-point margin of victory in Game 3 of the Finals!
After the game, the Jazz players looked incredibly grim; they were truly branded with shame.

But there was nothing they could say, since they had earned the win themselves, and the Pacers hadn't even fielded their starters in the final quarter.

Looking at the score, Yang Shuai felt that something was still missing.

He received a text message from Paul after he finished shaking hands and returned to the locker room.

(End of this chapter)