The longest river

Chapter 161 Pacers win the championship!
Smoke grenades are a common item used in NBA games.

Bird used the pizza incident as a smokescreen, catching the Jazz off guard.

It's not just about tactics, but also about psychology.

The Jazz initially thought they were on the verge of victory tonight, but this sudden psychological shock threw them off balance.

Bird took advantage of this mentality of the Jazz, double-teaming Malone relentlessly, making the Jazz appear increasingly flustered on the court.

At the end of the first quarter, the Pacers led the Jazz by double digits, 28-18.

This forced Sloan to let Malone play the entire first half, but this was tantamount to drinking poison to quench thirst.

At halftime, the score was 50-44, with the Pacers leading.

"Tonight we will witness the birth of a new champion."

At halftime, Ernie Johnson couldn't resist popping champagne ahead of time.

Returning for the second half, Sloan made a lineup adjustment, replacing Ostertag with Greg Foster in the starting lineup.

Foster is the Jazz's backup center. He is 2.11 meters tall and weighs 109 kilograms. He is much faster than Ostertag.

28岁正值巅峰的他这赛季代表爵士队打了79场比赛，首发了12场，场均上场11.6分钟贡献3.5分2.4板，标准的蓝领型球员。

Sloan originally intended to use him on the defensive end, but because the Pacers double-teamed Malone, he got a lot of opportunities, which he capitalized on.

He played quite decisively, and his touch was also quite smooth.

Amid the cheers of the fans in the arena, the Jazz, who were pushed to the brink, played exceptionally well.

In fact, it was clear from the last game that this Jazz team has the strength to fight their way out of the Western Conference.

Without real strength, relying solely on underhanded tactics, like the Miami Heat, will never reach the NBA Finals.

However, the Pacers were not to be underestimated. Although Foster's arrival disrupted Bird's defensive plans, their offensive performance remained excellent.

Especially Yang Shuai, although he was lucky not to get food poisoning last night, if he hadn't been a time traveler and hadn't been so cautious, the Jazz would have succeeded.

After all, his current ability is not yet enough to play a "flu game" like Jordan.

His inside-outside shooting performance frustrated Russell on the opposing team, but he was helpless.

Of course, this also led to a perfect "misunderstanding" for Ernie Johnson in the commentary booth.

"Hansen is in a state tonight as if he has not had food poisoning; his mental fortitude is terrifying."

After three quarters, Yang Shuai scored 26 points, helping the Pacers take an 80-71 lead.

At the start of the fourth quarter, both teams' key players were resting on the bench.

Then, in this segment, it was Foster again. He played with confidence in the third quarter, scoring various spin moves against Davis, helping the Jazz close the gap and keeping the fans in the arena excited.

Bird was indeed too advanced; confidence is crucial on the playoff stage.

With 7 minutes remaining in the game, the score was 84-80, and both teams' starters returned to enter the decisive stage.

In the final moments, both teams gave it their all, resulting in a high level of physical contact on the court and making scoring extremely difficult.

From the 7-minute mark to the 1-minute mark, neither side had scored in double digits for 6 minutes.

With one minute remaining, the score was 92-89, with the Pacers leading.

With the Pacers running 24 seconds, Schmitz's high-post jump shot at the last second missed, and Malone grabbed the defensive rebound.

The Jazz advanced to the frontcourt, and Hornacek used a weak-side run, receiving a pass from Stockton after a screen from Malone, but his three-point attempt missed.

In the final stretch, due to intense physical contact, neither side managed to make a three-pointer.

However, it was Foster again at the crucial moment, who quickly jumped up and scored on a putback.

He has already scored 17 points and grabbed 6 rebounds tonight, a truly miraculous feat.

Bird called a timeout.

With 30 seconds left, the score was 92-91, a difference of one point.

Bird called a timeout.

Foster's putback was a lifesaver for the Jazz, but if the Pacers can make the final play, or at least draw a foul, they can still lift the championship trophy tonight.

When the timeout ended, all the Jazz fans in the arena stood up.

When Mark Jackson began to advance the ball, deafening defensive shouts erupted from the crowd.

The standing posture, combined with the canyon effect of the stadium, made people's eardrums hurt.

Mark Jackson made tactical gestures in the frontcourt, and Miller's runs tore apart the Jazz's defense.

Then, taking advantage of Miller's distraction, Yang Shuai made a run to receive the ball.

Bird didn't employ any fancy tricks on this crucial play; he simply passed the ball to Yang Shuai, who was in the best form that night.

However, Sloan anticipated this as well; when Yang Shuai received the ball, Russell and Foster were both rushing towards him.

"when!"

Yang Shuai, under double-team pressure, was unable to make the three-pointer.

But then the referee's whistle blew.

It was at this moment that everyone noticed that Yang Shuai was lying on the ground in great pain after landing.

Moreover, because of the pain, Yang Shuai even punched the floor.

Seeing this, Bird quickly called the team doctor to come onto the field.

The game has entered a technical timeout.

Yang Shuai was eventually helped back to the bench by the team doctor.

Because everyone's attention was focused on the basketball, no one noticed what had happened.

At this point, a replay was displayed on the large screen at the scene.

Although Yang Shuai was caught in a pincer movement, he still managed to find the best opportunity to shoot.

Then, the moment he released the shot, Russell, who was defending him, pushed him in mid-air.

This is a clear foul.

But what was even more fatal was that, because Yang Shuai's attention was also entirely focused on his attack, he lost his balance and couldn't control his landing. His left foot landed directly on Foster's instep and he twisted his ankle.

Slow-motion footage showed that it was a very sharp ankle sprain, which explains Yang Shuai's strong reaction afterwards.

When the slow-motion replay ended, the entire Pacers bench erupted in cheers.

Jermaine O'Neal said he was going to find Russell and have a fight right away.

Schmitz said he would completely cripple Malone in the next round.

Scott said they should have started a brawl as soon as they got on the field.

"Shut up, everyone!"

Sweating profusely, Yang Shuai, enduring the pain, called for a halt to the proceedings. He had just watched the replay and wished he could cripple Russell right then and there.

No, it's like Schmitz said, go and cripple Malone.

But none of that matters now, because he knows from the system panel that his injuries this time are more severe than the previous two.

Although there is still another game in the finals, it is uncertain whether he will be able to play.

So the most important thing now isn't to deal with those things, but to figure out how to win this game, finish the finals tonight, and take the championship that belongs to them.

"I'm going to get free throws, so you guys need to be careful on defense."

Amidst the astonished gazes of others, Yang Shuai gritted his teeth and spoke.

Bird was stunned, but when he came to his senses, he knew that Yang Shuai had taken his words to heart.

It's terrifying that a 19-year-old player can remain calm under such circumstances.

"Can you still hold on?" Bird didn't waste any more words.

If Yang Shuai cannot continue taking the free throws, then according to the rules, someone else can be designated to take the free throws.

Although Miller is also injured, his condition should be better than Yang Shuai's.

Yang Shuai didn't say anything, he just nodded.

A short while later, the referee called both coaches to the scorer's table and announced the ruling for the play.

Russell was called for a Flagrant Foul 1 and a shooting foul.

Sloan raised his hand immediately after hearing the outcome.

This means the Pacers will get three free throws and possession of the ball, and if they make all three, the Jazz will lose.

But he couldn't say anything, because the ruling was correct.

Or rather, we can see some clues from the refereeing practices of Yang Shuai after he entered the NBA.

He wasn't subject to superstar refereeing, but he wasn't targeted either.

The former is because he hasn't reached that level of alliance status yet, while the latter is because Stern is fully committed to advancing his overseas market plans.

After the technical timeout, the Pacers took free throws.

Yang Shuai limped toward the free-throw line.

This scene caused a frenzy of flashbulbs on the sidelines and moved the Jazz fans in the arena.

No one expected Yang Shuai to come back and take more free throws.

The word "hard" was given its most vivid expression at this moment.

Of course, when Yang Shuai began preparing for the free throw, a deafening cacophony of noise erupted from the crowd, and the spectators in the front row waved their white air sticks like waves.

Yang Shuai's free throws will decide who wins the championship.

Yang Shuai adjusted his breathing.

"when!"

The first free throw hit the front edge of the rim, but luckily it went in.

The injury to his foot still significantly affected his ability to exert force.

There was a commotion in the place.

"Do you really want this Finals MVP that badly?"

Just then, Malone spoke to him.

Yang Shuai adjusted his exertion rhythm.

"Shh!"

This time, the basketball went in cleanly.

Shooters have the best feel for their shots, especially shooters like Yang Shuai who have a lot of training.

After making the free throw, Yang Shuai looked at Ma Long with a cold smile:

Happy weekend.

Malone's expression froze instantly.

Others might find this statement baffling, but he felt an instant itch on the back of his head after hearing it.

Before his conflict with Yang Shuai, Yang Shuai had said something to him that he remembered vividly: "The postman doesn't work on weekends."

The word "weekend" is almost directly associated with that experience.

For the third free throw, Yang Shuai had more time to prepare than before.

The fans in the stadium were making a desperate noise, which was their deepest, most hysterical fear.

"Shh!"

Yang Shuai's free throw was like a bucket of cold water, instantly silencing the entire arena.

Yang Shuai made all three free throws!
The Pacers took a four-point lead, effectively sealing the Jazz's fate.

This also marked the Pacers' victory.

The Pacers' bench erupted in cheers.

Bird remained unusually calm at this point, as there were no timeouts left. After Scott came on to replace Yang Shuai, he immediately signaled for a sideline inbound play.

Miller finally got the ball, and the Jazz tried to press him, but Miller controlled it very well.

As time went by, the Jazz were forced to foul Miller.

Miller stepped to the free-throw line and displayed his "clutch" mentality, making both free throws.

This completely killed the game.

With 8 seconds left, the Jazz also ran out of timeouts. Trailing by 6 points, they had no choice but to push the ball up the court quickly and start shooting three-pointers.

However, the Pacers defended the three-point line, so they had no chance.

Furthermore, Bird had already instructed them during the previous timeout not to foul, to give the Jazz two points, but not to give them free throw opportunities.

Even if it's just two free throws, the Jazz have the option to intentionally miss the free throw and then rebound to shoot a three-pointer.

Hornacek's forced three-point attempt missed, and Schmitz secured the rebound.

With a six-point deficit, the Jazz opted not to foul again.

"beep!"

A short whistle blew from the sidelines.

The Pacers won Game 6, defeating the Jazz 4-2.

Indiana won their first championship in franchise history!
(End of this chapter)