NBA: LeBron James wants to team up with me

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When Wang Chong attacked, Artest really didn't dare to defend him.

Not even halfway through the first quarter had he committed two fouls. If he committed another, he would have to leave the court to avoid being ejected.

In this moment of hesitation, Wang Chong had already made his way past Artest on the right side, ran straight to the paint, and made an emergency jump shot before Gasol stepped forward to cover the defense.

This basket was the first of the game, and it seemed to break the balance. The scoring efficiency of both teams started to return to normal. The Bulls relied on their exterior firepower and quickly took the lead with three-pointers.

The most dazzling of them all, of course, was Wang Chong.

Under the high-intensity defensive interception of the Lakers, Wang Chong scored 14 points in the first quarter, representing half of his team's points.

Since the Bulls had Curry as an efficient scoring option, Wang Chong rarely went full throttle at the start of the game, showing just how much he valued this match.

As the game progressed into the second quarter, the Lakers began to feel something was wrong as they fought hard.

Why was Wang Chong once again taking over as the Bulls' primary offensive force? And fighting with such determination?

Artest made a slight mistake and picked up his third foul of the game. He had to be substituted early to avoid being ejected due to foul trouble when the game was becoming intense.

Without Artest's moderation, Wang Chong became even more unstoppable. The second quarter was actually more efficient than the first. He hit 7 out of 9 shots in a single quarter, 3 out of 4 three-pointers, and 2 out of 2 free throws, scoring 19 points.

By the end of the first half, Wang Chong's personal stats had reached 33 points, and he was on track to score more than 50 points again.

But no one knew at this moment that after discovering how good he felt and how excellent his shooting efficiency was today, Wang Chong had already considered breaking the single-game scoring record in the NBA Finals.

It wasn't that Wang Chong was still so obsessed with fame and reputation, even such honors should be put aside.

It was mainly because the achievement module itself is a system that provides reward points for completing various records and achievements.

The single-game scoring record in the Finals is still a high-reward level in the achievement module. After all, the 61 points scored by Elgin Baylor in a single game of the Finals were quite extraordinary. It was something he couldn't achieve.

But now, Wang Chong, who had already scored 33 points in the first half, if he continued to maintain this offensive form in the second half, it wasn't impossible for him to score more than 61 points.

But this way, Wang Chong had to take some risks. Once his hand cooled off and his efficiency dropped in the second half of the game, blindly shooting to break the record might ruin a good game.

By the end of the second half, the Bulls were leading the Lakers by 11 points, and the situation was excellent. If the opponent reversed the advantage in the second half under such circumstances, it would be a severe blow to the team's morale.

And this was still a very crucial battle on Tianwang Mountain, which directly determined the outcome of the Finals.

At halftime, Wang Chong returned to the locker room, still struggling.

However, after some doubts, Wang Chong decided to take the risk.

There aren't many opportunities to break a single-game record in the Finals. The opportunity is rare now, and it would be a shame not to try it.

Wang Chong still had some degree of confidence in his own touch and ability.

Furthermore, even if the Bulls really lost the Tianwangshan battle and the score became 2:3, Garnett would definitely return early in the deciding game. After all, the difference between the two games was only 3 days.

Even if Garnett had to take some risks for this, he and the entire team were willing to do so. After all, this was a crucial Final for the three consecutive championship dynasties. Who wouldn't want to add such a colorful event to their professional résumé? Especially a superstar-level player like Garnett.

Although Wang Chong was the absolute core of the team when the Bulls won three consecutive championships, Garnett's contribution as the defensive core was obvious to everyone. No matter what happened, he could still be credited similarly to Pippen and Kobe during the three consecutive championship dynasties.

Therefore, both Wang Chong and Niu Niu had an option, but no one was willing to go to the point of backing down. Naturally, it was better to take the initiative to win the Tianwangshan battle and take the lead.

Wang Chong's inner thoughts were not revealed to anyone, and there was absolutely no need to do so.

On the court, as long as he took the initiative to ask for the ball, there was no way anyone on the Bulls team would not pass it to him. Everything would be fine as long as he saw the real results on the court.

——Soon,

the third quarter began.

Wang Chong kept appearing.

In the first half of the game, Wang Chong played almost the entire game. He only rested for a few dozen seconds at the end of the second quarter. Fortunately, now he had strengthened his physical capacity to 99, and he also had some fatigue badges that reduced physical energy consumption. Otherwise, if his physical level were still at Durant's level, he wouldn't be able to maintain his offensive firepower from the first half in the second half.

His abundant physical reserves also made Wang Chong more confident in reaching the single-game scoring record.

From then on, the Lakers were surprised to discover that Wang Chong had just started the third quarter and was already going at it again.

The Lakers were crushed by Wang Chong. "Brother, aren't you tired?"

Artest, who had been substituted due to foul trouble in the second quarter, returned to the game and continued to be responsible for guarding Wang Chong. However, at this moment, Artest had to admit that he really couldn't guard Wang Chong.

Only three possessions after the two met again, Artest was whistled for another foul and picked up his fourth of the game.

Artest had been extremely careful, but there was nothing he could do. Wang Chong's height and wingspan meant that once his shooting motion was formed, Artest couldn't defend it at all. If he wanted to restrict Wang Chong, he could only block him in advance, which significantly increased the chances of picking up a foul.

Known as "The Beast" with a fierce temper, Artest was rarely defeated. Once, he could break Jordan's ribs with an elbow and exchange heated words with Kobe on the court. But against Wang Chong, that kind of hit felt like hitting cotton, which made him truly uncomfortable.

The most profound impression of Durant for most fans must be his precise mid-range shots and simplicity. However, only those who have truly studied Durant's game know that Durant's ability to draw fouls is also quite impressive.

As a player whose main offensive method is shooting, Durant averaged 7.5 free throws per game throughout his career, making 6.7 of them and hitting 88% of his free throws.

The most obvious comparison is James, who primarily drives to the basket. He averaged 7.7 free throws per game in his career, making 5.6 of them, but his free throw percentage of 73% is much lower than Durant's.

The two players have completely different playing styles, but their free throw attempts are at a similar level. James, who obviously drives to the basket and attacks, should be taking more free throws than Durant.

This is the power of Durant's scoring. Just like when Artest faced Wang Chong, to limit Durant's scoring and not give him the chance to shoot in his comfort zone, Artest used wider defensive actions and body movements. Naturally, the chances of drawing a foul increased.

But at this moment, even with four fouls, the Lakers could only bite the bullet and let Artest continue to guard Wang Chong. Even if they couldn't stop him, Artest was the most likely to affect Wang Chong's shooting percentage. If they chose someone else, who should guard him? Odom? Gasol?

Gasol's body shape is similar to Wang Chong's, but his mobility isn't at the same level. As Wang Chong attacked from the outside, he could pass the opponent with various tricks and run to the paint.

As for Odom, let's not even mention his defensive ability.

In fact, Odom's physical talent is top-notch, and his defense shouldn't be too weak.

But the problem is that Odom's professionalism is beyond praise, and his wandering outside the court has long been synonymous with him.

Magic Johnson once commented that if Odom could concentrate 5%, he could become a supergiant. This is undoubtedly the highest praise for Odom's talent, but also the harshest criticism.

Wang Chong, who couldn't even be protected by Artest, wouldn't even let Odom guard him, even if he had to kill Phil Jackson.

In the third quarter of the game, under the astonished eyes of the local Bulls fans, Wang Chong scored another 12 points in a single quarter. After three quarters, his personal score had reached 46 points, just 4 points away from 50.

At that moment, the commentators of the live broadcast had already reacted

.

"Wang Chong's form today is truly intense and unstoppable! If he can maintain this state in the final quarter of the game, he might have a chance to break the single-game scoring record of the NBA Finals held by Lakers legend Elgin Baylor. The score record: an incredible 61 points!"

"In the final quarter, as long as Wang Chong scores 15 points, he will tie the single-game scoring record of Elgin Baylor of 61 points in the Finals. If he scores more than 15 points, he can exclusively own this record."

"What's interesting is that Wang Chong performed like this in a game against the Lakers. Elgin Baylor himself is a Lakers legend. If Wang Chong really breaks the record in this game and leads his team to defeat the Lakers, if we win the Tianwangshan battle, this will definitely be a loss for the Lakers!"

The Lakers certainly knew this.

Phil Jackson was well aware that this might be an opportunity for the Lakers to reverse the advantage!

It was very likely that Wang Chong, who had already scored 46 points, would attempt to break the historic record. They could take advantage of this and double-team Wang Chong in the final quarter, significantly weakening his shooting percentage and giving the Lakers a good chance to win.

In Phil Jackson's opinion, so-called historical records were mere clouds in the sky, and the championship was everything.

But he believed that players at Wang Chong's age should attach great importance to the rare opportunity to break the record.

Phil Jackson really nailed it, but Wang Chong didn't do it for fame or honor. He simply did it because the system gave too many rewards for it.

As soon as the fourth quarter began, the Lakers immediately set up a double-team for Wang Chong.

Artest mainly defended Wang Chong, and Odom helped from the side. The two worked together and nearly surrounded Wang Chong.

This arrangement by the Lakers was also a gamble. To break the record, Wang Chong would attack even when faced with double-teams.

Otherwise, the double-team meant there would be openings in the Lakers' defense in other positions.

They made the right gamble.

Although two players formed a double-team on him, Wang Chong still made a lot of off-ball movements and backdoor cuts in an attempt to receive the ball and attack.

But Artest and Odom's defense was very good during this period. They kept up with Wang Chong's rhythm the entire game and didn't give him any chances.

Soon the 24-second shot clock was about to expire. Curry launched the attack from the Bulls' side, rushed into the paint, and missed a layup. The Lakers counterattacked and scored, cutting the deficit by 2 points.

In the next possession, Wang Chong finally received the pass from outside with the help of a pick-and-roll from his teammates, but at that moment, Artest and Odom followed closely to prevent the opponent from double-teaming him. Wang Chong decided to shoot hurriedly from beyond the three-point line, but the shot missed the rim.

Gasol protected the defensive rebound and passed the ball to Kidd, who then made a precise long-distance pass to Kobe, who had already run to the offensive zone.

In front of Billups, Kobe sped up the ball and drove to the basket, raising the lever to make a layup.

In the first two rounds of the final quarter, the Lakers relied on double-teams to chase four points in a row, reducing the point difference from double digits to a single digit.

The situation suddenly changed, and the local Bulls fans couldn't help but become nervous.

Everyone could see that the Lakers were clearly exploiting Wang Chong's mindset about the record to attack and defend him. If Wang Chong continued to obsess over breaking the single-game scoring record in the Finals, it was highly likely that the victory in this game would be ruined, and the gain wouldn't be worth the loss.

"What is Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau doing? At this point, he should call a timeout immediately, calm down Wang Chong, and adjust the team's offensive tactics to stabilize the score! The point difference has been reduced to a single digit, and they're really going to be surpassed! It's just a matter of a few rounds!"

On the Bulls bench, Thibodeau really wanted to call a timeout.

But as soon as he stood up, Wang Chong on the court made a gesture with his hand towards him, signaling that there was no need for a timeout.

Thibodeau hesitated for a moment, but then sat back down, not fully trusting Wang Chong.

On the court, Wang Chong squinted his eyes slightly.

"Do you think you have a chance of winning if you do this?"

With a sneer in his heart, Wang Chong gestured to Curry, who was dribbling the ball to half-court.

Curry looked a little surprised when he saw this.

"Are you going to use that tactic?"

Thinking of Wang Chong's special request to practice more before the playoffs began, Curry's eyes lit up. He immediately dribbled the ball to midcourt and signaled to the players.

End of this chapter

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