Six Hundred and Forty-Three: What He Says Is Link
In just an instant, the night that originally belonged to Paul George was ruthlessly destroyed by Link.
This matchup is classic enough that Pacers fans are addicted to it, and they want the game to end there. But it was clear that Link did not intend to end the game just like that.
For him, only the games that are won in the end can be called classics.
George's heartache, Link really isn't that easy to deal with. After so many years, this was the closest he had come to defeating Link. But in the end, it was still a little bit worse.
George sat back on the bench and wiped his sweat with a towel. Although the score was tied, although the Pacers still have overtime to play. But being dragged into overtime with a 2-point lead at the last minute was still very demoralizing.
For the Grizzlies, they're coming back from the dead. But for the walkers, they just fell off a cliff.
"It's okay, just five more minutes. We lasted for 48 minutes, and we'll definitely keep going. George, don't let it go, okay? You've done a great job this whole game, keep going!"
Frank Vogel walked up to George first. He knew very well that George was the Pacers' hope of victory today.
George nodded silently, his heart full of unwillingness and suffocation. This time, be sure to get the game clean!
On the Grizzlies side, Link's big heart shot boosted the morale of his teammates. And because of the rotation plan, the Grizzlies can still send a relatively stable lineup during overtime.
Jogel can now bring Gasol back on the court with peace of mind. Just letting Gasol rest at the last moment, Jogel is leaving a way out for overtime. Now it looks like it was the right decision.
If a heavy center like Gasol is allowed to play overtime after regular time, their physical fitness will definitely be overwhelmed.
This is the case with Hibbert on the Pacers' side. In overtime, Hibbert's rim protection efficiency will definitely plummet. At that time, the Pacers will not be able to hold the penalty area!
"Mark, how are you resting?" Dave Jogel patted the Spaniard on the shoulder.
"No problem after overtime!" Gasol replied eagerly.
"Very good, next, you and Link form a defensive trap to contain Paul George to death! Link, Hibbert is nothing to be afraid of now,
He should be too tired, I want you to strengthen the breakthrough! "
Link and Gasol nodded in succession, the Pacers missed the opportunity to kill the Grizzlies, then never think of a second time!
At this time, Link was receiving a massage from Judy Saito. He had to relax his muscles as much as possible before overtime.
On the one hand, it is to relieve fatigue, and on the other hand, it is to avoid injury. I have to say that Judy, who is not good-looking, really played an indispensable role in this man's game. The "secret weapon" that Kobe gave Link is very powerful.
After a short break, the sweaty players stepped back onto the pitch.
On the Pacers side, the French blue-collar center Ian Mahinmi, who is 2.11 meters tall, replaced Hibbert and started in overtime.
Mahinmi was drafted by the Spurs in 2005, but didn't finally enter the league until 2007. Mahinmi has been a backup blue-collar over the years. The season with the most starts was only 12 games.
He's always been a mediocre player who can be used, but it's best not to expect too much.
Now the reason why the Pacers brought the French up, not because of a tactical change, but because Hibbert was exhausted! Frank Vogel had no choice, so he took the risk of being a substitute for Mahinmi.
However, can Mahinmi's frame protection effect be better than Hibbert? Of course not!
Snyder expected right, overtime, the Grizzlies will have the advantage!
The referee blew the whistle, and the classic star showdown continued.
Link and George both scored 40, and Link was one rebound away from scoring a triple-double. In the first round of overtime, Link continued the state he had just put in the buzzer-beater.
No. 0 of the Grizzlies did not hesitate, and after taking the ball, he rushed directly to the penalty area. Without Hibbert right now, the Pacers' rim is full of opportunities!
Mahinmi and George blocked the front and chased after, but Link was stunned to score the ball under the interference of two people!
Mahinmi's defense is not at the same level as Hibbert at all, and it's a lot worse in height. Link is not afraid of being double-teamed by the Pacers at all.
Seeing Link score easily, Frank Vogel was shocked. Without Hibbert's few minutes, I don't know if Mahinmi can hold on.
After this goal, Link's individual score and the Grizzlies' overall score both completed the go-ahead.
Link scored 43 points and overtook George, who scored 42 points. The Grizzlies overtook the Pacers by 2 points and took the initiative.
Although Link scored the first goal, the Pacers fans were not discouraged, they were still full of enthusiasm and roared hard.
Anyway, after the Pacers' offensive round, George will definitely be able to get these 2 points back.
Is the truth really like this?
In the next round, West wanted to play in the low post to help George share some of the pressure. But Randolph scrambled fiercely, so West finally gave up this plan.
In overtime, every round of offense and defense was fatal, and West didn't want the Pacers' good situation to end in his own hands.
In the end, "David West" still gave the ball to George, which is the safest way for the Pacers to attack!
"Don't pant, the game is still on." Seeing George catch the ball, Link immediately taunted.
George was a little nervous, he knew that his fatigue had been completely exposed in front of Link. In an effort to cover up, George had to go into the offensive immediately.
Link's goal was achieved, and it could be seen that his trash talk put a lot of pressure on George.
Under the enormous pressure, George just buried his head in the breakthrough, but forgot to observe the situation.
When he found himself surrounded by Link and Gasol and realized that he fell into a defensive trap, it was too late.
George threw a shot under Link's block, but it was too late for the now energetic Pau Gasol to allow George to continue. He stretched his arms and jumped as hard as he could, but he slammed into the basketball!
Capped successfully!
There was a mess under the basket, and Mahinmi got the offensive rebound by accident.
He didn't think much about being ordered in danger, and immediately took off a second time, intending to dunk directly!
But this time, after Gasol continued, Link stood up again. He jumped hard in front of Mahinmi, but he slammed the basketball out while Mahinmi's body was still rising!
The complementarity of Link and Gasol in the interior completely dashed the Pacers' scoring hopes!
"Two consecutive blocked shots, the Grizzlies' interior defense is in danger. Gasol helped Link fill George, and Link helped Gasol fill Mahinmi. It seems that the Grizzlies still have a clear mind, and Full of energy, it's like playing in the first quarter. On the Pacers side, there's obviously too much rush."
Reggie Miller was a little worried. In overtime, the Pacers were obviously not as calm as the Grizzlies.
And in overtime, the Grizzlies still have the defensive gate of Gasol. The Pacers lost Hibbert's protection and were very passive from the beginning.
Iguodala got the basketball that Link fanned out and handed it to Conley.
"Go, fight faster!" Link waved and ran past Conley.
The Pacers' physical fitness has reached a critical point. What Link has to do now is to accelerate the consumption of the Pacers.
Conley immediately gave the ball to Link, who was running at the front. Link broke through the penalty area, and three players wearing Pacers jerseys had gathered around Link. The Pacers and Link regarded it as dead, and they didn't want Link to score again, even if they were pulling and pulling.
However, Link did not directly attack the frame as people imagined, but found Iguodala who was ambushed in the bottom corner in the crowd!
The moment he saw Link pass the ball, George immediately ran to the bottom corner to block Iguodala as much as possible.
Iguodala is not a scorer, but he can also kill people at critical moments!
Iguodala calmly received the basketball, his eyes fixed on the rim. In the face of George, who was rushing with his teeth and claws, Iguodala did not panic.
Staring at the basket, he made a calm pass and quickly moved the ball to the right side of the three-point line.
"It's still passing, Iguodala is patient, he's not in a hurry to score!"
Sometimes, passing more and less of the ball can make a big difference in offense. Iguodalana was actually an opportunity just now, but he still chose to pass more hands to derive better opportunities.
George's eyes followed the flight path of the basketball, only to find that Link, who was just under the basket, had returned to the three-point line again. And at this time, it was him who received the basketball!
"Don't let him shoot!" George shouted in his heart, and rushed towards Link like crazy.
But he is so tired now that he can't explode at the same speed as before.
Link catches the ball and shoots, and when he has finished his shot, George's block is only in place.
Link, who had already thrown his touch, didn't waste the opportunity, and the basketball quickly jumped into the net, leaving only the desperate "spray".
Link scored 5 points in a row! This scene is very similar to George who announced his explosion in the second quarter!
"A beat, George. What? Can't run?"
George had just been "stabbed" by Link's goal, and immediately made up for it by Link's trash talk.
When you are exhausted and out of breath, but find that the other person is still alive and kicking. That feeling of oppression cannot be described in words.
It's like in a boxing match, the two sides fight for five rounds. You keep hitting the opponent, until the opponent's head is bleeding, and you don't even have the strength to punch. As a result, the other party just smiled at you lightly, and then said lightly, "You can't do it?"
When a person tries his best to kill the opponent, fear takes over his heart.
The Pacers are 5 points behind, and Frank Vogel is already thinking about letting Hibbert come on stage early.
Until then, Vogel just hopes George can hold on. Mahinmi? Now, it is hopeless.
George is under a lot of pressure now. He knows he has to take responsibility, but his physical strength is really overwhelmed.
Link constantly took the initiative to find confrontation, just to speed up the loss of George's physical fitness.
George took a breath in this round, so he handed the ball over to "Biffenson".
Stephenson walked through a butterfly in front of Iguodala. This guy has a strong sense of streetball. After all, when he was 16 years old, he had fucked a lot of adults in a streetball, and he was a real street kid.
Stephenson's dazzling moves were so riotous that he looked like he wanted to hold back. But he just took the first step when Iguodala calmly reached out and slapped the ball away!
Stephenson hurriedly reached out, trying to regain control of the basketball. But the ball didn't control it and instead stabbed the ball out of bounds.
"What is that idiot thinking!?" Larry Bird in the luxury box was furious. Stephenson can really make his popularity die sometimes!
Watching the basketball go out of bounds, Stephenson scratched his head innocently, looking like a child who was overwhelmed after a mistake.
One second is too showy, and the next second is full of truth. This is Stephenson's style.
George covered his forehead, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help twitching. No, the attack still depends on yourself!
"Roy, come on, hurry up!" Vogel was also a little helpless, Stephenson was half angel and half devil. Sometimes he'll step up and take out the opponent, and sometimes he'll come out and take care of himself.
As for when he is an angel and when is a demon, it is estimated that even he himself does not know.
Hibbert returned to battle, hoping to stop losses in time. But as a tower who can only play less than 30 minutes per game, Hibbert has seriously exceeded the time today. Now that he is playing early, he has not rested at all.
Running on the court with a height of 2.18 meters and a weight of nearly 125 kg is unimaginable for ordinary people.
Hibbert's first defense since returning, the Pacers desperately need a win. In addition to stabilizing the score, they also desperately need to stabilize morale now.
It only takes one successful defense, and all problems will be solved.
But it is clear that Link does not intend to let the Pacers succeed. Today, he is here to smash the sign!
Is this George's night? No, not yet!
Link did not choose to break through with the ball this time, but instead cut through the blank to get to the basket.
Conley put the ball in Link's hands with great precision. This seemingly simple task is actually exactly what Conley is worth.
Why is he among the top five point guards in the league? Because in this case, there are really few point guards in the league who can accurately deliver "ammunition" to Link.
After Link received the ball, George obviously wanted to beware of Link's mid-range shot. He didn't worry about the basket, because there was Hibbert under the basket, and Link wouldn't rush in rashly.
But Link has already stepped into the three-second zone, but he still has no intention of slowing down! This time, Link's goal is the basket!
Link broke through George and hit the basket. George tried hard to force Link to slow down. Next, it's up to Hibbert!
Like a runaway train, Hibbert rushed in front of Link and slammed Link to the ground!
Even Pacers fans exclaimed that the hit was too hard.
Although Link was brought down, Pacers coach Frank Vogel sighed. He knew that the Pacers' defense failed!
Hibbert's current movement is much slower than before, and it is impossible to complete the block in the first time. And the consequence of blocking too slowly is a foul.
Send Link to the free throw line? This doesn't seem like a wise choice.
Link slapped the floor hard, then got up from the ground. The collision just now did not seem to have affected him at all, and he was still the king of Memphis who always fought to the last minute!
Judy Seto couldn't bear to watch when Link was knocked over, and covered her eyes. It's just that she didn't expect that Link could stand up so quickly.
Having been the chief physical therapist for the Lakers for so many years, Saito can guarantee that there are few players in the league stronger than Link.
"Link stood up, good, his breakthrough caused Hibbert's foul. The rhythm has been under Link's control until overtime. How can I say it? That guy is for this kind of desperate situation. born of the moment.”
The crucial overtime has been played so far, and George has scored 0 points. And if Link hits an extra penalty, he will score 7 points in a row.
Reggie Miller shook his head. Sure enough, there is still a gap between George and Link...
Link stands at the free throw line, and has rarely made a mistake at the free throw line since last season's Finals when he lost a game by missing a key free throw.
This time, too, even though the Pacers fans tried their best to interfere, Link still made two free throws.
48th personal score! Before you know it, Link's stats have begun to open the gap with George!
This game of star explosions seems to be about to win or lose. Who can squeeze a stronger limit out of the limit? Link gave the standard answer.
The Pacers are 7 points behind. Not only are they passive, but they have also been beaten to death.
From a 2-point lead in the final 25 seconds to a 7-point deficit in overtime now, the Pacers have experienced ups and downs.
Even playing games, you will feel impetuous when you encounter this kind of thing, let alone a real game.
After the game, George lost his magical aura. His breakthrough and shooting efficiency began to decline, and people only saw George panting on his knees again and again.
On Link's side, it was as stable as ever. A minute before the end of the game, Link grabbed his 10th rebound of the day and scored his second triple-double of the season. 20 seconds later, Link avoided the blockages of Hibbert and George with a difficult layup, and scored the 53rd point in a single game that broke his career record!
Link scored 12 consecutive points in overtime, making the game almost lost its suspense!
Seeing that Link made a layup with an unbelievable hang-bar, George braced his knees and took a deep breath.
In one minute, with a 10-point gap, the Pacers are much less fortunate. If it was said that in the first four quarters, he and Link had exploded each other. Then in the final overtime, George was completely blown up unilaterally.
In overtime, George and Link scored 2-12. So far, George has only scored 2 points on free throws.
At a critical moment, when he should take responsibility, he was completely lost!
At the scene, the Pacers fans were very disappointed. They were so close to beating the Grizzlies, and George was so close to beating Link.
But now, everything has come to nothing.
George looked up and found Link looking down at him condescendingly. For some reason, George remembered what Link said to himself sitting on the ground at the end of the fourth quarter.
"Now, the game is really over, George."
George shook his head, Link once again did what he said, he really did what he said.
A minute later, in the Bankers Life Arena, the electronic buzzer sounded like a whimper.
121 to 112, the Grizzlies held the 9-point difference to the last second.
After the game, when the statistics of Link and George were displayed on the big screen, everyone was stunned.
Link had 53 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists, and George had 43 points, 9 assists and 9 rebounds. The two scored 95 points, 19 rebounds and 13 assists together, presenting a wonderful star showdown for the fans!
In this most direct and cruel star duel, Link had the last laugh.
After the game, a lost George and Link hugged and returned to the tunnel. When walking to the player tunnel, George was stopped by a reporter.
The question is simple, "How do you feel about this game?"
George put his hands on his hips with a lonely look on his face, "What else can I say? Link is indeed the number one untouchable player in the league. I have tried my best, I have scored the highest score in a single game of my career, but I Still can't beat him."
Even his good brother was not spared. Now, Link's title of "No. 1 is not easy to mess with" is completely solid.