Author: Feng Yuanhua

May 5, Seattle, Key Arena.

"Supersonic speed, supersonic speed..."

"Gary, Gary..."

"King, king..."

Amidst the cheers, the fifth game of the first round of the playoffs between the two teams officially started.

This is the last game, the loser goes home to fish, and the winner continues the journey to the playoffs.

"Okay, let's step onto the field and win the game!"

Before the last game, Paul Westphal didn't make much preparation, he just let everyone relax.

It’s not just that there wasn’t much preparation in terms of tactics, it’s understandable. After all, after playing so many games, everyone knows how to play.

While you know how to play yourself, you also know how your opponent will play. The outcome depends on who plays better.

During the pre-game mobilization, Paul Westphal didn't say much to encourage morale.

At this point in the game, it is no longer needed.

Keep a normal mind and don't bear too much pressure. In this game, it is particularly important.

From this perspective, Supersonic is at a disadvantage.

First of all, he just suffered two consecutive defeats, and even though he controlled three match points, he was tied by his opponent.

There is another more important reason, that is, the SuperSonics lineup is a bit young.

Simply speaking in terms of age, Sonics is not considered young either.

Gary Payton and Horace in the starting lineup are both very experienced players.

The worst ones have all played in the finals, and Horace has won the championship, more than once.

Vin Baker and substitute Brent Barry can also be considered old players, and they are not lacking in experience.

But apart from these few, there are others, from Wang Hao to Reuben Patterson, from Lewis to Shammond Williams.

These are all first- and second-year rookies. It is their first time to play in the playoffs, and it is also their first time to play in such a decisive battle.

Shamond and Lewis are both important players on the bench for the Sonics today, and Ruben Patterson is even more of a starter.

The most important thing is Wang Hao. Wang Hao is the second core of the Sonics and one of the absolute cores.

Wang Hao has a very mature mentality, unlike ordinary rookies who are prone to psychological fluctuations.

But Paul Westphal didn't dare to bet, especially in such a crucial game. Relieving psychological pressure is the key.

The encouragement before the game is actually a kind of pressure.

Facing the final game, Paul Westphal had to be cautious and cautious.

It's just that the head coach's emotions can actually be transmitted to the players.

No, the atmosphere within the Sonics before the game was a bit serious.

We were obviously leading 2:0, but why were we tied? Moreover, this was a home game and no one wanted to lose.

"Beep!"

With the referee's whistle, the game officially started.

It was still David Robinson who grabbed the jump ball. The Sonics didn't win once in the entire series.

The fans seemed to have expected it. As the Spurs advanced with the ball, the fans immediately started cheering.

"Shh!"

The high scores and the boos echoed throughout the sky. It must be said that this momentum made the Spurs very uncomfortable.

No, Johnson must have been frightened. When he tried to break through, he actually mixed his feet and made a mistake.

Gary Payton had quick hands and eyes. He threw himself on the floor, grabbed the ball, and passed it out.

Horace responded and immediately threw the ball out, because Wang Hao had already rushed out immediately. Wang Hao immediately started a fast break after receiving the ball.

Only Mario followed, but he was one step slower than Wang Hao and did not dare to foul.

A foul at this time is a physical foul, two free throws and one throw.

Mario could only follow quickly, wondering if there was a chance to catch up and block the shot.

At this time, Wang Hao's experience came to light.

Indeed, as a rookie, he has not experienced many NBA games. It has only been one season so far, less than 100 games.

But he watches a lot of games!

Especially in this situation, chasing and blocking shots is a regular among the top five and ten best shots in the NBA.

Wang Hao naturally had to be more careful with this kind of memorable scene.

Seeing that he had already rushed to the bottom of the basket, he had already made the action of getting up and dunking.

Mario also reacted quickly and jumped up quickly, always ready to slap the basketball.

Unexpectedly, Wang Hao, who looked like he was about to jump and take action, immediately slowed down.

In such an unexpected situation, Mario had no time to react.

What's even worse is that at this time, his feet have already left the ground and he is flying forward uncontrollably.

"boom!"

Without any accident, Mario directly bumped into Wang Hao, and Wang Hao was even more prepared for this.

Because he was well prepared, Wang Hao maintained his focus well, and then took action in a leisurely manner.

At this moment, Mario Eli behaves not at all like a 37-year-old veteran, but like a rookie.

In fact, it's not like he never thought about making up for his mistakes, such as directly committing a foul and not giving him a chance to hit a three-pointer.

It's a pity that as you get older, just because your brain can think of it doesn't mean that your body can do it.

Throughout the series, Mario was passed by Wang Hao time and time again. It's not that he didn't think about making adjustments.

In fact, he knew that Wang Hao was going to break through and had seen where he was going to break through, but the problem was that he couldn't keep up!

They say the Jazz are a senior team, but the Spurs are not far behind either.

In addition to Duncan, the other four are also in their 30s, and there are three old guys over 35 years old.

Without any surprise, Wang Hao hit the ball steadily. At the same time, the referee's whistle also sounded, 2+1.

"Yes, well done, King!"

On the sidelines of the game, head coach Paul Westphal jumped up happily and admired Wang Hao extremely.

What he is most worried about is that Wang Hao will perform abnormally due to too much pressure.

Now it seems that his worries are unnecessary.

Wang Hao steadily hit the free throw, adding another 1 point for the SuperSonics, leading the Spurs 3:0.

However, the Spurs were not in a hurry and didn't know what to do. It was very simple, give the ball to Duncan.

I have to say, this trick is very simple, but very effective.

Duncan held the ball in the mid-range, first faced the basket and tried to break through, and then switched to a post-up singles.

At this time, the Sonics naturally would not indulge, and Wang Hao immediately tried to double-team.

However, he did not double-team all the time, but chose a suitable position and kept testing.

Just such a fleeting opportunity, Duncan firmly seized it and passed the ball out the moment Wang Hao decided to double-team.

Wang Hao, on the other hand, had been guarding against Duncan's move early on, and immediately returned to guard the moment he passed the ball.

Seeing Wang Hao suddenly jumping over, even Mario Eli had to sigh: It's great to be young!

Although my arms and legs are old, I have experience!

Seeing Wang Hao suddenly pounce on him, Mario first faked a shot, knocked Wang Hao flying, and then broke through and hit a mid-range jumper.
Chapter completed!