976: The 14-year wait for the shot
For the second time in a row, Link crushed the Warriors' dream of winning.
Kerr now only felt his scalp tingling. The last player he knew could forcefully change the game trend with his own strength was Michael Jordan...
Even if you can't score easily, Link can still change the situation, which can't help but cast a shadow on Cole's heart.
At this moment, Cole suddenly began to doubt something in his heart - can Link be defeated?
Although this thought only flashed by, it made Cole very scared. He shook his head and threw the terrifying thought out of his mind.
Link is just a player, and as long as he is a professional player, he will experience failure!
Then why can't the Warriors fail to give him?
Cole then picked up the tactical board and yelled at the low-spirited players, "Everyone is cheering up, have we lost the game?! Not yet!"
After two rounds just now, the Warriors players were all in a low morale. It would be a bad feeling for whoever must make the key offense was destroyed.
Therefore, Cole needs to regain confidence among players.
"The Grizzlies didn't have much offensive time in the last 2.3 seconds. As long as we can defend the ball, the game will be dragged into overtime! The Grizzlies are very strong and they are not an easy opponent to be defeated. But we must also tell the Grizzlies that we are not so easy to give up along the way!"
Cole is cheering the players and also cheering himself up.
Although Link's continuous outstanding performance made the Warriors miss the opportunity to kill the game again and again, Cole believes that the Warriors still have the advantage.
First, in the last 2.3 seconds, the Grizzlies' threat was not as great as before. Cole must admit that Green's malicious elbow shot did give the Warriors a advantage. Otherwise, the game might not be able to play at all.
Link is injured now. Although he doesn't know how serious the injury is, what Cole can know is that Link's shooting has been affected.
If the Grizzlies insist on using Link to shoot the final shot, Link's confidence will not be as great as usual.
What if the Grizzlies use other people to shoot the final shot? That would be even better!
Link's personal ability allows him to ignore defense and make a wonderful shot several times. But this ability is not something that everyone has.
In Kerr's view, the Warriors are likely to be able to defend in the last 2.3 seconds. If the game enters overtime, the Warriors' advantage will be more obvious.
The more Link's injury is, the more painful it is. He can't have such a magical defensive performance in overtime.
As long as Link doesn't make trouble, it won't be a problem for the Warriors to kill the Grizzlies!
Everything seemed to be beautiful, and Cole convinced himself. He firmly believed that his team could survive this level.
On the other hand, on the Grizzlies bench, the Grizzlies players are much calmer than their opponents.
Jogel didn't yell like Cole, because what the Grizzlies need now is not passion, but rather, what they need now is calm.
"Link, how do you feel?" Jogel looked at Link grinning and felt a cramped heart.
This season, the Grizzlies have been tortured by injuries. But no matter how they are injured, the Grizzlies will not fall down. The reason is very simple, they still have Link.
If Link also falls, the grizzly bear will be entangled.
"I'm fine, it hurts a little. Time is running out, let's finish this game first!" Link waved his hand and signaled Jogel to arrange tactics first.
Those who believe Carter is ready include Joggle in addition to Link and Carter himself.
He had been prepared for this situation long ago, and he knew that Link was unable to shoot efficiently due to his injury, so he was ready to let another person stand up.
"Vins, this time, you are our first choice!" Jogel looked up and looked at the tough Carter.
Until now, Carter has scored 18 points, which is the highest score in the playoffs this year. Among them, Carter made an efficient performance of 4 of 5 shots outside the three-point line.
Today's game started with Carter's excellent play. He led the team to make the Warriors piss off during the rotation time. In fact, if it weren't for Green's elbow, everything wouldn't have been like this...
It is no exaggeration to say that Carter is the most confident point outside the three-point line today. It is understandable to choose him to perform the last shot.
The 38-year-old veteran nodded silently, without saying a word, and answered briefly and directly, "No problem!"
After saying that, Carter looked at Link.
The young man led him all the way here and once again to the finals.
Now, it's time for him to push Link.
Jogel began to set up tactics, and everyone was listening carefully.
The harsh electronic beep quickly cut through the chilling air in the oracle stadium, but what surprised Carter himself was that he was very calm and not nervous at all. He even didn't feel excited.
This feeling is completely different from when he faced the same situation in 2001.
Yes, for this moment and for this opportunity to salvation, he waited for 14 years, a full 5124 days.
In every training class since 2001, Carter will practice it in the position he lost at the time, again and again, day after day.
He has been preparing for so long, so how could he be nervous?
He is no longer the energetic young man at the beginning of the millennium. Now he is more mature, more steady, and more calm!
"In the last desperate moment, both players stepped onto the court! Hey? We saw that the Grizzlies replaced Vince Carter and Andre Iguodala at the same time! In other words, now the five Grizzlies have the ability to shoot three-pointers! It seems that Coach Joggle wants to give the Warriors more confusion!" Mike Bryn didn't care about Carter and Iguodala. In his opinion, those two guys were just bait.
Although Link has some problems shooting now, Mike Bryn believes that he is still the only option for the Grizzlies.
Cole thought so too, he didn't care about others at all. Iguodala is indeed a key player, and the Warriors were extremely eager to get him last summer. Who knew that Randolph actually took the initiative to cut his salary and left Iguodala for the Grizzlies...
But it must be said that Iguodala has never been a scorer.
As for Carter... that's even more impossible. There is no coach in this world, and he will choose a veteran who is almost 40 years old to shoot the final goal!
Even for the Spurs, their key ball now is more handed over to Leonard than Duncan.
Cole then waved his hand and stared at Link!
Carter looked at the stadium and the scores on the big screen. Like in 2001, once again, the life and death decisions of both sides were in his own hands.
But everything is different from 2001. This time, he has a man around him who can always create miracles. All he has to do is to score a goal.
Just this ball!
Iguodala stood on the sideline and was about to serve the sideline ball. Before the referee started the game, Link felt that he had been wrapped in dumplings.
"Look at how the Grizzlies will play the sideline ball this time. The sideline ball is a global problem. The Warriors' sideline ball was destroyed by Link just now."
As soon as Mike Bryn finished speaking, Iguodala sent the sideline ball out.
Link and Conley took away the defense, and Harris gave Carter an unball cover. In everyone's shocked eyes, Iguodala handed the ball to Vince Carter!
"Have the Grizzlies' tactics been played out? It's Carter's catch!" Mike Bryn felt that his head was about to explode. Could it be that he really wanted to play overtime?
Carter didn't think so much, because he knew that everything was going as planned!
After receiving the basketball, Carter took the ball to the bottom corner on the left that he was most familiar with. The place that brought him nightmares and motivation.
Livingston chased after him in panic. He really didn't expect Carter to receive the ball. Livingston was not prepared for this!
Carter was extremely calm. He knew he didn't have much time, but when Livingston pounced on, he calmly made a fake shot.
He succeeded, Livingston was tricked and flew past Carter. Carter took advantage of the time difference and jumped up to shoot.
The moment he took action, a red light appeared on the rebound.
14 years ago, at the same position, Carter missed perhaps the best chance to play the finals.
But today...
The ball entered, and the whistle sounded. Vince Carter raised his right arm when he shot, his face full of confidence and calmness.
"The ball went in, the ball went in! Vince Carter, Vince Carter killed the game!"
Chapter completed!