Turning around, using his arm to block Ronnie Selika’s lateral space, Zhang Hao broke into close range, Joe Smith and Chris Mullin completed a switch defense and ca to double-team from the right side of the free-throw line!
There might be a chance for Donyell Marshall to receive the ball against Chris Mullin, but Zhang Hao didn’t pass, instead decisively rotated and made a close-range stop jump shot...
A stop jump shot isn’t Zhang Hao’s forte, but this ti he was decisive... scored cleanly!
Joe Smith turned around in frustration, picked up the ball and squeezed it hard, but he heard Zhang Hao’s heavy breathing, confident that while he missed this ti, next ti would be different!
Moreover, the Warriors were about to win!
Suddenly, Joe Smith beca excited; they were going to win! They were going to break the Lakers’ 16-ga winning streak, and Zhang Hao’s 16-ga winning streak too!
Even if it’s just montary happiness, it made Joe Smith sowhat elated, as he stepped out to the baseline to inbound the ball...
Zhang Hao took a breath, ready to run back, and saw sothing round fly past him, a bit confused but faced with sothing round, as a man it’s hard to resist the temptation, he instinctively reached out... a ball?
A steal!
Zhang Hao quickly turned around, before the stunned and panicking Joe Smith pressed up, he pushed the ball towards the basket... scored!
The rushing Joe Smith crashed into Zhang Hao!
This surely will be whistled, the referee’s whistle blew, Joe Smith committed a defensive foul, Zhang Hao’s basket counted and there was an extra free throw!
After scoring, Zhang Hao got up by himself and walked to the free-throw line in front of the dumbfounded Tim Hardaway and Chris Mullin.
His teammates were shocked, was that 4 straight points? No! There’s an extra free throw, could be 5 straight points!
Not just others, Zhang Hao himself couldn’t understand how he managed to steal and score, still dizzy when stepping onto the free-throw line, while Adelman was already pointing at Joe Smith and cursing!
The spectators didn’t expect their team would make such a play, inbounding over people? And such a steady chest pass, the fans were all in disarray.
As Zhang Hao made the free throw, against the chaotic Warriors’ side, the Lakers’ morale boosted!
With 33 seconds left, the Lakers caught up to 119-120!
No tiout called, Joe Smith, who was lashed out at, inbounded again, ensuring Zhang Hao had retreated to the backcourt squatting in the three-second area before passing the ball to Tim Hardaway.
The crucial ball was, of course, handed to the strongest Spree.
Run down the clock! At this mont, Spree was very calm, dubbed the Madman for his eccentric temperant, not his playstyle, he always seed smart while playing.
Though it wasn’t like having a 4-point lead where they could run the clock, drag the ti, and surely not lose, they still had to control the ti, the more crucial the mont, the less chaos allowed; must ensure success, otherwise, the opponent could counter and overtake the score.
With 8 seconds left on the shot clock and 22 seconds remaining in the ga, Spree began a solo play.
Zhang Hao shouted directly, "Double-team!"
Betting on luck, betting on luck, double-team Spree forcing him to pass, gambling that their open shot won’t go in.
However, Spree didn’t pass, relying on his strong build, he penetrated strongly against Doug Christie and Anthony Piller, stopping for a jump shot on the right side of the free-throw line...
Confident, decisive, courageous... but it didn’t go in!
Joe Smith lunged towards the inside seeking redemption, trying to grab an offensive rebound to help the Warriors seal the victory, but Zhang Hao moved proactively towards the direction Joe Smith was heading, ignoring Ronnie Selika beside him... This ti, the bet paid off!
Joe Smith’s excellent offensive rebounding sense stemd from his superb judgnt of rebound positions. Zhang Hao had already noticed this during the ga, proactively moving towards Joe Smith’s direction; he was already in the paint, got there first, seized the rebound before Joe Smith!
Called tiout imdiately!
seconds left!
"Slaying (Gold) triggered, Zhang Hao’s stamina for the upcoming attack restored to peak state, entering a hot-hand condition..."
Here we go! Though unexpected to use the dal against the Warriors, now, it’s more useful to Zhang Hao than ever!
Quickly returning to the bench, Zhang Hao directly said, "Jason, Donyell, you two go on and play inside, Donyell you spread out, Jason be ready to snatch, Doug you prepare to catch and shoot, Nick you handle spreading at the top arc to draw space."
For so reason, the teammates felt Zhang Hao, who was exhausted monts ago, suddenly seed invigorated like a rejuvenated old man.
Del Harris held his tactical board tightly...
So angry! Others can set up without a tactical board... What’s this setup? Just saying "I’ll take the last shot" would be more direct!
However, what he was preparing was precisely to create a shooting opportunity for Zhang Hao; since the official tiout in the fourth quarter, Zhang Hao only made two solo plays, one was a shot after coming back, the other was the 5-point streak earlier, clearly lacking stamina, the opponent might also make that judgnt, but precisely because of this, Del Harris wanted to gamble.
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