Chapter 1591 It’s Time to End This Series

There is no doubt that although the game is over, the afterglow of this epic showdown will last for a long, long time. It is said that ESPN has included this game in the series of the 50 classic playoff games, maybe within a few years. , fans and friends can see it on major websites and savor it carefully again.

David Stern expressed great satisfaction with this game. After watching the first quarter of the game, he felt that this game was going to explode. The subsequent development was indeed as he expected. Perhaps the only regret is that there was no winning goal. , otherwise this will be one of the most classic matchups in playoff history.

But this is enough, nothing in life is perfect.

The phrase "offense wins the audience" was not invented by anyone. In addition to breaking various NBA records, this G3 also broke the ratings record for the North American Western Conference semifinals and increased it by 3 percentage points.

Don't underestimate this small 3 percentage points, it can mean millions of viewers and tens of millions of dollars in revenue. This battle alone can make up for the losses of poor ratings in many previous games.

The significance of this game is far more than that. It has also greatly increased the influence and attention of this year's playoffs. The originally reduced popularity of the Western Conference Finals remains high again, and more people are interested in the upcoming playoffs. The arrival of the finals expressed higher expectations.

All this is enough to satisfy Stern. It can be said that although this season's Western Conference Finals has reached 3-0 and there is almost no suspense anymore, this G3 is already exciting and memorable enough. .

Of course, life is both sweet and bitter. Now that we have finished talking about the sweet part, it is time to talk about the bitter part.

For Stern, is there anything more troublesome than the Eastern Conference finals?

Apparently not.

Originally, after the popular Cavaliers were eliminated again, Stern thought it was acceptable. After all, although the showdown between the Magic and the Celtics was not as popular and topical as the Cavaliers, it should be exciting enough. After all, among everyone It seems that the strength of these two teams is about equal, and with the grudges and entanglements from last season as a foreshadowing, and with the support of popular stars such as Howard, Carter, Pierce, Garnett, and Ray Allen, this series should be a close one. More exciting than the west next door.

After all, although many people in the West expect a team to cause trouble for the Lakers, the Lakers' record and strength are there. 70 wins is a full 16 more wins than the second-place Mavericks. It is expected that a team can upset them. It's not very realistic, but the Eastern Conference is different. How the Magic and the Celtics can compete is more suspenseful than the Western Conference.

However, the reality can be said to be a slap in the face.

The Magic lost two home games in a row, which immediately made the series less suspenseful. Not to mention, the two teams were engaged in a defensive battle. After two games, they did not score more than 100 points. The shooting rate was low and the scene was boring. Except for the occasional Most of the time, a large group of muscular men were fighting hand-to-hand in various positions on the field.

Not to mention this stuff, real men still watch it with gusto, and it is also very popular with "knowing football emperors". Their skills and tactics are also very good. However, generally speaking, those who meet the above three conditions are almost always associated with high ratings and high topicality. No chance.

If you think about the Spurs vs. Pistons in 2005, you will understand. The tactical level and defensive intensity of this round of the finals are unique in history. It is definitely the pinnacle of defense supremacy. It has excellent reference value no matter when it is taken out.

However, they successfully broke the record for the lowest ratings in the NBA Finals...

This round of Eastern Conference finals was exactly the same. In the third game, the ratings were cut in half. Many Magic fans believed that it would be difficult for the Magic to complete a counterattack at North Shore Garden.

This is really the case.

Although the Magic were full of confidence before the game and had lost two consecutive home games, they could still find various reasons to cheer themselves up.

Van Gundy said that the Celtics' home record is only 24 wins and 17 losses, which is the worst among teams entering the playoffs.

General Lewis cited classics. The Celtics never lost in Game 7 at home last season until the Magic defeated them.

However, the reality is cruel.

On May 25, the Bostonians returned to their first home court in the Eastern Conference Finals. You can imagine what the North Shore Garden is like without being there.

After the opening, the Magic fell into a quagmire again, and soon they were like a deflated ball.

Warcraft failed to score from the back, Lewis failed to score a three-pointer, Nelson's dribbling was intercepted, and Carter made a pass error...

It took nearly 4 minutes for the Magic to score for the first time. After chasing the score to 6-7, the Magic did not score a point in 5 minutes and 30 seconds... How could the Celtics miss such a good opportunity? Ray Allen and Perkins After consecutive baskets and Pierce hitting a three-pointer, they went on a 14-0 run and widened the gap to 21-6.

With 1 minute and 24 seconds left in this quarter, the Magic scored 2 points from Nelson's free throw. A three-pointer by Williams later ensured that they could score in double figures in this quarter. The Magic only made one shot in the last 6 minutes and 50 seconds of this quarter. After scoring a goal, they fell behind 12-27 after the first quarter.

"It sucks!" Ji Feng turned off the TV when he saw this. The magic was really too annoying!

In the second quarter, Howard was severely guarded and struggled to take shots at the basket. Others failed to provide strong support. The Magic fell deeper and deeper. Halfway through the second quarter, Davis hit a mid-range shot and the Celtics The team led by 24 points, 43-19.

The Magic still failed to recover in the second half, and the game really went into garbage time. Over-reliance on three-pointers has always been a problem for the Magic in the regular season. When they encountered a strong team like the Celtics, their strength turned into a weakness.

In the third quarter, the Magic took 9 three-point shots, but only hit 1. The Celtics continued to widen the gap. They even slacked off and missed consecutive layups. However, Garnett dunked with 3 minutes and 35 seconds left in this quarter. After the victory, the Celtics led by 25 points 68-43.

The Magic only scored 13 points in this quarter, and their score in the third quarter was less than the Celtics' score in the first half. After three quarters, the Magic trailed by 31 points, 47-78.

The two teams withdrew their main players early. The Celtics, who were leading by more than 30 points, took a leisurely pace in the fourth quarter and firmly controlled the situation. With 6 minutes and 11 seconds left in the game, Pierce made a successful mid-range shot and the Celtics led 87-56.

The final score was fixed at 94-73, a bad score, a bad point difference, and even worse, the Magic changed from how to equalize to how to avoid being swept out.

What's even more embarrassing is that only two Magic players scored in double figures, and Howard only scored 7 points.

After this disastrous defeat, everyone knew that the yellow-green battle would once again take place in the finals after a year!

"OK! Guys, the opponent in the finals has been determined, so let us solve the series in front of us first!" After watching the Eastern Conference Finals, Ji Feng stood up and said.