Zack, with incredible willpower, drove the Warriors' crucial final offensive push.
Injuries might only hold back ordinary people.
But Barkley clearly forgot that Zack was also an ordinary person.
Except, Zack was a lucky ordinary person.
Someone who, after opening up the game for his team with his individual offense, frequently received positive feedback from his teammates.
Fourth Quarter Game Clock:
— 4:11 remaining
Artest sank a three-pointer off a behind-the-back pass from Zack.
— 3:28 remaining
Brown, whom commentator Zhang Weiping once described as "sneaky," slipped to the basket off a screen and scored two points off a pass from Zack.
— 2:45 remaining
Davis aggressively drove to the basket, dished to Zack, who then passed to the corner, where Richardson calmly hit a long two-pointer with a smooth jump shot.
— 2:14 remaining
Brown snatched a long offensive rebound and passed it to Zack for another organized play.
— 2:01 remaining
Brown again grabbed a long offensive rebound, and Zack caught the ball and drained a two-point jump shot.
The final score: 104 to 108.
Witnessed by the golden wave at Oracle Arena, the fully engaged Warriors barely managed to win this battle, which was truly a "last man standing" kind of game.
It wasn't an easy game. Regarding the Sonics' Horns offense in the fourth quarter, Mike Malone was at a loss for words after the game, saying, "The Horns formed by 'Big-Yao' and Kevin Garnett are just cheating!"
More than just cheating!
Because these two "horns" could constantly pick and roll with ghost screens, and the Warriors always had to guard Ray Allen tightly...
So, if they weren't careful, Garnett and Yao Ming would get excellent shooting opportunities.
However...
What kept bothering Malone was:
Since the Sonics' Horns offense was so sharp, why didn't they use it all the time instead of waiting until the fourth quarter?
This didn't fit the playoff mentality of "if the opponent can't guard it, I'll stick with one play until the end."
Seeing a confused Malone, Zack offered his analysis: "When I was in college, Coach Skip Prosser once said that while the Flex offense suited my game characteristics well...
...considering that I'd needlessly expend energy on a lot of off-ball movement while executing that offense, unless it was for specific possessions, letting Chris (Paul) control the game would actually increase my efficiency."
Energy expenditure, specific possessions...
At that moment, with Zack's help, Malone chuckled, "I get it. The Sonics' Horns offense can only be used as a specific tactical play; they can't use it for regular stretches of the game."
While the double horns formed by Yao Ming and Garnett were incredibly powerful, for a Sonics team that had to stagger the playing time of their "Northwest Big Three" to maintain roster strength, Yao Ming's actual on-court coexistence with Garnett was bound to be limited.
Moreover, during the execution of the Horns offense...
Because Yao Ming and Garnett had to frequently initiate offense through screens and fake screens, if the Sonics used this as a regular tactic, how could Yao Ming and Garnett possibly endure it for an entire game?
Yao Ming and Garnett's limited coexistence time, along with the Sonics' need to strictly control their energy expenditure during regular play, determined that the Sonics could only unleash this ultimate move during the decisive moments of the final quarter.
Having figured this out, a relieved Malone then proudly declared, "Hmph! Even if they could play the Horns all game, we wouldn't be afraid. We just hadn't adapted to their offense in this game."
Malone's "arrogance" at this moment wasn't unfounded.
Even in basketball,
As professional players and coaches, no one is truly unfamiliar with any tactic.
However, due to the myriad derivatives and variations of different tactics when used by different teams and different players, they can only be described as ever-changing.
Therefore, the main reason the Warriors couldn't stop the Sonics' Horns offense in this game was indeed that the players on the court needed more time to adapt to the Sonics' offensive style.
---
Two days later.
Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals continued at Oracle Arena.
With each two days of rest, Zack's ankle injury would alleviate a bit, and during the pre-game warm-up, he felt like he was "leveling up" every couple of days.
However, a further "upgraded" Zack,
along with his teammates, found themselves in a tough battle on game night.
Facing Troy Murphy, who always drew Yao Ming to the perimeter when playing alongside Zack, preventing Yao Ming from effectively protecting the paint, Rick Carlisle boldly adopted a "pretend the opponent doesn't exist" strategy.
This strategy was only a "pretense" because the Sonics would engage in intense physical confrontation with Murphy off-ball.
Under the current NBA's tacitly accepted defensive intensity, if Murphy could make those wide-open shots under such conditions, Carlisle would just have to accept it.
Fortunately, Murphy's shooting was off that night; he shot a total of 2-for-9, with a field goal percentage of only 22%.
Because Murphy was missing shots under high-intensity pressure, both Artest's and Davis's success rates when driving to the basket were greatly affected during the game.
Zack's clever perimeter scoring also suffered a significant drop in effectiveness that night due to the Sonics' continuously escalating defensive intensity.
If Game 1 was a positional offense and defense battle of "who could kill whom first"...
Then, after the probing of Game 1, Carlisle clearly intended to drag the Warriors into a "classical basketball" game.
Carlisle knew very well that until he was fully recovered from his injury, Zack would undoubtedly be unable to be as omnipotent as before.
Even if the Sonics' shooting would also be affected by the defensive battle they initiated, in this classical basketball game...
The Sonics, with their twin towers of Yao Ming and Garnett, undoubtedly had the greater advantage.
The game's outcome that night validated Carlisle's pre-game prediction.
Final score: 91 to 86.
With the "Northwest Big Three" combining for 71 points, the Sonics battled their way back into the series on the road through a physical contest.
This loss cost the Warriors their home-court advantage in this series.
"He (Zack) is indeed the most outstanding player in the league today. I deeply regret that he couldn't play at full strength due to injury, but in my opinion, this is our best chance to defeat the Warriors."
After the game, Carlisle spoke frankly, stating that the Sonics shifted to defensive basketball in Game 2 precisely to better exploit Zack's injury.
Hit them when they're down.
Carlisle didn't feel it was shameful to openly admit to taking advantage of an opposing star player's injury.
And besides...
Even playing injured, Zack still managed to score 30 points, 12 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 blocks, and 1 steal per game for the Warriors in the first two games?
While Carlisle could never love Zack's ball-dominant playstyle, that didn't mean Carlisle didn't acknowledge Zack's ability.
"Good thing he's injured."
After the first two games, both Carlisle and the Sonics players couldn't help but sigh with relief in their hearts.
Especially Garnett.
As the primary defender on Zack in this series...
After Game 2, the victorious Garnett looked dejected and said, "There is only one kind of heroism in the world: to love life after recognizing the truth of it."
---
A day later, the third game between the two teams moved to KeyArena in Seattle.
ESPN specifically invited Yao Ming's former head coach, Jeff Van Gundy, to provide commentary.
Regarding Yao Ming, who was getting happier by the day under Carlisle, Van Gundy said, "Rick has made excellent use of 'Big-Yao's' characteristics and designed a large number of tactics specifically for him, making him the most efficient scoring center in the league today.
However, I must specifically praise Kevin Garnett... Although Kevin's individual stats in the Western Conference Finals aren't outstanding, both offensively and defensively, he is the most important player for the Sonics."
Outsiders watch the excitement, insiders understand the real deal.
This year's Western Conference Finals, even if Garnett was nearly driven to be a philosopher by Zack, this series was actually a chance for Garnett to prove himself.
Stats couldn't fully reflect Garnett's impact on the court.
To become a championship player,
Garnett, who was like "Heaven to the left, warrior to the right," had long since put his "life and death" out of his mind. And even if he knew it was a "dead end" ahead, Garnett would unhesitatingly throw himself at Zack again and again.
This made Zack, who had already accumulated a lot of frustration during his recovery, even more irritated.
Because he couldn't use his full power to crush "Full-Power KG's" championship dream...
Even if the Warriors ultimately advanced to the Finals, it would become a major regret in Zack's career.
After all, with "Full-Power KG" playing like this, who knew how long he could maintain his form?
In Game 3, the Sonics' defensive intensity remained high.
In the first round of the playoffs, the Warriors had used the same method to limit the Nuggets' three-point percentage, and now, in the Western Conference Finals, they were receiving the same treatment.
On ESPN, Van Gundy explained the Sonics' defense to the fans: "The Sonics' one-on-one and four-zone defense can be executed so well precisely because they have Kevin Garnett, who can match up against the Messiah.
In Game 2, Troy Murphy struggled, so the Sonics could use their other four players in a zone defense to limit the offense of the other three Warriors on the court.
As long as 'Big-Yao' can get back into the paint, you can never ignore the deterrence his size brings to opposing offensive players."
Beside him, A. Smith chimed in, "So, that's also why the Sonics can disrupt the Warriors' shooting percentage by increasing their defensive level?"
Van Gundy nodded, "Precisely. When playing against the Warriors, you first have to match up against them effectively to ensure you can rely on a higher level of defense to limit their perimeter output."
Matchups are always the most crucial part of defense.
If you consistently can't create effective matchups against opposing players in a game, or even have to concentrate more defensive resources to solve defensive problems due to mismatches...
Then, even the most intense physical confrontation will surely struggle to limit the Warriors' offense.
Baron Davis, who had never faced a roadblock since returning from injury, uncharacteristically had consecutive poor performances.
Against Sam Cassell, the original "Beard Man" could easily blow by him.
But...
Against Yao Ming, who anchored the Sonics' paint, Davis's impact was significantly reduced.
Historically, in 11 career matchups against Yao Ming, LeBron James's overall field goal percentage was only 38.9%.
At that time, the Rockets' overall defense certainly had a huge impact on James's shooting percentage.
But judging by "Young LeBron's" frequent drives to the basket (often more than 10 times per game) during that period, without Yao Ming anchoring the paint, how could the Rockets have possibly stopped James?
In Zack's previous life, Shane Battier, who was hyped up by many fans, if you excluded games where he played alongside Yao Ming, then under his defense, James's field goal percentage would undoubtedly exceed 50%.
As Jeff Van Gundy said, as long as the Sonics could pull Yao Ming back into the paint through this classical basketball game, then no one on the Warriors, including Zack, could ignore Yao Ming's 7-foot-6 presence.
This was definitely the day the entire Warriors team missed Mike Dunleavy the most.
Because facing the Sonics' impenetrable iron curtain defense...
Dunleavy's tireless running was the key for the Warriors to break through.
Before his recovery, Zack had certainly benefited from his injury, learning how to better break down opposing defenses through rhythm during his ball-handling offense.
But as this series turned into a series of classical games...
Zack, who hadn't received positive feedback from his teammates since Game 1, also couldn't avoid a decrease in his hard-carrying efficiency.
Game 3 final score: 90 to 95.
The Warriors failed to regain home-court advantage and quietly found themselves on the brink of elimination.
Ray Allen's three consecutive three-pointers in the final quarter made him the hero of KeyArena that night.
Ray Allen, who managed to maintain his shooting touch in such a high-intensity and suffocating physical battle that night, emotionally stated after the game, "God lent me his right hand tonight! Thank you, God!"
Next, the crucial Game 4 for the Warriors will continue in KeyArena two days later.
And Dunleavy Jr. will still be suspended.
The only good news for the Warriors after Game 3 was...
As time went on, Zack, who would continuously "level up" as his injury gradually healed, was destined to get stronger and stronger in this Western Conference Finals.
However, to break through the Sonics' iron curtain defense, the Warriors' perimeter shooters would have to be like Ray Allen, sinking those damned basketballs after high-intensity physical confrontation.
---
"Troy hasn't been playing well these past two games... Should we consider using two point guards and having Ron play the power forward position?"
Before Game 4, Zack discussed strategies with the coaching staff.
Zack, who had been studying tactics every day since entering the league, couldn't compare to a professional coach like Mike Malone in terms of tactical knowledge, but his suggestion did remind Malone at this moment:
Jack was a point guard who was genuinely over 190 cm tall.
In the game, he just wasn't good at defending quick guards, but as for the Sonics' backcourt...
Where were they going to find the speed to blow by Jack?
Moreover, Jack had always had excellent off-ball defensive ability.
Therefore, in Malone's opinion, Jack was more suitable than either Richardson or Artest to constantly hound Ray Allen.
However...
If the Warriors adopted this one-big, four-small lineup, Malone was very worried about whether Zack's ankle injury could support him in protecting the rim as he usually did for the Warriors.
To this, Zack said, "The upcoming Game 4 is a game we absolutely must win at all costs. Mike, you don't need to worry about the pressure I'll bear in the game, because this is my responsibility."
Upon hearing this, Mike Malone immediately understood what it meant to be a superstar and no longer hesitated.
July 27th.
KeyArena, Seattle.
When the Warriors' five starters lined up—Zack, Artest, Richardson, Jack, Davis.
On CCTV, Zhang Weiping exclaimed in surprise, "Are the Warriors going all out? Are they putting all the defensive pressure on Zack?"
This wasn't the first time the Warriors had used Artest at the power forward position.
But against the Sonics, who had Yao Ming and Garnett...
It wasn't just Zhang Weiping; in fact, most neutral fans and experts didn't understand why the Warriors dared to put out this one-big, four-small lineup.
At mid-court, since Zack's injury hadn't fully healed, Artest would jump against Yao Ming.
This was probably the easiest jump ball Yao Ming had won since entering the NBA.
"The Alien" Cassell dribbled past half-court, trying to find Ray Allen to execute a pistol offense.
However, with Jack's constant hounding, Ray Allen's off-ball movement was clearly no longer as easy as before.
This difficulty ultimately manifested in Ray Allen's subsequent missed three-pointer.
Ray Allen, who had endured intense physical contact off-ball, couldn't help but be affected by the high-intensity confrontation.
Under the basket, Zack grabbed the rebound by anticipating the play.
Davis brought the ball across half-court, and Artest, who had circled from the wing to the high post to receive the ball, was tasked with breaking the Sonics' one-on-one and four-zone defense.
At that moment, watching Artest dribble at the high post and direct his teammates' movement...
For a split second, Zack even thought he saw the Draymond Green of the future.
Especially when the Sonics, according to the Warriors' players' movement on the court, chose to shrink their defense and intentionally left Artest open...
Seeing Artest suddenly bend his back, preparing to punish the Sonics' defense with a three-pointer, Zack felt that this moment was exactly like that moment in the future.
Unlike Troy Murphy, who was struggling under the Sonics' high-intensity defense,
Artest, who had always sought out physical confrontation even if you didn't initiate it,
meant that his three-point shooting, for the most part, depended solely on whether he could make it himself.
Swish—!
At KeyArena, as Artest's bending-back three-pointer swished through the net, Rick Carlisle on the Sonics' bench instantly frowned.
Artest's three-pointer and the Warriors' proactive lineup change... clearly indicated that the Warriors wanted to create more mismatches, causing the Sonics to be unable to form effective matchups on the court.
Evidently, the Warriors, fed up with playing classical basketball against the Sonics, were trying to drag this game back into a "who can outlast whom" rhythm.
On the court, it was the Sonics' offensive possession.
Yao Ming successfully posted up low and immediately turned to initiate offense.
However...
Just as Yao Ming was about to effortlessly score two points as usual, that player with the ID "I'm Taller Than Yao Ming" suddenly jumped up and, with all his might, blocked Yao Ming's shot in mid-air.
"Playing so casually, don't you know you're facing the best player in the world?"
In the Warriors' paint, after blocking Yao Ming, Zack, finally letting out the frustration of the previous two games, said to Yao Ming in perfectly elegant man.
The next second, Zack was sure that his "Brother Yao's" reply was:
"How the hell can you still jump that high?!"
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