Zack's incredible playmaking really got the Warriors' offense going in the latter half of the second quarter. Even though he does this every night, there's a difference between just passing the ball and making perfect passes. Tonight, Zack was at his absolute best, both in the quality of his passes and his timing. He led the Warriors with incredible focus and concentration, and it paid off big time on the scoreboard.
At halftime, the score was 59-49.
In the visiting team's locker room, receiving ice treatment from the team doctor...
Zack, who had already racked up 19 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists, and 2 blocks for the Warriors in just one half, only showed he was a normal human being, with flesh and blood, when a pained expression crossed his face. Every Warriors player went completely silent during halftime, as if they were afraid their talking might disturb their absolute leader, who had played like a god in the first half. Mike Malone, who had planned a rousing halftime speech, just tore up his notes. Malone knew that with a superstar like Zack, no matter how emotional his speech, it wouldn't be as effective as Zack just walking out onto the court, head held high, leading the team back into the game.
Seattle had been battered by Zack's Warriors in the first half. As long as his eyes burned with that fiery passion, the entire Warriors team would rally around him, incredibly united. Malone was finally starting to understand why their former head coach, Mike Montgomery used to say that this Warriors team could win a championship even if they just tied a dog to the bench.
"This is just one test on our path to defending the championship!" Malone thought to himself, clenching his fist.
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After halftime, the game continued.
Zack and Artest's high-post two-man game created a perfect lane for Artest to drive. Artest didn't hesitate, plowing straight to the Sonics' basket like a combine harvester, making a strong dunk. Slam! Swish!
Zack felt like Artest tonight was like an enhanced version of Draymond Green. Artest could do everything Green could, and before his offensive talent was "recalled by God," Artest's ball-handling and offensive skills were definitely far superior to Green at any stage of his career. If Zack had to pick a flaw in Artest playing power forward, it might just be his passing. Even though Artest would stand at the high post and direct traffic quite impressively on every offensive possession, his passing quality was, well, let's just say it left a lot to be desired. Luckily, the Warriors' real playmaking started with Zack. Otherwise, the Warriors players tonight would have been calling for a timeout every time they had to adjust to one of Artest's passes.
On the court, the Warriors broke the second-half deadlock first, and Garnett responded for the Sonics. Using Yao Ming's screen, Garnett drove hard and made a layup after receiving the ball. This wasn't the first time Garnett had used his small forward skills tonight. He was giving it his all to become a champion, pulling out all the stops. After all, every Sonics player knew that if they could win this game, they'd have one foot in the Finals. In NBA history, only two teams have ever come back from a 1-3 deficit in the conference finals.
And the Sonics got some good news shortly after the third quarter started. Ray Allen, who had been quiet for the entire first half, finally shook off that "stinky rat" Jackson and nailed a three-pointer from beyond the arc on the next possession. Ray Allen's three-pointer ignited the entire KeyArena. The green wave of fans instantly enveloped the arena, turning it into a vast, boundless forest. But Zack's Warriors, like "California wildfire," suddenly unleashed a blazing inferno on the next offensive possession, determined to burn that forest to ashes.
As Zack dribbled on the left side, he noticed Richardson moving towards him. With a back-to-the-basket handoff and a screen, Zack instantly created a wide-open three-point opportunity for the dunk champion. While Zack didn't exactly "shake his big butt" in Garnett's and Ray Allen's faces like future Green, his tall and imposing figure still formed an impenetrable "Wall of Sighs" between the defenders and Richardson. It was a textbook pick-and-roll leading to a pass. Richardson shot, and swish!
After the shot, Richardson even made a face at Ray Allen and held up "3" fingers. This was Richardson's third three-pointer of the night. Clearly, he was trying to provoke Ray Allen, who had only made one three-pointer so far. Even though Ray Allen's expression didn't change at all in the face of Richardson's almost childish provocation, when he finally shook off Jackson's persistent defense and got another open shot, the loud clank that the entire arena could hear clearly told the world that Ray Allen was definitely not a humble or magnanimous gentleman.
Zack grabbed the rebound and quickly initiated a fast break. After repeatedly pushing his physical limits tonight, the Sonics players no longer treated Zack like he was injured. So, the moment Zack started the fast break, all four Sonics players, except Yao Ming, retreated to their defensive positions. Seeing this, Zack calmly slowed down. But just when everyone thought the Warriors would settle into a half-court offense, Zack suddenly threw a bounce pass, connecting with a fast-breaking Davis in the middle. The original "Beard" easily sliced through the Sonics' defense, whose attention was entirely on Zack, and unleashed a powerful one-handed dunk over Posey.
From the bench, Carlisle gradually realized a truth: this Warriors team was far more cohesive than he had imagined. Zack certainly dominated the ball for the Warriors. But with his brilliant playmaking, the Warriors always managed to create breathtaking offensive plays. Especially this game. When Zack could predict every teammate's movement based on their individual characteristics, with a seemingly "all-seeing eye" in his mind, he was like an external brain, constantly controlling the entire team.
The Warriors' offensive surge continued. Posey missed a corner three after receiving a pass from Yao Ming. Zack, who had already noticed Davis sneaking off on a fast break, secured the rebound and immediately threw a long pass. The new quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers delivered a touchdown pass. Then, the 49ers' "Bearded" running back scored a touchdown.
On ESPN, Pippen once again praised Zack's passing, saying, "If my teammate back then was the Messiah, I could have easily gotten 30 points every game just from fast breaks." A-Smith, sitting next to him, chuckled, "Would Phil Jackson have allowed you guys to play like that?" Pippen, still irritated by Jackson's constant disses in his autobiography, retorted, "Phil Jackson can't coach a talented player like the Messiah. He only knows how to coach the 'uncoachable' ones."
"Uncoachable" was how "Zen Master" Jackson described Kobe when he left the Lakers in the summer of 2004. In his autobiography The Last Season, published that year, he even described Kobe as a hypocritical, narcissistic, and selfish player. And then what? After returning to the Lakers, Jackson changed his tune, saying, "Kobe is a coachable player, and I believe he can do anything for the success of the team." In Pippen's opinion, if Jordan was arrogant and hypocritical, Jackson was arrogant and hypocritical multiplied by ten. Compared to Jordan, Pippen always hated Phil Jackson more, who in his various autobiographies would put down all players to elevate his own image.
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KeyArena.
This golden surge finally came to an end when Zack delivered his 16th assist of the game. On the scoreboard, it was 77-63. The Warriors' powerful offense had forced Carlisle to call two timeouts in the third quarter. And as it came time for Yao Ming to rest again, Carlisle realized he had made the same mistake as Jeff Van Gundy. He didn't dare take Yao Ming off the court. Because once Yao Ming left, the Sonics would lose a crucial offensive anchor and the defensive protection his size provided.
But Carlisle wasn't Van Gundy after all. So, after letting Yao Ming play an extra minute, Carlisle subbed in Evans for Yao Ming and pulled Ray Allen aside to give him some serious tactical instructions. After the substitution, it was the Sonics' offensive possession. "Full Effort K.G." (Garnett) executed a perfect high-post screen for Ray Allen as Carlisle had instructed. Ray Allen, with the ball, could have easily moved closer to Garnett and taken a dribble-drive three-pointer. But to Garnett's incomprehension, Ray Allen hesitated.
"Ray-ray!" Seeing this, Garnett urgently yelled Ray Allen's nickname. Only after being roused by "Full Effort K.G." did Ray Allen realize what he had missed. As he finally rushed his shot, he witnessed a sight he would never forget: a desperate, enormous hand, mercilessly swatting his shot like a volleyball to the other end of the court. The owner of this hand was none other than Zack. Ray Allen's hesitation had given Zack enough time to rotate over and block his three-point attempt.
And this block changed the course of the game. Because next, a bewildered Ray Allen proceeded to "punish" Zack with three weak shots, three shots so soft that Zack didn't even have to move to grab the defensive rebounds. As a historical shooter, Ray Allen had always been perceived as not strong enough, precisely because he lacked the killer instinct of a Kobe or even a future Curry. The "Northwest Big Three" clearly only had two tonight. This implicitly increased the physical drain on Yao Ming and Garnett. Especially Garnett. Since he had to continuously guard Zack throughout the game, every offensive play Garnett made for the Sonics felt like he was squeezing toothpaste out of an almost empty tube. This meant Garnett couldn't put full pressure on Zack, affecting his offensive and passing quality, as he had in previous games.
Meanwhile, on the Warriors' bench, Mike Malone, watching Jackson relentlessly hound Ray Allen, once again felt the terrifying depth of this reigning champion team. Without a doubt, Jackson's start had triggered a chain of reactions in this game. Even though after three quarters, Jackson only had 6 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists, this unheralded player on the Warriors deeply impacted the game's flow. His tireless "death-grip" defense threw Ray Allen off his rhythm, which in turn affected Garnett's and Yao Ming's energy levels. In a sense, through this ebb and flow, Jackson was the fuse that helped Zack gradually enter his "god-mode."
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Before the final quarter began, Carlisle faced a difficult choice. On the scoreboard, the Warriors had built a 19-point lead, so Carlisle was unsure whether to keep Yao Ming on the court. Carlisle knew very well that if they had to chip away at a 19-point deficit with Yao Ming scoring two points at a time, only God knew how long it would take the Sonics to close the gap. But if he didn't play Yao Ming and decided to give up just because they were down by 19 points, Carlisle would feel extremely regretful. After all, when Yao Ming was on the court, the Sonics' perimeter players would definitely get a certain number of open shots. Carlisle was torn.
It was Garnett who took the initiative and suggested, "Since we're behind now, why don't we just stay on the court?" Garnett's meaning was clear: since they were already in this situation, they might as well gamble. If it didn't work, they could always sub out all the starters later. Seeing this, Carlisle, believing Garnett had a point, decisively followed "Full Effort K.G.'s" suggestion.
Right from the start of the final quarter, the Sonics brought out their "Horns" offense. After adapting to it in the previous three games, the Warriors players were no longer as intimidated by the Sonics' Horns offense as they were in Game 1. This was because when Yao Ming or Garnett finished a play from the high post using this tactic, the Sonics wouldn't be able to crash the offensive glass as usual. So, even if caught off guard, the Warriors could bet on the Sonics missing their shots. Moreover, since the Horns offense requires guards to provide firepower on the court to execute more advanced variations, with Ray Allen being off tonight, the Sonics' Horns variations were bound to be limited. Just like how Li Nan would shout "Horns! Diamond!" throughout an entire game in the future, men's basketball team still couldn't execute many advanced variations. Even the most sophisticated tactics need to consider the players' abilities and their on-court performance. The Sonics were definitely the team most suited for the Horns offense in the league today. But Ray Allen's erratic performance tonight held back Seattle's "Horns."
Zack re-entered the game after resting for four minutes on the bench. On the court, it was the Warriors' offensive possession. Zack, operating in a high-low alignment with Artest, quickly distributed the ball after receiving a pass and assisted Richardson, who was shooting better and better in the second half, on a mid-range jumper. This was Zack's 20th assist of the game. Zack, who only truly unleashed his fangs in the first quarter, only scored 5 points in the entire second half until Malone took him out again in the final quarter.
However...
Under his brilliant playmaking, the Warriors found their powerful offense once more.
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The final score: 120-99.
The Golden State Warriors conquered KeyArena and successfully regained home-court advantage in this series. Zack finished the game with a monstrous 24 points, 21 rebounds, 20 assists, 4 blocks, and 1 steal. This was the first time in NBA playoff history that a player had simultaneously achieved 20 points, 20 rebounds, and 20 assists in a single game. Playing through injuries, Zack, instead of relying on his pure talent as usual, used his keen observation, his anticipation, and his overall control of the game to deliver a terrifying career-defining performance.
After the game, Rick Carlisle said with a bitter smile, "He is absolutely the most versatile player I have ever seen in NBA history. He's better than his predecessors and sets an example for those who come after him."
Garnett's evaluation was filled with weariness: "He can attack you from anywhere beyond the three-point line, and he can constantly bully your defense in the low post with his size. And you always have to be on guard for his unpredictable passing. I don't know how to limit him. I can only pray to God that he doesn't bring this kind of performance every night."
In the press conference, Mike Malone proudly boasted to the world, "He is the best in the world! It's an honor to coach him, and a gift from God." After a pause, Malone added, "Coach Mike Montgomery was right, when you have the Messiah on your roster, as a head coach, you don't need to do anything, because victory usually arrives automatically two hours later."
The Warriors' second-best player of the night, Artest, who finished with 19 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals, said, "I told you all along, he's a two-time Defensive Player of the Year for a reason. As long as he's on the court, we don't have to worry about whether the size of our other four players matches up with the opponent. We just need to entrust all the defense to him and trust him, and then he'll lead us to victory."
The Warriors successfully tied this Western Conference Finals series at 2-2 in Seattle. Next, the pivotal Game 5 of this Western Conference Finals will return to Oracle Arena. And, the Warriors will also welcome Mike Dunleavy back from his suspension. From being on the brink of elimination after Game 3 to returning to paradise after Game 4, Zack, who has been playing injured since the Western Conference Semifinals, has quietly added a legendary touch to the Warriors' championship defense this year. But to ensure this legendary journey is remembered forever, the Warriors must reach the ultimate peak. After all, many years from now, no one will remember a mere Western Conference runner-up.
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"With the Messiah's incredible '20+20+20,' the Golden State Warriors flattened KeyArena on the road. Now, with the series tied 2-2, the Warriors have regained home-court advantage and successfully seized control of this year's Western Conference Finals. After the game, when interviewed, the Messiah stated that he only did everything he could in the game, and he hoped people would give more praise to his teammates. 'You know, I've always believed we are a super team. Our roster, and the team's overall form and consistently high morale, make me firmly believe that we are still the most outstanding team in the league this year.'" — ESPN Post-Game Summary