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Chapter 674 - 284. Shaking down McGrady, key score!_4

Chapter 674: 284. Shaking down McGrady, key score!_4

During McGrady’s four years on the Magic, his biggest competitor was Iverson. They each claimed the scoring title once, cementing themselves as the most dazzling scorers in the NBA during those years.

After dribbling a couple of times, Zhang Yang found his rhythm and took a large step to the right.

Exhausted from the immense energy and effort expended, McGrady subconsciously lunged to the left in an attempt to block Zhang Yang’s path...but Zhang Yang quickly pulled the ball back to the left with a sharp dribble.

McGrady had to slam on the brakes to block to the right...his upper body moved back, but his waist was still shifting left..."snap"...McGrady crashed to the floor!

Zhang Yang returned to the top of the arc, glanced at McGrady, took off, and released a three-pointer from the top of the key...it went in!

After those continuous and wide dribbles, he had found his shooting rhythm; the shot was good with a ’wide open’ follow through!

The fans in the stands screamed in frenzy; watching Zhang Yang getting suppressed by McGrady for several minutes had them feeling stifled...But the dramatic highs and lows of life are just that thrilling. Coming into the last moments of the third quarter, Zhang Yang fiercely returned the favor to McGrady!

This shot was not just a top play of the day or even the week; it was definitely worthy of the season’s best highlights and could even become one of the classic shots in Zhang Yang’s career!

McGrady brushed off his teammates’ hands, got up by himself, and, watching Zhang Yang celebrate excitedly with his teammates after falling back on defense, ran forward to receive the ball. Facing Zhang Yang’s defense, he pulled up for a direct three-pointer...and missed.

Thibodeau, seeing McGrady playing recklessly, held his head in agony. With just over ten seconds left, he had wanted to call a timeout to set up a play, hoping to narrow the gap to within five points. But as he watched McGrady with a ferocious expression running to the frontcourt, he thought McGrady was about to fiercely reply to Zhang Yang; instead, McGrady made a big mess of it!

In the final 8 seconds, the Bobcats did not score; Zhang Yang’s drive was double-teamed, so he passed to Hill, whose long two-pointer was off, ending the third quarter.

McGrady had 13 points and 2 assists in the third quarter alone, scoring 10 points and 2 assists in the little over 5 minutes after the official timeout, single-handedly reducing the deficit to two points at one stage.

However, McGrady’s last two pull-up three-pointers were off!

And Zhang Yang, who had made only 3 of 8 shots for 8 points earlier, went on a 5-point streak at the last moment, ending the quarter with 5 out of 10 shots, including 2 out of 4 three-pointers, and a perfect 3 out of 3 from the free-throw line, bringing his quarter score up to 13 points!

After three quarters, the Bobcats had regained a 7-point lead at 67-60, entering the break with the advantage.

...

In the final quarter, the Rockets players showed remarkable tenacity, fighting hard in an attempt to turn the game around.

The Rockets played quite well, maintaining the initiative with strong defense and aggressive offense, but no matter how hard they defended or shot, they always fell just short. Each time they narrowed the gap to within a single score, either Zhang Yang, Felton, or Mike Miller would stand up and make a basket.

Zhang Yang’s three-pointer at the end of the third quarter was crucial!

It was that basket that provided the Bobcats with a buffer. For the Rockets, who only had McGrady as a strong scorer, that was a gap they just couldn’t close.

There was also the matter of Thibodeau’s use of McGrady.

The Rockets’ other members not only defended well in the last quarter but played relatively well on the offensive end, scoring 18 points.

But McGrady, who had 11 points in the first quarter, 8 in the second, and 13 in the third for a total of 32 points, flopped in the last quarter...

McGrady played 30 minutes in the first three quarters but because of the 7-point deficit, he didn’t get the rest he hoped for in the early part of the final quarter. He continued to play the entire quarter, and his teammates created opportunities for him to make crucial shots, but he only made 1 driving floater out of 5 attempts, totaling just 2 points...

For the Bobcats, Zhang Yang scored 6 points in the last quarter, Felton added 4 points, Alan Anderson made a three-pointer off a pass, Hill made a driving layup, and Okafor completed an offensive rebound putback...

At 11:21 PM, Alston tried to draw a four-point play but couldn’t fool Felton, shooting an airball...Okafor secured the defensive rebound, and the last 3 seconds ticked away, the final buzzer sounded.

Zhang Yang scored 10 points in the first quarter, 6 in the second, 13 in the third, and 6 in the final quarter...playing 35 minutes, 30 attempts resulting in 12 made shots, including 4 of 11 from three-point range, and 7 of 9 from the free-throw line, scoring a game-high of 35 points!

McGrady, with 19 points in the first half, three more than Zhang Yang, had a high start and a low finish in the third quarter but managed a draw, only to be hammered in the last. Playing 42 minutes, he shot 29 times, making 12, including 6 of 14 three-pointers, and 4 of 6 free throws, finishing with 34 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 1 block. He didn’t outscore Zhang Yang, his shooting was colder than Zhang Yang’s, and in the game... he also fell short to Zhang Yang!

84-80, the Bobcats narrowly defeated the Rockets by 4 points, ending the first month of competition with a 14-1 record!