Look at the super giant in desperate situation! Alexander awakens in the last quarter and the thunder comes back to life

Sports Weekly All-Media Reporter Li Hui

Only when the sea is flowing, can he show his true nature. Shea Kyrgyz Alexander, in one of his most important games to date, proved why he was the MVP of the season and why he was one of the best players in the league.

1-3 and 2-2 have completely different meanings in the 7-game 4-win series, especially on the finals stage, the team that was behind 1-3 was previously only the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers could finally reverse. So, for Alexander and the Thunder, G4 is a game they have to win.

Like the first three games, Alexander continued to be strictly guarded by the Pacers. They adopted a series of methods such as double-teaming, single defense, switchover, and special care of Nemhard, trying to put the MVP star in a desperate situation. In the first three quarters, Alexander was indeed blocked under such defensive pressure. Although he scored 20 points, he used 18 shots and only got 2 free throws, with 0 assists. At the end of the third quarter, when the camera caught Alexander, he held his knees with both hands and looked weak. With almost exhausted physical energy, what awaited Alexander was the ultimate trial in the fourth quarter.

But even in such extremely difficult situations, Alexander carried it over. In the early stage of the fourth quarter, he failed to hit three consecutive shots. His personal shots were missed for 6 consecutive shots, and his physical fitness was about to dry up. Even when he broke through, he was no longer as calm as before, which directly led to the loss of the ball. However, in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter, Alexander gritted his teeth and stood up again. He seemed to have overcome his physical limits and stood up again when the team was about to fall from a cliff. With the team behind the score, Alexander first made Nesmith's foul and made both free throws. Then he hit a three-pointer 45 degrees on the right side, narrowing the gap to 1 point. This can be said to be the most important three-pointer in Alexander's career so far. Subsequently, Alexander continued to play Nesmith alone, hit the sign and took a step back to overtake the score, which was the first time the Thunder took the lead in the second half. With the opponent controlling the rhythm of the game almost the entire game, Alexander's awakening allowed the Thunder to see hope of winning before the finish line.

After that, Alexander used his personal singles to suppress the buzzer and created Nesmith's sixth foul, and made both free throws steadily, widening the gap to 4 points. In the final free throw stage, the Thunder star was also ruthless and made all four free throws, ultimately helping the Thunder win in an extremely difficult reversal.

In the entire fourth quarter, Alexander proved why he was the most valuable player in the league. He scored 15 points in a single quarter. You should know that the Pacers only scored 17 points in the fourth quarter. Under his leadership, the Thunder played a 31-17 offensive in the final quarter, and reversed the game in one fell swoop. It is no exaggeration to say that the Thunder is not only reversing the result of this game, but also the trend of the entire series. After defeating the opponent away to equalize the total score, the Thunder, who returned to the home court to usher in the Battle of Tianwang Mountain, will undoubtedly regain the initiative.

It is worth mentioning that Alexander scored the 15 points in the last quarter of this game all came from the last 5 minutes of the game. He also became the player with the most points in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter of the NBA since 1971. In addition, Alexander also set a number of records in this game. At the critical moment of the game (within five points in the remaining five minutes in the fourth quarter), he scored 14 points, the third in history (the first two are Horry and Wade); the first four finals of his career totaled 131 points, Alexander's third most in history, second only to Rick Barry and Allen Iverson.

"I try to stay offensive, I know what it would be like if I lose tonight. I don't want to do nothing after I play. My teammates are worth my efforts and the coaching staff is worth my efforts." Alexander said after the game.

Talk about who is a hero? On such a night that determines fate, Alexander's last moment explosion changed the situation of the entire series. There is no doubt that this is the meaning of the NBA world superstars. At the moment when the team needs them the most, they can turn the tide and save the team from the fire. Alexander used such a game to write a brilliant mark for his career. In the future, once Alexander is full of honor, this final match against the Pacers will be repeatedly mentioned.

Since 2001, no player has been able to win MVP, scoring champion, championship and finals MVP in a single season. After leading the team to win the most difficult and important game, Alexander is one step closer to such a great achievement.