The first quarter ended!
29 to 34. The Wizards not only led by 5 points, but the Sacramento Kings' two starting big men, Divac and Chris Webber, also accumulated 2 fouls each, laying hidden dangers for the rest of the game.
Of course, not all of Webber's 2 fouls were drawn by Link; one was committed when Laettner received a pass from Link, drove into the paint, and attacked the rim.
Link scored a game-high 16 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists in the first quarter.
In this era, these were superstar-level stats.
...
...
As the game entered the second quarter, the Sacramento Kings displayed the depth of the league's top-ranked team.
Webber's quick cuts, combined with Divac's Passing, not only allowed him to be half a step faster than Laettner, but his super Speed and flashy offensive footwork constantly left help defenders grasping at air.
However, on the defensive end, they had no good solution for Link's targeted tactics.
Compared to Webber, Link naturally preferred to target the slower Divac. But Divac controlled his defensive movements well in the second quarter, not giving Link opportunities to draw fouls.
To prevent Divac from being easily beaten by Link, other Sacramento Kings players would also provide help defense and double-teams.
Compared to when he first entered the NBA, Link's Passing ability had improved significantly. Although not yet at the level of the 'teachers,' he could handle the Sacramento Kings' rotational defense with ease.
The quality of the pass directly affects whether the receiving teammate can comfortably execute the next offensive move.
Masked Man Hamilton was truly fierce tonight, shooting 6-for-8 in the second quarter, including 2-for-3 from Three-Point Shot, scoring 14 points in a single quarter.
At the end of the first half, both teams traded blows, but ultimately, the Sacramento Kings' offensive firepower was stronger, tying the score.
60 to 60.
A 60-point half was definitely a high score in 2001.
However...
Webber and Divac each had 3 fouls, and the Sacramento Kings' Perimeter Defense ace, Doug Christie, only shot 1-for-4 in the second quarter, and 0-for-3 from Three-Point Shot.
The reason for his poor shooting could be attributed to Michael Jordan, who shot 1-for-7 in the quarter.
Even though Michael Jordan had a rough shooting night, on offense, he consistently posted up and drove hard against Doug Christie, never settling for a jump shot. After driving to the basket, to draw fouls from the interior, he would wait in the air for the Sacramento Kings' big men to contest, but Michael Jordan seemed to have forgotten his age...
Webber and Divac's third fouls both came from Michael Jordan's 'off-ball offense.'
...
...
As the game entered the third quarter, both sides engaged in a defensive battle.
Aggressive defensive rotations, numerous help defenses, and double-teams filled the court.
Webber quickly cut from the strong side into the paint. Divac's pass bypassed Laettner, who was struggling to keep up behind him. Link immediately moved over. Webber received the ball, "Thump!" After a powerful dribble, he forcefully backed down, pushing Link away. However, Webber's momentum was also significantly reduced. As he tried to turn and force a shot, Michael Jordan, who suddenly appeared from behind, blocked him.
As a former DPOY winner, Michael Jordan, in his prime, often helped teammates double-team Hakeem Olajuwon.
At this moment, he... had a taste of 'returning to his prime' tonight, after all, this was a Christmas Day Games, nationally televised.
Michael Jordan was the typical player who thrived under pressure, a big-hearted player born for the spotlight.
In the first 3 minutes of the third quarter, both teams went through a scoring drought.
But soon...
Michael Jordan stepped up, using his signature move to break the scoring drought. Kobe learned almost all of Michael Jordan's techniques, but this one... Kobe could never learn.
After receiving a pass at the high post, Michael Jordan picked up the basketball with one hand, raised it high, pulled back his right foot, faking a shot. After completely faking out the defender, he suddenly drove into the paint, drawing a foul from Divac.
After four or five consecutive possessions, Michael Jordan completed a 9-2 run, extending the lead to 7 points.
The Sacramento Kings called another timeout.
After the timeout, the Sacramento Kings ran several plays centered around Peja's Three-Point Shot tactics. Link chased desperately, but Peja's off-ball movement was too elusive, and Link was always getting caught on screens...
But fortunately, Peja, who was 3-for-5 from Three-Point Shot in the first half, missed three consecutive shots in the third quarter.
This was normal...
After all, even Stephen Curry has many games where he shoots terribly.
Peja's consecutive Three-Point Shot misses allowed the Washington Wizards to seize fast break opportunities.
Link drove the Ball Handling on the left wing, facing Doug Christie, who was randomly matched up against him. He first slowed down, making the opponent think he was going to set up a half-court offense or pass.
Doug Christie's defensive attention was slightly diverted as he observed other players' defensive positions. Link suddenly accelerated. This scene made Sacramento Kings head coach Adelman on the sidelines immediately stand up.
"This... this kid... didn't he not like to run fast breaks?"
Link indeed had a low percentage of fast breaks where he drove the Ball Handling himself, but... that was before... as Link's Explosive Acceleration attribute increased to 84 (90), which is elite-level explosiveness among forwards, and his Speed of 77 (81) was also sufficient...
With Ball Handling as high as 92 (96) and Strength at 80 (80), Link completely possessed the ability to drive with the Ball Handling under high-intensity confrontation...
To put it simply, Link could drive to the paint and still maintain a 'live ball' state.
The reason why Linsanity stopped being 'insane' after becoming famous was that he often lost the ball when he drove to the free-throw line, which is what's called being 'stopped.' Once stopped, the offensive threat would decrease by nine-tenths.
Many guards with poor physicality, or forwards with insufficient Ball Handling and dribbling skills, find it difficult to enter the paint with a 'live ball.'
After Link drove into the paint, although he didn't use strength to push away Doug Christie, he used a Euro Step to shake off the defense, and at the same time, he enticed Webber to reach in for a steal...
However, as soon as Webber reached for the ball, Link immediately made a shooting motion...
"Beep!"
The referee's whistle blew.
Webber once again clasped his hands over his head, a familiar feeling washing over him.
This feeling of regret made Webber recall the ill-fated timeout in college, which cost them the NCAA championship, despite there being no significant connection between the two events.
Despite the lack of a strong connection, Webber didn't understand why he felt this way.
With 1 minute and 8 seconds left in the third quarter, Webber picked up his fifth foul of the game and was forced to leave the court early.
"Ugh... tonight's Washington home-court officiating... it's truly... unbearable to watch." Kenny Smith, who had a bet with Barkley about kissing a donkey's butt, seeing the situation turn unfavorable, began to rage impotently.
"Buddy, I don't think the Washington Wizards got any advantage tonight. It's just... tonight the Sacramento Kings are a bit helpless against the Washington Wizards' 'unorthodox moves'... especially Link... every time this kid drives to the basket, it's purely to draw fouls from opponents," Barkley said.
Kenny Smith glanced at Barkley, hesitated to speak, and finally chose to remain silent.
Barkley was indeed right; the Washington Wizards' unexpected tactics tonight were effective, completely bewildering the underperforming Sacramento Kings.
Soon...
Michael Jordan continued his efforts, taking advantage of a mismatch to isolate Divac, also drawing his fifth foul.
Both of the Sacramento Kings' twin towers, Divac and Webber, fouled out with 5 fouls each, forcing them to leave the game early, and the situation on the court instantly changed.
6 minutes and 11 seconds into the fourth quarter...
As Michael Jordan received a pass from Link and hit a Three-Point Shot from the top of the arc, the lead was stretched to 12 points.
Adelman immediately called a timeout and brought Divac and Webber back onto the court. Their return had an immediate effect, as they led the team on a 12-2 run, cutting the deficit to 1 point.
But with 1 minute and 11 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Link's Euro Step drive once again drew Webber's sixth foul, forcing him out of the game.
After Webber left the game, the Sacramento Kings' morale instantly dropped significantly.
The game ended!
119 to 110!
The Washington Wizards defeated the Sacramento Kings, the team with the best record in the league, by 9 points.