How difficult is it to score 40+ in the finals? 7 major gods have the gods, some people win and some people leave regrets

Recently, the NBA topics are all around the finals - on the 6th, the Thunder and the Pacers were about to fight, and the two young teams were numb when they met together. Just thinking about it made their scalp numb. But today we won’t talk about the future, and those ruthless people in history who “killed crazy” in the first game of the finals – guess what? There are only 7 masters in the entire NBA history who scored 40+ in G1, and behind each name is a bloody story.

Kobe: The Black Mamba in 2009 tasted the sweetness first

If you want to talk about Kobe in 2009, it really carved the word "killer" into your bones. Facing the Magic's Iron Barrel Formation, he made 34 shots in the game, like a scalpel, not only scored 40 points inside and outside, but also grabbed 8 rebounds and 8 assists - this is not a game, it is clearly a military training opponent with the Lakers team. The score of 100-75 at the end of the game left Orlando's home court silent. That year's final ended 4-1. When Kobe held O'Brien's Cup and laughed, no one remembered that his eyebrow bone was still bleeding when he dunked in G1's fast attack.

To be honest, Kobe wanted to prove himself too much at that time - after O'Neal left, he carried the Lakers forward. The G1 battle was not so much a magic trick, but rather a win in his heart. Do you think the 1 three-pointer on his data sheet looks like he was deliberately left blank? "I could have been more ruthless, but I won enough." This is probably the arrogance of Kobe at the peak.

Jerry West: The tragic hero overture of 1966

When it comes to West, he can't avoid the legend of "LOGO man", but in the 1966 finals, he probably wanted to delete that memory the most. 15 of 27 shots, 41 points and 8 rebounds, leading the team to overturn the Celtics in the first game, what a beautiful start! But who would have thought that this was the only "sweet" in the entire series of the Lakers. The Celtics poured cold water on three consecutive games, directly tied the score to 3-1 - at that time, the Lakers were riding a roller coaster, gritted their teeth and dragged them into the tiebreak, but in the end they lost 2 points in the life-and-dea battle.

Do you think West played poorly in that game? 41 points are now also "Thanos" data, but basketball has never been a one-person game. Watching Russell celebrate with the championship trophy, he stood by the side of the court to wipe his sweat, like a hero who fought alone in a martial arts film but failed. Later, some people said that his 41 points were the "strongest empty score", but in the hearts of old fans, this is clearly the stubbornness of a generation - you can lose, but you can't admit defeat.

George McCann: The legend of the ancient beast in 1949

Nowadays, young people may not have any impression of McCann, but if you ask the older generation of fans, they will definitely tell you: this guy is a "basketball pioneer." In the first game of the 1949 finals, he made 14 of 21 shots, 14 of 16 free throws, and 42 points made the Washington Congress unable to find North - you should know that basketball at that time was not yet a three-point line, and the penalty area was his "private territory", with hooking, back-to-back and rebounding, all of which were good.

After that game, the front page of Minneapolis newspaper read: "Mcén made basketball a game for giants." In the end, the Lakers won the championship 4-2, but do you know? At that time, there were not so many commercial packaging in the finals, and they were not even full of live broadcasts. However, every time McCann took off in the penalty area, it seemed to be setting rules for latecomers: "Want to win? Pass this level first." This "hardcore" style, in the current small ball era, might have to create a retro style.

O'Neal: The scene of the nuclear explosion in the penalty area in 2000

Speaking of O'Neal, the G1 in 2000 is definitely a "famous scene". 21 shots, 43 points and 19 rebounds, no matter how you look at this data, it looks like a cheat in the game. Facing the Pacers' defense, he is like a bulldozer, and the trap can knock people out two meters away. When dunking, he even sways the basket. After that game, a reporter asked him, "How many successful forces do you think you have played today?" He grinned and said, "It's about 60% of them, you have to save some face for your opponent."

That year, the Lakers started three consecutive championships, and G1 was the most shocking start. When O'Neal walked into the player's passage with the basketball in his arms after the game, the muscles on his shoulders were still sweating - this is not a game, it is clearly a "physical talent class" for the entire league. Later, someone joked that he was not accurate in the free throw, but look at G1's 6 free throws, and he still beat his opponent all over the ground to find teeth? Sometimes when you think about it, isn’t the most primitive charm of basketball just in this domineering way of “breaking tricks with strength”?

O'Neal: In 2001, O'Neal changed - it was not that the style of the game changed, but that there was a lot of ruthlessness in his eyes. 17 of 28 shots, 44 points and 20 rebounds, the data was even worse than last year, but G1 lost. Can you imagine it? The Shark was in the inside line, but he couldn't resist Iverson's "answer" breakthrough. When the whistle sounded, he squatted at the bottom line to wipe his sweat, his eyes full of reluctance. But we all know what happened later. The Lakers won four consecutive games to defend their titles, and the defeat of G1 became the foreshadowing in the "Champion script".

Some people say that O'Neal's game was "losing Jingzhou by carelessness", but in my opinion, this is exactly what he is most manly - he can afford to lose the first game to win the entire series. Look at the 20 rebounds on his data sheet, each with the ruthless spirit of "retrieving the game back". This mentality of "when meeting the strong, it is strong" is probably the confidence of the three consecutive championships.

James: The tragic song of the Lone Knight in 2015

James in 2015 is very similar to Prometheus in ancient Greek mythology - he knew that the ending might be a tragedy, but he insisted on changing his fate against the will of heaven. 18 of 38 shots, 44 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists, the more gorgeous the data, the more heartbreaking the ending. Facing the Warriors' "Death Five Little Little", he almost carried the Cavaliers' team forward. When the three-pointer missed in the last moment of overtime, he squatted on the ground and beat the floor, which made many fans red.

The Cavaliers lost 2-4 in that round of the finals, but G1 became synonymous with James' "lost hero". Some people say he "slashed in the air", but when you look at his running distance and then look at his teammate's injury list, you will understand how heavy these 44 points are. Basketball is sometimes so cruel - you try your best to win the first game, but you may lose the whole summer, but those sweats that have been shed on the court will always be engraved into the hearts of fans earlier than the championship trophy.

Iverson: The highlight of the "Answer" in 2001

Iverson in 2001 was the "rebel" of the entire league - ridged ditch braids, tattoos, and hurdles, but on G1, he became the "savior" of Philadelphia. 18 of 41 shots, 48 ​​points and 5 steals, and scored 15 points in the last quarter to reverse the game. When he crossed Tyron Lou, the whole stadium was in full swing. At that time, the 76ers fans probably thought that a miracle was about to happen, but who would have thought that this was their only victory in the entire series.

Later some people said that Iverson's game "overdrawed his luck all season", but in my opinion, this is his most charming place - he knew there was a tiger in the mountain, but he was on the way to the tiger mountain. Look at the five steals on his data sheet, does it seem like he is using defense to tell the world: "I can not only score, but also win." Although he lost 1-4 in the end, the G1 battle is enough to make the "Answer" an eternal classic.

James: The ultimate performance of "Thanos James" in 2018

James in 2018 is already a "thirty-year-old man", but in G1, he made himself "Thanos" - 19 of 32 shots, 51 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists, and scored 8 points in overtime, but he still failed to take away the victory. When the final whistle sounded, his look in a daze on the bench suddenly reminded me of the look of Jordan's eyes when he retired - not fatigue, but the helplessness of "I can still play, but where are my teammates?"

After that game, some people said that James is "old", but the data will not lie: at the age of 33, how many people can do it in history? The Cavaliers were eventually swept, but the 51 points in G1 became the best footnote for James' "one person, one city". Sometimes when you think about it, isn’t the charm of basketball just here? Even if the ending has been written long ago, there are always people who are willing to do their best to leave a "if" imagination space for fans.

Jerry West: The final chapter of "The Strongest Aerial Slash" in 1969

In 1969, West stood on the field of G1 in the finals again, this time he was even more crazy - he made 21 of 41 shots, 53 points and 10 assists, leading the team to narrowly defeat the Celtics. But fate was like joking with him. The Lakers led from 2-0 to being dragged into a tiebreak, and finally lost 2 points. 53 points are still the scoring record of G1 in the finals, but West has become synonymous with the "tragic hero" with the appearance of the scoring champion.

Someone asked him, "Do you regret that game?" He said, "No, at least I have tried to shoot all the bullets." This kind of stubbornness of "defeating but glorious" is probably the character of an old-school player. The current NBA emphasizes "efficiency" and "reasonable". But occasionally looking back at these "crazy" data, I found that the most moving thing about basketball is never the winner, but the light bursting out in the extreme state.

Data Honor and Team Winning and Losing, Who is the bottom line?

After reading these stories of G1 cutting 40+, I suddenly wanted to ask a heart-wrenching question: Which one is more important, personal data or team victory?

Kobe and O'Neal exchanged 40+ for the championship, they are the "winners"; James and Iverson scored high scores but lost the series, are they the "losers"? But those 44 points, 48 ​​points, 51 points are obviously shining on the scoreboard. West scored 40+ twice but fell in the tiebreak twice. Is he less hard than others?

Some people say that basketball is a team sport. No matter how beautiful your personal data is, it is empty talk. Some people say that being able to leave such shocking data on the finals stage is itself a kind of "victory" - after all, not everyone has the opportunity to "go crazy" in the spotlight.

What do you think? When a player tries his best to score 40+ in G1, but watches his opponent hold the championship trophy, is he feeling more regretful or more pride? Perhaps the answer is hidden in the eyes of every player, in the tone of the fans when they mention them many years later - after all, in the world of basketball, some stories are destined to have no perfect ending, but they are always worth remembering.