NBA: The Basketball Miracle

In the Southeast Regional final, contrary to many people's expectations, the University of Connecticut showed the strength of the top seed and completely crushed its opponent in the first half.

At 29:43, at the end of the first half, the score difference had been widened to 14 points.

In the slow-paced NCAA game, it is not easy to make up for such a score difference.

The most important thing is that Connecticut scored both inside and outside, and all the players on the court scored, while Cincinnati's collective inaccuracy made the game almost unsuspenseful.

Clay Lee played for 8 minutes and 42 seconds in the first half, made 4 of 4 shots, and scored 8 points, 1 rebound and 4 assists.

With the advantage in the interior, the team completed more attacks close to the basket, which coach Calhoun was very satisfied with. The opponent failed to make an effective transition attack throughout the half.

During the halftime break, the Cincinnati fans who flew to Lexington specially looked very disappointed. Watching the game live could make them feel the opponent's talent even more. They were completely crushed.

"It looks like there will be new faces in this year's Final Four. The University of Connecticut is worthy of being the top seed. Maybe they have a chance to win the championship!"

Jim Nantz started to make bad predictions again. This veteran sports reporter just likes teams with good talent. In his mind, Cincinnati is out.

Billy Parker just smiled. He has always been more optimistic about the University of Kentucky, which has always crushed its opponents in the championship:

"Winning the championship is not an easy thing, but in a decisive game, anything is possible. This is the charm of the NCAA."

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After the start of the second half, Cincinnati did not give up, still trying to catch up and trying to speed up the offensive rhythm.

However, they missed consecutive shots from the outside and were easily scored by the steady University of Connecticut.

Big man Knight completely dominated the inside in this game. With a stable 2 points, the score difference was widened to 20 points in less than 5 minutes.

In Rupp Arena, fans of the University of Connecticut jumped and cheered loudly. Everyone had already begun to celebrate the team's history-making entry into the semi-finals!

Coach Calhoun was very cautious and did not expand the rotation despite the huge score difference.

Lee's playing time has increased, but after he came on the court, he was more responsible for organizing the offense, slowing down the pace, and passing the ball to the inside.

One side was anxiously speeding up, while the other side was playing slower and slower, and the game time passed quickly.

Many Cincinnati fans at the scene were already covering their faces and crying.

As the final buzzer sounded, everyone at the University of Connecticut rushed to the center of the field, huddled together, and shouted happily along with the fans.

60:77, Southeast Regional Finals, Connecticut defeated Cincinnati and successfully entered the final four!

Danny Fortson was in tears. As the core of Cincinnati, he only scored 12 points in this game with 5 of 17 shots.

And most of the points were scored in the second half. The score gap was widened in the first half, largely because he was too strong.

The entire arena was filled with the excited shouts of Connecticut fans.

Lee smiled and hugged Calhoun, and the veteran coach who had coached at the University of Connecticut for 10 years also burst into tears of joy:

"We will win the championship! The semi-finals is just the beginning!"

Patting the good old man on the shoulder, Lee could understand Coach Calhoun's feelings at the moment.

Connecticut has been unable to recruit talented players, and its best result in the past was being eliminated in the quarterfinals.

Calhoun, who has been running around for the team for many years, has been rewarded this year.

"Thanks to your performance, Lee, you're going to be a big star!"

Head coach Calhoun suppressed his emotions and patted Lee on the shoulder.

These players were all recruited and trained by him personally, and he sincerely hoped that everyone could succeed.

On March 24, the top four teams of the NCAA tournament were announced:

In the Eastern Conference, the University of Massachusetts defeated Georgetown 86:62 and successfully advanced as the top seed.

Marcus Camby of the University of Massachusetts played 28 minutes, made 9 of 19 shots, scored 22 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 3 blocks.

Allen Iverson, who was highly expected, played for 36 minutes, made 6 of 21 shots, and scored 23 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals and 5 turnovers with a hit rate of less than 30%.

Despite the poor statistics, most media still praised Iverson's hard-working spirit on the court.

In the Midwest Regional Final, 63:83, the University of Kentucky defeated Wake Forest by 20 points!

Tim Duncan, who was highly expected, played 39 minutes, made 2 of 7 shots, and scored 14 points, 16 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 4 blocks, and 5 turnovers.

Another star player, Antoine Walker, made 3 of 11 shots and had a poor performance, scoring only 9 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal.

The two star players failed to play the matchup that everyone expected, but Kentucky guard Tony Delk played well:

He made 9 of 13 shots, 5 of 7 from beyond the three-point line, and scored 25 points efficiently, stealing the limelight from the other two.

In the Western Conference final, Syracuse University defeated its opponent 60:57 with difficulty and reached the semi-finals for the third time in team history.

Coupled with Connecticut's big win over its Southeast Region rival, there are two new faces in this year's Final Four!

Both Macheng University and Connecticut have created the best record in team history. For the semi-finals, the four teams will fly to Rutherford, New Jersey.

The national semifinals and finals will be held at the Continental Airlines Arena.

In the semifinals, Connecticut's opponent is Syracuse University. There is still some time before the 30th, and coach Calhoun also gave the players a day off.

Due to NCAA regulations, players are not allowed to accept any gifts in any form. Therefore, even Ray Allen, who is about to become a millionaire, does not have much US dollars.

Agent Mark Bartelstein naturally followed the whole process and stayed in Lexington for the past few days.

Seeing the University of Connecticut advance to the semi-finals made me very happy.

In the regional finals, Lee made 6 of 7 shots, 1 of 2 from beyond the three-point line, and 2 of 2 free throws, efficiently scoring 15 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals and 1 turnover.

This performance has surpassed many star players who are the favorites for the draft, and Mark Bartelstein is very satisfied with it.

Even if he was bullying a weak opponent, being able to put up such a performance shows Lee's strength.

However, the military exercises on the other side of the ocean two days ago gave the agent a bad feeling.

At lunch time on the 24th, Mark Bartelstein made a special appointment with Lee.

Looking at the boy in front of him eating meat, he said pointedly:

"Lee, have you been paying attention to the news these days? You know, as you advance to the semi-finals, you may encounter some social issues, not just from the sports media."

Without waiting for the other party to finish speaking, Lee raised his eyebrows and immediately said,

"Taiwan issue? No one will come to ask me what I think about this matter. I'm just a college player. Is it my turn to express my opinion on this matter?"

Mark Bartelstein didn't expect that Lee really knew about this. He was a little surprised, and then smiled and reminded:

"Be prepared, Lee, you should understand your situation!"

Lee continued to eat meat with big mouthfuls, and responded without raising his head:

"I don't have a strong opinion on the political status of Taiwan."

"Let's talk about something else. What do you think of this weather?"

Lee clearly didn't want to discuss this sensitive issue. He just want to play basketball and earn money.

Noticing Mark Bartelstein's helpless expression, Lee secretly complained in his heart:

"The ABCs who came here are not human. I just want to make money while standing!"