Chapter 320: Chapter 320: The Final 23 Seconds
"Coach, Brother Dong will definitely win the game.
"Coach, have some water..."
"Coach, don't let it get to you."
The players on the bench quickly comforted Alvin Gentry and sat him down, while Varejao unscrewed the lid of his thermos.
Gentry grumbled, "This is our home court. We're not asking for home-court advantage, but at least the referees should be fair!"
Actually... Sometimes James' layups can't be called too strictly!
SWISH!
Chris Paul made the technical free throw, adding another point for the Heat.
58-52!
Not only did the Suns fail to reduce the deficit at the start of the second half, but the lead grew even larger!
Spoelstra was treating this game as a preview of the NBA Finals.
So, Spoelstra didn't dare to rest his Big Five, and they played until there were only three minutes left in the third quarter before he subbed out Chris Paul and Chris Bosh.
79-65!
The Suns trailed by 14 points, but they still subbed in their bench players.
Gentry said, "Brother Dong, take a three-minute rest. You'll play the entire fourth quarter!"
"Okay..."
Wade Dong replied.
The Heat kept LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Carmelo Anthony on the court, while the Suns' lineup was now Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, Klay Thompson, P.J. Tucker, and Marcin Gortat.
The Suns attacked.
Tracy McGrady dribbled to the frontcourt, faked a move, and pulled up for a jump shot.
However, McGrady didn't choose to shoot himself. Instead, he passed to Marcin Gortat in mid-air, and Gortat, with a nimble step, evaded Udonis Haslem and scored a layup.
Haslem was stunned, "Dream Shake? When did you learn that?"
The Heat and the Suns had faced off twice in the NBA Finals, and Haslem had often guarded Gortat, but he had never seen Gortat use the Dream Shake.
"It's not Hakeem Olajuwon's Dream Shake, it's the Dream Shake taught by Brother Dong!"
Gortat responded and turned to run back on defense.
...
The Heat attacked.
Dwyane Wade accelerated, breaking through Carter's defense with a Euro step layup!
However, as Wade released the shot, he was disturbed by Gortat, and the shot missed. Carter rushed to the basket and secured the rebound.
"Get back on defense!"
LeBron James waved, signaling his teammates to retreat quickly.
Carter dribbled to the frontcourt and passed to Tracy McGrady, who then passed to Marcin Gortat. The Heat's interior defense was now the aging Udonis Haslem, who struggled to contain Gortat. So, Carmelo Anthony's attention shifted to Gortat, ready to provide help defense.
WHOOSH~
Gortat didn't go for a one-on-one move but passed the ball back to Tracy McGrady!
SWISH!
McGrady received the pass and pulled up for a three-pointer.
SWISH!
The ball swished through the net.
79-70!
With this almost pure bench lineup, the Suns narrowed the gap to within 10 points.
...
The third quarter ended.
83-75!
The Suns trailed by 8 points.
...
At the start of the fourth quarter, the Heat's Big Five all took the court, and the Suns also subbed in Wade Dong, Kevin Durant, and the others.
"The most crucial quarter!"
Everyone understood the importance of this quarter, and the game was being broadcast live across M Country, capturing the attention of all basketball fans.
"Suns, go!"
"Suns, go!"
"Suns, go!"
The home crowd cheered for the Suns.
LeBron James drove and dished to Carmelo Anthony for a mid-range jumper!
Wade Dong drove past three defenders for a layup!
Chris Paul hit a three-pointer!
Kevin Durant made a 3-point play!
...
With just 57 seconds left in the game, both teams had one timeout remaining.
107-102!
The Suns trailed by 5 points, and the Heat had possession.
The home crowd was tense...
"We can't lose this game," Wade Dong muttered to himself as he stepped up to defend James, using the 'Prophecy Potion'. The next scene flashed through Wade Dong's mind.
"Damn..."
Wade Dong sighed at what he saw.
James would choose to isolate him and force a three-pointer.
However, James' shooting arc was incredibly high, and even with the 'Prophecy Potion', Wade Dong couldn't think of a way to disrupt this shot.
"Swish! Swish! Swish!"
James dribbled between his legs, then lifted the ball for a three-pointer!
This wasn't a fake move!
Wade Dong knew exactly what James was going to do, but James protected the ball well, and Wade Dong couldn't disrupt the shot without fouling.
SWISH!
The ball grazed Wade Dong's fingertips and bounced off the rim into the basket.
110-102!
"Ah!"
After the shot, James pounded his chest and roared!
He was finally about to defeat Wade Dong.
"Hurry up with the pass..."
Wade Dong urged Marcin Gortat, who was taking his time inbounding the ball. After receiving the pass, Wade Dong dribbled to the frontcourt and pulled up for a three-pointer from just inside the three-point line.
SWISH!
Just seconds after James' celebration, Wade Dong hit a three-pointer!
110-105!
There were only 39 seconds left in the game.
The Heat inbounded the ball, and Chris Paul slowly dribbled to the frontcourt, running down the clock!
"Double-team!"
Wade Dong signaled to Kevin Durant, who rushed to double-team Paul. Paul passed to Dwyane Wade, who then passed to Carmelo Anthony.
SWISH~
Anthony's shot was off, and Hasheem Thabeet grabbed the rebound.
"Timeout!"
Alvin Gentry immediately called a timeout, with 23 seconds left in the game and the Suns trailing by 5 points.
Gentry first set up the players' positions, then said, "Try to find Brother Dong on the inbound pass. If Brother Dong is double-teamed, pass to Kevin Durant or Stephen Curry, and they should shoot immediately without hesitation!"
"Okay."
The players nodded.
Wade Dong added, "Whether the Heat calls a timeout or not, as soon as they inbound the ball, foul them to send them to the free-throw line and don't waste time."
The Heat's Big Five had all played over 40 minutes.
If the game went into overtime, it would be Wade Dong's time to shine.
The timeout ended!
Tracy McGrady stood at the free-throw line, while Kevin Durant, Wade Dong, Stephen Curry, and Klay Thompson started moving into position.
The three-point shooting ability of these four players made it impossible for the Heat to leave any of them open, so Wade Dong eventually broke free from James' defense and received the inbound pass.
At the moment he caught the pass, Wade Dong was still facing away from the basket!
But as soon as he caught the ball, Wade Dong jumped and forcefully turned 180 degrees in mid-air. James didn't dare to foul, and he watched as Wade Dong shot a three-pointer!
SWISH!
Wade Dong released the shot and fell to the ground.
SWISH!
The ball swished through the net.
110-108!
The arena fell silent for a moment, then the fans erupted in cheers, "Brother Dong! Brother Dong! Brother Dong!"
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