Capítulo 374: Chapter 374: Dramatic Victory
Wade Dong grabbed the ball, and Aldridge didn't dare to foul him.
"Defend! Defend! Defend!"
Coach Stotts shouted from the sidelines, "Don't let the Suns score!"
Wade Dong dribbled up the court.
The Trail Blazers' players hadn't set up their defense yet, so Wade Dong crossed the ball behind his back, getting past Matthews. He took a step back near the free-throw line, then used the Eurostep to shake off Lillard and Batum.
Gortat and Aldridge were under the basket!
The three players who had been crossed over also rushed to the basket to try to stop Wade Dong from scoring.
But after jumping, Wade Dong turned in mid-air between Aldridge and Gortat and made a reverse layup!
"Swish!"
The ball swished through the net.
A one-on-five play!
Suns 117, Trail Blazers 114!
"Oh yeah!"
The fans erupted in cheers, chanting, "MVP! MVP! MVP!"
"Sigh..."
Coach Gentry let out a soft sigh.
Why was he so calm when they were down by 12 points? Because they had Wade Dong!
Wade Dong's one-on-five play had been seen before from players like Jordan, Kobe, Iverson, and even Carter and McGrady had their moments of glory.
But only Wade Dong made it look effortless, perhaps due to his natural talent.
Aldridge missed another shot!
Wade Dong grabbed the defensive rebound and passed the ball to Curry, who dribbled up the court. Batum, who was back on defense, tried to stop Curry from driving to the basket.
But Curry pulled up for a three-pointer from beyond the arc!
"Swish!"
The ball swished through the net.
Suns 117, Trail Blazers 117!
Curry's three-pointer tied the game.
"Timeout..."
Coach Stotts immediately called a timeout.
Curry shrugged his shoulders as he walked towards the center circle, and his wrist followed the rhythm of the music, first raising one finger, then two, and finally three!
This was Curry's new celebration move.
"Awesome, bro!"
"Awesome, bro!"
"Awesome, bro!"
Green and Durant ran over to chest-bump Curry. After the Suns had trailed by 12 points, they managed to tie the game with Curry's three-pointer.
...
With 57 seconds left in the game, the score was tied!
Both teams had a chance to win, but the Suns had erased a 12-point deficit in just a minute and a half, and the momentum was clearly on their side.
After the timeout...
Lillard missed a three-pointer, and Gortat fought for the offensive rebound.
Seeing Wade Dong coming to defend him, Gortat passed the ball to Matthews, who was beyond the three-point line.
"Gooo..."
Matthews' three-pointer missed.
Durant grabbed the defensive rebound and dribbled up the court alone. He then passed the ball to Wade Dong.
"Swish!"
Wade Dong raised his hand and made a three-pointer.
Suns 117, Trail Blazers 120!
The Suns took the lead.
The Trail Blazers had been stunned by the Suns' starters in the last three minutes. One significant reason was that the Suns' players had rested for over ten minutes, and their energy had mostly recovered.
On the other hand, the Trail Blazers' starters had played almost the entire game.
After Lillard missed another three-pointer, Wade Dong grabbed the defensive rebound.
...
The Trail Blazers quickly pushed the ball up the court, but Carter was still in the backcourt. So, after grabbing the defensive rebound, Wade Dong swung his arm and passed the ball to the frontcourt.
Carter caught the pass and took a step back near the free-throw line before slamming home a dunk!
"Carter!"
"Carter!"
"Carter!"
Every time Carter dunked, the fans cheered for him.
Suns 117, Trail Blazers 122!
With less than 40 seconds left in the game, the Trail Blazers had no chance of taking the lead.
"Buzz!"
The final whistle blew, and the game was over.
Suns 119, Trail Blazers 126!
The Suns defeated the Trail Blazers at home.
In the final moments of the game, the Trail Blazers employed a foul tactic, sending Wade Dong to the free-throw line twice, essentially giving away 4 points.
The game's stats:
Wade Dong: 37 points, 13 rebounds, 9 assists, 4 steals, 5 blocks.
Durant: 21 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks.
Curry: 23 points, 1 rebound, 6 assists, 2 steals, 1 block.
McCollum: 12 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 0 blocks.
Lillard: 41 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, 0 blocks.
Aldridge: 27 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 block.
Gortat: 21 points, 15 rebounds, 3 assists, 0 steals, 2 blocks.
Frye: 11 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 0 steals, 0 blocks.
...
The game was close because the Suns had played their bench players for 12 minutes in the second half, and the Trail Blazers had completed an incredible comeback, turning a 21-point deficit into a 12-point lead.
However, the game's drama was too strong. When Wade Dong and the others returned to the court, the Trail Blazers' starters were exhausted and couldn't stop Wade Dong from scoring, ultimately losing the game.
Aside from Lillard and Aldridge, the Trail Blazers' best performers were Gortat and Frye. Gortat's 21 points and 15 rebounds were almost as good as Aldridge's performance, and if Coach Stotts hadn't substituted Frye for Matthews in the final moments, the Trail Blazers might have had a chance to win.
As for McCollum and Barton, their performances were far from impressive.
In the first half, McCollum's four-for-four from beyond the arc was impressive, but in the second half, when he was on the court with Whiteside, Tucker, Barton, and Varejao, he didn't know how to play.
After the game, the players from both teams shook hands amicably.
Aldridge said to Wade Dong, "Brother Dong, it doesn't feel good to go from teammates to opponents."
"Huh?"
Wade Dong was taken aback before smiling and asking, "Are you talking about the All-Star Weekend?"
Aldridge nodded, "Yes, the passes you gave me during the All-Star Game are still unforgettable."
"Hahaha..."
Wade Dong laughed and patted Aldridge's shoulder.
As he turned away, Wade Dong furrowed his brows slightly. He had no recollection of passing to Aldridge during the All-Star Game...
After the game, Coach Stotts and Coach Gentry had a brief conversation.
Coach Stotts, "Coach Gentry, your decision to rest your starters in the fourth quarter was brilliant."
"Ah, hahaha..."
Coach Gentry chuckled and humbly replied, "Every player's stamina is different. During the game, not only do you have to set up tactics, but you also need to pay attention to the players' energy levels and allocate their playing time accordingly."
Estado de energía semanal
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