Chapitre 39: Chapter 39: Boos from the Away Fans
May 7th, clear skies.
The Suns flew to San Antonio to face the Spurs in their first playoff game.
As soon as Wade Dong arrived in San Antonio, he suddenly remembered something.
In his previous life, Derrick Rose had suffered a career-ending injury in the first round of the playoffs—a torn left ACL. This injury not only changed the course of the playoffs but also had a significant impact on Rose's career. After that injury, Rose never returned to his peak form, and the Chicago Bulls suffered as a result.
If Rose hadn't been injured, the competition would have been even more exciting.
Although the two timelines seemed unrelated, Wade Dong still felt it was necessary to warn Rose. Fortunately, Rose had called him half a month ago, and Wade Dong had saved his number.
"Hey, Wade Dong."
Rose was surprised to receive a call from Wade Dong before the game.
Half a month ago, Rose had watched Wade Dong's game stats and tried to recruit him, but failed. At the time, Rose was a bit frustrated, but Wade Dong's subsequent performance made Rose realize that Wade Dong was destined to become a superstar. Rose gave up on the idea of recruiting him.
After the call connected, Wade Dong asked, "Are you playing against the 76ers tonight?"
Rose replied, "Yes, aren't you playing against the Spurs?"
Wade Dong said, "Yes, can you promise me something? If you're leading by more than ten points with a minute and a half left in the game, don't go back on the court."
"Hmm?"
Rose was puzzled and asked, "Why?"
Wade Dong smiled, "In the last two minutes of the game, everyone's energy is at its limit, and it's easy to get injured. If you're leading by double digits, there's no need to take the risk."
"Thank you for your concern!"
Rose was a bit confused but still said, "I promise. I hope the Suns can make it to the Finals this year. I want to face you in the Finals."
"Sure."
Wade Dong smiled and hung up the phone.
He couldn't explain more, and he could only warn Rose this much. If Rose still got injured, there was nothing Wade Dong could do but regret the loss of a worthy opponent.
...
Since Wade Dong joined the Suns, they had a record of nine wins and one loss, including a six-game winning streak against strong Western Conference teams.
Nash had rested for three games due to injury, so the Suns had essentially made the playoffs under Wade Dong's leadership. This was already a significant achievement.
CCTV-5 also adjusted their broadcast schedule for the playoffs, ensuring that all Suns games would be televised.
Before the game, in the CCTV-5 studio:
Zhang (Commentator): "I heard that Teacher Yu has a new nickname, 'East Fan'?"
Yu: "Haha... I don't deny it. I think Wade Dong has all the qualities of a superstar."
Zhang: "But Wade Dong's game experience is still lacking. The playoffs are different from the regular season."
Yu: "Zhang, what do you think about this game?"
Zhang: "The addition of Iverson has increased the depth of the Suns' roster. However, compared to the experienced Spurs, the Suns' roster on paper is still slightly inferior. To win this series, they need some tricks up their sleeve."
Yu: "I think with Wade Dong, anything is possible!"
Zhang: "The game is about to start. Let's watch the game..."
...
The warm-up was over, and the fans had entered the arena, filling every seat.
This arena was familiar to Wade Dong. A week ago, he had scored 61 points here, leading the Suns to victory almost single-handedly.
The players were ready to enter the court, and the arena DJ loudly introduced them:
"Please welcome the Suns... Number 3, Allen Iverson!"
"...Number 13, Steve Nash!"
"Number 7, Wade Dong!!!"
Wade Dong entered the court to a chorus of boos from the Spurs fans.
Nash laughed, "It looks like the Spurs fans aren't very friendly towards you."
"That's because I scored 61 points in their home arena. They feel like I embarrassed them," Wade Dong said calmly. The boos from the fans didn't affect his mindset at all.
The entire arena was filled with Spurs fans, except for a small section of Suns fans. Some were fans of Nash, Iverson, and Hill, while others were Chinese fans, all of whom were Wade Dong's supporters.
Spurs starting lineup: Duncan, Parker, Leonard, Jefferson, Blair
Suns starting lineup: Nash, Hill, Wade Dong, Gortat, Morris
"Beep!!!"
The referee blew the whistle, and the game officially began.
Gortat and Duncan jumped for the tip-off, and Gortat tipped the ball to Nash. The Spurs began their defense.
Wade Dong called for the ball, and Leonard guarded him.
Wade Dong first tested Leonard with a step, then spun around and hit a fadeaway jumper over Leonard's defense.
Leonard was there, but his fingertips were just short of the ball.
"Swish!!!"
The ball went through the net, and the score was 0:2.
Popovich watched Wade Dong's shot and thought he had figured him out. Wade Dong didn't choose the same aggressive style as last time. Although he scored 61 points last time, he was exhausted by the fourth quarter. This time, Wade Dong was smarter and chose a more relaxed shooting style to conserve his energy.
"This shot is for you," Wade Dong said to the Spurs fans after scoring, shrugging his shoulders arrogantly.
"Defense! Defense! Defense!"
The Spurs fans gritted their teeth but couldn't do anything about Wade Dong. They chanted "Defense" in unison, hoping to see the Spurs teach Wade Dong a lesson.
After Wade Dong scored, the Spurs responded. Parker drove past Nash and dished the ball to Jefferson, who finished with an easy layup.
Both teams traded baskets, and with three minutes left in the first quarter, the score was 23:21 in favor of the Spurs.
Iverson replaced Nash.
When Iverson entered the game, the Spurs fans didn't boo. Instead, they all stood up and applauded.
For this superstar who hadn't played in almost a year, the Spurs fans showed their respect.
It seemed that the Spurs fans' boos were reserved for Wade Dong alone.
This was understandable, as Wade Dong had scored 61 points in this arena, which the fans couldn't accept.
After Iverson entered the game, Wade Dong started playing as a point guard, while Iverson focused on scoring.
Iverson was known as a combo guard.
Wade Dong could also be considered a combo guard, with even stronger scoring and playmaking abilities.
Wade Dong dribbled the ball, attracting the defense, and found Iverson open on the wing. He faked a pass and then dished the ball to Iverson.
"Swish!!!"
Iverson caught the ball and hit a pull-up jumper, reminiscent of his old form. The ball went through the net.
23:23! The Suns tied the game.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone