章 442: Chapter 442: Coach, I Want to Play Basketball
Kevin Durant had already returned to the bench, despite feeling in good condition. However, the entire Suns team was against him playing with an injury.
Wade Dong and Chris Bosh stood in the center circle, ready to jump for the tip-off.
"Beep!!!"
As the referee blew the whistle, the basketball was tossed into the air. ✮✱
Wade Dong and Bosh jumped simultaneously. Wade Dong, who was shorter in height, arm span, and neck length compared to Bosh, managed to touch the ball first and passed it to Stephen Curry.
Curry dribbled the ball near the three-point line and then passed it to Wade Dong. Tracy McGrady, who replaced Durant in the starting lineup, demonstrated that the Suns' tactics remained unchanged, and their small-ball strategy was fully implemented.
The Suns' ball movement was swift, and after Wade Dong received the pass, he quickly passed it to McGrady. McGrady made a mid-range shot, and as Klay Thompson ran off the ball to draw the Heat's defense, McGrady passed the ball back to Wade Dong, who then took a quick stop and shot.
"Swish!!!"
Wade Dong's mid-range jump shot found nothing but net.
2:0!!!
In the fourth game of the Finals, Wade Dong displayed his killer instinct from the start of the game.
"MVP!"
"MVP!"
"MVP!"
After Wade Dong's basket, the away fans chanted 'MVP' in unison, cheering for him.
From this moment on, Wade Dong seemed to have become the true number one player in the league. In the Finals arena, he enjoyed the cheers of the away fans, a privilege even Jordan had never experienced.
The fans' support somewhat affected the Heat's performance.
The fans were simple; they just loved watching Wade Dong play and also wanted the Heat to win. These two desires didn't seem to conflict, and the previous game had left the away fans very satisfied, so much so that they chased the Suns' team bus for a long time.
But would Wade Dong fulfill the fans' wishes again today?
LeBron James missed his shot, and Draymond Green secured the defensive rebound.
Wade Dong dribbled to the frontcourt, drove and dished the ball to Curry beyond the three-point line. Curry received the pass and took a three-point shot!
"Swish!!!"
The ball went straight through the net.
5:0!!!
After scoring, Curry signaled the number '3' with his fingers and ran back to the backcourt!
In this crucial fourth game, the Suns were brimming with confidence. Curry, McGrady, and Thompson had all scored, and Green had also grabbed two offensive rebounds in his matchup with Bosh.
17:13!!!
Five minutes into the game, the Suns led by four points. Wade Dong had taken three shots, all mid-range, and scored six points.
However, Wade Dong's subsequent three-point attempt missed...
"Awww..."
The fans in the arena sighed as Wade Dong's shot didn't go in.
Although they knew it was impossible, everyone desperately wanted to see Wade Dong continue his incredible performance from the previous game, where he had made 29 out of 29 shots.
"What a pity..."
Kobe Bryant said to Allen Iverson, "I came here today to witness a 100% field goal percentage in person."
Iverson replied, "For ordinary players, having one such game would exhaust their luck for a lifetime. A 100% field goal percentage is extremely difficult, and even Wade Dong couldn't achieve it in two consecutive games, especially in the Finals."
...
After Wade Dong's missed shot, Green grabbed the offensive rebound.
Green was undoubtedly a qualified 'little brother.' His performance on the court tonight could be described as 'desperate.' This was because of Wade Dong's words a few days ago about wanting to win the championship early and then return to Huaxia to get married. Tonight, Green was giving it his all to ensure that he didn't delay Dong's plan to marry Li Jiajia.
After grabbing the offensive rebound, Green passed the ball back to Wade Dong, who was beyond the three-point line.
"Swish!!!"
At the same spot, it was impossible for Wade Dong to miss twice in a row.
20:13!!!
Erik Spoelstra called a timeout. It was only halfway through the first quarter, and the Heat were already trailing by seven points, and Durant wasn't even on the court... This was unacceptable.
"Don't you guys want to win the championship?!"
Spoelstra shouted, "I see Green grabbing four offensive rebounds in six minutes, and this is how you protect the rebounds? Is this your championship spirit?!"
"I don't want to see any more lost rebounds!"
The Heat's biggest problem was losing consecutive defensive rebounds, giving the Suns second-chance opportunities.
...
After the timeout, Chris Paul organized the offense. The ball was passed around and ended up in James' hands, who scored on a layup.
20:15!!!
Subsequently, Thompson missed a shot, and Anthony, Bosh, and James all positioned themselves for an offensive rebound, but this time, Green fought for the rebound again.
"Rebounding is more about attitude than talent!"
Wade Dong often said this to Green, and Green had demonstrated it tonight.
Green grabbed the offensive rebound, and Anthony reached out to try and take the ball from Green, but the two got entangled.
"Beep!!!"
The referee blew the whistle and called for a jump ball.
Wade Dong stepped forward, pointed at the referee, and questioned, "Is this a jump ball? Anthony almost grabbed Green's XX!"
The referee was confused, "??"
Wade Dong's questioning didn't change the referee's decision.
In the jump ball between Anthony and Green, Green lost, and the Heat gained possession. Paul dribbled to the frontcourt, faked a pass to Curry, and then bounced the ball to Anthony, who drove to the basket.
"Slap!"
Green defended by slapping Anthony's arm, knocking the ball away and also hurting Anthony.
After the foul, Anthony pointed at Green's nose and threatened, "Are you looking for trouble?!"
"Huh?!"
Green didn't back down and stepped forward, getting in Anthony's face.
The tension between the two sides escalated...
In the first quarter, Alvin Gentry also made a few substitutions, bringing in Hassan Whiteside, Yi Nan, and CJ McCollum for a few minutes. By the end of the first quarter, the Suns still maintained a seven-point lead.
...
"Everyone is playing well. Keep up the momentum!"
Gentry finally felt at ease tonight. As he explained the tactics, he took sips of hot tea from his thermos.
"Pay attention to help defense in the paint. Don't let the Heat score easily in the paint. If you can't stop them, just foul. We have plenty of players, and I'll reward anyone who fouls out with a thousand dollars!"
"Okay! Let's go!"
The Suns were full of energy tonight, which made Durant anxious. He stepped forward and said, "Coach, I want to play basketball!"
"Take a rest. Don't risk aggravating your injury."
Gentry comforted him, "Your condition is crucial. If we beat the Heat tonight, the next game will be our chance to win the three-peat!"
Only the Suns could afford to do this. If it were any other team, they would probably force Durant to play, even if it meant playing through an injury.
After all, this was the Finals.
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