Capítulo 129: Unbelievable Dunk
James cut to the inside using a screen from Varejao and finished with a powerful dunk.
But Lian Dao responded quickly. Drawing the defense towards him, he penetrated the lane and kicked the ball out to Wilson Chandler, who was waiting in the corner behind the three-point line.
Chandler didn't hesitate, launching a three-pointer.
4:12.
At this point, head coach Mike Brown called a timeout. He needed to reassess his strategy.
Mike Brown is known for his defensive prowess. He served as an assistant coach under Gregg Popovich with the Spurs, where he earned high praise from the legendary coach.
While Brown's defensive schemes are solid, his offensive approach has often been criticized. However, facing a player as talented as Lian Dao, Brown now understood the challenges other coaches faced when dealing with James.
What troubled Coach Brown most was that the rookie on the opposing team seemed to have even more offensive weapons than James.
Lian Dao could penetrate the defense, shoot threes, and deliver unpredictable passes—leaving Brown genuinely concerned.
In the end, he decided to implement a double-team strategy.
When Mike Brown suggested the double-team, James initially wanted to argue that he could handle the defense on his own. But seeing the score and their current deficit, he remained silent, though his expression grew darker.
The center position was another headache. It was becoming clear that Shaquille O'Neal wasn't an ideal matchup against the Knicks.
At 37 years old, O'Neal, despite his veteran experience, was showing signs of wear. You couldn't expect more from a player his age, even one who still managed to average 12 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.
So, Mike Brown made the decision to sub out O'Neal. He didn't turn to Big Z either, as his slow footwork was just as much of a liability on the court.
He glanced at J.J. Hickson on the bench, conflicted. Hickson had outstanding athleticism, excellent finishing ability, and a knack for drawing fouls.
He also had a mid-range shot, though it was inconsistent. His rebounding was strong, but his defense left much to be desired—he struggled with help defense and shot-blocking.
As a defense-first coach, Mike Brown wasn't keen on putting Hickson in, but he had no choice. Varejao would move to the center spot, and Hickson would take over at power forward.
After the timeout, the Knicks stuck with their original lineup.
The game resumed, and the Cavaliers continued to show their strength with LeBron James, Varejao, and Mo Williams leading the charge.
This was before Antawn Jamison was traded to Cleveland. Had he already been on the team, the Cavaliers would have been even more formidable.
As long as they didn't face a speed-oriented team, the Cavaliers' twin towers remained a formidable force.
James, Varejao, and Williams were now the Cavaliers' primary offensive weapons.
Varejao constantly set pick-and-roll screens for James, then cut to the basket, catching passes for easy layups.
Whenever the Knicks let their guard down, the Cavaliers capitalized on it.
This time, Mo Williams managed to shake off Chris Duhon with a well-timed cut, receiving a pass from James and nailing a three-pointer.
On the other end, Lian Dao took control of the ball outside the arc, with Millsap setting a pick for him.
Lian Dao accelerated toward the paint, but J.J. Hickson and Varejao quickly closed in to double-team him.
In the midst of the chaos, Lian Dao made a slick behind-the-back pass, covertly feeding Millsap, who was wide open.
Millsap calmly caught the ball and took the shot.
As the first quarter ticked away, the game remained neck-and-neck.
Mo Williams unexpectedly caught fire from beyond the arc, draining consecutive three-pointers off passes from James.
With less than two minutes remaining in the first quarter, the score stood at 22:26, with the Knicks holding a narrow four-point lead.
James broke through the defense again and dished the ball to J.J. Hickson. Wide open and ready to shoot, Hickson prepared for a mid-range jumper.
But with the defenders focused on James, Hickson was left unguarded as he received the ball.
However, Hickson's mid-range shot was unreliable, so he took a moment to adjust before releasing the ball.
Suddenly, a shadow loomed over him, and in an instant, Lian Dao soared into the air, snatching the ball right out of Hickson's hands mid-shot.
Yes, he grabbed it!
Number 1, Lian Dao!
"Lian Dao just jumped too high, he even caught the block," Director Zhang exclaimed.
Before the words were fully out of his mouth, Lian Dao was already sprinting down the court, dribbling past half court.
With the ball in one hand, Lian Dao gathered just outside the three-point line and took off.
"Isn't it too early for Lian Dao to make his move?"
"What is he planning?"
Director Zhang and Yu Jia stared in amazement as Lian Dao, with two quick strides, launched himself from just inside the free-throw line.
He soared through the air, raising the ball high with one hand.
"Boom!"
A thunderous tomahawk dunk from the free-throw line.
"This guy's physical abilities are unreal!"
Director Zhang shook his head in disbelief as Lian Dao completed the spectacular dunk.
Yu Jia was momentarily speechless, but after a brief pause, he couldn't help but exclaim, "In terms of physical prowess, Lian Dao is definitely at the pinnacle among Asian athletes!"
"A dunk from the free-throw line—something usually reserved for the Slam Dunk Contest. The number of people who can pull that off is incredibly small."
He trailed off, shaking his head in disbelief. "It's just... beyond words."
"Simply put, the sky's the limit for him!" Director Zhang chimed in.
Yu Jia nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, the fans at Madison Square Garden were in a frenzy, chanting Lian Dao's name with wild enthusiasm.
"MVP!"
"MVP!"
"MVP!"
J.J. Hickson was still rooted in place, unable to process the sheer audacity of Lian Dao's block and subsequent dunk. It was as if he'd been toyed with.
"Oh, Sickle just snatched that shot like taking candy from a baby!" Barkley remarked on Lian Dao's jaw-dropping block.
Although Barkley had made some spectacular blocks during his career, he had never seen such a dominant, talent-crushing block from the perimeter.
The Cavaliers returned to offense.
Once again, Lian Dao stepped up, blocking LeBron James' powerful drive, forcing him into a missed mid-range shot.
David Lee secured the rebound and quickly passed it to Lian Dao, who then dished it off to Chris Duhon.
It wasn't that Lian Dao didn't want to push the fast break, but after absorbing James' bulldozer-like impact, he was catching his breath.
This was the first time Lian Dao had faced such a physically imposing player in his position, and he knew he'd be feeling it tomorrow morning—bruises and all.
So, he passed the ball to Chris Duhon to buy himself a moment to recover.
Back on offense, Lian Dao received the ball outside the three-point line from Duhon. He called for a pick-and-roll with Millsap, creating a mismatch against J.J. Hickson, the Cavaliers' weak link on defense.
"Boom!"
Lian Dao dribbled forcefully, accelerating past Hickson on the right.
Hickson scrambled to slide over and cut him off.
But Lian Dao suddenly stopped, crossed the ball between his legs, and took a step back.
Hickson tried to adjust, but his momentum betrayed him. He lost his balance and ended up on the floor.
With a cool glance at Hickson, Lian Dao calmly took the three-point shot from beyond the arc.
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