Capítulo 134: Chapter 134: The Buzzer-Beater
"Slap!"
"Slap!"
"Slap!"
James dribbled the ball steadily. Although James was fast and had a larger build than Wade Dong, breaking through Wade Dong's defense was still difficult.
"Time is running out!"
With 18 seconds of the 24-second shot clock gone, Wade Dong knew James was about to make his move.
James used his power to drive straight at Wade Dong, and this time, their strength was evenly matched.
However, James managed to push into the three-point line and suddenly executed a quick stop and step-back.
This move was clumsy and not aesthetically pleasing, but it was effective. It gave James a split second to shoot as Wade Dong tried to recover.
James shot a three-pointer from just outside the arc.
The ball flew almost flat but very fast, not giving the fans much time to react before it swished through the net.
118:117!!!
The Heat took a one-point lead, leaving the Suns with just three seconds to score.
"Wow!!!"
The fans erupted, already celebrating the victory.
Wade also excitedly ran towards James, and they chest-bumped.
"Timeout!!!"
Coach Gentry called a timeout to set up the final play.
...
Coach Spoelstra also brought out his tactical board.
The Heat players gathered around him.
Spoelstra said, "Although the Suns only have three seconds left, we can't be careless. So far, Wade Dong has never missed a buzzer-beater. So, Coach Gentry will definitely give the final shot to Wade Dong."
"We need to focus on defending Wade Dong, not letting him easily receive the ball. Most importantly, no fouls! No fouls! No fouls!"
Spoelstra emphasized "no fouls" three times because both teams had reached the bonus, and with only three seconds left and the Heat leading by one point, fouling would essentially give the Suns free throws and a chance to win.
"The final shot must be passed to Wade Dong."
Coach Gentry also set up the final three-second attack, "Wade Dong will take the final shot."
Wade Dong was just the executor. Coach Gentry also made adjustments to the lineup, with Bynum, Frye, Wade Dong, and Nash on the court, and McGrady inbounding the ball.
With only three seconds left, Coach Gentry put players on the court who could shoot.
Everyone had offensive capabilities and could draw the Heat's defense, reducing the pressure on Wade Dong.
As for inbounding the ball, giving it to the experienced McGrady was the best choice.
The timeout ended.
The Suns players started moving, and James tightly guarded Wade Dong.
Lucky Potion!
Wade Dong was confident in his shooting, but at this moment, a "Lucky Potion" would be perfect.
The Heat players were also guarding Nash and the others, but their main focus was on Wade Dong.
McGrady held the ball high, observing the situation on the court.
Wade Dong ran from under the basket to the three-point line, spreading his hands and shouting, "Pass the ball to me!"
Wade Dong was ready to receive the ball, immediately attracting Bosh's double-team.
McGrady's eyes narrowed, and he quickly passed the ball, causing everyone to hold their breath.
McGrady didn't pass the ball to Wade Dong but to Bynum.
...
Yu Jia, "Bosh is out of position on defense!"
Zhang Coach, "Oh no, this shouldn't have happened!"
...
Because the focus was on Wade Dong, when Wade Dong ran to the three-point line to receive the ball, Bosh went out to double-team, leaving Bynum completely open under the basket with no one guarding him.
At this moment, the Suns were only down by one point to the Heat. Bynum just needed an easy layup to win the game.
Just as Bosh was frustrated and rushing back to defend the basket, Bynum made a decision that left everyone speechless—he passed the ball back to Wade Dong.
"What the...!"
Wade Dong saw the ball flying towards him, and a polite expletive slipped out.
In those three seconds, there was no time for Wade Dong to adjust after catching the ball. He touched the ball with his fingertips and pushed it towards the basket like a volleyball serve.
"Swish!"
The ball hit the backboard and went in.
"..."
The arena fell silent.
The commentators, Yu Jia and Zhang Coach, also fell silent.
The Suns players didn't celebrate.
The Heat players were in shock.
Everyone was wondering if this shot counted as a buzzer-beater.
At the moment Wade Dong touched the ball, the clock hit zero, so the referee signaled for a review to determine if Wade Dong touched the ball before or after the clock expired.
The big screen repeatedly showed the replay of Wade Dong's final shot.
All the players and fans in the arena looked up at the screen.
The ball touched Wade Dong's hand and flew out in an instant, almost impossible to discern with the naked eye, and the clock also hit zero at that moment.
The key was to determine if Wade Dong touched the ball before or after the clock expired.
...
Yu Jia, "Wade Dong must be furious with Bynum right now."
Zhang Coach, "That pass was a huge mistake. Bynum was wide open under the basket, such an easy scoring opportunity."
Yu Jia, "Maybe he was too nervous. But he made similar mistakes when he was with the Lakers."
Zhang Coach, "Thank goodness it's not the playoffs."
Yu Jia, "Wade Dong is really lucky. To make a shot like that is incredible."
Zhang Coach, "Muscle memory!"
...
Wade Dong was indeed furious with Bynum.
The coach's tactic was for him to take the final shot, which was correct, but McGrady passing the ball to Bynum was also correct.
At that moment, Bynum had the best scoring opportunity.
But Bynum, for some reason, passed the ball back to Wade Dong.
"What were you thinking?!"
"Why didn't you take the shot with such a good opportunity?!"
"Are you out of your mind?!"
Some teammates started criticizing Bynum. If his foolish decision cost them the game, they wouldn't be able to forgive him.
Bynum sat on the bench, sulking.
He thought he hadn't done anything wrong. The coach's tactic was to pass the ball to Wade Dong, and he did pass the ball. If there had been more time, like six or seven seconds instead of three, Wade Dong would have had enough time to shoot.
Besides, even though he passed the ball to Wade Dong, the shot went in.
...
Coach Gentry and Coach Spoelstra were at the scorer's table, watching the replay and arguing with the referee.
"Beep!!!"
About five minutes later, the referee dismissed both coaches and blew the whistle, indicating that the shot was valid.
118:120!!!
Wade Dong ultimately won the game with a volleyball-like shot.
"Boo!!!"
The home fans were not happy.
"Phew..."
Wade Dong sighed in relief. Fortunately, the buzzer-beater counted. Otherwise, even with the "Lucky Potion," they wouldn't have won the game, and Bynum would have been the first to defeat the system.
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