บท 189: Chapter 189: Record-Breaking Victory
The Suns had already substituted their bench players, but the Warriors still kept their starters on the court.
Nash dribbled the ball, and Gortat came up to set a screen. Nash drove past Dragic and faced Bynum's defense, executing a teardrop shot.
"Swish!!!"
The ball went through the net.
Immediately afterward, Barnes' attack was blocked by Tucker.
McGrady took the ball and faced Dudley's defense, faking a shoulder move before jumping for a shot.
"Swish!!!"
Another two-pointer went in.
This season, Coach Kidd had been controlling McGrady's playing time. In the first 50 games, McGrady only played about 10 minutes per game, and he was never allowed to play during garbage time.
Reducing his playing time but letting him play in almost every game helped McGrady gradually regain his competitive form.
The saying goes, "Train soldiers for a thousand days to use them in one moment." By the second half of the season, McGrady finally started to shine.
No one expected McGrady to perform like Iverson did in the playoffs last season, but if McGrady could regain even 60% of his form, it would be a huge boost for the Suns.
In fact, if Iverson hadn't exploded in the playoffs last season, and if Wade Dong hadn't been a rookie with an unpredictable playing style, the Suns might not have won the championship so easily.
"Beep!!!"
The first quarter ended.
43:22!!!
The Suns led the Warriors by 21 points.
Warriors head coach Jackson was visibly upset. He felt like the Suns were taking out all their frustration from the previous three games on the Warriors, who were innocent in all this.
...
In the Chinese live broadcast room.
Coach Zhang, "The Suns' lineup adjustments have really impressed me."
Yu Jia, "Letting Nash, Gortat, McGrady, and Tucker come off the bench, Coach Kidd is really bold... This bench lineup is strong enough to give the Warriors a run for their money."
Coach Zhang, "And starting a rookie takes a lot of courage."
Yu Jia, "Don't underestimate Green and Middleton. Although they weren't highly drafted, they have brought a lot of surprises to the fans this year."
Coach Zhang, "It's just that Davis and Lillard have been stealing the spotlight, but these two players are worth watching."
...
The Suns' first quarter performance also brought many surprises to the fans.
When Coach Kidd stopped acting like Phil Jackson and started showing his tactical prowess, the fans recognized his abilities.
The fans also noticed that the Suns had a new assistant coach, Kerr, who was part of the Bulls' three-peat era. Before the game started, it was Kerr, not Coach Kidd, who was giving instructions to the starting lineup.
The second quarter began.
The Suns' lineup remained Nash, McGrady, Gortat, Tucker, and Frye.
The Warriors had lost their offensive rhythm.
Apart from Dudley scoring, the other players were heavily restricted... The Suns were deliberately letting Dudley score to help him get better stats for his contract year. Otherwise, every Warriors player would have been locked down.
However, Dudley's scoring alone wasn't enough.
On the Suns' side, Nash first set a screen with Gortat and then assisted Gortat for a mid-range shot.
Immediately afterward, McGrady drove to the basket and scored.
The lead was about to be extended to 30 points... Coach Kidd quickly made substitutions.
Wade Dong replaced McGrady, and Thompson replaced Frye.
This lineup was strong both offensively and defensively.
As soon as Wade Dong entered the game, he demanded the ball in the low post. Nash passed the ball to Wade Dong, who faced Bynum's defense, executed a quick spin move, faked a shot, and then spun again, leaving Bynum behind before hooking the ball into the basket.
Seeing Bynum easily fooled by his move, Wade Dong said with a mix of frustration and mentorship, "I've taught you this dream shake so many times, why can't you learn it?"
"East Brother, I..." Bynum swallowed his pride. He couldn't learn the dream shake; he just couldn't defend against Wade Dong.
"You're the leader of the Warriors now," Wade Dong continued to educate Bynum. "When the team is behind, you need to step up and lead the team on both offense and defense."
"Got it!" Bynum nodded firmly.
The Warriors then attacked, with Bynum receiving a pass in the low post. Wade Dong signaled Gortat to move away, indicating he would defend Bynum one-on-one.
Bynum was touched. East Brother was giving him a chance to prove himself.
So, Bynum also attempted the dream shake. Being taller than Wade Dong gave him more space to operate.
However, Bynum spun once, and Wade Dong didn't move. Bynum spun again, and again, and again...
"Beep!!!"
The referee blew the whistle, signaling that Bynum had traveled.
"When you spin, keep your pivot foot still," Wade Dong continued to mentor Bynum. "You're a grown man, how can you make such a basic mistake?"
Bynum, "..."
The Suns regained possession, and Wade Dong scored another open three-pointer off an assist from Nash.
...
With five minutes left in the game, the lead had been extended to 40 points.
At this point, most coaches would substitute their starters, but Coach Kidd was not ordinary. He replaced Gortat, Nash, and Tucker with Klay, Green, and Middleton.
Continuing with the "Death Lineup," Coach Kidd intended to finish the game in the first half.
The Warriors were already demoralized, but the Suns were different. Klay and Thompson, who had been traded, had some pent-up frustration.
So, as soon as Klay entered the game, he hit three consecutive three-pointers.
79:32!!!
The Suns led by 47 points.
This was already the largest halftime lead in NBA history. The previous record was also held by the Warriors, who led the Kings 88:41 at halftime in a 1991 game, a 47-point lead that had stood until now.
The Suns only needed to extend their lead by one more point in the remaining two minutes to break this record.
Jackson's mindset was that the game was already over, hoping the Suns would quickly substitute their bench players. But he didn't dare let the Suns do so.
Nash, McGrady, Gortat, Tucker, and Frye as a bench lineup?
"Beep!!!"
The first half ended.
86:37!!!
The Suns led the Warriors by 49 points at halftime, setting a new NBA record for the largest halftime lead.
...
During the halftime break, Coach Kidd didn't give many tactical instructions.
This game's lineup adjustments had helped all the Suns players find their rhythm, and the strongest team in the league was starting to take shape.
The third quarter lasted only seven or eight minutes before the game entered garbage time.
Players like Varlick and Bull started to come on for some playing time.
"Beep!!!"
With the referee's final whistle, the game ended.
149:80!!!
The Suns won by 69 points at home, also setting a new NBA record for the largest margin of victory.
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