บท 391: Chapter 391: The Yao and McGrady Reunion
The referee's whistle pierced the air, signaling the start of the game.
Wade Dong and Gobert jumped for the tip-off. The referee tossed the ball into the air, and as it descended, Wade Dong leaped, making the first contact and tapping the ball to Thompson.
Thompson received the pass and stood still, waiting for Wade Dong to approach before passing the ball back to him.
"MVP!" the crowd chanted as Wade Dong took possession of the ball. In the eyes of the Suns fans, Wade Dong was the only player in the entire league worthy of the title 'MVP'.
Wade Dong dribbled into the frontcourt, where he was met by Hayward's defense.
Hayward was a versatile player with excellent physical attributes. His quick pull-up jumpers and powerful dunks were aesthetically pleasing, and he had no apparent weaknesses in both offense and defense. He was adept at scoring, rebounding, assisting, and even stealing the ball.
Additionally, Hayward was quite handsome.
Many fans considered Hayward a watered-down version of Wade Dong, and some M-country basketball commentators even claimed that Hayward possessed 70% of Wade Dong's abilities.
"I heard someone call you 'Little Wade Dong'?" Wade Dong teased Hayward before making a crossover move, leaving Hayward behind, and pulling up for a jumper.
"Swish!"
Hayward couldn't keep up with Wade Dong's footwork and had no choice but to foul, hitting Wade Dong's arm and causing him to miss the shot, sending Wade Dong to the free-throw line.
"Swoosh! Swoosh!"
After sinking both free throws, Wade Dong waved at Jazz coach Quin Snyder, saying, "Tell your players not to foul me; it's useless."
With the return of Whiteside, the Suns' interior height was bolstered, and Yi Nan was gradually finding his rhythm in the NBA. In the first quarter, the players' stamina was not an issue, and the Jazz struggled to defend against the Suns' offense.
The Suns led by 6 points, 27-21, at the end of the first quarter. Both teams played intense defense, but the Suns managed to maintain their lead.
With seven minutes left in the first quarter, Carter was subbed out for Varejao, and Gentry made no other substitutions. This lineup remained on the court at the start of the second quarter.
Gentry needed this lineup to stabilize or extend the lead, giving them a chance to rest.
After all, among the Suns players, including the six who were suspended, only Wade Dong could play a full game without a minute of rest.
The Suns extended their lead to 8 points, 41-33, with seven minutes left in the second quarter. Gentry then made a significant substitution.
Yao Ming replaced Whiteside.
McGrady replaced Thompson.
Carter replaced Yi Nan.
Nash replaced Varejao.
Only Wade Dong and Carter remained from the starting lineup, and even Carter had rested for over ten minutes before returning.
"Welcome back, legends!" the crowd roared as Yao Ming and McGrady took the court together, bringing tears of joy to many fans who cherished their basketball memories.
After the game against the Pacers, Yao Ming had intentionally conserved his energy. He never expected to play a full half or even a full quarter; he just wanted to run up and down the court a few times.
He couldn't afford to be left behind on defense like in the previous game, leaving him feeling embarrassed.
Nash initiated the offense, passing the ball to McGrady. McGrady received the pass, shook off Favors, and jumped to make a pass, lobbing the ball to Yao Ming under the basket.
"Swoosh!"
Yao Ming caught the ball, turned, and scored with a hook shot.
In the era of small-ball basketball, traditional centers like Yao Ming still possessed immense offensive prowess in the paint.
...
In the Huaxia live broadcast room, Yu Jia exclaimed, "Great play! Gobert can't defend Yao Ming at all."
Zhang, the commentator, added, "The young players nowadays have no idea how dominant Yao Ming was in the paint back in the day."
Yu Jia joked, "If Yao Ming loses some weight, I think he could really make a comeback in the NBA."
Zhang laughed, "Haha, Yao Ming should definitely lose some weight."
...
"Yao Ming! Yao Ming! Yao Ming!" the home crowd chanted as Yao Ming scored, their excitement palpable.
"Hehe..."
After scoring again off a pass from McGrady, Yao Ming felt great, despite his bulky frame, as he slowly made his way back to the defensive end.
The Jazz offense began with Favors dribbling into the frontcourt and passing to Hayward, whose pull-up jumper missed.
Yao Ming extended his arm, deflecting the ball into his own hands and securing a defensive rebound. He then passed the ball to Nash.
Nash dribbled into the frontcourt and started controlling the tempo.
With ten seconds left on the shot clock, Yao Ming finally returned to his position. Wade Dong came to set a pick for Nash.
Nash dribbled past his defender and passed to McGrady.
McGrady received Nash's pass and spun like a top, launching the ball towards Yao Ming.
Gobert defended Yao Ming.
Yao Ming's slow movements made it difficult for Gobert to adjust, so Yao Ming faked a shot, spun, and blew past Gobert.
"Swoosh!"
Yao Ming scored another layup.
"Unbelievable!"
Wade Dong couldn't help but chuckle after seeing Yao Ming's play, "First time I've seen a shot with built-in lag."
Yao Ming stayed on the court until halftime.
However, the Suns' offense was slow due to Yao Ming's pace. They played a half-court game almost every possession, but the Jazz didn't let Yao Ming's lack of speed affect them. Instead, they took advantage of it by pushing the pace in transition.
The Suns led by a slim margin, 56-54, at halftime. Yao Ming was perfect from the field, making all three of his attempts for 6 points.
...
In the Suns' locker room, Yao Ming sat at a table, occupying the space of two and a half people. He joked, "Is my career about to end again?"
"Haha," Gentry laughed, "Your contract has six days left. You can keep playing as long as you want."
"Forget it," Yao Ming waved his hand, "I've maintained a 100% field goal percentage with the Suns, and I want to keep that record."
Yao Ming had reached his physical limit after playing for five minutes in the first half, so he wouldn't be playing in the second half.
With Durant and Curry returning for the next game, followed by the eventual returns of McCollum, Barton, and Tucker, the mission of Yao Ming, Iverson, and Nash could be considered complete.
These three veterans had given the Suns a pleasant surprise, especially in this game, where fans witnessed the reunion of Yao Ming and McGrady. After the game, a wave of nostalgia was sure to sweep through the fan base.
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