บท 440: Chapter 440: 29 Shots, 29 Makes
The dominance of the Heat's Big Five was not only evident on offense but also on defense.
However, with Durant and Thompson off the court...
The aging Carter and McGrady also had unremarkable performances this evening, and Curry's shooting touch was off, making it an incredibly challenging game for the Suns.
Among the players, only Wade Dong...
...struggled to score against the tight defense of the Heat's Big Five after receiving the ball.
...
With seven minutes left in the fourth quarter...
93:112!!!
The Suns trailed by 19 points, with less than five minutes remaining in the game.
If this were a regular-season game, the Suns might have given up... It's nearly impossible to make up a 19-point deficit in less than five minutes, and even if they did, it would require equal focus on defense and offense, risking player injuries from overexertion.
But this was the NBA Finals... Forget five minutes; even with just three minutes left and a 19-point deficit, they had to fight.
Carter missed a three-pointer, and under the basket were Anthony, Wade, and Bosh, with no Suns players around. These three weren't in a hurry and were waiting for the ball to drop so they could grab the rebound.
Four Suns players had already run back to their own half, preparing to defend.
Wade Dong noticed that Anthony and the other two were a bit lax, so he suddenly turned back, rushed to the basket, and grabbed the offensive rebound for a put-back dunk while the three Suns players were still dazed!
95:112!!!
Spoelstra shouted from the sidelines, "What are you three doing? How can you let your guard down at a time like this?!"
Spoelstra felt that by the end of this year's NBA Finals, he would have developed heart disease. He couldn't afford to relax for a moment; the moment he let his guard down, Wade Dong would score.
The key was that Wade Dong had already made 21 out of 21 shots tonight!
This set another historical record in the league... A 17-point lead was not as secure as it seemed.
The previous play wasn't due to Anthony and the others relaxing; it was because they were physically exhausted. Seeing that the Suns players were all retreating to defend, the three of them wanted to take the opportunity to catch their breath and recover some energy.
With four minutes left...
The Heat started to play for time, aiming to avoid turnovers and not give the Suns a chance to take the lead.
James had the ball, and Wade Dong signaled Green to pressure him. After Green closed in, James used his signature spin move to shake off Green and took a three-pointer!
"G~~~"
The ball bounced off the rim, and Wade Dong rushed to the basket. He grabbed the defensive rebound between Whiteside and Bosh.
"Defense! Defense! Defense!"
The home crowd shouted, their hearts also filled with anxiety as the ball was once again in Wade Dong's hands.
This time, Wade Dong didn't choose to pass. He stopped abruptly at the three-point line, and as James, Wade, and Wade Dong all jumped simultaneously, the two of them tried to block his shot, but Wade Dong had a hang time in the air. He waited for James and Wade to start descending before taking the three-pointer.
"Swoosh!!!"
The basketball seemed to solve a geometry problem in the air, and the answer was a clean swish.
98:112!!!
At this critical moment, Wade Dong took over the game again... Silence fell over the American Airlines Arena.
The Heat played for time...
On the Suns' side, even if they passed the ball around, it would eventually end up in Wade Dong's hands, and the final shot would be his.
With 57 seconds left in the game...
115:123!!!
The Suns trailed by 8 points.
Spoelstra was no longer panicking, but he still had some mixed feelings. With the Suns' depleted roster, they had managed to narrow the gap to 11 points in just three minutes. Playing against the Suns meant you couldn't afford to relax for a moment.
Wade Dong held the ball outside the three-point line, slightly bent over, swaying the ball from left to right. James stared directly at Wade Dong; he couldn't let him score again.
"MVP!!!"
Someone suddenly shouted, "MVP."
Then, the American Airlines Arena erupted...
"MVP!"
"MVP!!"
"MVP!!!"
"MVP!!!!"
"MVP!!!!!"
Usually, MVP chants are for the offense, but now, with Wade Dong holding the ball and isolating against James, the American Airlines Arena was chanting for Wade Dong, completely won over by his performance.
Up to this point, Wade Dong hadn't missed a single shot!
Most players would anger the away fans, who would then respond with profanities. Few players could win over the away crowd, especially with the deep-seated rivalry between the Suns and the Heat.
The Heat had been knocked out of the NBA Finals for three consecutive years, and the Suns were responsible for two of those years. The Heat fans had long despised Wade Dong.
Despite this deep-seated rivalry...
Wade Dong had conquered the away fans.
Crossover dribble! Drive! Pull-up! Step-back!
James was giving his all on defense... but he was up against Wade Dong.
"Swoosh!!!"
Wade Dong took a three-pointer, and the ball swished through the net.
118:123!!!
The Suns were now only down by 5 points, with 43 seconds left in the game.
"MVP!!!"
After Wade Dong's basket, the American Airlines Arena erupted with deafening cheers.
Spoelstra: "???"
James: "???"
Wade: "???"
Anthony: "???"
Bosh: "???"
Paul: "???"
Whose home court was this?
But the game had reached its most critical moment, and James and the others were not distracted by the home crowd. They continued to play for time.
The Suns desperately pressured the Heat...
But this was the Heat's Big Five. Despite the Suns' intense defense, they didn't turn the ball over. As the 24-second shot clock was about to expire, the ball was passed to Paul.
"Swoosh!!!"
Paul calmly sank a three-pointer, and the ball swished through the net.
118:126!!!
There were 19 seconds left in the game, and the Suns trailed by 8 points.
After receiving the ball again, Wade Dong dribbled past the half-court line and stopped, giving up on the offense.
In this game, Wade Dong had already used 6 bottles of luck potion and 1 bottle of stamina potion, with only one use left. With just 19 seconds remaining, it was almost impossible to make up the 8-point deficit.
"MVP!"
"MVP!"
"MVP!"
Even though Wade Dong gave up on the offense, the away fans still chanted "MVP" for him.
Including James, who, in the final 19 seconds, applauded Wade Dong! Wade Dong had shown the Heat who the true God of Basketball was.
Wade Dong finished the game with 29 shots made out of 29 attempts, 9 out of 9 three-pointers, 10 out of 10 free throws, and a total of 77 points. Yet, he became the lone hero in this game... In the most challenging fourth quarter, the Suns scored 41 points as a team, with 32 of those points coming from Wade Dong.
Game Statistics:
Wade Dong: 77 points, 19 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, 3 blocks.
Others: ...
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