Chương 121: Phenomenal First Quarter
The Heat got back on track with Wade orchestrating pick-and-rolls and driving inside to score against the Knicks.
On the other side, Lian Dao didn't take on Wade alone. He called for a pick-and-roll with Millsap and drove to the rim, meeting Jermaine O'Neal's help defense with a ferocious dunk. The impact sent O'Neal stumbling back, and being dunked on by a rookie only fueled his frustration. Unable to control his temper, O'Neal shoved Lian Dao as soon as he landed.
Lian Dao took two steps back and fell to the floor. Millsap quickly stepped in, backing up his teammate.
The referee immediately blew his whistle and rushed to separate the players from both sides.
O'Neal, confused, muttered to himself, "I didn't even push that hard." He hadn't expected the rookie to sell the foul so well—it felt more like the tactics of a seasoned veteran.
O'Neal was called for a defensive foul, and the referee issued a warning. As his teammates helped him up, Lian Dao couldn't help but smile. Knowing O'Neal had a short fuse, he hadn't expected him to lose his cool so easily.
As the Knicks prepared to inbound, O'Neal, realizing he had been baited, shot Lian Dao a bitter look and muttered, "Rookie, just wait."
Lian Dao simply smiled contemptuously and didn't respond, his grin only making O'Neal more furious.
The Knicks ran another pick-and-roll, and once again, O'Neal stepped in to defend. This time, he elbowed Lian Dao in the chest. Lian Dao staggered but managed to maintain control and throw the ball toward the basket.
O'Neal was caught off guard—he hadn't expected the rookie to get a shot off under such pressure. The ball hit the rim but didn't go in; the shot was severely affected by the contact. Lian Dao wasn't aiming to score; he was hoping for a foul call. But the referee's whistle remained silent.
Puzzled, Lian Dao glanced at the referee, but Jermaine O'Neal had already grabbed the rebound, forcing him to retreat on defense.
"No star treatment for rookies," Chris Duhon remarked as he passed by.
On the sidelines, D'Antoni was visibly upset, yelling at the referee, "That was a foul! Didn't you see it?"
The referee ignored him, and when D'Antoni continued to argue, the official made a warning gesture, signaling him to back off.
D'Antoni returned to the bench without showing any signs of anger. As a seasoned head coach, he was well acquainted with the unspoken rules of the league. He knew that, while he might be used to such situations, it was still important to argue when necessary to apply pressure on the referees and prevent any obvious bias in future calls.
Meanwhile, Quentin Richardson of the Heat drained a three-pointer from the outside, celebrating with excited fist pumps. Richardson, a former Knicks player, had been traded to the Grizzlies and several other teams before landing with the Heat. The Knicks initially signed him for his three-point shooting ability, but during his tenure with them, his performance had declined significantly, and he struggled under D'Antoni's system.
Facing his old team in the season opener, Richardson was eager to prove that his previous struggles were not due to his own shortcomings but rather the Knicks' inability to utilize his talents effectively.
But just as Richardson found his rhythm, Lian Dao came off a screen and nailed a three-pointer from the outside, sending a clear message: "You're good at threes? So am I."
On the defensive end, Lian Dao intercepted Wade's pass intended for Richardson and immediately launched a fast break. Wade and Richardson both tried to disrupt his drive, but Lian Dao's quick dribbling left them in the dust.
As he approached the three-point line, Lian Dao abruptly slammed on the brakes, halting his forward momentum. Then, with a quick step back, he launched a deep three-pointer from well beyond the arc.
Neither Wade nor Richardson expected Lian Dao to stop so suddenly and attempt such a long shot. They continued their momentum toward the basket, anticipating a rebound, convinced the rookie would miss such a risky shot.
Even D'Antoni, watching from the sidelines, hadn't expected Lian Dao to take such a bold shot. He stood up instinctively, unsure of the outcome.
"Lian Dao, he doesn't seem to like this shot... He scored a super-long-range three-pointer! He's so confident and composed. It might seem unreasonable, but when it goes in, it's a thing of beauty." Director Zhang initially began to criticize the shot selection, only to be surprised as the ball swished through the net.
Yu Jia, trying to suppress a laugh, chimed in, equally surprised by Lian Dao's boldness.
Seeing the shot go in, D'Antoni finally relaxed his clenched fist and smiled, giving off the impression: Yes, this is exactly what we planned.
One of Lian Dao's three-pointers left everyone in awe. At that time, such deep three-pointers were usually reserved for last-second buzzer-beaters, not regular play. The era of rampant ultra-long three-pointers had yet to take hold; it was still the age of mid-range shooting.
The Spurs, for instance, were renowned for their ability to lock down even Kobe Bryant's mid-range shots, a testament to the dominance of this shooting range.
At this moment, the Knicks were leading the Heat 20-9, an 11-point advantage that prompted Coach Spoelstra to call a timeout. Jermaine O'Neal seemed to be getting too emotional, and Spoelstra knew his team needed to regroup. The rookie on the Knicks was proving to be a handful, consistently causing problems for the Heat. Spoelstra called the timeout in hopes of cooling down Lian Dao, who was clearly on fire.
On the Knicks' side, D'Antoni was visibly pleased, smiling as his players returned to the bench.
After the timeout, the Heat shifted their focus to attacking inside, aiming to capitalize on their advantage in the paint. However, they struggled to stop the Knicks from scoring, primarily because they couldn't contain Lian Dao. Whether he was shooting or dishing out assists, his play was consistently breaking down the Heat's defense, preventing them from closing the gap.
Despite the Heat's efforts, the Knicks found it difficult to widen their lead further. By the end of the first quarter, the score stood at 32-20 in favor of the Knicks, a 12-point lead.
Lian Dao finished the quarter with an impressive 18 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists.
"Judging from the first quarter, we can confidently say that Sickle is definitely not a bust!" the game commentator declared.
"He might even be the best No. 1 pick since LeBron James."
Scoring 18 points, grabbing 3 rebounds, and dishing out 5 assists in the first quarter of his rookie season's opening game—what other top pick has done that? Even LeBron, who was hailed as the 'King' during his rookie season, didn't put up such explosive numbers right out of the gate. Originally, the commentator considered calling Lian Dao the best No. 1 pick in NBA history, but out of respect for LeBron's greatness, he adjusted his statement accordingly.
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Incognito_98
Incognito_98 Sorry about not updating yesterday, had some complications with my other book"Football Rewired" so i will be deleting and restarting it in due time. But for now I'll be focusing on just this one. Thank you for your patience.
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