Chương 57: Chapter 57: Do You Regret It?
The Spurs were desperately trying to catch up!
But Iverson had entered god mode, taking over the game after Wade Dong was ejected!
The Suns couldn't stop Duncan, and their defense against Ginobili and Parker on the perimeter was lacking. However, the Spurs couldn't stop Iverson, who was on fire.
There was one minute left in the game!
119:97!
The lead was still over 20 points, and Iverson had scored 19 points since returning to the court.
The Spurs gave up the game!
The Suns players embraced and celebrated wildly. They had defeated the top-seeded Spurs in the West and advanced!
"Brothers, you are all amazing!"
Wade Dong stood in the player tunnel, giving a thumbs up, and then returned to the locker room.
He wanted to join his teammates on the court to celebrate, but he couldn't. He had been ejected, and the game still had a few seconds left. If he went on the court now, he would face additional suspension.
That would be a loss.
"Beep!!!"
As the final whistle blew, the home fans left the arena, cursing.
Game statistics:
Wade Dong: 21 points, 16 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 6 blocks
Iverson: 49 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, 0 blocks
Nash: 17 points, 5 rebounds, 13 assists, 1 steal, 0 blocks
Duncan: 29 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 3 blocks
Parker: 26 points, 3 rebounds, 11 assists, 3 steals, 0 blocks
Ginobili: 27 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 0 steals, 0 blocks
The Spurs' Big Three all scored 25+ points, which was impressive! But they couldn't stop Iverson, who scored 40+ points in two consecutive games, sending the Spurs home.
Wade Dong played only 27 minutes in the game, including just one minute in the fourth quarter, which kept his scoring low.
However, in less than 30 minutes, Wade Dong recorded the game-high 16 rebounds and 6 blocks. Playing as a power forward for the first time, his performance was outstanding!
As soon as the game ended, the Suns players rushed back to the locker room.
They wanted to share the joy of victory with Wade Dong.
"Coach, let's open a bottle of champagne to celebrate."
Dudley, as soon as he entered the locker room, was eager to drink.
Gentry looked at Wade Dong, "What do you think?"
"This is just the first round."
Wade Dong smiled and said, "We can drink when we win the championship."
After the upset victory, the Suns' confidence in winning the championship increased. Gentry felt like the luckiest coach in the league. Wade Dong had brought so many surprises since joining the team, and now there was Iverson.
In fact, many coaches found Iverson, who hadn't played for almost a year and had a strong personality, difficult to handle. It was Wade Dong who found him and persuaded the Suns to sign Iverson, leading to his incredible performance of scoring 40+ points in two consecutive games. Other coaches in the league must be green with envy seeing Iverson's performance.
...
"Veteran Iverson scores 40+ points in two consecutive games!"
"Suns easily defeat Spurs, completing the upset!"
"Wade Dong punches Horry, faces one-game suspension and $35,000 fine!"
"Suns become the third championship favorite!"
...
Post-game news reports flooded in about this series.
Wade Dong's fans noticed a statistic: Wade Dong had 6 blocks in a single game, just 4 blocks away from a double-double.
And with Wade Dong's strong organizational skills, could he achieve a quadruple-double in the future?
It's worth noting that there have been very few quadruple-doubles in the league, and none in the past ten years!
At the Spurs' post-game press conference, a reporter asked, "Coach Popovich, what did Wade Dong say to you when he was ejected?"
"I don't know!"
Popovich looked annoyed and didn't want to answer the question.
The reporter pressed, "How could you not know? Everyone saw Wade Dong walk up to you and say something."
"He spoke in Chinese, and I couldn't understand it!"
Popovich continued to look annoyed. "Do you have any other questions? If not, the press conference is over."
The reporter muttered, "Everyone in the world speaks Chinese. Confucius's words are becoming more international. If you can't understand, it's because you're uncultured..."
Popovich, "???"
Fortunately, the topic ended there. Another reporter asked, "Will the Spurs make changes to the roster during the offseason?"
"We will make some changes."
Popovich said, "We will renew contracts with some players, and we will also keep an eye on some free agents."
The reporter asked, "Wade Dong only signed a one-year contract with the Suns, which means he will become a free agent this summer. Will the Spurs pursue Wade Dong?"
"If Wade Dong is interested in the Spurs, we would welcome him."
Popovich's answer was diplomatic. "But our salary cap space is limited, and it would be difficult to offer Wade Dong a max contract."
In other words, Popovich acknowledged that Wade Dong would likely receive a max contract this summer, but his answer was ambiguous, welcoming Wade Dong but admitting they couldn't afford him.
...
After the Suns defeated the Spurs, the Thunder and Lakers also won their series and advanced to the second round.
The series between the Clippers and Grizzlies was tied at 2-3, with the Clippers leading by one game. The winner of this series would face the Suns in the second round.
The Thunder and Lakers' series would start in two days, giving the Suns some rest time.
In the second round, whether the Suns faced the Grizzlies or the Clippers, their chances of winning were high. The only downside was that Wade Dong would be suspended for the first game, significantly weakening the Suns.
On the way back to Phoenix, Gentry asked Wade Dong, "You can't play in the next game. Do you regret punching Horry?"
"I regret it!"
Wade Dong nodded seriously.
Gentry sighed, "I knew you were too impulsive at the time!"
"Coach, you misunderstood~"
Wade Dong explained, "I regret only punching him once, not punching him at all."
"Hahaha..."
The teammates laughed when they heard Wade Dong say this. The Suns players were all spirited. When Nash was knocked down, if Wade Dong hadn't shouted, the bench players would have rushed over.
They didn't expect that they held back, but Wade Dong seized the opportunity to punch Horry.
This was something no one expected, but everyone was cheering inside. Wade Dong did what they wanted to do but didn't dare. Especially for the role players, the $35,000 fine was something they couldn't afford, but Wade Dong didn't have to worry about that. The owner would definitely pay his fine.
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