Chương 258: Chapter 258: Gentry's Sense of Humor
The Thunder played with great aggression.
Especially Durant, who scored 5 points and 1 assist in the first two minutes. He was determined to win this game.
The Suns attacked again.
Wade Dong stayed in the backcourt, and Gortat passed the ball to him. Wade Dong quickly dribbled up the court, crossed over Durant, but Jackson and Ibaka came over to help defend.
"Clang!"
Gortat received Wade Dong's bounce pass and finished with a dunk.
It was similar to Durant's assist to Ibaka earlier, but Wade Dong's crossover move was more impressive.
Suns trailed 4-7!
The Suns were down by 3 points.
"Beat the Suns!"
"Beat the Suns!"
"Beat the Suns!"
The arena was only three-quarters full, and the fans' cheers were much weaker.
The Thunder continued their attack.
Westbrook tried several crossovers but couldn't get past McGrady's defense. Durant and Harden were guarded by Tucker and Wade Dong, so Westbrook had no choice but to jump and fling the ball to Jackson.
Jackson faced Curry's defense, used his big butt to back Curry into the paint, and then turned around for a hook shot.
"Get lost!"
Wade Dong suddenly appeared behind Jackson and swatted the ball out of bounds.
Jackson: (;′⌒`)
Being part of the so-called 'Thunder's Big Four,' Jackson's presence was already overshadowed, and now, on one of his rare offensive opportunities, he became the background for Wade Dong's block.
"Damn it!"
Brooks, standing on the sideline, was so angry that he stomped his feet. "Wade Dong was already behind you, why did you shoot?"
The Thunder inbounded the ball.
Westbrook walked to the sideline, and the Thunder players began to move into position. Durant set a screen for Harden, and Westbrook immediately passed the ball to him.
"Swish!"
Harden received the pass, pulled up for a jump shot, and the ball went through the net.
Suns trailed 4-9!
For the Thunder to beat the Suns, all three of their stars needed to perform. This might be their last game, and Harden finally found his rhythm.
...
At halftime.
Suns trailed 57-43!
The Thunder led by 14 points, and Durant, Harden, Westbrook, and Ibaka all played the entire first half.
Durant scored 21 points, Harden 16, Westbrook 10, and Ibaka 8. The four brothers combined for 55 points.
As for the Suns, Wade Dong had 16 points, 8 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals, and 4 blocks. Out of the Suns' 43 points, 36 were directly related to Wade Dong.
...
During halftime, Wade Dong used a bottle of 'Stamina Potion,' preparing to play the entire second half.
Gentry was encouraging the players' morale.
Wade Dong joked, "It's okay if we lose this game. We can still give the Phoenix fans one more game and sell more tickets."
"Brother Dong makes a good point."
Gentry nodded, agreeing with Wade Dong's perspective. "If every series ends in four games, the team will sell fewer tickets."
Wade Dong pulled the towel off his head and threw it at Gentry, scolding, "I was just joking. Why are you taking it seriously? We must end the series in four games, no need for a fifth game!"
"I was just joking too."
Gentry glanced at the other players. "Don't you feel my sense of humor?"
"Ha, ha..."
All the players forced a laugh.
Is Gentry funny?
Wade Dong said, "If the Thunder's Big Three play the entire game, they won't have enough energy in the fourth quarter. In the second half, I, Thompson, Green, and Whiteside will start with me."
Nash and the other three were now bench players.
Wade Dong did this to conserve Curry, McGrady, and Gortat's energy, letting them rest until the second half of the third quarter, and then they would play the entire game!
...
In the Huaxia live broadcast room.
Yu Jia: "The Suns have brought in their bench players."
Coach Zhang: "These aren't just bench players. Nash, Thompson, and Green are all qualified starters, and Nash is a two-time MVP."
...
The second half began.
The Suns attacked.
Nash passed the ball to Wade Dong in the paint, and Wade Dong flicked his wrist, sending the ball to Thompson in the corner.
"Swish!"
Thompson received the pass and immediately hit a three-pointer.
Suns trailed 57-46!
The Suns were down by 11 points.
For the Suns, a 14-point deficit was just a matter of making five more three-pointers. The reason they were trailing was that the Thunder's Big Three were all playing well, making it difficult for the Suns' defense.
The Thunder attacked.
Westbrook drove to the basket, trying to force his way past Wade Dong, but Wade Dong blocked his shot again.
"How is that not a foul?"
Westbrook landed and immediately yelled at the referee, trying to pressure the official.
However, the referee just shook his head, indicating that the Thunder should inbound the ball.
Westbrook wanted to argue further, but Durant pulled him back. It wasn't wise to get into a confrontation with the referee while leading in the game. However, Wade Dong's block did seem to be a bit of a foul.
The Thunder inbounded the ball.
Harden received the pass, did a crossover dribble, and then performed a 'Kobe' move.
Green was completely faked out.
Harden easily got past Green, noticed that Wade Dong was a bit far away, and pulled up for a jump shot.
"Swish!"
The ball went into the basket.
Suns trailed 59-46!
The Thunder still led by 13 points.
Brooks, standing on the sideline, clapped his hands and shouted, "When attacking, stay away from Wade Dong!"
His voice was loud enough for Gentry to hear.
The Suns players: _φ(?_??
Looking at Brooks' statement, the Suns players wondered if he was disrespecting them.
However, Brooks' statement wasn't wrong. During halftime, he had instructed the team to avoid Wade Dong when attacking, as the only way to beat the Suns was for the Thunder's Big Three to perform.
But Wade Dong wasn't a three-headed, six-armed monster. He could only defend one player at a time, so avoiding Wade Dong when attacking was the most effective strategy.
The Suns attacked.
Nash dribbled up the court and passed the ball to Wade Dong in the paint. Wade Dong used a dream shake to get past Ibaka and then easily scored a layup.
However, Durant responded with a three-pointer.
With seven minutes left in the third quarter.
Suns trailed 76-60!
Although the Thunder still led by 16 points, Harden was showing signs of fatigue, and even Durant's shooting percentage was starting to drop.
Gentry called a timeout.
He substituted Nash, Green, Thompson, and Whiteside for Curry, McGrady, Tucker, and Gortat.
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