Chương 273: Chapter 273: Ankle Terminator
"Give it your all?"
Curry understood what Wade Dong meant when he heard those words.
Dong Ge still held grudges. If it weren't for Old Jin not letting Dong Ge play, Dong Ge could have toyed with Zaza.
But since Dong Ge said so, he had to do it.
How should he play a mismatch?
Curry was clear about this, so he faked left and then quickly changed direction!
After the change of direction, he did a sudden stop and pulled the ball back behind him.
This set of moves was known as the 'Ankle Terminator'. Big players with higher centers of gravity were easily thrown off balance, but Zaza's reaction was a bit beyond Curry's expectations.
Zaza did lose his balance and fell.
But...
"Ah! Ah! Ahhhh!"
After falling, Zaza clutched his ankle and cried out in pain.
Beads of sweat dripped from his forehead, and tears welled up in his eyes. These weren't tears of shame from being thrown off balance, but tears of pain.
Curry didn't pay attention to the fallen Zaza!
Swish!!!
The referee didn't blow the whistle, so Curry calmly took a three-pointer, and the ball swished through the net!
The score was 93-106!
The lead increased to 13 points.
This shot was destined to become a highlight of Curry's career, the true 'Ankle Terminator'!
Even more ruthless than stepping on someone's foot, Zaza's expression was far from just a sprained ankle. After Curry scored, the Heat called a timeout, and the team doctor carried Zaza off the court on a stretcher.
"Ten bottles of Bad Luck Potion... It didn't disappoint."
Wade Dong muttered to himself, not really concerned about Zaza's condition. As long as he didn't die, it was fine.
Judging by his condition, it was probably just a fractured ankle or a torn ligament. At worst, his career might be over.
...
There were only three minutes left in the game.
The Suns led by 13 points, and the chances of losing this game were slim.
If there had been more time, the Suns' depleted lineup might not have been able to withstand the Heat's offensive firepower. But after Wade Dong was stepped on and left the court, the Suns became like the Avengers, defending fiercely!
For a short time, maintaining the lead wasn't a problem.
This is why they say offense wins games, defense wins championships. Defense is crucial at critical moments.
After James got past Tucker, Whiteside immediately came over to help, passed the ball to Bosh, and Bosh's shot was disrupted by Gortat!
With 56 seconds left in the game, the Heat trailed by 8 points and started fouling intentionally!
But Wade Dong made adjustments to the players on the court, replacing Whiteside and Tucker with Nash and McGrady. At this point, fouling any player on the court was useless.
The referee blew the whistle, and the game ended.
The final score was 101-113!
The Heat lost to the Suns by 12 points at home, and the series score was now 2-1.
"Damn it, we finally won!"
The Suns won a hard-fought victory, and the players on the court expressed their excitement with a polite phrase.
This game had its ups and downs.
When Wade Dong suddenly got injured, it cast a shadow over everyone, but when he returned in the fourth quarter, the Suns regained their momentum.
Green had been watching the game in the player tunnel and also breathed a sigh of relief when the team won.
...
Game statistics:
Wade Dong: 37 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 steals, 3 blocks.
Curry: 31 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 0 blocks.
Whiteside: 0 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 0 steals, 3 blocks.
James: 41 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists, 3 steals, 1 block.
Wade: 27 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 1 block.
Wade Dong's 37 points weren't that impressive, as he had already scored 21 points in the first quarter. If it weren't for Zaza's foot-stepping, Wade Dong's stats would have been even more dazzling, and the game might have entered garbage time much earlier.
Aside from Wade Dong, another Suns player had an outstanding performance. Whiteside only played for eight minutes but managed to get 11 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 blocks, which was truly commendable.
...
After the game, Wade Dong received many calls from people concerned about his ankle injury.
Although Wade Dong knew he was fine, he went straight to the Miami First People's Hospital after the game at the insistence of the team doctor and coach.
Following the team doctor's instructions, Wade Dong had an MRI.
Coincidentally, Zaza and Wade Dong had their checks done at the same hospital.
The MRI scans for both of them were done one after the other, and there were also many media reporters present, so their results were made public as soon as they came out.
Wade Dong's ankle was fine, and the final diagnosis was just a mild sprain without any bone or ligament damage.
On the other hand, Zaza's injury was severe—a fracture and a torn ligament!
With such an injury, not only would he miss the Finals, but it would also be difficult for him to continue playing in the league after recovery.
This outcome made everyone sigh. Zaza's foot-stepping was obvious, yet Wade Dong was fine, but Zaza's ankle was broken by Curry's change of direction.
Curry accompanied Wade Dong for the check-up and felt guilty when he learned about Zaza's condition, thinking that Zaza's injury was caused by his change of direction.
So that night, Curry visited Zaza in the hospital with a fruit basket, but Zaza threw away the fruit basket in front of Curry.
Curry left dejectedly and then had supper and a drink with Wade Dong.
...
The next day, the league announced the punishment for Green punching Zaza in the previous game.
Green was suspended for one game and fined $25,000.
In the morning, during training at the arena, Green looked depressed. As a rookie with a small salary, $25,000 was a significant amount for him. If he had another chance, he would have punched Zaza a few more times; otherwise, this fine was too unfair.
"What's wrong?"
Seeing Green's gloom, Wade Dong teased him, "Are you feeling the pinch from the fine?"
"I'm not!"
Green replied stubbornly.
Wade Dong smiled, "Don't be stubborn. I've already paid your fine for you."
"Huh?"
Green looked at Wade Dong in surprise.
At this moment, his teammates burst into laughter. In fact, after Green was fined, Nash and McGrady had both offered to pay the fine for him, and the team manager had also said that the team would cover the fine.
But in the end, Wade Dong paid the fine for Green.
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