Chương 229: Chapter 229: McGrady's Moment (Double Chapter)
The first quarter ended.
Suns 26, Warriors 31.
The Warriors led by 5 points.
Jackson held the tactical board and excitedly said, "You guys are the Suns' kryptonite. Go out there and win the game!"
"Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!"
The Warriors players were pumped up after taking the lead in the first quarter.
After the timeout, Jackson kept Dragic, Dudley, Morris, Huang Yu, and Bynum on the court, only subbing out David for Barnes.
The Suns still had their bench players on the court.
Dudley and Morris found their rhythm from last year's playoffs, when they fought tooth and nail alongside Wade Dong, Iverson, and the others, giving their all on the court.
The 5-point lead gradually widened to 10 points.
Gentry remained seated, only bringing in the starters with five minutes left in the second quarter.
When Wade Dong checked in, Gentry told him, "Dong Ge, it's time to take over the game."
"Okay, okay."
Wade Dong nodded.
The Warriors' momentum tonight reminded him of last year's Suns, but they lacked a superstar, and they were facing the Suns in the first round of the playoffs.
Otherwise... they could have gone further.
As soon as Wade Dong checked in, he received a pass from Curry and hit a three-pointer over Dudley's defense.
Then, Wade Dong stole a pass from David and dribbled to the frontcourt. Dragic was already in position, with his arms crossed in front of him, waiting for Wade Dong to drive into him for a charging foul.
Wade Dong was already in the air, and it all happened in an instant.
Wade Dong knew Dragic's intention, and he had several ways to score. The most direct way was to fly over Dragic's head for a dunk, which he had done once against Bogut, who was now sitting on the bench, reduced to a benchwarmer.
However, since Dragic was a former teammate, Wade Dong was worried that such a dunk would leave a psychological shadow on him.
So, as he approached Dragic, Wade Dong forcefully turned 360 degrees in the air, going around Dragic, and then scooped the ball into the basket.
"Damn!"
The difficulty of this shot was incredibly high, and the home fans erupted in cheers.
"Next time, don't try to draw a charging foul like that. It's too dangerous."
Wade Dong patted Dragic on the back and ran to the frontcourt.
Dragic nodded, still a bit dazed. He had closed his eyes when Wade Dong drove past him, and it wasn't until the fans erupted in cheers that he opened his eyes again. So, he couldn't figure out how Wade Dong had scored.
The Warriors' 10-point lead was quickly reduced to 5 points.
...
In the latter part of the third quarter, after Wade Dong checked out, the Warriors regained the lead.
The Warriors were worthy of respect tonight.
Jackson also believed he had found the Suns' weakness, as Gentry's in-game adjustments were poor. He kept the bench players on the court, even though they were being dominated by the Warriors.
He stubbornly stuck to the five-for-five substitution pattern.
It wasn't until the fourth quarter, with 5 minutes left in the game, that the Suns trailed by 14 points.
"Boo~~~"
The home fans were very dissatisfied and booed Gentry.
With such a large deficit, Gentry still didn't bring in the starters. What was he thinking? Was he a spy for the Warriors? Or had he taken a bribe...
Gentry sat on the bench, deep in thought.
Curry furrowed his brows, wanting to stand up and play several times. Only Wade Dong seemed to understand Gentry's intention, as the Suns' bench players were all former starters. They didn't see themselves as bench players.
It was only the beginning of the playoffs, and taking them out with such a large deficit would hurt their confidence.
Suns 76, Warriors 93!!!
When Huang Yu hit another three-pointer, the Suns trailed by 17 points.
"Timeout!"
Gentry finally called a timeout and turned to Wade Dong, "Dong Ge, get ready to check in!"
This meant that not only Wade Dong but the entire starting lineup would check in, and Curry had been eager to play.
"Dong Ge, Curry, McGrady, Thompson, Green."
Gentry named the five players and then asked, "Down by 17 points, do you guys have the confidence to come back?"
"Yes!"
The five players nodded simultaneously.
With these five players on the court, the Suns would use their killer tactic, the 'Death Lineup.'
"Dong Ge! Dong Ge! Dong Ge!"
The fans cheered as Wade Dong checked in, feeling hopeful again.
The Warriors' lineup remained unchanged: Dragic, Dudley, Morris, Huang Yu, and Bynum.
There were only 4.5 minutes left in the game, and as soon as Wade Dong checked in, he started organizing the offense.
However, the Warriors' comeback momentum was strong, and their confidence was high, as they saw a chance to win. They wouldn't give up easily.
"Swish!"
As soon as Wade Dong checked in, he hit a pull-up jumper.
Suns 78, Warriors 93!!!
But Huang Yu immediately responded with a mid-range jumper over Thompson's defense.
The teams traded baskets, and the Suns slowly narrowed the gap.
However, the fans' hearts had sunk... There wasn't enough time left, and if Gentry had brought in the starters two minutes earlier, this situation wouldn't have occurred!
If they lost tonight, Gentry would bear all the responsibility.
With 52 seconds left in the game, the Suns still trailed by 10 points.
McGrady missed a layup.
"Awww..."
The sighs from the crowd were so loud that Gentry, sitting on the bench, could hear them.
But before the fans could lose hope, Wade Dong soared and grabbed the offensive rebound, dunking over Bynum's head.
"Bang!"
The rim seemed to shake.
Suns 93, Warriors 101!!!
The Suns trailed by 8 points.
This scene... suddenly reminded McGrady of something familiar.
As Wade Dong returned to defense, he asked McGrady, "Mac, do you remember the 'McGrady Moment'?"
"Of course!"
McGrady nodded vigorously, as it was a miracle and his moment of glory.
Wade Dong smiled, "You're down by 8 points again. Why don't you try to recreate the 'McGrady Moment'?"
"Hmm..."
McGrady hesitated, as the McGrady Moment was his peak, and he wasn't sure if he still had that ability.
"You have to believe in yourself!"
Wade Dong patted McGrady on the shoulder, and as Dragic dribbled to the frontcourt, Wade Dong signaled Green to pressure him. Dragic wanted to pass to Huang Yu, but Wade Dong stole the pass.
"Bang!"
Wade Dong drove to the frontcourt and slammed home a powerful dunk!
Suns 95, Warriors 101!!!
With 39 seconds left in the game, the fans' hopes were rekindled.
...
Gentry quickly called a timeout, as a 6-point lead wasn't safe. A single turnover could allow the Suns to tie the game.
The Suns players also walked to the sidelines.
Gentry took out the tactical board, but Wade Dong stopped him.
"Dong Ge, you tell us."
Everyone understood that Wade Dong wanted to make the tactical adjustments himself.
Wade Dong said, "We've reached our foul limit, so when we check in, we'll foul, forcing the Warriors to shoot free throws.
If they miss, we'll fight for the rebound, and even if they make both free throws, we'll pass the ball to Mac, and he'll shoot a three!"
"This is..."
Gentry was stunned, "The same tactic the Rockets used against the Spurs?"
"Yes."
Wade Dong nodded.
Everyone hesitated, as this tactic was risky. If Wade Dong were shooting the three, they wouldn't be worried, but McGrady was past his prime. Could he recreate the 35-second 13-point miracle?
"Dong Ge..."
McGrady hesitated, "Why don't you take the three instead?"
"No!"
Wade Dong shook his head firmly, "You take it."
"But rest assured, you won't face as much pressure as you did against the Spurs. Jackson knows we'll shoot threes,
but besides you, we have me, Curry, Thompson, and Nash. They won't focus all their attention on you."
Wade Dong added.
...
After the timeout, Nash, McGrady, Curry, Thompson, and Wade Dong checked in.
The fans knew the Suns would shoot threes, but this lineup was still breathtaking, as it was arguably the most terrifying three-point lineup in history!
Five three-point specialists on the court at the same time.
"MVP! MVP! MVP!"
The fans cheered for the Suns with 'MVP' chants.
Jackson fell silent.
He suddenly felt nervous...
"Go for it!"
Wade Dong encouraged McGrady in his heart, "I'll help you..."
The Warriors inbounded the ball, and the Suns immediately applied full-court pressure.
As soon as Huang Yu received the inbounds pass from Dragic, Curry immediately fouled him.
Huang Yu went to the free-throw line.
"Swish!"
"Swish!"
He made both free throws.
Suns 95, Warriors 103!!!
The Suns trailed by 8 points, with 38 seconds left in the game.
Gentry nervously clutched his goji berry tea.
"It's up to you."
Wade Dong gave McGrady an encouraging look.
McGrady received the inbounds pass from Curry and dribbled to the frontcourt. He stopped at the three-point line, pulled up, and shot.
"Lucky Potion!"
Wade Dong threw a bottle of 'Lucky Potion' to McGrady, knowing that McGrady was past his prime.
Like Iverson last year, McGrady might retire after fulfilling his championship dream, so Wade Dong didn't want McGrady to have any regrets.
"Swish!"
The ball went in cleanly.
Suns 98, Warriors 103!!!
The Suns trailed by 3 points.
"Hah!"
McGrady clenched his fist and pumped it vigorously.
Similarly, the Warriors inbounded the ball, and this time, Huang Yu was tightly guarded, so Dragic passed to Bynum, and Wade Dong immediately fouled him.
This was rare...
Bynum made both free throws.
Then, the Suns inbounded the ball to McGrady, who dribbled to the frontcourt. Morris defended him, and Wade Dong set a screen for McGrady, who turned and saw Bynum coming to defend him. He faked a shot, causing Bynum to jump, and then shot.
What a familiar scene!
McGrady felt like he was facing Duncan instead of Bynum.
So, McGrady leaned into Bynum and shot, and although the shot was affected, it still went in! And it was a 3+1!
Suns 101, Warriors 105!!!
"McGrady! McGrady! McGrady!"
The fans went wild, all standing up, as this scene reminded the veteran fans of McGrady's Moment.
"Damn!"
Jackson scowled, now understanding why he felt nervous. The man who had once scored 13 points in 35 seconds was now on the Suns.
"Swish!"
McGrady made the free throw.
Suns 102, Warriors 105!!!
The Suns trailed by 3 points.
At this point, Jackson didn't call a timeout.
The Warriors inbounded the ball, and as expected, the Suns fouled again.
Huang Yu made both free throws.
Then, the Suns inbounded the ball to McGrady, who dribbled to the frontcourt. Morris defended him, and Wade Dong set another screen for McGrady, who turned and saw Morris coming to defend him. He faked a shot, causing Morris to jump, and then shot a three.
"Swish!"
The ball went in cleanly again.
Suns 105, Warriors 107!!!
The fans were dancing in their seats, and McGrady had scored 10 points.
Jackson called a timeout.
On the Suns' side, Wade Dong said, "When the Warriors inbound the ball, leave Bynum open, let him receive the pass, and then I'll steal it!"
"This..."
This tactic was too risky!
But with only 8 seconds left, if they fouled again, they would lose the game, and McGrady had completed the 35-second 13-point miracle because of a turnover by the opponent.
After the timeout, Dragic passed the ball to Bynum, who received it and then threw it towards the basket.
"Clang~"
"Beep!"
The referee blew the whistle, and Huang Yu's shot missed, ending the game.
Suns 108, Warriors 107!!!
McGrady hit the game-winner, and the Suns won their second playoff game.
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