Chương 248: Chapter 248: The Fourth Game Begins
May 27th, sunny.
Tonight was the fourth game of the second round of the playoffs between the Suns and the Clippers.
It might also be the last game.
In the East, the Heat had already swept the Pacers and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, and the gathering organized by Kobe would take place after the Suns' game.
This event wasn't kept a secret from the media, and before the gathering, Kobe had revealed the address, so many news agencies were already waiting outside the venue.
...
In the first three games, the point difference was always over 10 points.
The Clippers were backed into a corner, and Coach Lue still couldn't come up with a tactic to counter the Suns, mainly because in these three games, Wade Dong was unstoppable.
Perhaps anticipating that the Clippers would be swept by the Suns after this game, the atmosphere at the venue was a bit gloomy.
Beep!!!
The referee blew the whistle, and the game began.
The Clippers had possession, and Paul slowly dribbled to the frontcourt. Jordan set a screen for Griffin, and Paul lofted the ball towards the basket.
Griffin was still under the basket, and he jumped up to grab the ball and then made a one-handed dunk.
Bang!!!
The Clippers started the game with a strong offensive play.
On the Suns' side, Wade Dong made a bounce pass to McGrady, who caught the ball and made a layup.
With Wade Dong and Curry drawing defensive attention, McGrady's offense became much easier.
Both teams went back and forth in the first quarter.
After seven minutes, Coach Gentry substituted Curry and McGrady with Nash and Thompson.
This was the most frustrating part for Coach Lue, as Coach Gentry didn't use a five-in-five-out lineup like he did against the Warriors, and he kept Wade Dong on the court until the point difference exceeded 20 points.
Many professionals didn't understand this strategy!
Those who understood basketball knew that Wade Dong wasn't just good at three-pointers, as his explosive playing style was no less than James' or Rose's. They were worried that Coach Gentry's over-reliance on Wade Dong would increase his risk of injury.
Only Coach Gentry knew that he did this because Wade Dong asked him to.
Wade Dong would occasionally slack off during the regular season and against weaker teams.
However, in the second round of the playoffs, Wade Dong wouldn't slack off.
...
The first quarter ended.
The score was 23:21!!!
The Suns led by 2 points, and the scoring in the first quarter was low for both teams.
This was because the defensive intensity was too high...
Wade Dong, Gortat, Paul, Griffin, and Jordan played the entire first quarter.
After a short rest.
Paul, Griffin, and Jordan remained on the court, as if they lost this game, the Clippers' season would be over.
So in this game, they wouldn't rest until the very last moment.
On the Suns' side, the players on the court were Wade Dong, Nash, Tucker, Frye, and Thompson.
Nash made two crossovers to get past Crawford and then passed the ball to Frye, who was at the three-point line.
G~~~
Frye took a three-pointer, but it missed!
As Frye shot, Wade Dong rushed to the basket, and after the ball bounced off the rim, Wade Dong jumped and grabbed the offensive rebound.
As soon as he got the ball, Wade Dong faked a move to get past Griffin and then jumped for a dunk!
Bang!!!
Jordan rushed over and hit Wade Dong's arm.
The ball didn't go in, and Wade Dong stumbled... This was probably a snapshot of the entire game, as every defensive play was so fierce.
Swish!!!
Swish!!!
After making both free throws, Wade Dong expressionlessly ran back to defend.
The Clippers had possession.
Paul dribbled past Nash and drove to the basket for a layup.
The score was now 25:23!!!
The game remained tight.
The Clippers fought back fiercely, and the two teams' scores went back and forth.
At halftime, the score was 47:43, with the Suns leading by 3 points, but the point difference didn't widen.
The Clippers' aggressive defense also disrupted Wade Dong.
His shooting percentage in the first half was low, making only 5 out of 13 shots and scoring only 13 points. It was rare for Wade Dong to score only 13 points in the first half, and he was still the Suns' main offensive player.
...
In the Suns' locker room.
Wade Dong sat in the corner, and Coach Gentry walked over and asked, "Do you have a gathering tonight?"
"Yes."
Wade Dong nodded reluctantly, "Let's not talk about that now, let's focus on winning this game first."
Coach Gentry smiled and said, "I read in the news this afternoon that James has already arrived in Los Angeles."
"Oh..."
Wade Dong casually replied.
Coach Gentry continued, "The Heat have eliminated the Pacers and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, so if we lose this game to the Clippers, it won't look good when you're drinking with James tonight."
"We won't lose."
Wade Dong waved his hand, annoyed at Coach Gentry's nagging, and said, "Go ahead and set up the tactics for the second half."
"Okay~"
Coach Gentry then went to the tactics board to set up the tactics for the second half.
"Curry and Thompson, you two spread out to the perimeter and create one-on-one opportunities for Brother Dong."
"Use more pick-and-roll plays..."
"On defense, we need to pay attention to..."
"Blah blah blah blah blah..."
It wasn't until just before the start of the second half that Coach Gentry finished explaining his tactics.
...
The second half began.
Wade Dong, Curry, Thompson, McGrady, and Green were on the court.
The Death Five lineup!
Curry, Thompson, McGrady, and Green all spread out to the three-point line, leaving Wade Dong to handle the ball and attack, while Griffin defended Wade Dong one-on-one!
Wade Dong made a big shoulder fake, Iverson's signature move, the crossover!!!
He easily got past Griffin!
Wade Dong drove to the basket, and Butler, Jordan, and Crawford all retreated to defend Wade Dong.
At this moment, the court probably looked like this.
Curry, Thompson, McGrady, and Green were all around the three-point line, each standing at the two bottom corners, the left and right 45-degree angles, while Butler, Jordan, and Crawford were all under the basket.
Griffin and Paul watched as Wade Dong drove to the basket.
In the air, Wade Dong jumped over Jordan and made a powerful dunk!
Bang!!!
Wade Dong had maxed out his strength, and this dunk bent the rim.
If it weren't for the improved craftsmanship of the rim, this dunk alone would have shattered it!
Ah!!!
After the dunk, Wade Dong also pounded his chest and roared.
In the Clippers' last game, they used a lot of dirty tactics, and the referees also seemed to be biased, so Wade Dong was frustrated in the first half, and this dunk was to release his anger.
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