Chương 413: Chapter 413: The Hero's Twilight
Being 3-0 down is like a death sentence.
There has never been a 0-3 comeback in the league's playoff history.
Moreover, the Trail Blazers are facing the league's strongest team, the Suns.
So... ❆
Two days later, the Suns swept the Trail Blazers and advanced to the Western Conference Finals.
"The future is yours."
At the end of the series, Wade Dong, following in Duncan's footsteps, encouraged Lillard with a few words, showing his appreciation for the young man.
...
After the Spurs' first victory over the Lakers, home-court advantage shifted to the Spurs.
The Suns' Western Conference Finals opponent would be either the Spurs or the Lakers.
Deep down, Wade Dong was more excited about playing the Lakers. He didn't particularly like the Spurs' style of play, and he had even been suspended for a game after hitting Howard.
Kobe, who entered the league in 1996, had been battling on this court for nearly two decades. However, starting from last season, Kobe's performance had noticeably declined, and with injuries plaguing him, this might be his last chance to compete for the championship.
If the Lakers fail to win the championship this season, Harden and Howard might both leave the team.
Similarly, this is also the last glory for the Spurs' Big Three.
Duncan had told Wade Dong that if they don't win the championship this year, he will retire.
...
On May 13, the third game between the Spurs and the Lakers took place at the AT&T Center.
The starting lineups for this game were:
Spurs: Duncan, Parker, Leonard, Green, and Splitter.
Lakers: Kobe, Harden, Gasol, Howard, and Meeks.
D'Antoni developed the ultimate Harden, boldly using him as a point guard in the latter half of the season, which yielded positive results.
However, in the playoffs, Harden struggled, and the Lakers lost the first game of the second round to the visiting Spurs. In the second game, if it weren't for Kobe's persistence in the final moments, the Lakers might have suffered two consecutive losses.
In these two games, facing Leonard's defense, Harden scored 21 and 17 points, respectively, with poor shooting.
"Beep!!!"
With the referee's whistle, the game began.
During the tip-off, Howard passed the ball to Harden, who dribbled to the frontcourt, only to be defended by Leonard.
Continuous cross-step dribbling!
However, Harden couldn't shake off Leonard, and Kobe moved to the three-point line, shouting, "Pass me the ball!"
"Swoosh~"
Harden passed the ball to Kobe.
After receiving the pass, Kobe jumped and slammed the ball into the paint with a smashing motion. Howard caught the pass from Kobe and dunked it!
Kobe pointed at Harden, saying, "Whether it's passing or shooting, be decisive!"
"Huh?!"
Harden blew on his beard but didn't argue with Kobe.
The Spurs' offense was very smooth, and Duncan ended this possession with a mid-range jump shot.
D'Antoni's face was gloomy...
...
The game reached the crucial fourth quarter, with seven minutes remaining.
Kobe removed the towel from his head and prepared to enter the game!
The Lakers were already down by 15 points, 87-72!
"My goal is the championship!"
"Wade Dong is waiting for me in the Western Conference Finals!"
"I can't lose this game!"
Kobe muttered to himself, his eyes filled with determination as he stepped onto the court.
...
As the Spurs and Lakers battled fiercely, Wade Dong was at home watching the live broadcast.
"What's Kobe muttering about?"
Wade Dong mumbled, stuffing a handful of chips into his mouth.
"If I hadn't been reborn, wouldn't the Spurs have won the championship this season?"
...
Leonard had given up defending Harden and switched to defending Kobe.
Kobe faked a move, turned, and took a fadeaway jump shot!
"Swoosh!!!"
The ball swished through the net.
The score was now 87-74!
This was Kobe, who wouldn't give up his desire for victory until the very last moment.
The Spurs' offense.
Parker dribbled past half-court, and Kobe rushed forward to steal the ball from him.
As the ball flew towards the backcourt, Kobe lunged forward, protecting the ball in his arms. He stumbled to his feet, dribbled towards the frontcourt, and Parker grabbed him, but Kobe still managed to score.
"Swoosh!!!"
After making the free throw, Kobe scored five consecutive points, reducing the deficit to just 10 points.
This dive for the ball even moved Wade Dong, who couldn't help but acknowledge that Kobe's desire for victory was almost obsessive!
Unfortunately...
Only Kobe on the Lakers was so eager for victory.
With one minute left in the game, Leonard hit another three-pointer, keeping the lead at around 10 points.
The Lakers lost hope...
After the game, Kobe's figure walking towards the players' tunnel seemed somewhat desolate.
The game stats:
Kobe: 37 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks.
Harden: 19 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 0 steals, 0 blocks.
Howard: 21 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 3 blocks.
Leonard: 19 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, 1 block.
Besides Leonard, the Spurs had Duncan with 18 points and 15 rebounds, Parker with 21 points and 7 assists, Ginobili with 19 points and 4 assists, and Diaw with 7 points and 10 rebounds.
...
"The hero's twilight," Wade Dong sighed, pouring the last of the chips into his mouth and turning off the TV.
Not meeting Kobe at his peak was also one of Wade Dong's regrets. The Lakers were already down 1-2, and it was uncertain if they could overcome the Spurs.
In the East, the Heat led the Bulls 3-0, while the Pacers led the Raptors 2-1.
Rose had been injured twice this season, although not with a career-ending ACL tear. However, these injuries had affected his performance.
Wade Dong had reminded Rose to be mindful of his playing style!
But it was to no avail...
In fact, not only was it ineffective, but Wade Dong's reminder had the opposite effect. Wade Dong's playing style was even more explosive than Rose's, with no deceleration on turns, extreme layups, and tremendous explosiveness... Everything Rose had, Wade Dong had too!
Perhaps Wade Dong's style of play further stimulated Rose.
But Rose was only human, not a god, and he didn't have 'recovery potions'. These 'recovery potions' were almost the most useful items the system had given to Wade Dong.
...
May 18.
By the time they returned home, the Lakers were already down 1-3.
In the first half, the Spurs witnessed Leonard's impressive performance and the team's incredible 61% field goal percentage, while Harden remained out of form, committing as many as 9 turnovers.
In the end, the Spurs defeated the Lakers 110-92 on the road.
Leonard scored a career-high 33 points, Parker had 15, Duncan 21 points and 7 rebounds, Ginobili 11, while the Lakers had Kobe with 27 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists on 11-for-29 shooting, Harden with 26, Howard with 21, and Gasol with 13.
The hero's twilight, Kobe lost his last chance to compete for the championship.
Post-game press conference.
Kobe looked very dejected, and a reporter wanted to comfort him but didn't know how to start. Everyone had seen Kobe's persistence... but persistence didn't guarantee a championship.
"Kobe..."
Just as a reporter was about to ask a question, Kobe's phone rang.
Usually, during interviews, even if a call comes in, players will hang up and return the call after the interview. However, when Kobe saw that it was Wade Dong calling, he told the reporter, "I'll take this call."
"Hello, Wade Dong."
Upon hearing these two words, all the reporters perked up their ears.
Wade Dong joked, "What's wrong with you, old man? Can't even beat the Spurs? Looks like I have to take revenge for you."
"Sigh..."
Kobe finally let out a sigh.
"You have to accept aging... You're not the same as you were a few years ago. Come to the Suns next season, and I'll help you win a championship."
"I'm not the type to be second best."
"Hahaha... Losing isn't a big deal. A barbecue will cheer you up."
"I'm just not satisfied..."
"Then have two!"
"???"
It's not that Wade Dong didn't know how to comfort people, but he understood that Kobe didn't need comforting. He casually chatted with Kobe for a bit and then hung up.
...
In the East, the Heat defeated the Bulls 4-1 to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
They didn't sweep the Bulls because, in the third game, Rose had a breakout performance, scoring 51 points and 7 assists to lead the Bulls to victory.
On the other side, the Pacers and Raptors were already in the sixth game, with the Pacers leading 3-2. If they won this game, they would face the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals.
...
The Western Conference Finals are about to begin!
In the 2011-12 season, the Western Conference leader, the Spurs, were eliminated in the first round by the Suns, creating the Suns' Cinderella story.
That series also had its fair share of interesting moments, like Wade Dong beating up Howard, Duncan being ejected for laughing twice, and Wade Dong's words to Popovich at the end of the series, 'You picked him, idol'. Popovich still remembers it to this day.
At that time, Wade Dong had just entered the league, and the Suns were in a period of adjustment, far from as strong as they are now!
If the Spurs hadn't thrown the last regular-season game, they might have prevented the Suns from making the playoffs... But there are no ifs, and Popovich had to face the consequences.
Meeting again in the Western Conference Finals, the Spurs were determined to avenge their previous defeat!
On a certain forum.
The fans were almost at each other's throats, arguing over a discussion about how many games it would take for the Suns to eliminate the Spurs. Most people said 4-0, but there were a few rational fans who thought that the Spurs' lineup was more reasonable, their team play was better, and the Suns' style of play with their big stars wouldn't allow them to sweep the Spurs.
The Lakers, with their four stars, were beaten by the Spurs 4-1, which is a good example.
Before the game, Wade Dong gave his teammates a question to ponder: Could peak Kobe single-handedly challenge the current Spurs?
The teammates discussed this question!
The answers varied... McGrady even said, "This assumption doesn't hold."
...
The Western Arena was packed, and the Western Conference Finals began!
The starting lineups for both teams were:
Suns: Wade Dong, Curry, Durant, Thompson, and Green.
Spurs: Duncan, Leonard, Danny, Parker, and Splitter.
Duncan and Durant jumped for the tip-off, and the Spurs got the ball first. Parker dribbled to the frontcourt and passed to Duncan in the paint. Duncan isolated against Green and took a turnaround jump shot.
"Swish~~~"
The ball swished through the net.
The Suns' offense, Curry dribbled to the frontcourt and passed to Wade Dong in the mid-range.
After receiving Curry's pass, Wade Dong posted up against Leonard, turned, and took a fadeaway jump shot!
"Swoosh!!!"
The ball swished through the net.
Seeing this, McGrady's eyes lit up, and he whispered to Carter, "Old buddy, Dong's offensive move just now was exactly like Kobe's."
"Yeah... But that's one of Dong's specialties."
Carter also noticed this.
Before the game, Wade Dong told his teammates that he would play the 2-guard position tonight, so Curry returned to the point guard position. In every Suns' offensive possession, Curry would be the one to organize the play.
Seven minutes into the game, Wade Dong dribbled from the baseline, blew past Leonard, and, in mid-air, executed a layup to avoid Duncan, then flipped the ball in with his other hand!
"Clang!!!"
...
In the Huaxia live stream room.
Yu Jia: "Wade Dong has transformed into Kobe tonight!"
Zhang: "Yes, I noticed it too. Wade Dong's playing style tonight is identical to peak Kobe."
Yu Jia: "They have the same height, and if you put on the Lakers' number 24 jersey and don't look at their faces, you wouldn't be able to tell if it's Kobe or Wade Dong."
Zhang: "When the Lakers lost the series, Wade Dong called Kobe. Perhaps Wade Dong wanted to prove that if Kobe was at his peak, he wouldn't have lost to the Spurs."
...
51-47!!!
At halftime, the Suns led by 4 points.
Wade Dong played for 17 minutes, scoring 21 points on 9-for-13 shooting, along with 6 rebounds and 3 assists.
Wade Dong was a bit selfish in his play tonight, but aside from missing a few shots, he employed all his offensive moves, and his playing style was identical to Kobe's.
In the Suns' locker room.
Gentry was making tea, while Kerr was discussing the second-half tactics with the players.
"In the second half, we need to make some adjustments to our lineup. Whiteside, Tucker, Carter, Yi Nan, and Dong will be one group. When you five are on the court, try to get the ball to Dong, and let him finish the game.
As for Durant, Thompson, Green, Curry, and McGrady, you will be the other group. During the time the bench players are on the court, quickly extend the lead."
The Suns' style of play is to accommodate Wade Dong's preferences.
...
The second half began.
"Changing the lineup in the third quarter? That's just random play!"
Popovich didn't understand Gentry's tactical arrangement, as he was known as the 'Old Fox' for his unconventional strategies during games.
But...
Compared to Gentry, Popovich suddenly felt a bit too conventional.
Yi Nan missed a mid-range shot.
"Swoosh~~~"
As soon as Yi Nan's shot bounced off the rim, Wade Dong rushed to the basket, riding on Splitter's back to score a putback dunk!
The score was now 53-47!!!
"MVP!"
"MVP!"
"MVP!"
The fans at the Western Arena erupted in cheers!
Throughout the playoffs so far, Wade Dong had been patiently organizing the offense, and it had been a while since they had seen such an individual performance.
The last time Wade Dong displayed such a strong desire to score was the previous time!
Tình trạng nguồn điện hàng tuần
-- Xếp hạng
Quyền lực 
-- Đá
Quyền lực