The Way of Basketball: Never Talk Shit to Him!
Chapter 302 - 180 Absolutely Do Not Talk Trash to Him_3

Chapter 302: Chapter 180 Absolutely Do Not Talk Trash to Him_3

Likewise, they used mobility to make Shaquille O’Neal’s strength futile.

After a smooth offensive play, the Pacers’ positioning also began to change—they started compressing the space near the three-point line, and even Wade couldn’t break through to the basket this time.

"Ball!"

Shaquille O’Neal’s shout alerted Wade that the "Shark" had already positioned himself inside for the ball, so he quickly passed it over.

But the second O’Neal got the ball, Su Wan and Artest immediately doubled him.

"Bang!"

Shaq just showed them what "The Big Shark" means.

"You think you can stop the great Shark?"

O’Neal huffed in pride, convinced that when the Pacers left the basket open for a one-on-one with little O’Neal, it was a death wish. This was the offensive scheme that the Lakers had painstakingly devised for him, so ingrained in him that he didn’t need to think—his body automatically delivered the answer.

The Pacers had let him be comfortable...

Before he could gloat any further, he watched as little O’Neal caught his dunked ball, took a small step over the baseline, and quickly tossed it to Dior.

"Run!" shouted the "French Magician," as the Pacers’ five men instantly accelerated, launching a counterattack.

Their speed was barely slower than the Heat Team’s after a failed offensive play, grabbing the rebound, and initiating a fast break.

Shaquille was taken aback—he couldn’t keep up with this pace.

The effect was quickly reflected in the game footage. The Heat’s other four players rapidly fell back on defense yet still watched with grave expressions at what was happening behind them—the Pacers were rapidly closing the distance.

And Shaquille O’Neal was left trailing behind these five players.

A "5 against 4" chance had forcefully emerged in the frontcourt.

Besides, with Shaquille O’Neal unable to return in time, the Heat’s inside height was lacking; at 2 meters 03 centimeters, Dior was already on par with the Heat’s tallest, Haslem.

Eventually, they chose to tighten their defense inside and wait for Shaq to get back under the basket.

But the Pacers did not hesitate. Dior rushed to the free-throw line, and after drawing the Heat’s defense in even tighter, he flung the ball to the right three-point line, where Su Wan, like an archer, towering over the 1.91 meters tall Old Payton, completed a top shot three-pointer.

"Swoosh!"

It hit dead center.

It’s been said before.

For Su Wan, this type of defense can be summed up in three words:

Artillery stand!

Back and forth, and the Pacers ended up a point ahead.

Shaquille O’Neal ran to the frontcourt, just in time for the inbound.

"Shaq, run faster, your teammates need you!" Su Wan shouted while running back to defend, mimicking Shaquille O’Neal’s triumphant demeanor from moments before.

But the Heat couldn’t offer an immediate response.

Gary Payton took his time bringing the ball past midcourt, not in a rush to pass to Wade.

Mainly...

He glanced at Shaq, who was gasping for air as he slowly moved towards the basket, and sighed inwardly.

In ’04, he had gone to the Lakers specifically for Shaq, only to encounter the complete breakup of "OK." This season, aiming for a championship ring, he chose to believe in Shaquille O’Neal again. But then, he realized that believing in Shaq was less reliable than believing a sow could climb a tree!

The Pacers still used the same defensive strategy, leaving the inside open for Shaquille O’Neal to receive the ball for a solo play—the goal was to lock him down under the basket and make him run the longest distance possible.

Hmm...

This tactic had a slow effect.

In the early stages, it would certainly let Shaquille O’Neal score a couple of baskets.

But as the rounds increased and Shaq kept running back and forth, he was bound to experience a drop in form due to excessive physical exhaustion, or even reach total exhaustion and sit out.

Moreover, the impact of this strategy wasn’t just limited to this game. Given Shaquille O’Neal’s size, if he expended too much energy in one game, he might not recover fully for the next game—maybe only 90%, and perhaps just 80% for the following one.

Let’s not forget, this Heat team had just battled the Pistons for seven games, only narrowly advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Shaq had only rested for two days before the Eastern Conference Finals began.

His physical fitness was already not at its peak.

This tactic was specifically prepared for Shaquille O’Neal.

Rick Carlisle had named it:

Run Shaq to death!

"Bang!"

So watching Shaq once again push past little O’Neal to complete a dunk...

Rick Carlisle had no worries; instead, he revealed a contented smile.

Keep dunking, Shaq. Let’s see how many more you can manage!

On the other hand, Shaq, after scoring, didn’t delay at all. He immediately turned around and sprinted toward the Heat’s defensive zone.

He looked panicked, his flesh jiggling "druang druang druang!"

This time, he absolutely couldn’t let them initiate a fast break!

But...

He used all his might, holding nothing back. But even that was only the fastest speed he could achieve with his size. By the time he reached and barely steadied himself under the basket without turning around, he heard the urgent cries of his teammates—he knew the opposition had already caught up.

Setting everything else aside, Shaquille O’Neal immediately turned around, seeking the baseline with hurried steps.

But before he could stand firm, he saw a figure appear before him:

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