The Way of Basketball: Never Talk Shit to Him!
Chapter 399 - 199: The Biggest Softie Appears_5

Chapter 399: Chapter 199: The Biggest Softie Appears_5

Tonight, Su Wan had experienced this firsthand.

He felt he had defended quite well, but he still couldn’t stop Wade.

Of course, Wade kept shaking his head after scoring, which also indicated that he felt his defense was in place, but he just couldn’t stop Su Wan’s scoring.

The turning point of the match came when "Big Z" experienced physical issues—the moment David Lee moved to the five and Heat Team brought on Haslem, the Heat Team had a problem: their interior defense wasn’t strong enough, lacking the power to defend the basket effectively.

David Lee was just a figurehead, and while Haslem certainly had the enthusiasm, his height limited his ability to disrupt plays under the hoop.

Especially when Shaquille O’Neal charged, it was even more...

Unstoppable!

By the end of the game, Wade had scored 36 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, "exploding" alongside Su Wan’s 33 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, but the Heat Team didn’t have anyone else who could match the 25 points and 13 rebounds of Shaquille O’Neal.

The Heat Team ultimately lost the first game of the series by 11 points, with a final score of 90 to 101.

After the game, Spoelstra was all seriousness.

He knew very well that the biggest difference between the playoffs and the regular season was the format.

A playoff series of seven games needs at least a week to complete, even at the fastest.

A week of facing the same opponent comes down to the ability of both sides to make adjustments.

Therefore, the first game of the series often serves as a "probing battle," and tonight, not only did the Heat Team lose, but their weakness was also exposed:

Big Z’s physical fitness!

Big Z was the backbone of the Heat Team’s position war.

Only with him on board, shrinking the space under the hoop and controlling the pace, could the Heat Team allow Wade to slowly play against the Pacers.

Without him, there was no containing Shaquille’s attacks under the hoop.

The problem lies in the fact that defense itself is a physically draining task.

Why do most superstars not commit to defense?

Because it’s tiring and no stats show for it, right?

If the League specifically recorded a player’s "defensive sliding steps," help defense times, and pick-and-roll defenses during games, and awarded trophies for these stats, maybe some players would be willing to fight a bit harder on defense for that recognition.

As the defensive backbone, Spoelstra didn’t have many options to help Big Z avoid the Pacers’ targeted wearing down.

For the second game of the series, Rick Carlisle did indeed revert to the traditional lineup, deploying Foster against "Big Z," setting the tone for a tough, physical contest right from the start. Big Z gritted his teeth and stayed on the floor for 36 minutes and 15 seconds, looking quite shaky when he finally stepped out.

But there was still around 12 minutes when he wasn’t on the court.

The Pacers seized those 12 minutes to take the second game of the series with a decisive 108 to 92 victory, a 16-point triumph.

The series score eased to a 2-0 lead. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓

Barkley said, "There’s a reason the Pacers could achieve 72 wins this season; they’re really dominant, even more so than last season!"

The most crucial point is their ability to exploit an opponent’s weakness ruthlessly, biting down hard at the slightest opportunity is terrifying.

The opponent ends up feeling intimidated, causing pressure.

During the second game, from 6 minutes and 14 seconds to about 8 minutes in the third quarter, the Heat Team made 3 consecutive errors because they feared the Pacers, and seizing that opportunity, a "7-0" run secured the Pacers’ lead.

Next, as they turned to play in Miami, Spoelstra proactively sought changes, attempting to outpace the Pacers with a faster game, which resulted in Miami facing a "three-point downpour." The Pacers delivered 17 three-point shots as a "rookie welcome gift" to Spoelstra.

After that game, Spoelstra was harshly criticized.

Calls for his dismissal grew louder.

Considering Coach S’s entire coaching career, he hasn’t faced few "dismissal crises." The reason he could ultimately emerge as a master tactician was Pat Riley’s absolute trust in him.

Of course, he also repaid Pat Riley’s trust—the "Black Eight" Heat Team that broke through to the finals serves as an inspirational example.

It’s also a textbook example of how a coach should manage their team.

And it all started with getting knocked around in the playoffs.

With the score at 0-3, the Heat Team’s outlook was bleak; no media outlet favored them anymore, and even the team themselves had lost their mindset.

In the end, the Pacers dispatched Wade and the Heat Team from the playoffs with a 29-point victory in their final matchup.

Wade averaged 31.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game, barely distinguishable from Su Wan’s average of 32 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 1.5 blocks, prompting the Miami media to call out, "Don’t waste Dwayne’s prime years anymore."

This sweep left Wade relatively unfazed.

It was his third time, after all—you grow numb to it!

A bride may be shy on her wedding night, but with more experience, the strategies in defense and offense change significantly.

Following the Pacers’ 4-0 sweep of the Heat Team, the Cavaliers quickly gained a lead in their series against the Pistons.

After 5 games, they led 3-2, and after a hard-fought battle in Detroit, they managed to secure the fourth victory of the series. There was just one problem... Shaquille O’Neal was injured in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter of that game.

His hip took a hit from someone, and he left the court in pain, clutching his side.