The Way of Basketball: Never Talk Shit to Him!
Chapter 682 - 256: 60 Plus... Is This Really the End of the Game for Su Wan?_3

Chapter 682: Chapter 256: 60 Plus... Is This Really the End of the Game for Su Wan?_3

"Let him focus on defense first," Pat Riley offered a solution. "We’ll observe his attitude and then decide how to utilize him afterwards!"

Spoelstra watched as LeBron left in frustration and shook his head slightly.

He knew exactly what his mentor was like.

This was probably a test for LeBron—if LeBron wasn’t willing to invest in defense, then Pat Riley’s backup plan would surely be terrifying.

He had more than one way to pressure a player!

LeBron had better behave himself...

Unfortunately, the Heat lost their next game, and LeBron became increasingly aggressive on offense. When he had the ball, he would dribble for extended periods, directing his teammates to move around.

It was evident that he was trying hard to lead the team.

But his return to the Cavaliers’ style of play turned Chris Bosh into a "High Post Gun" stationed in the corner and Wade into a "Spot Shooter" on the wing.

The two players’ effectiveness was wasted by seventy or eighty percent.

The rest, like David Lee and such, fared even worse, becoming mere "blue-collars."

This lineup’s capability couldn’t compare to the Cavaliers’.

More importantly, LeBron hadn’t been on court for the past two months. This was, strictly speaking, only his fourth game, and his condition wasn’t great.

Pat Riley had noticed this and therefore asked LeBron to focus on defense.

By engaging aggressively in the game, to slowly regain his on-court condition and hence perform better on offense.

But LeBron was unwilling to follow the path laid out for him.

The Heat had hit "four consecutive losses," and since the new year began, they hadn’t won a single game.

Pat Riley, after watching the game in his office and observing the obstinate LeBron, said, "We can’t drag this out any longer, give him at most two more games. If he continues to play this way, then tell him my decision!"

Spoelstra received a call from Pat Riley on the drive back to Miami, the tone carrying a decisiveness he had never heard before.

He knew the coach was angry.

Turning to look at LeBron, their eyes met just as LeBron looked up, then he looked down again, like a 5-year-old child angry about not getting a cookie.

What else could Spoelstra say?

Other than sighing...

LeBron had no idea what was coming for him.

Su Wan found out about the Heat’s "four consecutive losses" the next day, which surprised him.

The "Three Giants" had indeed gone through a rough patch earlier, with their record dipping below 50%, but wasn’t this an exaggeration?

Not a single game won?

Then he figured it out. While the "Three Giants" were integrating, other teams were doing the same, so sometimes they faced teams with even poorer chemistry and overcame them relying on their individual abilities.

But now it was January.

The league’s teams had all completed their integration.

Their luck was also poor, as almost all the teams they faced in January were among the top eight in the Eastern and Western conferences.

Another reason was that LeBron had experienced the "Black Eight" last season and had gone fishing in early May, and then was suspended for 30 games. He didn’t play until the end of 2010, a 7-month "vacuum period," and now his form needed adjustment. Combined with the need to integrate, they were really screwed.

Looking at it this way, "four consecutive losses" made sense.

The only pity was that the New York Knicks hadn’t taken this opportunity to overtake the Heat.

Stephen Curry encountered an ankle injury in the first game of January, followed by Danilo Gallinari also suffering a shoulder injury. With two main players sidelined, the Knicks had "four consecutive away games" resulting in 1 win and 3 losses.

In the next game, the Knicks finally returned to their home court and faced the Western third place Dallas Mavericks. But with Curry and Gallinari unable to return, many in the media were saying, "The New York Knicks’ home unbeaten record this season is going to be broken by the Mavericks!"

The Dallas media were excited, and Cuban even said, "This is the only thing the Knicks can boast about this season, but it will soon end at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks!"

Su Wan and the New York Knicks faced a challenge.

On the same day, the Miami Heat welcomed the fifth game of January at their home court. Before January, the Heat had never even faced "two consecutive losses," let alone "four consecutive losses," and the atmosphere at home was at an all-time low.

Wade was eager to bring back the atmosphere of the past.

If one were watching these two games, they’d notice that Wade’s expression resembled the determination in Su Wan’s eyes at Madison Square Garden.

The atmosphere in Madison Square Garden was much better than in Miami.

Mainly because the New York Knicks’ record this season had improved so much from the last, such achievements were beyond everyone’s expectations at the start of the season. Even the New York Media had said that just entering the playoffs would be a success if they had Su Wan.

But not only did they reach the playoffs, this year’s New York had higher aspirations.

Results beyond expectations made the New York fans incredibly optimistic.

Though in their hearts, there was still some regret that tonight, the New York Knicks’ "home unbeaten" record might come to an end...

But it couldn’t be helped; the Mavericks’ defining feature was their fierce offensive firepower, filled with shooters, not the type Artest excelled in defending. Plus, with two of the Knicks injured, hard to defend, hard to attack, this game would truly be difficult to win.

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