Chapter 69: Beat LA

After the game, the bench players were a bit dejected.

Throughout the game, Wade Dong was double-teamed, and it was Kobe and Gasol who were doing the double-teaming.

When Wade Dong played the power forward position, Bynum and Gasol double-teamed him.

When he played the shooting guard position, Blake and Kobe double-teamed him.

Gasol aside, the proud Kobe had never accepted help from his teammates on defense in all these years.

But against Wade Dong, Kobe accepted this.

Wade Dong shot 9 for 26 in the game, which was the result of being double-teamed. His shooting percentage dropped significantly. At this point, if another player besides Nash had stepped up, the Suns might have had a chance to win.

Wade Dong consoled his teammates, "It's just one loss. Why the long faces? Besides, we still have the home court advantage. Prepare well, and work hard in the next game."

"Sorry, Dong."

The teammates felt guilty, "We didn't help you and Nash."

Wade Dong frowned, "Have the recent games been too easy? Can't you accept a single loss?"

"No..."

The teammates tried to explain.

Gentry walked over and said, "Don't say anything more. Forget this game, adjust your mindset, and win the next one."

The Suns players were dejected because they all played poorly that night. Wade Dong drew the main defensive focus, and they often had open shots but couldn't make them.

After the game, Gentry didn't blame the players in front of the reporters.

Wade Dong also kept his interview brief, and the press conference ended quickly. It must be said that without Daisy causing trouble, the post-game press conferences were much more normal.

...

The day after losing to the Lakers, Wade Dong came to the gym for practice and found that his teammates had already arrived.

He thought they would be catching up on sleep after the late-night flight, but he was the last one to arrive.

"You guys are too serious..."

Wade Dong saw his teammates practicing shots and joked, "It seems yesterday's loss hit you hard."

Lopez said, "We accept defeat, but not because of our poor performance."

"Practice, practice."

Wade Dong went to the side to lift weights, "Last-minute sharpening, even if it's not fast, it's still shiny."

As practice was about to end, Iverson and Wallace played a few one-on-one games, which made Wade Dong envious. However, he couldn't play one-on-one with his teammates because he had used up all their talent points, so there was no point in playing.

Gortat and Lopez saw Wade Dong idle and approached him, "Dong, teach us the dream shake."

"You want to learn?"

Wade Dong raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Then I'll teach you."

Wade Dong's exchanged star skills not only included those he could use but also the key points of these moves, so he could teach them to others.

As for how much they could learn, it depended on their talent.

Many players wanted to learn the dream shake because it was not only practical but also something that average talent could learn.

This move was unlike Iverson's crossover, which, even if the key points were taught, without the dynamic talent, the effectiveness would be average.

Wade Dong didn't hold back and almost taught Gortat and Lopez hand-to-hand.

"This move starts with a drive to the basket, first pulling the ball to the right to shift the defender's center of gravity, then turning for a fake shot to shake off the defender, and finally turning back for the layup."

Wade Dong explained the key points of the dream shake while demonstrating, "There are two key points: the turning motion must be large to shake off the defender, and the layup must be decisive, otherwise, the defender can recover and block the shot."

After explaining, Wade Dong demonstrated the move again for Gortat.

This hands-on teaching was much more effective than watching videos. Gortat and Lopez practiced diligently.

Wade Dong added, "Although your talents are average, hard work can make up for it. Practice this move all summer."

Gortat: "..."

Lopez: "..."

Practicing one move for an entire summer? Thinking about this, Gortat suddenly asked, "Dong, how long did it take you to learn this move?"

"Actually, it took me a long time too."

Wade Dong pretended to stroke his chin, "At least a day to learn it."

Gortat: "???"

Lopez: "???"

At that moment, Gortat felt a bit depressed and didn't want to talk to Wade Dong anymore.

Wade Dong didn't know Gortat was depressed because he thought he was being modest. If he had told Gortat that he learned the move just by looking at it, what would Gortat think?

Would he suddenly lose confidence in basketball?

...

Two days later, the Suns hosted the Lakers for Game 3 at home.

The Suns players had also recovered from the shadow of their previous loss and were ready to face the Lakers' challenge.

"Beep!!!"

With the referee's whistle, the third game of the playoffs between the Lakers and Suns officially began.

Both teams' lineups remained unchanged, but this time it was the Suns' home court, and Li Jiajia was also in the stands.

"BEAT LA! BEAT LA! BEAT LA!"

The US Airways Center chanted in unison.

Nash dribbled the ball up the court and passed it to Iverson, who then passed it to Wade Dong. With Wade Dong holding the ball, the Lakers' interior defense immediately collapsed.

Gortat cut to the basket!

Wade Dong made a quick pass, and the ball reached Gortat, who faced an open basket and dunked it!

"Boom!!!"

The ball was slammed into the hoop.

The home crowd erupted...

The Suns started the game with a perfect play, with four out of the five players on the court touching the ball.

The Suns' offense was smooth, and the players were also very focused on defense. Kobe scored with his strong individual ability, but the Lakers' other players were stopped several times on offense.

The most suffering player was Gasol.

Over the years, Gasol had always been criticized by fans for his soft playstyle, and he had been working hard to change that perception.

However, when facing Wade Dong, this weakness seemed to be magnified.

Gasol was bigger and taller than Wade Dong, but Wade Dong was strong, had a good vertical leap, and didn't fall for fakes. Gasol's consecutive attacks were unsuccessful, and he was even blocked by Wade Dong.

This contrast in size and physique highlighted Gasol's weaknesses even more. The Suns fans cheered loudly, while the Lakers fans shook their heads in disappointment.