Wang Chong, Who Nearly Touched the Regular Season MVP

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The first half of the game between the Bulls and the Heat was essentially a battle between Wang Chong and Wade O'Neal.

The Bulls couldn't defend Wade O'Neal, but the Heat couldn't stop Wang Chong either.

This was expected. Even the Pistons, the best defensive team in the league, couldn't contain Wang Chong, so how could the Heat?

The Heat's defense wasn't bad, but they lacked high-quality defensive players like the Pistons' Tayshaun Prince and Rasheed Wallace in the frontcourt.

The main frontcourt players for the Heat were former All-Star forward Antoine Walker, All-Star power forward Alonzo Mourning, and the future heart of the Heat, Udonis Haslem.

Both Walker and Haslem, at just 6'8", were limited by their height and couldn't defend Wang Chong. Mourning, though similar in stature to Wang Chong, was 35 years old and had a history of injuries. He never admitted defeat, but his footwork had slowed down, making it impossible for him to keep up with Wang Chong.

By the end of the first half, Wang Chong had shot 6 of 9 from the field, made 2 of 4 three-pointers, and scored 17 points, including free throws.

Despite Wang Chong's usual efficiency, the Bulls trailed the Heat by 7 points, 48–41, at halftime.

For the Heat, Wade scored 13 points, and O'Neal added 15. The duo's combined 28 points dismantled the Bulls' defense in just one half.

What made it worse was that other Heat players also stepped up.

Gary Payton, who followed O'Neal to the Heat, came off the bench. He shot 4 of 6 from the field, including 1 of 2 from beyond the arc, and scored 9 points. His performance made people doubt his mediocre 36% field goal percentage in the 2004 Lakers playoffs.

The Bulls' starting lineup was barely holding its own against the Heat, thanks to Wang Chong's efficient scoring. But the Bulls' bench was a glaring weakness. Even in the regular season, the bench had little production, with Chris Duhon being the highest scorer, averaging just 6.4 points.

In the third quarter, Wade started to dominate by driving to the basket relentlessly. As a result, Tyson Chandler picked up his fifth defensive foul and had to leave the game to avoid fouling out. Without Chandler on the court, the Bulls' defense crumbled, and the deficit expanded to double digits.

In the fourth quarter, Wang Chong shot frequently from the perimeter, leading the Bulls on an 8–2 run to cut the deficit.

But just as Wang Chong was surging, O'Neal, who had been resting in the third quarter, began to assert himself.

The Heat's head coach, Pat Riley, was far more strategic than Pistons' coach Flip Saunders from the previous round. Riley had thoroughly studied Wang Chong and the Bulls. He knew their tendencies well.

Normally, whether the Bulls were leading or trailing, Wang Chong would hold the ball in the fourth quarter, leading a strong offensive charge. With his nearly unstoppable offensive ability, most teams couldn't withstand the pressure, and the score would close quickly. In response, the opposing team would often grow impatient and rush their offense, falling into the Bulls' trap of a solid defense.

Riley, aware of this, purposely limited O'Neal's minutes in the third quarter, allowing Wade to lead. Meanwhile, O'Neal quietly conserved his energy, waiting for Wang Chong's inevitable outburst in the final quarter.

Sure enough, Wang Chong erupted at the start of the fourth, making a series of mid-range shots, reducing the Heat's lead to under five points in no time.

Seeing this, Riley gave the signal.

"Shaq, let's go!"

O'Neal came in like a force of nature, launching a fierce attack on the Bulls' defense.

And then…

Tweet!

Just two minutes after O'Neal stepped on the court, the referee's whistle blew. Tyson Chandler committed his sixth foul and was disqualified from the game.

Without Chandler, O'Neal dominated the paint. The Bulls resorted to hacking O'Neal, hoping to stop him.

However, the difference between O'Neal and Ben Wallace was clear. Although both were weak free throw shooters, O'Neal could still sink enough critical free throws when it mattered.

O'Neal went to the line three times in a row, hitting 3 of 6 free throws, maintaining a 50% accuracy. While not great, his 50% shooting was enough during these intense playoff moments.

The Bulls' hack-a-Shaq strategy slowed O'Neal, but the Heat quickly adjusted. They applied full-court pressure on Wang Chong, forcing the Bulls to pass to other players. When others played four-on-three, it was relatively easy to find open looks.

But even wide-open shots aren't guaranteed.

Raja Bell missed a three-pointer and a long two. Luol Deng cut to the basket, only to have his shot blocked by O'Neal.

The Bulls' offense stalled, while the Heat capitalized on O'Neal's 50% free throw shooting to steadily increase their lead.

The score quickly ballooned to double digits. Wang Chong, having exerted significant energy to shake off defenders and create shots, was running out of time. There was no way to salvage the game.

The final score was 92–86. In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Heat successfully won at home, securing their first victory in the series.

Wade finished with 25 points and 5 assists, O'Neal with 22 points and 8 rebounds, Antoine Walker scored 17, and Gary Payton added 14. Both the Heat's starters and bench performed flawlessly.

For the Bulls, Wang Chong once again carried the team, scoring 34 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists.

It wasn't surprising that Monta Ellis, stifled by Wade's defense, scored only 12 points on 5-of-13 shooting. Raja Bell and Luol Deng failed to reach double digits, and Tyson Chandler was overwhelmed by O'Neal, finishing with 6 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 fouls before fouling out in the fourth quarter.

This was a clear example of the disparity in talent between the two teams. In fact, the Bulls had faced this issue in the first two rounds of the playoffs. Few players besides Wang Chong could step up to share the offensive load. Occasionally, Ellis would have a breakout game, but that wasn't consistent enough.

The Bulls made it to the Eastern Conference Finals primarily due to Wang Chong's nearly unstoppable scoring ability and because the league consistently underestimated their defense. Wang Chong's defensive scheme for the team, while not on par with the Pistons or Spurs, was solid enough.

But in this game, it was difficult to contend with the Heat's duo of Wade and O'Neal, who could easily tear through the Bulls' defense.

End of this chapter

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