Chapter 221: The Shortest Blocks Leader in History

The second half began.

The Suns put their starters back in: Curry, Wade Dong, McGrady, Gortat, and Green.

McGrady hadn't played in the second quarter, and Curry and Green had only played in the last three minutes. At this point, Wade Dong led the team in all five statistical categories.

The game resumed.

The Kings started to fight back. They didn't want the Suns to secure their 73rd win and break the Bulls' record on their home court.

First, Thomas hit a floater.

Then, Cousins backed down Gortat and dunked.

Thornton also made a three-pointer.

The Kings started the third quarter with a 7-2 run, reducing the lead to just 7 points.

...

Seeing the Kings' momentum, the retired veteran players became excited. They had their pride as former players.

They didn't want their era's records to be broken.

Especially the Bulls' players, who didn't want their 72-win record to be surpassed, except for Coach K... because he was sitting on the Suns' bench as an assistant coach.

...

Gentry screwed the lid back on his goji berry tea and stood up from the bench, shouting his tactics from the sidelines, "Dong Ge, show them what you've got!"

"Oh, come on~"

Wade Dong rolled his eyes at Gentry.

Was this even a tactic?

But when the opponents gained momentum, Wade Dong also became more focused.

Thornton had the ball again, facing Wade Dong's defense. He took two probing steps and then drove past Wade Dong on the right side.

"Show-off~"

Wade Dong smiled and, out of the corner of his eye, saw Cousins posting up in the low post. He shouted to Gortat, "Go help!"

As he shouted to Gortat, Wade Dong paused, allowing Thornton to get past him.

Then, Wade Dong turned and headed towards Cousins.

This was Wade Dong's court sense, honed by his coaching skills. With Gortat helping, the low post was left open for Cousins.

As expected, Thornton passed the ball to Cousins.

Cousins received the pass and was still a step away from the basket. Seeing Gortat coming to defend, he went for a layup, but it was all within Wade Dong's calculation.

Wade Dong flew in from behind Cousins and smacked the ball against the backboard.

Wade Dong's jump was incredibly high, and he grabbed the ball as it descended.

"Goaltending!"

After landing, Cousins rushed to the referee, arguing that it was goaltending.

But the referee, after a moment's hesitation, explained that it was a clean block, not goaltending, as the ball was still on its way up.

Wade Dong's sixth block of the game!

...

The Thunder players were watching the game together.

"Damn!"

After seeing the block, Ibaka kicked his chair, "That was clearly goaltending!"

Westbrook understood Ibaka's frustration. With that block, Wade Dong's blocks per game surpassed Ibaka's, meaning Ibaka would not be the blocks leader this season.

Seeing Ibaka leave the meeting room, Westbrook followed to comfort him.

With this block, Wade Dong also became the first player in history to win the scoring title, steals title, and blocks title in the same season.

Additionally, Wade Dong set another record, becoming the shortest blocks leader in history and the only player under 2 meters to achieve this feat.

...

"MVP! MVP! MVP!"

The New Arena erupted with the loudest cheers of the night.

It wasn't just because of the impressive block but also because the fans had seen the news before the game. They knew that if Wade Dong got 6 blocks in this game, he would become the season's blocks leader.

So, they were witnessing the birth of the shortest blocks leader in history.

Barkley, at 1.98 meters tall, played power forward and was known for his athleticism, earning the nickname 'Flying Pig.' He even won the rebounding title, but he never achieved the blocks title.

This game was destined to create numerous records.

The fans' excitement was palpable, and the Kings' fans gave their loudest cheers to the Suns and Wade Dong, as they were all witnessing history together.

To watch basketball your whole life and have the chance to witness history is a rare opportunity.

...

After the block, Wade Dong dribbled to the frontcourt. Gortat set a screen, and Wade Dong weaved through the defense, looking at Curry at the three-point line but passing the ball to the low post instead.

A no-look pass was Wade Dong's signature move.

McGrady, who had cut to the basket, received the pass and scored a reverse layup.

57:48!!!

The lead was down to 9 points.

The game continued.

Four minutes into the third quarter, Gentry subbed in Thompson for McGrady and didn't plan to play McGrady again.

It was time for the veteran to rest and prepare for the playoffs.

The current score was 66:57!

The Suns maintained a 9-point lead.

Gortat missed a mid-range shot, but Wade Dong grabbed the offensive rebound and passed it to Thompson at the three-point line.

Thompson received the pass and confidently shot a three-pointer!

The Suns' bench players all stood up, watching the shot.

"Swish!"

The ball went in cleanly.

"Beautiful!"

The Suns' bench players jumped up, with Warrick and Whiteside vigorously waving their towels.

Thompson's three-pointer, assisted by Wade Dong, gave him a double-double in rebounds and assists.

Wade Dong's stats were now:

21 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, 6 steals, 6 blocks.

Almost a quintuple-double!

The Suns were on their way to winning the game, but seeing Wade Dong so close to a quintuple-double, his teammates couldn't help but get excited.

The Kings' offense.

Wade Dong positioned himself near the three-second line. Thomas passed to Evans, who then passed to Thornton, who passed to Jason at the corner.

Jason had a three-point shot attempt from the corner.

He adjusted his shooting posture and then shot.

But!

In that 0.5-second adjustment, Wade Dong had time to close in.

"Get lost!"

Wade Dong shouted as he flew up and swatted the ball out of bounds.

"Damn!"

"Wow!"

This block was even more incredible than the one against Cousins.

Both the TV viewers and the fans in the arena were amazed.

...

In the Huaxia live broadcast room.

Yu Jia exclaimed, "The best block of the season!"

Zhang Zhiyuan, "Hahaha, that was brutal!"

Yu Jia, "He really didn't give Jason any face!"

Zhang Zhiyuan, "To block a shot like that at 1.98 meters tall, how high must Wade Dong have jumped?"