Chapter 271: Green is Ejected
Swish!!!
The ball swished through the net.
The score was 65-88!
The Suns were leading by 13 points, but at this moment, no one paid attention to whether Wade Dong's shot went in.
Everyone's focus was on Wade Dong.
Li Jiajia also stood up from her seat, her eyebrows furrowed, and her eyes filled with worry.
...
Yu Jia, "Wade Dong stepped on Zaza's foot!"
Coach Zhang, "Zaza was still two steps away from defending Wade Dong. His foot shouldn't have been under Wade Dong's."
Yu Jia, "Wade Dong looks to be in pain!"
Coach Zhang, "Wade Dong probably won't be able to continue this game. I hope it doesn't affect the subsequent games!"
...
Wade Dong lay on the floor, clutching his ankle and wincing in pain.
The game was forced to stop.
The Suns players surrounded him, only to find that Wade Dong's ankle had swollen to the size of a hamburger.
At this point, Wade Dong couldn't casually use the 'healing potion' or it would be too obvious.
Green took one look at Wade Dong's ankle and rushed over to push Zaza, "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"
"I didn't..."
Zaza looked at Wade Dong with an innocent expression and pretended to be concerned, "Are you okay, Dong Ge?"
"Damn it!"
The more Zaza showed that expression, the more annoyed Green became.
Green charged forward and punched Zaza in the face.
"Stop it!"
"Stop it!"
"Stop it!"
Both teams' players and coaches pulled Zaza and Green apart, but everyone was surprised that Zaza didn't fight back after being punched by Green. This guy was so rational.
Wade Dong was escorted by the team doctor to the locker room.
...
Back to the game.
The referee also ejected Green for punching Zaza.
The Suns were suddenly down two players, and both were key players.
This made Kerr's face cloud with worry. Without Dong Ge on the court, he was a bit flustered.
There was just over a minute left in the third quarter.
Kerr sent Nash and McGrady into the game. The Suns lineup on the court was Nash, Curry, McGrady, Thompson, and Gortat.
Zaza's foot on Wade Dong's had not been called a foul.
The Heat went on the offensive.
Harris dribbled into the frontcourt and passed the ball to James, who, facing Nash's defense, took a three-pointer!
Swish!!!
The ball swished through the net.
Then, the Suns' pass was disrupted, and Wade stole the ball for a fast break and scored with a dunk.
McGrady's jumper missed.
On the Heat's side, James and Wade connected again, and James scored with a dunk.
The score was 72-88!
The third quarter ended.
The Heat took advantage of this time to score a 7-0 run.
In the minute or so after Wade Dong left the court, their 23-point lead was reduced to just 16 points.
...
In the Suns' locker room.
The team doctor examined Wade Dong's ankle and spoke with a serious tone, "Dong Ge, you need an MRI. I suspect it might be a fracture."
"It's just a sprain."
Wade Dong endured the pain and nonchalantly said, "Just give me some ice to apply, and it'll be fine in a few minutes!"
"No way!"
The team doctor shook his head, "You must get an MRI!"
"You Western doctors aren't that great."
Wade Dong joked and then said to Li Jiajia beside him, "Jiajia, bring me a few ice cubes."
"Okay!"
Li Jiajia knew that Wade Dong was very measured in his actions.
So, Li Jiajia brought some ice cubes to Wade Dong, who pretended to apply them to his ankle. After about two minutes, Wade Dong secretly used the 'healing potion'.
Then...
Wade Dong's ankle visibly reduced in swelling, and in less than a minute, it looked as if it had never been injured.
"I told you, it's just a sprain!"
Wade Dong got off the bed and even jumped a couple of times, "I'm going back to continue the game."
Suns team doctor, "???"
The Suns medical team, known as the best in the league, had never seen such a miraculous recovery. Even the last time Dong Ge injured his waist, he recovered just as quickly.
It seemed that this could only be attributed to his unique physique!
As Wade Dong and Li Jiajia left the locker room, several team doctors picked up the ice cubes Wade Dong had used to reduce the swelling and studied them for a long time. Aside from the cool feeling and a faint hint of sweat, there was nothing special about these ice cubes...
As Wade Dong walked towards the court, he met Green, who was returning to the locker room.
"Dong Ge, is your foot okay?"
Green saw that Wade Dong was in great shape and looked excited.
"It's just a sprain. An ice pack will do the trick!"
Wade Dong explained and then asked, "What happened to you?"
Green looked a bit embarrassed and said, "I punched Zaza just now, and the referee ejected me."
"Oh..."
Wade Dong patted Green on the shoulder and laughed, "Well done, brother!"
"Haha..."
Green laughed too, "I feel like that punch wasn't enough. If I get the chance, I'll punch him a few more times."
Green was right; that punch was too light.
This foot-stepping action, if severe, could affect a player's career. Wade Dong was fine only because he had the 'healing potion'. Without it, he might not even be able to play in the Finals!
If Wade Dong were to be absent...
The Suns might as well surrender.
...
When Wade Dong returned to the court, there were three minutes left in the fourth quarter.
The score was 81-94!
The Suns still held a 13-point lead.
"Dong Ge, why are you back?"
Kerr was surprised to see Wade Dong's return.
The players on the bench were thrilled!
Wade Dong explained, "It's just a sprain. An ice pack took care of it."
"That's good, that's good..."
Kerr breathed a sigh of relief, "Whether you're injured or not, Dong Ge, don't go back on the court. Just rest on the sidelines for this game!"
Wade Dong said, "Old Jin, the team needs me!"
"No way!"
This time, Kerr's tone was firm.
Wade Dong and Kerr stood off for thirty seconds, and in the end, Wade Dong conceded. He didn't need to challenge Old Jin every time, especially since the Suns still had the lead.
If the Suns fell behind, Wade Dong could always go back in later.
Spoelstra also noticed that Wade Dong was back!
However, the players on the court were all focused on the game, and none of the ten players realized that Wade Dong had quietly returned.
Swish!!!
James scored a layup while defended by Thompson.
The score was 89-97!
The Suns' lead was down to just 8 points.
"Old Jin..."
Wade Dong glanced at Kerr.
"Time out!"
Kerr called a timeout, understanding Wade Dong's intention.