Chapter 318: Christmas Day Showdown (Suns vs. Heat)

Chapter 318: Christmas Showdown (Suns vs. Heat)

BEEP!

And with that final whistle from the referee, the game came to an end.

Match Statistics:

Wade Dong: 49 points, 13 rebounds, 13 assists, 4 steals, 3 blocks.

Stephen Curry: 23 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, 0 blocks.

Kyrie Irving: 27 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 0 blocks.

Giannis Antetokounmpo: 9 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 0 steals, 2 blocks.

During the garbage time of the fourth quarter, Giannis sat on the bench with his face covered, and many noticed that his teammates were constantly criticizing him.

This might just be the push that forces Giannis to leave the team...

Wade Dong has now scored 40+ points in three consecutive games, and in the game against the Hornets, he set a new season-high with 70 points.

In just three games, Wade Dong's average points per game increased by more than two, and he now averages 26.7 points, ranking seventh in the league. The current scoring leader is Kevin Love, who averages 28.1 points per game.

Kevin Love becoming the scoring leader is a case of the right person at the right time.

Several high-scoring players are on the same team: Kevin Durant and Wade Dong on one team, LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony on another, and James Harden and Kobe Bryant on yet another. This has resulted in lower scoring averages for these players.

Following this trend, Kevin Durant's scoring might decrease further, but Wade Dong securing the scoring title is almost a certainty.

...

Two days later, M Country was lit up with colorful lights, and green Christmas trees adorned homes.

Some even placed freshly washed socks at the foot of their beds...

The annual Christmas celebration was approaching, and the streets were once again filled with the sound of 'Merry Christmas'.

This was Wade Dong's second Christmas in M Country, but the holiday held little significance for him.

As a result, Wade Dong's focus was solely on the evening's game, the first matchup of the new season between the Suns and the Heat.

Ever since Wade Dong entered the league, LeBron James was destined to be one of his greatest rivals.

Before the game began, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, and Chris Bosh were on the court warming up.

"Tsk tsk~"

Alvin Gentry watched the Heat's lineup, clicking his tongue, "The league should do something about this; this lineup is against the rules."

The Suns could be said to have developed all their players except for Kevin Durant, but the Heat's lineup was a peak super-team. Moreover, the five players had good relationships, with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, and Chris Paul being jokingly referred to as the 'Four Musketeers' by fans. Their high basketball IQ also resulted in excellent team chemistry.

The Suns' starting lineup: Wade Dong, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson.

The Heat's starting lineup: LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh.

If we analyze the positions from 1 to 5, it would look something like this...

1: Wade Dong vs. Chris Paul

2: Stephen Curry vs. Dwyane Wade

3: Klay Thompson vs. Carmelo Anthony

4: Kevin Durant vs. LeBron James

5: Draymond Green vs. Chris Bosh

Why is the Heat's lineup so formidable? The Suns have the best record in the league, but when analyzing individual positions, only Wade Dong at the 1 can suppress Chris Paul. The Suns are at a disadvantage in the other four positions, and the 2, 3, and 5 positions are particularly vulnerable.

Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson still have a lot of room for growth, and they won't reach their peak for another year or two.

"The All-Star Game is about to start."

Before the game, Wade Dong joked, "It's like we're facing the Eastern Conference All-Star starters early."

...

Before the game, the players from both teams didn't exchange pleasantries.

BEEP!

And with the referee's whistle, the game began.

Kevin Durant and LeBron James stood in the center circle for the tip-off.

Durant tapped the ball to Wade Dong, who dribbled to the frontcourt. Chris Paul defended Wade Dong, while the other Suns players were tightly marked.

WHOOSH~

Wade Dong faked a move, accelerating past Chris Paul.

LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony tightened their defense, and Wade Dong passed the ball to Klay Thompson beyond the three-point line!

As soon as Thompson received the pass, Carmelo Anthony closed in on him.

SWISH~

Thompson hurriedly shot, but missed.

Chris Bosh grabbed the rebound and passed it to Dwyane Wade, who dribbled down the court and passed to Chris Paul. Paul, with his quick hands, immediately passed to Carmelo Anthony, who received the pass and threw the ball towards the basket!

SWOOSH!

LeBron James soared for the alley-oop, dunking over Draymond Green.

2-0!

The Heat's ball movement was fluid, and they scored first.

The Suns inbounded the ball, and Wade Dong dribbled to the three-point line, passing to Stephen Curry. Curry received the ball, facing Dwyane Wade's defense.

After two fakes, Curry couldn't shake off Wade.

Curry hurriedly shot, but the ball hit the rim again. LeBron James rushed for the rebound.

The Heat players immediately pushed for a fast break.

Carmelo Anthony received a pass from James in the mid-range and turned to face Klay Thompson. He spun and took a jump shot.

SWISH!

The ball swished through the net.

4-0!

The Suns organized their offense.

Wade Dong dribbled to the three-point line, but instead of rushing for a one-on-one, he created space from Chris Paul and passed to Kevin Durant.

Durant faced off against James, faking a large step forward, then crossing his right foot in front of James and taking a small step back for a mid-range jumper.

SWISH~

The ball hit the rim again.

Chris Bosh grabbed another rebound and passed to Chris Paul, who dribbled up the court to organize the offense. After Dwyane Wade missed a mid-range shot, Carmelo Anthony grabbed the offensive rebound and scored on the putback.

6-0!

The Heat's help defense was incredibly fast, and their individual defensive abilities were also very strong.

With five minutes left in the first quarter, the score was 19-5!

The Suns had only managed to score 5 points, with Wade Dong's 2+1 and Durant's mid-range jumper.

However, the main reason for the Suns' deficit wasn't their offense but the rebounds. The Heat dominated the Suns in both offensive and defensive rebounds.

In just five minutes, the Suns had only grabbed 3 rebounds, already 6 rebounds behind.

TIMEOUT!

Alvin Gentry immediately called a timeout.

"Marcin Gortat, replace Draymond Green. Protect the rebounds.

Curry, you switch to the 1, organize the offense. Dong, you're our primary scoring option.

Everyone, stay calm. This deficit isn't a big deal. Our bench depth is better than theirs. As long as our starters keep the score close, victory will be ours."

...

After the timeout, the Heat's Big Five remained on the court, while the Suns brought in Marcin Gortat to increase their presence in the paint and protect the rebounds.

Stephen Curry organized the offense and passed to Wade Dong when he reached the three-point line.

Dwyane Wade switched to defend Wade Dong, who took a probing step and then pulled up for a three-pointer.

SWISH~

The ball hit the rim again.

Wade Dong's expression was serious; his shooting touch wasn't there tonight...

It's like when female colleagues in an office have been working together for a long time; their menstrual cycles might even sync up. On the court, it seems like good shooting form can be contagious.