Chapter 270: The Step

After answering the fans' questions in the live broadcast room, Wade Dong returned to the Suns' locker room.

Kerr's tactical arrangements for the second half were quite conventional, and by the time Wade Dong returned, Kerr had already finished his instructions.

"Dong, do you have anything to add?"

Kerr asked Wade Dong when he saw him.

"Huh?"

Wade Dong was puzzled.

"Huh?"

The Suns players were also confused.

"Huh?"

Kerr was perplexed.

"I'll add a little something."

Wade Dong chuckled, "I don't even know what tactics you just discussed."

"Haha..."

Kerr laughed and then said, "Just play normally in the second half."

...

The start of the second half.

Nash, McDyess, Tucker, and Gortat took the court with Wade Dong.

With this lineup, Wade Dong could already guess Kerr's tactics, and Kerr was also aware that Wade Dong would know his tactics just by seeing the lineup.

So, when Kerr asked Wade Dong that question in the locker room, it wasn't random.

The Suns' offense:

Nash dribbled and Gortat set a pick for him.

At this moment, McDyess drew Wade's defense, while Wade Dong attracted the defense of James and Ray Allen. Nash drove to the basket, drawing a foul from Bosh, and scored.

47-58!!!

Spoelstra kept a straight face. There was nothing wrong with the Heat's defense, and he could only acknowledge Nash's score.

James then hit a three-pointer, defending Wade Dong.

The Suns' offense:

This time, Nash passed the ball to Wade Dong as soon as he crossed half-court. Wade Dong took a step back and pulled up for a three-pointer, defended by Ray Allen.

"Swoosh!!!"

The ball swished through the net.

50-61!!!

The Suns maintained an 11-point lead.

Since the start of the second quarter, both teams had kept the score difference around 11 points.

Chalmers dribbled to the frontcourt, and the Suns' defense was already in position.

Wade Dong saw the Heat's positioning and signaled to McDyess, who understood and switched defensive positions with Tucker.

As expected...

Chalmers passed the ball to James, who received it and drove to the basket, defended by Wade Dong. Then, James passed to Ray Allen in the corner.

Wade Dong had already anticipated this.

McDyess was right in the path of James' pass to Ray Allen. If it had been Tucker, it would have been difficult to intercept the pass.

But McDyess was McDyess.

"Whoosh~"

McDyess rushed out and intercepted the pass from James to Ray Allen.

At this moment, Wade Dong was already near the center circle.

McDyess dribbled a few steps and then threw the ball towards the basket. Since there was only Wade Dong in the frontcourt, McDyess wasn't worried about the Heat intercepting the pass. 

"Incredible anticipation!"

Kerr was amazed, his mouth agape.

When Wade Dong signaled to McDyess earlier, Kerr had noticed it, and it was only after McDyess intercepted James' pass to Ray Allen that Kerr understood Wade Dong's intention.

He even suspected that Wade Dong had eavesdropped on the Heat's tactical arrangements.

"Damn, can McDyess even pass?"

Wade Dong muttered to himself.

Perhaps due to the excitement of the steal, McDyess' pass was too high.

Wade Dong had to sprint to the basket and jump to catch the ball, but by then, his body was already behind the backboard.

Unavoidably...

Wade Dong had to switch the ball from his right hand to his left and then throw it towards the basket.

"Swoosh!!!"

Fortunately, the ball went in.

McDyess scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed. He had thought the pass would be a turnover, but Wade Dong's incredible strength allowed him to save the ball and make the shot.

50-63!!!

The Suns continued to extend their lead.

The fans at American Airlines Arena fell silent. McDyess' pass was far from beautiful, and when they thought it would be a turnover, Wade Dong managed to save the ball and make the shot.

If only Wade Dong were a Heat player, how wonderful it would be.

...

The Heat's offense: Ray Allen's three-point attempt missed.

Wade Dong grabbed the rebound and dribbled to the frontcourt, then passed to Nash, who ran to the baseline.

Nash only needed a glance at Wade Dong, and he threw the ball towards the basket.

This pass was much more beautiful than McDyess' earlier pass, and Wade Dong easily completed an alley-oop dunk with Nash.

50-65!!!

The lead increased to 15 points.

Then, James also started scoring frequently, but Wade Dong's hot shooting was too much for the Heat to handle.

"Timeout!"

With three minutes left in the third quarter, Spoelstra called a timeout.

63-82!!!

The Heat trailed by 19 points.

Spoelstra made a substitution, keeping the Big Three on the court and bringing in Haslem and Haslem.

Haslem was a speed-type point guard, while Haslem, who entered the league the same year as James and Wade, was drafted in the second round and stood at 6'11", playing both the power forward and center positions.

Over the years, he had bounced around various teams but had average performances. Midway through this season, he was traded to the Heat.

Spoelstra put him in, hoping to replicate the Clippers' strategy from the second round of this year's playoffs, using a big man to defend the perimeter and limit Wade Dong's three-pointers.

...

After the timeout:

The Suns substituted Green for Tucker and Thompson for McDyess, but Nash, Wade Dong, and Gortat remained on the court.

The Heat's offense: Wade drove past Tucker's defense, then threw the ball towards the basket.

This was a display of brotherly chemistry, as James jumped to the basket and completed an alley-oop.

65-82!!!

The Heat trailed by 17 points, slightly stemming the tide.

However, Wade Dong then received a pass from Nash in the corner and, facing Haslem's defense, took a three-pointer.

"Swoosh!!!"

The ball swished through the net.

65-85!!!

James missed a shot.

Wade Dong received another pass from Nash in the same spot and jumped for a three-pointer.

At this moment, Haslem was at least two steps away from Wade Dong.

As Wade Dong jumped, Haslem turned to look at the basket, but his right foot stepped forward two steps, stopping right at Wade Dong's landing spot.

Wade Dong's shots were difficult to defend, and one key factor was his jumping height.

"Crack!"

When Wade Dong landed, he didn't notice the foot that appeared under him.

He landed directly on Haslem's foot, and the 'crack' sound was particularly crisp, followed by excruciating pain in his ankle.

"Uh..."

Wade Dong clenched his teeth and didn't make a sound, but his expression betrayed him.

Wade Dong was enduring tremendous pain.