no shortcuts in basketball

Chapter 217 The King's Trial

The Bulls and Nets played very fiercely in G1. In the end, relying on Xu Yong's accurate kill, the Bulls passed the test 83-81.

Because of the addition of Boozer, this Nets is simply the plus version of the Jazz that played against the Rockets.

Deron and Boozer are both in the lineup, Okur has become a rising star Lopez, the small forward has changed from Kirilenko to Gerald Wallace, who is also good at defense, and the shooting guard has changed from Brewer to Upgraded to "Singles Joe" Joe Johnson.

Even their last three coaching changes, Lionel Hollins, was a defensive coach who was very team-oriented.

Unlike the first round, the Bulls will encounter severe challenges in this round.

On the off-season day, Xu Yong returned to the manor after training.

It had been a while since he had seen the little king.

When he returned, he happened to catch up with the breeder letting it out for a walk.

Then, after a while, I saw it being bullied by the big goose again.

A little trivia: the life span of a goose is 25 to 50 years, while that of a bred tiger is 15 to 20 years.

In other words, unless the goose is killed, it must live longer than the tiger.

Of course, this is not the point. The point is that the little king is now bigger. He has attacked the big goose before. Why is he being bullied again in a different place?
Breeders gave the reason: birds are better able to adapt to new environments than cats.

This sounds like it is indeed the case. The cat he raised in the past had to crawl under the bed for a long time before daring to come out.

"Just wait until it adapts to the environment?" Xu Yong asked speechlessly as he watched the little king being chased around by the goose.

"It's possible, but it's also possible that it has always been like this. Because he was bullied by the same creature in two places in a row, fear has been engraved in his DNA." The breeder is not an expert after all, and he cannot be completely sure.

Xu Yong couldn't help but shake his head when he heard this.

When he came back last summer and saw the little king locked in a cage, it was not like he had never thought about releasing it.

But in the current situation, there is basically no difference between letting him go and letting him fend for himself.

Yes, this attitude means that you will eat and drink with him for the rest of your life.

At night, Butler was picked up by someone arranged by Xu Yong and brought to the manor.

Due to traffic jams in Chicago, his extra training in the evening was held at the manor. Butler came over to be a sparring partner and also came over for a meal.

His kitchen is a long rotating table, with one end facing a large-screen cabinet TV.

They ate Chinese food and the TV showed international news.

What is being talked about right now is the Iranian nuclear issue.

"Senior, do you pay attention to foreign politics?" Butler asked curiously.

Xu Yong nodded. For people of his age, paying attention to current affairs is a habit.

"Does the senior think it's right for Iran to do this?" Butler looked at it for a while and asked.

Xu Yong smiled and did not answer directly, but said something meaningful: "Jimmy, news reports are biased. What you see may not be true, maybe it is just what the media wants you to see."

Butler mused.

"So I usually only watch the news, but I won't express opinions easily, let alone take sides." Xu Yong continued.

Butler nodded seriously after hearing this.

It is true that they are only engaged in sports, and it is neither necessary nor meaningful to speak out in this regard.

And when it comes down to it, most people won’t speak out publicly unless there is a real stake in it.

After eating, Xu Yong and Butler went to the court for one-on-one training.

What Butler lacks on the defensive end now is defensive experience. In addition to actual combat, this kind of thing is to compete with masters.

Xu Yong's offense is mainly based on back play, because in the current game against the Nets, Butler's main task is to defend Joe Johnson.

After the training was over, the two of them went to the living room after taking a shower, ready to watch the game between the Heat and the Pacers.

Without him, just because this game is so worth watching.

James was kicked out by Riley and caused a lot of commotion, and now James turns around and encounters the Heat in the playoffs. Even a Hollywood director cannot write such a script.

And the key is that the Heat are now clearly the dominant side.

In other words, this seems to be James' opportunity for revenge, but in fact he is completely passive.

"I'm a Heat fan tonight." Butler said immediately after sitting down.

His words focus on a truth.

In the past, the grudge between the Heat and the Bulls was rather between James and the Bulls.

This is not only the matter of Xu Yong being stepped down, but also after James left, many inside stories that were unknown at the time were gradually exposed.

For example, when the Heat formed the Big Three, James joined them shamelessly.

As a person who worked his way up from a junior college, Butler is naturally the most disgraceful to this kind of behavior.

Xu Yong smiled and lit a cigar. He was also quite curious about how James would perform in such a game.

Because as far as regular season games are concerned, James' state and mentality this year are indeed much better than in the past.

This live broadcast also started relatively early. The players were still warming up, and many shots of the field were already interspersed in the screen.

James is undoubtedly the center of attention.

In the first scene, Xu Yong couldn't help but put down the cigar in his hand.

Because James actually smiled and went to reminisce with everyone in the Heat!

Wade is easier to talk to, and when he saw James coming over, he smiled and hugged him.

But the rest of the Heat basically didn't give a good look, especially Bosh. He was originally excluded from the core during the Big Three period, but he has regained his glory this season and almost didn't take advantage of him.

However, James smiled throughout and said, "As long as I'm not embarrassed, someone else will be embarrassed."

He even went over to say hello to Spoelstra, and his face was full of enthusiasm, as if his experience with the Heat was so unforgettable.

"It's so shameless." Butler couldn't help complaining.

Xu Yong couldn't help but shake his head.

I don’t know if James is the goat in the basketball world, but it’s exactly what Butler said. This is a bit too shameless.

However, with such a strong start, tonight’s game is destined to not be easy.

The game started quickly, and Hibbert jumped to get the ball for the Heat.

Wade used Hibbert's screen to break into the penalty area and score a throw.

Xu Yong was looking attentively at this time.

In addition to having fun watching this game, he is also studying this Heat team.

Although it's not yet time to consider the next round of opponents, the Heat are now the strongest team in the East, and research and observation are essential.

Take this past round as an example, Hibbert's role for the Heat has been underestimated.

What he brings to the Heat is not only the defensive end, but the offensive end is also critical.

Wade's skills have to be mentioned here.

In addition to his unique skills, he also has a trick that even Kobe Bryant asked for advice, which is to use the pick-and-roll to break through.

Unlike James' pick-and-roll, Wade's ability to hit small shots against big shots is the best in the league thanks to his quick steps.

As long as the inside screen can catch people, he can basically get into the penalty area and score points.

This was a very key factor in the success of his previous combination with O'Neal. At that time, O'Neal was similar to Yao Ming now. His ability to pass down was very weak, but because of his large size, it was extremely difficult for defenders to get around him.

As for Hibbert, it's the same story. He's slow, but he's solid in pick-and-rolls.

This is a point that needs special attention if you play against the Heat.

Xu Yonggang thought, James hit the wall and made a mistake during the breakthrough.

Okafor, who is no longer at his peak, has greatly reduced James' performance, not to mention the "Black Yao Ming" Hibbert who has entered his peak.

Well, there is no [vertical takeoff rule] at this time.

At this start, James was even worse than he imagined.

Of course, Xu Yong doesn't think James will suffer, because James' shooting this season is at its peak.

But soon, he realized that he seemed to be a little hasty.

He suddenly forgot that Howard was still unwilling to pick and roll for James.

James could only ask Jamison to block him, but Bosh was obviously holding back his energy. He would change the pick and roll, and then rush out.

That meaning is written all over his face. He will not give James an easy chance to shoot from the outside.

Then James was forced to play Granger alone.

But Granger's body is also very hard.

Although he is not enough to hold down James, because Hibbert is inside, all he has to guard against is James' shots from the outside, or to be more precise, James' back shots.

James' post-up play has improved, and he won't be able to beat Barea like he did before, but Granger's body makes it difficult for him at this time.

There is a wall under the basket, there is no way to pick and roll, and singles are weak... The more Xu Yong watches this game, the more he feels that it is so similar to the Heat's previous game against the Bulls?
However, even these are not what gave him the strongest impression of this game.

The most impressive thing is the Heat's offense.

Wade made various layups and even dunks.

The team is still the same team, and most of the teammates are still the same teammates, but his performance is completely different from last season.

This is obviously not a change in strength, but a change in mentality.

He is no longer the patient and frustrated second-in-command last season, but has returned to the fast and confident "Flash".

Howard was troubled by back and waist injuries and lacked explosive power. He was hit in the scalp by Wade, and the Pacers had to help defend.

In this assist defense, Granger and Bosh shot away from the outside.

Especially Granger, he and Wade are a perfect match. If there is a chance, he will throw it directly.

With Wade already disrupting the Pacers' defense, his threat of breaking through has been magnified.

Then the entire Heat team played exactly how Xu Yong felt before. The Spurs in the 2013~2014 season, broke in, separated, broke in, and separated again, and the ball could always be passed to the person with the best opportunity.

The Pacers are absolutely getting blown away.

This kind of explosive killing seems more intuitive than the gap in their records.

Seeing the back, Butler and Xu Yong fell silent one after another.

Playing against the Bucks, because the strength gap is too big, it's hard to see the Heat's strength.

But after playing like this against the Pacers, this Heat team is very strong.

The score got bigger and bigger, and Xu Yong looked at the back and wondered if James would step on Granger like in history.

But until the end of the game, nothing like this happened.

In the end, the score between the two sides was fixed at 123 to 91, and the Heat won by a full 32 points.

This cannot be said to be a personal grudge, it is simply a meeting of enemies.

However, it is completely understandable that the top three giants did not even break out of the Eastern Conference, and the main reason is not because of lack of strength. If you think about it, you know that these people must hate James.

Moreover, when the camera was shown to James at the end of the game, James no longer had the relaxed expression at the beginning, but had a confused look on his face.

This seems to explain why he didn't step in Granger's way, because the strength gap between the two sides is vast, and this problem cannot be solved by stepping in Granger's way.

Using a very simple assumption, you pad Granger, and the Heat replace Brewer and Ray Allen at the same time.

Brewer pesters you, and Ray Allen continues to throw, does that mean that Ray Allen still needs to be padded?

Ray Allen is in good shape this season. The reason why he scores less is because he plays the sixth role and takes fewer shots. If you really let him start, his role will be great.

After watching the game, Butler was sent back by Xu Yong, while he took a bath and rested, digesting the content of the game and checking social media.

By this time, social media was already in a frenzy.

"Isn't it? Is Granger better than James? Why are the Heat so much better than the past two seasons?" A comment from "KBfnas".

"You are blind, can't Hibbert see it?" A comment from "Loyal and Loving King LeBron".

"Oh, and Hibbert. It turns out that Granger plus Hibbert is much greater than James. I understand, James has devalued."

"You're laughing so hard. I think it's better not to be called the King of Warcraft in the future. I think the orcs and the chiefs are more suitable. Is this guy capable of fighting back?"

"Howard is rubbish. He can't even handle Hibbert. Just go to the CBA!"

"Do you believe that if Howard and Hibbert were to replace each other, your king would only be worse off?"

"It's always the culprit when you can't poop. Look at Wade and Bosh. Aren't these the CBA teammates you mentioned before?"

"The players are in good shape. If you replace Granger with James, the Heat will be just as strong."

"Haha, why didn't you say replace Brewer with James? We are strong with or without you, so why does it have to be with you? Your salary is still so high!"

"If the Heat really win the championship, it proves one thing. The only condition for James to win the championship is that the team can win the championship without him!"

……

Xu Yong was looking at social media, and suddenly a piece of news popped up.

The best general manager of the season is out.

Heat general manager Pat Riley was successfully elected as the best general manager of the season.

He was not surprised at all by this result.

Riley's deal to send James away is a hypothesis that has never happened in history, but it is also something that will inevitably happen after the Heat have stopped in the Eastern Conference Finals for two consecutive years.

Riley's handling can be said to be perfect, and the Heat's record speaks for itself.

And with the increase in the salary cap, large contracts of more than 1300 million yuan like Hibbert and Granger will become affordable.

How long the Heat can maintain this competitiveness depends on how long Wade can remain at his peak.

And as long as the Heat win a championship within this period of time, Riley's deal will really be a godsend.

Then when he scanned the news content, he was surprised to find that this was the first time Riley was elected as the best general manager.

Now, there is one more person singing "Listen to me to say thank you".

……

The next day, G2 between the Bulls and Nets continued to open.

Deron broke out in this game. His drag step change that had long been coveted by Xu Yong basically defeated Hinrich.

But in the end, the Bulls still won the game 96-85.

This game felt very strange. Xu Yong didn't break out much and only scored 35 points. It's just that the Bulls have adapted to the Nets' defense and played better on the offensive end than they did on the field.

Moreover, Deron scored 28 points and 11 assists for the Nets, basically playing his peak performance, but the Nets' final score did not exceed 90 points.

After the game was over, Xu Yong came to his senses.

This Nets offense is terrible.

This sounds a bit weird. How can the offense of a team with the Big Five be worse?
But in fact it is.

The Nets changed three coaches in one season, and in the end they were replaced by a defensive coach.

In terms of game scenes, Hollins is on par with Rivers next door.

But unlike the Celtics, the Nets do not have the foundation to become a strong defensive team.

Brook Lopez on the inside is good at offense, but his movement is slow, resulting in him having height and wingspan but no defensive coverage.

Boozer is even worse. As his physical fitness declines, his originally scant defense is basically gone.

If the inside defense is not good, it is basically impossible to become a strong defensive team.

That's not a strong defensive team. If it can't defend and counterattack, how can it improve its offense?

Some people say that there is also positional warfare?

Then the crux of the problem is that the Nets' positional battle is just like that.

For comparison, the Bulls are also a defensive team, but they have someone on the offensive end.

Defensive counterattacks are not possible, Xu Yong and Yao Ming can score points in positional battles, and score points stably.

Looking back at the Nets, Deron's condition has been affected by injuries. Lopez, as the team's scoring leader in the regular season, has not yet developed his outside shooting during this period, so he encountered Yao Ming on the offensive end.

Johnson?Johnson is even more strange. This "contemporary Jordan" and "former Eagle King", if you say he is not strong, he can score you about 20 points per game, but if you say he is strong, he basically only scores this point. Fraction.

So you say the coach is important, but he doesn't seem to be the decisive factor in a team.

But you say he is not important, but sometimes he is the key to the team's performance.

If Sloan were to coach this Nets team, it would definitely be a level stronger than it is now.

So after this game was played and after thinking about it, Xu Yong became much more optimistic about the prospects of this series.

Then the day after they finished playing, the Heat and Pacers continued to play G2 in Miami.

It is worth mentioning that this time there are many unique slogans on the scene.

"Thank you for your efforts, LeBron", "You are the MVP of Miami", "We will customize a championship ring for you" and so on.

These slogans mainly focus on disrespect.

And the world is so strange sometimes. James was originally the king of Miami, but only a few months later, everyone was shouting for beatings.

This feeling is really a bit like Louis XVI of France.

You must know that before the Great Revolution, Louis XVI was still the most powerful person in France.

However, in this game, the Pacers played obviously much better than G1.

The main reason is that Howard and James started playing pick-and-roll again.No one knows what happened in the middle. Maybe James made some concessions, or maybe both of them realized that their reputation would be really bad if this continues.

James' stable shooting has been put to great use this season.

But after the game, the Heat defeated the Pacers 114-98.

If it could be said that the James and the others were having conflicts within the team in the last game, then this game can be considered as a complete break from their thoughts.

This is really unbeatable.

……

Time flies and it's another week later.

In the four groups of East and West division semifinals, the game between the Heat and the Pacers ended first.

Except for winning one game at home with James and Howard both breaking out, the Pacers lost all the remaining games, and all of them were by big margins.

After being swept by the Gentlemen the year before and last year, James was once again swept out by the Gentlemen.

"You will never break out of the Eastern Conference!" And in the garbage time of the fourth quarter of G5, Haslem had a conflict with James, and he shouted at James.

This sentence also became a hot topic after the game, along with the scene where he waved his fist and forced James to retreat quickly.

This is another trash talk spouted by Haslem after "We were already champions before you came here" last year.

And his mood is completely understandable, because in a sense, the Heat chose him between him and James before.

And now, the Heat are the winners.

Even this trash talk is just as devastating as the previous one.

Because unless James applies for a trade again, he will still be with the Pacers next season.

With the composition of the Pacers, they can't beat the Heat.

"The king was judged."

"KBfnas"'s comments after the game were criticized.

Because Haslem's words basically judged James' Pacers career.

The most classic trial against a king in history is the well-known Louis XVI.

The domineering nickname James gave himself at the beginning has become a laughing stock at this time.

So the key question now is, will James continue to apply for a trade this summer?

This seemingly ordinary summer of 2013 may not be so ordinary.

……

The Heat defeated the Pacers and became the first team to advance to the conference finals, while the series between the Bulls and Nets continues.

There was basically no problem with Xu Yong's previous judgment. The problem was that there was a small probability event in the series, that is, Deron's state was always explosive.

This allowed them to hold on to the big score and drag the game into G6.

It was in this game that Xu Yong broke out. He scored 47 points and beat the shit out of Gerald Wallace.

With a 4-2 win, the Bulls narrowly missed out on reaching the conference finals. This was the third consecutive season they had done so.

Then, they also met the Heat in the conference finals for the third consecutive season.

According to Barkley's emotional words after the G6 game: There are only the last two rounds of the series left before the Bulls complete their epic three consecutive championships.

At this time, the series in the Western Conference has also been completed.

The Thunder didn't give the Grizzlies too many chances and eliminated their opponent 4-1.

The Mavericks also eliminated their old rival Spurs 6-4 after 2 games.

The Thunder and the Mavericks will meet again after two years. Whether the Thunder will take revenge or the Mavericks will score twice is also very worthy of attention.

……

Before the conference finals officially started, the league announced the final batch of awards of the season, the ownership of the best team.

Best team: Wade, Kobe, Xu Yong, Durant, James
Second team: Westbrook, Harden, Anthony, Nowitzki, Duncan

Third team: Paul, Deron, Parker, Bosh, Marc Gasol
Best Defensive Team: Paul, Xu Yong, James, Ibaka, Tyson Chandler
All-Defensive Second Team: Mike Conley, Bradley, George, Duncan, Marc Gasol
Xu Yong won the MVP and double first team for the second consecutive season.

Xu Yong himself was actually quite surprised by this result.

The surprise comes from the defensive formation, because most of his energy this season has been spent on the offensive end. The investment on the defensive end is much less than before, and the data is also much weaker.

It can only be said that his previous understanding was correct. Just like Kobe Bryant has been selected for consecutive selections, and now he has not been selected for consecutive selections. This thing really depends on the impression score.

And he is quite calm about this result. After all, as long as James is still on defense, his defense is not the most watertight.

Of course, he actually doesn't have the energy to pay attention to this now.

The day before the conference finals, he stopped practicing and went to bed earlier than usual.

He needs to adjust himself to the best condition before playing in the Heat.

……

The next night, the AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami was packed.

This time there were no offensive slogans, the fans at the scene were full of enthusiasm.

If the battles between the two sides in the past two seasons were filled with various off-court factors, then this time it was a real head-on confrontation, pure basketball.

This is the part that attracts the most attention from fans, just like the Bulls and Lakers last season, and the Bulls and Mavericks last season.

After the on-site warm-up, the starting lineups of both sides were announced one after another.

Bulls: Hinrich, Butler, Xu Yong, Gibson, Yao Ming

Heat: Chalmers, Wade, Granger, Bosh, Hibbert
Regardless of suitability, the Heat's four All-Stars, plus Ray Allen sitting on the bench, are already under pressure.

In the 3 minutes of preparation time before the start of the game, Xu Yong gave a speech to the players.

Since entering the NBA, Xu Yong has not been as often a morale-boosting influence on his teammates as he was in the NCAA.

But this time facing a significantly stronger Heat team, he knew this time it was necessary.

"We know our opponent better than anyone and when we play them for the third year in a row, what I'm saying is that this time we're not the dominant side anymore, we're the underdog and what we have to do is Be better than ever and do more than ever!
Don’t care about winning or losing, don’t put pressure on yourself, just to wait until one day in the future, when we grow old and the golden light of the setting sun shines on us, we can proudly say: Yes, we tried our best, we didn’t Leave regrets! "

At the end of Xu Yong's words, the scene when he parted with Kobe that day emerged in his mind.

"Come on, Bulls!"

With enthusiasm in their hearts, the Bulls players turned to the court after chanting in unison.

Yao Ming returned the ball to the Bulls half, and the Eastern Conference Finals officially began.

Xu Yong came up and attacked Granger, then turned around and scored with a flying dunk.

Speeches are necessary, but leading by example is even more important.

The effect was that when they returned to the defensive end, the Bulls played their best defense of the season. The Heat scored consecutive points without finding any opportunities. Granger's last reluctant shot was actually blocked.

And the game lasted until 5 minutes, and the score on the field was 11 to 4, with the Bulls leading.

Spoelstra was forced to call a timeout.

The scene was restless.

"What happened?" O'Neal in the commentary box widened his eyes with an expression of disbelief.

"Don't underestimate the heart of a champion." Barkley said with emotion.

The Bulls' opening performance exceeded everyone's expectations, and it also made people excited.

After the timeout, the Heat made personnel adjustments. Ray Allen replaced Chalmers, and the Heat put on their strongest lineup.

Then, Wade came up and used Hibbert's pick-and-roll to get inside, facing Yao Ming's long-range thrower and scoring.

Throwing is an essential skill for a breakthrough defender, and Wade's throwing is one of his special skills.

And under Spoelstra's command, the Heat also improved their defense.

Neither Granger nor Hibbert has ever entered the first defense, but the improvement they brought to the Heat's defense is far greater than that of James on the first defense.

After successfully preventing the Bulls' attack, Wade went directly to the fast break. After breaking through to the frontcourt, he performed a confusing step against Butler's defense, and finally pressed Butler's side and wiped the board to score.

In the blink of an eye, the Heat had narrowed the point difference to 3 points.

Compared with watching the live broadcast through the screen before, Xu Yong could feel Wade's state more clearly at this time.

Not to mention that when there are two top shooters in Ray Allen Granger on the court at the same time, Wade's breakthrough power can also be maximized.

It's not easy to guard against Wade's quick move.

To limit Wade, you must first ensure the success rate of your own positional battle.

When he reached the frontcourt, Xu Yong turned his back to Granger and reached for the ball.

After receiving the ball, he signaled Yao Ming to come up for a pick-and-roll, and then used Yao Ming's screen to pull up directly.

Just like Paul voted for Yao Ming in last year's Finals, shots after the pick-and-roll are always the most lethal punishment for big men.

"Shh!"

Xu Yong steadily hit a mid-range jumper to help the Bulls stabilize the situation on the court.

But looking back, Wade used Hibbert's screen to get inside again. This time the Bulls were forced to shrink their defense. Wade seized the opportunity and sent a beautiful pass. Granger from the outside received the ball and shot a three-pointer. The knife fell from the hand.

13:11.

The score difference was only two points in an instant.

Thibodeau reached out and called a timeout.

As the opponent for the third consecutive season, the Bulls can definitely say that this Heat team is a lot better than the Big Three era.

Even if the Bulls from the past two years came over to play against them, the two sides were evenly matched.

After the timeout, Thibodeau looked at Butler first.

The original plan of the coaching staff was to have Butler restrict Wade, because Butler is fast and has puppy steps to get around screens, which is theoretically the most suitable.

But judging from the actual effect, Butler still can't prevent it.

On the fast break ball, Wade used his personal ability to directly eat Butler alive.

This is not to say how bad Butler's defense is, but that Wade is in great shape.

"Coach, let me play against DW." Xu Yong said. Although his speed can't keep up with Wade, his advantage is his size. Although Wade has mid-range, he mainly focuses on breakthroughs after all. player, he can have a better defensive effect than Butler.

"No, you are responsible for the offense." Thibodeau refused. He turned to look at Allen. The Heat showed great defensive intensity, and the Bulls cannot do without Xu Yong on the offensive end.

"We must limit DW, otherwise we will not be able to win the game no matter how many points we score." Xu Yong continued.

This sentence is very realistic. The Heat's strength is their offense, with too many scoring points.

Just like when the Chinese team played as the Dream Team in the Olympics, they had no chance of attacking.

You must defend firmly and improve your round success rate before you can find a chance to win.

Thibodeau looked back at Xu Yong, but this time he did not shake his head or nod. He was obviously hesitating.

"Tom." At this moment, Xu Yong looked at Thibodeau, which was originally a title they would use when communicating in private.

Thibodeau looked at Xu Yong and finally nodded.

After the timeout, the Bulls did not make any personnel adjustments.

"Thibodeau did not replace Tony Allen. It seems that he still wants to ensure the offense of positional warfare." Barkley analyzed in the commentary box.

"That's the right choice. If they can't guarantee the success rate of positional warfare, the Heat's defensive counterattack will get them into big trouble." O'Neal followed up and analyzed, because it is difficult for Yao Ming to retreat on defensive counterattack.

After Xu Yong came back, he continued to use the pick-and-roll with Yao Ming. This time Hibbert jumped out. Xu Yong faked a shot and rushed directly into the paint. He pulled the ball up with his right hand and made a beautiful pull-up shot against Bosh who was assisting in defense. The hand sends the ball into the basket.

The referee's whistle also sounded, this ball was a 2+1.

This goal greatly boosted the morale of the Bulls.

Xu Yong's extra free throw helped the Bulls stabilize the situation at 16-11.

And when he returned to the defensive end, the person guarding Wade became Xu Yong, while Butler switched to guard Granger.

Because both of them are forward and defensive swingmen, this kind of defense change is considered normal.

The Heat's ball quickly reached Wade's hands. After Chalmers came off the court, Wade was the one who dominated the ball.

Xu Yong stared closely at Wade. He did not talk trash, but concentrated on watching the six directions.

Hibbert's pick-and-roll came up quickly.

Xu Yong immediately chose to use puppy steps to get around the back. With Wade's speed, it was easy for him to seize the opportunity and pass by in one step.

Wade followed the pick-and-roll and changed direction to the right. Xu Yong was still on his breakthrough route. Hibbert's first wave of pick-and-rolls ended in failure.

But Hibbert quickly launched a second wave of pick-and-rolls, and this time Wade was moving in sync.

Seizing the momentary opportunity, Wade suddenly started to speed up, passed Hibbert like lightning, and then faced Yao Ming's missing step and scored in the air with the lever.

Xu Yong's first defensive attempt also ended in failure.

Of course, one round of defense cannot explain the problem.

After the Bulls failed to attack in the frontcourt, when they returned to the defensive end, Xu Yong's position was obviously further back this time.

Defense also requires multiple-choice questions. This is his strategy of throwing shots to prevent breakthroughs.

Wade continued to use Hibbert's pick-and-roll attack, and after seeing Xu Yong's defensive strategy, he directly shot from mid-range.

This is absolute confidence.

"Shh!"

Wade also made a mid-range shot.

Xu Yong's face visibly darkened.

Wade's state is no longer good or bad, but he is obviously holding back on playing in the regular season and accumulating energy until the playoffs.

Otherwise, with the state he is showing now, he would not be able to score only 25+ points in the regular season.

16:15.

After Wade scored 4 points in a row, the Heat once again narrowed the point difference to 1 point.

"Defense! Defense!"

The fans' emotions were aroused, and the cheers began to ring out in the American Airlines Arena.

Xu Yong did not ask Yao Ming to pick and roll at this time, but directly hit Granger with his back.

After failing to defend for two consecutive rounds, he had to find a place to vent his anger.

"Bang! Bang!"

There was a fierce physical confrontation between the two, and Granger immediately felt a dull pain in his chest.

But just as he was preparing for the third impact, Xu Yong quickly turned towards the baseline and shot backward.

Granger fought hard to pounce, but Xu Yong's fallback was difficult to defend, especially when he took off from behind.

This is completely different from the back-up play he used to defend James.

"Shh!"

With a crisp sound, the cheers on the scene stopped abruptly.

Xu Yong also scored 5 points in a row after returning from the timeout.

"We must admit that watching Xu play is like appreciating a beautiful piece of art." This directly touched Barkley's Xu blow button.

"I still like the Eastern Conference Finals in the past two seasons, because art always requires comparison." O'Neal continued.

This sentence also made Barkley and Smith laugh.

The game was indeed exciting, but without the king it is indeed a lack.

On the court, Wade used Hibbert's screen to launch an attack for the third time. This time, Xu Yong moved forward in a defensive position around the back. He started to accelerate and passed, facing Yao Ming's throw.

But at the moment of taking action, he felt a dangerous aura coming from behind, but he had no time to react.

"boom!"

As the fans marveled, Xu Yong chased Wade from behind, directly blocked the ball, and slapped the ball out of the court.

Things didn't go as planned. In his third defensive attempt, Xu Yong finally succeeded.

And this ball is really pure physical talent, and it is a late strike.

The Heat's attack ultimately came to nothing.

Looking back, Xu Yong continued to attack Granger, turned around and scored, causing Granger's thug to foul.

Obviously, just like the Bulls can't limit Wade, the Heat can't guard Xu Yong.

Granger's expression was very depressed. He wished that the person opposite him was still James.

Xu Yongjia made all free throws, helping the Bulls once again establish an advantage 21-15.

However, in the next round, Bosh followed the pick-and-roll and moved down to contain the defense. Ray Allen ran out and received Wade's pass and hit a three-pointer.

This Heat team has so many scoring points that it's hard to get them all.

And when Xu Yong returned to the frontcourt, he found that the person defending him had changed from Granger to Wade.

Three years ago, when Xu Yong faced the Lakers for the first time, he and Kobe staged a full-court offensive and defensive battle.

Three years later, when Kobe Bryant fell, Wade took over the flag.

(End of this chapter)