NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 765 Miami Era (no protagonist chapter)
On Friday, October 2010, 10, the high-spirited Miami Heat faced the "revenge match" that fans had been waiting for for a long time.

After "The Decision", LeBron James faced his old club for the first time. Before the game, a large number of basketball commentators were following suit and commenting on this key battle.

In the opening game, the Cavaliers unfortunately lost 84:89. The "Big Five" Celtics showed their strength. The two O'Neals and Garnett successfully suppressed the "Happy Beast"!
Howard made 22 of 11 shots and 16 of 8 free throws in the game. Although he contributed a luxurious double-double of 30 points and 14 rebounds, the Cavaliers' championship forward Artest took the lead in missing shots, and the opponent finally successfully turned the game around.

The shooters were not in good shape, including Raja Bell, who made 9 of 3 three-pointers. In addition, Mo Williams failed to suppress Rondo and was given 17 assists by the championship guard. The Cavaliers' loss was not unfair.

Although they lost the first game, Howard once again demonstrated his dominance in the subsequent back-to-back games, leading the team to defeat the Kings!

88:114, the Cavaliers exploded, and after the game, "Happy Beast" made a bold statement in the face of the upcoming road trip:

"I will dominate the Heat's inside line in all directions!"

"."

第2场比赛三节打卡，但霍华德的数据却非常不错，22分11篮板2助攻3盖帽1失误。

The Cavaliers did not focus on low-post offense and spent most of the round catching dunks. There was no major change in their tactical system.

The Heat also had a record of 1 win and 1 loss. After a narrow loss in the opening game, they defeated the 76ers by 30 points, 117:87. The Big Three easily defeated the weak team, and LeBron James and Bosh were "crazy" in their three-point shooting.

Facing the 76ers' luxurious inside combination, the Heat used their five-outside lineup to take the game away in the third quarter. Their zone defense was even more outstanding. It was not an easy task to suppress the opponent's score to below 5 points.

After two games, head coach Spoelstra was praised by commentators. No one expected that the Big Three would integrate so well. The "5 outside lineup" seemed to have redefined the "inside line."

The Heat's outstanding performance is also inseparable from the contribution of McGrady off the bench. It is indeed much more difficult for the outdated second man to score points, but it is not difficult to get 10 points and give a few assists.

在和76人队的比赛中，麦克格雷迪8中3，罚球6中4，贡献了10分6篮板6助攻1抢断1盖帽3失误的全能数据。

In the second half of the third quarter, McGrady, who replaced Randy Foye as the No. 1 player, led the team to a climax, and the five-forward lineup shined. Many commentators gave high praise to this:
"The Heat's time has arrived!"

As for the mediocre performance in the opening game, it can naturally be ignored. After all, the Heat did not lose by too much, 98:107, only losing by 9 points, which is enough to prove how strong the Big Three are.

At 19 p.m. that evening, one hour before the game was to start, Dwight Howard, who was attending the pre-match press conference, smiled brightly again and answered questions patiently.

As the broadcaster, ESPN did not deliberately fan the flames, and the questions it asked were also quite professional:

"Dwight, what do you think of the Heat's current 5-forward lineup? Does this change the skill set of big men in the league?"

As a "low-post beast", Howard is still relatively old-fashioned. After all, when he entered the league, Van Gundy polished the "Happy Beast" towards the direction of a traditional center.

Although he has not yet developed a mid-range shot, Howard is currently the best in the league in terms of low-post offense, screening, rebounding, etc. The weight-loss Yao Ming's influence on the defensive end cannot compare to that of the "Happy Beast".

"Five forwards? I don't like this model. No one on the Heat can limit me!"

Howard gave his opinion directly with a big mouth. He didn't care about the Heat's tactics at all, and he didn't forget to provoke a few times at the end:

"I am the best defensive big man in the league right now. I have won DPOY and can limit most pick-and-roll offenses."

"Those boring basketball critics always use Lee as an example. This is totally unreasonable. You know how Garnett and Duncan, two MVPs, performed when facing Lee."

"Check my stats. I'm better than these two MVPs. The Heat's lineup can only target teams with mediocre records."

No one questioned that Howard's answer was well-reasoned. Garnett and Duncan were just giving away points when facing Li You's pick-and-roll defense, and the "Happy Beast" performed quite well.

At the end of the press conference, Howard did not forget to speak up for his teammates and took the initiative to praise X:
"Meta will make LeBron and Wade look bad! Don't underestimate the champion forward!"

"."

Compared to the boastful "Happy Beast", Bosh was very humble when attending the press conference. The new season just started and the Heat won the "Lee You Recognition Award".

After the opening game, Li You played for 30 minutes and only got a double-double of 26 points, 4 rebounds, 11 assists and 3 steals. His personal performance was mediocre, but he praised the Heat after the game:
"The Heat have a chance to create an era that belongs to them, and the three young guys are more suitable than I thought!"

"They've made sacrifices for each other and they've found the winning code."

Not only did Li You praise the Big Three, he also praised McGrady's performance. Under the instigation of reporters, he even "vindicated" the second player who had passed his prime:
"It's not Tracy's problem to be eliminated in the first round. He has tried his best."

"Sometimes luck is also part of strength. Playing a brand new role in the Heat, I believe he will win his own trophy."

With such praise, the Heat showed their dominance in back-to-back games. After the game, everyone said that "Lee encouraged everyone." The commercial praise almost made the commentators who fanned the flames "roll their eyes."

When Bosh was asked about the defensive problem, he didn't act cool, but admitted the team's shortcomings and took the initiative to explain:
"There are not many teams in the league that can limit Dwight at the basket. You know, basketball is a five-person game, and defense requires the efforts of everyone."

"We will show our strengths. I performed well from beyond the three-point line in the last game. Maybe I can continue my shooting touch tonight."

"."

Faced with provocation, Bosh backed down again. In fact, he started to increase his three-point shooting as early as when he was on the Raptors. When he partnered with "Spaghetti", he also beat the Knicks by relying on "dumpling" shooting.

However, the New York media is very disdainful of this "soft-hearted style of play" and will laugh at it regardless of whether they win or lose. The Knicks' twin towers have basically been able to suppress Bosh in past encounters.

The trend suddenly changed in the new season. Bosh, who continued to shoot three-pointers, suddenly became a "cross-era inside player". It was difficult for the outdated Dragon King to comment on this, as he was worried that the media would "settle the score later".

The humble and cautious Bosh made the reporters in the audience very depressed. No matter how they fanned the flames and ridiculed him, the three Heat players did not respond strongly.

The youngsters seemed to know the "script trend" and played happily according to the plan. Compared with the already divided Lakers, the atmosphere in the locker room here was very good.
Watching the Heat players leave with a smile, several ESPN reporters sighed in their hearts. These young people lacked a sense of competition. Everyone missed the Mamba a little bit. At least Kobe had never been soft over the years.

"The Alliance should stop this decision. I knew it would end up like this. These guys have no hostility at all!"

A middle-aged white ESPN reporter was sorting out his notes while complaining to several colleagues around him. A young reporter from Yahoo Sports continued to lean back in his seat and spread his hands, and also complained a few words:
"I discovered this problem a long time ago. The players from the class of 03 are completely different from those from the class of 96!"

"Think about the competition between Iverson and Lee. This won't happen again in the future. These guys will just smile when they lose. They have friends everywhere."

The black reporter from Sports Illustrated, who was about to leave, felt that his colleague's description was very apt. He picked up his notebook, shook his head, and then whispered jokingly:
"If Ray Allen had made his decision earlier, he might have had his hands full of rings by now."

"."

There was a lot of laughter in the media room. Times have indeed changed. The tit-for-tat basketball of the past may disappear in the future. The young people who formed teams early obviously did not intend to repeat the past. The interview session added before the game barely made the game more tense. At nearly 20 p.m., Mike Breen and others were still discussing tactical issues in the ESPN commentary booth.

"It's hard for the Heat to limit the Cavaliers with zone defense. In terms of outside shooting, the Cavaliers are actually the better team!"

"The only question is whether Howard can get the ball out in time when facing help defense. The opponent's rotation speed is very fast."

Van Gundy, who has watched two games in a row, talked about it at this time. He is not unfamiliar with the Heat's zone defense. In fact, this is what he "left over."

When he coached the Cavaliers in the early days, he relied on zone defense to achieve the league's top defensive efficiency.

If the team's three-point shooting had not been cut off at the critical moment of the playoffs and the core players had not responded to the ball unstably, Van Gundy felt that he had a chance to win a few games against the defending champions.

Hearing the "proud" tone of his partner, Mark Jackson also smiled and commented:

"In the two games so far, the Heat did not have a clear core. A big problem in losing the opening game was that they failed to respond continuously in the fourth quarter."

"The Cavaliers played great defense and hopefully the Heat can stand up to it tonight."

"."

The American Airlines Arena erupted in uniform defensive cheers at this time. The ball was easily passed to Mo Williams, and Howard quickly rushed across half court. Head coach Mike Brown on the sidelines also began to give loud commands.

In the first offensive round, the Cavaliers showed a star-studded system. After the cross screen, Channing Frye ran to the right corner, and Howard began to ask for the ball with his back to the basket in the low post on the left.

Although Joel Anthony kept blocking the ball, Artest immediately threw the ball into the inside and the "Happy Beast" caught it easily.

LeBron James, with a serious expression, double-teamed his old teammate in the first round. Howard received the ball and turned around, released the ball with his left hand and pushed it hard. Facing a double-team, he did not pass the ball and tried to squeeze under the basket to complete the attack.

"Oh!!"

Amid cheers, Howard's layup was interfered by James, and the basketball hit the rim and missed. Artest, who rushed to the basket, successfully grabbed the frontcourt rebound and put the ball in steadily.

The championship forward who was retreating shouted loudly, reminding his teammates to pass the ball in time. The Heat did not worry about rebounding, and Randy Foye advanced quickly.

The left wing had just taken position, and James, who received the ball, did not look for a pick-and-roll like he did in the past. Instead, he took advantage of Artest's lack of defense to launch a sudden attack!
The long rebound was picked up by Bosh, and Wade, who received the ball on the right wing, took advantage of his teammate's simple hand-to-hand screen, accelerated laterally, and suddenly pushed the ball and changed direction.

Cheers rang out again. Channing Frye was easily broken through by Wade's quick change of direction. The Flash went straight to the basket, confronted hard in the lower right side of the basket, and twisted his body to complete a layup under the interference of Howard.

Joel Anthony, who was crouching at the lower left side of the basket, stepped forward to high-five and celebrated. The Heat's offensive rhythm was extremely fast, and Mike Breen in the commentary booth also praised:
"This reminds me of the Knicks' transition lineup. Coach Spo may have found the tactical system that best suits the Heat."

"."

As time went by, the Cavaliers soon exposed some problems. Under Wade's defense, Mo Williams was unable to effectively organize pick-and-rolls, and his offensive routines were monotonous.

In the middle of the first quarter, Howard once again went to the basket and completed a two-handed slam dunk. Before the "Happy Beast" had time to celebrate, the Heat quickly served the ball from the baseline again.

Receiving the ball on the left wing again, facing Artest who was defending him closely, James immediately let go of the ball with his left hand, broke through, used his speed to gain half a body length, and turned like a gyroscope while moving.

"squeak!"

The referee blew the whistle, and Howard, who was chasing back, committed a hand foul. The "Happy Beast" was still complaining loudly, but James was already standing on the free throw line.

"Soft!"

Back to the paint area, Howard shook his head and shouted provocatively, but James grinned. Outside the three-point line, Wade also smiled and leaned on his knees to retort:
"Let the ball do the talking, man! You don't stand a chance!"

After James made both free throws, the game entered an official timeout at 10:15. All of the Cavaliers' points came from the paint, and they were unable to gain an advantage in rebounds.

Artest was in a bad mood. The champion forward had no interest in basketball during the offseason. The problem was not discovered until the preseason: the team lacked a "brain."

In the early days of his career, Artest was used to partnering with an all-around guard like Li You. Later, when he came to the Heat, Wade was considered a smaller version of Li You, and he was acceptable as a partner.

Now it was Mo Williams, a seriously bankrupt ball-holding defender, who replaced him. The champion forward frowned secretly, and Raja Bell also looked unhappy.

Although Mike Brown emphasized passing the ball, in the first round after the timeout, Howard played as required but made a mistake, and James threw the ball away after intercepting it.

"Oh!!"

Amid cheers, Wade shook off Raja Bell who was defending him and made a slam dunk!
In the next few minutes, although Artest and Howard took turns to stand on the free throw line, James' transition three-pointer and Wade's interception of Mo Williams gradually helped the Heat take control of the game rhythm.

At the end of the first quarter, Wade made a sudden three-pointer, and the American Airlines Center was boiling. The Flash, who was retreating, patted his chest and shouted:

"This is my house!"

"."

21:31, at the end of the first quarter, all five players of the Heat scored, while Raja Bell and Channing Frye of the Cavaliers scored zero points, and the game tended to be one-sided.

Before the second quarter, head coach Mike Brown looked unhappy, but he still maintained his compliments and praised his opponent:

"The Heat played more tacitly than we thought, and they were the better team in the first quarter."

-

On Saturday, November 11, the Heat easily won the "Revenge Game" and continued their winning streak.

After a small 11-point win over the Cavaliers, the Big Three showed no mercy when facing the Nets led by their good brothers and easily won the victory!

Afterwards, they maintained absolute dominance against the Timberwolves, Hornets, and Heat. Chris Paul, like Anthony, had no choice but to lose.

On Saturday night, Anthony, who came to Miami, had no smile on his face. He was humiliated in the last match. Under the leadership of the New York fans next door, the Nets' home court turned into a "paradise".

Some people laughed at him during the game, and the occasional "Fuck" made Anthony lose his accuracy, and he shot 30 of 11 shots.
In the game that night, the Nets performed well in the first half, 51:55, only trailing by 4 points, but as the Heat lowered their altitude in the third quarter and played a quarter with 17:32, the game collapsed again!
Anthony, who was on the bench, looked unhappy after being double-killed by his friend. Then, when he saw McGrady hitting a three-pointer and scratching his nose to show off, he was so angry that he cursed inwardly:
"Damn the game!"

(End of this chapter)