NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 828 30 Years Old is the Age of Decline (Daily Life Chapter)
2012年5月30号星期三，迈阿密美航球馆气氛来到了顶峰，近2万名球迷疯狂呐喊，距离胜利仅有最后的1分08秒。

The game, which started at 20:30 p.m., seemed unusually long because of the whistle. In the tense atmosphere, Coach Spoelstra on the sidelines was sweating profusely, and he wished the game would end immediately!

"Defense!"

The deafening cheers echoing throughout the arena made the Knicks' rookies on the bench nervous.

Compared to Game 1, everyone performed poorly tonight, and the rookies felt the pressure from the Heat for the first time.

At 94-98, Wade, who had just assisted Haslem on a mid-range jumper in the previous offensive possession, was desperately guarding him. Victory was within reach, and his stamina was starting to recover.
Despite the limited time remaining in the game, Li You remained calm and composed as he advanced the ball, and the veteran players showed no signs of tension. Ibaka also calmed down under Gasol's guidance.

On the ESPN commentary desk, Van Gundy was no longer as relaxed as he was in G1. Now, his emotions were running high, and he raised his voice to say:

"This was a perfect game for the Heat. They went 6-for-14 from three-point range in the first half, and they maintained their excellent shooting touch in the second half!"

"A 1-1 tie going to New York is an acceptable result, but that one minute could completely change the course of the series."

As soon as he finished speaking, Li You, who had reached the top of the arc, suddenly turned around, switched to his left hand, lowered his center of gravity, and forcibly accelerated.

Wade instantly lost most of his position, and despite his efforts to catch up, he could only barely jump when he reached the paint.

Li You's quick cut caught James and Haslem off guard. Although the two quickly collapsed to the basket, after the aerial confrontation, Li You calmly extended his right arm, glided to the lower right side of the basket, and steadily tossed the ball toward the backboard.

"Everyone fell down," Wade, who was chasing, almost collided with two teammates. When the three of them landed, the basketball had already bounced off the backboard and gone into the basket.

With 96-98 and 56.7 seconds left in the game, the roar in the arena grew louder and louder. If they could complete this attack, victory would be within reach.

Mike Breen was somewhat surprised that there was no double team, and he unconsciously raised his voice, shouting:

"Li responded steadily once again! The Heat still haven't changed their defensive strategy."

Randy Foye was no longer playing like he had in previous games. Although he was in excellent form tonight, he was now playing as a ball-handling guard, passing the ball out early under Ray Allen's defense.

By raising his receiving position, Wade waved for everyone to clear one side. In the crucial moment, the Heat still opted for a two-man game.

Bosh, who was sidelined due to injury, looked nervous when he saw James accelerate laterally to set a screen. So far, the Chosen One has made 18 free throws and has five fouls, so even the veteran didn't dare to stretch the defense.

Unable to push Li You away, James immediately moved to the left side of the defensive zone, then backed down to block Marion behind him.

This crucial possession left many fans holding their breath. Beyond the three-point line, Wade's lobbed pass almost resulted in a turnover under Li You's defense, but fortunately James reacted quickly, leaping high to catch the ball.

The Heat players spread out, and Li You, who was outside the three-point line, did not help defend. After observing the defense, James first faked a pass on the upper line and then made a passing fake as Haslem moved to the free-throw line.

Marion was not fooled by the fake. When James suddenly turned and put the ball down, he immediately blocked the baseline to prevent the opponent from getting under the basket.

"Oh!!"

Screams and cheers erupted simultaneously. The sudden contact almost caused James to lose the ball, but he reacted quickly enough, then rammed into the veteran, forcefully crushing him as he broke through.

The Knicks quickly collapsed just as James was about to reach the basket, but Ibaka and Gasol were a step too late. James, having broken through the defense, banked the ball in from the bottom left of the rim.

Marion, who had almost lost his balance in mid-air, failed to make an effective defensive move. The veteran was frustrated and sighed, but then he suddenly noticed that the basketball had bounced off the rim and gone out of bounds.

"what!"

The Miami fans in the arena also screamed loudly, and James felt his scalp tingle. After landing, he hurriedly rushed to grab the rebound.

With the Knicks about to finish the defensive play after a 3-on-1 battle, the whistle blew again. Ibaka and Marion, who had just grabbed the rebound, both clutched their heads, and cheers erupted in the arena.

James, leaning on his knee at the baseline, was panting heavily. For a moment, he felt numb. Fortunately, the Heat had the advantage tonight!

After complaining all game, D'Antoni raised his hands on the sidelines, but replays above the arena showed no extra defensive moves.

However, the referee did not review the shot, but immediately pointed to the free-throw line, and the Heat's bench erupted in cheers, with even Wade clenching his fist in celebration beyond the three-point line.

Tim Hardaway, a legend who sat in the front row specifically to cheer for the Heat, also joined in the wild celebrations. His frustration from the Game 1 loss had completely vanished, and he was now boisterously cheering loudly.
"Starting tonight! This is our 'horse'!"

Beyond the three-point line, Ray Allen was still standing with his hands on his hips. Seeing James Harden's beaming face in the front row, he raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. For him, securing an away victory was already an achievement.

Li You, who recently welcomed his first child, has been in a good mood lately. However, seeing his familiar old rival so arrogant, after comforting Marion who fouled out, he still turned around and joked:
"Dude, pray he makes both free throws, or God will punish you soon."

Lance Stephenson, nervous and excited, was preparing to enter the game on the sidelines. The coaching staff trusted him more and sent him onto the court at a crucial moment. Charles Oakley noticed that the rookie was distracted and immediately gave him a nudge:
"Listen, don't let that softie catch the ball easily, give him a challenge!"

Stephenson nodded hastily and strode onto the court. James made his first free throw with ease. As he turned to adjust, he noticed the rookie on the other side staring intently at him.

During the crucial free throw, American Airlines Arena fell silent. The chosen one took another deep breath, about to release the shot, when Stephenson suddenly yelled:
"what!"

Perhaps the simple and crude interference method worked, the basketball spun around and fell out of the basket. Although Haslem and Battier fought hard for it, the height difference was too obvious.

After grabbing the rebound, Gasol passed the ball out and called for his teammates to quickly get back into position. The 3-point lead stunned Heat fans; they could tie the game in just one possession.
Tim Hardaway, wearing a gold chain, was even more excited than the players on the court. As soon as he saw Li You slow down after crossing half-court and start dribbling between his legs, he shouted repeatedly to signal for a double team.

When Li You dribbled behind his back, switched to his left hand, and slightly twisted his body to raise his center of gravity, Coach Spoelstra on the sidelines couldn't hold back any longer and loudly signaled for a defensive rotation.

Upon receiving clear instructions, Randy Foye immediately moved to help defend, while Battier in the right corner also abandoned his defender and began to move to the wing.

The Heat's double-team wasn't decisive enough, and Wade didn't have time to warn his teammates. In the ensuing physical contact, he was pushed by Li You's ball-handling hand.

Wade, who was trying to slide, almost lost his balance. Li You once again forced his way through the defense, and Randy Foye hurriedly chased after him. Seeing that the situation was not right, Battier also changed direction.

Inside the paint, Li You, surrounded by defenders, was a step faster, jumping up and flicking the ball behind his head, sending it flying straight to Ray Allen at the top of the arc.

When Battier lunged out again, Ray Allen easily knocked him away. As soon as he landed, he could only watch his opponent move laterally before quickly raising the ball and decisively taking a jump shot!

"Ray! For three He got it!"

The basketball swished through the net, and Mike Breen instantly raised his voice, while American Airlines Arena fell silent. In just a few seconds, half of the victory was gone, and the Knicks tied the game.

When the Heat called a timeout, McGrady on the bench had already covered his face with his hands, and Bosh stared blankly at the Knicks players celebrating happily, a bad feeling rising in his heart again.

James slapped his thigh in anger as he returned to his seat. There were 17.2 seconds left in the game. Although the Heat could remain undefeated, he shouldn't have made that mistake on the free throw.

Dwyane Wade, drenched in sweat and panting heavily, had been battling it out in the paint while his partner had been relentlessly guarding Li You for the second consecutive game. Although he hadn't played much in Game 1, his stamina was clearly waning. "Don't make mistakes. It's a shame LeBron's free throws could have changed the game tonight, but he still has a chance!"

"The Knicks will have a hard time dealing with this matchup, and there's enough time left in the game for one possession."

Van Gundy seemed to recall his time coaching the Chosen Ones, and sighed inwardly. From a spectator's perspective, he hoped the series would end in a 1-1 tie, otherwise the Heat would face their familiar "do-or-die" game.

Mike Breen, naturally, didn't believe the Heat could pull off a game-winning shot, and continued to praise the previous play:
"This is Ray Allen's second three-pointer of the game. His previous 1-for-5 performance did not affect him!"

"Perfect shooting rhythm; the game will likely go into overtime."

The cheers that echoed through the arena resounded once again, and all the Heat players wearing white cheering T-shirts stood up. When the ball was inbounded, Wade, who received it, controlled the time and waited for his partner to get into position.

After bouncing around the baseline, James bounced out to the right elbow area. When he realized that Stephenson was still guarding him, he immediately waved to signal to pull away after receiving the ball.

Time flies. Facing the rookie's close defense, James, after a series of probing steps with his left foot, raised the ball to feint and then suddenly released it with his right hand. He took a step and pretended to overpower the opponent before quickly turning around.

James' excellent footwork showcased the results of his offseason training. Having switched to his left hand, James had already rushed into the paint. Noticing the help defense approaching, he immediately took a step and caught the ball while moving.

Ibaka's block caused James to pull his left arm to the side, and amidst the expectant gazes of Heat fans, the ball, which he tossed in mid-air, bounced off the backboard and then went out of bounds again.
The referee made no call this time, and Haslem continued to fight for the ball, but the timer expired immediately.

Amidst the buzzing, American Airlines Arena became noisy again. James looked up at the basket. He had no field goals in the fourth quarter, going 0-for-4 from the field and 6-for-8 from the free-throw line, scoring 6 points in the quarter.

Coach Spoelstra was filled with regret, but he had to put on a confident look and kept hugging his players. The younger players had an advantage in overtime!
Tim Hardaway, who had gotten up to watch the game, saw Li You pointing at him and smiling slightly, and some painful memories began to resurface.

On the Heat's bench, assistant coach Alonzo Mourning, known for his toughness and resilience, loudly encouraged his teammates. Before going onto the court, he repeatedly high-fived them, passionately reminding them:

"Guys, they're done for! Believe in yourselves!"

"Oh!!"

With the DJ's encouragement, American Airlines Arena erupted in cheers once again. In overtime, the younger players had the upper hand, and everyone composed themselves and started shouting loudly again.

With Ibaka winning the jump ball, Li You immediately accelerated across half-court after receiving the ball. Exhausted Wade gritted his teeth and took the lead in defense, but immediately lost his defensive position when facing a high pick-and-roll.

Fortunately, James provided timely help defense, quickly sliding to try to slow Li You down, while also waiting for his partner to come forward and double-team him.

While moving, Li You, holding the ball in his right hand, leaned against the defense and suddenly moved forward to take possession of the ball. As he got rid of James's entanglement, he followed up with a crossover step to pull back.

With his center of gravity suddenly shifting, the increased weight left James unable to adjust due to inertia. Wade, who was chasing him, couldn't pull him back in time, and Li You, who had switched to his left hand, had already broken through the encirclement of two defenders.
"Oh"

Amidst the low cheers, James, who was rushing to defend, didn't have time to adjust his footwork before Li You took off in the paint, ignoring Haslem's help defense under the basket, pulled his left arm back, and slammed the ball down!

The rim slammed shut. Haslem didn't jump very high, but he still stumbled and crashed into the basketball hoop, a look of lingering fear involuntarily appearing on his dark face.
Stephenson's rim-rocking dunk in overtime stunned the Heat's bench players until they were completely taken aback by his wild celebration in front of them.

The American Airlines Arena fell silent until James drove hard to the right wing and was about to shoot free throws, when the cheers returned.

"LeBron missed another free throw! God, every possession in overtime is crucial!"

Van Gundy gasped when both free throws were missed, and James, who was retreating on defense, cursed in frustration, making the arena noisy again, followed by boos.
Li You dribbled the ball along the left sideline and approached the three-point line. He paused slightly, then lowered his center of gravity and accelerated again. Wade tried to chase and defend, but he tripped and fell to the ground during the screen.

Haslem, who hadn't even settled down yet, hurriedly moved to the basket. In the blink of an eye, Li You had already leaned out and lifted the ball, flicking it with his left wrist, and the basketball bounced off the backboard and into the hoop.

At 103:99, Li You, who had retreated to his seat, looked at Hardaway again, smiled slightly, and turned to tease him:
"God will punish those who waste opportunities!"

On the offensive possession, seeing that his partner was already struggling, James, who had brought the ball across half-court, moved to the right wing, pushed the ball, changed direction, switched to his right hand, and once again made a tank-like breakthrough.

The rookie couldn't defend at all. The Knicks collapsed their defense under the basket again, and James found Battier, who had moved to the left wing. Battier then missed an open jump shot.

When Li You picked up the long rebound, boos echoed throughout the arena. James, who was retreating at full speed on defense, moved to the right wing in advance, signaling his partner to switch defenses. The Heat players also quickly took their positions.

Not daring to get too close, James lowered his center of gravity and could only extend his left arm to interfere.

Li You, holding the ball with his left hand at the three-point line, suddenly pushed the ball and changed direction. Before James could reach out, he lowered his center of gravity and touched the ball with his right hand, changing direction again with a crossover.

The sudden acceleration turned James into a wooden stake. By the time the rest of the Heat team reacted, Li You had already gotten past the defense and was back in the paint, taking a step and taking off.

With no one jumping to contest the shot under the basket, Haslem watched as Li You swung his arm and slammed it home!
With the score at 105-99, head coach Spoelstra hurriedly called a timeout, and the quiet American Airlines Arena erupted in boos once again.

Without any fancy tactical plays, the Knicks' strategy in overtime was simple and brutal. Davis, the bearded veteran, was yelling repeatedly. While the rookies were still in shock, the veteran was already shouting:

"God is invincible!"

At 23:50 p.m. that night, the sports media who arrived at the press conference still had excited expressions on their faces.

Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals lasted 3 hours and 10 minutes. The overtime was exciting but also somewhat "ugly." Although the Heat frequently went to the free-throw line, they ultimately lost the game 18-12.

Including the 10 free throws in overtime, the Heat made 34 of 49 free throws tonight. If they had been a little more accurate, the outcome of the game would have been completely different.

Wade appeared exhausted when he appeared before reporters. He only scored 4 points in overtime from free throws. The Flash did his best, but the team lacked rim protectors in the paint, and he was thoroughly penetrated by Li You in both games.
James, who scored 8 points in overtime, was in a bad mood. Even now, he is still upset about his poor free throws. Unlike the collapse in the third quarter of Game 1, tonight he essentially handed the victory to the opponent.

“Wade, we noticed that you had a hard time keeping up with Lee on the defensive end in the two games. Considering you are only 30 years old, why is this happening?”

The Fox Sports reporter immediately launched into a sarcastic remark about the younger Wade's declining physical condition. Seeing the anger on his teammate's face, James waved to stop him and took over the conversation, responding:
“It has nothing to do with age. You know, we’ve been battling injuries since the semifinals, and Wade is no exception. He’s been playing exceptionally well.”

"If you watched tonight's game, you'd know the Heat led for 44 minutes; we were the more dominant team!"

"Details determine the outcome, but we will not waste any more opportunities in the following games."

The "Chosen One" narrative is true. After a crushing 108-84 defeat in Game 1, the Heat did indeed bounce back strongly, with their aggressive defense and relentless drives causing the Knicks considerable trouble.

The New York media didn't care about the process; all they saw was Li You's 13-point outburst in overtime leading his team to victory. Upon hearing James's "excuses," someone immediately stood up and mocked him:
"Losing the MVP trophy and the Eastern Conference Finals, does that mean you've fallen behind Kevin Durant?"

James's position as the "second-best player" is no longer secure, and he's naturally unhappy about it. However, he has already foreseen the trend of the game and confidently responded:
"You'll see my full power next! Hopefully, you'll ask me that question again after the series is over!"

"."

(End of this chapter)