Chapter 122 121. Victory!
The Bobcats began to double-team Wade frantically, using team defense to create counterattack opportunities and gradually widened the gap.

The players are not calm and Riley can only watch. It would probably be the same if the coach who won 9 championships were to do the same.

When he discovered Wade's intention, he didn't think there was anything wrong with it. This was a very good way to open up the situation. Payton loved to do this when he was young, and so did the fortune teller's lifelong love.

But Riley didn't expect that the rookie could score 4 goals in a row with Payton and Wade taking turns defending him!
At this time, Wade's immature side was exposed. He had nothing else in his eyes but to score a goal, otherwise he would lose face.

In Riley's opinion, no matter how well Wade performs next, it will be difficult for him to save face in this regard. The opponent is just a 17-year-old rookie and he has already lost completely, just like the "high school student showdown" between Zhang Yang and Kobe in the All-Star Game. No matter how badly Zhang Yang played in the next three rounds, the first three rounds were enough for fans to talk about.

But he didn't stop him, he knew Wade needed to vent now, and forceful intervention would only backfire.

It's still a problem of the overall environment. Compared with other players of the same period, Wade's psychological quality is already very mature, but compared with those players who became core players when they entered the NBA in the 1980s and 1990s, he is still far behind.

These days there is no environment that forces young stars to mature quickly, let alone Wade. Even the one in Los Angeles has been playing for so many years, isn't he still the same? It's just that guy is more fierce, and he can score more points than the entire opponent team without any hesitation.

It was the rookie on the opposing team that surprised Riley!
After being provoked by "cut throat", Zhang Yang responded by scoring a goal, and decisively ended the singles, allowing Felton, who was in a more advantageous position, to attack, and actively used the mid-range containment to help teammates score... No wonder Wade went crazy, but Bickerstaff had no intention of replacing the rookie early.

Riley thought of James Worthy, who was selected with the No. 1 pick that year...

After the first quarter, the score was 32 to 24, and the Bobcats took an 8-point lead!
Although O'Neal's appearance on the court failed to stop Wade from continuing to act recklessly, it was not completely useless. The deterrent effect of protecting the rim was enhanced. When Wade cut in, he moved closer to the three-second zone, always attracting the attention of the defense and allowing Wade more space to attack the rim. Otherwise, the score difference would have been even greater.

After entering the intermission, Wade finally calmed down when he saw that they were 8 points behind. Although he spent three years in college before entering the NBA, he is still much more mature than a certain guard in the Western Conference. That guard just kept on going recklessly when they were 14 points behind at halftime, and scored more than 80 points, which was a bad lesson for the kids.

It was impossible to apologize, but Wade took the initiative to discuss with his teammates how to play in the second quarter, which had "I was wrong" written on his face.

O'Neal was relieved and a little sad to see Wade calm down...

After the intermission, the second quarter began. The Bobcats attacked first. Okafor received the ball and turned to the baseline, avoiding Mourning's defense and making a close-range jump shot. The Bobcats extended their lead to 10 points.

When it was the Heat's turn to attack, Wade still looked like he was going to kill the opponent. He passed Bernard Robinson and rushed into the inside, where he encountered Gerald Wallace's backup defense... He passed the ball!
Gerald Wallace knew he was being cheated immediately. During the intermission, his brother Jack told him that Wade might not act recklessly in the second quarter. He believed in the judgment of his brother Jack, who was able to get into North Carolina based on his test scores. But he still had to block the first ball, just in case?
However, Wade, who had tricked his opponent into making a quick pass, twitched his cheek when he saw the receiver's movements.

Anthony Walker received the ball and did not shoot directly. Instead, he dribbled forward one step, retreated out of the three-point line, jumped and shot... and it went in!
The assist was gone, but at least the goal was scored. Wade thought, forget it, the guy took a pay cut to get here, why should he ask for so much.

27 to 34, the difference narrowed to 7 points, Wade led the Heat to start a counterattack!
The offensive in the first half of the quarter was not particularly fierce. O'Neal was resting on the sidelines, and the Heat only kept the score difference between 5 and 10 points. In the second half of the quarter, after O'Neal came on the court, he played a performance that made the fans "OWOWOWO" and quickly narrowed the score difference!
Zhang Yang, Felton and Perkins also played in the second half of the quarter, but the three of them, plus Gerald Wallace and Okafor, were unable to stop the opponent from quickly catching up.

Even a 34-year-old Shark is incredibly powerful when he attacks with all his might!
Fortunately, they were tenacious enough. No matter how hard they were beaten, even if the score was reversed, they attacked and defended well for every ball.

Finally, at the last moment of the first half, the Bobcats got their chance!
First, Felton took a step back and made a two-pointer against Wade, then O'Neal missed a layup. Zhang Yang grabbed the rebound and launched a counterattack. On the way, he passed the ball to Gerald Wallace, who passed it again. Okafor followed up and made a layup.

At the end of the first half, the Bobcats regained a two-point lead of 4-0 with a 54-52 score in the final moments and entered the halftime break.

The Heat performed strongly in the second quarter, and at one point they scored 28 to 18. Even though the score was reversed in the end, they still brought the game back to the same starting line.

But Riley didn't feel happy at all.

In O'Neal's last attack, after he pushed Perkins away, his shot bounced out, and the opponent seized the opportunity to counterattack. It was obvious that he had run out of energy.

The hole Wade dug in the first quarter was too big. The 8-point difference was not important, as O'Neal made up for it with one effort. The biggest hole was the physical exhaustion!
We just played an overtime game with the 76ers last night, and today we are playing another game to catch up...

Not only O'Neal, but also Anthony Walker, Payton...even Wade, their physical strength decline was visibly seen in the last minute or so.

This is not important. Riley has re-evaluated the Bobcats and put this opponent in the list of teams that the team does not want to meet in the first round.

So tenacious!

This kind of young army is too difficult to deal with. Once they get strong, they will definitely give you a severe blow.

And he even has the ability to make independent adjustments on the court... Riley looked at Felton walking towards the player tunnel.

People say that this little fat guy is the worst among the three talented point guards in the 05 class, but Riley doesn't think so. He believes that commanding ability on the court is also a kind of talent.

...

During the halftime break, in the Bobcats locker room, Bickerstaff emphasized the use of counterattacks in the third quarter, preparing to win the game in the third quarter.

The Heat are in a physical crisis and must take advantage.

The Bobcats mentioned the idea of ​​playing a war of attrition against the Heat in their pre-game preparation meeting, but it was ultimately rejected.

That kind of test of lineup depth is not suitable for them.

But it's hard to predict what will happen in a game. Their North Carolina genius actually made Wade compete with him...

In short, the current situation is better than the best case scenario expected before the game.

If you prevent your opponent from missing a shot, he will eventually get his touch back.

While you are scoring points quickly, the other team may score even faster than you.

But being in a physical crisis is something that cannot be solved no matter how hard one tries.

Bickerstaff analyzed the situation from the Heat's perspective. He couldn't think of any way to break the deadlock. If the fortune teller really had any tricks up his sleeve, he would like to see them for himself.

Zhang Yang also felt that the game was stable. In the last minute of the first half, the advantage was back to them.

He had no idea what kind of magic tricks the divine fortune teller could come up with, until he came back from the halftime break and saw the opposing players on the field with his teammates...

The Heat sent out a combination of Jason Williams, James Posey, Shandon Anderson, Michael Doleac, and Alonso, as well as Payton, Wade, Anthony Walker, Haslem, and O'Neal. None of the five strongest players on the opposing team played!
When Zhang Yang saw this lineup, he guessed the opponent's intention.

It's really bold, but it's a good idea! He is indeed a master of calculation!
After the start of the third quarter, the Bobcats, led by Felton, played very hard on both offense and defense.

The opponent's intention was very clear. They wanted to use this lineup to keep the score close and create rest time for the core lineup.

They want to tear apart the opponent's plan, and the method is very simple, just widen the score gap.

The Bobcats successfully limited the Heat's scoring. The only player in the Heat lineup who could initiate an offense was Jason Williams.

贾森-威廉姆斯这赛季打出了生涯最高效率，投篮命中率44%、三分命中率38%、助攻失误比高达5.3比1.6……放在2002年之前，没人相信这会是白巧克力能打出的表现。

After being transformed by Hubie Brown, White Chocolate has become a player that all championship-contending teams are vying for. His passing and control are solid and steady, his three-point shooting is accurate, and his defense is reliable. He can be called a deluxe version of Fizz.

But while he's performing efficiently, Jason Williams has lost his original creativity. His unpredictable passes are no longer seen, and his way of launching offense is no longer unpredictable but rather methodical.

The Heat did not replace those five players throughout the third quarter, only rotating with Derek Anderson and Kapono, and the inside combination of Doleac and Mourning held on for the entire quarter.

The Bobcats successfully held the Heat to just 15 points in the third quarter.

But the Bobcats only scored 21 points!
Although the Heat's veteran players did not play well on offense, they worked very hard on defense. Each of them fought as if they were risking their lives and managed to keep the score difference within 10 points!
After three quarters, the Bobcats led the Heat by 75 points, 67 to 8!
Bickerstaff's scalp was tingling from the beating. He could only sigh, as expected of... O'Neal!

After O'Neal joined the Heat in the summer of 04, the Heat has become the most favored team by veterans who want to compete for the championship in the past two offseasons. The Heat's second lineup is so strong that even the end of the bench is played by players like Shandon Anderson.

In the season before joining the Heat, Shandon Anderson averaged 8 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal per game. He was a very high-quality role player, known for his defense. He had a 6-year, $4200 million contract. After joining the Heat, Shandon Anderson became a marginal player, guarding the water dispenser most of the time, but played diligently when he was on the court, just to pursue the coveted championship ring.

However, Bickerstaff did not waste time in this quarter. Zhang Yang was replaced by him after playing for 3 minutes. Felton, Gerald Wallace and Okafor also took turns to rest and prepare for the next final quarter.

An 8-point difference...is not safe!

...

Payton, Wade, Anthony Walker, Haslem, and O'Neal, the Heat's strongest five-man team returned to the court after resting for a quarter!

O'Neal has a very strong characteristic, which was also shared by Duncan before he suffered from plantar fasciitis and Yao Ming after he gained weight to 140+ kilograms - as long as he has enough physical strength, he can perform at his best on the court!
After the start of the fourth quarter, Brezek and Perkins completely ignored the others and focused on defending O'Neal alone, but they still couldn't stop him.

O'Neal attacked frantically and beat up the Bobcats' inside players.

After attracting Gerald Wallace to join the double team, O'Neal's mission was accomplished. Without the interference of Gerald Wallace, the two wing shooters had better conditions for Wade's breakthrough, and the Heat's offense took off! In half a quarter, the Heat scored 20 points and limited the Bobcats to only 8 points.

87 to 83, the Heat overtook the Bobcats by 4 points and entered the official timeout!
Unable to drag the game on any longer, Bickerstaff replaced Felton, Zhang Yang and Okafor!

After listening to the tactical arrangements, Zhang Yang took off his training clothes and stretched his body.

Old Bickerstaff is really courageous!

Knowing that they might not be able to attack or defend in the past half quarter, they simply let the three of them rest for half a quarter and responded to the opponent with a half-quarter war of attrition.

In the first half of the quarter, only Gerald Wallace was on the court among the four of them. The back line used Kareem Rush, Alan Anderson and Keith Bogans to consume Wade, and the inside line used Perkins, Brezek and Melvin Eli to consume O'Neal.

As for the effect...the opponent's score in half a quarter almost caught up with their score in the entire third quarter.

But this is the best they can do. He is not anxious or dissatisfied. Dealing with this situation is what those who are regarded as the core and the future of the team should do!

The Bobcats sent out a combination of Felton, Zhang Yang, Gerald Wallace, Jumaine Jones and Okafor.

The Heat sent out a combination of Payton, Wade, Anthony Walker, Haslem and Mourning.

O'Neal did not continue to play. He had 8 points, 2 rebounds and 2 blocks in the first half. In the second back-to-back game, he was already a dead shark with its fins cut off.

The Bobcats were on offense. Felton protected the ball at the top of the arc facing Wade and did not attack, waiting for Zhang Yang to take position in the high post.

The head coach arranged it this way, and Felton also thought that the ball should be given to the younger brother.

The first attack after the main force returns must be fought well!

Payton also knew that this ball was crucial. If he could stop the opponent's main force in the first attack and defense, it would definitely hit the opponent's morale. He defended very hard and no longer cared about his face. He went around to prevent Zhang Yang from receiving the ball!

But people, when they get old, their brains tend to get confused. Payton's back-to-the-basket shot was in the low post, where he was bypassed. As a small man, he really couldn't do anything, but Zhang Yang's back-to-the-basket shot was in the high post...

After Jumaine Jones slipped around the baseline and reached the right corner, Zhang Yang broke free from Payton's embrace and turned around to cut in!
Payton quickly turned around and chased...but was blocked by Okafor!

Felton seized the opportunity to pass the ball, and Zhang Yang received the ball when he came to the sideline of the three-second zone. Facing Mourning who came up to make up for him, he took the European step!

Before Mourning could even reach out to commit a foul, Zhang Yang took two steps and appeared behind Mourning, took off, and made a layup!
85 to 87, the score difference narrowed to two points, and the fans who had been uneasy for a long time burst into loud cheers!
When the Heat attacked, Wade broke into the inside, took the Euro step, took two steps to the left side of the three-second zone, and made a layup.

Felton and Okafor defended this ball very well, and Gerald Wallace on the wing also successfully prevented Wade from making a quick pull-up jump shot.

But the defense of Jumaine Jones was really bad, but fortunately he was active enough and not completely useless. At least he made it more difficult for Wade to shoot.

When it was the Bobcats' turn to attack, Payton "helped" Zhang Yang to come up with an offensive method, and Zhang Yang naturally took advantage of it and continued to play off-ball pick-and-roll with Okafor in the high post.

Mourning couldn't expand directly under the basket, so Jumaine Jones took Haslem to the right corner. When Mourning came out, the basket became Gerald Wallace's backyard.

When Zhang Yang cut in with the help of a screen, Haslem could only make up for it from the wing. Zhang Yang received the ball and threw it to the right corner without stopping. Jumaine Jones received the ball and made a three-pointer...and it hit!
The defense is not good, and Jumaine Jones takes the open shot steadily!

88 to 89, the Bobcats narrowed the gap to 1 point!
The young players of the Bobcats team are on the rise, scoring two goals from inside and outside!
For the Heat, Wade went back to his style of attacking the inside.

Of course, Wade's mentality was completely different from that in the first quarter. The veterans worked so hard throughout the entire third quarter that they had the opportunity to overtake the score in the first half of the quarter.

Now, he has to hold on to his victory!

He knew that it was his fault that the game ended up like this, and he chose to take responsibility and move forward!

比赛打到末节11分28秒，山猫队以99比100落后热火队1分。

In the past 5 minutes, the Bobcats scored 16 points, but Wade was too tenacious and played too hard. He led the team to score 13 points on his own and led the team to withstand the Bobcats' counterattack.

It was the Bobcats' turn to attack. Felton held the ball at the top of the arc, waited for his teammates to get into position, and then broke through with a single!
Wade pressed forward with all his might...but was dodged by Felton with a cross step, and Felton broke into the inside!
Payton moved back to help defend, Felton passed the ball to the left, Zhang Yang received the ball, jumped, shot... and was knocked to the ground by Wade who rushed over.

However, Zhang Yang was not frightened when he saw Wade rushing towards him with his teeth bared, and he shot the mid-range shot firmly and decisively...

With the referee's whistle, the ball fell into the frame!

首节8分、第二节4分、末节8分，张杨得分上20了！在韦德和佩顿的防守下得分上20了！
The Bobcats also overtook the Heat by 101 point with a score of 100 to 1, and Zhang Yang also got a free throw!

Zhang Yang stood up holding the hands of Felton and Gerald Wallace, walked to the free throw line amid the cheers of the fans, and calmly made the free throw.

102 to 100, the Bobcats took a two-point lead!

With 22 seconds left, the Heat called a timeout to make substitutions and arrange tactics.

The combination of Jason Williams, Wade, Kapono, Anthony Walker and O'Neal came on the court.

Three people spread out, one person stands under the basket, and one person breaks through. Riley's key ball tactics are simple but effective.

Bickerstaff sent out the strongest defensive lineup of Felton, Keith Bogans, Gerald Wallace, Okafor and Perkins.

The game continued and the Heat attacked. Wade already felt his legs were weak, but he still chose to persist. He had to fill the hole he had dug himself!

Taking a deep breath, Wade accelerated and rushed past Felton into the inside. Facing a group of defenders, he took a close-range shot... and missed!
Riley, who was standing on the sidelines, saw the ball hit the rim, feeling regretful, but also relieved that the game was finally going to end... Damn! How did you protect the boards, those Bobcats on the other side?

O'Neal jumped from behind Perkins and pressed the ball into the basket through Perkins!
102 to 102, the Heat tied the score!

The Heat had timeouts available at critical moments, but the Bobcats didn't, so Bickerstaff couldn't replace Zhang Yang.

Fortunately, Felton is also a rookie who is not afraid of critical moments, and there are people available on the court.

Unfortunately, Felton missed the shot in his last attack due to interference from O'Neal. After O'Neal secured the defensive rebound, the final whistle sounded, the regular time ended, and the game entered overtime!

Riley looked at O'Neal, who only went up for a dunk and retreated with all his strength once before being out of breath, but raised his hands high and enjoyed the cheers from his teammates... The Big Shark is very strong and is one of the few inside players who can contribute at critical moments.

O'Neal single-handedly brought the team into overtime, and played the key shot very well this time.

but……

On the other side, Zhang Yang took off his training suit and prepared to go on the court. He wondered why the other side was so happy?
Although the other players on the Bobcats also regretted not being able to secure the final rebound and missing the key jump shot, they were not afraid.

Before the last attack and defense, they scored 5 to 19 in 13 minutes. Isn't it just another 5 minutes of overtime? Keep going!
A few minutes later, overtime began.

When the Heat players saw O'Neal lose the jump ball to Okafor, they felt something was wrong.

The Bobcats attacked first. Wade, who played the entire first half and fourth quarter, couldn't keep up with Felton. Felton broke into the inside, grabbed the ball and shot it from the edge of the three-second zone... O'Neal didn't brake in time and knocked Felton over. Not only did he get a foul, he also failed to stop Felton from throwing the ball.

The ball hits the small rectangle on the backboard and bounces into the frame.

The goal was valid, and Felton made the free throw, 105 to 102, and the Bobcats opened the overtime!
When the Heat attacked, Payton backed down Zhang Yang in the low post and missed the turnaround jump shot. Zhang Yang grabbed the defensive rebound and counterattacked. Wade quickly followed... and couldn't keep up!
张杨首节打了6分钟、第二节5分多钟、第三节3分钟、第四节5分多钟……才刚好20分钟，体力尚存！还能冲！
Amid the cheers of the fans, Zhang Yang shook off Wade and entered the free throw line. He grabbed the ball, took two steps and jumped, then slammed the ball into the basket!

107 to 102, the Bobcats lead by 5 points!
After the first round, Riley knew the game was over, and going into overtime was just a matter of overdrawing some energy...

Wade was unwilling to give up and continued to attack, but he could not move forward. He was not as physically strong as the top pick in his class, and it was the second game of a back-to-back game. In the last attack of the regular season, he could not move.

The score difference gradually widened. At 4 minutes and 46 seconds, Wade wanted to break through again... but was intercepted by Zhang Yang who was double-teamed.

After grabbing the ball, Zhang Yang dribbled across half court and did not attack again. The fans at the scene had already started cheering to celebrate the victory.

At this moment, Zhang Yang's action made the fans cheer even louder!
He faced Wade, put his hand on his neck, and waved...

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(End of this chapter)