LeBron took his pre-ga warmup very seriously, as he was determined to prove in this ga that he was not just an "enhanced version of Pippen" and that he could demolish opponents with his offense as well.
However, his playing style was set, and when facing a team with a "heavy tank" compressing space inside, he struggled.
Especially the Cavaliers during the 1.0 era with "Young LeBron," this was even more the case.
The reason was simple:
The Cavaliers already had a large presence inside with "Big Z" standing in the paint, how much space could there be left if the opposing team also had a big body?
And his breakthrough was not like Wade’s or Su Wan’s, where they would shake off defenders before breaking through; LeBron often relied on a "hang on people breakthrough," using his strength to bulldoze into the paint like a "bulldozer." As a result, with one more person under the basket, space was further squeezed to the limit.
So, facing such teams, he often did not perform well.
Otherwise, Yao Ming would not have earned the nickna "LeBron Killer"!
Su Wan was similar to the last ga at the start, scoring two points off cuts before he found himself without many shooting opportunities. However, with the experience of the last ga, he was not in a hurry. He knew that when LeBron couldn’t carve out the situation, his opportunity would co.
Facing the defensive setup of Wade and Shaquille O’Neal, it was inevitable that LeBron wouldn’t be able to carve out the situation in this ga.
Indeed, with 3 minutes and 34 seconds left in the first quarter, even earlier than the previous ga, Paul Silas called a tiout after watching LeBron’s attempts at three consecutive breakthroughs have no significant effect, and publically adjusted tactics, allowing Su Wan to try isolated plays.
Su Wan’s direct opponent in the shooting guard position was Eddie Jones.
In his younger years, Jones was one of the best defenders in the league, selected three tis for the "Best Defensive Lineup," but the most recent selection was four years ago.
At 33 years old, Eddie Jones had a serious decline in physical function, with his offensive breakthrough gone, leaving only a steady three-point shot. His defensive problems, like Stephen Jackson, included slow foot movent, unable to keep up with explosive wings.
But Stephen Jackson was only 27 years old, in the pri of his years, where lacking speed could be compensated with energy.
Eddie Jones, however, couldn’t keep up with the energy levels of a big young guy like Su Wan.
"The zone" hadn’t even started, and Su Wan scored 6 points on 3 out of 5 shooting in the first quarter, becoming a significant threat for the Cavaliers.
However, the threat he posed was still not enough to put the Heat Team on the back foot.
By the end of the first quarter, the Heat Team was still leading by 6 points.
Paul Silas called him over, "Nephew, I need you to perform better, you are key to breaking the situation!"
"I agree with you, Paul, but there is one thing I want to say, you have to give the ball first. I was the best perforr in the first quarter, but I didn’t get the most shots! You want to perform well, then tell , where is the ball? Where is my shooting authority?"
Su Wan’s outstretched hands had nothing in them, but Silas felt a pressure on his chest that left him breathless.
The person who took the most shots in the first quarter was LeBron Jas.
He took a total of 8 shots, making 3 of them, plus 1 out of 1 free throws, totaling 7 points. He was the highest scorer for the Cavaliers. However, his shooting percentage was only higher than "Big Z."
It was because Ilguostas was defending Shaquille, and due to the back-to-back gas, he was really not in good shape.
LeBron seed a bit "hardheaded" tonight.
Everybody could see that, during the tis when Su was successfully doing isolated plays on the wing, LeBron was still trying to break through, wanting to show his performance.
He was afraid that Su would once again steal the lilight!
He wanted to step up and save the team at critical monts...
Silas didn’t dare to ask LeBron to hand over the ball rights to Su directly. His wording, much like last ga, was, "LeBron, you’re encountering too fierce a defense, let your uncle take so of the pressure off!"
Goddamn frustrating!
Inside, Su Wan swore to himself.
He wasn’t feeling sorry for Silas, whom he thought was trying to play the "lapdog" – that was the coach’s business, and Su Wan didn’t care about his fate. Su Wan felt pity for himself. He was the most efficient player in the first quarter, and the tactical purpose behind him handling the ball was also to loosen LeBron up. But now, if he wanted the ball, he had to look to LeBron, to see if LeBron was willing to pass the ball.
This damn thing...
If it were LeBron from 2009, Su Wan wouldn’t feel so frustrated.
At least he had made it to the Finals, won a regular season MVP, and led his team to the number one record in the league.
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"What’s this all about now?"
"Getting the ’Rookie of the Year’, acting like so kind of ’Emperor’."
"Are you the ’Emperor’ of the Cavaliers?"
"Putting on airs like that!"
Fortunately, just like the last ga, LeBron cald down a lot after the coach spoke, and Su Wan took the initiative as soon as he got the ball, but before the halfti break, the Heat Team was still leading and had even built a double-digit lead.
Wade’s trash talk was insatiable, and before leaving the court, he said to Su Wan, "Step it up, rookie. I haven’t even started yet, how co you’re falling already?"
Finally, Su Wan got his chance to enter "The zone" and gave Wade a thumbs up, "I have you to thank for this, my dear brother!"
Wade wasn’t concerned, as Su Wan hadn’t been very effective guarding him in the first half, and he took the thumbs up as an acknowledgnt of his own strength.
What he didn’t expect was that Su Wan seed like a different person at the start of the second half, with quick Cross Movent and all kinds of extre moves to disrupt him. Many tis when Wade thought he had shaken Su Wan off, Su Wan managed to regain his balance and keep up the defense.
The Heat Team had maintained the lead in the first half thanks to Wade and Shaquille O’Neal both powering up on the inside and outside, but now down one "nucleus," the Heat Team’s lead was quickly closed by the Cavaliers to just a 1-point gap.
Su Wan racked up 10 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block in the third quarter alone, maxing out on both offense and defense. With the first half included, he had broken the 20-point mark, leading the Cavaliers team with a total of 23 points.
But the Heat Team still had the last laugh, winning 101 to 90 over the "back-to-back" Cavaliers, claiming a victorious start.
They continued to guard LeBron tightly into the last quarter.
As for LeBron, who had been passing well in the first three quarters, suddenly seed to lose his mind, relentlessly attacking the inside, only after going 1 for 5 did he "regain" his composure.
By this ti, the Heat Team had widened the gap to more than 10 points again, and the Cavaliers had lost their will to catch up. In the final monts, LeBron started to go hard, scoring consecutive layups, inadvertently running down the clock for the Heat Team, leading the Cavaliers to accept defeat.
LeBron finished the ga 9 for 22 from the field, with 21 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, and 1 steal.
Su Wan ended the ga with 26 points.
Yes, he only scored 3 points in the final quarter!
He only took 2 shots the entire last period!
"Man, you’re too amazing... It’s really hard to imagine, you’re actually a rookie!" Wade, being guarded by Su Wan to only 2 of 7 in the second half, gave Su Wan his props.
"We had a chance to win, but unfortunately, we still lost in the end. It was a back-to-back ga, and we did well enough. Next, we must adjust ourselves promptly to avoid a losing streak," LeBron said in a post-ga interview, feeling better tonight despite the loss than after winning the last ga.
Su Wan’s face was cold as he looked at the reporters in front of him.
Everyone thought he was going to explode again.
But unexpectedly, Su Wan simply asked indifferently, "If you’ve got any questions, just go ahead and ask them!"
And until the interview ended, he didn’t say much, mainly answering with "Yes" or "No."
The reporters’ expectant looks quickly dimd.
There were many journalists interviewing Su Wan, even more than those interviewing LeBron.
Naturally, such a result was disappointing for them.
Su Wan ended the interview and headed towards the team bus, being the last one to arrive this ti.
"Son, tough day!" Coach Paul Silas saw his upset expression and patted his shoulder, offering so comforting words.
Su Wan didn’t respond.
As the bus slowly started moving, he finally raised his hand.
In his hand were the stat sheets from the ga, which he had just asked Erin for after the interview.
As he raised his hand, he tossed the stat sheets out, with one of them landing right in front of LeBron Jas.
Surprise filled every Cavaliers player’s eyes, but before they could speak, Su Wan spoke first. His voice started off steady but grew louder and louder, ending up as a loud challenge, "I don’t know if you guys realize, but the most efficient player in this ga was who? I’ll give you the answer, it was . I scored 26 points on just 17 shots. Do you know how many points Dwyane Wade scored? 18 points, and who held him to just 6 in the second half? again. My strategic purpose with the ball was just to make it more comfortable for so of you, to pull the best defender on . Everything I did, I did to win. But why couldn’t I get the ball in the last quarter? I want to know where the damn ball went?"
No one responded, and Su Wan’s voice beca calm again, "I’m not soone who can’t accept a loss, but I won’t accept this kind of pathetic defeat!"
"If any of you are afraid that I’m taking your spotlight, just co out and look in the eye and tell so. Give the ball, and I can win this damn ga for us. Even if I don’t take a single shot throughout the entire ga, I won’t have any complaints!"
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