"Sorry to keep you waiting."
Wade took the initiative to greet him.
"I just arrived too..."
Cummings said, "Wei and the others have arrived at the restaurant. It's a bit hard to find, so come with me."
"Thanks..."
"My name is Cummings, and I play for the Nets."
Cummings took the initiative to introduce himself; he wasn't so arrogant as to think everyone knew him.
"I know you."
Wade joked, "But you didn't play tonight, otherwise I would definitely treat you to hot pot."
Cummings laughed, "Luckily I didn't play... otherwise I would have become your background."
In this league, it's shameful to be someone else's background player. Even benchwarmers don't want to be the background player for some star player.
......
Tonight, Wei Guo is mainly hosting a dinner for James.
The two have a good relationship, and James even made a special trip to cheer for the Heat. It's only fair that Wei Guo should treat James to a meal.
When Wade and Cummings arrived at the restaurant, there were already five or six people in the private room.
Gentry had a cigarette dangling from his lips...
Gentry used to enjoy smoking a cigar when he had nothing to do, but later, for some reason, he stopped smoking cigars and fell in love with Chinese cigarettes.
In Gentry's words...
He only smokes Huazi cigarettes now; other cigarettes make him cough. Although he smokes very little Huazi, one pack can last him half a month.
"welcome!"
Wei Guo was the first to stand up. "Please, have a seat!"
Besides Wei Guo and Gentry, there were Scott, Jefferson, and James in the room. That is to say, apart from James, everyone else was from the Nets. Wade had just lost a game and was now attending a Nets party, awkwardly picking at his shoes with his toes.
"You scored more points than me tonight..."
Wei Guo said, "So I'll make a suggestion first: tonight is a private gathering, so let's just talk about romance and not basketball!"
"good!"
Everyone agreed.
Wei Guo's compliment eased Wade's embarrassment, even though Wade had a secret thought before coming: to subtly inquire about the Nets' tactics.
The meal was utterly unpleasant.
Wade remembered Van Gundy's instructions to drink less... but the atmosphere was right, and he couldn't refuse the drink.
Wade then saw Wei Guo and Gentry drinking. These were the Nets' star player and head coach, and Scott had also drunk quite a bit... In that instant, Wade had an idea.
If they can get Wei Guo and Gentry drunk, the Heat might have a chance to win the next game.
and...
Wei Guo didn't force him to drink. The others drank baijiu (Chinese liquor), while he drank red wine. Wade prided himself on his good alcohol tolerance, saying he could easily drink three to five bottles of red wine.
......
Two days later, the Nets visited American Airlines Arena in Miami.
This is the third match...
This is also a do-or-die game for the Heat, as no team in the league has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit.
The Heat rallied from a 2-0 deficit in the first round of the playoffs to win one game, then lost another. Starting from Game 5, Wade exploded!
The comeback was finally achieved!
The Nets are not the Magic. A 2-0 deficit has already put the Heat in despair. If they lose this game, their fate will be sealed in three words: a sweep.
When the Nets' team bus arrived, Wade had just arrived at the arena.
When he met Wei Guo and his teammates, Wade greeted them warmly. Over drinks, their friendship deepened considerably. Wade even gave Gentry a hug, as he had a particularly good impression of him. However, he wouldn't bring that feeling into the game; giving his all was the greatest respect he could show the Nets.
"This kid is brimming with confidence..."
Gentry chuckled, "He's not going to score 40+ again tonight, is he?"
"It's hard to say, but we won the game."
"right..."
Stockton chimed in, "We only have one goal: the championship!"
The atmosphere is different at away games compared to home games. At least the audience won't be cheering for you anymore. However, you can still see a small group of fans wearing Nets jerseys in the arena. These are all fans of the national team.
After a brief warm-up, the competition began.
Starting lineup for this match:
Heat: Wade, Jones, Butler, Odom, Grant
Brooklyn Nets: Wei Guo, Hill, Jefferson, Kenyon, Mourning
Van Gundy continues to stick to his original strategy, but the Nets haven't made any adjustments to their roster either. As seen in the last game, this roster is very well-balanced.
"Beep!!!"
As the starting whistle blew, the basketball was tossed into the air by the referee.
Mourning handed the racket to Wei Guo.
Wei Guo dribbled the ball to the frontcourt, tossed it above the basket, and Mourning jumped and dunked it into the basket.
A very smooth aerial relay...
This demonstrates Wei Guo's passing prowess; he can seize fleeting opportunities and turn them into goals.
The Heat are on offense.
The Nets employed the classic 2-3 zone defense, with Hill positioned at the top of the key to defend Wade.
The Nets' defensive tactics have changed somewhat...
The player guarding Wade was no longer Wei Guo, but Hill. Wade dribbled in a different direction, broke through Hill's left side, and drove to the basket!
Kenyon and Mourning collapsed towards the basket. Both are tough defenders, making it difficult for Wade to score a layup against them. He passed the ball directly to Jones outside the three-point line, and Jones took a three-point shot.
*Smack!!!*
Wei Guo blocked Jones' shot.
Jones turned to chase after him, but Jefferson lunged forward, dove to the floor, grabbed the basketball, and then protected it in his arms.
"Fuck!!!"
Van Gundy cursed, "Why is the league changing the rules when they have nothing better to do!"
Last summer, the league changed some defensive rules for Wei Guo. Previously, zone defense in the paint was not allowed, but now it is allowed. As a result, perimeter players often face defense from two or three strong men when they drive to the basket.
This rule...
It didn't have much impact on Wei Guo, but it significantly reduced the scoring of perimeter players in the league.
This season, Wei Guo is averaging less than 40 points per game, while super scorers like Kobe and Carter are averaging less than 25 points per game. Wei Guo is the only player in the league who is averaging more than 30 points per game.
This is especially unfriendly to players like Wade who aren't good at shooting!
Van Gundy finally understood why Hill, not Wei Guo, was guarding Wade. When Wade had the ball, Odom and Grant were on the strong side, while Jones and Butler were on the weak side. Wei Guo alone could guard both Jones and Butler!
and...
Even if Wade gets past Hill, Kenyon collapses towards the basket and forms a zone defense with Mourning, making it very difficult for Wade to score!
......
After missing three consecutive one-on-one shots, Wade was panting heavily!
Wei Guo is right. He may not shoot three-pointers, but he cannot be unable to shoot three-pointers... A super scorer must have a wide range of offensive skills and cannot have any weaknesses!
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