The Game 1 between the Bulls and the Nets was very intense. In the end, thanks to Xu Yong's near-game-winning shot, the Bulls narrowly won with a score of 83 to 81.

Because of the addition of Boozer, this Nets team is simply a plus version of the Jazz team that played against the Rockets back then.

Deron and Boozer were both on the team, Okur became the rising star Lopez, the small forward changed from Kirilenko to Gerald Wallace, who was also good at defense, and the shooting guard was upgraded from Brewer to "One-on-One Joe" Joe Johnson.

Even their last head coach, Lionel Hollins, who changed coaches three times, was a defensive coach who focused heavily on the team.

Unlike the first round, the Bulls will face severe challenges in this round.

On the off-day, Xu Yong returned to the manor after finishing training.

It had been some time since he had seen the little king.

When he returned, he happened to see the keeper letting it out for a walk.

Then, after a while, it was seen being bullied by the big goose again.

A little-known fact: the lifespan of a goose is 25 to 50 years, while that of a captive tiger is 15 to 20 years.

That is to say, unless the goose is killed, it will definitely live longer than the tiger.

Of course, this is not the point. The point is that the little king is big in size and has fought back against the big goose before. Why is he being bullied again when he changes to another place?

The breeder gave the reason: birds are better at adapting to new environments than cats.

This sounds like it is indeed the case. His previous cat would hide under the bed for a long time before coming out when he moved to another place.

"Just wait until it adapts to the environment?" Xu Yong asked speechlessly as he watched the little king being chased everywhere by the big goose.

"Maybe, but there's also a certain possibility that it has always been like this, because he has been bullied by the same creature in two consecutive places. Fear has been engraved into his DNA." After all, the keeper is not an expert and cannot be completely sure.

Xu Yong couldn't help but shake his head when he heard this.

When he came back last summer and saw the little king trapped in a cage, he had the thought of releasing it.

But in the current situation, releasing him is basically no different from letting him fend for himself.

Well, it looks like I'm going to eat and drink for free here for the rest of my life.

At night, Butler was taken to the manor by people arranged by Xu Yong.

Because of the traffic congestion in Chicago, he held his extra training in the evening at the manor. Butler came to serve as his sparring partner and also came to have a meal.

His kitchen is a long rotating table, one end of which faces a large-screen cabinet TV.

They ate Chinese food and watched international news on TV.

What is being discussed now is the Iranian nuclear issue.

"Senior, are you interested in foreign politics?" Butler asked curiously.

Xu Yong nodded. For people of his psychological age, paying attention to current affairs is a habit.

"So, senior, do you think Iran is right to do this?" Butler asked after watching for a while.

Xu Yong smiled and did not answer directly. Instead, he said something meaningful: "Jimmy, news reports are biased. What you see may not be true. It may just be what the media wants you to see."

Butler pondered.

"So I usually just read the news, but I won't express my opinions easily, and I won't take sides," Xu Yong continued.

Butler nodded seriously after hearing this.

Indeed, they are just engaged in sports, and it is neither necessary nor meaningful for them to speak out in this regard.

And to be honest, most people won't speak out publicly unless they really have a vested interest in it.

After dinner, Xu Yong went to the court with Butler for one-on-one training.

What Butler lacks on the defensive end now is defensive experience, which, apart from actual combat, means fighting against masters.

Xu Yong's offense is mainly based on back-to-the-basket play, because in the current game against the Nets, Butler's main task is to defend Joe Johnson.

After the training was over, the two took a shower and went to the living room, ready to watch the game between the Heat and the Pacers together.

There is no other reason, it’s just because this game is so worth watching.

There was a lot of controversy over James being kicked out by Riley, and now James is facing the Heat in the playoffs. Even a Hollywood director couldn't write such a script.

And the key point is that the Heat is clearly the stronger side now.

In other words, this looks like an opportunity for James to take revenge, but in reality he is the completely passive party.

"I'm a Heat fan tonight," Butler said immediately after sitting down.

What he said mainly stressed the truth.

In the past, the feud between the Heat and the Bulls was more like the feud between James and the Bulls.

This is not just the incident of Xu Yong being tripped. After James left, many unknown inside stories were gradually exposed.

For example, the inside story of the formation of the Heat Big Three back then was that James joined with a thick face.

As someone who has worked his way up from a technical college, Butler naturally despises such behavior the most.

Xu Yong smiled and lit a cigar. He was also curious about how James would perform after being passively involved in such a game.

Because in terms of regular season matches, James' condition and mentality this year are indeed much better than in the past.

The live broadcast started relatively early, and while the players were still warming up, a lot of shots of the game were already interspersed in the screen.

James is undoubtedly the focus of the focus.

In the first shot, Xu Yong couldn't help but put down the cigar in his hand.

Because of James, he actually went to reminisce with everyone on the Heat with a smile!

Wade was easier to talk to. When he saw James coming over, he forced a smile and hugged him.

But the other players on the Heat basically didn't give a good face, especially Bosh. He was excluded from the core during the Big Three era, and this season he regained his strength, but almost no one paid any attention to him.

However, James smiled throughout the whole process, with the main message being "As long as I'm not embarrassed, others must be embarrassed."

He even went over to say hello to Spoelstra, and his face was full of enthusiasm, as if his experience with the Heat was so unforgettable.

"How shameless." Butler couldn't help but complain.

Xu Yong couldn't help but shake his head.

I don’t know if James is the goat of basketball, but it’s indeed like what Butler said, which is a bit too shameless.

However, with such an exciting start, tonight's game is destined to be difficult.

The game started quickly and Hibbert jumped for the ball for the Heat.

Wade used Hibbert's screen to break into the restricted area and score a layup.

Xu Yong was watching very attentively at this time.

In addition to watching the game for fun, he was also studying this Heat team.

Although it is not yet time to consider the next round of opponents, the Heat are now the strongest team in the Eastern Conference, and research and observation are essential.

Take this past round for example, Hibbert's role in the Heat was underestimated.

He brings more than just a defensive role to the Heat, he is also crucial on the offensive end.

Wade's skills should be mentioned here.

In addition to his special move, the Phantom Step, he has another move that even Kobe Bryant actively asked for advice on, which is breaking through with the pick-and-roll.

Unlike James' pick-and-roll, Wade's ability to beat bigger opponents with his phantom steps is unmatched in the league.

As long as the inside screen can hook the opponent, he can basically get into the penalty area and score.

This was a very crucial factor in the success of his previous combination with O'Neal. At that time, O'Neal was similar to Yao Ming now, with weak ability to move forward, but because of his large size, it was extremely difficult for defenders to bypass him.

What Hibbert said is similar. He is slow, but his pick-and-roll is solid.

This is a point that needs special attention if facing the Heat.

Xu Yonggang was thinking that James would make a mistake by hitting the wall during the breakthrough.

Okafor, who is no longer at his peak, has already greatly reduced James' performance, not to mention the "Black Yao Ming" Hibbert who is at his peak.

Well, there was no [vertical jump rule] at that time.

At the start, James was even worse off than he had imagined.

Of course, Xu Yong doesn't think that James will be defeated because his shooting is at its peak this season.

But soon he found that he seemed a little careless.

He actually forgot that Howard was still unwilling to set a screen for James.

James could only ask Jamison to block for him, but Bosh was obviously holding back a lot of energy. He would switch after the pick-and-roll and then rush out after the switch.

The meaning was written all over his face. He would not give James an easy chance to shoot from the outside.

Then James was forced to play against Granger alone.

But Granger's body is also very strong.

Although he is not strong enough to hold down James, because there is Hibbert in the interior, he only has to defend James' shots from the outside, or to be more precise, James' back-to-the-basket shots.

James' back-to-the-basket game has improved, and he is no longer unable to beat Barea like he was before, but Granger's physique makes it difficult for him at times like this.

There's a wall under the basket, no way out for pick-and-roll, and failure in one-on-one situations... The more Xu Yong watched this game, the more he felt it was similar to the game the Heat played against the Bulls before.

However, even these were not the strongest impressions he had from this game.

The most impressive thing is the Heat's offense.

Wade made all kinds of layups and even dunks.

The team is still the same team, and most of his teammates are still the same teammates, but his performance is completely different from last season.

This is obviously not a change in strength, but a change in mentality.

He is no longer the tolerant and frustrated second-in-command of last season, but has turned back into the swift and confident "Flash".

Howard was troubled by back and waist injuries, lacked explosiveness, and was hit on the scalp by Wade, so the Pacers had to provide assists in defense.

With this defensive help, Granger and Bosh started shooting from the outside.

Especially Granger, he and Wade are a perfect match. When there is a chance, he will just shoot, and it will basically go well. When there is no chance, he will not rush to shoot, but will just drive through.

With Wade already disrupting the Pacers' defense, his threat from breaking through was also magnified.

Then the entire Heat team played just like Xu Yong did before, the Spurs in the 2013-2014 season, breaking through, passing, breaking through again, passing again, and the ball always found its way to the person with the best chance.

The Pacers were completely blasted.

This kind of explosive kill seems more obvious than the difference in their record.

After seeing what happened, Butler and Xu Yong fell silent.

When playing against the Bucks, the Heat's strength is hard to tell because the gap in strength is too big.

But the way they played against the Pacers shows that this Heat team is very strong.

The score gap kept widening, and Xu Yong was wondering if James would trip Granger as he did in history.

But until the end of the game, this did not happen.

In the end, the score between the two sides was fixed at 123 to 91, and the Heat won by 32 points.

This cannot be said to be a personal grudge, it is simply a meeting between enemies.

But it is completely understandable that the peak Big Three couldn't even make it out of the Eastern Conference, and the main reason was not because of their lack of strength. Just think about it and you will know that this group of people must hate James.

And when the camera turned to James at the end of the game, James no longer had the relaxed expression he had at the beginning of the game, but instead looked confused.

This also seems to explain why he didn't trip Granger, because the gap in strength between the two sides is in many aspects, and this problem cannot be solved by tripping Granger.

Let's use a very simple assumption, you pad Granger, and the Heat replace Brewer and Ray Allen at the same time.

Brewer is harassing you, and Ray Allen continues to throw the ball, so do you have to continue to block Ray Allen?

Ray Allen is in very good shape this season. His low points are because he plays as the sixth man and takes fewer shots. If you really let him start, his role will still be very important.

After watching the game, Butler was sent back by someone arranged by Xu Yong, while he took a shower and rested, digesting the content of the game while checking social media.

At this point, social media was abuzz with controversy.

"No way? Is Granger better than James? How come the Heat are so much stronger than in the past two seasons?" Comment from "KBfnas".

"Are you blind? Can't Hibbert see it?" Comment from "Loyal King LeBron".

"Oh, and there's Hibbert. It turns out that Granger plus Hibbert is much better than James now. I understand. James has depreciated."

"You're killing me with laughter. I think we should stop calling him the King of Warcraft. I think the terms orc and chieftain are more appropriate. Do you have any ability to fight back?"

"Howard is such a rubbish, he can't even handle Hibbert, just go to the CBA!"

"Do you believe that if Howard and Hibbert were swapped, your Kings would be in a worse situation?"

"When you can't poop, you always blame the toilet. Look at Wade and Bosh. Aren't they the CBA teammates you mentioned before?"

"The players are in good shape. If you replace Granger with James now, the Heat will still be very strong."

"Haha, why don't you replace Brewer with James? They're both strong with or without you, so why must they have you? And your salary is so high!"

"If the Heat really win the championship, it will prove one thing: the only condition for James to win the championship is that the team can win the championship without him!"

…

Xu Yong was looking at social media when suddenly a piece of news popped up.

The best general manager of the season has been announced.

Heat general manager Pat Riley was successfully elected the best general manager of the season.

He was not surprised at this result.

Riley's deal to send James away was a hypothesis that had never happened in history, but it was also something that was bound to happen after the Heat were eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals for two consecutive years.

Riley's handling of the situation can be said to be perfect, and the Heat's record speaks for itself.

And as the salary cap increases, big contracts like Hibbert and Granger's that cost more than 13 million will become cost-effective.

How long the Heat can maintain this competitiveness depends on how long Wade can stay at his peak.

As long as the Heat win a championship within this period of time, Riley's deal will truly be a success.

Then when he scanned the content of the news, he was surprised to find that this was the first time Riley was elected the best general manager.

Now, there is one more person singing "Listen to Me Say Thank You".

…

The next day, the gap between the Bulls and the Nets continued to widen in Game 2.

Deron exploded in this game. His dragging step and change of direction, which Xu Yong had long coveted, basically blew up Hinrich.

But in the end, the Bulls still won the game 96-85.

This game gave people a very weird feeling. Xu Yong didn't have much of an explosion and only scored 35 points. It's just that the Bulls have adapted to the Nets' defense and played better on the offensive end than in the last game.

And on the Nets side, Deron scored 28 points and 11 assists, basically playing at his peak, but the Nets' final score did not even break 90 points.

After the game, Xu Yong came to his senses a little.

This Nets team's offense is terrible.

This sounds a bit weird. How bad can the offense of a team with five superstars be?

But that's actually the case.

The Nets changed three coaches in one season, and finally replaced a defensive coach.

In terms of the game scene, Hollins is comparable to Rivers next door.

But unlike the Celtics, the Nets don’t have the foundation to be a strong defensive team.

Brook Lopez is strong in offense, but he moves slowly, which results in him having height and wingspan but no defensive coverage.

It's even worse for Boozer. As his physical fitness declines, his originally limited defensive skills are basically gone.

If the interior defense is not good, it is basically impossible to become a strong defensive team.

They are not a strong defensive team. If they can't launch a defensive counterattack, how can they attack well?

Some people say that there is still positional warfare?

Then the key point is that the Nets' positional warfare is just so-so.

In contrast, the Bulls are also a defensive team, but they have someone to back them up on the offensive end.

Since the defensive counterattack could not be carried out, Xu Yong and Yao Ming were able to score points in positional battles, and they scored points stably.

On the other hand, Deron's condition was affected by injuries and it was sometimes good and sometimes bad; Lopez, as the team's leading scorer in the regular season, had not yet developed his outside shooting during this period, and he was defeated by Yao Ming on the offensive end.

Johnson? Johnson is even more strange. This "modern Jordan" and "former Eagle King", if you say he is not strong, he can score about 20 points per game, but if you say he is strong, he basically only scores this much.

So you say the coach is important, but he doesn't seem to be the decisive factor for a team.

But you say he is not important, but sometimes he is the key to the team's performance.

If Sloan were to coach this Nets team, the team would definitely be a level stronger than it is now.

So after finishing this game and coming to his senses, Xu Yong became much more optimistic about the prospects of this series.

Then, the day after they finished the game, Game 2 between the Heat and the Pacers continued in Miami.

It is worth mentioning that there are many more unique slogans on the scene this time.

"Thank you for your hard work, LeBron", "You are the MVP of Miami", "We will customize a championship ring for you", etc.

The main message of these signs is disrespect.

And the world is sometimes so strange. James was the king of Miami before, but just a few months later, he became the one that everyone wanted to beat.

This feeling is a bit like that of Louis XVI of France.

You must know that before the Great Revolution, Louis XVI was still the most powerful person in France.

However, in this game, the Pacers played much better than in G1.

The main reason is that Howard and James started playing pick-and-roll again.

No one knows what happened in between. Maybe James made some concessions, or maybe both of them realized that if they continued like this, their reputation would be ruined.

James' consistent shooting has been put to good use this season.

But after the game, the Heat still defeated the Pacers 114-98.

If the last game could be said to be an internal conflict among James fans, then this game has completely shattered their thoughts.

This is really unbeatable.

…

Time flies and it’s another week later.

In the four Eastern and Western Conference semifinals, the game between the Heat and the Pacers ended first.

Except for one game at home where James and Howard both exploded to win, the Pacers lost all the rest of their games, and all of them were by big margins.

After being swept by the Gentlemen the year before last and by the Gentlemen last year, James was swept out by the Gentlemen again.

"You'll never make it out of the East!" And in the garbage time of the fourth quarter of G5, Haslem and James had a conflict, and he shouted at James.

This sentence also became a hot search after the game, along with the scene where he waved his fist and forced James to retreat quickly.

This is another piece of trash talk Haslem has uttered after last year's "We were already the champions before you came."

And his feelings are completely understandable, because in a sense, the Heat chose him between him and James.

And now, the Heat are the winners.

Even this trash talk is as powerful as the previous one.

Because unless James requests a trade again, he will still be with the Pacers next season.

And with the composition of the Pacers, they cannot beat the Heat.

"The king was put on trial."

“KBfnas”’s post-match comments went viral.

Because Haslem's words basically judged James' career with the Pacers.

The most classic trial against a king in history was that of the well-known Louis XVI.

The domineering nickname that James gave himself has become a laughing stock at this time.

So the key question now is, will James continue to request a trade this summer?

This seemingly ordinary summer of 2013 may not be so ordinary.

…

The Heat defeated the Pacers to become the first team to advance to the conference finals, while the series between the Bulls and the Nets continues.

There was basically nothing wrong with Xu Yong's previous judgment. The problem was that a low-probability event occurred in the series, that is, Deron's form has been very explosive.

This allowed them to keep the score close and drag the game into G6.

It was in this game that Xu Yong exploded. He scored 47 points and beat the shit out of Gerald Wallace.

4-2, the Bulls made it to the divisional finals without any danger, which is the third consecutive season they have done so.

Then, they met the Heat in the conference finals for the third consecutive season.

According to Barkley's words after Game 6: There are only two rounds left for the Bulls to complete their epic three-peat.

At this time, the series in the West have also been completed one after another.

The Thunder didn't give the Grizzlies too many opportunities and defeated their opponent 4-1.

The Mavericks also eliminated their old rival, the Spurs, 4-2 after 6 games.

The Thunder and the Mavericks meet again after two years. Whether the Thunder will get revenge or the Mavericks will score twice is also very worthy of attention.

…

Before the conference finals officially started, the league announced the last batch of awards of the season, the winners of the best team.

Best First Team: Wade, Kobe, Xu Yong, Durant, James

Second team: Westbrook, Harden, Anthony, Nowitzki, Duncan

Third team: Paul, Deron, Parker, Bosh, Marc Gasol

All-Defensive First Team: Paul, Xu Yong, James, Ibaka, Tyson Chandler

All-Defensive Second Team: Mike Conley, Bradley, George, Duncan, Marc Gasol

Xu Yong won the MVP and double first team for the second consecutive season.

Xu Yong himself was actually quite surprised by this result.

The surprising thing comes from the defense, because he spent most of his energy on the offense this season, and the investment on the defensive end was much less than before, and the data was much weaker.

All I can say is that his previous perception was correct, just like Kobe was selected consecutively and now he has not been selected consecutively, this thing really depends on impression points.

And he was very calm about the result. After all, as long as James was still on the first defense, his defense would not be the most watery.

Of course, he doesn't have the energy to pay attention to this right now.

The day before the conference finals, he stopped practicing and went to bed earlier than usual.

He needs to get himself into the best shape before playing against the Heat.

…

The next night, the American Airlines Arena in Miami was packed.

There were no offensive slogans this time, and the fans at the scene were just full of enthusiasm.

If the confrontations between the two sides in the past two seasons were filled with various off-court factors, then this time, it was a real head-on confrontation, pure basketball.

This is the part that attracts the most fans' attention, just like the Bulls and Lakers last season, and the Bulls and Mavericks the season before last.

After the on-site warm-up, the starting lineups of both sides were announced one after another.

Bulls: Hinrich, Butler, Xu Yong, Gibson, Yao Ming

Heat: Chalmers, Wade, Granger, Bosh, Hibbert

Even if we put aside the compatibility, the Heat's four All-Stars, plus Ray Allen sitting on the bench, are already under pressure.

During the three-minute preparation time before the game, Xu Yong gave a speech to the players.

Since entering the NBA, Xu Yong no longer frequently inspires his teammates as he did in the NCAA.

But this time, facing the obviously stronger Heat team, he knew this was necessary.

"We know our opponents better than anyone, and when we play them for the third year in a row, I want to say that this time we are no longer the dominant side, we are the underdogs, and we have to do better than ever before, and do more than ever before!

Don’t worry about winning or losing, don’t put pressure on yourself, just to wait for the day in the future when we are old and the golden light of the setting sun shines on us, we can proudly say: Yes, we tried our best and we have no regrets! ”

When Xu Yong finished speaking, the scene of his parting with Kobe that day emerged in his mind.

"Go, Bulls!"

With passion in their hearts, the Bulls players shouted in unison and turned to go on the court.

Yao Ming passed the ball back to the Bulls' half, and the Eastern Conference Finals officially began.

Xu Yong immediately broke through Granger, turned around and slammed the ball for a point.

Speaking is necessary, but leading by example is more important.

The result was that when they retreated to the defensive end, the Bulls played their best defense of the season. The Heat failed to find opportunities in their consecutive breakthroughs, and Granger's last reluctant shot was blocked.

And until the fifth minute, the score was 11 to 4, with the Bulls leading.

Spoelstra was forced to call a timeout.

The scene was in great turmoil.

"What happened?" O'Neal in the commentary booth widened his eyes with an expression of disbelief.

"Don't underestimate the heart of a champion," Barkley said with emotion.

The Bulls' opening performance was beyond everyone's expectations and made people's blood boil.

After the timeout, the Heat made some personnel adjustments. Ray Allen replaced Chalmers and the Heat put out their strongest lineup.

Then, Wade took advantage of Hibbert's pick-and-roll to get into the paint and scored a long-range jump shot against Yao Ming.

The lob shot is a must-have skill for a breakthrough guard, and Wade's lob shot is one of his killer moves.

And under Spoelstra's command, the Heat also improved their defense.

Neither Granger nor Hibbert has ever made it to the first defense, but the improvement they bring to the Heat's defense is far greater than that of James in the first defense.

After successfully defending against a wave of attacks by the Bulls, Wade went straight for a fast break. After breaking through to the frontcourt, he performed a phantom step against Butler's defense, and finally scored by dribbling past Butler sideways.

In the blink of an eye, the Heat had narrowed the gap to 3 points.

Compared with watching the live broadcast through the screen before, Xu Yong can now feel Wade's condition more clearly.

Not to mention that when there are two top shooters, Ray Allen and Granger, on the court at the same time, Wade's breakthrough power can be maximized.

Even Wade's quick move is not easy to defend.

To limit Wade, you must first ensure the success rate of your positional warfare.

When he reached the frontcourt, Xu Yong turned his back to Granger and reached out for the ball.

After receiving the ball, he signaled Yao Ming to come up for screen and then used Yao Ming's screen to directly pull up.

Just like Paul's shot at Yao Ming in last year's finals, the shot after the pick-and-roll is always the most lethal to punish the big man.

“Swish!”

Xu Yong hit a steady mid-range jump shot to help the Bulls stabilize the situation on the court.

But looking back, Wade followed Hibbert's screen and broke into the inside again. This time the Bulls were forced to shrink and help defend. Wade seized the opportunity to make a beautiful pass, and Granger on the outside received the ball and made a three-pointer.

13 to 11.

The score difference was instantly reduced to two points.

Thibodeau reached out and called a timeout.

As the opponent for the third consecutive season, the Bulls can now say with certainty that this Heat team is a level stronger than the Big Three era.

Even if the Bulls team of the past two years were pulled in to play against them, the two sides were evenly matched.

After the timeout, Thibodeau looked at Butler first.

The coaching staff's original plan was to let Butler limit Wade, because Butler is fast and has puppy steps to go around screens, which is theoretically the most suitable.

But in actual effect, Butler still can't be defended.

In that fast break, Wade used his personal ability to eat Butler alive.

This is not to say that Butler's defense is bad, but that Wade is in too good shape.

"Coach, let me play against DW." Xu Yong said. Although his speed could not keep up with Wade, his advantage was his size. Although Wade had mid-range shots, he was a player who mainly relied on breakthroughs. He could have a better defensive effect than Butler.

"No, you are responsible for the offense." Thibodeau refused. He turned to look at Allen. The Heat showed a high level of defensive intensity, and the Bulls could not do without Xu Yong on the offensive end.

"We must limit DW, otherwise we won't win the game no matter how many points we get," Xu Yong continued.

This statement is very realistic. The Heat's strength lies in their offense, with too many scoring points.

Just like when the Chinese team played against the Dream Team in the Olympics, they had no chance if they went for offense.

You must maintain a solid defense and improve your success rate in rounds in order to have a chance to win.

Thibodeau looked back at Xu Yong, but this time he neither shook his head nor nodded. He was obviously hesitating.

"Tom." Just at this moment, Xu Yong looked at Thibodeau, which was the name they used when communicating privately.

Thibodeau looked at Xu Yong and finally nodded.

After the timeout, the Bulls did not make any personnel adjustments.

"Thibodeau did not replace Tony Allen. It seems that he still wants to ensure the offense of positional warfare." Barkley analyzed in the commentary booth.

"That was the right choice. If they can't ensure the success rate of positional warfare, the Heat's defensive counterattack will put them in big trouble." O'Neal followed up with an analysis, because it is difficult for Yao Ming to retreat in a defensive counterattack.

After Xu Yong came back, he continued to use the pick-and-roll with Yao Ming. This time Hibbert rushed out, and Xu Yong faked a shot and rushed directly into the inside. He pulled the ball high with his right hand, and faced Bosh who was assisting in defense, and made a beautiful pull-up shot to receive the ball and put it into the basket with his low hand.

The referee's whistle sounded, and it was a 2+1.

This goal greatly boosted the morale of the Bulls.

Xu Yong's free throw helped the Bulls stabilize the situation at 16 to 11.

And when they retreated to the defensive end, the person defending Wade became Xu Yong, while Butler switched to defend Granger.

Because both of them are forward-guard swingmen, this kind of defensive switching is normal.

The Heat's ball soon fell into Wade's hands. After Chalmers left the court, Wade had control of the ball.

Xu Yong stared at Wade. He didn't say any trash words, but focused and kept an eye on everything around him.

Hibbert's pick-and-roll came up quickly.

Xu Yong immediately chose to use the puppy steps to go around the back. With Wade's speed, it would be easy for him to seize the opportunity and pass in one step.

Wade changed direction to the right following the pick-and-roll, and Xu Yong was still on his breakthrough route. Hibbert's first wave of pick-and-roll ended in failure.

But Hibbert quickly launched a second pick-and-roll, and this time Wade was also moving in sync.

Seizing the opportunity at a moment's notice, Wade suddenly accelerated, passed by Hibbert like lightning, and then faced Yao Ming's phantom step and scored with a pull-up shot in the air.

Xu Yong's first defensive attempt also ended in failure.

Of course, one round of defense cannot explain the problem.

After the Bulls' offensive wave in the frontcourt failed, when they retreated to the defensive end, Xu Yong's position was obviously further back this time.

Defense also requires making choices. His strategy is to let the opponent shoot and prevent the opponent from breaking through.

Wade continued to attack with Hibbert's pick-and-roll, and after seeing Xu Yong's defensive strategy, he shot directly from mid-range.

This is absolute confidence.

“Swish!”

Wade also made a mid-range shot.

Xu Yong's face visibly darkened.

Wade's condition is no longer good or bad, but it is obvious that he is holding back in the regular season and accumulating strength for the playoffs.

Otherwise, with the form he is showing now, it is impossible for him to score only 25+ in the regular season.

16 to 15.

After Wade scored 4 points in a row, the Heat once again narrowed the gap to 1 point.

"Defend! Defend!"

The emotions of the fans at the scene were aroused, and cheers began to be heard in the American Airlines Arena.

Xu Yong did not ask Yao Ming to set a pick-and-roll at this time, but directly attacked Granger with his back to the basket.

Having failed to defend for two consecutive rounds, he had to find someone to vent his anger on.

“Bang! Bang!”

The two had a fierce physical confrontation, and Granger immediately felt a dull pain in his chest.

But just as he was preparing for the third attack, Xu Yong had already quickly turned around and shot towards the baseline.

Granger rushed forward with all his might, but Xu Yong's fade away was difficult to defend, especially when he jumped backwards.

This is completely different from his previous post-up defense against James.

“Swish!”

With a crisp sound, the cheering at the scene came to an abrupt end.

Xu Yong also scored 5 points in a row after returning from the timeout.

"We have to admit that watching Xu play is like appreciating a fine work of art." This directly touched Barkley's Xu-blowing button.

"I still like the Eastern Conference Finals of the past two seasons because art always requires comparison," O'Neal continued.

This sentence also made Barkley and Smith next to him laugh.

The game was indeed exciting, but it was definitely a loss without the King.

On the court, Wade used Hibbert's screen to launch an attack for the third time. This time, Xu Yong's defensive position was forward, and he accelerated to pass and made a jump shot facing Yao Ming.

However, at the moment of attack, he felt a dangerous aura coming from behind, but he had no time to react.

"Bang!"

Amid the amazement of the fans, Xu Yong chased Wade from behind and directly blocked his shot, sending the ball flying out of the court.

There is no such thing as a third time. In the third defensive attempt, Xu Yong finally succeeded.

Moreover, this ball was truly a result of pure physical talent, and he struck back after being attacked.

The Heat's attack ultimately failed.

Turning around, Xu Yong continued to attack Granger, turned around and shot, and also caused Granger to commit a foul.

Obviously, just like the Bulls couldn't limit Wade, the Heat couldn't defend Xu Yong.

Granger looked very depressed. He wished the person opposite him was still James.

Xu Yong made both free throws, helping the Bulls to regain the advantage with a score of 21 to 15.

However, in the next round, Bosh set a pick and roll and then went down to contain the defense. Ray Allen ran out and received a pass from Wade and made a three-pointer.

This Heat team has too many scoring points, making it difficult to take care of them all.

And when Xu Yong went to the frontcourt again, he found that the person defending him had changed from Granger to Wade.

Three years ago, when Xu Yong played against the Lakers for the first time, he and Kobe staged an offensive and defensive battle throughout the entire court.

Three years later, when Kobe fell, Wade took over the flag.