Chapter 747: Healthy Competition
The Knicks were not the only team in the league that liked to play fast paced basketball.
James and Wade were both believers in the fast break, and transition offense accounted for a large portion of their scoring.
Both of them had elite speed and impact. Once they got out on the break, it was rare for any team to stop them.
Knicks offensive possession.
Chen Yan dribbled the ball past half court himself.
Battier waited on the wing for a 3 point opportunity.
Chen Yan passed it to him, and Battier went into a continuous triple threat sequence.
James ignored the movement and stuck close to Battier.
He knew Battier's ball handling ability very well and would not be fooled by those moves.
James had even called Battier during the summer to recruit him.
A player like Battier, who could shoot accurately from 3, defend well, and did not need the ball, was the perfect teammate in James's eyes.
Unfortunately, the Knicks had offered a higher price.
Playing beside Chen Yan was also very comfortable, and the Knicks had championship contention strength this season.
Battier had no reason to go to James.
After moving in place for 4 or 5 seconds, Battier still chose to pass.
He passed it back to Chen Yan.
The moment Chen Yan received the ball, he immediately accelerated.
The change in rhythm was extremely sudden.
Chen Yan performed consecutive in and out dribbles at a very fast frequency.
Wade naturally retreated 2 steps.
Chen Yan found the opening and shot a high post jumper.
7 to 4.
This 2 point shot was crucial.
If Chen Yan had not made it, the Heat might have pressed their advantage and quickly stretched the lead to double digits, which was their usual tactic.
The Heat quickly inbounded, still looking for a fast break opportunity.
After Chalmers dribbled past half court, he looked left and right, found no good opportunity, and chose a behind the back dribble to slow the pace down.
As the team's 3rd ball handler, Chalmers had almost no ball distribution opportunities in set plays.
James quickly came over and took the basketball.
The moment James received the ball, he suddenly drove 1 step.
Battier retreated, choosing to block James's driving lane.
James made a no look pass to Channing Frye.
David West defended tightly this time, not giving Frye an easy shot.
Frye passed it back to James.
James held the ball 1 step outside the right side of the paint.
All his teammates ran to the other side, clearing the area and creating space for him.
James backed down hard against Battier, pushing into the restricted area.
DeAndre Jordan came over to double team.
James's expression was confident.
He knew the double team was coming, and everything was under control.
After gathering the ball, James suddenly turned toward the baseline and shot a right handed hook.
James wanted to display the low post offense he had learned from Olajuwon that summer.
However, he clearly had not mastered it.
The bank shot lacked proper direction and hooked wide.
The Knicks immediately launched a counterattack, with Chen Yan and Beverley rushing past half court first.
David West threw the ball ahead.
The Heat's transition defense was not slow.
The moment Chen Yan received the ball, Wade, Chalmers, and Channing Frye had all returned to defensive position.
Chen Yan suddenly gathered the ball, then stepped back, his eyes focused on the basket.
Wade and Chalmers both rushed forward.
Chen Yan did not shoot.
Instead, he gently flicked his wrist and passed to DeAndre Jordan, who had trailed the play.
This was a very good scoring opportunity.
But for some unknown reason, DeAndre Jordan started his run the moment he received the ball outside the 3 point line, then jumped from the free throw line.
Although Channing Frye had already moved out of the way, DeAndre Jordan still failed to dunk the ball.
The dunk was a little awkward.
His gliding distance was not enough, and he slammed the ball when he was still some distance away from the rim.
The basketball hit the backboard support and flew out.
The Knicks bench covered their eyes in perfect unison, unable to watch.
The commentators also laughed.
"Jumping from the free throw line," Barkley said, "DeAndre might be trying to pay tribute to another guy named Jordan."
Kenny Smith laughed. "That Jordan would probably spit blood if he saw that."
As one side fell, the other rose.
After that missed attempt, the Heat immediately got a chance to counterattack.
Both teams were playing at a fast pace, and the cameras could barely keep up.
After James quickly dribbled past half court, he suddenly slowed down, then handed the ball to Wade, who was trailing the play.
Wade dribbled 2 steps outside the 3 point line before driving hard to the basket.
Facing David West's defense, he used his signature Euro step.
Wade's strides were long, his rhythm was fast, and his hands were excellent.
As long as he built up even a little momentum, David West could not stop him.
9 to 4.
Chen Yan signaled David West to inbound quickly.
David West saw him and immediately passed the ball to Chen Yan.
The Knicks were not afraid to play fast paced basketball with the Heat.
After Chen Yan dribbled past half court, he did not wait for his teammates to get into position.
He executed a behind the back dribble crossover followed by a pullback, then pulled up for a shot 1 step outside the 3 point line.
A completely unreasonable shot.
But it went in.
9 to 7.
Chen Yan returned to last year's 3 heroes battling Lu Bu mode in the 1st quarter.
Curry was out.
David West did not do much tonight.
The Knicks relied on Chen Yan alone to keep the lead from expanding.
31 to 28.
The Heat were currently leading by 3 points, with both teams putting up high scores in the 1st quarter.
Chen Yan shot 7 of 11 from the field, 2 of 3 from 3 point range, and 4 of 4 from the free throw line, scoring 20 points.
Chen Yan accounted for most of the Knicks scoring.
Chen Yan wanted to continue leading the team's 2nd unit, but Nelson persuaded him to rest for a while.
Nelson considered that this game might go down to the wire and did not want Chen Yan to overexert himself too early.
At the start of the 2nd quarter, Jeremy Lin got a chance to play.
The Heat were a strong team, but their bench was not strong.
Especially their 2 guards, Norris Cole and Harris.
Both were rookies who entered the NBA this year, and Harris was even an undrafted player.
When Jeremy Lin came on, he did not think about showing off.
Players with such thoughts usually ended up doing the opposite and playing terribly.
Jeremy Lin saw that the team was still trailing, and his mind was focused only on helping the team catch up.
1 minute and 7 seconds into the 2nd quarter, Jeremy Lin got an open 3 point opportunity.
Swish.
It went in steadily.
Turning around, Jeremy Lin completed another steal.
After Norris Cole passed half court, he tried to pass the ball to Haslem.
But Jeremy Lin accelerated out of nowhere from off screen.
After the steal, he did not slow down.
He went coast to coast directly to the frontcourt and finished with a 1 handed dunk.
Jeremy Lin rarely dunked.
He must have been really enjoying this possession.
Jeremy Lin's fast break speed was incredibly quick.
James and Wade, sitting on the bench, only felt a gust of wind blow past them. In the next second, Jeremy Lin had already dunked the ball.
"Who is this?" James asked, looking at Jeremy Lin on the court.
"I do not know."
Wade shook his head.
Their conversation was loud, and Jeremy Lin heard it as he returned to the defensive half.
For Jeremy Lin, this was indirect motivation.
The less you know me, the more I am going to make you remember me.
In the next 2 possessions, Jeremy Lin first ran a pick and roll, then immediately passed the ball to Kenyon Martin, assisting him on a drive to the basket.
On the next offensive possession, Jeremy Lin called for another pick and roll.
He was a player who loved using screens.
After the pick, Jeremy Lin passed to Al Harrington.
After attracting the defense, Al Harrington passed it back to Jeremy Lin.
Jeremy Lin was completely open.
After making a shooting motion, Norris Cole quickly rushed over.
Jeremy Lin faked him out, then drove hard to the basket.
Against Haslem's defense, Jeremy Lin forcefully made the layup.
Haslem was stunned.
This Asian kid looked quiet and gentle, but why was he so tough when he played basketball?
The Knicks bench went wild, with Chen Yan leading the towel waving.
Although he knew Jeremy Lin had this ability, Chen Yan was still very excited to see him erupt on the court.
Jeremy Lin's outburst also forced Spoelstra to make a tactical adjustment.
Wade and Chalmers were substituted into the game early.
As Chalmers prepared to walk toward Jeremy Lin, Wade spoke.
"Let me take him. I will guard this guy."
This statement was the highest form of respect for Jeremy Lin.
An NBA superstar had voluntarily asked to guard an unknown player.
Jeremy Lin was not intimidated by Wade's reputation.
He continued to play his game.
He had gained confidence, and even Wade found it difficult to contain him.
After all, in Chen Yan's previous life, Jeremy Lin was a player whom even Kobe could not stop once he got hot.
Over the next 2 minutes, Jeremy Lin scored 4 points against Wade.
During this stretch, Jeremy Lin led the 2nd unit on a 15 to 6 run, overturning the score.
This was a huge surprise for Nelson.
Nelson had originally only intended for the 2nd unit to hold the gap and buy more rest time for the starters.
He had not expected the starters to return and find that the team had already taken the lead.
1 minute later, Nelson gradually brought the starters back in.
Jeremy Lin remained on the court.
Nelson's philosophy for using players was simple.
If you played well, he would continue giving you opportunities to perform and fully showcase your talent.
At halftime, the Knicks led 61 to 53 by 8 points.
Chen Yan had an all around stat line of 29 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks at halftime.
Jeremy Lin scored 11 points and added 3 assists in a single quarter.
After the halftime break, Nelson finally took out Jeremy Lin, who had played the entire quarter.
Jeremy Lin had played with too much excitement. He had not controlled his stamina well and had released almost all his energy in that quarter.
However, Beverley's entry into the game also gave Nelson a pleasant surprise.
Beverley first drew an offensive foul from Wade, then hit a trailing 3 pointer on the fast break.
Seeing Jeremy Lin's fearless performance, Beverley also felt a sense of urgency, and that urgency spurred his performance on the court.
On the sideline, Nelson could not help nodding.
This kind of healthy internal competition was exactly what he liked to see.
.....
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