Pat Riley was a forceful head coach. When he gave an order, he demanded his players execute it unconditionally.
The teams he led all had a ruthless streak.
The whistle blew, and the game resumed.
Sure enough, they focused their energy on Randolph, even preventing him from setting screens.
Was it effective?
It was effective to a certain extent; Zach Randolph's shot opportunities did decrease. But the Knicks' offense became even smoother.
There was no question about it.
There were only five defenders on the court, so when they used more players to shadow Randolph, Su Xi and his other three teammates naturally found themselves in a four-on-three situation.
It was simple math.
Pat Riley was taking a gamble on the Knicks' outside shooters' accuracy.
SWISH!
SWISH!
SWISH!
Su Xi and Crawford unleashed a barrage of three-pointers, and Su Xi also frequently drove into the paint to create havoc.
The Heat fell further and further behind.
