12dz Chapter 370: 42 wins and 16 losses, All-Star Weekend is coming!
Chapter 370: 42 wins and 16 losses, All-Star Weekend is coming!
Coach Spoelstra watched helplessly as Wang Xiucheng repeatedly broke through defenses, drawing fouls, and either making a floater or a layup.
Or they could simply be unreasonable and shoot a three-pointer right there in front of Butler, from beyond the three-point line.
Butler seized an opportunity and swatted away Wang Xiucheng's three-pointer.
I thought Wang Xiucheng would tone it down a bit.
However, in the next possession, right where he had just been blocked, Wang Xiucheng surprisingly took another three-pointer right in front of Butler.
This time, Butler flew in to block again, but he realized he'd been tricked as soon as he jumped.
Wang Xiucheng didn't even jump; he just sent him flying.
Butler watched helplessly as Wang Xiucheng jumped, leaned against him, and then shot a three-pointer. With a scream of pain, Wang Xiucheng slid out of bounds.
The referee immediately blew his whistle.
Swish!
At the same time, Butler heard the sound of the basketball falling into the net behind him.
"andone!"
Wang Xiucheng, lying on the ground outside the sideline, shouted!
Then Wang Xiucheng got up, turned around to face the court, and waited for his teammates to come and help him up.
Butler really wanted to go up and kick Wang Xiucheng.
Why not just play basketball properly? Why did you learn to draw fouls instead?
Looking at Wang Xiucheng right in front of her, Deng Ziqi really wanted to reach out and grab him.
But she knew she couldn't.
Wang Xiucheng was quickly pulled up by Claxton and Joe Har.
Swish!
The free throw went in.
Wang Xiucheng scored his 13th point in the fourth quarter.
The game continues.
The score between the two teams began to fluctuate, and soon the final minute arrived.
The Nets were leading 110-100 at this point, a 10-point advantage.
One minute later, a 10-point difference is not an unbridgeable gap in this era of small-ball basketball.
Spoelstra called another timeout to arrange tactics.
At this point, you absolutely must shoot a three-pointer.
If the Heat make their next three-pointer, they'll still have a chance.
One minute is enough.
Coach Spoelstra spent a long time drawing on the whiteboard, then patted each player on the back and cheered them on.
Adebayo stood outside the center line, received the ball from the referee, and passed it to Butler.
Butler dribbled the ball to the three-point line and, without getting his footing, shot the ball.
Swish!
In!
"Defense!"
Butler yelled and clapped his hands together.
With 55 seconds left and a 7-point deficit, if we can stop this shot, we still have a chance.
Nash had one foot already inside the free-throw line, ready to call a timeout.
But Nash saw Wang Xiucheng glance at him.
This indicates that Wang Xiucheng does not want to pause his work.
So Nash quietly withdrew his gesture to call a timeout and retreated to the sideline.
Claxton passed the ball to Wang Xiucheng, then stood in front of Wang Xiucheng and slowly ran forward.
Butler defends Wang Xiucheng.
There is still enough time; there is no need to resort to fouling tactics.
Moreover, Wang Xiucheng had a 100% free throw percentage today, so Butler didn't want to foul him.
Wang Xiucheng dribbled the ball past half-court and ran down the shot clock to 5 seconds before making his move.
Claxton, who was outside the baseline, suddenly ran over.
Adebayo, who had been guarding him, immediately ran out after Claxton.
He knew that Claxton was going to set a screen for Wang Xiucheng.
Butler also saw Claxton's situation, so he shifted his body slightly, intending to move ahead of time, avoid Claxton's cover, and face Wang Xiucheng directly.
But at that moment, Wang Xiucheng, who had been holding the basketball with both hands and stalling for time, suddenly made a move.
Without any dribbling or preparation, he just shot.
Butler saw the ball in Wang Xiucheng's arms, and it was pushed away by both hands like a girl shooting a basketball.
This action was too sudden.
Firstly, Wang Xiucheng's movements were completely unprepared, leaving Butler with no clues or preparation.
Secondly, it's also because Wang Xiucheng is positioned at the angle between the center line and the sideline.
This spot is the furthest from the basket in the half of the court.
Who in their right mind would shoot a basketball here?
and……
Swish!
That ball actually went in!
Butler felt as if he had eaten a mouthful of shit!
It's not that you can't lose a game.
But losing to a shot from such a distance, which seemed like a fluke, is a bit upsetting.
Adebayo, who had already run to the three-point line, stopped and stood still when he saw Wang Xiucheng's shooting motion.
This goal means the game is no longer in doubt.
It's too late.
Spoelstra called another timeout, which was his last.
He doesn't want to give up yet.
In his last game before the All-Star break, he wanted to go home with a victory.
However, he also knew that the probability of that happening was almost nonexistent.
The match, with less than half a minute remaining, finally came to an end.
The Nets defeated the Heat 116-105 at home.
Wang Xiucheng scored another 16 points in the fourth quarter.
Wang Xiucheng played 43 minutes in the game, making 14 of 26 field goals, including 7 of 13 three-pointers, and 10 of 10 free throws, scoring 45 points, along with 10 assists, 4 rebounds and 3 steals.
45 points is Wang Xiucheng's second-highest score in his career, second only to the 46 points he scored in the final game of last season.
This game also explained why TNT, ESPN, and other media outlets described Wang Xiucheng as a "very well-rounded" player.
In this game, Wang Xiucheng took 13 shots from outside the arc and made 7 of them, and also took 13 shots from inside the arc and made 7 of them.
"Wang Xiucheng has a very balanced shooting ability both inside and outside. You don't know whether he will shoot, drive, or pass, which makes it difficult for the defender to make a decision."
This is how Shaquille O'Neal described Wang Xiucheng in a TV program.
Wang Xiucheng shook hands with each of the Heat players.
Adebayo reached out his hand, touched Wang Xiucheng's hand briefly, and then left without saying a word.
Wang Xiucheng looked at this guy and wondered what was wrong with him.
She's so ugly, how dare she call herself "Reba"!
"Let's go, let's go do the interview." Wang Xiucheng put his arm around Zeng Fanbo's shoulder and walked towards Meng Chao, who was waiting under the basketball hoop.
Meng Chao looked at Wang Xiucheng, a fleeting hint of resentment in his eyes.
Wang Xiucheng hadn't contacted her for a long time. Although she knew he was busy, she still couldn't help feeling a little resentful.
"First of all, congratulations to the Nets for winning their last game before All-Star Weekend. Now, could you tell me, Xiao Wang, why didn't you participate in the All-Star Game?"
Wang Xiucheng knew that Meng Chao would definitely ask this question.
It's less about Meng Chao asking and more about what domestic fans want to ask.
However, Wang Xiucheng could not possibly tell them this.
"I want to take a good rest. This season has been very busy. After the All-Star break, it will be the final sprint of the season, so I want to be in perfect condition to meet the challenges."
As Meng Chao felt the warmth of Wang Xiucheng's large hand holding his, the inexplicable resentment gradually dissipated.
"Then why did you participate in the dunk contest?" Meng Chao continued to ask.
"To sell shoes," Wang Xiucheng replied with a smile, making no attempt to hide his true feelings.
This season, Wang Xiucheng is wearing his own brand of shoes, which makes perfect sense.
Meng Chao smiled and glanced at the mismatched "Wangdao" shoes on his feet.
"Hey Zeng, what are your plans for All-Star Weekend?" Meng Chao didn't forget Zeng Fanbo this time.
"I'll stay in New York and train with Durant. Brother Wang has arranged everything for me," Zeng Fanbo said, bending down into the microphone.
"Alright, thank you both. See you in Salt Lake City."
As Meng Chao watched Wang Xiucheng and Zeng Fanbo leave, he faced the camera and said, "This is the interview on the front lines. Time is now back in the studio."
The Nets entered All-Star Weekend with a record of 42 wins and 16 losses.
After finishing the interview, Wang Xiucheng quickly showered and left the stadium.
An hour later, Wang Xiucheng and Deng Ziqi, fully armed, arrived at the restaurant that Wang Xiucheng frequented.