The Whip of the God of Basketball

The Heat did not give up until the final period of the game. In the fourth quarter, O'Neal really couldn't play. In the first two quarters, he rushed a bit hard and his physical strength declined. There was no problem on the offensive end. He could still put the ball into the basket. , but on the defensive end he couldn't keep up with the Suns' rapid attack.

The power of a fast break is not only to catch the opponent off guard, but also to wear down the opponent's energy with continuous running. From this point of view, the Heat's head coach Pat Riley should be a master. He uses This method has won four championships.

In the third and fourth quarters, Leon allowed Nash and Jaskevicius to control the court. As long as O'Neal was there, he would engage in quick counterattacks. Once O'Neal was gone, he would focus on efficiency, using pick-and-roll coordination and mismatched offense. The Suns always have two or three players on the field who can organize offense, which makes their offensive rhythm better and better.

They always kept the point difference at about 6 to 7 points, and they could not prevent the Heat's inside attack. Williams and Haslem performed very well today. Haslem grabbed offensive rebounds many times, and William James also sent out assists one after another. The two little men played well in the second half and helped the Heat bite the score.

But when they don't have an attacker like Wade, they can't get the ball in at the critical moment. Leon knows Riley's usual routine. In the first three quarters, he relies on the system and the center to score points, and at critical moments he relies on strong persistence from the outside. Players throwing things around - in the Eastern Conference finals in 2005 and 2006, Leon made Riley's tactics clear and clear.

Now they have a semi-disabled O'Neal, an injured Wade, and a completely disabled Anfernee Hardaway. In the end, they can only rely on Ricky Davis to shoot three-pointers from the outside. Leon adopted in the last three minutes The strategy of rotating double teams from the outside completely extinguished the last flame of the Heat. In the end, they won 115:108 with a 7-point advantage at the American Airlines Center, avoiding a losing streak.

Nash scored another 30 points in this game and also sent out 7 assists. After the start of the new season, he has scored more than 30 points in four of the six games. It seems that scoring is not out of reach for him.

O'Neal scored 27 points very efficiently, but mainly in the first half. In the crucial fourth quarter, he did not score a point. Although he blocked 3 shots on the defensive end, anyone with a discerning eye could see that when he was on the court, When the time comes, they will be walked around by the Suns' small lineup. In this game, Diaw scored a season-high 18 points, including three three-pointers in the middle of the arc. O'Neal's shots were temperamental.

The worst performer for the Heat was Anfernee Hardaway. He played for 20 minutes in the whole game. He made 0 of 4 shots and scored no points. He contributed two rebounds, two assists and two turnovers. His performance was really good. It's disappointing, and it's foreseeable that he won't be in the NBA for long. Just two weeks after the game between the Suns and the Heat, the Heat ended Hardaway's non-guaranteed contract and waived him. This once talented guard sadly ended his NBA career without leaving a trace.

In comparison, Grant Hill, a contemporary of Anfernee Hardaway who had a very similar experience and whose talent was also destroyed by injuries, will accompany the Phoenix Suns to Orlando the next day. , the place where they once spent their wasted years, starting a new basketball career.

Although Grant Hill is 35 years old, and although age and injuries prevent him from making that lightning-fast change of direction, he still retains his love and hope for basketball in his heart.

On November 10, the day after the game against the Heat, the entire Phoenix Suns team arrived in Orlando. Here, the Suns met Hill directly. Hill had arrived a day early and he has a house here. .

At the hotel where he stayed, Leon organized a small welcome party for Hill. A group of big men had a meal together in the hotel's cafeteria, and came to say hello to Hill one by one. The young people on the team were fans of Hill when they were in school, and Hill's character was well-known in the league, so he quickly integrated with his teammates and got along very happily.

Because today is a back-to-back game, there are many veterans in the team. Leon did not organize the team training in the afternoon. He just led the team into the Amway Center two hours in advance for a half-hour warm-up. Hill also participated in it. Everyone Do low-confrontation passing drills together.

Hill's mood is undoubtedly complicated. On the one hand, he can continue to play in the NBA and has the hope of winning the championship, which is naturally excellent. On the other hand, his first opponent is the Orlando Magic, who he A place of gratitude, hatred, and pain.

Because the media has released news before the game that Grant Hill, the newly signed Suns player, will appear in this game, so the single tickets for tonight's game are sold out, and those fans who bought season tickets will definitely come too. , the Amway Center must be full.

This is undoubtedly a kind of pressure for Hill, but Cole and Leon talked to him at the time. He could wait in Phoenix for the Suns to end their Eastern Conference trip and return home to start his Suns career, and Their opponent at home is the New York Knicks. But Hill rejected the offer. He still hoped to join the team early and play his first Suns game in Orlando.

Therefore, Leon did not have any separate communication with Hill before the game. He believed that the veteran would definitely be able to adjust himself. As the game was about to start, in the locker room, Leon told Hill that this game would make him the team's first substitute.

"I don't know if you have watched our previous games. We will start to adjust the lineup in the second half of each quarter, mainly to play a small lineup. You will be an important part of the small lineup. We It requires your defense, your positioning, your rebounding, and your experience."

Hill just nodded. He didn't say much off the court, but he was a trustworthy veteran.

At 7 p.m. Eastern time, the Suns challenged the Orlando Magic on the road for back-to-back games a day later. In the opening introduction of away players, although Hill was not the Suns' starter, the Magic's DJ made an exception and called out Hill's name.

The audience gave a warm applause. Although Hill's career with the Magic was not successful and he spent most of his time on the injured list and did not bring any honors to the Magic, Hill has been working hard in Orado. He kept trying and never gave up, which earned him the respect of many people.

Hill, wearing the Suns' No. 33 jersey, stood up from the bench and waved to the fans. At this time, the lights of the stadium dimmed and the Magic players were about to appear.

At this time, the Orlando Magic no longer belongs to Hardaway, Grant Hill, or Tracy McGrady, but it belongs to an emerging big man, a new era giant inside, and one who is still there. The growing beast, Dwight Howard.