Y13 [EN]: Chapter 147

00147 2010-2011 Finals

Youngjae was indeed putting up a fierce fight against Dwyane Wade. He’d already drawn two fouls from Wade, holding the explosive player to just 6 points, while contributing his own points to the scoreboard. However, Miami’s head coach, Erik Spoelstra, was well aware of something.

Youngjae was tiring rapidly.

“Hah, hah…”

Eventually, after just 9 minutes, Youngjae was subbed out. The moment he reached the bench, he collapsed, unable to even sit up straight, gasping for breath.

“Yun, are you okay?”

“I’m okay.”

He couldn’t even straighten his back on the bench, feeling like he couldn’t get enough air. On top of that, his entire body ached from the physical toll of those 9 minutes on the court. He was once again reminded that he wasn’t as resilient as Barea. Coach Carlisle couldn’t have been oblivious to Youngjae’s condition, but he also knew that in the Finals, sometimes you had to push past the obvious limitations.

“Yun, you’ll rest until the start of the second quarter. There were some awkward moments in your defensive stance after you fell, so head to the locker room for a few minutes and get some quick treatment.”

Youngjae sighed at Coach Carlisle’s words but nodded and stood up. Chandler and Kidd, also resting on the bench after being substituted, watched Youngjae head to the locker room without a word. Words weren’t necessary; this was a lesson he needed to learn and internalize himself.

“Yun.”

“Yes.”

“We need you in the Finals.”

At Coach Carlisle’s final words, Youngjae turned, glanced at Dwyane Wade, and then entered the locker room with Coach Terry Stotts supporting him.

“Huh?! Yun’s going to the locker room!”

As the seesaw battle continued, Emily, who had been watching with anxiety, was already staring at Youngjae entering the locker room with a surprised expression, even before Steve pointed it out.

“Maybe an injury?”

Lauren spoke with a worried tone, but Steve shook his head, dismissing the possibility. Regardless of their opinions, Emily couldn’t control her emotions, overwhelmed by a sudden surge of worry, and began to tremble with anxiety. She desperately hoped Youngjae wasn’t hurt, clasping her hands together.

J.J. Barea, dribbling the ball slowly on the left wing, glanced up at Mario Chalmers, who was guarding him, and dribbled the ball between his legs, searching for the opportune moment. Dallas had replaced all of their starters, while Miami still had their Big Three [LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh] on the court. As a result, the score difference, which had been tied at 17-17, had widened to 22-27. To some, it was only a 5-point difference, but considering Dallas’s earlier struggles to even tie the score against the starters, it felt like the gap was widening incrementally in this tense game.

[J.J. Barea, who has been showing a real breakthrough since the second half of the season! He’s slowly developing his attack against Mario Chalmers!]

[Dallas’s only two reliable penetration options are Youngjae Yun and J.J. Barea! Barea hasn’t been used much since Yun’s arrival due to his size, defensive limitations, and limited court vision, but as his vision has improved and his skills have sharpened, he’s been putting on a sensational performance. J.J. Barea is finally making his move! Mario Chalmers is trying to stay in front of him!]

But Mario Chalmers was just a young backup point guard. He lacked the experience to stop Barea’s mature dribble penetration, honed over years of consistent playing time. Consequently, even Dwyane Wade, who was guarding the perimeter, had to come over to help defend Barea, causing Barea to hesitate for a moment.

Now that Wade had shifted his position, should he pass the ball immediately, or should he wait until he was double-teamed and then pass it out?

‘?!’

There weren’t just two options. Barea feigned being caught by Chalmers, slowing down, and as Dwyane Wade chased him to an ambiguous position, he immediately executed a kick-out pass [a pass to a teammate on the perimeter after driving towards the basket].

[No one is open on the outside for Miami!! A kick-out pass that perfectly times the play goes to Jason Terry!]

Terry was slightly surprised by Barea as he received the pass. He never expected Barea to deliver such a precise pass in a crucial game. Barea had never been known for such passes due to his tunnel vision and scoring mentality.

[J! E! T! FOR THREE!!!]

Swish-

[BANG!!! HE SINKS IT!!!]

Jason Terry, JET, wasn’t about to miss such an opportunity. Jason Terry’s fantastic 3-pointer, which narrowed the gap to 2 points again, sent a surge of energy through the numerous blue-clad fans in the American Airlines Center.

– LET’S GO MAVS! –

The Miami players tried to hide it, but they were clearly rattled by the “LET’S GO MAVS!” chant that reverberated through the arena. Erik Spoelstra felt the same way. He had successfully worn down Youngjae Yun and brought in bench players as an alternative, planning to force the Miami Heat’s Big Three and the Dallas bench players to play together to widen the score difference and use an unconventional rotation to break down Dallas.

But all of those plans were anticipated and thwarted by Rick Carlisle. That was clearly reflected in the current score. Barea was demonstrating much better skills than expected.

‘Rick, Carlisle…’

If they couldn’t contain the Miami Heat’s offense, they would meet fire with fire. No matter how formidable the Big Three were, if Barea succeeded in penetrating and consistently setting screens, spacing—that is, creating open space—would inevitably occur. They would capitalize on that momentary space to sink jumpers. This was the primary reason why Dallas was notorious as an exceptionally strong jump-shooting team.

[Amazing! J.J. Barea to Jason Terry! Isn’t that the attack that Dallas ideally envisions?!]

[Everyone knows that they are originally an extremely strong jump-shooting team, but depending on the presence or absence of Youngjae Yun and J.J. Barea, that kind of penetration and kick-out pass, and jumper is truly a crazy attack that no defensive team can stop! Dallas Mavericks are sticking close! The score is 25 to 27 with about 3 minutes left in the 2nd quarter!!]

Unlike Jeff Van Gundy’s excited commentary, Steve Kerr’s analysis was slightly calmer, but he couldn’t conceal the subtle smile hidden within.

[But both teams have vulnerabilities. The fact that Youngjae Yun, who went to the locker room in the second half of the first quarter, hasn’t returned is a significant blow to Dallas. That’s because Dallas needs a guard who can defend Dwyane Wade as effectively as possible and match his intensity during the first quarter. Miami also has concerns that Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh, known as the Big Three, have been playing for almost 15 minutes without a break, so if they don’t get proper rest, their stamina will gradually decline. Frankly, I have no idea how this game will turn out.]

[I personally expect Miami’s Big Three to play at least 40 minutes each, as they are young and crucial to the team. Unlike Dallas, this team can’t function effectively with players other than the Big Three. On the other hand, Dallas feels the impact much less even if any three players are missing. This means that they might be at a disadvantage in the battle between the top three players, but they can gain an advantage in the battle between the remaining players. Miami will likely have two of the Big Three on the court even when they take a break, rotating them one at a time.]

While the game between the two teams was in full swing, Youngjae was grimacing in the locker room while receiving emergency treatment from the team doctor.

“The fall on his back and waist during the landing earlier was significant. The immediate injury is minor, but because of the location, it’s an area that can lead to a major injury if not treated properly.”

Coach Terry Stotts looked at Youngjae with a worried expression, whispered to the coach next to him, and sent him to Coach Rick Carlisle.

“Yun, how’s your body feeling?”

“Coach…”

Youngjae looked up at Terry Stotts and had a faint smile on his face, as if he found something amusing.

“Today, when I woke up and stretched at home in the morning… I felt like my legs weren’t in good condition. So I didn’t feel great, but it’s funny that I unexpectedly have an issue with my back.”

“That’s life. There are countless times when you think you see a sign, but something happens in a completely unrelated area. You should be glad you didn’t hurt your legs too.”

“That’s right.”

Youngjae didn’t want to continue joking, so he stopped smiling and glanced up at Coach Terry Stotts.

“I’m okay now. If it’s the Finals, I have to play through this kind of injury. It’s not like everyone else, including Nowitzki, Chandler, and Kidd, is playing without injuries.”

“…”

Coach Terry Stotts had been considering suggesting to Coach Carlisle that Youngjae be taken out of today’s game if necessary, and he had even followed Youngjae to the locker room to persuade him, but Youngjae didn’t waver at all.

“Nash, who is Nowitzki’s best friend, always plays while hurting this much.”

Steve Nash. The legendary Phoenix Suns point guard who was the first point guard to be named back-to-back MVP [Most Valuable Player]. In his later years, he was known to be in pain every game due to a chronic nerve injury in his back, so he couldn’t sit on the bench when he rested and had to lie down on the court to rest. But even such a player always plays his best in every game, even if it’s not this Finals stage, but the regular season. Youngjae recalled the reason why he wore number 13 and continued.

“The reason I wear number 13 is because of Steve Nash. I wore this number because I wanted to be like that player… and I really hate not playing in the Finals stage, which I don’t know when I’ll be able to come back to, because of this minor injury. I’d rather play here and suffer through rehabilitation after the Finals. And Kobe played all the games in the series against us in the Semi-Conference Finals with an ankle injury. Coach, unless I have a broken bone or a hamstring injury… I want to play.”

“Yun.”

“If my performance is lacking and I’m a burden to the team, I won’t play either. But if I can help, that is…”

The back is a critical area for basketball players. Of course, it’s a minor issue, but it was also the coach’s responsibility to respond sensitively to such minor injuries and prevent them from becoming career-threatening.

“Doctor, what’s his condition?”

“I reduced the swelling with ice packs as an emergency treatment and relieved the tight muscles with massage. But, at the very least, this ice pack treatment should be done a little longer to prepare for the worst. I don’t want to recommend him playing right now.”

Coach Terry Stotts seemed to have made up his mind and opened his mouth to the team doctor.

“How many minutes will it take? Do you think he can be ready to play in today’s game?”

“… 30 minutes. No, it will be much better if you have at least 20 minutes. He’s not in a condition where he can’t play in today’s game. With some treatment and painkillers, he can play in today’s game.”

Coach Terry Stotts nodded slightly and stared straight at Youngjae’s earnest eyes without looking away.

“According to the doctor, you can play from the third quarter. You can’t play before that.”

“Yes.”

“What the coach wants is a ‘healthy’ Y13 [Youngjae’s jersey number]. So do I.”

============================ Author’s Notes ============================

★Thank you to those who marked as favorite, recommended, commented, and gave coupons!!

＠Usually, the actual game time is 12 minutes per quarter, but in reality, it’s almost over 20 minutes due to timeouts and fouls. Halftime is also long. If you watch an NBA game, almost 2 hours have passed. So 20-30 minutes is enough to return in the 3rd quarter.

＠Nash’s anecdote is famous. I don’t remember exactly when, but after his 30s, he had a chronic back injury, so he couldn’t sit and rest on the bench and had to lie down on the court near the bench to rest, but he still played his best in the game. It’s a pity that such chronic injuries to his back and waist eventually flared up in the Lakers. I wonder if he would have played a little longer if he had stayed in Phoenix with the excellent medical staff…

chaikopusuki님/// First comment!! Thank you~. We are happy that you always look forward to the next episode.

Lazze님///Huhu, it’s during the season ㅋㅋ. Please look forward to the next season. This is the first season, so you have to suffer a little.

Naye님///??!!!

-DarkANGEL-님///Yes. That’s right ㅎㅎ

라피르and진트님///I do too. Of course, business is business, but I often feel sorry for the treatment of franchise stars.

zigichacha님/// Wade’s contract this time is also seen as some sacrifice from Wade. He signed a one-year contract even though he is a 30-year-old veteran to have salary leeway next year and the year after. It seems that the intention is to have salary leeway for Whiteside, who does not have Bird rights, and then re-sign with Wade. So there was some friction between Wade and the Heat club this time. Wade would have felt a little slighted. Wade took a bigger pay cut than LeBron and Bosh during the Big Three era. And Bosh received a maximum of 5 years and 120M, but Wade signed for much less.

찬란한유산님///Hahaha… Thank you for your comment. We also want to upload a lot ㅠ.ㅠ

BlueRuiN님, 메깐더v님, 오마리온님, 파이넨시아님, CountOfDark님, huhcafe 님/// Thank you for your comments!! Be careful of the heat~

ㅎ0ㅎ님///That’s right. I heard that Asians are getting better physically these days, but it’s still in progress…

울트라10님///Bosh was a league top-class player at the time, but Nowitzki is a power forward with MVP and more than 10 All-Star and ALL-NBA team selections. Bosh has only one ALL-NBA team selection. There is quite a difference between Nowitzki and Bosh even among the top players. Almost the difference between LeBron and Carmelo. Bosh suffered as the main player of Toronto, and it is true that his record dropped further after coming to Heat, but the gap between the two was quite large from the beginning. Nowitzki is forming the top 5 with Garnett and Barkley below Duncan-Malone in the all-time power forward rankings, and Bosh is not even in the top 10. Based on this time, Gasol, Nowitzki’s playoff opponent, is on par with Bosh, and Aldridge or Ibaka are below Bosh.

비오는날엔우울해님///The strongest team at the time ㄷㄷ

오멘님///Haha..ㄷㄷ