Y13 [EN]: Chapter 153

Y13-153 2010-2011 Finals

Down 1-2 in the series, the team held constant tactical meetings and briefings during the away game stretch, desperately seeking a turnaround in Game 4. Youngjae, understanding the need for focus, reduced contact with Emily. Fortunately, Miami was a popular resort city, and she wasn’t bored thanks to Lauren and Steve, who had come along for the trip. Still, Youngjae felt a pang of guilt, knowing he had little mental space or time to spare.

With only 30 minutes left before the start of Game 4, Youngjae completed all the tactical drills under the coaches’ instructions and began his shooting routine. He smiled with satisfaction, feeling no different than usual. *The best condition right before a game is when you feel no different from usual,* he thought.

If his shots were falling worse than normal, he’d grow impatient. If they were falling better, he’d feel good but also uneasy. Just feeling moderately normal, maintaining his usual touch, was the perfect zero point for Youngjae.

Swish-

He was practicing three-pointers unguarded when suddenly Barea and Brewer reached out, contesting from both sides. Though surprised for a moment, Youngjae maintained his composure and released the ball, resulting in another clean shot.

“Wow~ He’s a monster. A monster.”

“See? I told you. This guy is a monster.”

Barea and Brewer showered Youngjae with admiration, calling him a monster. Youngjae, playing along, made an exaggerated expression of shock, saying, “You surprised me.”

“Looks like you’re in good condition today?”

“I feel just right. Neither good nor bad.”

“Hey! Captain, are you okay? You don’t look so good?!”

While the three were joking around, Dirk Nowitzki, the team’s captain, appeared. He hadn’t been seen all day. The players had only heard about his condition from Coach Carlisle during the morning tactical meeting. Seeing him in person for the first time that day, they gathered around Nowitzki, asking if he was alright.

“Ah, the fever has gone down a lot. I’m a little dizzy, but my physical condition isn’t too bad.”

A high fever, over 102 degrees Fahrenheit (39 degrees Celsius) due to the flu, had struck Dirk Nowitzki. It was a major setback for Dallas, whose momentum had been disrupted after splitting the first two games and losing Game 3. The sudden illness of their ace and mental pillar inevitably dampened the team’s spirits.

Nowitzki knew this, so he pushed himself to be there, despite the team doctor’s warning that playing in the Finals in this condition could worsen his health. Nowitzki brushed it off, saying he was okay. The same went for the condition of his left middle finger, which had been bothering him. Despite not being in peak condition, his willingness to play, even if it meant suffering, stemmed solely from his burning desire for the championship that had eluded him for the past decade.

“Captain~ Don’t overdo it. Huh? You have to think about your age~”

Chandler joked with Nowitzki about his age to lighten the tense atmosphere, but Kidd and Terry playfully punched Chandler in the arm from either side.

“Cough! These old guys are trying to kill me!”

“He doesn’t seem to realize he’s becoming an old guy himself, huh?”

The other players smiled slightly, the three players’ jokes easing some of their tension. Nowitzki also smiled, saying,

“I couldn’t forgive myself if I couldn’t be at such a great game because of a cold. And, look at this.”

Nowitzki grabbed the ball at the top of the key and lightly jumped, sinking a three-pointer. An ultra-high-angle shot, released from his towering 7-foot frame. The players smiled, relieved by the effortless shot that barely touched the net.

[Hello, this is Game 4 of the Finals brought to you by ESPN! Announcer Mike Breen, with commentary by Reggie Miller and Chris Webber. Reggie? Chris? Welcome!]

[Hello, Mike. I can’t believe I’m commentating on a game like today; I feel like it’s going to be a fantastic day!]

[Me too. Haha! I can feel a different kind of tension from the Finals stage I stood on as a player. How much pressure must the players be under? I’m excited to feel that feeling again as a commentator!]

ESPN had asked Reggie Miller and Chris Webber to provide more dynamic commentary from the players’ perspective, drawing on their recent playing experience. The two commentators readily accepted the offer, eager not to miss this opportunity. The combination of one of the best three-point shooters of all time and a dominant power forward naturally drew high expectations from viewers.

[The home team Miami Heat’s lineup has a change in the starting center position compared to Game 3. Starting with Mike Bibby at point guard, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and finally Udonis Haslem at center.]

[Chris Bosh often played center for the Toronto Raptors, but he sacrificed parts of his role to form the Big 3 and go to the Miami Heat. Haslem is shorter than Bosh, but his play style is more inside-oriented, and his box-out is better. Therefore, Haslem is the most suitable for center, except for Joel Anthony, the only true center on the roster!]

[Haslem also has a much higher number of rebounds per minute played than Bosh, and the same goes for blocks. He is tougher, and his shooting range is relatively short. It seems Coach Spoelstra changed the starting center to match Dallas’ tactical changes. The battle of wits between the two coaches will be worth watching!]

Coach Erik Spoelstra changed the starting lineup to counter Dallas’ tactical adjustments. In Game 1, Joel Anthony, known for his trap defense, started to disrupt Dallas’ Nowitzki-centric 2-2 pick-and-roll. However, Dallas reduced Nowitzki’s screen usage from Game 3, using Chandler as a screener to create spacing with Nowitzki. Spoelstra judged that Haslem was a more suitable matchup than Joel.

[In comparison, the Dallas Mavericks’ starting lineup remains the same. It’s hard to change the Dallas starting lineup! Starting with Jason Kidd, Youngjae Yoon, Shawn Marion, Dirk Nowitzki, and Tyson Chandler! If you had to change the lineup, it would be Yoon and Terry’s substitution, but then Kidd would have to bear the burden of guarding Wade for extended minutes. I think a lineup change mid-game is a better solution than changing the starting lineup.]

[That’s right. Jason Kidd, who best executes Dallas’ flow offense, Marion, the only one who can effectively guard LeBron, and Nowitzki and Chandler, the cornerstones of offense and defense, are indispensable in the starting lineup. The skill difference with the backup players is also significant.]

With enthusiastic commentary filling the arena, the players put in their final preparations and stepped onto the court. Dirk Nowitzki, his face set with determination, took out a bottle of water to clear his head, poured it over himself, and wiped it roughly with a towel.

“Let’s go.”

No long speeches were needed. With just Nowitzki’s two words, the players walked onto the court with determined expressions. With the away game stretch extending to Game 5, a loss today meant facing elimination on the road. Today’s game was virtually a do-or-die situation.

“I’ll check Nowitzki’s shooting touch in the beginning. There will be role changes depending on that. If Nowitzki’s touch isn’t good, you’ll have to play a bigger role today. The coach said so too.”

Youngjae quietly nodded, listening to Kidd speak with his hand covering his mouth. It would be a lie to say he didn’t feel burdened by the possibility of becoming the primary offensive option if Nowitzki struggled. However, he didn’t want to be the reason the team performed worse after he joined. This team was a championship contender before he arrived. His pride wouldn’t allow him to miss out on a championship after coming here. Youngjae confirmed his understanding with Kidd one last time and focused on the jump ball.

Beeeep!

[As expected, Tyson Chandler wins the jump ball. The Miami Heat likely accept this as inevitable due to the significant height difference.]

The ball that Chandler tapped landed directly into Youngjae’s hands. Youngjae, opting for a controlled start, safely passed the ball to Kidd rather than forcing a play from the beginning.

[Jason Kidd is slowly approaching the top of the key.]

[It would be a mistake to think Dallas’ tempo is slow just because they are moving deliberately. Dallas’ tempo is deceptively slow! It’s not slow just because there are many veteran players. The passes are crisp, and they capitalize without hesitation when they have an opening. You have to be locked in on defense!]

[Of course! The movements of those veterans are so smart that they can find a breakthrough in an instant!]

Whether Kidd heard the commentators or not, he glanced at Mike Bibby, who was guarding him, and subtly turned his head as if looking to the side.

*It’s coming.*

As soon as Kidd noticed Youngjae, who had been positioned far behind the right wing, begin his lightning-fast cut towards the high post, he fired a laser-like pass. Youngjae instantly penetrated from the high post to just in front of the baseline, catching the pass with his left hand. Dwyane Wade was caught off guard by Youngjae’s unpredictable off-ball movement, but he quickly recovered and trailed Youngjae closely.

[Youngjae Yoon breaks through to the baseline with tremendous speed! But Dwyane Wade is right behind him, marking Youngjae Yoon’s back!]

[They are both incredibly fast players! Youngjae Yoon quickly turns around, judging that a direct drive to the basket is too risky.]

Youngjae dribbled for a moment, surveying the court. He drew Wade’s attention while waiting for the promised play to develop. Just as Youngjae had penetrated with sudden speed, he needed another player to do the same.

[Do you see that! Chris Bosh loses track of Dirk Nowitzki for a split second! Anyone would be caught off guard when Dirk Nowitzki, who was just lingering, spins past Bosh with that kind of instantaneous move and penetrates the inside!]

[Youngjae Yoon! Passes in the direction of Dirk Nowitzki, who is cutting towards the opposite side of Nowitzki!!]

Dwyane Wade, flustered, reached out for the ball, but even with his lightning-fast reaction, the height difference made it a futile gesture.

Nowitzki showed no hesitation upon seeing Udonis Haslem rushing out to defend. His expression remained unchanged. He simply transitioned from a face-up position to a post-up, his body reacting instinctively. After backing down Udonis Haslem once, he executed a turnaround fadeaway jumper. Naturally, his right foot, not used as a pivot, was raised in a crane-like stance, making the shot virtually unblockable.

Swish-

[OH, OH!!! WHAT A GORGEOUS FADEAWAY!!!]

[This is what makes Dallas scary. This is Dirk Nowitzki! Isn’t that a really amazing fadeaway?!]

============================ Author’s Note ============================

★Thank you to those who gave advance reservations, recommendations, comments, and coupons!!

＠Game 4 is often referred to as Nowitzki’s flu game. This later led to the LeBron and Wade mockery incident. It’s hard to move with a high fever of 102 degrees Fahrenheit (39 degrees Celsius), but it was amazing and questionable that he could play such a game.

＠Reggie Miller is the franchise star of Indiana and the best 3-point shooter of all time, ranking first in career 3-point makes until Ray Allen broke the record in 2011. He is also the player who created the term “Miller Time” by hitting numerous clutch shots. Chris Webber was a member of the Millennium Kings in the early 2000s and was one of the top 3 power forwards along with Duncan and Garnett. However, as his form declined due to injuries, the top 3 power forwards were reorganized into Duncan-Garnett-Nowitzki from the mid-2000s.

Helic, TaylorSwift, ㅎ0ㅎ, Crayons/// I will answer comprehensively. As Crayons said, it is difficult to improve physical fitness during the season except for height growth. In most cases, if a player who plays a full season as a starter tries to make physical changes such as bulking up, he will fail. That’s why in baseball and soccer, players who need to improve their physical fitness are sent to the minor leagues. They tell them to go and build their bodies. And in the previous episode, Youngjae was a bit arrogant about the help defense part? So he thought he could block it himself and blocked it, but he failed by being pushed over. So, instead of trying to block it alone, he changed to a method of enduring in a way that allows help defense with Marion or Chandler. In other words, even if he is broken through, he induces it in a direction that is easy for Marion or Chandler to block. This method cannot be used unless the player has good BQ [Basketball Quotient – basketball IQ]. It’s not like he blocks everything, but he’s blocking better than in Game 1. Wade is not a class that can be locked down.

Brilliant Legacy, Financia, Omarion, -DarkANGEL-, CountOfDark/// Thank you for your comments today. Have a good week!!

goimosp///Thank you. Next year, my technique and physical fitness should improve more and more ㅎㅎ

Ultra10///It was too long to include up to Game 3. I just put that they lost.

Eunsang/// Thank you for the coupon!!