Y13 [EN]: Chapter 158

Y13-158 (158/296)

00158 2010-2011 Finals =========================================================================

Youngjae’s unbelievable reverse double-clutch shot went in, and he cleanly made the ensuing free throw. Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, and Reggie Miller, commentating on the national broadcast, tried to remain neutral, but their excitement was palpable. The tens of thousands of fans at the American Airlines Center were roaring at a deafening level.

Eighteen points in just sixteen minutes. The score widened to 38-28. Coach Carlisle, seeing the comfortable lead, began managing his players’ stamina by substituting those who had played heavy minutes, which coincided with Chandler’s foul trouble. It was also necessary to sub Chandler out to prevent further fouls.

“Barea, Brewer, Nowitzki, Mahinmi, get ready to go in.”

Youngjae was replaced by Barea. Marion and Chandler, who had played almost continuously for sixteen minutes, were also substituted. Brian Cardinal, Nowitzki’s backup who rarely saw significant playing time, not only provided Nowitzki with rest but also effectively spaced the floor, fulfilling his role.

Brandon Haywood, still suffering from the aftereffects of an injury sustained during the Finals, was excluded from today’s active roster, leaving Mahinmi as Chandler’s sole backup. Dallas only had stretch power forwards who couldn’t play center effectively. Ian Mahinmi played about five minutes in Game 5, scoring three points, grabbing two rebounds, and making one of one free throws, a decent performance. However, having only two available centers could be a critical weakness.

Miami focused on exploiting this weakness, forcing Tyson Chandler to the bench with three fouls early in the second quarter. Mahinmi, the only backup, was weak in screen setting and prone to fouls, so Chandler tried to manage his fouls, but Miami relentlessly attacked him with drives, making it difficult.

“Chandler, the opponent is thoroughly targeting you, taking advantage of Haywood’s absence. Whether they make the shot or not, they’re focusing all their energy on drawing fouls on you. For now, take a rest. From now on, even if you have to concede some attacks, defend softly and focus on managing your fouls. As you know, Mahinmi struggles with foul management. They’re probably trying to get both you and Mahinmi into foul trouble to force us to use Nowitzki as a center.”

Chandler agreed, stating he would focus on managing his fouls. If he could manage his fouls, he could play for more than thirty-five minutes. Carlisle also emphasized foul management to Mahinmi.

“Mahinmi, the most important thing for you today is foul management. You know your foul rate is very high. We only have two centers on our team today. If you play as you usually do, we might have to play without a center for a significant period. Always keep that in mind.”

“Yes!”

Mahinmi answered with determination. As the timeout ended, the players regrouped and returned to the court.

[The Miami Heat are desperate! To close the ten-point gap, they’re bringing Dwyane Wade, who was resting, back into the game, activating the Big 3 again!]

[It’s an unavoidable choice. LeBron James, who leads the team, is indispensable, and Dwyane Wade doesn’t have a reliable backup. Besides, Chris Bosh has the best shooting touch on the team today, so they can’t afford to take him out! Miami has to win today’s game; these players have to play heavy minutes. It’s either this game or the next one is the last!]

[So, the Dallas lineup is J.J. Barea – Jason Terry – Corey Brewer – Dirk Nowitzki – Ian Mahinmi, and the Miami Heat lineup is Eddie House – Dwyane Wade – LeBron James – Chris Bosh – Udonis Haslem! Because Bibby showed defensive liabilities, Eddie House, who hasn’t received much playing time, is being used as Chalmers’ backup in today’s game.]

Youngjae sat on the bench, catching his breath, wiping sweat with a dry towel, and putting on his jersey. He didn’t want his warmed-up muscles to cool down. He drank plenty of the sports drink the coaches provided, replenishing fluids and calming his ragged breathing.

“Hey, you’re in complete beast mode today, aren’t you?”

Brian Cardinal, who had been substituted after playing a few minutes alongside Youngjae, nudged him with his elbow, praising his performance. Youngjae waved his hand, dismissing the compliment.

“What do you mean, no? Seriously! Today, everything you shoot goes in, and your passes are incredible. I don’t think I could play like that even if you told me to!”

Chandler, looking slightly disappointed due to his foul trouble, joined the conversation between Cardinal and Youngjae, perhaps to lighten his mood, throwing in a joke.

“Well, I know it too. When else would I play like this if not at my age? It must be a distant memory for you two… Ouch!”

Cardinal and Chandler playfully punched Youngjae’s side with annoyed expressions, and Youngjae pretended to be dying.

“By the way, did she come again today?”

Youngjae, noticing Cardinal and Chandler glancing back, turned slightly. Behind the bench, Emily, Steve, Lauren, and Melly were watching the game from seats a little closer than usual. Behind them, David and his family were waving balloons with excited expressions, having spotted Youngjae.

“…”

Youngjae’s eyes met Emily’s, and she shyly gave him a thumbs up, indicating he had played well. Youngjae nodded slightly in response, trying not to make it obvious, and turned his head back as if nothing had happened.

“She’s here.”

Cardinal and Chandler were taken aback by Youngjae’s cool response, as if it were nothing special, like a nonchalant bad boy.

“It’s obvious to anyone that you’re head over heels for Emily, why are you acting so cool?”

“You must have asked her to come to today’s game. Isn’t it obvious?”

Youngjae looked at Cardinal and Chandler, who continued to tease him, with an embarrassed expression, and quickly changed the subject.

“Ah, what are you doing! It’s Game 6 of the Finals, a game that could be the last! We need to focus on the game! The game!”

[The second quarter is coming to an end! Dallas is still in the lead, but the Miami Heat are fighting back and closing the gap while Tyson Chandler and Shawn Marion are out!]

[All four of Dallas’s strong defensive players—Kidd, Yoon, Marion, and Chandler—are not on the court. Brewer is the only defensive player among the five currently playing, but he can’t handle LeBron’s physicality. Marion and Kidd are the only ones who can effectively contain LeBron. Without them, it’s becoming LeBron’s playground.]

Youngjae, along with Cardinal and Chandler, watched the game with anxious expressions. The ten-point lead, 38-28, had narrowed to five points in just seven minutes. The newly entered players were putting up a good fight on offense, but the defense wasn’t holding up well. If the offense hadn’t been effective, Miami could have taken the lead. It was a clear demonstration of how desperate a team on the brink could be.

[Jason Terry, two players are sticking to him at the top of the key!]

Terry jumped high, as if attempting a reckless shot. Terry had been one of the league’s leading sixth men, along with Manu Ginobili, for years. Because of that reputation, the defenders couldn’t help but be nervous about each of his shot fakes. Even Chris Bosh, who came forward, was fooled by Terry’s pump fake.

Whoosh-

[As expected, Terry! He’s incredibly experienced! Pretending to shoot, he passes to Ian Mahinmi, who is cutting into the empty paint as Chris Bosh steps out!]

[Ian Mahinmi! He’s attempting a safe baby hook!]

Mahinmi chose the safest option he could. Get as close to the rim as possible and make a safe baby hook. But the problem was that the best option was too predictable.

Wham!!!

[Udonis Haslem! He’s a heart-and-soul player for the Miami Heat!]

[He may have some shortcomings on offense, but his defense is legitimate! Despite the significant height difference, he uses his incredible leaping ability to swat Ian Mahinmi’s baby hook!]

After that block, Dallas couldn’t stop Miami’s lightning-fast counterattack, and the score was eventually tied at 49-46, a three-point difference. Coach Carlisle called a twenty-second timeout and substituted the players again.

[Dallas’s momentum has waned. Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry have performed decently on both offense and defense, but Ian Mahinmi’s foul management has been poor, and Brewer seems to be struggling to contain LeBron. The offense was okay, but the lead has narrowed from ten points to three points due to defensive issues.]

Youngjae, who came back onto the court, felt less fatigued than before, perhaps because he had rested for a while. Only three minutes remained until the end of the second quarter. They had to regain momentum within those three minutes to put more pressure on Miami in the second half.

Thump thump-

[The Miami Heat are bringing in Mario Chalmers again!]

[Mario Chalmers’ performance today is quite good. His performance has been improving steadily since Game 4, and in the last Game 5, he recorded fifteen points, four rebounds, and two assists in twenty-two minutes, contributing to the team even though they lost. Today, he’s also showing a decent performance with six points, one rebound, and two assists in twelve minutes.]

[Eddie House is playing well with good outside shots, but he’s thirty-three years old and has defensive weaknesses, so it’s difficult to use him for extended minutes. And Dallas has now activated their starting lineup again, right? Jason Kidd and Youngjae Yoon, Shawn Marion and Dirk Nowitzki, and finally Tyson Chandler at center. This could be a pivotal moment in this game!]

[It’s Dallas’s strongest lineup and closing lineup. Dallas has never had a negative net rating during the time they played with this lineup in the regular season and playoffs. This season, it’s the number one lineup in the league in terms of net rating per minute among five-man lineups. It’s the lineup that is responsible for the start of the game, the end of the second quarter, and the end of the fourth quarter.]

As soon as the enthusiastic commentary ended, Youngjae displayed some flair in front of Dwyane Wade, who was guarding him, and safely passed the ball to Nowitzki, who was penetrating to the high post. Even though Nowitzki’s shooting touch wasn’t as sharp as it had been at the beginning, Miami’s primary defensive focus remained on Nowitzki.

“Defend!”

Chris Bosh and LeBron James swarmed Nowitzki. But Nowitzki wasn’t flustered at all and lightly flicked the ball forward with his right hand. The bounce pass, which slipped between Chris Bosh’s legs with a thump, accurately landed in the hands of Tyson Chandler, who was driving to the basket like a tank, even with Udonis Haslem in front of him.

Wham!!!

Chandler slammed a two-handed dunk over Udonis Haslem, perhaps fueled by the memory of Ian Mahinmi’s humiliating block earlier. Haslem was pushed back by the tremendous force and had no choice but to fall on his butt. Chandler hung on the rim for a moment, looking down at Haslem before landing.

[WONDERFUL SLAM!!!]

[That’s it! That’s it! Should we call it Yoon to Nowitzki to Chandler? The connection pass and the great dunk from the three players! It’s a team with the power to corner Miami, the strongest team that makes up the Big 3!]

[It’s a play that showcases the outstanding basketball IQ of each player.]

Udonis Haslem frowned and glared at Chandler, and his anger was directed at Youngjae, who had just re-entered the game. The starting point of the attack, the rookie who had snatched back the momentum. He wasn’t cocky, but that’s precisely what made him more annoying and irritating, like a curse.

“Let’s catch up again!”

Udonis Haslem suppressed his annoyance and encouraged his teammates. As the captain, it was Udonis Haslem’s responsibility to soothe the players’ feelings and get them back on track.

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

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

＠As many of you have said, there are so many hardworking geniuses these days. Now that scientific and statistical training methods have developed and systematic training has been done since childhood, even a genius of the century cannot reach the All-Star level if he does not work hard. I have a slightly underdog tendency, so the sports teams I like are also teams that are somewhat lacking. Most of them have won once in decades or have not yet won. So, I tend to like players outside the lottery pick or 2nd round stars. My younger brother likes even more underdog teams than me… I’ll skip the details ㅋㅋ

Lafirandjint/// Haha… Please wait for the announcement after the game~

ㅎ0ㅎ, 가연을이/// Oh, I’m sorry. My eyes are sore and stiff, so I can’t look at the computer screen for a long time.

anwkdk, huhcafe/// That’s right. These days, even hardworking talents are ambiguous. It’s even harder to keep up with hardworking geniuses because they are systematic and focused from an early age. It seems to be the same not only in sports but also in studies and art.

Omen/// A triple double is a bit difficult ㅠ.ㅠ Because I’m not in charge of rebounding…

성주성표동생들/// Um, it’s a bit ambiguous. LeBron is in the West… This is just my personal opinion. Personally, I think he would have won more, but he would have made fewer Finals appearances. Since LeBron’s debut, the East has been terrible. If you break through the West and go to the Finals, it’s as good as winning. Except for the Big 3’s Miami, only Garnett, Pierce, and Allen’s Boston, and Wade’s Miami have won. The Lakers had Kobe… If LeBron was in Phoenix, Dallas, or San Antonio, he could have won at least 4-5 times. I’m excluding the other teams because they haven’t consistently made the playoffs.

파이넨시아, 친, CountOfDark, 사라질영혼, 개구리파워, fiello, 오마리온/// Thank you for your comments!!

파니사랑교/// The main character is Super Powell!!

anguqwhdk/// There’s a pretty famous saying that a crazy player has to come out to win a short-term playoff ㅎㅎ. Like Nowitzki in the championship season, or Iguodala this season.

goimosp/// That’s why I like lower pick stars ㅋㅋ. Especially in the NBA, I like all the players who were drafted in the 2nd round and became All-Stars. Monta Ellis, Goran Dragic, Marc Gasol, Paul Millsap, Isaiah Thomas, etc.

울트라10/// I have all the off-season plans in terms of sports. Please watch the unfolding storyㅎㅎ