Y13 [EN]: Chapter 289

The Dallas Mavericks once again widened the gap to 5 points in an instant. However, Youngjae, who had been unceremoniously dumped onto the court, was so exhausted he could barely pick himself up.

“Are you okay?”

“Ugh… I’m fine. I’m a little shaken up, but I can handle this.”

Dirk Nowitzki helped him up, and Youngjae took his hand and stood. He felt no pain, but the fatigue was considerable. He had only played for about 30 minutes, but Youngjae felt even more drained than when he played his season average of 35 minutes. All to hold Dwyane Wade to just 18 points. He moved much more, and his movements were bigger.

Coach Carlisle was troubled by the unexpected situation. He had been carefully managing Youngjae’s playing time to ensure he could be deployed in the clutch [the crucial final moments of a game].

In the NBA, a full timeout (60 seconds) can be called 6 times in each half, and a 20-second timeout can be called once in each half. A minimum of 2 timeouts had to be called in the 1st and 3rd quarters, and 3 timeouts in the 2nd and 4th quarters. Advertising during timeouts was a major business for the NBA, so there were even official timeouts called at the referees’ discretion if teams didn’t use them.

‘We’ve used one timeout, and Miami has used two. That leaves us with only two full timeouts. And we need to use one more within 3 minutes. Otherwise, it’ll switch to a 20-second timeout. We need to use timeouts as much as possible for rest. To time Yoon’s re-entry, we need a foul or a timeout, but will that happen…’

After much deliberation, Coach Carlisle spoke.

‘I can’t take Yoon out now.’

In the end, Coach Carlisle decided to keep Youngjae on the court after hearing that Youngjae himself said he had no problems playing and that trainer Smith also said there would be no issues with him playing for the remaining time.

[Well, the Dallas Mavericks used their last timeout quite early!]

[The game has been so close that Coach Carlisle had no choice but to keep calling plays.]

Youngjae, who came back onto the court, could feel his stamina returning slightly, but the same was true for the opponent. Moreover, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, known as physical specimens, would recover even faster than Youngjae and put on a fearsome performance.

“Alright! Let’s stop one possession!”

At the shout of Tyson Chandler, the vocal leader, the players seemed to agree, lowering their stances and glaring at their respective matchups.

[Mario Chalmers to Dwyane Wade. Wade to Battier, Battier back to Wade.]

Miami passed the ball quickly from the top to the right wing, back and forth, as if trying to kill time.

[Wade to Chalmers. Chalmers now to LeBron James on the opposite side.]

[The Miami Heat are moving the ball quickly. They seem to be gauging the timing and position to start their attack. The players’ positions are shifting as the ball rotates.]

The moment LeBron James grabbed the ball, Wade began to rush towards the rim with a speed and power that made one wonder where he was getting his energy from.

‘?!’

Youngjae noticed what he was trying to do and looked towards the basket. However, Chandler was already out on the perimeter to guard Bosh, who was moving in the high post. In the paint, only Nowitzki was following Battier, who was leisurely running in and settling into position.

“Nowitzki!!!”

Youngjae shouted at the top of his lungs. Nowitzki, who was watching the ball with his body turned towards LeBron, was startled by Youngjae’s shout, and Wade glanced at Youngjae, who was following behind him, with an annoyed look.

*Thwack!*

Wade subtly pushed his left arm into Youngjae’s chest to shake him off. Youngjae cursed under his breath but didn’t just stand there and take it.

*Thwack!!*

This time, Youngjae forced his right arm under Wade’s left arm. Wade cursed and jumped up with tremendous elasticity.

“Ugh!!”

Wade and Youngjae jumped up almost as one, entangled with each other, and Nowitzki, who was facing Wade head-on, also jumped up with all his might.

‘Too low!’

*Whoosh!*

[LeBron James!!! TO Dwyane Wade!!!]

[Youngjae Yoon noticed and stuck with him to the end!!]

However, Youngjae’s expression was one of utter dismay. He had only managed to stick with him, and Wade’s peak was more than half a head taller than Youngjae’s.

“Keuk!!”

In the end, Youngjae lost the height battle and landed on the ground, barely avoiding a fall.

*Thud!!!*

[RAB KING! SLAM FLASH!!!]

[LeBron James’s lob pass! And Dwyane Wade finishes with an alley-oop slam! Nowitzki and Youngjae Yoon were not a good combination against such tremendous physical conditions!]

[Youngjae Yoon’s amazing vision and defensive sense, noticing to the end and sticking with him, deserve high praise, but the gap in Dwyane Wade’s natural athleticism cannot be overcome!]

Frustrated, Youngjae slammed the court with his right hand and stood up. He glanced up at the scoreboard and made a bad face, and the other players had the same expression.

[If this happens, we don’t know how the game will turn out! Only 60 seconds left! The score is tied at 105 to 105!]

[If the Dallas Mavericks lose Game 1 at home, the shock will be considerable! They need to win this game to gain an advantage in the Finals!]

[Result-oriented, but because they used all their timeouts, they have no choice but to leave it to the players now. They can give instructions from the sideline, but they can’t draw up a grand strategy, and they can’t change the momentum through rest.]

The situation was not good. It was a game they had to win, but the game was close, and the momentum had subtly shifted. Some of the players were not in good condition, and the Miami players were burning with fighting spirit.

For Dallas, Terry, Kidd, and Parsons’ shooting touch was disappointing, but not all Miami players had a good shooting touch either.

‘It’s not right to blame anyone for the game’s outcome.’

But Youngjae thought that was just making excuses. Condition is always fluctuating. In the first place, shooting touch, which is mainly jump shots rather than inside attacks, is not something that even legendary players can control at will. Similarly, there are days when dribbling and passing go well, and days when they don’t. There’s a reason why there are records like scoring a certain number of points, shooting a certain percentage, or getting a certain number of assists over several games.

“Let’s focus step by step, one by one!!”

At Youngjae’s shout, the players began to move organically, watching Youngjae’s signals. The Dallas players, who were a little more tired than the Miami players, began to exert their last bit of strength.

Youngjae, who had dribbled the ball to the top, moved quickly to the left with Nowitzki’s screen, and Wade was blocked by Nowitzki and momentarily lost Youngjae.

[Dirk Nowitzki’s screen! Wade shook him off, but Shane Battier is standing in front of him!]

Youngjae knew that Battier’s man-to-man defense was solid. That’s why, after confirming Chandler’s figure sneaking behind Battier, Youngjae threw the ball without hesitation with a high overpass near the low post.

*Thud!*

[Nice pass!]

Bosh and Battier’s signals didn’t match, and for a moment, the presence of Nowitzki standing at the top could not be ignored. Moreover, in the 4th quarter, in the clutch time. No one would leave the formidable Dirk Nowitzki, who could hit 3-pointers in such a situation.

*Thwack!!!*

“Woo-hoo!!!”

[Dirk Nowitzki, Youngjae Yoon, and Tyson Chandler’s amazing teamwork shines!]

[Dirk Nowitzki’s veteran skill in riding the screen, slipping out to the top, and reminding the players of the importance of being alert, Youngjae Yoon’s ability to find Tyson Chandler passing leisurely behind Battier and deliver an amazing pass! And Tyson Chandler’s powerful two-handed slam! It’s really amazing!]

[With this, Youngjae Yoon records 24 points, 10 assists, and 3 steals today! He’s showing the best performance among the Dallas players. If you look at the individual records alone, you can say that he won the matchup with Wade today. All that remains is who will win in the team vs. team battle.]

There were 45 seconds left. If they could hold on for 45 seconds, they would definitely have a chance of winning. But Youngjae’s breath was getting rougher and rougher, and as each second passed, a tremendous sense of fatigue washed over his body as if he had been soaked in water.

[Mario Chalmers, as soon as he catches the ball, rushes in with his last bit of strength!]

The Miami Heat, who had raised the tempo to the fullest. Starting with Chalmers, Wade, LeBron, Battier, and Bosh all began to move tenaciously. They tried to create space by setting off-screens and moving around the perimeter, and the Dallas players followed with all their might.

“Defend!!!”

At Chandler’s desperate shout, the Dallas players gritted their teeth.

Sean Marion, who was guarding LeBron James, was determined to defend with a resolute expression. Even if he was disgraced, he would grab LeBron’s feet and stop him.

“…”

*Whoosh-*

[LeBron James to Mario Chalmers on the left side. Jason Terry is blocking him.]

At that moment, LeBron James slowly moved into the high post, and Marion and Terry momentarily lost LeBron and double-teamed Chalmers, who was moving to the wing.

*Whoosh-*

“?!”

[Mario Chalmers! Nice bounce pass!]

A bounce pass that split the double team reached LeBron James. Because of Battier and Bosh’s outside shooting ability, Chandler was guarding the high post, and Nowitzki was guarding Battier, so there was no one in the paint.

‘He’s going!’

[There’s no one there! No one in the paint…!!]

LeBron rushed in with tremendous speed, but the moment he saw a player blocking his path, he made a bewildered expression as if he hadn’t expected it.

*Thwack!!*

Perhaps because of that, LeBron James rushed in even more forcefully and contested in the air. Of course, with Youngjae’s physique, he couldn’t stop LeBron James’s tank-like breakthrough. It would be fortunate if he didn’t get torn like paper or bounce away like a rubber ball.

“Keok!!!”

*Thud!!!*

*Beeeep!*

The whistle was blown. And just before he was about to fall from LeBron’s shoulder strength, Youngjae stretched out his right hand and barely landed on the court, hitting the ball along with LeBron’s hand.

[Shooting foul!]

[Fortunately, it didn’t result in an and-one! Youngjae Yoon couldn’t overcome the difference in strength, but at least he didn’t give up an and-one opportunity! LeBron James’s free throws are not something Miami wants to see. In this situation, a shooting foul is an unwanted result for LeBron.]

But fortunately for Miami, LeBron James didn’t miss the clutch free throws. When both went in, the score was 107 to 107. With 35 seconds left and no timeouts, Dallas had to go all in.

*Thump- Thump-*

With 35 seconds left, Dallas’s attack. Here, Dallas had two options. Try to attack quickly, then block the opponent’s attack once, and then attack again, so that they would have two possessions and the opponent would have one. However, this method required the first early offense to succeed, and if there were no timeouts, they would have to start from their baseline, so there was a weakness that the time they could use in the second possession was too short. In other words, it was a pity for Dallas, who had not left a timeout.

The second option was to safely use the maximum attack time and block the opponent’s last attack since there was no timeout. It wasn’t a particularly advantageous option compared to the opponent, but in a situation where there was no timeout, it wasn’t easy to finish two possessions within 10 to 15 seconds. Moreover, it wasn’t a situation where all the players shared how, where, and when to move in the attack.

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

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

Joshiker-nim/// Thank you for the quick comment^^

GodTenFlower-nim/// We enjoy writing because you enjoy reading it hehe.

Shizukartel-nim/// lol I thought it was an appropriate timing in my own way.

BlackMoonHwaya-nim/// The salary rules are so complicated and difficult lol. I only knew the basics until less than 2 years ago when I learned the details. Youngjae is doing that much during his rookie contract period, so the team should take advantage of it at this time. Using a player who can compete for MVP during his rookie contract period means that there is that much salary leeway.

SilverTurtle-nim/// We are creating a roster considering salary, era, and realistic plans. We are going in a practical direction rather than name value.

CountOfDark-nim, VanishingSoul-nim/// Thank you for the comments!!

Grandline-nim/// Haha… Kawhi’s pick was too high, so I couldn’t help it. There was no way for Dallas to get the 15th pick. So back to the rivalry lol

goimosp-nim/// Yes. Youngjae’s maximum is 94.5 or 97 in various places. The salary cap when measuring the maximum is about 2.5% lower than the salary cap when signing a FA [Free Agent]. I think it’s because of that difference…

Yabes-nim/// Ah, I was mistaken. It was Toronto. I only saw the highlights of that game, but I wouldn’t say the defense was very good. As you said, it wasn’t an automatic door. It’s a pity that I couldn’t see the expressions of the Toronto players because of the image quality hehe.

Ultra10-nim/// Hard carrying every game doesn’t make sense, but that’s why the games I describe have to be strong, whether in a good way or a bad way, so that readers can enjoy them.