Y13 [EN]: Chapter 293

24 to 22. Dallas spared no effort to maintain their 2-point lead, and the Miami Heat began to relentlessly attack, trying to close that gap.

DEFENSE!!

[The Dallas home fans’ unified defense chant! It shows just how intense the game is!]

[Since both sides are locked in an intense back-and-forth, the home fans are chanting even more enthusiastically! It seems they’re trying to energize the players!]

Dallas and Miami fought a close battle from the first quarter into the second. The largest lead was only a 6-point difference, highlighting the fierce competition in the first half.

[The score is 48 to 49, with the Miami Heat leading by 1 point! With 11 seconds left in the second quarter, it’s the Miami Heat’s possession! This will be the last play of the first half, right?]

[Dallas’s last possession was really unlucky! If that shot had gone in, they could have retaken the lead. Jason Terry drove with a great move and shot a mid-range pull-up jumper, but it hit the rim and bounced out! They were lucky the ball bounced out behind the backboard.]

Whoosh-

Shane Battier quickly passed the ball. Wade, receiving the pass, dashed like a whirlwind from the top of the key to the low post without hesitation.

[FLASH!!! The Fastest Basketball Player Ever!!!]

[Wade is showing the speed that lives up to his nickname!!]

Tap- tap!

[But Youngjae Yoon is no pushover! He sticks to Wade tenaciously, preventing him from penetrating the paint!]

Having some stamina in reserve, Youngjae focused on preventing Wade from driving inside rather than trying to block his shot. Wade’s pull-up jumper wasn’t his most reliable offensive weapon.

[Dwyane Wade! Penetrating with his right shoulder and dribbling with his left hand!]

[It’s a smart move to protect the ball from Youngjae Yoon, who’s known for his excellent steals!]

Eventually, Youngjae was pushed back by Wade’s strength and speed. Wade managed to get past Youngjae with a powerful drive.

‘Nice!’

Youngjae reacted a split-second late, and he glared at the ball in Wade’s hands, determined not to let him score easily.

Thwack!!

[STEAL!!!!]

Youngjae, trailing closely, targeted Wade’s left hand and swiped his right hand like a claw from behind, stealing the ball.

[An amazing steal by Y13, the ball thief who deserves to be called a master! He turned a missed opportunity into a chance and ripped the ball away!]

With 2.5 seconds left, Youngjae, standing on the left wing, passed the ball with all his might to Jason Terry, who had already anticipated Youngjae’s steal and was sprinting forward.

“Block him!!”

Mario Chalmers, who had momentarily lost track of Terry, rushed over in a panic, but Terry had already jumped right in front of the half-court line and launched the ball with all his strength, putting everything he had into the shot.

Beeeep!!!

Thud!!!

The ball slammed against the backboard.

Swish!!!

[BAAAAAAANG!!!!!]

[J.E.T. IGNITES THE ENGINE!!!!!]

Wowwwww!!!!!

J! E! T!

The cheers of the home fans, who were in a frenzy that drowned out the buzzer, and the fantastic celebration of Jason Terry, who spread his arms like wings and sprinted forward, were incredible. Even Youngjae, who had the assist, couldn’t contain his excitement and rushed to meet Terry.

[He’s finally starting the engine! Jason Terry! Like a bomber, he launches an amazing half-court buzzer-beater that explodes in the Miami Heat’s face!!!]

[It’s as if the devil Terry, who tormented Miami last season, has been resurrected. He makes up for missing that mid-range jumper.]

With Terry’s buzzer-beater, the score is 51 to 49. They regained a 2-point lead, but Coach Carlisle’s expression as he looked at the players still showed a strange mix of tension and seriousness.

“Good job.”

The players, still buzzing from the excitement, were talking about the buzzer-beater, but Coach Carlisle remained focused. As the players entered the locker room, Coach Carlisle started by praising them before getting to the main point.

“In the last, fleeting moment, we almost lost the lead. If it weren’t for Yoon’s steal and Terry’s big shot, we would have been the ones chasing in the second half. That 3-pointer went in, but we can’t rely on luck.”

The pressure of Game 7 of the Finals was immense. Moreover, their opponent was the Miami Heat, hungry for revenge. If they faltered for even a moment, a comeback was possible. In fact, if they had failed to score on the possession before the steal, and the buzzer-beater hadn’t gone in, they might not have been able to regain the lead so easily.

“We need to be more aggressive. I can see that your confidence is down, and you’re hesitating.”

Coach Carlisle pushed the players hard, knowing it was the last game. He wanted to cut through all the excitement. It was that important of a stage, and while he was proud of the players for making it this far, he didn’t want them to fall short in the final game.

“Are we enjoying the game right now? We can’t take it easy. Every round, every game gets harder. We’re desperate, but so is the opponent. Maybe their desperation is even greater than ours. What about you guys? Have you become complacent because you’re thinking about last year’s championship?”

……

The players were silent, listening to Coach Carlisle.

“Winning once isn’t a bad career. But have you thought about why the club kept the roster together as much as possible? It’s because they believed this team could win more than one championship. Are you satisfied with just one?”

“No!!”

Coach Carlisle nodded, acknowledging the players’ loud response. Some might criticize him for being harsh, especially after a buzzer-beater and with the team’s momentum seemingly high. But Coach Carlisle had no hesitation or regret about his words and actions.

“It’s only going to get harder. Have confidence in your drives, passes, and shots. The fans, me, our coaching staff, and you yourselves want to see the crazy, wild horses running free, not scared and timid players!”

“Yes!!!”

Halftime was more than just a time for motivation. Coach Carlisle reinforced the players’ mental fortitude and then reviewed the first half, strategizing with the players and coaches.

“Yoon, Nowitzki, in the second half…”

That’s how Coach Carlisle spent halftime, briefing the players on their strategy for the second half.

The two teams’ showdown was a true clash of titans. Dallas’s powerful starting lineup of Kidd, Youngjae, Marion, Nowitzki, and Chandler held their own against Miami’s Big 3 of Wade, LeBron, and Bosh. However, the gap between the two teams was widening in the match-up between the bench players.

[Norris Cole! He’s not performing well against J.J. Barea!]

Norris Cole, a rookie drafted this season, lacked experience in such high-stakes games. With Chalmers struggling in the Finals, Cole’s playing time had increased. In contrast, Barea, an undrafted player [a player who was not drafted in the 1st and 2nd rounds of the NBA rookie draft] who started in the D-League [NBA G League, the NBA’s official minor league] and played a key role in winning the championship last season, was dominating Norris Cole, a veteran who had overcome many hardships.

[It’s a disappointing situation for the Miami Heat. The productivity of players other than the starting five is too low. No matter how much a team relies on its starters in a short series, and how influential the star players are, no one can play all 48 minutes, and the bench isn’t filling the gap. In particular, the slump of Mike Miller, a key sixth man, is hurting them.]

Before long, the score was 75 to 74. In a game with constant lead changes, Norris Cole lofted a high pass to Bosh, who was sneaking behind Barea.

[Tyson Chandler is guarding Chris Bosh.]

[It’s no exaggeration to say that Tyson Chandler is the defensive anchor of Dallas. He’s also proven his durability by playing 70 games or more for two consecutive years, dispelling concerns about him being injury-prone. His mobility is also good for his size, making him perfect as the anchor of Dallas’s fluid defensive scheme!]

Bosh knew that Chandler was a tough matchup for a one-on-one situation. LeBron on the right wing was at risk of having the pass intercepted by Marion’s tight defense. Miller and Jones, good three-point shooters, were on either side, but Youngjae and Parsons were ready to defend at any moment.

Tadat!

[Norris Cole! He drives towards the rim past Bosh! Barea is chasing him! Backdoor cut!]

As Barea cut off the passing lane by sticking to Cole, Bosh found himself in a difficult situation.

“…”

In the end, Bosh looked at Chandler, who was giving him some space, took a few jab steps with his right foot, and suddenly jumped.

“?!”

[Chris Bosh! Jumper!]

Chandler looked surprised, perhaps because he didn’t expect Bosh to shoot a jumper in that situation, even though he was prepared for it. The ball didn’t touch his hand, and the players, including Youngjae and Parsons, boxed out as soon as the shot went up, while Chandler charged towards the rim, preparing for the rebound.

‘Please, please!’

The three players looking up at the rim fought for position, hoping that Bosh’s jumper wouldn’t go in.

Whoosh-

[Ah! Chris Bosh’s long two-pointer hits the rim and bounces behind the basket!]

[He shot a jumper, creating a little space because he didn’t have a good passing option, but it unfortunately didn’t go in. It seemed like Miami’s momentum had stalled because the players were tired.]

Chandler grabbed the rebound and passed the ball to Barea, who slowly dribbled past the half-court line, signaling to his teammates to slow down the offense.

[Dallas is slowing down the tempo again. If they can’t get a fast break, there’s no reason to force an up-tempo game against Miami.]

After crossing the half-court line, Barea held the ball far behind the three-point line, and Norris Cole lowered his body in front of him, guarding him closely.

“Hey!”

Tung!

At that moment, Youngjae, who had been moving in the high post, sprinted towards the top of the key, raising his hand. Barea threw a perfect bounce pass, as if he had seen Youngjae’s movement all along, and Youngjae glanced at Marion, who was setting a screen to clear his path, as soon as he caught the ball.

Tudung!!

“Ugh!!”

[Nice screen by Sean Marion! And a great drive by Youngjae Yoon!]

[It’s a collaboration between Barea, Youngjae Yoon, and Sean Marion! How can the teamwork of these three players be so perfect in such a short moment!]

Youngjae drove forward, easily shaking off Mike Miller, who stumbled on Marion’s screen.

Puck!

“…”

But LeBron James’s defensive ability, who was guarding Marion, was beyond imagination. The power he used to instantly switch onto Youngjae was immense, making it difficult for Youngjae to maintain his balance.

[The cursed guard faces the King! Will the curse of Y13 befall the King?]

Youngjae drove to the high post, taking two more steps forward to gain speed. But trying to push past LeBron was impossible. Youngjae created distance between himself and LeBron, using his right foot to absorb the impact and take his second step.

“I know it!!”

LeBron immediately reacted to Youngjae’s step-back, shouting with the bitterness of last year’s defeat. But Youngjae’s expression showed no sign of panic or dismay.

“Oh, really?”

Whoosh!

The ball soared incredibly high. LeBron’s eyes widened, realizing it too late, and there was nothing he could do but watch the ball float towards the rim.

Kwaaaaang!!!!!

“Uwoooooaaa!!!”

Sean Marion, reminiscent of the Hulk, caught the alley-oop with two hands, shaking the rim violently! The 20,000 fans erupted, chanting Sean Marion’s name, stomping their feet, and captivated by the moment.

[BAAAANG!!!!]

[MATRIX AGAIN!!!]

[It’s Sean Marion again! He slams home Youngjae Yoon’s slightly long alley-oop pass with a sensational cut and incredible athleticism. Youngjae Yoon threw a perfect pass that Marion could catch, even though alley-oop passes aren’t easy.]

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

★ Thanks to everyone who favorited, recommended, commented, and gave coupons!

@I originally planned to write until the offseason, but the timing is awkward, so it seems better to write after I return. The Olympics are in the middle, but I plan to skip over them lightly, and even then, it will take more than 15 chapters. I’m leaving on January 25th and returning on July 2nd. I’ve increased the number of playoff chapters a bit from what I originally planned, and I’ve taken a few days off due to a slump and illness, so the timing is awkward. I’ll finish the synopsis and write the offseason later. I don’t think I can write four or five offseason chapters before I leave.

Yabes-nim/// I think I’ll be back around July 2nd. I’m going to travel and rest with a friend for a few days. Since I’m a job seeker, I won’t have the time to travel for more than a few days, so the scheduled date won’t be much different. I was originally going to write the offseason, but unfortunately, I can’t. I’m sorry.

Han512-nim, Miyalma-nim, CountOfDark-nim, Omarion-nim, chaikopusuki-nim, VanishingSoul-nim, Financia-nim/// Thank you for your comments as always. Have a great week~~

EnkanaShon-nim/// As you said, Cleveland self-destructed in that game. It doesn’t seem like they can compete with San Antonio and Golden State like that. In particular, LeBron’s reliance is no different from his Miami days. Irving and Love don’t seem to be performing as well as Wade and Bosh. Della, Thompson, and J.R. Smith are performing better than the Miami bench, which is why they’re doing well, but Irving and Love aren’t as good as Wade and Bosh.

Magara-nim/// It’s the final game now, so the end is in sight. I’m sad too.

Goimosp-nim/// I also think that even if Cleveland wins the Eastern Conference, it will be difficult for them to beat Golden State and San Antonio. Even if Cleveland is likely to win the East, they won’t go 12-0 in the playoffs. Then they won’t have much of a physical advantage. San Antonio is close to perfect in terms of point differential and the gap between the starters and the bench. Golden State is also superior to Cleveland if they don’t have any injuries. To be honest, the West is being dominated by Golden State and San Antonio, and Memphis, Houston, New Orleans, and Portland aren’t as good as they used to be, so the lower seeds (5-8) are all about the same. There won’t be any upsets, and I don’t even see a first-round series going to seven games.

BlackMoonHwaya-nim/// From LeBron’s perspective, it’s a real tightrope walk… He’s receiving all kinds of criticism, and the expectations for the Big 3 are very high, but they’ve been runners-up for two years in a row…

SilverTurtle-nim/// Yes, of course, to surpass Kobe, he needs to win the MVP and Finals MVP as a minimum. He needs to win it about twice. And if last year’s championship was like Kobe with Shaq, this season is like Kobe with Gasol. Because from this season on, the center of the team has shifted from Nowitzki to Youngjae.

H0h-nim/// Will the second ring be soon… Or will we have to wait and see if they can keep the ring….