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Chapter 424 - 195. Dwayne, do you think O’Neal is too old now? (8000 words)_4

Chapter 424: 195. Dwayne, do you think O’Neal is too old now? (8000 words)_4

In the final minute and change, both teams scored only three points, with Okafor making a 2+1 under the basket, and O’Neal responding with a put-back dunk 2+1. No other scores were made.

At 11:44 p.m., the final whistle sounded.

Zhang Yang scored 4 points in the first quarter, 3 in the second, got shut out in the third, and scored 5 in the fourth, finishing the regular time with just 12 points. But he scored 9 in overtime, played 28 minutes for the whole game, shooting 4 of 11 in the regular time, 4 of 6 in overtime, and ended up shooting 8 of 17 overall, including 2 of 6 threes, along with a perfect 3-of-3 from the free-throw line, grabbing 21 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks!

The Miami Heat managed 9 points in overtime, with O’Neal scoring 3, Kapono 3, and White Chocolate 3... This time it was Wade who got shut out.

Felton put up 16 points and 6 assists on 6-of-16 shooting tonight, Okafor had 20 points and 8 rebounds, Gerald Wallace contributed 13 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 6 blocks, Alan Anderson had 12 points and 7 rebounds with an assist, Rondo added 4 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists, while Jumaine Jones scored 11 points...

O’Neal ended the night with 14 points, 15 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 5 blocks, while Wade exploded for 34 points, 4 rebounds, and 12 assists, and Kapono racked up 23 points and 2 rebounds...

Zhang Yang notched 9 points, 2 rebounds, an assist, and a block in overtime, leading his team to a narrow 108-101 victory over the Miami Heat!

After the game, Miami Heat’s No. 3 watched the opposing No. 3 being surrounded and celebrated by his teammates, feeling frustrated, downhearted, yet powerless... and more than anything, angry.

He had been lucky, in his second year he found a still-reigning Big Shark as his underling, but the Big Shark only maintained his peak for two years. After winning the championship, he declined.

Reaching his peak too early, his mentality was very different from other players of his generation. When facing defeat, his discontentment was far stronger than his contemporaries.

Moreover, he couldn’t escape from this place; he still had to join the opposing No. 3 for the post-game interview...

After celebrating for a couple of minutes, the Bobcats’ Zhang Yang was whisked away by the CCTV reporter for a live post-’No. 3 showdown’ interview with Wade.

Facing the camera, Wade showed the professionalism expected of a top athlete, smiling as he congratulated Zhang Yang on the win.

However, when asked about the reason behind the loss, Wade couldn’t help but be a little sour, "The Mavericks have many outstanding players, their young players all performed great: Jack, Felton, Rondo, Okafor, Perkins...each has their own strength, and their coach managed to combine those strengths into a performance that surpassed us today."

Hearing this, Zhang Yang squinted his eyes and preempted the reporter by saying with a chuckle, "Dwayne, are you suggesting that you think O’Neal, Mourning, and Payton are too old to cut it? That Riley isn’t a good coach anymore? Isn’t your rookie contract ending? Come to us, we can sign you outright."

At these words, Wade nearly fell on the spot. Wait, when did No. 3 get so vicious with his words? He was just being a bit acidic, was that necessary?

O’Neal, who had been sneaking up to get in the shot, nearly took a fall himself.

During the game, O’Neal was extremely angry at the young players like Okafor and Perkins challenging him, trying to explode on him, but after the game...he just let it go. As long as you play hard in the game, that’s enough—he didn’t want to think too much after, having one more championship ring than Kobe anyway.

O’Neal remembered Jack giving him a sidelong glance when he sneaked up close earlier...what a grudge-holder!

Was he still bearing a grudge just for using him to make fun of Kobe during the All-Star Game? Still holding on to that now?

O’Neal decided to leave it be, for who knows what wicked thing the bad boy might say next if he approached again, leaving Flash to deal with it alone. The Big Shark was tired after playing 38 minutes tonight; it was time to go to sleep...

...

Taking down back-to-back away games, the Bobcats’ record moved to 49 wins and 23 losses, finally catching up with the Pistons!

However, with a 1-3 direct encounter record, the Bobcats could only rank second in the East.

On the 28th, the Bobcats would return to Charlotte, and they would face the Wizards and the Miami Heat again on the 29th and 31st.

Already at 49 wins, the Bobcats players were roaring to become the fourth team in the league to reach 50 wins before the Pistons did.

The Mavericks had just had another winning streak ended, this time by the Suns, whose record went to 58 wins and 14 losses with 10 more games to play. It seemed they were on track to secure a historically third-best record of 68 wins.

The Spurs were at 54 wins and 18 losses, with 60 wins in sight. If they got there, they would become the sixth team in NBA history to achieve at least 60 wins in two consecutive seasons.

The Suns were currently at 51 wins and 20 losses with 11 games left to play. They had a chance at reaching 60 wins, but not as good as the Spurs, especially after Nash’s injury around the All-Star break, which greatly affected the team and cost Nash the chance for a third consecutive MVP.

On the 29th, the Bobcats faced a challenge from the Wizards at home.

The Bobcats played hard in the first quarter, but their offense performed poorly, still reeling from their defensive bout with the Big Shark the night before.

Zhang Yang made 4 of 7 shots in the first quarter, including 1 of 2 threes, scoring 9 points, but the team scored only 19 points, while the Wizards scored 31, leaving the Bobcats trailing by 12.

In the second quarter, the Wizards’ shooting cooled off, scoring only 24 points. The Bobcats increased their counterattacks and scored 25 points, keeping the game within reach at halftime.

However, in the third quarter, the Wizards regained momentum and racked up 34 points. The Bobcats also found their offensive rhythm, scoring 31 points. But the Wizards were on fire, extending the lead to 14 points, not shrinking it.