No.1 in basketball scoring
Chapter 625: This season’s weekly best came very early!

Chapter 625: This season’s weekly best came very early!

After the break, the Hornets sent out a lineup featuring Rondo, Zhang Yang, Mike Miller, Millsap, and Okafor.

The Miami Heat fielded a combination of Smush Parker, Wade, Anfernee Hardaway, DaQuan Cook, and Matt Blount.

Every time Wade took to the court with these guys, he wanted to explode on the spot. He had never played such a destitute battle!

Matt Blount was another player acquired in a trade of long contracts for short, set to expire in ’09, and here’s the kicker, he was traded from the Hornets for James Posey, whose contract wasn’t due to expire for another 10 years.

When Wade learned of this trade in August, he was so angry he cursed up a storm. Previously, the Hornets had offered Jarett Jack as the core piece in a trade for James Posey, even willing to give "salary compensation," which the mastermind refused. In the end, they actually traded for a 32-year-old soft veteran center!

Just how soft is Matt Blount? At 213 centimeters tall, he weighs just under 104 kilograms. His best year of rebounds averaged 7.2 in 30 minutes per game. In his seven-year career, only twice has he averaged more than 5 rebounds per game, and he’s not a fringe player, but a starting center who’s averaged 24 minutes throughout his career.

Then, to fill the gap for a backup small forward, the ’mastermind’ went out and signed Anfernee Hardaway who had been retired for a year and out of play.

Wade wouldn’t have had so many complaints if it weren’t for Hinrich on the other side...

The second quarter began with the Miami Heat on the offense.

Wade waited at the three-point line for the grim reaper Parker to push forward, while Zhang Yang guarded him. Seeing Wade’s undisguised disdain for his teammates, Zhang Yang comforted him, "Dwayne, don’t get discouraged by a temporary weak lineup. You have to be strong. You are one of my most admired opponents."

Wade, like a stunned animal, turned his head and looked up in astonishment at Zhang Yang—what was up with him today? His words were surprisingly pleasant.

Zhang Yang paused and then continued, "You’re going to have a long future with a weak team around you. You’ll have to get used to it."

Wade nearly choked on a mouthful of blood: I XX your XX!

He waved to the grim reaper Parker—give me the ball!

Wade wouldn’t have been so angry with any other trash talk, but number 3 on the other team was actually speaking the truth—unacceptable!

Receiving the pass, Wade forcefully charged at Zhang Yang, stopped abruptly at close distance, jumped, and took the shot... and hit it!

In his fury, Wade played with calm, decisive, and firm execution, making a very beautiful shot.

Zhang Yang clapped his hands twice. Number 3 on the other side was seriously fierce, and Flash was indeed extraordinary. The trash talk seemed to have backfired again... No matter, he would keep on attacking!

The game transitioned to defense, and Rondo pushed the ball up to Zhang Yang in the frontcourt.

Wade kept up with rough defense again, and Zhang Yang deftly changed direction before being marked closely.

Wade backed off immediately, standing in Zhang Yang’s path.

Zhang Yang’s drive was a feint—he stepped back, gathered the ball beyond the three-point line, and jumped!

Wade quickly leaped up, jumping high.

But Zhang Yang completed a full jumping motion, not jumping short either, and his height advantage came into play here. Facing Wade’s block, he succeeded in shooting the three-pointer... and it went in!

The thousands of Hornets fans in the arena cheered non-stop; the shot was too smooth.

The fans felt the shot was difficult, but for Wade, as the defender, the feeling was entirely different. Number 3’s offense wasn’t about that shot; the opportunity was already there. Whether the shot would go in depended on the touch, the fundamentals.

The key was the footwork in creating that shot opportunity!

In the first quarter, Wade fixated on the issue of Zhang Yang using him to practice defense and didn’t notice that under his aggressive defense, Zhang Yang was constantly adjusting offensive details.

Coming back from halftime to defend against Zhang Yang one-on-one for the first time, Wade felt he couldn’t keep up anymore!

Not only using him to practice defense but offense too!

Wade was burning with rage. He was about to turn 26, at the peak of his career, and yet he was being used as an ’experience pack,’ a ’practice tool man’ by a 19-year-old kid!

If only he’d had a couple more skilled teammates, he wouldn’t have fallen to such a state.

In the midst of the game, Wade channeled his dissatisfaction with the team onto Zhang Yang.

The Miami Heat attacked and Wade kept on with the forceful drive!

Wade smoothly got past Zhang Yang and drove into the paint, Mike Miller on the wing collapsed in, and Okafor stretched out of the restricted area to cover defense, with Millsap closing in below the basket.

The Hornets’ defensive containment was very good; Wade’s close stop and jump for a shot were blocked, two defenders were in the paint... he heavily slapped the ball forward, stepped into the edge of the key, grabbed the ball, changed direction and stepped toward the baseline approaching the corner, dodging the containment of Okafor and Mike Miller.

Facing the advancing Millsap, Wade exploded on his second step, making a big leap to the arc of the restricted area and sweeping past all three defenders!

With no one under the basket, Wade jumped straight up and slammed the ball towards the hoop... but couldn’t dunk it! A force came from the ball!

"Slap"..."Thud"...

Zhang Yang leaped from the front of the hoop, swatted Wade’s attempted dunk with a slap, and the ball banged into the backboard!

Okafor moved behind Zhang Yang, took Brown away to secure the defensive rebound, turned around, and passed the ball to Rondo.

Rondo initiated a fast break, easily outpacing the hustling grim reaper Parker, charged upcourt, and finished with a layup!

to 29, the Hornets extended their lead to 5 points!

Okafor’s instant recovery into the paint for the rebound after being passed by Wade, his cool-headedness in searching for a teammate capable of a fast break, his decisiveness in passing immediately, and Rondo’s lightning-fast counterattack... all of these were spectacular, but the fans’ focus was not on them, but on Zhang Yang’s incredible block!