Chapter 807: Does That Count as a Step?
With the deficit at 6 points, Miami remained composed.
Chalmers crossed half court and initiated the offense.
Instead of asking for the ball immediately, James pointed toward the paint.
Chalmers understood.
He lobbed the ball inside to Pau Gasol.
Gasol turned and surveyed the floor.
New York's defense was packed tightly around the paint, leaving him little room to operate comfortably.
Rather than force the issue, Gasol passed back outside.
The Knicks were still following the same defensive philosophy.
Protect the paint first.
Concede more space on the perimeter.
With Miami's current lineup, New York did not respect the outside shot enough to stretch its defense.
Wade caught the pass.
As expected, he did not shoot.
He hesitated, gave Chen Yan a pump fake, then attacked.
Chen did not bite.
Wade's 3 point shot simply was not dangerous enough to make him leave his feet recklessly.
Wade drove hard and turned his body toward the paint.
3 Knicks were already waiting near the restricted area.
There was almost no space.
Instead of forcing a difficult finish, Wade leaned into David West and searched for contact.
Whistle!
Foul.
West shook his head helplessly.
He had kept both arms raised and had not swiped down at the ball.
Still, there was no point arguing.
West was experienced enough to know the call would not change.
Nelson immediately substituted him out.
Less than half of the 1st quarter had passed, and West already had 2 fouls.
Wade went to the line.
Swish.
Swish.
15 to 8.
Knicks fans were furious.
Miami had scored only 8 points.
5 had come from free throws.
New York returned to offense.
Chen Yan received the ball.
Another double team.
This time, he did not try to beat it himself.
He passed to Battier on the wing.
Battier quickly swung it toward Curry.
Curry pump faked.
The defender reacted.
1 dribble forward.
Open mid range jumper.
Swish.
17 to 8.
Chen and Curry exchanged a high 5.
Beating a double team did not always require dribbling through it.
Sometimes the correct answer was simply finding the teammate in the better position.
Miami came back.
James and Gasol ran a pick and roll.
James attacked the lane.
New York's help defense immediately collapsed.
James saw it and floated the ball toward Gasol.
Gasol extended his long arms, caught it high, and softly laid it in.
Good.
That was the type of play Gasol excelled at.
His physical measurements were exceptional.
His standing reach was even 3 centimeters higher than that of the 226 centimeter Yao Ming.
Those long arms made him particularly dangerous around the high post and basket.
Over the next several possessions, New York's shooting cooled.
Miami failed to capitalize.
The Heat could not consistently convert the Knicks misses into enough points to close the gap.
7 minutes into the 1st quarter, Miami still trailed at home.
Barkley looked toward the Heat bench.
"They might need more shooting out there. New York is packing everybody into the lane."
Kenny Smith nodded.
"That lack of spacing is making life difficult for Wade and LeBron. Every time either one drives, there are multiple defenders waiting. Another shooter would open the floor."
Spoelstra had obviously considered the same thing.
The problem was defense.
Miami's best shooters were vulnerable on the other end.
Against an offensive team like New York, even a brief defensive collapse could turn into a huge scoring run.
With 4 minutes remaining in the 1st quarter, Nelson made his adjustment.
Curry and Battier went to the bench.
Beverley and Yi Jianlian entered.
Miami countered with Mike Miller and Channing Frye.
James and Joel Anthony sat down for rest.
But regardless of the personnel, Miami's approach toward Chen Yan never changed.
Double him.
Every time.
Chen had already made several brilliant plays against the trap.
Spoelstra still refused to abandon it.
His logic was simple.
If Chen could play this well against 2 defenders, what would happen if Miami left him 1 on 1?
With 4.7 seconds remaining in the 1st quarter, New York had possession.
The Knicks led 31 to 23.
Yi stood along the baseline to inbound.
Chen received the pass.
The moment he turned, Miami's defenders immediately sensed danger.
He had caught the ball too easily.
Wade rushed up and crowded him.
With so little time remaining, Wade could afford to be extremely aggressive.
His only objective was to force Chen to waste the remaining seconds in the backcourt.
Chen dropped low.
Crossover.
Burst.
He attacked Wade's left side and blew past him.
Wade immediately turned and chased.
Chalmers stepped into Chen's path.
Mike Miller waited on his right.
Chen had barely crossed half court before Miami boxed him into a dead end.
Less than 2 seconds remained.
Passing was pointless.
At that stage, moving the ball would only transfer responsibility to someone with even less time to shoot.
Chen had no interest in doing that.
He gathered.
Shot fake.
Left handed.
There was a reason for it.
Miller was positioned on his right.
Wade was also trailing from the right rear.
A conventional right handed shooting motion risked being stripped or blocked.
Chalmers reacted to the fake.
Jump.
Chen leaned slightly toward Miller.
Then quickly raised the ball with his left hand.
At that moment, something almost absurd happened.
All 5 Miami defenders jumped.
Chalmers in front.
Miller beside him.
Wade behind.
Gasol diagonally ahead.
Even Channing Frye, nearly 4 body lengths away, left the floor.
Frye probably could not have explained why.
His body simply reacted.
Chen launched the desperate left handed shot from well beyond the 3 point line.
Clang!
Miss.
But the result hardly mattered.
1 player had the basketball.
All 5 Miami defenders had panicked.
Barkley burst out laughing.
"Look at that replay. Every Heat player jumped. I think some of the fans tried to contest it too."
The 1st quarter ended.
The 2nd began with Curry and David West returning for New York.
Miami left James on the floor to lead the reserves.
James had endured a frustrating opening quarter.
Now, against New York's bench, he expected to find easier opportunities and establish some rhythm.
Instead, the Knicks surprised him.
They double teamed him.
Whenever James attacked, another defender shaded toward him.
If he penetrated the lane, additional help waited inside.
James quickly discovered that playing against New York's reserves was requiring even more work.
So he passed.
Again.
And again.
4 and a half minutes into the 2nd quarter, James still had not scored.
But that did not mean he had been ineffective.
He had already collected 4 assists.
Miami's shooters were finding their rhythm because of him.
Nelson immediately recognized the problem.
He changed the strategy.
Stop automatically doubling James.
Miami's defensive approach toward Chen Yan could not simply be copied against LeBron.
Leave Chen in single coverage and he might shoot you out of the arena.
Double James too aggressively and he would find open teammates until they shot you out of the arena instead.
Their strengths were fundamentally different.
With 6 minutes and 9 seconds gone in the 2nd quarter, Chen Yan returned.
New York led 45 to 40.
On the surface, the Knicks appeared to have limited James effectively.
In reality, Miami had been cutting into the deficit while James controlled the offense.
That was his influence.
Basketball ability was not measured only through scoring or isolation moves.
Creating opportunities.
Connecting teammates.
Reading defenses.
Controlling the game.
Those were skills too.
Chen's first possession after checking in looked painfully familiar.
Double team.
He almost wanted to laugh.
Miami truly refused to abandon its principles.
Wade stood in front.
James came from the side.
James had not even gone to the bench.
Spoelstra clearly intended to push his minutes tonight.
Chen lowered his body and accelerated away from James.
Not too fast.
Not too slow.
James stopped and changed direction with him.
Chen paused.
Then accelerated again.
Hard drive left.
His foot reached the 3 point line.
Sudden stop.
James slammed on the brakes and matched him.
Wade was not as fortunate.
He collided directly with James's shoulder.
That was exactly what Chen wanted.
It was one of his favorite ways to break a double team.
Instead of trying to beat 2 defenders separately, he manipulated their positioning until 1 defender effectively became a screen against the other.
Wade became trapped behind James.
James was knocked slightly off balance by the collision.
Chen instantly exploded forward.
Push.
Burst.
Past James.
1 against 2.
Channing Frye rotated over.
Chen barely acknowledged him.
Smooth gather.
Controlled stride.
High bank shot.
In.
47 to 40.
That possession perfectly represented Chen Yan's performance tonight.
Composed.
Elegant.
Effortless.
Miami responded.
James created space and attacked.
His first step was quick enough to beat Battier.
Once James gained the angle, Battier had almost no chance of recovering from the side.
James drove directly toward the basket.
Fortunately for New York, the paint was already crowded.
David West and Al Harrington both stepped over.
Their intention was simple.
Bring him down before he could finish.
Once James built momentum toward the rim, there was little point trying to play soft defense.
Whistle!
Foul.
Chen walked over and exchanged high 5s with West and Harrington.
"Good job."
Against James, a weak foul could become an and 1.
If you were going to stop him, you had to make sure he did not finish.
Kenny Smith broke down the possession.
"That was help defense. LeBron beat Battier first, then New York's bigs stepped into the lane to stop the finish."
Barkley nodded.
"And that is different from what Miami is doing to Chen. Miami is trapping Chen while he is still dribbling, trying to force the ball out of his hands. New York does not want to do that to LeBron because he is too good at finding the open man."
James went to the free throw line.
1st shot.
Miss.
He took a breath and complained that the floor beneath him felt slippery.
Arena staff quickly came over and wiped the area.
James stepped back to the line.
2nd shot.
Swish.
47 to 41.
New York came down the floor.
Chen received the ball near the baseline with his back to the basket.
Immediately, Miami trapped.
Wade behind.
James on the high side.
Ordinarily, this was an automatic pass.
There was barely enough room to dribble.
Chen did not pass.
He turned toward the baseline corner, keeping his center of gravity extremely low.
Wade immediately moved to seal the baseline.
James shifted with him.
Then Chen suddenly exploded in the opposite direction.
Hop step.
Straight between Wade and James.
Both defenders froze.
Neither expected him to attack the space directly between them.
Most players would never even attempt it.
Chen did.
And succeeded.
He cleared both defenders.
Gasol had no time to help.
Pullup jumper.
Swish.
49 to 41.
Kenny stared at the replay.
"That is unbelievable. Chen created a path through 2 elite defenders in almost no space."
Barkley laughed.
"Look at him. He is basically saying 2 defenders are too easy. Send another one."
Miami remained calm despite the pressure.
On the next possession, Chalmers brought the ball across half court.
James received it through a handoff and immediately called for a pick and roll.
Gasol moved toward the top of the arc to screen.
James used it and drove left.
He looked up.
No opening.
So he circled back around Gasol and attacked toward the right.
Battier chased from behind.
David West stepped in front.
Gasol rolled toward the basket.
James flicked the ball with his right hand.
Not to Gasol.
Out to Chalmers.
James had seen New York's defense collapse toward the paint the instant he turned the corner.
The perimeter had opened.
That was his elite court vision at work.
Chalmers caught it.
Curry rushed toward him.
Shot fake.
Curry bit.
Chalmers put the ball on the floor with his right hand, moved toward the edge of the restricted area, and released a floater.
Good.
71 to 67.
New York's defense was consumed with stopping Miami's stars.
Naturally, role players found more opportunities.
Curry brought the ball across half court with his left hand.
A crossover took him toward the top.
Chen moved without the ball and received it along the right wing beyond the 3 point line.
Miami still left Wade as the primary defender.
But the rest of the Heat defense was watching closely.
Gasol and Chalmers hovered near the free throw line.
James stood about 1 step outside the paint.
The positioning was deliberate.
If Chen drove, 4 defenders would collapse on him.
Knowing that help was behind him, Wade could crowd Chen aggressively.
Bang.
Chen hit Wade with a hard dribble and suddenly stepped back.
Wade immediately followed.
Chen crossed between his legs and gave a subtle left shoulder feint.
Wade mirrored him.
1 step sideways.
Still tight.
He refused to surrender shooting space.
Chen could have tried shooting over him.
There was no reason.
A smarter option was available.
Chen dropped his head and accelerated.
Wade was beaten.
Miami's entire defense reacted.
James.
Gasol.
Chalmers.
They began closing around Chen.
A pocket formed.
Chen gathered low and quickly raised the ball as though preparing a hook.
Instead, he slipped a pass through the middle.
David West caught it.
1 step.
Layup.
Good.
73 to 67.
Spoelstra immediately signaled from the sideline.
Next possession, James would guard Chen.
Wade had struggled against him over the previous few trips.
Miami came back on offense.
James held the ball and motioned everyone away.
Isolation against Battier.
James advanced with short, controlled steps.
Constant probing.
1 step inside the 3 point line, he suddenly accelerated.
There was not enough room to fully unleash his speed.
His strength was another matter.
From near the free throw line, James drove through Battier's body and forced him backward.
Whistle!
James threw the ball toward the rim.
Miss.
2 free throws.
He stepped to the line.
1st shot.
Miss.
James looked toward the official and motioned toward the floor, again indicating that it felt slippery.
The floor was quickly wiped.
He took the 2nd free throw.
Swish.
73 to 68.
New York came back down.
Chen noticed James waiting for him.
He immediately waved everyone away.
Isolation.
Chen placed his right leg forward and repeatedly dribbled between his legs.
These were not empty moves.
With every crossover, he slowly advanced.
Probe.
Read.
Pressure.
If James reached, Chen would attack immediately.
James remained disciplined.
He kept backing up and refused to make the first mistake.
Then Chen's foot touched the 3 point line.
His body suddenly twitched upward.
A shooting cue.
James immediately tensed.
Hand raised.
Step forward.
Chen held the ball in his left hand and brought his right hand toward it.
Signature hesitation crossover.
James stayed balanced.
Chen put the ball down and quickly transferred it to his right.
James turned his hips to follow.
Then Chen struck again.
Lightning fast in and out dribble.
The ball snapped back.
Chen created the slightest opening.
Nothing extra.
No wasted movement.
He pulled back to the 3 point line and immediately rose.
Against Miami's coverage, every fraction of space mattered.
Any opening had to be taken instantly.
James recovered and challenged.
His physical tools were superior to Wade's.
Still, he had been half a beat late.
That was enough.
Swish!
76 to 68.
Kenny Smith raised his voice.
"He shook LeBron just enough and immediately pulled up. That is pure individual shot creation."
Barkley nodded.
"Miami has tried different defenders and different coverages tonight. It does not matter. Chen keeps finding a shot."
Miami went back on offense.
Wade moved without the ball toward the free throw line.
Catch.
Immediate jumper.
Short.
David West grabbed the rebound.
He instantly launched the ball toward the frontcourt.
Spoelstra saw Chen sprinting ahead.
"Foul him!"
That had become his first instinct.
Not stop him cleanly.
Foul him.
Chen Yan had tortured Miami's defense to the point where Spoelstra barely wanted to see him running free in transition anymore.
But Chen was moving too quickly.
He exploded up the floor as if launched from a starting block.
In an instant, he was already across half court.
There was nobody close enough to foul him.
Only James was chasing.
Head down.
Full sprint.
The Miami crowd rose.
Whenever James lowered his head and chased from behind, everyone expected the same thing.
A chase down block.
James reached the top of the arc.
Chen was approaching the right 45 degree angle.
James watched his stride closely.
Calculated.
Measured.
A chase down block required more than athleticism.
Timing was everything.
Then Chen ruined the calculation.
Barely 1 step inside the 3 point line, he took off.
James visibly hesitated.
What was that?
Chen had jumped far earlier than expected.
He glided through the air.
For a moment, he seemed almost suspended.
Then he extended his right arm and softly finished the layup.
78 to 68.
James arrived too late.
The broadcast immediately replayed the sequence.
Among the viewers, a heavyset man with glasses burst out laughing.
"Chen was already in the air, and LeBron was still calculating how many steps he had left!"
His friends around him laughed.
"Whale, you should become a commentator."
Whale smiled.
"Me? I am just an ordinary fan. Who would let me call games?"
He laughed it off.
But the comment remained in his mind.
Whale had loved basketball since childhood.
His physical limitations had prevented him from ever seriously pursuing the sport as a professional player.
But perhaps playing was not the only way to make basketball part of his life.
For the first time, the idea of becoming a commentator took root.
Miami returned to offense.
James used a screen and rose for a 3 pointer from the top.
"Ah!"
He shouted as he released.
Whistle!
The call came immediately.
David West had switched onto him.
Shooting foul.
3 free throws.
West grabbed his head in frustration.
The 3 shot foul was bad enough.
The real problem was worse.
It was his 5th personal foul.
Nelson had no choice.
West went to the bench.
DeAndre Jordan checked in.
New York had just lost one of its most important offensive weapons.
And with West removed from the floor, Miami could now devote even more attention to Chen Yan.
....
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