At the end of the first quarter, it was 26:18, and the Trail Blazers led by 8 points.
In the second half of the first quarter, the scores of both teams declined compared to the previous period, but the Trail Blazers managed to get to double digits. On the other hand, the Heat were much worse. In nearly 6 minutes, they only gained 10 points.
7 points.
Among the 7 points the Heat scored later, James took 3 shots and hit 1 goal. He also made a layup with a breakthrough. He also drew a foul and scored 2+1, scoring 3 points.
Other Heat players contributed 4 points together.
"It's not good! The Trail Blazers played too steadily today. They attacked when they needed to attack and defended when they needed to defend. LeBron and the others couldn't find a chance at all. The game was gradually dominated by the Trail Blazers."
On the sidelines, Heat coach Spoelstra was thinking about how to adjust.
However, he was thinking alone, because James had already taken the tactical board, and all the Heat players were surrounding James.
The whole picture looks extremely funny!
Being a head coach is not like a head coach. Being the boss of a team obviously has greater power within the team. No matter how the outside world looks at it, it seems weird.
"Dwayne, Chris, Ray, Mario, wait a minute, the five of us will go on the field together. Dwayne and I will be responsible for breaking through, attracting and bandaging. You have a chance. Don't hesitate when you receive the ball and take action quickly!"
During the break, James thought about how to adjust.
In the end, he chose to believe in his and Wade's breakthroughs and the touch of his teammates to make those damn open shots.
However, changing to such a lineup is basically equivalent to the Heat directly giving up control of the penalty area.
Even if he temporarily switches to the 4th position and joins forces with Bosh, it is unlikely that he will be the opponent at No. 36 of the Trail Blazers.
That guy is the real dominator under the basket!
But now, neither James nor the Heat coaching staff have any other options. The only way left is for James to break out.
To put it bluntly, it’s just playing superstar basketball!
After all, the gathering of stars is the Heat's biggest advantage over the Trail Blazers. There is nothing wrong with their choice to maximize their advantages.
Their only mistake may be to underestimate the dominance of Trail Blazers No. 36 on both offense and defense at the basket.
In the second quarter, the game begins.
James' line-up came on as scheduled. In the first offensive round, James relied on the space created by Wade's feint to break into the penalty area and made a dunk in the air.
Not only that, he also caused Al's first foul of the game.
Fortunately, James failed to hit the extra free throw this time, so he played the iconic "2+0" offense of his career!
In the subsequent defensive round, the well-prepared Wang Zelin interfered and blocked Wade's layup space, preventing the latter from hitting the ball.
After grabbing the rebound, Wang Zelin's quarterback's long pass once again shocked everyone with his quick counterattack. Batum strode into the penalty area with the ball, attracting the defense and creating a wide open opportunity for Lillard.
He raised the knife and dropped it, and with a swish sound, Lillard hit an open three-pointer.
"In the crucial three-pointer, Mililard stood up and hit his first three-pointer of the game. It was also the first three-pointer for the Trail Blazers in the second quarter. The Trail Blazers will soon make it.
The point difference between the two teams widened to the double-digit threshold."
After James scored 2+1, the atmosphere gradually turned to the depressing Rose Garden Arena, where violent and loud cheers erupted.
29:20, a score difference of 9 points, severely punished every scene, leaving the Heat with no trace of despair and loss.
Every time the score was equalized and the score was close, someone from the Trail Blazers would always step up and take the responsibility of widening the gap.
"Wang's defense is getting better and better! He is a huge chasm on the defensive end. He can be near the basket. Whenever someone wants to get close, they will be dealt a devastating blow!"
In the TNT commentary box, Kenny Smith praised.
"Then tell me, is it possible for the king to reach Hakim's level in the future?"
Buckley suddenly brought up a serious topic, causing Kenny Smith's smile to stop abruptly.
"You said...who?"
Kenneth Smith began to hesitate.
"Hakeem Olajuwon!"
Buckley said.
"..."
Kenneth Smith was silent for a while and shook his head, "I admit that I have endless potential, but we have to admit that even if he wins the MVP, he is still too young. What Hakeem showed at his peak is
The terrifying strength is something that no young king can match."
On the field.
Wang Zelin had no way of knowing what the TNT duo was discussing about themselves. At this time, there were only two big words in his mind, and that was...
victory!
Heat offense.
James connected with Wade at the top of the arc and had to use his most familiar breakthrough to cause damage. After just two steps, he encountered Wang Zelin's complementary attack.
In this regard, James did not choose to take action forcefully. Reason has been deeply engraved in his body since he first came into contact with the orange basketball when he was a child.
He chose to pass the ball, and the person he contacted was none other than Ray Allen, who played the role of the Raiders at critical moments in more than one playoff game after joining the Heat.
Junzi Lei caught the ball and jumped up to take action.
Matthews came after him and jumped to block the shot, but he missed it. The ball grazed his fingertips and flew towards the blue light.
"This kind of track... is about to enter!"
Before the ball entered the basket, he saw that Ray Allen's shooting action was beyond standard, and he knew it was finally there.
Therefore, before the ball even entered the basket, it seemed that he had already turned around and chose to play quickly.
"Whoosh!"
Water splashed in the direction of the basket.
Wang Zelin's first step has already been to sell.
29:23.
"Oh ho ho ho!!!! The Heat also scored a three-pointer. Look at LeBron and then look at Ray Allen. I will say that the championship team is not that simple."
barked Buckley.
"Yes, let's see why the Blazers... Shete, the king is about to fall! How did he appear in that position?"
Kenny Smith suddenly screamed.
On the court, the Trail Blazers' fast break had already begun. Wang Zelin left Bosh behind and drove to the basket.
Lillard, who had just arrived near the center circle, decisively stopped his steps, raised the ball above his head with both hands, and chose to pass the ball.
After catching the ball, Wang Zelin, who had already reached the free throw line, joined the ball without hesitation.
Then he used a one-arm dunk and smashed the ball into the basket!
31:23, after several offensive and defensive rounds, the Warriors saw that neither team could stop the other. But from what I saw from the opening, the Trail Blazers are undoubtedly the stronger side.
Whenever the Heat scored a goal, the Trail Blazers could always fight back in the next round, and the response was obviously stronger, which slowly widened the score difference.
After landing, Wang Zelin looked back and passed by Heat players one after another. Wang Zelin always held his head high, like a proud lion, and seemed not to take the Heat seriously at all.
Seeing this, James and Wade looked confused, but they were helpless.