Chapter 801: Showing a Strong Heart
Miami came into Game 2 with a clear adjustment.
The Heat strengthened their interior defense and rebounding while also becoming far more aggressive offensively.
Their core players looked completely different from Game 1.
Especially LeBron James.
James took far greater responsibility for creating offense tonight.
Of course, responsibility alone was not enough.
His physical condition and shooting touch were excellent as well.
Nelson responded early.
He brought Al Harrington and Yi Jianlian into the game and quickly shifted New York toward a small lineup, hoping to break Miami's rhythm with speed and shooting.
The adjustment produced some results.
Miami still maintained the advantage.
And James was not the only Heat star playing well.
Dwyane Wade was also operating at extremely high efficiency.
The 1st quarter ended with Miami leading 29 to 25.
To begin the 2nd quarter, New York used Barea, Beverley, Yi Jianlian, Al Harrington, and Kenyon Martin.
Miami countered by leaving Wade on the floor to lead its reserves.
Beverley immediately came out with his usual intensity.
He hounded Wade wherever he went.
But after Game 1, Wade already knew exactly what kind of defender Beverley was.
He had prepared for him.
Their first matchup immediately showed the difference in experience.
Wade used a screen to move toward the left side.
He rose as though he were about to take a mid range jumper.
Beverley fought around the screen and lunged forward.
Wade saw him coming from the corner of his eye.
Instead of avoiding the contact, he deliberately moved the ball and his body into Beverley's path.
Whistle.
Defensive foul.
Beverley's aggression worked against him.
A little more than 3 minutes into the quarter, he had already accumulated 2 fouls.
Wade had used veteran experience to teach the young guard a lesson.
Beverley was only in his 1st NBA season.
He had endless energy and aggression.
What he lacked was experience.
Nelson temporarily removed him.
Wade had solved the problem without needing to expend much effort.
Beverley could make Wade uncomfortable.
Expecting him to completely shut down a superstar every game was unrealistic.
Neither Barea nor Jeremy Lin could place nearly as much defensive pressure on Wade.
5 minutes into the 2nd quarter, Wade had already scored 9 points in the period.
Behind him, Miami extended its lead.
When Wade finally came out to rest, James greeted him with a high 5.
"Great job, Dwyane."
Wade patted James.
"Your turn, LeBron."
Spoelstra's rotation had a simple principle.
At least 1 of Wade or James had to remain on the floor.
Miami's bench could not match New York's depth.
If both stars rested simultaneously, the game could quickly swing out of control.
New York came back on offense.
Miami led 47 to 40.
Curry saw the growing deficit and became slightly impatient.
He used a screen and drove directly into the paint before throwing up a high arcing attempt.
James rotated from the side.
His presence alone placed enormous pressure on Curry.
Curry deliberately increased the arc to keep the ball away from James's reach.
Clang!
The ball bounced off the backboard.
Pau Gasol immediately boxed out DeAndre Jordan.
Haslem, who had just entered the game, secured the rebound and passed to Chalmers.
Chalmers accelerated up the floor.
Curry reached down and nearly knocked the ball loose.
Chalmers turned his back, protected the dribble, and regained control.
Miami's fast break was gone.
The Heat settled into half court offense.
Gasol came running in from beyond the 3 point line.
James stood near the top of the arc and directed the action even without possessing the ball.
"Inside! Get it inside!"
His court vision remained valuable whether he was handling the ball or not.
Gasol received the pass and immediately attacked the basket.
DeAndre jumped from behind him.
Chen Yan dropped into the paint from the side.
Both challenged the shot at the same time.
Smack!
The ball was pinned against the backboard.
Gasol had handled the finish poorly.
He had gone straight up without first creating contact or protecting the ball with his body.
He had not even tried to dunk.
Instead, he attempted a simple layup off the glass against 2 elite athletes.
Too casual.
Whistle!
Just as New York prepared to run, the referee stopped play.
Gasol had instinctively grabbed DeAndre while coming down.
Foul.
New York inbounded again.
Chen Yan circled toward the top of the arc to receive the ball.
Miami immediately sent 2 defenders.
The Heat had found some success trapping him in the 1st quarter and intended to continue using the strategy.
Curry was not going to let them do it without punishment.
The moment he saw Miami loosen its coverage on him, he fired from beyond the arc.
Swish!
47 to 43.
Curry's shooting had been inconsistent tonight.
He was not going to miss an opportunity that open.
Miami inbounded quickly.
James dribbled toward the top, then suddenly moved the ball.
Chalmers caught it.
3 pointer.
Swish!
50 to 43.
Miami immediately answered Curry's 3.
This time, Curry had lost track of his assignment.
New York came back down.
After crossing half court, Curry looked toward the elbow.
Chen Yan had established position there and called for the ball.
James played halfway in front of him.
Mike Miller waited behind.
Miami's treatment of Chen had escalated to the point where 2 defenders were preparing for him even before he touched the basketball.
Curry instead passed to Battier.
Haslem closed out.
Battier fired.
Miss.
Miami immediately pushed in transition.
James used his individual power to finish for another 2 points.
52 to 43.
The Heat were becoming more comfortable with every possession.
By halftime, Miami had built a 10 point lead.
63 to 53.
New York had not played well.
Neither had Chen Yan.
He entered halftime with 14 points, 3 assists, and 3 rebounds.
Back in the locker room, Nelson did not criticize him.
He simply went over the tactical adjustments and gave Chen time to settle himself.
There was no need to add pressure.
The 2nd half began.
James immediately buried a 3 pointer.
His outside shot was completely locked in tonight.
And his hot shooting seemed contagious.
Over the next several minutes, Wade and Channing Frye also knocked down consecutive 3 pointers.
By the start of the 4th quarter, Miami's lead had grown to 14.
The first 3 minutes of the final quarter brought no immediate change.
Miami still controlled the game.
New York looked flat.
For most observers, the outcome seemed increasingly obvious.
Then everything changed.
Miami's efficiency suddenly began to fall.
The Heat had built their advantage through unusually hot shooting over the first 3 quarters.
James in particular had been incredible.
He had made 5 of 7 from beyond the 3 point line.
For him, that was an exceptional percentage.
If Miami maintained that level of shooting until the final buzzer, New York would probably lose.
But basketball rarely worked that way.
The moment Miami's efficiency dipped, the Knicks attacked.
New York began generating stop after stop and immediately running.
In transition, Miami had little opportunity to organize its double teams against Chen Yan.
Chen took advantage.
He repeatedly attacked from long distance, driving through an unsettled defense and scoring.
New York kept converting.
Miami could no longer create its own fast pace and was gradually forced into slower half court possessions.
That changed everything.
Half court offense demanded cleaner execution and more reliable shooting.
James missed 2 consecutive 3 pointers.
Miami's supporters could only watch in frustration.
The James who could not miss through the first 3 quarters had disappeared.
Those misses affected his approach.
James was not the kind of scorer who would keep firing endlessly after several failed attempts.
Unlike Kobe, he tended to process the situation more rationally.
If the shot stopped falling, he became more willing to pass.
Spoelstra grew increasingly anxious on the sideline.
This was precisely the moment when Miami needed its superstar to seize control.
If James stopped shooting now, who was supposed to take over?
Then New York struck again.
Chen Yan secured a defensive rebound.
He immediately looked down the floor and launched a long outlet pass that curved through the defense.
Curry caught it beyond the arc.
Rise.
Swish!
The deficit was down to 4.
Spoelstra immediately called timeout.
Miami finally stabilized after the stoppage.
Wade turned into a mid range jumper and buried it.
But the real turning point arrived with 5 minutes and 8 seconds remaining.
Wade committed his 5th foul.
Spoelstra had no choice but to remove him.
That created a major problem.
Without Wade, Miami lacked a perimeter defender capable of consistently challenging Chen Yan.
Even double teams were becoming less effective.
Spoelstra turned to his only remaining option.
James.
James had 3 fouls himself.
On their first direct matchup, Chen immediately attacked.
Hard drive.
James tried to stay with him.
Chen did not make the shot.
Whistle.
Foul on James.
His 4th.
About 1 minute later, James attacked in transition and collided with Curry.
The referee immediately signaled an offensive foul.
James's 5th.
Miami suddenly found itself in the worst possible situation.
Both of its core stars now had 5 fouls.
Spoelstra brought Wade back for the final 3 minutes.
But the foul trouble changed the way both stars defended.
1 more whistle would disqualify either of them.
They became hesitant.
Careful.
Neither wanted to take unnecessary risks.
During the final 2 minutes, Chen Yan deliberately hunted for contact.
His reasoning was simple.
If he could foul out both Wade and James, Miami's offensive and defensive structure would collapse.
Wade and James understood exactly what he was trying to do.
They defended cautiously, keeping their hands extended without recklessly leaving their feet.
Fine.
If they would not challenge aggressively, Chen would simply shoot.
He did not hesitate.
3 pointer.
Swish!
Then another.
Swish!
2 consecutive 3 pointers.
New York had taken the lead.
Miami's stars tried to answer.
Wade missed.
James missed.
With time running out, Miami had no choice but to foul Chen Yan.
Chen walked calmly to the free throw line.
The pressure could not shake him.
1st free throw.
Swish.
2nd.
Swish.
Later, Miami fouled him again.
3rd.
Swish.
4th.
Swish.
4 clutch free throws.
Game over.
For most of the night, Miami had controlled Game 2.
James had played with aggression.
Wade had punished New York's defense.
The Heat had built a double digit advantage and seemed ready to even the Eastern Conference Finals.
But when the game tightened, Chen Yan and the Knicks refused to break.
New York completed the comeback and secured Game 2.
The Knicks now held a 2 to 0 series lead.
....
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