The Best Point Guard

Chapter 398: Chapter 128: Marching to the Finals

to 99.

The Indiana Pacers, playing at home, defeated the Miami Heat.

Although Shaquille O’Neal and Dwyane Wade put immense pressure on the Pacers in the third and fourth quarters, it had little impact on the final result.

Wade and O’Neal each had a stretch of superstar-level play, a testament to their skill.

But the Pacers’ roster was just too powerful.

And it wasn’t just their starting lineup that was strong; their bench had also been honed over the long regular season.

The Pacers’ depth and strength exceeded the imagination of many basketball commentators.

In the first game, the Miami Heat played a total of nine players: Shaquille O’Neal, Dwyane Wade, Haslem, Eddie Jones, Damon Jones, Kenyon Martin, Alonzo Mourning, Rasual Butler, and Steve Smith.

Besides O’Neal and Wade, Haslem could be considered a solid contributor. The rest of the players could be described as ’old, weak, sick, and disabled’.

The Pacers played 10 players tonight: Su Xi, Artest, Jackson, Little O’Neal, Foster, Krohseil, Tony Battie, Kenny Anderson, Reggie Miller, and Fraser Jones. In addition, two players who didn’t get in were Slade and David Harrison.

After the game, Su Xi ran into Wade in the players’ tunnel. The two had been matched up against each other all night. Wade finished with 25 points, 6 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks—a very well-rounded, superstar performance.

Su Xi had 23 points, 11 assists, 9 rebounds, 4 steals, and 1 block.

A near triple-double.

Statistically, Su Xi had a slight edge over Wade.

The victory was in Su Xi’s pocket.

Wade was graceful in defeat, even proactively extending his hand to high-five Su Xi. "Congratulations, Jack."

Su Xi patted Wade’s shoulder and told him to keep it up.

"I’m honestly jealous you have such a great team," Wade said to Su Xi, speaking from the heart.

In his eyes, the Pacers’ lineup seemed tailor-made for Su Xi, perfectly showcasing his abilities and talent.

Wade had made a comparison in his mind.

’Su Xi’s ability to drive is great, but mine isn’t bad either.’

’Su Xi’s one-on-one skills with the ball are a level below mine.’

’His court vision and passing technique might be a bit better than mine, but definitely not a whole level better.’

’His off-ball movement and catch-and-shoot ability are better than mine, but he rarely plays off-ball anymore.’

’Also, Su Xi is very athletic, but overall, there isn’t a huge difference between us.’

’Defensively, Su Xi is stronger, but my defense is good enough.’

Based on this realistic and objective comparison, Wade felt there could only be one reason for the huge gap in their accolades and fame: Su Xi had a better team.

Su Xi didn’t deny it. He nodded and said, "I’m jealous of myself, too."

But at the same time, he told Wade, "If you and I switched places, you wouldn’t necessarily be able to lead the Pacers to better results. But I could definitely make the Miami Heat better."

Su Xi’s words radiated immense confidence, carrying an unquestionable sense of authority. It was a powerful aura.

Wade raised an eyebrow. He didn’t cower before Su Xi’s powerful aura, but said calmly, "The Heat you’re seeing now are far from our strongest. See you next game."

"Alright."

The two parted ways.

「Two days later, the second game began.」

Wade did indeed play a completely different game; his offense was incredibly explosive.

He scored 31 points in the game with a mix of drives and outside shots, along with 5 assists and 7 rebounds.

However, the Miami Heat lost the game, 101 to 109.

They had lost two straight on the road.

Shaquille O’Neal played well in the paint, putting up 21 points, 17 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks.

But even Wade and O’Neal together couldn’t save Miami.

The Pacers were villains from top to bottom. In the third quarter, Carlisle even deliberately allowed Wade and O’Neal to play one-on-one, using it as a test of his team’s resilience.

The Heat were a bucket with two long staves, while the Pacers were a bucket with one long stave but no obvious short ones.

Which of these two buckets could hold more water?

Meanwhile, the situation in the West was also becoming clear.

The San Antonio Spurs had won two games on the road.

Phoenix’s regular-season strength failed to blossom in the playoffs.

At this point, in the words of Artest, everyone was already thinking about the Finals matchup.

In the words of the Pistons’ head coach: "I have no regrets."

His contract with the Pistons had ended.

The Pistons were dissatisfied that he hadn’t led the team to the Finals for two consecutive years, and Larry Brown also felt he could no longer take the Pistons any further. He decided to return to college basketball to do some consulting work.

Larry Brown’s coaching style was well-suited for the NCAA.

The NBA was becoming increasingly commercialized, with stars gaining more and more say. His style of tactical system was losing its appeal.

"Little Sheep Su Xi has rewritten the landscape of the East. People underestimated the impact of him joining the Pacers at the time."

"Larry Bird made a great trade. I suspect that when he chose to make the trade, even he didn’t expect Little Sheep Su Xi to develop to this extent. At the time, he was probably just looking to fill the Pacers’ weakness at the point guard position."

"But, relying on the Pacers’ powerful roster, Little Sheep Su Xi absorbed nutrients, and his evolution has been dazzlingly fast. He has become Indiana’s most powerful locomotive."

"Now, the Pacers are the most powerful high-speed train in the entire league. No team can stop them."