Chapter 338: You Lack Confidence in Your Shooting

After the loss to the Lakers, the Suns were only half a game ahead of the Lakers in the standings.

The Heat in the East had also caught up to the Suns in the standings, and the Suns' league-leading position was in jeopardy.

On the flight back to Phoenix...

Wade Dong looked at the upcoming schedule and said, "We can't afford to lose any more games."

Wade Dong's family didn't return to Phoenix with him. They simply spent the New Year's holiday with him and were about to embark on a round-the-world trip.

Ever since Li Jiajia became his daughter-in-law, Wade Dong seemed to have become dispensable... He had become a ruthless money-making machine.

...

Before the All-Star Game, the Suns had six games left.

Suns vs. Mavericks

Suns vs. Bucks

Knicks vs. Suns

Celtics vs. Suns

Suns vs. Wizards

Suns vs. Thunder

The schedule was relatively relaxed, with mostly weaker opponents and only two away games for the Suns.

...

January 30th.

The Suns hosted the Mavericks at home.

In the first year of the Heat's Big Three, they lost to the Mavericks, who were led by Dirk Nowitzki to their first championship. However, in the following two years, the Heat's Big Three improved their chemistry, and the team became stronger, but they were defeated by the Suns in consecutive years.

There was some history between the Mavericks and the Suns.

For example, Shawn Marion and Khris Middleton were both former Suns players who had been traded to the Mavericks. Similarly, Steve Nash had joined the Suns after being traded from the Mavericks, and it was then that he reached the peak of his career.

During the pre-game warm-up, fans were gradually filling the arena. Draymond Green was practicing his three-pointers on the court and had made nine in a row. If he made the next one, it would be ten out of ten. The last shot had a perfect arc, and it seemed destined to drop into the basket. Suddenly, a man wearing a blue and white jersey appeared and swatted the ball away with a slap.

"What the...!" Green was about to lose his temper when he saw Middleton grinning at him.

"Oh my, damn!" Green rushed over and gave Middleton a bear hug.

The two had entered the Suns in the same draft year and shared a great friendship. Seeing Middleton's mischievous act, Green's anger dissipated.

Wade Dong walked over, dribbling the ball, and said with a smile, "Young man, that was a foul."

"Boss!" Middleton exclaimed, excited to see Wade Dong.

This was Middleton's first game against the Suns since his trade.

"I can't be called Boss..." Middleton said.

Wade Dong waved his hand, "I've seen your stats. You've improved rapidly. You're averaging 17.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game. You're now the second-in-command of the Mavericks."

"No matter what I achieve, you'll always be my boss," Middleton said.

Middleton knew that his rapid progress was closely tied to Wade Dong's guidance and encouragement. When Middleton slacked off or made mistakes, Wade Dong could scold him to tears, but when it came to teaching, he was incredibly generous.

Without that year with the Suns, Middleton would likely have been just a role player.

"Then show me your progress tonight and let me see how much you've improved," Wade Dong said, and then he dribbled towards the bench. As he reached the sidelines, he turned his back to the basket and casually tossed the ball over his shoulder, effortlessly making the shot.

"If only I could be as cool as Brother Dong..." Middleton watched Wade Dong's figure with envy in his eyes.

Starting Lineups for this game:

Mavericks: Dirk Nowitzki, Jose Calderon, Khris Middleton, Shawn Marion, Monta Ellis.

Suns: Wade Dong, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Vince Carter, Draymond Green.

Vince Carter, who had been traded from the Mavericks, was specifically chosen by Alvin Gentry to start this game. No one knew what Gentry was thinking, not even Wade Dong.

Wade Dong, in his second year in the league, had rarely faced Dirk Nowitzki. In last year's regular season, the Suns played four games against the Mavericks, and Nowitzki didn't play in any of them.

The referee blew the whistle, and the game began.

The Mavericks gained possession first, with Calderon dribbling up the court and passing to Middleton.

"Let's see you take a shot..." Wade Dong defended Middleton and pointed his thumb towards the basket behind him.

Middleton: (～￣▽￣)～

Although Middleton had improved rapidly this season, he still felt intimidated facing a top-tier star like Wade Dong.

His boss!

It was as if there was a level of suppression... Middleton felt he couldn't even dribble properly, let alone shoot in front of Wade Dong. The fans in the arena were standing, eager to see how Middleton would fare against Wade Dong.

"Don't be timid!" Dirk Nowitzki encouraged Middleton. "Show Wade Dong what you've got!"

"Okay!"

Middleton finally made up his mind. He dribbled twice between his legs and took a step back before shooting.

If Wade Dong had defended seriously, Middleton would have been blocked, but Wade Dong jumped without much force and even pulled his hand back.

"g~~~"

The ball hit the rim.

"Aww..."

The home fans sat down in disappointment. They had expected their former player, who had shown rapid progress after leaving the team, to perform better.

Middleton: (;′⌒`)

Kevin Durant grabbed the rebound and passed the ball to Stephen Curry.

"You lack confidence in your shooting," Wade Dong said with a smile. He called for the ball in the mid-range area, and Curry passed it to him.

Wade Dong turned his back to Middleton, performed a shoulder fake, and then shot a fadeaway jumper.

"Swish!!!"

The ball went straight through the net.

2-0!!!

"This is how you should shoot. If you don't believe you can make the shot, how can you expect the ball to go in?" Wade Dong said.

"I understand, Brother Dong," Middleton nodded. The memories of his time with the Suns flashed before his eyes, almost bringing tears to his eyes.

Alvin Gentry stood on the sidelines, listening to the conversation between Wade Dong and Middleton. He opened his thermos and spat out some tea leaves.

"Phew~ Phew~" Gentry spat the tea leaves back into the thermos and said to Tracy McGrady, "Brother Dong is already thinking about his legacy after just two seasons."

Only the soon-to-retire or retired superstars would think about their legacy. If we put aside Wade Dong's terrifying achievements, he was still considered a rookie in the NBA, having played less than 200 games.

"A great player takes on the responsibility of passing on his legacy from the moment he enters the league," McGrady said.

The Mavericks had the ball.

Calderon dribbled up the court, and after a few passes, the ball reached Nowitzki.

One-legged Fadeaway!!!

"Swish!!!"

Nowitzki used his signature one-legged fadeaway shot from mid-range to score.