Chapter 371: Protecting the Rebound

The second half began.

Coach Gentry's tactic was indeed what Gortat had guessed; he did say to give the ball to Brother Dong.

The Suns were on offense.

Wade Dong made a crossover move, getting past Lillard and Matthews' defense.

Facing Gortat's defense under the basket, Wade Dong jumped and was about to finish with a layup.

"Whack!"

This time, Gortat anticipated Wade Dong's move and slapped his arm as he attempted the layup.

Wade Dong lost his balance, but Gortat, after committing the foul, held onto Wade Dong to protect him from falling.

"Sorry, Brother Dong," Gortat apologized quietly. "I can't think of any other way to stop you besides fouling."

Wade Dong patted Gortat's shoulder, "You did the right thing!"

Now that he had joined the Trail Blazers, they were opponents on the court. Gortat's ability to anticipate Wade Dong's next move and his decision to foul instead of letting Wade Dong score were significant improvements.

After committing the foul, Gortat's first instinct was to protect Wade Dong and prevent him from falling and getting injured.

"Gortat is a good kid," Coach Gentry remarked.

This foul impressed Coach Stotts, "He must have learned a lot from playing with us for so long. He can even predict Wade Dong's next move."

"Swish!"

"Swish!"

Wade Dong stepped up to the free-throw line and made both shots.

Suns 63, Trail Blazers 66!

After seeing Wade Dong make both free throws, Coach Stotts sighed again. With Wade Dong's free throw percentage at 93%, fouling him didn't make much difference.

...

TNT Broadcast Booth.

Barkley, "Gortat's foul was a bit foolish. Wade Dong isn't Shaq; sending him to the free-throw line is like giving away two points and an additional foul."

Shaquille O'Neal, "I can kick your ass, you know that, right?"

...

The Trail Blazers inbounded the ball from the baseline. Lillard dribbled up the court and took a three-pointer against Wade Dong's defense.

"Gooo..."

The ball hit the rim, and Durant grabbed the defensive rebound.

Coach Gentry commented, "That wasn't a good shot choice, but Lillard is too eager to prove himself."

McGrady added, "Lillard is a tenacious player. I see a bit of Kobe in him. This kid has a bright future."

As Durant grabbed the rebound, Curry was already sprinting up the court.

Durant passed the ball to Curry, who took three dribbles. Matthews had caught up, so Curry pulled up for a three-pointer just outside the three-point line.

"Swish!"

The ball swished through the net.

Suns 63, Trail Blazers 69!

This was the Suns' most frustrating aspect for many teams. They had not only Wade Dong but also Durant and Curry, who was already showcasing his superstar potential, while Durant was in his prime.

If it weren't for Wade Dong...

This era would have belonged to Durant and James, the two dominant forces in the league.

The Trail Blazers were on offense.

Aldridge and Gortat executed a pick-and-roll, and Gortat received the pass from Aldridge, intending to score a layup.

However, he didn't notice that Wade Dong had already moved under the basket. Wade Dong blocked Gortat's layup attempt, and although Gortat had some understanding of Wade Dong, Wade Dong knew Gortat's game inside out, as he had taught Gortat many post moves. Wade Dong knew exactly what Gortat was going to do with the ball.

"Whack!"

Wade Dong swatted the ball against the backboard, landed, and jumped again to grab the ball.

Durant and Curry sprinted towards the frontcourt, and Wade Dong passed to Durant. Matthews was already back on defense.

A two-on-one fast break!

Durant passed to Curry, who received the ball as Matthews shifted to defend him.

Curry gently tossed the ball towards the basket.

"Clang!"

Durant caught the pass from Curry and slammed home a dunk!

Suns 63, Trail Blazers 71!

The Trail Blazers were on the verge of falling behind by double digits.

As the deficit grew, the Trail Blazers players became more anxious. Matthews attempted another three-pointer, which missed, and Durant boxed out to grab the defensive rebound from Gortat. He then passed the ball to Wade Dong.

Wade Dong dribbled up the court, with three Trail Blazers players chasing him.

A three-on-one fast break!

Wade Dong dribbled past Batum, took one step inside the free-throw line, and jumped, facing Aldridge and Lillard under the basket. In mid-air, he switched the ball to his left hand for a layup, avoiding their defense.

"Swish!"

The ball swished through the net.

Suns 63, Trail Blazers 73!

Two minutes into the third quarter, the Trail Blazers hadn't scored, while the Suns had scored nine consecutive points, extending their lead to 10.

"MVP! MVP! MVP!"

The fans started chanting, and those who regularly watched the Suns knew that the game was as good as won.

Coach Stotts called another timeout.

"Pass the ball, pass the ball, pass the ball!"

He emphasized this three times and added, "Don't take unnecessary shots if there's no good opportunity!"

"Aldridge, you need to attack the basket more. Don't be afraid of physical contact. Our height is our biggest advantage, so protect the rebound!"

"Come on, we can beat the Suns! Protecting the rebound is the key to our victory!"

...

After the timeout, Coach Stotts noticed that Coach Gentry had substituted Whiteside for Thompson, bringing in another big man.

"Damn..."

Coach Stotts cursed. The Suns' height advantage had increased, making it harder for the Trail Blazers to grab rebounds.

Lillard organized the offense and drove to the basket, passing the ball to Aldridge for a mid-range shot.

Aldridge received the pass but, instead of facing up against Durant, passed it back out to Matthews beyond the three-point line.

Matthews hesitated for a moment before taking the three-point shot.

"Gooo..."

The ball hit the front of the rim and fell into Wade Dong's hands.

Wade Dong dribbled up the court, and Matthews tried to grab him, but Wade Dong spun out of his reach.

"Heh..."

After evading Matthews, Wade Dong turned back and smiled at him before finishing the layup.

Suns 63, Trail Blazers 75!

In the next five minutes, the Suns continued to extend their lead.

With three minutes left in the third quarter and a 20-point lead, Coach Gentry began substituting his starters.