Chapter 535: To Win the Game, No Regrets

On April 17, the 2014-15 NBA playoffs kicked off.

The first day featured four games.

The matchup between the Suns and the Mavericks attracted the most attention. Although Gentry had already announced that Wade Dong would miss the first round of playoffs, fans still hoped for a miracle.

As the live broadcast began, players were seen warming up on the court.

In the arena and in front of televisions, spectators searched for Wade Dong's figure but found none; everyone sighed—miracles did not happen after all.

At six in the morning,

Wade Dong and Li Jiajia got up, took a one-hour walk, and then enjoyed breakfast together before comfortably settling on the sofa to watch the Suns' game live.

"Are you particularly eager to play?" 

Li Jiajia noticed a flicker in Wade's eyes and asked with a smile.

"Playing isn't as comfortable as watching," Wade replied as he wrapped his arms around Li Jiajia.

With his beloved wife in his arms, Wade felt at ease. He was a passionate basketball lover, and the court was his favorite place.

With the playoffs starting and not being able to fight alongside his teammates, Wade felt a sense of regret. However, he understood priorities; during this special time, nothing was more important than Li Jiajia.

As Li Jiajia's due date approached,

In just a few days, even without any pre-labor signs, she would need to check into Beijing Union Medical College Hospital for pre-delivery preparations to ensure everything was perfect.

.....

As the game was about to begin, some players on the Suns felt uneasy.

Curry asked, "Coach Gentry, are you still unable to reach Dong Ge?"

"Dong Ge is undergoing confidential treatment; his phone has been off," Gentry replied. "But I believe he is watching us on TV right now. We must win this game and win big against the Mavericks."

Starting Lineups:

- Suns: Curry, Carter, Thompson, Durant, Green

- Mavericks: Rondo, Middleton, Ellis, Nowitzki, Stoudemire

The Mavericks were one of the few teams that had not publicly stated their intention to pursue Wade Dong during the summer. After the All-Star break, they strengthened their roster with two trades by acquiring Stoudemire and Rondo to enhance their strength.

Initially struggling with team chemistry after these trades, their record fell to twelfth in the West. However, they rebounded with a seven-game winning streak to reclaim the eighth seed. Confidently entering the playoffs, they faced the regular-season record-holding Suns at 80 wins and 2 losses. This was a team that had previously pulled off an "upset" against higher-seeded teams; this time they aimed to achieve another miracle against a Wade-less Suns team.

....

"Beep!!!"

With the referee's whistle, the game began.

"Victory is certain!"

"Victory is certain!"

"Victory is certain!"

The home crowd erupted with energy as fans cheered loudly for the Suns.

Durant and Stoudemire jumped for possession.

"Smack!"

Stoudemire tapped the ball into Rondo's hands and said to Durant: "I have deep feelings for this court; I won't lose jumping here."

"Hmph~~~"

Durant ignored Stoudemire; he disliked trash-talking on the court. If someone wanted to trash talk, let's do it on Twitter!

Rondo brought the ball up; Stoudemire set a screen and rolled down. After receiving Rondo's pass and evading Green's defense, he laid it up easily.

"Swish!!!"

The basketball went smoothly through the net.

2:0!!!

If he were a few years younger, Stoudemire would have opted for a dunk on that play.

....

In China's live broadcast room,

Yu Jia said, "Director Zhang, we've been commentating on Suns games for two years now; today without Dong Ge on court feels a bit strange!"

Director Zhang replied, "I hope Dong Ge recovers soon."

Yu Jia continued, "Rondo and Stoudemire's coordination has a hint of that old Suns 'run-and-gun' style."

....

The Mavericks scored first. Coach Carlisle looked over at Gentry and felt comforted seeing him standing there calmly by the sidelines.

During this year's regular season, these two teams faced each other four times... In those four games, Gentry had never left his bench seat; he always sat there confidently with his thermos cup. Now that Wade Dong was absent from court, Gentry began to feel anxious.

Suns' offense commenced.

Curry dribbled upcourt while Durant came up to set a screen for him; Thompson made an off-ball cut!

Curry got past his defender and passed to Thompson in the corner; as Middleton rushed over to defend him, Thompson quickly passed it back to Carter.

"Swish!!!"

Carter launched a three-pointer that went cleanly through.

3:2!!!

A couple of years ago when Middleton was traded straight up for Carter, it was one of those rare "small losses" for the Suns; Middleton had since grown into Dallas' second-best player.

This was only natural since Middleton was a rookie with potential... Carter's peak had passed but his experience was invaluable for what Phoenix needed at this moment.

Afterward,

Nowitzki received a pass from Rondo at mid-range and executed his signature "one-legged fadeaway."

Both teams started strong with high shooting percentages early on.

27:23!!!

After seven minutes into the first quarter, the Suns led by four points.

....

Seeing this unfold, Wade Dong said to Li Jiajia:

"If my teammates want an easy win today against this game, they need to run hard and engage in a fast-paced battle against Dallas. 

The Mavericks have too many veterans; their stamina and speed are their weaknesses—exposing those weaknesses becomes more evident with faster tempo."

"Isn't that just bullying older players?" 

Li Jiajia laughed. "That seems a bit unfair."

"For winning," Wade replied without hesitation. "No regrets..."

"You can tell you have confidence in your teammates."

"Let's put it this way..." 

Wade said seriously: "With Phoenix's current lineup, only if I were swapped onto Dallas could it be an even matchup; thus currently Dallas cannot compete with Phoenix."

Before playoffs began, Wade had studied Dallas' roster closely.

It was still strong... If given more time to gel together they could potentially rise to fifth or sixth in the West and go further in playoffs; unfortunately they faced off against Phoenix in round one so getting swept 4-0 seemed inevitable now.

....

Carlisle called a timeout.

Suns players gathered around Gentry as he patiently analyzed tactics with them.

After explaining strategies Gentry added: "They're shooting well in this first quarter; don't let that affect you. I believe we will quickly pull ahead."

"Remember—Dong Ge is watching live!"

After the timeout ended Gentry reminded them once again while thinking to himself how if Dong Ge were here right now he would likely set up similar strategies too.