In fact... as long as it wasn’t a malicious foul, Qin Yue never minded if defensive players played with intensity against him.
However, even though Qin Yue complained about O’Neal going too easy, during the subsequent free throws, hitting one of two, he was clearly affected by O’Neal’s "Iron Palm".
But no matter how much it hurt...
A real man will grit his teeth and finish what he started!
Then, at the Arican Airlines Arena, both the Heat and the Warriors honored each other by missing shots for several rounds.
Awakened gradually by Wade’s roar...
Heat players increased the intensity on Warriors players through more aggressive physical contact on defense.
Tonight, under the high-intensity confrontation and physical battles permitted by the head referee Salvatore, the Warriors’ outside shooting accuracy was bound to be affected.
But Riley was puzzled as to why, even by the fourth ga, Walker and Williams still couldn’t find their touch.
Since in the third ga, Posey was the only normal one on the Heat’s outside line, so in this ga, with the premise of blocking the restricted area, the Warriors only gave Posey extra attention.
As for Walker and Williams?
Players who miss open shots, why bother guarding them?
Could it be they’re not enjoying Wade’s drives and want to make it easier for Wade?
Midway through the first quarter, Riley, unable to bear it any longer, called up Payton and Kapono.
Since Walker and Williams couldn’t find their aim, Riley had no choice but to replace them with two other championship pieces to see if they could get a feel for the ga.
Then Riley received one good and one bad piece of news.
The good news was, after receiving Wade’s drive-and-kick, Kapono nailed a three-pointer for the Heat.
The bad news was, Payton was 0 for 2, and he was hit by Davis in two consecutive rounds on the court.
As the "Gloves" who once made his na on the streets, the soon-to-be 38-year-old Payton, in the face of the fully accelerating Davis, was like an empty street in the early morning, allowing free passage.
No doubt about it.
It’s yet another story of a boorang hitting itself.
Payton, who aged in the legs first, montarily besides having so-called experience...
How could he possibly stop Baron Davis, who was frustrated in the West and saw red at everyone in the East?
Previously, when Davis was resting, Payton could still use experience to fight Warriors’ backup guard Jack.
But tonight, Riley sending him in early was undoubtedly digging a hole for Payton and erecting his tombstone.
Seeing this, Riley could only change strategy again, switching Haslem to four, Walker to three, and partnering Posey and Wade in the backcourt.
This decision successfully salvaged the Heat from a near collapse.
Because with Artest and Richardson unable to find their aim, the Warriors’ offense also relied on Qin Yue and Davis toughing it out.
Before the ga, Artest and Richardson, always debating who was the Warriors’ best shooter, had performances in the first quarter that could only be described as the "Hidden Dragon and Phoenix Chick".
Fortunately, the true best shooter within the Warriors was sent onto the court by coach Montgory in the later part of the first quarter.
On the court, it was the Warriors’ offensive possession.
Despite getting a chance to shoot a three from the top of the arc while doing a hand-off with Qin Yue, Mr. Big Beard didn’t rush to shoot.
Thus, a perfect passing lane appeared in Davis’s eyes.
The Heat defense, drawn by Qin Yue and Davis’s teamwork, was forced to expand, leaving the Warriors’ best shooter open.
Davis then sent over an impeccable perfect pass.
In that mont, catching and stabilizing the ball, Mike Dunleavy finally hit the Warriors’ first three-pointer of the night.
This was a crucial three-pointer.
Before this, the Warriors were 0 for 6 from outside...
So only God knows why Qin Yue had those bruises and welts all over him.
In the first quarter, O’Neal, substituted out due to two fouls, was indeed the main culprit.
But if only Richardson and Artest could shoot a bit more accurately... would Qin Yue have gotten beaten up in the Heat’s paint?
Luckily, Dunleavy’s appearance freed up Qin Yue.
It’s proven that the Golden State’s duo never disappears, only shifts.
In the last two minutes of the first quarter, Murphy, replacing Brown, triggered his shooting chanism right away.
On the court, it was the Warriors’ offensive possession.
Using a high-position screen-to-screen play to create a three-point shooting opportunity at the top of the arc for Murphy, Qin Yue unhesitatingly handed the ball over to Murphy.
Thereafter, Murphy rewarded Qin Yue’s trust with a nothing-but-net three-pointer.
At the end of the first quarter, 28 to 24.
During the break, Pat Riley was already lost on what to do to beat this Warriors team.
In defense, the Heat delivered what could be their highest quality quarter of defense in these Finals under Wade’s leadership, despite their sluggish spirits before the ga.
In offense, aside from struggling from outside, all the Heat players, including O’Neal, were doing their utmost to create opportunities for Wade.
But as long as the Warriors capitalized on those easy shots Qin Yue’s presence generated... the ga tilted towards the Warriors.
Is it really impossible for the Heat to... win a single ga against this Warriors team?
At the Arican Airlines Arena, Riley would soon get the answer he sought.
Because after Antoine Walker finally hit that damn three-pointer...
On the return, Qin Yue, with a cut into the Heat’s paint via Murphy’s screen, hit a strong banked side hook past Alonzo Mourning.
AND-ONE!
The shot went in with the whistle; it was also a three-point play!
The reason for the Heat’s string of losses in this series is not just their inability to find their shooting touch.
Indeed, until now...
They never truly contained Qin Yue.
Zone defense can weaken the devastating damage Qin Yue causes with mismatches.
Yet the Heat’s slow-paced ga... is it not a stage built for the massive Qin Yue?
On the court, after executing the additional free throw, Qin Yue tallied his 16th point of the ga.
Why do the Warriors never worry about Artest and Richardson missing those shots that would drive Riley mad?
Because even if they are off their ga from outside, they still have Qin Yue.
That’s the sense of security Qin Yue brings to the entire Warriors team.
It’s this security that is key to the Warriors breezing past opponents in this year’s playoffs. And in the eyes of opponents, this security is often referred to as:
——Dominance.
...
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