Chapter 548: Showing Off Streetball Skills in Front of the Streetball King
Howard won the opening tip, and Alston brought the ball to the left wing, 45 degrees beyond the 3 point line, as the Magic began their 1st offensive possession.
Nash picked him up tightly. Alston turned his body to shield the ball and looked for a passing angle.
Alston and Nash were both near the bottom tier among NBA point guards in terms of physical strength, so Nash was not worried about getting overpowered. He pressed up aggressively from the start.
Lewis immediately noticed and hurried over to set a screen for Alston.
Out of the corner of his eye, Alston caught Lewis arriving. With a subtle flick of his wrist, he suddenly went behind the back, shaking Nash and driving toward the baseline.
As the former streetball king, Alston's handle was undeniably sharp. In the NBA, role players rarely had the freedom to show off flashy dribble moves, so he seldom got the chance to put those streetball skills on display. Still, the polish in his ball handling could always be seen in the details.
Diaw dropped toward the corner to help, while Nash recovered from behind.
Alston gathered the ball, half turned, and found Lewis at the top of the arc.
The pass came a beat too slow, allowing Chen Yan enough time to recover and step into Lewis's path.
That was the gap between Alston and the league's elite point guards. On the drive, he failed to read his teammates' movement in time. By the time he gathered, turned, scanned the floor, and finally made the pass, the opening was already gone.
Lewis had the height advantage over Chen Yan, but Chen Yan closed hard and took away the immediate shot. Lewis put the ball on the floor once, slid sideways, and kicked it to Turkoglu.
Turkoglu was the Magic's best perimeter creator, yet even he chose not to force the issue. He floated a soft lob toward Howard.
Howard caught it near the right elbow. That was not his preferred scoring area, but he trusted his physical gifts. The instant he secured the ball, he turned to face up and attacked.
After 1 left hand dribble, Howard planted his right foot and spun toward the lane.
Howard's basketball IQ was limited, and his offensive package was simple. The moment he put the ball on the floor, the Suns already knew what was coming next.
As he spun into the paint, Phoenix's defense collapsed all at once. All 5 Suns players shrank toward the restricted area and its edges almost simultaneously.
Howard still did not realize what was happening.
After planting again, he forced up a short floater.
Because Howard lacked both court vision and feel, the scene turned awkward in a hurry. Howard challenged 4 defenders in the lane all by himself, while all 4 of his teammates stood wide open outside the 3 point line.
Under heavy pressure, the floater missed.
Stoudemire secured the rebound, ending Orlando's 1st possession.
Even though the Magic failed to score, their floor spacing gave them a quick defensive retreat. With all 4 perimeter players already outside the arc, they got back in time and denied Phoenix an early fast break.
Nash brought the ball into the frontcourt and immediately called for a Stoudemire screen.
The idea was simple. If Howard did not switch, Nash would have a 3 point look. If Howard switched out, the lane would open up, and Nash could pick the defense apart with his passing.
Stoudemire's screen knocked Alston off the path, and Turkoglu stepped up to help, taking away the clean 3 point opportunity.
Orlando's defensive plan was just as clear. Let the other 4 defenders take the perimeter, and leave the paint to Howard.
Once anyone drove inside, Howard would rotate over. At this point in his career, he was at his absolute peak. With his wingspan and explosion, even when he failed to block a shot, he still put enormous psychological pressure on anyone who entered the lane.
Nash dribbled 1 step to his right. His 1st instinct was to drop the ball to Stoudemire and let him punish the mismatch against Alston.
But Stoudemire had already rolled back toward the restricted area, and Howard recovered with him.
Nash still wanted to attack the mismatch. Turkoglu was now on Nash, and Grant Hill had Alston on him.
Nash paused, then calmly swung the ball to Hill, letting him attack Alston 1 on 1.
Hill drove along the right side, turned after making contact, and rose for a jumper from the free throw line.
The difference in physical strength was obvious. Alston got shoved off the line of attack and could not even get up to contest.
Hill's mid range shot dropped smoothly.
0 to 2.
Alston's frame was exactly the same as it had been in Houston. He had been a defensive weak point there too, and his teammates always had to be ready to cover for him.
The crowd erupted. The Suns did not have to wait long for their 1st basket of the Finals.
Alston brought it back quickly, came across midcourt, used a screen, and immediately hit Lewis in the middle.
Lewis gave Diaw a slight shot fake, then took a long stride into the lane. Just like on the previous possession, the Suns collapsed in a hurry. Under pressure from 2 defenders, Lewis lost the ball out of bounds.
The referee had a perfect angle and pointed the other way right away.
Suns ball.
Phoenix inbounded again.
Nash crossed half court, and Chen Yan started moving.
He wandered slowly around the baseline as if he were just feeling things out. The moment one foot touched the 3 point line, he suddenly changed gears and exploded toward the paint.
Courtney Lee's whole body tightened. He immediately chased Chen Yan into the lane.
Then Chen Yan slammed on the brakes, dropped low, looped back out, and raced toward the 3 point line again.
Lee's body froze. So did his ankles.
Watching Chen Yan glide back toward the arc, Lee could not help thinking, how many gears does this guy even have?
Swish.
Chen Yan rose from behind the 3 point line and knocked it down.
0 to 5.
On the broadcast, the analysts pointed out that Courtney Lee had been completely knocked out of position and clearly had not yet adjusted to the speed of the Finals.
After 2 failed possessions, Orlando finally chose the safe option and put the ball in Turkoglu's hands.
They wanted him to function as a point forward and create something solid.
Grant Hill stayed attached to him through the 1st exchange. Then Howard stepped up for the screen and freed Turkoglu.
Turkoglu took 2 dribbles, saw nothing he liked, spun back out, and kicked it to Alston above the arc.
Alston moved it to Lewis, and Lewis moved it to Howard.
After the ball circled once around the perimeter, it still ended up with Howard to make something happen.
Howard's strengths were putbacks and power finishes in the paint. Even against a defender like Stoudemire, he did not have much variety with the ball in his hands.
He bullied his way inside for a couple of bumps, and Nash collapsed into the lane.
The shot clock was nearly gone. Howard had no time to pass, so he forced up another shot in traffic.
Clang.
Another miss.
On the ABC broadcast, the reaction was blunt.
"This isn't the Magic's game, and it sure isn't Howard's game," Mike said, shaking his head. "They're leaning right into their own weakness."
Jackson was even harsher.
"I don't know what Van Gundy is thinking. Everybody knows what Howard can do, and what he can't. This ain't his job. If you keep handing him the ball and asking him to dribble and go 1 on 1, this thing is over."
Diaw grabbed the rebound and pushed it up himself. This time, the Suns got the transition chance they wanted.
Chen Yan received the ball right on the logo and advanced it himself. Courtney Lee was on his right. Alston was on his left.
Driving 1 step inside the free throw line, Chen Yan lightly pushed the ball into the gap between them, then instantly yanked it back with his left hand.
Sam Good.
That push and pull completely wrecked the timing of both defenders.
Then Chen Yan rose from a step inside the free throw line and buried the jumper.
0 to 7.
The arena exploded.
Fans could feel it immediately. Chen Yan was loose, confident, and showing off in the Finals, even breaking out a streetball move right in front of the streetball king.
.....
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