Chapter 588: We Are the Eastern Champions

The highly anticipated fourth game of the Eastern Conference Finals arrived as scheduled, Madison Square Garden was already packed with fans, and outside the arena, more than ten thousand fans without tickets had gathered, while nearby bars made a fortune by accommodating these "stranded" fans.

Actually, from the afternoon onward, this road began to jam.

Kevin Garnett got stuck in the traffic and only entered the venue shortly before six o'clock.

"This game is crucial for Miami; if they lose this game in a humiliating 0‑4 sweep, the grand plan they built in 2010 will collapse completely, and their super‑team strategy will vanish as well."

"I think we might hear this summer that LeBron James requests a trade, and he's likely to return to Cleveland. Anyway, they won't win a championship, so why not go back home? Moreover, Cleveland is now strong—they've stockpiled a lot of talent over these four years."

Kenny Smith said before the game started.

That comment hit a nerve with Miami fans.

What Miami fans least want to hear right now is this kind of talk, which is worse than killing them.

They invested so much in the summer of 2010, and everyone thought their dynasty was just talk. Initially James said he wasn't coming for one, two, three, four championships… But now they have none, and they can't even reach the Finals: because Fan Xi came from the West to the East.

Fan Xi is like a nightmare for Miami, hovering over the Three Giants' heads, giving Miami basketball no chance at all.

Amid a tsunami‑like roar at Madison Square Garden, the game began.

The Knicks' starting lineup tonight is: Fan Xi, JR Smith, Josh Smith, Stoudemire, Tyson Chandler.

Because Garnett arrived late without a proper warm‑up, Larry Brown simply left him out of the starting lineup. Although Joe Johnson was originally considered for a starting spot, his return from injury still needs some adjustment. Moreover, the Knicks now have good chemistry; bringing in a top‑level isolation player could upset the balance on the wings.

The Heat's starting lineup tonight is: Mario Chalmers, Ray Allen, LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Marcus Camby.

Nothing special.

No standout performances from the bench.

After the whistle, Tyson Chandler won the tip‑off over Camby.

Fan Xi got the ball, advanced to the frontcourt. With Stoudemire setting a screen for him, Fan Xi pulled up for a stop‑and‑go jump shot and made it.

Fan Xi's shooting touch tonight is pretty good.

Looking back, James remains very active.

But his teammates' morale isn't as strong as in the previous game.

Even Chris Bosh seemed distracted; when James gestured to him, he didn't react in time. After James drove at Josh Smith, Stoudemire actually drew an offensive foul on him.

Stoudemire took the charge, letting James bump into him and fall.

Stoudemire came up big.

James got off to a bad start.

Then the Knicks' offense surged; after Fan Xi and Stoudemire ran a pick‑and‑roll into the paint, they kicked it out to JR Smith, who drove into the basket and scored with a reverse layup.

The Heat showed no fierce determination, and their defensive toughness wasn't as strong as in the previous game.

The ensuing time fully proved that.

Although James kept attacking aggressively, his shooting touch tonight wasn't as good as in the last game.

The Knicks' lead kept growing.

At the first TV timeout, the Knicks were already up by seven; by the end of the quarter, their lead had grown to twelve.

37‑25.

The home crowd's energy was off the charts.

The visiting team, however, showed a lack of will to fight.

If it weren't for James still fighting, they might have been blown out already in the first quarter.

James couldn't find his shot in the first quarter; he could only rely on drives to create damage.

"The series might end like this," Charles Barkley said glumly. "I just feel bad for LeBron. His performance in Games 2 and 3 was practically perfect—he just lacked a bit of luck. Now Miami has fallen apart; can he still pull them together?"

Tonight, Clyde Drexler is sitting in as a guest analyst on the TNT broadcast desk.

His nickname is "the Glider".

The Portland Trail Blazers didn't pick Jordan in 1984 because they already had the Glider.

Jordan also said in a post‑retirement interview: "The Glider is indeed a good player; he's fine. But comparing him to me is disrespectful to me."

Off the court, Drexler is a humble guy; he once led the Blazers in the summer of '92 to face Jordan in the Finals, only to lose. But he soon joined forces with his college teammate Hakeem Olajuwon in Houston and won two championships together.

He's one of the few perimeter stars of that era who wasn't 'tragedy‑struck'.

"I like Jieke Fan; he's strong. He possesses a basketball IQ never seen before in basketball history, and his way of dominating games is unprecedented." Drexler added: "I think it's probably because he has innate Eastern wisdom, bringing another possibility to the NBA."

"As for Jieke Fan, his actions are often unpredictable. LeBron James is also strong—I even think his physical gifts plus skills edge Fan X's a bit—but his mindset and playing rhythm are predictable. He's a prodigy forged by the American basketball system."

Drexler went on talking at length.

He was discussing the differences between Fan Xi and James, a topic he'd long been interested in.

Kenny agreed with his view.

Because they were once teammates on the Rockets, they'd won a championship together.

But Barkley thought that was nonsense. He too had played for the Rockets, and he used to be the one clinging to the team's star. Yet he never won a ring. Instead, he became the Rockets' mainstay, because after he joined, Drexler's level dropped sharply due to injuries and mental issues.

Between them there's even a personal grudge; Barkley still believes that if Drexler had been a bit more driven back then, he himself wouldn't have retired empty‑handed. Remember, Barkley joining the Rockets meant giving up the only chance in his career to earn a ten‑million‑dollar salary.

But Drexler also has his explanation: he thinks that Rockets squad was simply too old. They'd already burned out their stamina in the regular season, and to acquire Barkley they sent away their only two young contributors, leaving a bunch of old‑timers—how could they win? The first round was indeed a clean 3‑0 sweep, but when they met the SuperSonics, up 3‑1 they were dragged to a Game 7, scraped a win, then ran into the Salt Lake City twins.

The Rockets were swept away cleanly.

So Drexler now wildly praises the Knicks' strategy: "Given New York's current age makeup, they ought to go for a quick kill. Absolutely no dragging it out—any delay would be a fatal blow for them."

"If that's the case, then as long as LeBron wins this game and drags it back to Miami, they'd have a chance to turn things around?" Barkley asked him.

"In theory, yes," Drexler nodded. "But I don't think LeBron has that chance; his teammates no longer want to fight, and over a long stretch he's failed to show any leadership in mental toughness."

As the two faced off, the second quarter began.

In the second quarter, LeBron James' condition improved a bit; after he hit a catch‑and‑shoot three from two meters beyond the arc, his shooting touch kicked in.

He kept hitting pull‑up jump shots.

On the Knicks' side, because Joe Johnson entered the game, they gave him lots of isolation looks to help him find his rhythm.

With one rising as the other fell, after the second quarter the Knicks' lead shrank from 12 points to 3 points.

In this quarter, James scored 17 points, bringing his half‑court total to 28 points.

Following this trend, he is very likely to score another 60 points, and if he does, he will become the only player in Eastern Conference finals history to record two 60‑point games.

With James's strong performance, the Heat's condition improved a bit. Especially after Chris Andersen came on, this white forward who had tattoos all over his body was a very passionate player.

He had once played in China. According to Drexler, he seemed to have picked up a bit of Eastern wisdom.

He became more active in the paint, and this energy helped LeBron James better control the team.

This is why the Heat narrowed the gap to 3 points in the second quarter.

This is not good news for the Knicks; the shrinking gap will slowly reignite the fight in the Heat players who had lost their spirit, and if the game drags on, it will also be a challenge for the Knicks' veteran players.

So, during halftime, Fan Xi and the coaching staff discussed a series of countermeasures, collectively called the all‑in‑one plan.

After the second half began, Fan Xi launched the first fierce attack, quickly driving into Miami's paint to inflict damage. Right away he forced Andersen to pick up two consecutive fouls, which to some extent removed James's stubborn resistance.

But James did not give up; his touch was good, he kept hitting outside shots. He even shouted to his teammates: 'Just shoot like this, it's easy, we can win.'

He instilled in his teammates a feeling that victory could come easily.

The Miami Heat's spirit gradually revived.

More and more players engaged in active combat, and this shift in demeanor was very obvious, felt on both ends of the floor.

However, they simply weren't lucky enough.

Because when Fan Xi could only keep attacking the paint to cause damage, his shooting touch was obviously off tonight. Hamilton stepped up; this veteran, after re‑donning his gear, hit three straight threes. qqxδnew

He helped the Knicks find their footing and widened their lead.

Next came Kevin Garnett, who blocked James on defense and then, on offense, repeatedly used his isolation moves to leave Chris Bosh helpless.

Kevin Garnett further widened the gap, showing his power as a core veteran.

Most importantly, with three minutes left in the fourth quarter, James drove into the paint again; Garnett and Chandler came together to double‑team him, James passed to Bosh, Bosh caught the ball and was about to dunk, Garnett spun and leapt up, the two collided in mid‑air and fell to the ground together.

Bosh clutched his knee and cried out in pain, then the team doctor rushed over to examine him.

The doctor helped him to the bench, thinking Bosh likely just had a hard‑contact injury. But Bosh did not return to the court; he did not want this incident to cast a shadow over his career, which still had a long way to go.

James felt somewhat helpless, but there was nothing he could do.

He knew Bosh's decision might be right, and no one could guarantee his health.

Thus, the Heat that once had the Three Giants were left with only James fighting alone.

It is worth noting that after Kevin Garnett made a big contribution, he also returned to the bench and did not go back in.

But that no longer mattered.

The Knicks were already up by 10 points, and their morale was burning wildly.

On the other hand, after Chris Bosh left the game, the Heat's morale fell apart. With only a few minutes left, the team was down 0‑3, and the Three Giants were down to just one giant. Moreover, the opponent was Fan Xi, a person who can turn victory from defeat no matter how dire the situation.

All these factors combined.

It's hard not to give up, and hard not to think about fishing this summer.

Being eliminated early would also be fine.

When this lax emotion is released.

Even if LeBron James were a god, he could not pull things together.

All we can say is that he once had a chance.

Or put another way, if Chris Bosh were a tough guy, the situation would be much better.

Because Kevin Garnett was truly injured.

His ankle twisted on landing and swelled up badly.

The team doctor urged him to get checked right away, but this tough‑as‑nails veteran refused, saying: 'I need to watch them fall. I need to watch the Miami Heat fall!'

He was very excited.

The Boston Three Giants were ended by the Miami Heat; he must get revenge. Moreover, he has prepared to return to play, and if the team runs into any trouble, he would rather sacrifice this leg than bring the Heat down. Otherwise, he would not be reconciled.

This is strong backbone, this is iron‑blood infused with soul.

Garnett sat on the sideline clenching his teeth, and his actions gave the Knicks players strong motivation.

This also made the Knicks become even more frenetic in the remaining minutes.

James could not hold out alone; he could only watch as the Knicks, like a pack of wolves, kept tearing the Heat apart.

Madison Square Garden subsequently turned into a sea of wild celebration, with over twenty thousand fans in attendance already reveling.

The atmosphere was extremely heated.

With two minutes left in the game, Spoelstra tried to get James to rest.

But James did not do so.

He kept holding his position.

Even in the final possession, he was still desperately defending.

One of his chase downs also injured JR Smith, who, on a defensive break, tried to slam a dunk to ignite the crowd's passion, but James chased from behind and blocked it.

This caused JR Smith to fall to the ground.

Face first.

By the time he got up, his face was covered in blood.

The team doctor rushed over to stop the bleeding, then immediately took him off the court.

Even covered in blood, as he left he shouted to the whole arena: 'We are champions! We are champions! We are champions!'

JR Smith's shout became the arena's slogan, with twenty thousand people roaring in unison.

We are champions!

Before the final buzzer sounded, the verdict had already been reached.