NBA: I have 3, no D, and I can't dribble

Chapter 97 [97] The opening game starts, Lin Fei upgrades his defense, Artest overturns Wade!
The American Airlines Arena in Miami can be said to be one of the landmarks of the city. To the west is the high-rise buildings in the city center, to the east is the endless blue sea, and the sea-crossing bridge leads directly to the beautiful jungle island.

Rows of palm trees are planted around the arena, rippling and waving under the summer breeze, full of the coastal style of the southern country.

The arena was officially completed and put into use in 1999, and the owner of the Heat, "Cruise Tycoon" Mickey Arison, invested more than 3 million U.S. dollars for this purpose.

Lin Fei has been here for nearly a month since he came to Miami in early October, and he quickly adapted to the life and climate of Miami.

The weather in Miami at the end of October is the most comfortable, with an average temperature of about 20-27 degrees.

Lin Fei's new villa is located less than 2 kilometers south of the American Airlines Arena, close to Gulf Park and the University of Miami.

Roughly, the villas of Wade and O'Neal are not far away, and everyone often visits each other, having dinner together and discussing training.

Standing on the third-floor balcony of the villa, Lin Fei could directly see the blue sea and blue sky not far away, the luxury cruise ships passing by, the cross-sea bridge was busy with traffic, and the jungle island five kilometers away could be faintly seen.

At the same time, on the beach by the sea, there will always be many mixed-race beauties wearing various bikinis, with hot bodies, sexy and charming.

For this reason, Lin Fei bought a telescope for a few hundred dollars, so that he can enjoy the beauties, the beach and the sea in his free time.

Qin Dongmei returned to Stanford University in California as early as the beginning of the month, and the new semester has already begun.

Without his girlfriend, Lin Fei also put more energy into daily training from the bed.

The downtown area of ​​Miami is not large, but it is quite rich and prosperous.

Lin Fei usually runs a full marathon once a week. The 42 kilometers is enough to circle around Miami, and he can pass most of the attractions in the urban area.

With long-term training and improvement in endurance, Lin Fei's best time in the whole marathon has reached 3 hours and 12 minutes, and he is expected to sprint to the 3-hour mark.

In the first half of the new season, in addition to daily personal training, Lin Fei will also go to the American Airlines Arena to train with his teammates for 4 hours a day in accordance with the team's regulations.

In order to accumulate more free attribute points, coupled with the need to fully get in touch with his new teammates and practice tactics, Lin Fei naturally actively participated in all 6 preseason games of the Heat.

The Heat's lineup adjustments during this offseason are relatively large, and more than two-thirds of the players are new faces, so the running-in of the preseason is very important.

At the request of head coach Stan Van Gundy, all 13 players already identified in the team's roster also participated in the preseason warm-up.

The Heat's starting five for the new season were also officially determined after a few warm-up games.

throughout the offseason,
Pat Riley's Heat management is actively operating the Eddie Jones trade, hoping to exchange for a potential defensive small forward or an excellent point guard.

But no good progress has been made, so Eddie Jones can only stay in the team temporarily, continue to serve as the starting small forward, wait for the start of the new season, and then take another step.

As the starting point guard, Pat Riley did not choose to renew his contract with Ralph Alston, but signed an undrafted player Damon Jones with an annual salary of $200 million.

Damon Jones played as a substitute for the Milwaukee Bucks last season, averaging 7 points and 5.8 assists per game, showing good potential, with a three-point shooting rate close to 40%, and a very active defensive end.

The Heat intends to support Wade in the new season, and Wade is an offensive core that needs to hold the ball. Therefore, Damon Jones, a role guard who can dribble, assist, and open up space to shoot three-pointers, is more suitable for Wade. Germany's partner in the backcourt.

Also as an undrafted player, Udonis Haslem, a rookie in the 03-04 season, contributed 7.3 points and 6.3 rebounds on the bench. He is solid on the court and able to do dirty work.

With Odom being traded to the Lakers, coupled with the solid performance of Haslem averaging 10 rebounds per game in the preseason, he is very clear about his role in the team.
So Stan Van Gundy decided to let Haslem be the Heat's starting power forward for the new season.

In this way, the Heat's starting five for the new season are:

Point Guard (PG): Damon Jones,

Shooting Guard (SG): Dwyane Wade,

Small Forward (SF): Eddie Jones,

Power Forward (PF): Udonis Haslem,

Center (C): Shaquille O'Neal.

The main players on the bench are:

Guards (PG/SG): Lin Fei, Kenyon Dooling, Tony Allen.

Forwards (SF/PF): Rasul Butler, Malik Allen, Roughly.

Centers (C): Michael Doliak, Kristen Laettner.

Relying on their excellent performance in this year's Olympic Games, coupled with their relationship with Lin Fei as a teammate of the Celestial Dynasty, the Heat finally chose to sign for another year with a basic salary of $75.

Overall, the Heat's starting lineup is strong enough. After all, the 32-year-old "Shark" O'Neal is still recognized as No.1 in the league.

Eddie Jones is also a top ten small forward in the league today, and Dwyane Wade's growth is very rapid.

But on the bench, except for Lin Fei, the Heat didn't have a decent scoring point, and they were basically pieced together with a basic salary.

Heat general manager Pat Riley and head coach Stan Van Gundy are very clear that it is very difficult to win the championship with this lineup, and the depth of the lineup is not enough.

Therefore, after the start of the new season, according to the specific record and the internal situation of the team, the Heat will still actively seek trading operations to strengthen the team.

At present, apart from O'Neal, Wade and Lin Fei, there are no non-sale items in the Heat team.

After the Olympic Games and pre-season games, coupled with daily unremitting training,
Before the opening game of the 04-05 season, Lin Fei had accumulated a total of more than 1800 free attribute points. Adding it to the defensive attribute, the previous 70 points were also increased to 75 points.

[Single defense: 75]

[Supplementary Defense: 75]

【Shift: 75】

[Steals: 83]

【Cover: 67】

In the most recent sideshow, Lin Fei's barefoot height also reached 1.94 meters, and his height in shoes was 1.96 meters, with a wingspan of 2.12 meters.

Compared to June, Lin Fei has grown about 6 cm taller. He is 1 meters tall in shoes, which is quite satisfactory for Lin Fei.

At the same time, Lin Fei's weight also steadily increased to about 89.5-90 kg, and his body fat rate remained around 7.5%.

There was also a significant improvement in bench press strength, reaching 85 kg.

The steady increase in height and weight, coupled with the improvement in bench press strength, did not affect Lin Fei's three-pointer feel.

At the same time, the comprehensive defensive value of 75 points and the steal of 83 points also let Lin Fei's defensive level as a guard basically reach the average level of the current NBA league.

After the 6 games in the preseason, Lin Fei averaged about 25 minutes per game. Not only did he have a stable output of 5.2 three-pointers on the offensive end, but he also contributed 1.9 steals on the defensive end, which is close to an average of 2 per game.

Of course, the intensity of the preseason games is not up to the level of the NBA regular season, but Lin Fei is very serious on the defensive end, and most of the opponents are the team's backup shooting guards and rookies, so that he can have beautiful statistics.

In a preseason game between the Heat and the 76ers, Lin Fei replaced Wade in the face of this year's No. 9 pick Andre Iguodala. Not only did he defend the opponent with only 9 of 2 shots, he also sent 3 Steal.

Although he is only a second-year rookie, after all, he has experienced the baptism of big scenes such as the NBA finals and the Olympic knockout games. In front of the immature rookie brother, Lin Fei will not suffer on both ends of the offense and defense.

The time soon came to November 10th.

Under much attention, the NBA's 04-05 season is finally about to kick off.

As early as a few days ago, ESPN announced numerous lists of teams and players in order to warm up the new season and create gimmicks.

Among them, in the new season's team's overall combat power and probability of winning the championship,

The San Antonio Spurs, a veteran Western Conference powerhouse, are ranked No.1.

The views of ESPN experts are also very clear. Tony Parker and Ginobili in the Spurs have entered their peak state, and Duncan is still a strong contender for the first power forward and the regular season MVP.

Bruce Bowen's defense is also a nightmare for all front and back line players.

And Robert Horry on the bench, and the latest signing of veteran Brent Barry, are also the pinnacles of the team's rotation.

The Spurs have the most reasonable lineup and age structure in this period, and the depth of the bench is also very deep. When the Lakers' OK combination collapsed and the Kings also began to decline,
The Spurs clearly have no opponents in the West.

The No.2 team behind the Spurs is the powerful Indiana Pacers.

The Pacers retained the main lineup of last season, Jermaine O'Neill and Artest and other players continued to grow, and also signed "Martial Saint" Stephen Jackson, who averaged 18.1 points per game.

Although the old Miller is 39 years old, his mental attributes are still strong, and his three-pointers are equally accurate.

The No.3 team behind the Pacers is the overall runner-up Detroit Pistons.

The Pistons maintained the five-tiger lineup in the finals last season, and also introduced Antonio McDyess to enhance the depth of the bench.

No.4 is the turn of the defending champion Minnesota Timberwolves.

Although the Timberwolves have just won the championship, the loss of Lin Fei has significantly reduced their firepower on the bench, and the Timberwolves management did not get enough reinforcements during the offseason.

Coupled with the fact that "Madman" and "Alien" are also one year older, the overall strength of the Timberwolves has obviously dropped a lot compared to last season.

The No.5 team is the Dallas Mavericks led by Nowitzki, and the No.6 team is the Miami Heat.

Although O'Neal is the number one center in the league, after all, compared with last season, the team has undergone a major change. Whether they can successfully run in the new season is still a huge problem.

No.7 is the Houston Rockets with Tracy McGrady, No.8 is the Washington Wizards of General Arenas, No.9 is Jason Kidd's New Jersey Nets, and No.10 is the Kings...

The Los Angeles Lakers are ranked 30th out of 15 teams.

Although O'Neal is lost, fans believe that the Lakers led by Kobe still have hope of hitting the playoffs.

It is worth mentioning that ESPN experts are unanimously unfavorable to Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns, and the Suns rank behind to 27th.

The bottom one is naturally the newly formed Charlotte Bobcats.

In addition to the team strength list, ESPN also announced the regular season MVP probability list for the new season.

Kevin Garnett continues to rank No.1, Tim Duncan ranks second, O'Neal ranks third...

2004 10 Month 31 Day.

The NBA's 04-05 season kicked off, and the league arranged a total of three focus games on the opening day.

Miami Heat VS Indiana Pacers (American Airlines Arena),

Minnesota Timberwolves VS Los Angeles Lakers (Target Center Arena),

New York Knicks vs. Houston Rockets (Madison Square Garden).

For the fans of China, the opening day of the new season can be described as joyous, and there are two games between Lin Fei's Heat and Dayao's Rockets to watch.

And because it is the opening game, the start time of the two games is exactly 2 hours apart. After the Heat's game is over, the Rockets' game will start. It can be seamlessly connected to enjoy the fun.

Miami.

7 p.m. local time.

The auditoriums on all sides of the American Airlines Arena are crowded with people, and there are no empty seats.

The 19600 tickets for the opening game were sold out half a month ago, and the fans in Miami were enthusiastic, shouting the names of O'Neill and Lin Fei.

At this time, Lin Fei, who was warming up on the court, glanced at the audience and found that the Heat's No. 32 jersey of Shaquille O'Neal was the most worn by the fans.

As early as early October, after the new jersey was unveiled at the conference, O'Neal's brand-new Heat No. 32 jersey was in short supply, and the appeal of the No. 1 "Sharks" league was well deserved.

Next is Wade's No. 3 jersey and Lin Fei's own No. 22 jersey.

It seems that the name of the "Heat Big Three" has spread in the league, and the fans in Miami are also very happy to accept Lin Fei, a foreign player.

The Heat jerseys of this period have three colors, usually white at home, red and black away.

Red has also become the main color of the Miami Heat, and tonight's four-sided auditorium is a sea of ​​fiery red.

Regardless of Lin Fei's incredible performance in the finals of last season, or his two lore shots in the Olympics, these Miami fans adored him, and they also looked forward to Lin Fei's wonderful three-pointers in the new season.

In terms of the famous scenes and the goals that impressed the fans, Lin Fei has completely thrown off Wade in the same class.

Although Lin Fei was placed on the bench, this was entirely due to his playing style and attributes, and did not affect his team's No. [-] status.

As the team's starting small forward, three-time All-Star and three-time All-Defensive Team, veteran Eddie Jones has no temper for the treatment of O'Neal and Wade.
But Lin Fei is so hot and popular among Miami fans, he is naturally very upset.

After playing for the Heat for five seasons, Eddie Jones was the team's leading scorer all year round. Alonzo Mourning covered him before leaving the team, but he has never been so welcomed by the home fans!

Lin Fei also noticed Eddie Jones' displeased expression, and chose to ignore it.

He was excluded in the Timberwolves last season. Where there are people, there are rivers and lakes. Lin Fei has long been used to this.

As long as he can play in a strong enough state, all doubts and slanders will disappear.

At present, apart from O'Neal and Wade, as well as his teammates from China, the other players in the Heat basically disapprove of Lin Fei.

The rookie Tony Allen, who was also on the bench, was an exception. This guy was a defensive madman in college. He was extremely obsessed with defense, but he had no interest in scoring.

Lin Fei's defensive attributes have steadily improved, so he naturally needs to practice and learn more in actual combat, so he and Tony Allen hit it off.

The two often exchange some defensive skills and strategies in training, and also often discuss defense in bullfights.

It seems that in this parallel world, the Heat selected Tony Allen with the 19th pick in the first round, which is indeed a very good deal.

In the warm-up session before the game, Lin Fei performed a super-long three-point 5-hit combo as usual, and the funny O'Neal personally fed Lin Fei the ball.

Although the last ultra-long three-pointer that retreated to the backcourt and was 20 meters away from the basket missed,

But it didn't affect the heat fans at home to give Lin Fei fierce cheers and applause.

Pacers veteran Reggie Miller looked at Lin Fei and sighed emotionally, as if seeing himself in his youth.

"Lin's three-pointer is destined to rewrite the history of the NBA. It is really a pity that the team failed to get him in the offseason!"

Artest beside him stood out with a strong chest, raised his chin and said in disdain:
"This guy is too weak. If he dares to shoot a three-pointer on my head, I will directly knock him into the audience!"

With a yellow Nike headband on his forehead, Jermaine O'Neal snorted coldly after completing a flying dunk:
"I have known this kid's game style for a long time. He likes to catch and shoot the ball after the top of the arc and the center forward's screen. Since Rashid's defense can restrain him, I am naturally not a problem!"

"Martial Sage" Stephen Jackson put his hands on his hips, exuding a more mature and steady aura around him.

Although, like Artest, he is also known for his fierce defensive style and is also a good player in fights, but Jackson is different from Artest in his recklessness.

"I've long wanted to dislocate to defend against this Chinese kid. Hamilton was only able to be chased by me for 5 shots. This kid probably won't be much better!"

"However, tonight my main task is to defend Eddie Jones. I will never let this old guy score in double figures!"

Before the start of the game, ESPN's beautiful reporter Erin Andrews also walked onto the court with a smile and interviewed the stars of the two teams.

"Reggie, as the league's current three-point leader in history, what do you think of Lin, a player with a style similar to yours? How high do you think his upper limit in the league will be in the future?"

Facing the interview with the beautiful reporter, Reggie Miller was calm and wise, answered rigorously, and at the same time praised Lin Fei without hesitation.

"Lin is an amazing player, and his three-pointers amaze me too!"

"Whether it's running off the ball or shooting three-pointers, his level has reached the top in NBA history. The most terrifying thing is that he is only a sophomore and he is still improving!"

"As long as he can stay healthy, I think Lin has the ability to be a team leader in the future, and even an All-Star starter!"

"Reggie, your current career three-pointers in the regular season has reached 2461, which is far behind No.2 and ranks first in the history three-pointer list!"

"So, in your opinion, is there anyone in the league who has the potential to overtake your No. [-] position in the future?"

"Ray Allen of the Supersonics has the best chance, and if Lin maintains this state and a healthy career, he will also have the opportunity to surpass me and even Ray Allen in the future!"

"Reggie, it's the first time you're fighting Lin tonight, do you think you can defend him well?"

"I will go all out to win the game and try to reduce Lin's shooting opportunities. His three-pointers are very accurate, but he lacks enough confrontation ability!"

"Okay thank you, looking forward to your wonderful performance tonight!"

After interviewing Reggie Miller, Irene Andrews asked O'Neal a few more questions, and then came to the Heat's warm-up half and interviewed O'Neal first.

"Shaquille, how are you feeling in your first game after joining the Heat?"

O'Neill bent over, standing beside the hot Andrews like a huge black bear beast, his arms were obviously thicker than Andrews' thighs.

"Looking forward to tonight's game and thank you to the fans in Miami, they are really enthusiastic, and my teammates, Dwayne and Lin, made me feel at home here!"

"What would you like to say about the matchup with Jermaine O'Neal?"

"This is a talented guy. His scoring and rebounding abilities are very strong, but in front of me, he can only be a toy. I will blow him up! Then I patted him on the shoulder and said: The child does not cry! "

Irene Andrews finally walked beside Lin Fei excitedly. Although she knew that Lin Fei had a girlfriend, she still had thoughts about Lin Fei in her heart.

"Lin, I'm really happy. After a long offseason, I can finally see you playing in the NBA again!"

"I can't wait!"

Andrews wore an off-the-shoulder tube top and hip skirt tonight, showing his bulging figure without a doubt.

Lin Fei smiled politely, and at the same time, his small eyes took the opportunity to glance over. The beauty was so close that it was not in vain.

"Miss Andrews, I feel as impatient as you, and I hope tonight will be a perfect start for me and the team in the new season!"

"Lin, what do you want to say about Reggie Miller, a league sharpshooter whose playing style is highly similar to yours?"

"Reggie is a star I like very much. His miracle of 9 seconds and 8 minutes is an eternal classic moment in the NBA!"

"But the waves behind the Yangtze River push the waves ahead, Reggie is old, and the present and future of the league will belong to young people!"

"Lin, tonight is your debut in the Heat. How many three-pointers are you confident in hitting?"

Lin Fei calmly and unrestrainedly posed the question to the head coach. He was never surprised when faced with difficulties from reporters:
"I think the answer to this question depends on my coach, Mr. Stan Van Gundy, how many three-pointers he can hit, and how much playing time he can give me tonight!"

The pre-match interview was over, and the time soon came to seven o'clock.

Amidst the high-pitched cheers and screams of the Miami fans at the scene, the game officially began.

The NBA's 04-05 season also fired the first shot at the whistle.

The starting five for the Miami Heat are:

Point Guard (PG): Damon Jones,

Shooting Guard (SG): Dwyane Wade,

Small Forward (SF): Eddie Jones,

Power Forward (PF): Udonis Haslem,

Center (C): Shaquille O'Neal.

The starting five for the Indiana Pacers are:
Point Guard (PG): Jamal Tinsley,

Shooting Guard (SG): Reggie Miller,

Small Forward (SF): Stephen Jackson,

Power Forward (PF): Ron Artest,

Center (C): Jermaine O'Neal.

Lin Fei sat leisurely on the Heat bench, chatting with Tony Allen and Tony Allen.

According to Stan Van Gundy's pre-match arrangement, Lin Fei will probably play in the second half of the first quarter and the first half of the second quarter, replacing Damon Jones and Wade in the backcourt.

The Pacers players Lin Fei is facing may be Tinsley, Thunder Miller or the team's sixth man Fred Jones on the bench.

Looking up at the roof of the American Airlines Arena, it is indeed more luxurious than the Timberwolves' Target Center Arena.

And there is also a red and blue No. 23 jersey flying on the roof of the pavilion. This is exactly what Pat Riley wanted to lick Jordan.
He voluntarily retired Jordan's No. 23 jersey at the American Airlines Arena.

He didn't play a game in the Heat, but he could let the Heat retire his jersey. Michael Jordan was indeed Pat Riley's nightmare in the 90s, and he really convinced the legendary coach.

Regardless of the New York Knicks led by Pat Riley in the early 90s or the Miami Heat led by the late 90s, they all lost to Jordan's Bulls in the playoffs, without exception.

The Heat are also considered a relatively late team in the NBA, only one season earlier than the Timberwolves. Now they have spent 16 seasons in the NBA without a single championship.

At the same time, the team has only retired one Jordan's No. 23 jersey so far.

Alonzo Mourning has a high probability of being retired by the Heat after retiring.
But the "kidney fighter" just received a kidney transplant last year, and returned to the NBA this season, signing with the New Jersey Nets with an annual salary of 495 million dollars.

And "Bug" Tim Hardaway played 6 seasons with the Heat. During his peak period, he teamed up with Mourning to lead the Heat to the playoffs many times. He has a great chance of being retired by the Heat.

Lin Fei looked at the roof of the stadium in a daze, not knowing how many seasons he would be able to play with the Heat, let alone whether he would have the opportunity to retire his No. 22 jersey for the Heat here.

Although Lin Fei helped the Timberwolves win the championship last season, after all, he only played a few good games in the Western Conference Finals and the Finals. It is naturally impossible for the Timberwolves to retire his jersey.

On the court at this time, two O'Neills walked to the middle circle to jump the ball.

"Snapped!"

As the saying goes, boxing is afraid of young people. Although O'Neill is stronger, O'Neill's reaction is more sensitive.

The basketball was assigned to point guard Tinsley by Jermaine Jermaine Jr., and the Pacers took the lead in attacking the game.

Jamal Tinsley dribbles upfield to meet Damon Jones high at the top of the key.

Reggie Miller quickly made an off-ball run to draw Wade's defensive attention, while Jermaine O'Neal quickly stepped up to make a solid pick-and-roll for the point guard teammate, and also took O'Neal out of the penalty area.

Facing the pick-and-roll, the Heat did not switch defenses. This is also the defensive strategy arranged by Stan Van Gundy before the game.

It is obvious that Jermaine is the first offensive core of the Pacers. His mid-range is very accurate, and he is a great threat whether he is catching the ball to attack the basket or offensive rebound in the process of going down.

And O'Neal's main task on the defensive end tonight is to keep a close eye on Jermaine O'Neill, try to limit his catches and shots and attack the basket.

Seeing that the Heat did not switch defenses, and Damon Jones was obviously slow to catch up around the screen, Jamal Tinsley did not hesitate and accelerated directly into the penalty area.

"Whoosh!"

Udonis Haslem on the power forward quickly made up, and Tinsley wanted to distribute the ball to Artest who was emptied.

But Haslem had predicted this a long time ago, coupled with the timely change of defense, he directly blocked Tinsley's passing line.

Damon Jones also quickly caught up from behind. The Heat's double-team rotation was so quick that Tinsley almost made a mistake.

"Whoosh!"

At this time, Reggie Miller on the outside line on the left borrowed a cover from Jermaine O'Neal's lateral movement, and threw away Wade and went straight into the penalty area.

Tinsley quickly split the ball off this side, and Reggie Miller caught it for an easy layup.

"Shh!"

Faced with Reggie Miller's sharp cut after using the screen, Wade, who was unable to catch up, shook his head and sighed, secretly thinking about his carelessness.

During the team's training camp, Wade often used chasing and defending Lin Fei to practice his experience and ability in defending against players without the ball.
However, he is used to Lin Fei never cutting to the basket, but just interspersed with outside lines to catch the ball.

But players at the level of Reggie Miller and Ray Allen are different. They can not only use various screens on the outside to run and catch the ball,
The catch layup and dunk under the empty cut basket are also extremely sharp, as if a sharp blade directly penetrates the heart of the defense.

This ball made Reggie Miller score, and it was also related to O'Neal being dropped to the outside by Jermaine O'Neill, leaving only Haslem in the penalty area.

O'Neal has a relatively accurate mid-range shot, so when he puts up the pick-and-roll, it is difficult for O'Neal to hide in the penalty area and escape.

But if Haslem on the power forward is used to defend Jermaine O's high pick-and-roll, Artest's side will also be emptied. In addition to his strong defense, this guy also has a strong mid-range and long-range shooting ability on the offensive end.

This season, the Pacers promoted Jermaine O'Neal to the center position and Artest to the power forward position, which not only made the team more flexible on the defensive end, but also doubled the threat of offensive pick-and-rolls.

The possession of the ball is switched, and the Heat attack.

Wade received the ball from Damon Jones on the outside, and with a change of direction and accelerated, he threw away the 39-year-old Miller. Seeing O'Neal use his huge body to put O'Neill on the outside of the penalty area,

Without any hesitation, "The Flash" directly killed the penalty area and leaped up to deliver a tomahawk dunk.

However, on the right side of the penalty area, Artest threw away Haslem and went straight down to defend, leaped up in a diagonal stab, covered the sky with his long arms and big hands, and slammed down on Wade's basketball that was raised above his head.

"Snapped!"

Artest's big hat was so powerful that he directly knocked Wade to the ground with the ball fan.

Wade was still too young and frivolous. He wanted to use his speed and explosive power to start the game with a direct dunk to boost the morale of the home team, but he ignored the bloodthirsty fangs of "The Beast" Artest.

The referee's whistle did not sound, and it was a good cap for Artest by default.

The first pass of the basketball was controlled by Stephen Jackson, and he directly dribbled the ball and turned over for a fast break.

The opposing Eddie Jones was obviously distracted when he returned to the defense, and was completely swayed by "Wu Sheng"'s not-so-smooth change in front of his body.

"Whoosh!"

Reggie Miller, who was going down the wing, received an assist from Stephen Jackson. Seeing that Wade, who was struggling to return to the defense, turned and overtook with a stride, he directly blocked in front of his own penalty area.

I was also terrified in my heart.

Wade was overturned to the ground by Artest's dribbling one second before, and jumped up and quickly returned to the front to defend in the next second. This speed, hard work and defensive enthusiasm are really terrifying.

The seasoned Reggie Miller didn't panic at all. Seeing Wade blocking the penalty area, he immediately stopped half a step outside the three-point line, and jumped decisively to chase a three-pointer.

Wade's pupils dilated, and he hadn't even stood still when he rushed back, so how could there be time to go up to him and defend him?
I can only look forward to Reggie Miller's three-point miss in my heart.

"Shh!"

The crisp sound of brushing the net suddenly sounded above his head, and Wedleton felt lost.

The offensive end was overturned, and the defensive end was chased by Reggie Miller and shot a three-pointer. The Pacers' opening five points were all scored by the opposing 5-year-old Miller.

Wade's cheeks puffed up, and he was abused at the start of his home court. This humiliation is absolutely unbearable.

Heat (0): (5) Pacers.

Reggie Miller, who scored 5 points in a row, also shrugged his shoulders and spread his hands at Wade while retreating. This expression seemed to say:
"Son, you're still too young after all!"

The Heat attacked, and Damon Jones wanted to pass the ball to O'Neal under the basket in the frontcourt, but the flexible O'Neal went around and completed the steal.

"Snapped!"

The Pacers launched a counterattack fast break again, but this time the Heat retreated in time.

Reggie Miller runs to catch the ball and transfers to Artest in the high post on the right.

Before O'Neal returned to the defense, Artest, relying on his strong body, turned over after getting the ball and directly pushed Haslem away, and savagely entered the penalty area and sent a dunk.

"Boom!"

During this period, Artest can be said to be a first-class scorer in the small forward position of the league. He has certain sights in the mid-range and three-pointers.

Even at the power forward position, Artest's weight of 113 kg made Haslem less than a little bit cheaper in the matchup.

In less than 2 minutes, the Heat were directly beaten 7-0 by the Pacers. The Heat coach Stan Van Gundy standing on the sidelines did not hesitate and immediately called a long timeout.

Seeing a bad start, the cheers of the Heat fans at home have also dropped a lot.

The team obviously didn't have any tactical coordination in the two offenses, and played too simply and casually, which gave the Pacers the opportunity to counterattack and fast break continuously.

Lin Fei, who was sitting on the bench, couldn't help sighing that the Pacers this season are really too fierce, with strong soldiers and horses, and they are definitely the favorites to win the championship.

Unfortunately, in the original world, the Palace of Auburn Hills incident completely ruined the Pacers' hopes of winning the championship.

But in today's parallel world, Lin Fei and the Timberwolves had already caused a highly similar conflict between the palace and the Pistons fans in Auburn as early as in the finals.

The Pistons' home fans were also criticized by the whole people, and the main culprit of the troubled fans was also banned from entering the NBA arena for life, and the security measures of the arena were further strengthened.

At the same time, the conflict spread throughout the league, and the Pacers players were well prepared.

Taking all the circumstances into consideration, will the Pacers avoid similar tragedies from happening again in this parallel world?
At least from the current situation, Lin Fei thinks it is very possible.

Because the Pistons failed to win the championship last season, this also made the arrogant Pistons fans restrain their behavior a lot.

If, as Lin Fei expected, the incident at the Palace of Auburn Hills did not happen to the Pacers again, then the Heat will have no chance of winning the Eastern Conference playoffs this year.
There must be another powerful opponent.

Back from the timeout, the Heat attack.

Wade held the ball in the high post and played a pick-and-roll with O'Neal, and the misplacement met O'Neal.

Jermaine O'Neal deliberately shrunk back to the penalty area, leaving enough distance with Wadela who was holding the ball.

It seems that the Pacers are also very clear that Wade's mid-range and long-range shooting sights in his rookie period are really not good.

Seeing that Ao had given him so much space, Wade had to shoot if he didn't shoot, so he jumped up and made a decisive shot.

"Bang!"

This ball really didn't exist!

But O'Neal, who was striding into the basket, grabbed the offensive rebound against O'Neill, stepped up after landing, and sent a powerful dunk.

"Boom!"

O'Neal scored his first two-pointer for the Miami Heat with a Shark dunk over Jermaine O'Neal's head.

O'Neill couldn't stop O'Neal's dunk. Once this guy gets the ball in the low post, O'Neill will definitely not take advantage of it.

The Pacers came to the offensive end and continued to play high pick-and-rolls, but this time Tinsley's ball made a mistake and was directly cut off by Damon Jones.

"Snapped!"

The Heat played a counterattack and fast break. After receiving the ball, Wade took the lead, threw off Reggie Miller and went straight to the frontcourt.

He jumped up in one step from the free throw line, leaped 3/4 of the penalty area, and sent an explosive tomahawk dunk.

"Boom!"

The Heat scored 4 points in a row and quickly caught up with the point difference. American Airlines Arena burst into cheers and screams in an instant.

Lin Fei also jumped up from their seats with the Heat bench players on the sidelines, waving towels for O'Neal and Wade's explosive performance.

Both teams played their own tactical characteristics in the opening game. The Pacers used more pick-and-rolls to launch offenses, and the evolution of offensive tactics was more complicated.

The Heat, on the other hand, make full use of the abilities of the two stars, attacking the inside more to create damage, and at the same time play counterattacks and fast breaks through active defensive steals.

Standing in front of the Pacers' courtside bench, head coach Rick Carlisle looked confident with his arms folded.

As a well-known tactical master, Carlisle has not gone to the Mavericks to coach Nowitzki during this period, but he has achieved great success in the Pistons and Pacers.

In the second row of seats behind the Pacers bench, team general manager "Big Bird" Larry Bird also came to the away game.

Heat general manager Pat Riley naturally also sat in the first row on the sidelines. Tonight is the first official game of the Miami Heat after the big change, so he is naturally very concerned.

On the court, Reggie Miller took advantage of the outside movement after the screen and missed a three-pointer.

"Bang!"

The long rebound was taken by Eddie Jones, and a long pass was given to Wade, who had already thrown off Miller and rushed to the frontcourt.

"Whoosh!"

Both Reggie Miller and Stephen Jackson were intimidated by Wade's counterattack speed. This guy is too fast.

"Boom!"

Seeing Wade hit the basket and sent another explosive dunk, O'Neal also humorously picked the beauty of O'Neal next to him:
"My little brother is nice, right? I nicknamed him The Flash!"

Sitting on the bench, Lin Fei looked at Wade, who was galloping like an arrow on the court tirelessly, and this scene moved him instantly.

It's great to be young and full of vigor, and now Wade is like an invincible Xiaoqiang.

The first quarter played for 6 minutes, the two teams came and went, and the point difference was never widened.

Heat (12): (15) Pacers.

When the game came to the official timeout, Stan Van Gundy also looked at Lin Fei in front of the bench.

"Lin, next you go, replace Damon Jones, and try to partner with Dwayne in the backcourt!"

For a team like the Pacers, the defensive penalty area is impenetrable, coupled with the effect of zone defense, it is difficult for O'Neal to have enough room to use force.

And Lin Fei's three-pointer is likely to become the best weapon to defeat the Pacers' defense.

The moment Lin Fei got up from the bench and took off his jacket, cheers and applause erupted in the American Airlines Arena.

"Look, Lin is about to play!"

"Our starting five tigers didn't have a basket on the perimeter at the beginning of the game tonight, so the Pacers dared to shrink their defense unscrupulously. Now that Lin is on, this problem will be solved immediately!"

"After all, Lin is only a second-year rookie. He can shoot accurately in the Timberwolves, in the national team, and in our Heat, can he still shoot accurately?"

"Lin's defense has improved a lot in the preseason, and he is fully capable of starting. It is most appropriate to let him replace Damon Jones in the starting lineup!"

After the timeout, Lin Fei stepped onto the court wearing the Heat jersey No. 22, and officially started his journey for the Heat in the 04-05 season.

Those who were still on the bench also stood up and applauded Lin Fei. He believed that gold would shine wherever it was.

And Lin Fei is such gold that will never be buried.

And he himself obviously needs more effort.

In a luxurious box on the roof of the pavilion, Heat owner Mickey Arison, in his fifties, sat on the sofa wearing glasses, dragging a brandy in his hand, looking down at the court expectantly.

"Lin, I hope this Chinese player won't disappoint Riley and me!"

Mickey Arison owns the largest cruise line in the world.

On the "Forbes" World Rich List just released at the beginning of the year, Alisson's net worth is as high as 69 billion US dollars, far more than ten times that of Timberwolves owner Glenn Taylor.

Among the owners of the 30 NBA teams in the league today, Mickey Arison is also ranked second in value, second only to Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen.

(End of this chapter)