Wade, in his current form, is even harder to defend than James.
James's invincibility stems more from his unparalleled strength at the small forward position. However, strength is not something the NBA league lacks.
As long as a team is willing to go all out and desperately improve their interior defense, keeping James outside the paint, his driving threat will be significantly weakened.
It was similar to how the Celtics dealt with James in the previous round; after throwing up three iron gates, James couldn't break through.
This is because James's outside shooting ability is not lethal.
However, Wade's invincibility comes from his superior speed. Even if your interior defense is strong, if your perimeter defense is unable to hold, or rather, your containment is not effective, then your interior defense is useless. Because before you can even get into position, Wade has already arrived like lightning, cutting through the defense with incredible speed.
Although Wade's shooting was inconsistent even in the early stages of his career, his threat in the league was by no means lower than James's. In fact, in the playoffs, he was even more difficult to deal with than James.
The game began with both teams locked in a fierce struggle.
The Celtics focused their offense on Yao Ming in the paint, while the Heat attacked with Wade on the perimeter.
Eight minutes into the first quarter, the Heat made their first adjustment.
Riley prematurely withdrew Jason Williams, who had little impact in the first quarter, and brought in the veteran Payton.
Shaquille O'Neal, whose stamina was considerably depleted, was substituted out for the veteran Mourning.
Haslem, Antoine Walker, and Wade continued to play.
On the Celtics' side, coach Rivers stuck to his rhythm until around the ten-minute mark before initiating rotation adjustments.
Yao Ming, Diop, and He Xi Meng were taken off to rest, replaced by David Lee, Perkins, and Monta Ellis.
Carter and Ariza, who had a poor shooting touch in the first quarter, continued to play, filling the entire first quarter.
Payton immediately hit a three-pointer, and He Xi Meng responded in kind.
After He Xi Meng left the court, Payton tried to assert himself against Monta Ellis by attempting a steal, but Ellis saw through his ploy, drove to the basket, and scored with a layup, a sneak attack.
The two teams ended the first quarter tied.
At the beginning of the second quarter, Wade went to the bench for a rest, and O'Neal returned to the game.
Riley saw that O'Neal was not having much success against Yao Ming and wanted him to pad his stats against David Lee.
David Lee was indeed struggling to contain O'Neal's post-up game, but he had received invaluable advice from He Xi Meng before the game. Without hesitation, he chose to commit a foul, preferring to send O'Neal to the free-throw line rather than let him score in the paint.
O'Neal stepped onto the free-throw line with a displeased expression.
Having worked his entire life, O'Neal was close to despair when it came to free throws.
Of course, this "worked his entire life" is O'Neal's own quote, and the extent of its truth is unknown.
Charles Barkley once frankly commented on O'Neal: "I rarely saw Shaq practice, and yet he could still win championships just by playing casually! His talent alone was enough for him to dominate the league, so why would he toil away in daily practice?"
While the words sounded harsh, they accurately depicted O'Neal's "divine talent."
At his peak, O'Neal didn't care about the meager points gained from free throws.
"Want to score? Go to the basket and dunk!"
However, as O'Neal's athleticism declined, his dunks were no longer as effortless as before, and his stamina would often hit a red line. O'Neal increasingly felt the pain of his poor free-throw shooting.
"If you don't work hard when you're young, you'll regret it when you're old."
He Xi Meng could not have chosen a more fitting phrase to describe O'Neal at this moment.
At the free-throw line, O'Neal's first shot, as expected, bounced off the rim.
Large beads of sweat began to trickle down O'Neal's temples. He quickly wiped them away with his fan-sized hands, fearing they might affect his touch.
Unfortunately, those few drops of sweat did indeed impact O'Neal's performance.
For the second free throw, O'Neal managed to adjust the direction of his shot, but the power seemed to be a little too much. The ball hit the inside of the rim and bounced out, where David Lee grabbed it.
O'Neal missed both free throws and retreated to his half of the court with frustration.
David Lee had gained a significant advantage by exchanging a foul for possession.
Turning around, David Lee then drove on O'Neal, spun around, and made a mid-range jump shot, scoring two more points.
O'Neal had no complaints about being outplayed by Yao Ming, but being dominated by a rookie like David Lee was something he couldn't stomach.
Therefore, when the Heat had possession again, O'Neal actively battled for position in the paint, looking to score on David Lee.
However, Williams didn't pass to O'Neal. Instead, he feigned a pass, drawing Monta Ellis's defensive attention, and then accelerated into the paint for a layup.
Besides Monta Ellis, O'Neal, who was ready to receive the pass, also felt the sting of Williams's deceptive move.
O'Neal pursed his lips and suppressed the urge to curse.
"If you're not going to pass, then just don't pass! Why fake a pass? Isn't that unnecessary? And it looked so convincing..."
When it was Monta Ellis's turn to attack, he didn't bother with any feints. He drove straight at Williams, using his skilled dribbling and footwork to break him down. After a strong drive, he hit a pull-up jump shot, avoiding O'Neal's defense in the paint and accurately sinking the ball into the basket.
Ellis was in the zone, and Carter found it difficult to get involved.
Before joining the Celtics, Carter would have certainly forced the issue and taken back possession. After all, with He Xi Meng and Yao Ming off the court, he should have been the primary offensive option for the Celtics. Monta Ellis was supposed to be his support.
However, after nearly two seasons with the Celtics, perhaps influenced by He Xi Meng, Carter gradually stopped prioritizing superficial aspects.
Especially this season, when Carter personally witnessed He Xi Meng concede the regular season MVP award, he deeply understood that true leaders don't care about possession or stats.
When the players play well and the team plays well, that's what truly matters.
So, during this period, seeing Monta Ellis playing exceptionally well, and David Lee also performing solidly, Carter voluntarily stepped back and let them control the game. And indeed, under Monta Ellis's leadership, the Celtics' rotation lineup played quite well.
By the time the starters like He Xi Meng and Yao Ming returned, the Celtics not only hadn't fallen behind but were also leading the Heat by 3 points.
This left O'Neal feeling rather embarrassed.