Including the start of this game and the majority of the first three quarters, He Xi Meng had only used about sixty percent of his strength, primarily focusing on adapting to the playoff game rhythm.
Now that he was mostly adapted, He Xi Meng felt no discomfort. The game was also nearing its end; if he didn't exert himself now, they would simply lose. He Xi Meng didn't want to lose so decisively, so he stepped up to try and see if a comeback was possible.
He Xi Meng's attempt was astonishing, directly causing James to break into a cold sweat.
The 9-point lead shrunk to 3 points in the blink of an eye.
With just over two minutes left in the game, did 3 points even matter?
Mike Brown immediately called a timeout, not only to disrupt He Xi Meng's offensive rhythm but also to remind the Cavaliers players: they had to lock down He Xi Meng.
Regardless of whether He Xi Meng had fully recovered from his injury, judging by his recent two three-pointers, taking down the Cavaliers seemed like no problem.
The first to realize this danger was, naturally, James.
After Mike Brown's instructions, James specifically added a few more words to his teammates: "Cut off as many passes as possible to He Xi Meng! I'll handle He Xi Meng's isolation plays..."
After the timeout, James first drove to the basket with the ball.
Wanting to find He Xi Meng, Tony Allen stuck to James like glue, forcing James to settle for a mid-range turnaround jumper over Tony Allen.
The Cavaliers' lead extended back to 5 points, and the Cleveland fans in the arena felt a little more settled: He Xi Meng had already made two shots in a row, he couldn't possibly keep making them, right?
On the Celtics' next possession, Carter continued to hold the ball on the perimeter, Yao Ming looked for position in the paint, and He Xi Meng, who was receiving the most attention, first drifted to the wing, seemingly preparing to spectate.
The moment James looked back towards the paint, He Xi Meng, using James's blind spot, started his cut straight to the Cavaliers' basket!
James cursed He Xi Meng inwardly for being too cunning and unsportsmanlike. He didn't dare to delay, twisting his body and accelerating to give chase.
As he chased, James wondered, "Xi Meng's foot injury just healed. Why is he driving to the basket instead of staying on the perimeter? Isn't he asking for trouble?"
As if hearing James's inner thoughts, He Xi Meng suddenly made a sharp right-angle turn, cutting from the basket area back towards the high post at the free-throw line!
"Not good! It's a trap!"
James quickly turned to follow, but at a spot one step inside the free-throw line, Yao Ming and Gottt were on either side, like the two wings of a closing door, starting to converge!
They were just waiting for He Xi Meng to pass between them, and as the door shut, James would be firmly blocked behind He Xi Meng!
"Watch out for Xi Meng!"
James immediately shouted, wanting to remind his outside teammates to come help him with the defense!
But the Celtics' coordination was seamless.
With the screen-and-roll play executed, He Xi Meng successfully broke free from James's pursuit. Carter, holding the ball on the right side, immediately passed it back to the cutting He Xi Meng.
Pavlovic, who was guarding Carter, and Drew Gooden, who was guarding Gottt, were the closest to He Xi Meng. Upon receiving James's angry signal, they attempted to rush forward to contest He Xi Meng. However, before they could close in, He Xi Meng caught the ball, stopped short, and turned to shoot...
It was all executed in one fluid motion, without a hint of hesitation or pause, as smooth as silk...
No one needed to think; with such a great offensive rhythm created, it would be a shame if He Xi Meng missed, almost disrespecting his teammates who had paved the way for him step by step!
Thus, to the despair of the entire Cleveland crowd, He Xi Meng's third three-pointer of the fourth quarter found the bottom of the net!
The score narrowed to just 2 points, with over a minute left in the game, and the Cavaliers were starting to panic!
The shadow of last year's sweep by the Celtics re-emerged in everyone's minds.
Could it be that tragedy was about to repeat itself?
In critical moments, the "Little Emperor" could always be counted on!
As the Cavaliers' morale began to waver, James resolutely took possession of the ball and, with a determined drive, forcefully attacked the Celtics' basket. Facing Yao Ming's dominant blockade, James chose to confront him head-on, leaping high, aiming to complete a thunderous dunk over Yao Ming to save his team's shaky spirits.
Yao Ming was naturally unwilling to concede! A head-on confrontation and a dunk from above? Aside from the legendary O'Neal, who else had ever succeeded?
Even facing the future number one player in the league, Yao Ming didn't flinch in the slightest!
Yao Ming's large hand precisely landed on the basketball James had raised!
James attempted to power through Yao Ming's restriction but failed.
Under the clash of two forces, the ball was squeezed out from the center, their arms inevitably intertwining...
In a regular-season game, this would likely have been a SportsCenter Top 10 block.
But in the playoffs, on the Cavaliers' home court, the referee's whistle blew as expected, and Yao Ming was called for his sixth foul, forcing him to leave the game!
Yao Ming left the court without looking back, returning to his team's bench.
"Giving up is impossible, but I'm too lazy to argue with you! See you in Game 2!" This was Yao Ming's true inner monologue.
James expressionlessly wiped the sweat from his brow, inwardly thinking "That was close!"
He had intended to boost his team's morale but almost "gifted" points, instead boosting the opponent's morale. How could it not be close?
Fortunately, James's mentality was very resilient. The referee's assistance was indeed part of the home-court advantage, and James felt no shame. Instead, he took a deep breath to compose himself and made the first free throw!
For the second free throw, James was a little nervous, dribbling twice before finally shooting.
The ball didn't go in directly, bouncing off the backboard, but after the rebound, it still fell into the basket.
The home rim seemed to favor James, who was playing at home.
James made both free throws, extending the Cavaliers' lead back to 4 points.
On the Celtics' side, with Yao Ming fouling out, Perkins came in to replace him.
The play was still the same pick-and-roll, but Perkins and Gottt's screen-and-roll execution wasn't as effective.
Of course, this was also partly due to James learning from his mistake in the previous possession and becoming smarter in this one.
Before the two could converge, James squeezed through a gap between them with a sideways movement. Then, facing He Xi Meng's turnaround jumper, he forcefully blocked the shot!
The block wasn't on the ball itself but primarily on He Xi Meng's wrist, preventing him from executing a normal flick of the wrist, successfully disrupting He Xi Meng's shooting motion.
At the same time, James's powerful body, like a small train, crashed into He Xi Meng, who had lost his balance in the air, instantly sending He Xi Meng flying three feet away...