He Xi Meng was not lenient either. He knew very well that this was the moment to test a star player's mettle; when it was time to make a move, he had to make one.
After missing his first shot from beyond the three-point line, He Xi Meng did not hesitate to take a second shot!
As expected, the second shot went in!
The third shot also went in!
The fourth shot went in as well!
This time, it was Coach Van Gundy on the opposing side who couldn't sit still. He stood up and called a timeout, intending to disrupt He Xi Meng's deadly hot streak of 3 out of 4 from the field!
After the timeout, Damon Jones, who had been stunned by He Xi Meng's play, came back to his senses. He immediately drove to the basket, attacking the Celtics' defense and responding with two high-difficulty layups!
Just as He Xi Meng was about to take a shot, Carter stepped up and asked him, "How about I take one?"
"Of course! No problem."
He Xi Meng immediately handed the ball to Carter and used a screen to draw away Eddie Jones, allowing Carter to get a mismatch against Damon Jones.
Facing Damon Jones, who was physically stronger but shorter than him, Carter chose to post up and turn around for a jump shot before Eddie Jones could rotate over from the wing to double-team.
The ball arced beautifully and swished through the net.
Turning around, Damon Jones tried the same tactic, attempting to drive on He Xi Meng. He Xi Meng took a risk, launching himself with a desperate "deathly embrace" move, successfully stealing the ball from Damon Jones and initiating a fast break!
Damon Jones, having lost the ball, desperately chased back, trying to make up for his mistake. However, He Xi Meng gave him no chance, sprinting down the court and rising up for a three-step layup!
Wade's speed was truly incredible!
Trailing He Xi Meng by almost two meters, he somehow caught up and flew in from the wing, attempting to block He Xi Meng's layup!
He Xi Meng naturally saw Wade overtaking him. While marveling at the Flash's lightning speed, He Xi Meng was well-prepared. He faked a layup with his right hand, drawing Wade's defensive attention, and then retracted the ball!
Wade was still not giving up. He twisted in mid-air, attempting a no-look block with his left hand!
He Xi Meng went with the flow, switching hands in the air. As he descended, he executed a soft, finger-roll layup with his left hand, elegantly sending the ball into the basket!
The Heat fans in the arena erupted in a collective gasp!
Michael Jordan, watching from the sidelines, laughed heartily and patted his chest!
The camera captured Jordan's gesture, and the director, in a fitting move, found a video clip of Jordan making the same gesture just a minute later!
This clip, along with He Xi Meng's recent basket, was replayed repeatedly!
Both shots had a similar mastery of motion and rhythm, both so graceful, both so smooth with the touch... The biggest difference, perhaps, was the skin color...
With a basket from Carter and a basket from He Xi Meng, the Celtics successfully maintained their lead.
On the next possession, Wade faced Tony Allen and suddenly unleashed a tough three-pointer from beyond the arc, striking back forcefully against the Celtics!
He Xi Meng returned the favor, hitting a step-back three-pointer over Damon Jones!
Wade attempted another three-point shot, but Tony Allen anticipated it, contesting Wade's shot successfully and blocking it!
Tony Allen, after the successful block, tried to pass to He Xi Meng for a fast break, but Wade anticipated the pass as well, intercepting it with his hand and stealing it back!
After this back-and-forth exchange, both teams' defenses were in disarray.
Wade took advantage, driving through the Celtics' defense and soaring to the basket for a one-handed slam dunk!
After the dunk, Wade furiously pounded his chest at the Boston fans, sporting an arrogant expression!
He Xi Meng wasn't angry, but seeing Carter's determined look asking for the ball, He Xi Meng knew: Carter was angry!
Being dunked on at home without retaliating was indeed inexcusable.
Fortunately, with Carter on the Celtics now, He Xi Meng didn't even need to hint; Carter took it upon himself to handle this.
After receiving the ball, Carter deliberately called for a screen from Tony Allen. As Wade and Eddie Jones switched on the pick-and-roll, he drove straight into the Heat's paint, targeting Wade.
Facing interference from Wade on the side and Haslem rotating over to help, Carter took flight and completed a one-handed dunk over someone!
The difficulty of this dunk was a level above Wade's previous one!
More importantly, Carter's immediate retaliation showed a very tough attitude!
After the powerful dunk, Carter also mimicked Wade's chest-pounding gesture towards the fans!
However, Wade's chest-pounding was a provocation to the Boston fans, while Carter's was a defense of the North End Garden's honor!
The fans in the arena immediately erupted in deafening cheers for Carter!
Josh Smith looked enviously at Carter enjoying the adulation of the entire crowd and turned to He Xi Meng, asking, "Ximeng, aren't you going to do one?"
"I'll pass!" He Xi Meng waved his hand, unfazed by the cheers for Carter. "I'm not good at that! If you like it, find an opportunity, and I'll get the ball to you!"
"Really?" Josh Smith's face lit up with joy. "That's great!"
After receiving He Xi Meng's promise, Josh Smith happily ran off.
Compared to the glory and team status of ordinary players, He Xi Meng was clearly on a different level.
Even Carter, despite his mindset being a step above most players, was still within the player hierarchy, unable to transcend the limitations of his identity.
But He Xi Meng was different! From the very beginning, I was not just a point guard!
His understanding of the team, the game, and the fans was from the perspective of a head coach, a general manager, or even an owner, looking down on each game.
Therefore, many fans complained that He Xi Meng was too cold, played too rationally, and lacked reckless passion and courage. He played like a veteran at such a young age... Of course, He Xi Meng could now truly be called a veteran, because after this season, next season would mark his 10th year in the league!
For many NBA players, playing 10 seasons in this league was already considered a successful career. Not to mention, He Xi Meng already had 4 championship rings, 2 regular season MVP trophies, 2 Finals MVP trophies, 2 All-Star MVP trophies... What other honors were there? Scoring champion? Assist king? Skills challenge champion?