As Wade sped to the right, a turn-around was out of the question and he had no hope of getting in front.
In a flash, Wade opted for a trailing defense, desperately trying to keep up with He Xi Meng's drive.
Unexpectedly, He Xi Meng didn't drive to the basket. After Yao Ming's successful second screen, He Xi Meng pulled up for a quick stop and a step-back. Using Yao Ming as a screen, he elevated for a three-pointer!
This kind of "irrational" shot was something Manu Ginobili of the Spurs loved to use!
He Xi Meng had merely borrowed the "Demon Blade's" shooting style, and coincidentally, had slightly increased the arc of his shot. This wasn't due to He Xi Meng's individuality, but because Yao Ming was so tall!
Standing in front of He Xi Meng as a screen, he was almost obscuring He Xi Meng's shooting arc!
However, it was precisely because Yao Ming provided such a large obstruction that Wade hadn't anticipated He Xi Meng would suddenly shoot from behind Yao Ming.
"Can He Xi Meng actually see the basket?"
At that moment, as Wade rounded Yao Ming and lunged forward to try and contest He Xi Meng's shot, only this question lingered in his mind.
Wade had underestimated the vision of a top shooter. Or rather, Wade was still young and hadn't realized that at He Xi Meng's level, the difference between seeing and not seeing was negligible. As long as the position and distance were confirmed, whether the basket was visible or not made little difference.
For this shot, He Xi Meng had ample shooting space, and that was enough!
The basketball traced an extremely high arc! Yes, to avoid the obstacle that was Yao Ming, He Xi Meng had to raise his arc and shoot the ball high!
The added bonus of this was that the trajectory of the basketball was exceptionally beautiful and aesthetically pleasing.
Against the backdrop of the 24-second shot clock buzzer, the ball precisely swished through the net, leaving a trailing Wade, mid-air with his head turned, to watch the basket.
103:100, with an improbable three-pointer, He Xi Meng once again gave the Celtics a three-point lead, leaving only 3 seconds for the Heat.
More critically, the three-point deficit forced the Heat to attempt an outside shot. And the Heat on the court didn't seem to excel at buzzer-beating three-pointers.
Shaquille O'Neal and Udonis Haslem could be immediately ruled out as shooters, as neither had any three-point shooting ability.
Comparing the three-point shooting percentages of Dwyane Wade, Eddie Jones, and Damon Jones, Damon Jones had the highest, followed by Eddie Jones, and Wade was last.
As a shooting guard, Wade's initial entry into the league was marked by sharp drives and scoring, with his mid-to-long range shooting being quite unstable. His three-point shooting accuracy was particularly dismal.
In his rookie season, Wade's three-point percentage was 30.2%.
This season, Wade's season three-point percentage was even lower, at 28.9%.
In this game, Wade had already scored 40 points, but he was 0 for 2 from three-point range, with no points from beyond the arc.
Therefore, Coach Stan Van Gundy faced an extremely difficult choice.
Wade was undoubtedly the Heat player in the best form and the highest scorer of the game, yet his three-point accuracy was the lowest among the three potential candidates.
Eddie Jones had scored 14 points in this game, but he was 1 for 5 from three-point range, only slightly better than Wade.
Damon Jones had scored 12 points in this game, and was 2 for 3 from three-point range, the highest among the three.
This three-point shooting percentage essentially reflected their true form from beyond the arc.
Who would take the final shot?
Kerr exchanged a look with He Xi Meng.
"I've written the answer on the tactical board!" Kerr asked He Xi Meng, "Who do you think Stan will choose?"
"Dwyane!" He Xi Meng said confidently, "The Heat's final choice will inevitably be Dwyane!"
Kerr smiled and turned the tactical board towards He Xi Meng. The answer on it was exactly the same as He Xi Meng's prediction.
Having experienced countless tough battles, they both knew where a head coach's final choice would fall in a life-or-death moment like this.
Giving the ball to the player who was most deserving was the choice most teams and coaches would make, regardless of shooting percentage.
After the timeout, Damon Jones, who had the highest three-point percentage, came out to inbound the ball, meaning he had virtually no chance of taking the final shot.
Wade and Eddie Jones would be the executioners of the final play. Rasual Butler replaced O'Neal, partnering with Haslem to set off-ball screens for Wade and Eddie Jones, helping them get open for catches and shooting opportunities.
On the Celtics' side, He Xi Meng suggested Yao Ming go to the sideline to disrupt the inbound pass. The other four players, Tony Allen replaced Josh Smith, and Ariza moved to power forward, forming a small-ball lineup with Carter and He Xi Meng capable of unlimited switching.
Switching immediately when encountering a pick and roll! No hesitation!
Wade was the top priority!
With these adjustments made by He Xi Meng, the Celtics had a clear plan and focus.
As expected, Wade used a screen from Haslem to create a mismatch against Ariza, caught the ball near the baseline, then drove towards the middle.
Tony Allen, following He Xi Meng's instructions, left Haslem open and ran over to double-team Wade with Ariza!
The Celtics' defensive strategy was impeccable!
Correct prediction, timely switches, swift double-teams, leaving Wade no breathing room to shoot!
With the game nearing its end and no passing options available, Wade had no choice but to face the double-team defense of Ariza and Tony Allen, forcing a contested, leaning three-pointer from a step beyond the arc.
Despite Wade's big heart, high leap, and hot shooting touch... three-pointers were not Wade's forte at this stage, let alone such a difficult, extended, leaning three-pointer.
The arc of the shot was decent, but the landing spot was slightly off. The ball rimmed out, and Wade's potential game-tying three-pointer missed. The Heat unfortunately lost this crucial game!
Wade looked dejected and unwillingly glanced at the replay on the big screen, then left the court through the player tunnel without looking back.
The entire Boston crowd erupted in cheers the moment Wade missed his final shot!
The victory in this game essentially decided the Eastern Conference championship.
In NBA history, there were very few teams that had managed to achieve a stunning comeback after trailing 1-3 in a series.