The American Airlines Center, just as Bird had predicted.

Although the Mavericks momentarily stabilized the situation by reintroducing Nowitzki in the final quarter, Chandler, already overwhelmed by Su Feng's relentless attacks, committed his fourth and fifth personal fouls of the game in quick succession.

On TNT, Smith, a former teammate of Su Feng, remarked during the middle of the fourth quarter, "I remember during Su's rookie season...

In our series against the Hawks, Dikembe Mutombo frustrated Su greatly.

Because he was like a mountain, always preventing our breakthroughs on the court.

You know, in basketball, no matter how strong your outside shooting is, if your breakthroughs are limited by your opponent, it's difficult to execute a successful inside-outside game.

But tonight...

In my opinion, even ten Dikembe Mutombos couldn't stop Su from soaring freely in the sky."

Due to Chandler losing several aerial battles against Su Feng in the final quarter, Kidd also adjusted his defensive strategy.

However, tonight...

Su Feng...

Clearly had no intention of reasoning with the Mavericks.

After forcing the Mavericks to tighten their defense through breakthroughs, as long as Kidd employed a retreating defense against Su Feng, the Mavericks were bound to face a long-range intercontinental missile strike from Su Feng.

And if Kidd closed in even slightly, Su Feng would choose to break through directly.

If it were in the first three quarters, the Mavericks might have been able to slightly limit Su Feng with their well-trained rotation defense.

But...

After the players of both teams endured an unusually intense first three quarters...

Even if Kidd could barely defend Su Feng's breakthroughs...

Su Feng could still protect the ball with his back and force a fadeaway shot over the defender.

And what was even more despairing for the Mavericks was...

Once Su Feng entered his rhythm...

He couldn't miss in the final quarter.

On CCTV, Yu Jia, watching Su Feng score 18 consecutive points for the Heat in the final quarter, excitedly recited a poem on the spot: "A great general and famous strategist must not imprison himself, a million soldiers avoid the white robe!"

Since the Heat, playing at home tonight, happened to be wearing their luckiest white jerseys...

You have to say, Yu Jia's poem was quite fitting.

"John, shouldn't we double-team Su?

With his form tonight, I don't think we can stop him with just Jason."

On the Mavericks' bench, Brown, his face filled with anxiety as he watched the score widen, suggested to Davis.

Davis shook his head and said, "It's too late, and it's not realistic."

Too late...

Not realistic...

Why too late and not realistic?

Before Brown could come up with an answer, Pat Riley, "The Godfather," revealed why Davis was so helpless tonight.

Manu Ginobili.

Shaquille O'Neal.

This season, even the most casual Heat fans knew the Heat's winning formula.

Shaq in favorable situations, Manu in adversity.

Su Feng slays gods and demons in desperate situations.

The reason Davis said it was too late was because, in his opinion, he should have decisively double-teamed Su Feng when he was leading the team alone.

And the reason he added "not realistic" was because he knew that if he dared to double-team Su Feng, Riley would inevitably bring in either Ginobili or O'Neal in the next possession.

For Davis, who had watched the Heat's series against the Pistons...

He knew very well that although Ginobili's statistics were still a distance from Carter's, Su Feng's former right-hand man...

Ginobili rarely choked in crucial moments like Carter often did.

"But John...

If that's the case...

Do we really have a chance to beat this Heat team in this Finals?"

On the Mavericks' bench, after O'Neal and Ginobili returned to the court, Brown looked at Davis with despair.

"As long as this series isn't over, we always have a chance.

It's just that on this night...

Su's performance is a little too despairing."

Davis patted Brown on the shoulder and smiled wryly.

Although this Finals had just begun...

Davis already wanted to kill those people who said the Heat had little hope back in October of last year.

Because early in the season...

Davis had a premonition.

That the NBA might return to an era dominated by Su Feng in the next few years.

On one hand, Davis made this judgment because Su Feng's playing style had become increasingly mature since joining the Heat.

In addition to constantly scoring points for the team on the court, he could also demonstrate his dominance in playmaking and defense when he wasn't scoring.

And on the other hand...

It was because, in Davis's opinion, Ginobili and O'Neal...

Were too compatible with Su Feng.

The former often had games where he was either a god or a ghost.

But...

In the Finals, a decisive battle where you had to consider all factors...

Would you dare to bet on whether Ginobili would be a ghost or a god?

And the latter...

Was the most dominant inside player Su Feng had ever partnered with since entering the league.

Back in the Raptors era, even Ben Wallace and Jermaine O'Neal could enter the ranks of stars because they were associated with Su Feng...

So what more could be said about this fathead fish who was still at the tail end of his peak?

Plus a group of role players willing to give everything for the team...

And Pat Riley's lineup arrangements.

This was the Miami Heat.

A dynasty team that, in Davis's eyes, far surpassed the Raptors of yesteryear.

Judging from their performance so far tonight...

The Mavericks had put on their best team offensive performance of the season.

But if they wanted to beat this Heat team...

Davis knew...

Nowitzki had to produce an offense that could rival Su Feng's.

However...

As his stamina began to decline in the final quarter...

The German war machine's shooting percentage began to decline significantly.

Because Nowitzki's growth trajectory in this life had changed greatly...

It wasn't very meaningful to look at him with the Little Dirk from Su Feng's memory.

But...

Compared to the Old Dirk in Su Feng's memory, who made LeBron James and Dwyane Wade autistic in the Finals...

The current Little Dirk still needed a little bit of refinement in his mentality.

As the saying goes, only after a hundred refinements can one become steel.

Including Su Feng.

No one in this world is a natural winner.

Think about it...

If it hadn't been for Kobe's relentless beatings at Lower Merion for two whole years...

And if he hadn't experienced that failure that Su Feng still couldn't forget during his two years with the Sixers...

And the painful lesson of failing to build a dynasty smoothly in Toronto, winning only three championships in five years...

How could Su Feng be so mentally strong today?

Of course...

After reaching the Finals, no one doesn't want to be the ultimate winner.

However, compared to O'Neal, who would have to retire if he couldn't win a championship, and Su Feng, who only had the championship in his eyes...

Nowitzki...

Was clearly lacking that final push.

In the end, the difference in mentality between the two teams' star players was directly reflected in the score of the game tonight at the American Airlines Center.

————118 to 129.

Su Feng, who attacked from start to finish in the final quarter, scored 25 points in that quarter alone, totaling 44 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block.

O'Neal and Ginobili, who supported Su Feng in the first three quarters, contributed 29 points and 14 rebounds, and 18 points and 5 assists, respectively.

On the Mavericks' side, Nowitzki scored a team-high 33 points, along with 8 rebounds and 3 assists.

However, in the fourth quarter, when the Mavericks needed points the most, Little Dirk, whose shooting percentage had once been close to 70% in the game, only made 2 of 8 shots.

And Terry, who came off the bench, became Su Feng's thorn in the side after this game.

Because in this game, Terry, who made 7 of 9 three-pointers, had already become a hidden danger for Su Feng.

Compared to Howard, who scored 18 points, and Finley, who scored 16 points...

Because once Terry went on a rampage, his three-pointers would come in bunches...

So after this Game 1, Su Feng knew...

He had to get Ariza, Butler, and others to step up.

In this series against the Mavericks, Su Feng knew very well that besides the starting players...

Even the performance of the benchwarmers could affect the outcome of this series.

Back then, the Magic, led by O'Neal and Hardaway, were defeated in four consecutive games because they underestimated the veterans on the Mosaic's bench, who also harbored a dream of winning a championship besides Hakeem Olajuwon.

In the past two years, with his improved court vision and control of the game...

Su Feng had reflected more than once on whether he had really used every teammate on the Raptors to their full potential back then.

You have to know that even the smallest shrimp can bite your shark in such evenly matched games.

So...

After winning the first game, unlike O'Neal, who breathed a sigh of relief...

Su Feng felt even more acutely the severity of this year's Finals.

Because what if, after this Game 1...

He couldn't withstand the Mavericks' barrage of guns in the following games?

American Airlines Center.

At the moment when the timer in the fourth quarter reached zero...

Although they had been separated for two years...

Su Feng and Davis were still the most taciturn master and disciple.

The former was not arrogant or impetuous after winning Game 1.

And the latter showed no signs of discouragement after losing Game 1.

In the post-match press conference, Davis praised Su Feng's performance, "Without a doubt, Su dominated this game.

When he scored those incredible goals for the Heat again and again in the fourth quarter...

I couldn't help but think of the joy I felt when I was coaching him.

Because you can always believe in Su Feng at any time."

On the Heat's side, at the press conference, reporters asked Riley to comment on Nowitzki's performance in this game.

"Dirk gave us a headache in this game.

But fortunately, our Su seems to be more of a concern for them."

It has to be said that Riley is indeed a shrewd man.

Because while praising Nowitzki by name...

He still didn't forget his duty as the number one Su Feng fan.

And after the game, Su Feng, who also attended the press conference, was asked how he viewed the Mavericks and the Heat's prospects in this series.

"Obviously, John has turned the Mavericks into a championship team.

Their offense can easily break through our defense.

And every time, we have to spend a lot of effort to get points on the court.

In my opinion, our next match will be particularly crucial.

Because if we can't get a 2-0 lead, then we will be very passive in the next three consecutive road games in Dallas," Su Feng said at the press conference.

And upon hearing this...

Honestly...

If it weren't for being used to Su Feng often showing off after the game, the reporters at the scene would have really wanted to take off their leather shoes and throw them at Su Feng.

Damn it!

The Heat have to spend a lot of effort to get points on the court...

Are you talking about those miraculous shots you made on the court?

Online, after Game 1 of the Heat vs. Mavericks series, many fans said that this was the most enjoyable Finals game they had seen in recent years.

In the game, there was neither the dull ground battle nor the situation where the players of both teams continuously hit the iron, and everyone watched for a long time and saw nothing.

Moreover, when the scores of the two teams alternated, the defensive quality of the two teams was also very high.

In the past two years, as the pace of NBA games has become faster and faster, high-scoring games are no longer rare.

But like tonight, the two teams can constantly break through each other's steel defense through tactics and the personal abilities of the stars...

But it is rare.

According to the schedule, Game 2 of the two teams will continue in Miami in two days.

After losing Game 1, Davis found Nowitzki as soon as possible and had a heart-to-heart talk with him.

On the Heat's side, in addition to asking the assistant coach for the team's Game 1 game video and warning Ariza and Butler how they should defend Terry...

Before the start of Game 2 between the two teams, Su Feng also successfully stopped Riley's perverted behavior of wanting to throw O'Neal into the "steamer" to steam him into a "steamed fathead fish".

There is no way...

Even if the Heat's playoff journey this year has proved how much positive effect it will have on the next game to allow the star players to get adequate rest...

But...

This also cannot change the fact that Riley is a perverted middle-aged man in a suit at heart.

But fortunately...

Su Feng once again saved this aggrieved Shaq brother.

"By the way, Shaq, if we can successfully get the match point in this Finals next...

Then can you do me a little favor then?"

That day, while comforting O'Neal, who was almost mentally collapsed by Riley, Su Feng said to him.

Upon hearing this, O'Neal nodded and asked curiously: "What do you need me to help you with, Su?"

…