Less than five minutes into the first quarter, Riley pulled O'Neal, substituting him with Mourning. Even though the Heat had intentionally slowed down their offensive pace since the tip-off, and despite O'Neal's sheer size allowing him to set excellent screens for Wade from the high post, Riley simply couldn't stand seeing the Warriors shredding the Heat's zone defense like Swiss cheese in their half-court sets.
The Heat's zone defense was always known for its strict discipline, relying on teamwork to minimize the damage inflicted by opponents on their interior. Riley's protégé, Spoelstra, was a zone defense expert himself. During games, Riley often adjusted the Heat's zone schemes based on Spoelstra's advice, seamlessly switching between man-to-man and zone to disrupt the offense's rhythm.
Before the Finals began, Riley's biggest worry was O'Neal's slow mobility being unable to keep up with the Warriors' high-speed offensive rotations. However, O'Neal's stellar performance in the first three rounds of the playoffs had given Riley a glimmer of hope. In Riley's eyes, even if the Heat's defense lost some points due to the Warriors' ability to counter O'Neal, it didn't matter. This Heat team, stacked with championship pieces, needed a Scottie Pippen more than ever to relieve Wade's offensive pressure.
This was the Achilles' heel of this Heat team. They had "Zhao Yun" (Wade), who could repeatedly charge in and out of battle, but no "Zhang Fei" (like Sakuragi or Akagi from Slam Dunk), who could hold the line and break the bridge against a charging army. While their collection of championship pieces each had their own strengths, how could the Heat rescue "Ah Dou" (the championship) with only "Zhao Yun" on the Finals stage?
Because of this, Riley was forced to bench O'Neal. He had to ensure the Heat could use high-quality defense to slow down the Warriors' scoring momentum. Otherwise, no matter how much he hyped up Wade, Wade would eventually collapse on the court from exhaustion.
At Oracle Arena, O'Neal, who was 0-for-2 with no offensive contribution when he was subbed out, had a complicated, even struggling expression. If you absolutely had to ask what his biggest contribution to the Heat was tonight, the always stern and impartial Pat Riley would tell you that at least O'Neal didn't cry or throw a tantrum after returning to the bench, avoiding adding more burden to him and the already overwhelmed Heat coaching staff. Yes, not crying or causing a fuss was O'Neal's biggest contribution to this Heat team.
"This kid really has a knack for breaking zone defenses. Thankfully, his teammates aren't much better than 'D-Wade'." On the Heat bench, as Mourning entered the game and the Heat successfully defended against several Warriors' attacks, Riley finally let out a sigh of relief.
Since Joe Crawford allowed both teams to play with more aggressive defense tonight, limiting the opponent's offensive initiation and only blowing the whistle for the star players when necessary, the other Warriors players inevitably had to face challenges against the Heat's zone. Zack did an excellent job as the Warriors' point forward, but his teammates, who needed to "combine" to transform into Pippen, frequently missed scoring opportunities on the court.
Golden State's "Ray Allen," Richardson, was a typical streaky shooter. Generally, these players shared a common characteristic: they tended to play more and more wildly as the game progressed. However, when they couldn't get hot, you had to accept their brick-laying output on the court. Baron Davis and Ron Artest, needless to say, as West had previously stated, the biggest weakness of this Warriors team was their lack of a consistent second option. This was why they could shoot down the Mavericks and Spurs consecutively but also lose two straight games at home in the Western Conference Semifinals.
After the first quarter, the score was 23-27, with the Heat gradually narrowing the gap. However, during the break between quarters, Riley, who had planned to stagger O'Neal's minutes, immediately became conflicted when he saw that the Warriors had no intention of resting Zack. Riley didn't understand why Montgomery, who usually rested Zack for half of the second quarter in the Western Conference Finals, would suddenly change the Warriors' rotation strategy.
But in reality, Zack's stamina tonight greatly exceeded Montgomery's pre-game expectations. Had Zack's genes mutated, and his stamina bar suddenly grown overnight? Of course not. Because in the first quarter, apart from a few opening possessions, Zack had diligently worked to break down the Heat's zone. Plus, the pace of this game was very slow, so after playing the entire first quarter, Zack didn't feel tired at all.
It turns out that a relatively slower game pace truly is a paradise for all "giants" (like Akagi in Slam Dunk who excels in the post). It was the Suns' reckless transition offense that always exhausted Zack, who averaged over 40 minutes per game in the Western Conference Finals. Tonight, since Zack felt good, Montgomery naturally had to keep him on the court.
At this point, Riley gritted his teeth and said to O'Neal, "He played the entire first quarter. You can't possibly score zero points against him, can you?"
In the second quarter, when Riley subbed O'Neal out again with about seven minutes left, he almost teared up. Because before being pulled, O'Neal actually managed to score one point from the free-throw line.
Once O'Neal posted up deep in the paint, even Zack, who could relentlessly pressure him during the game, couldn't defend him every possession. But who cared when Zack also had Troy Murphy, a tough guy who could be called "Laimbeer the Second"? In the game, fouls Zack couldn't commit, Murphy would! Dirty plays Zack couldn't make, Murphy would! In short, by royal decree, hack first, then report!
So, in the first half of the second quarter, O'Neal, who had a total of 6 free throw attempts, after miraculously making one of them, Riley, who could no longer bear to watch his pathetic free throws, had no choice but to sub him out for Mourning again.
Mourning, who originally returned to the Heat just to "ride the coattails" of a champion, never imagined he would be the "big leg" (main contributor) for this Heat team? No, is scoring against the Warriors really that hard? On the court, after a pick-and-roll with Wade and hitting a jump shot near the free-throw line, old Mourning, who had already scored 4 points for the Heat, just didn't understand why O'Neal couldn't do anything against the Warriors' defense.
In fact, even after three rounds of playoff baptism, this Warriors' defense still had flaws. Because the Warriors would try their best to preserve Zack's stamina during the game, most of the time, they basically only clogged the paint and ignored the perimeter. Especially with Artest focused on defending Wade, as long as the Heat players on the court could make their shots from the space created by Wade, the Warriors could only resign themselves to it.
But... if you make O'Neal leave the paint, you might as well just shoot him dead. On the Heat bench, O'Neal, who was subbed out again, could only be described as having an irregular heartbeat from anger. Because in his eyes, the Warriors' defensive strategy tonight was meticulously designed, targeting only him! So, why is it that O'Neal still lacks self-awareness? To be honest, the Warriors' strategy of clogging the paint wasn't just directed at him. Otherwise, how could the Spurs' shooters have gotten so many open looks in previous games?
Warriors head coach Montgomery did design a usable defensive system for the team, but unfortunately, due to his limited coaching talent, Montgomery didn't fully utilize the team's defensive resources. And this, this was the truly terrifying thing about this Warriors team. Including Zack, they still had a lot of untapped potential. They weren't fully prepared to contend for a championship; they just accidentally stumbled their way into the Finals.
In the latter half of the second quarter, on a Warriors' offensive possession, Zack, who understood each of his teammates very well, didn't let the Heat's zone defense continue to test them. After all, as a star player, on the Finals stage, how could you let your opponent keep testing your teammates?
At the top of the arc, the moment he completed a handoff with Davis, Zack decided to brutally break the Heat's zone. Yes, a zone defense can also be "brutally broken." As long as you have the ability, you won't be at a loss when facing a zone, even needing to hold the ball at the high post and observe for several, or even more than ten, seconds.
Thump!
On the court, after dribbling to near the free-throw line, before the Heat's zone could collapse on him, Zack rose up for a pull-up jumper over Posey, who was the first to arrive in the defensive area.
Swish!
A free-throw line jump shot was one of the ways to brutally break the Heat's 2-3 zone. As long as you drove to the free-throw line fast enough, could quickly execute a smooth shot, and weren't blocked by the defender, then you had successfully completed this "brutal break." Of course, this move didn't apply to all superstar players. Especially certain players whose dribbling relied heavily on their bodies, whose dribbling-to-shot transition wasn't smooth enough, and who lacked confidence in long two-point jump shots.
In front of their TVs, Jordan, who would probably indulge himself in Las Vegas again after watching this Finals game tonight, was already in tears. Because Zack's elegant jump shot, no matter how he looked at it, was his first love, his "white moonlight!"
At the commentary table, Rick Barry commented on Zack's "brutal break": "It looks like a simple jump shot, but in today's NBA, there are definitely no more than ten players who possess this ability and can normalize it." In the future, many people would forget that Durant's seemingly simple jump shot was almost unguardable in the NBA, partly due to his lack of roots (referring to his free agency moves) and his many soundbites.
Shooting, the most basic skill in basketball, once perfectly integrated with other techniques, can immediately transform into the most unguardable offensive move. And Zack was another "fundamental master" cultivated by Wake Forest. Moreover, unlike Tim Duncan, his fundamentals leaned more towards perimeter skills.
Back to the Heat's offensive possession. Artest, sacrificing himself (like Mitsui's relentless defense in Slam Dunk), put ample pressure on Wade, forcing Wade to use more advanced dribbling techniques to execute his quick burst. In that moment, watching the "Flash" (Wade) drive beautifully, Zack couldn't help but marvel at Wade's knees, which would support him until 2019. Undoubtedly, this was an absolute miracle in the history of human beings challenging their own limits.
In the Warriors' paint, Wade successfully drew a shooting foul on Brown, who had replaced Murphy. Seeing this, Zack, who felt he could have blocked Wade, immediately kicked Brown.
"What are you rushing to jump for? I'm right here, aren't I?"
Brown said aggrievedly, "I... I was afraid you'd get a foul."
Zack glared at Brown and said, "I haven't committed a single foul tonight!"
Brown's defensive awareness clearly needed improvement. However, Wade, who only made one of two free throws after going to the line, proved with his rapidly declining stamina bar how successful the Warriors' defensive strategy was tonight.
Next, Zack "brutally broke" the defense for several more possessions. Although his jump shots didn't swish through the net every time, his stamina depletion rate, disproportionate to Wade's, ultimately determined the direction of the game in a sense.
In the second quarter, Zack scored 12 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal, shooting 4-of-8 from the field and 4-of-4 from the free-throw line. He finished the half with a total of 21 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals. Wade, on the other hand, had 19 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals for the Heat.
At halftime, the score was 49-57, with the Warriors further extending their lead. During halftime, Riley encouraged the Heat's championship pieces, saying, "This is our most hopeful year! As long as we can seize those damned open shots, we will definitely win one of the first two games!" Seeing this, veterans like Walker, Payton, and Mourning echoed, "BOSS is right, if we miss this year, we might never have another chance to get a championship ring!"
In the NBA, veterans achieving their dreams is definitely one of the most talked-about topics among fans. This year, the Heat indeed had reasons why they had to win the championship. But, why wouldn't fans also want to witness the miracle of a player leading his team to an NBA championship as a rookie, acting as the sole core? The future was too far away; it was all about the present.
In the Warriors' locker room, while enjoying a full-body massage from Brown, Biedrins, Dunleavy, and Murphy, Zack said, "Stay calm, don't panic. The advantage is on our side now." At that moment, looking at the calm and collected Zack, the other Warriors players felt an unprecedented sense of peace.
In truth, Zack was also nervous before the game. But as the game progressed, his heart, which had been repeatedly tempered during his college days, gradually returned to tranquility. Undoubtedly, in competitive sports, a star player's composure and calmness will always inspire the entire team more than shrugging, frowning, or giving teammates a sour look. For example, the honest and solid "real man" Harry Maguire proved with his performance – more like a captain than Bruno Fernandes, even without wearing the armband – how terrifying the negative energy brought by a leader can be on the court.
After halftime, before the second half began, Zack even attempted several player tunnel three-pointers, which he remembered Curry often did before games. Considering he was wearing the Golden State Warriors' No. 30 jersey, Zack had already planned to officially make the player tunnel three-point attempts his signature pre-game ritual from now on. As for Stephen Curry, whose signature moves he had stolen one by one? Well, who told Curry to enter the NBA later than him?
In the second half, Riley still started O'Neal in the opening stages. Since Zack was destined to play the entire game, O'Neal, unable to stagger his minutes, had to be given around 20 minutes of playing time per game in Riley's eyes, at least. After all, old Mourning's current physical condition couldn't sustain 48 minutes of play.
But for O'Neal, this was definitely not a good thing. Because Riley didn't even bother to scold him during halftime, it was enough to prove that Pat Riley at this moment was completely "wasting no resources." This was the cold and ruthless Riley. He wouldn't treat you differently just because you were a decorated former NBA face. He certainly wouldn't show you warmth just because you had rendered meritorious service to the Heat. Useful players, in Riley's eyes, were always treasures. As for useless players? Well, naturally, their remaining value had to be squeezed out as much as possible, and they had to be packaged and sent away before they were completely useless.
In Los Angeles, O'Neal, who felt he was living in torment every day because he sensed Kobe might snatch his team leader status at any moment, would never have imagined this was his true darkest hour!
In the third quarter, after Davis fired the first shot, Zack, with Brown's help, completely blocked O'Neal's passing lanes and once again blocked the aging king. On-site and in front of televisions, the Los Angeles media had even prepared numerous short essays to "settle accounts" in advance. In this moment, Jovan Buha, who was always very displeased with O'Neal, began his article with: "The false crown will eventually be shattered by the true king!"
When O'Neal was subbed out in the third quarter, having scored a total of 2 points and 5 rebounds for the Heat, he was about to face that judgment from Los Angeles. Although Angelenos also disliked Zack, tonight, watching O'Neal on the court like a clown, all the Angelenos transformed into Loki from Thor: Ragnarok, feeling overjoyed and experiencing easy bowel movements. In the eyes of Angelenos, the only imperfection was, if Zack could also just die... how wonderful would that be?
In the latter half of this quarter, as Wade's stamina declined, the Warriors, at their largest lead, were once up by 15 points. It wasn't until Posey and veteran Payton each hit a three-pointer for the Heat that the Heat managed to narrow the deficit back to within 10 points. Because during one offensive possession, after taking an elbow from Payton when the referee wasn't looking, Zack, who always treated everyone equally, responded immediately by dunking over him and saying, "You shameless old lapdog, even more so than that nomad Robert Horry, you think you can get a championship ring by clinging to Shaq's leg? No, you'll never get that ring. Listen, you're just a stinking slut eager to sacrifice your virtue to Shaq for a championship ring!"
Hearing this, even though Zack's words were extremely harsh, Gary Payton, knowing every word was true, instantly broke down. The next second, an enraged Payton unleashed a torrent of unspeakable profanities at Zack. But so what? Profanity can't break someone down like the truth can. On the court, in the next possession, Zack completed an 'and-one' for the Warriors, not even sparing Payton a glance. To deal with someone like Gary Payton, you just needed to strip him of his most cherished possession, and he would be like a bug, never able to lift his head again.
After three quarters, the scoreboard read 74-87. The Warriors' shooters warmed up in the second half, while the Heat's shooters failed to provide Wade with the necessary support. As Rick Barry said before the game, luck is also part of skill. But more importantly, every time they looked at their star player, who could always score for the team in crucial moments, all the Warriors players would shoot with more confidence on their next attempt. Because they never worried that the Warriors' offensive surge would stop if their shots weren't falling.
Before the final quarter began, Riley noticed that the Heat's morale was increasingly low. Many Heat championship pieces who usually stepped up in crucial moments felt powerless tonight. This had nothing to do with the Heat's stats. Rather, it was the Warriors, whose playing style perfectly countered theirs, preventing them from playing at their usual level. O'Neal, in front of the Warriors, could only act like a well-behaved "Shark baby" who didn't cry or fuss. To limit Zack's "brutal breaks" on the court, both Walker and Haslem had to focus intensely on defense.
It's true that the Warriors never truly limited Wade tonight. But once his fuel ran out, Wade would also fall into the carefully designed trap created by the Warriors' "two-first-overall-picks" combination. Williams, Payton, Posey, and even Kapono, whom Riley risked putting in for three minutes before pulling him out again, were indeed good championship pieces. But, the Warriors' championship pieces, with Zack's boost, clearly performed better.
In the fourth quarter, shortly after O'Neal happily earned another point from the free-throw line, "God Dun" (Dunleavy Jr.) ignited the entire arena. Receiving a pass from Zack's drive, he decisively took a three-point shot under Posey's strong contest, and the ball went in with a whistle, plus an extra free throw! This was a three-and-one! It could also be called a "four-point play"!
On the Heat bench, Riley looked desperate, "How can we have the offensive firepower to match the Warriors?"
Spoelstra smiled bitterly, "We have to make those damned open threes."
The next second, Riley knowingly asked, "But why... don't they need to make those damned open threes?"
Spoelstra sighed, "Coach, Jerry West was right. The NBA has officially welcomed a new Michael Jordan, and this young Michael Jordan will continue to grow." Was Zack's terror his "brutal breaks" on the court? No. At least not in Spoelstra's eyes. Rather, when facing him, to avoid him using mismatch advantages to devastatingly break down your defense, you could only passively choose defensive strategies like a zone. But coincidentally, he was also the interior player in the league most skilled at breaking zone defenses.
In Spoelstra's view, Zack was like an "aura monster" in some RPG games, always able to cast different types of auras on his teammates. These auras, in this year's playoff games, infinitely amplified the Warriors' strengths and turned their players, who were originally considered "rotten fish and shrimp" by the world, into X-factors that gave every opponent a massive headache.
For example, Mike Dunleavy, who just made the extra free throw to complete a four-point play. In the old Warriors team, he was infamous, a "bust" third overall pick who only played in the NBA because of his father (old Dunleavy). But now, he was the Warriors fans' beloved super sixth man.
At Oracle Arena, the golden wave (of fans) surged from tip-off to the final buzzer. After a thirty-one-year absence from the Finals, the Golden State Warriors took Game 1, leading the Miami Heat 1-0 in the Finals series. On the scoreboard, 98-112.
Amidst the seemingly never-ending cheers, all Warriors fans couldn't wait to hoist that damned championship trophy. In the game, Shaquille O'Neal, "buried" by Zack himself, officially relinquished his title as the NBA's top center with a pathetic performance of 0-for-6 from the field and 3-for-10 from the free-throw line. O'Neal, who only managed 3 points and 6 rebounds for the entire game, returned to the locker room with a desolate expression amidst the taunts of the surrounding fans. If time could be rewound, O'Neal swore he would never have uttered that comment about Zack being overestimated.
And the "Flash," D-Wade? He finished the game with a personal perfect performance of 33 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals, shooting 11-of-22 from the field, 1-of-2 from three, and 10-of-14 from the free-throw line, making him Zack's excellent spoils of war tonight.
The large screen at the arena immediately displayed Zack's individual stats after the game:
—38 points, 18 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 blocks, 2 steals.
On TNT, Charles Barkley said after the game, "I'm only curious now... can the Messiah break Magic Johnson's record of 42 points in a single Finals game during his rookie season?"
Beside him, Kenny Smith chuckled, "Charles, in your eyes, are the Warriors already this year's champions?"
Hearing this, Barkley, knowing Smith was trying to trick him, quickly replied, "No, Kenny, you know I've always been a supporter of the Miami Heat and 'D-Wade'." After a pause, Barkley added, "I've liked them for at least twenty years."
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