Chapter 86: The Unexpected
November 19th. The Kings traveled to Miami.
Early in the season, the Kings’ dazzling passing game had thrilled fans, carrying them to an impressive 8–4 record.
“Nothing beats the South Coast.”
Chen Yilun let out a sigh as soon as he stepped off the plane.
Compared to Sacramento, Miami’s southern location had always been a vacation hotspot.
“We need to stay sharp for tonight’s game—the Heat aren’t easy to deal with.”
The Heat were one of the league’s most unusual teams.
What made them unique was that they were the only franchise truly built around their head coach.
Head coach Erik Spoelstra was the real leader of this team.
His position was so secure that even LeBron James, at his peak, couldn’t shake his authority.
This year’s Heat represented the final glow after the collapse of their dynasty.
The roster featured Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Goran Dragić, Hassan Whiteside, and rookie Kristaps Porziņģis.
Inside American Airlines Arena, Chen Yilun sat in his seat, looking around like a curious child.
As his gaze wandered, it suddenly locked with a pair of piercing eyes.
Pat Riley sat behind the Heat bench, his shadowed eyes fixed on Chen Yilun.
After a brief moment of eye contact, Riley gave a slight nod before turning away.
It wasn’t that the old wizard had anything against Chen Yilun—his face always carried a hawk-like sharpness, making it look like he was glaring at everyone.
“Keep an eye on Chen Yilun later. That kid’s always trying to poach players. Coming all the way to Miami out of nowhere? He’s definitely up to something.”
Riley whispered to his assistant.
“Boss, no need to be so tense. What could Chen Yilun possibly take from us?” the assistant asked, puzzled.
“With your brain, I can at least rule out him trying to poach you.” Riley snorted. “He’s up to something. Otherwise, why fly all this way? Here for vacation?”
Tonight’s Heat starting lineup: Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Hassan Whiteside, Goran Dragić, and Luol Deng.
On paper, the lineup looked strong. But Miami’s biggest problem was their thin bench. The only real spark off the bench was rookie Porziņģis.
At tip-off, Whiteside secured possession and handed the ball to Dragić to run the offense.
Dragić dribbled past half-court. Bosh popped up to the free-throw line to receive the ball, drawing the attention of Thaddeus Young and CJ. Dragić immediately spread out to the left 45-degree angle.
“Isn’t this the same set they used for James before?”
Seeing the Heat’s formation, Coach Malone instantly recognized Spoelstra’s intent.
Just as Malone predicted, the remaining four Heat players spread across both wings, clearing space for Bosh’s isolation.
Facing Young, Bosh gave a quick feint and spun toward the paint.
But Young read him perfectly, stepping back to cut off his path.
At that moment, Wade suddenly burst from the left corner, cutting along the baseline.
LaVine, guarding him, tried to step forward, but Young’s retreating body blocked his way—handing the Heat a free screen.
On the right side, Whiteside set a stationary screen, locking Jokić in place. Wade cut cleanly into the right mid-range, calmly took Bosh’s pass, and drilled the jumper.
“That veteran!” Malone muttered under his breath.
Everyone assumed the play was drawn up for Bosh, but Spoelstra turned that expectation into a perfectly timed open look for Wade.
The real test for Malone came when the Kings went on offense.
“1-1-3?”
Malone stared wide-eyed at the Heat’s unusual defensive alignment.
The 1-1-3 zone defense.
This setup packed defenders near the paint. Any pass to the free-throw line would draw an immediate double-team, no matter the direction.
Stationed near the free-throw line, Jokić looked at the impenetrable wall of defenders. After a few fruitless attempts, he retreated back outside.
This scheme had struck the Kings’ Achilles’ heel.
Their offensive flow relied on two things: CJ orchestrating from the perimeter, and Jokić distributing as the secondary playmaker from the free-throw line.
But if Jokić couldn’t receive the ball there, half of their offensive system collapsed.
“That’s why he’s a legendary coach—cutting straight through the offense like a scalpel.”
Chen Yilun noticed the shift too, biting his fingernail as he stared at Malone’s back.
His team had no real counter to Spoelstra’s adjustment. All he could do was watch how his partner would respond.
The shift from a 1-1-3 into a 2-2-3 zone had always been a nightmare for center-based offenses.
Back in the 2022 playoffs, when the Heat dismantled the 76ers, Spoelstra used this exact scheme to force Embiid out to the perimeter, turning him into a “guard.”
This time, Jokić once again tried to flash to the free-throw line. But CJ’s pass was intercepted by Wade.
The Heat instantly turned it into a fast-break score.
“Run Play 1! Go right!” Malone shouted to his players.
With no immediate counter, Malone could only rely on his perimeter scorers to create something.
On the next possession, CJ drove off Young’s pick, attacked the paint, and knocked down a floater.
We’re falling behind.
Chen Yilun narrowed his eyes and leaned back into the cushioned seat.
With Spoelstra striking first, Malone had yet to respond. Relying solely on CJ to break down the defense was a desperate measure.
Sure enough, under the Heat’s tight defense, the Kings’ usually fluid offense ground to a halt. They were forced into isolation plays.
“Timeout! Timeout!”
Watching the score gap widen, Malone called for a timeout.
“Jokić, try to find a backdoor cut on the strong side. Thaddeus Young, move to the high post. If they help, swing it to the other side!”
Hearing Malone’s instructions, Chen Yilun nodded repeatedly.
Our coach still has some tricks—he figured out a counter so quickly.
After the timeout, CJ held the ball at the weak-side 45. Jokić drifted into the weak-side mid-range, just as Malone had planned.
The moment Young sprinted to the high post to receive the pass, Jokić cut hard toward the paint.
But Miami’s defense wouldn’t break so easily. Wade immediately rotated, shadowing Jokić, while Whiteside closed in from behind, trapping him in a tight double-team.
Young caught Wade’s movement out of the corner of his eye.
The key to beating a zone: wherever the defender rotates from, that’s where the open man is.
Without hesitation, Young fired the ball to the strong-side corner.
Completely open, LaVine caught it and sank the jumper.
“Nice play!” Spoelstra, seeing his zone stretched open, couldn’t help but glance at Malone with admiration.
But just minutes later, the momentum shifted abruptly.
On a fast break, CJ collided mid-air with Wade on a layup attempt. On the landing, he lost his balance.
His left foot crashed into the floor under the full weight of his body.
A sharp pain shot through his leg. CJ collapsed, clutching his thigh.
“Ah!”
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