The Best Point Guard

If anyone had said before the game that the Knicks would be playing a half-court offense while Dallas engaged in a frantic run-and-gun shootout, they would have been called crazy.

But now, that was exactly what was unfolding before their very eyes.

The Mavericks were playing well. Their team of jump-shooters hadn’t lost their energy, which was why Little General Johnson was hesitant to make adjustments.

However, the Knicks were playing even better, and they were starting to close the gap.

What was unexpected was that when the Knicks started running their half-court offense, they looked surprisingly competent. Even their defense became cohesive.

For pundits like Larry Brown, this came as a huge shock.

They had previously lambasted the Knicks for being tactically inept, accusing them of only knowing how to rely on tricks. But now, the Knicks were serving up a tactical masterpiece.

It was as if their performance was a repeated slap to the faces of those critics, declaring: ’It’s not that we can’t run plays; we just didn’t want to.’

Isaiah Thomas’s shouted instructions and encouraging applause from the sideline suddenly seemed profound and inscrutable.

People began to think that perhaps Isaiah Thomas’s reputation wasn’t unearned after all. When the team needed him, he could still step up.

The first half quickly came to an end, with the Mavericks leading by 4 points.

This was no longer a safe lead. At least in Little General Johnson’s eyes, it was extremely dangerous.

But he didn’t know how to adjust. The team had veered onto a track he was unfamiliar with. All he could do was slam his foot on the gas and see if they could force a way through.

There was no other choice.

The game resumed in the second half.

The Knicks continued to run their plays, while the Mavericks stuck to their fast-paced offense.

However, the Knicks grew increasingly efficient, while the Mavericks’ efficiency declined as they faced mounting defensive pressure.

The moment the Knicks took the lead with four minutes left in the third quarter, the Mavericks called a timeout. Little General Johnson had to change his tactical approach, deciding to return to his original game plan.

The Knicks stuck with their half-court offense, with Eddie Curry and Tony Battie teaming up in the frontcourt, and Su Xi, Hardaway, and Ariza on the perimeter.

In this system, Su Xi completely transformed into an off-ball player, handing over ball-handling duties to Hardaway.

He showcased his immense dominance without the ball.

He quickly shook off his defenders and sank one jump shot after another.

Then, when he was double-teamed, he instantly became a distributor, passing the ball to the most open teammate.

The Dallas Mavericks found him impossible to contain.

In other words, they simply couldn’t contain Su Xi. None of their perimeter players, neither Stackhouse nor Josh Howard, could keep pace with him.

Reggie Miller made an incisive comment on television: "The Mavericks are far worse than our last two opponents. They’re even a whole lot worse than the Pistons."

Hmm?

Larry Brown raised his eyebrows at the comment, but he had to admit that Reggie Miller was right.

Defensively, the Mavericks were indeed far inferior to the Pistons. Their overall game on both ends of the court was worse than the San Antonio Spurs, and their star power couldn’t compare to the Lakers.

While the Knicks weren’t as strong as the Indiana Pacers of the past two seasons, their opponents weren’t as tough either.

After mulling it over, Larry Brown could only come to one conclusion: ’Little Sheep Su Xi is just too lucky. He always runs into the right opponent at the right time.’

The Mavericks collapsed in the final moments of the third quarter.

Then, once the fourth quarter began, the Knicks started to systematically dismantle the Mavericks’ will to fight. Led by Su Xi, they chipped away piece by piece, quickly draining the American Airlines Center Arena of any remaining spirit of resistance.

Mavericks fans started heading for the exits early.

Little General Johnson called a timeout, effectively signaling the start of garbage time.

In the end, the Knicks cruised to another effortless victory over the Mavericks.

They took a 3-0 lead in the Finals.

Some were surprised by this outcome, but most saw it as a matter of course.

After the Knicks won their two home games, public opinion had completely shifted. Aside from staunch holdouts like Larry Brown, who really believed the Mavericks could still win the championship?

Now, down 3-0, the only hope left for the Mavericks seemed to be avoiding a sweep.

But could they even manage that?

After all, Zach Randolph was due to return.

Isaiah Thomas was smugly self-satisfied in his post-game interview.

He told the reporters, "Tonight is the only game I’m satisfied with. Even though we made it to the Finals and have won every game so far, those victories brought me no sense of accomplishment. Only tonight did!"

"Tonight, we finally ran some plays. It’s still not quite up to my standards, but it’s not bad. This proves that my tactical coaching over the past while has been a success. I want to tell these kids that this is the kind of stuff worth treasuring for a lifetime. As for wins and championships? Those will come eventually."

Isaiah Thomas was in his element, coolly showing off.

He was always like this.

The Dallas reporters didn’t like it, but they had no grounds to argue.

He then commented on Su Xi’s performance: "Su Xi is the kind of player who can do whatever you ask of him. He can score off the dribble, he can dominate in isolation, he can run the offense for the whole team, and he can be the spearhead of our defense. And of course, as he showed tonight, he can also run the entire offense without the ball in his hands."