Stan Van Gundy didn’t rest O’Neal, keeping him on the court to lead the second unit against the Pistons.

This was the do-or-die moment of Game 7. There was no need to overthink things—it was time to go all out.

O’Neal was playing ferociously. Larry Brown uncharacteristically subbed in Milicic, a decision likely owing to Milicic’s handful of solid regular-season performances. In this year’s playoffs, he had earned a spot in the rotation, roughly as the team’s eighth man.

But Milicic was clearly no match for O’Neal. O’Neal scored on consecutive possessions, helping the Heat extend their lead.

The camera zoomed in on Larry Brown’s face. Through the screen, you could see his nostrils flare as he mouthed a string of furious curses.

Rasheed Wallace quickly checked into the game.

Milicic was sent back to the bench, getting an earful from Larry Brown as he passed him.

Just then, an ESPN commentator snarked, "It’s hard to believe Milicic was the second overall pick in 2003. Just look at what LeBron James, Little Sheep Su Xi, Dwyane Wade, Carmeron Anthony, and even guys like Chris Bosh and Kirk Hinrich are doing. On what grounds was he ever drafted ahead of all of them?"

The American media loves kicking people when they’re down.

They love slapping labels on players, especially the vulnerable ones who have hit rock bottom in their careers. Bullying the weak helps establish their own sense of superiority.

And it works for them every time.

The only exception was Su Xi. Su Xi always managed to make them eat their words.

Even when they reluctantly adjusted their expectations of him, Su Xi would still turn their backhanded compliments into resounding slaps across their faces.

On the court, O’Neal was unstoppable, an absolutely dominant force.

He ran rampant in the paint. It wasn’t just his powerful physique; his hook shot was also deceptively soft.

The Pistons were on the ropes.

At that moment, Rasheed Wallace made a "brave" move. As O’Neal spun, Wallace deliberately stuck his head under his ribs.

O’Neal caught him with an elbow.

Wallace crumpled to the floor.

Even watching on TV, Su Xi heard the loud THUD... a testament to the on-court mics.

Rasheed Wallace took the full force of that blow.

Although he’d intentionally drawn the foul, his willingness to make such a sacrifice still made him one tough dude.

The referee gave O’Neal his fifth foul. It was an indisputable call.

O’Neal was clearly frustrated, but all he could do was spread his hands in a wry smile.

Stan Van Gundy hesitated for a moment. Instead of taking O’Neal out, he subbed Dwyane Wade in.

With eight minutes left in the game and the Miami Heat up by 12, he didn’t want to let this golden opportunity slip away.

He didn’t believe the referee would dare foul O’Neal out at such a critical moment.

He was rolling the dice.

It’s an unwritten rule in the NBA... when a superstar picks up his fifth foul but remains in the game, the referees are expected to be more lenient, turning a blind eye to borderline calls.

But who could have predicted the Pistons would be so audacious?

Prince caught a pass from Billups on the wing, used a pump fake to get Eddie Jones in the air, and drove straight into the paint.

He was the skinniest player on the Pistons, practically a walking skeleton.

But he drove right at O’Neal, challenging him head-on.

O’Neal jumped to alter the shot, not intending to block it. But who would have thought that after the head-on collision, Prince, completely off balance, would somehow contort his body under O’Neal’s ribs and throw up a wild shot? He then went down hard, his body falling like a puppet with its strings cut.

CRASH!

Prince crashed hard onto the floor. The impact made his body immediately curl into a ball.

He cried out in pain.

The referee glanced at the Jumbotron, hesitated for a few seconds, then blew his whistle.

It was a clear foul.

That was a gutsy play from Prince—a classic case of injuring the enemy by eight hundred at the cost of one thousand to oneself.

Prince was injured and had to leave the game.

O’Neal picked up his sixth foul and also had to exit the game. He had fouled out.

But the Heat still held a 12-point lead. It was still anyone’s game.

An ESPN expert said, "This is the most thrilling Game 7 in the last twenty years. It might be a preview of the NBA Finals. Whichever team survives this—be it the Pistons or the Heat—has a real shot at going all the way."

Su Xi frowned at the TV. ’So they’re just going to ignore me and the Spurs, huh?’

Although the Western Conference Finals hadn’t officially begun, in Su Xi’s eyes, the Phoenix Suns were no match for the San Antonio Spurs. The Suns’ dominance was confined to the regular season. Once it came to a playoff series, their lack of an offensive and defensive presence in the paint made them like grasshoppers on a string—they couldn’t hop far.

This year’s Spurs, on the other hand, were stacked. Not only was their starting lineup formidable, but their bench rotation also had its own unique strengths. Combined with Popovich’s mature and stable tactical system, the true extent of their power was just the tip of the iceberg.

The Pistons subbed in Lynx Hunter, a veteran. Their backcourt now consisted of three undersized guards: Billups and Lynx Hunter were both 6’3", and while Hamilton was slightly taller, he also lacked physicality.

On the court for the Heat were Kenyon Dooling, Dwyane Wade, Eddie Jones, Haslem, and Mourning.

Mourning had returned to the Heat this season, and people called him the "Kidney Warrior."

Mourning was known for his toughness throughout his entire career, but his skills had clearly diminished since his return. He was now a serviceable, experienced backup, and you couldn’t ask for much more production from him.