Slam Dunk: My Study Abroad Career in Northern Hunan

It is hard to say how difficult it is to replicate the outside technique of the double step-back, but it is this "not very difficult" technique that can surprise the players on the field and the fans in the stands.

In the tough basketball environment of the 90s, a player who shot from the outside would often be called a softie by fans and opponents. But at this time, Lakers players and fans did not feel that way when watching Wu Dao play.

In their opinion, the way Wu Dao got rid of the defender was just like teasing Rick Fox. This technique of being able to shake off the defender in an instant, they just wanted to know how it was done, and in their minds they were thinking about how to replicate Wu Dao's technique.

On the court, communication between people often becomes simple, just like the relationship between Budo and these Lakers players, the only thing they can communicate with is basketball.

As for calling him a wimp, no Lakers player dared to say that in front of Wu Dao.

"Tsk tsk tsk~"

After scoring the goal successfully, Wu Dao smacked his lips at Rick Fox, spread his hands, and showed a helpless smile on his face, as if to say, "I didn't expect to score like this."

Although there was no trash talk like Garnett, Wu Dao's expression and posture did make Rick Fox angry.

In terms of the ability to spit shit, Wu Dao really can't compare with Garnett, a black player who came from the streets. But if we compare the ability to mess with people's mentality, then even five Garnetts can't give Wu Dao a chance.

Although the players quickly organized a new round of offense, Rick Fox was naturally angry at being ridiculed by Wu Dao on the defensive end, and wanted to get back at Wu Dao on the offensive end.

But Rick Fox also has a clear understanding of his own personal strength. This is not the first time he has fought with Wu Dao, and he also knows how strong Wu Dao's personal ability is. This strength is not only reflected in the offensive end, but also in the defensive end.

Maybe Wu Dao is slightly weaker in assisting defense compared to players like Garnett, but in one-on-one defense, Wu Dao is stronger than any player Rick Fox has ever faced.

Rick Fox, aware of the gap in strength between himself and his opponent, knows very well what he should and should not do on the court.

After Fisher received the pass from his teammate in the backcourt, he quickly dribbled the ball into the Timberwolves' half. Rick Fox on the wing saw his teammate holding the ball near the top of the arc, so he took the initiative to move toward Marbury, intending to set a pick-and-roll for Fisher.

Rick Fox knows his own weaknesses, and precisely because he knows his own weaknesses, he has learned to rely on the strength of the team to create scoring opportunities for himself.

As Rick Fox got into position for the pick-and-roll, Fisher, who had the ball, also dribbled horizontally.

Wu Dao's eyes quickly swept over Rick Fox and Fisher. After just a moment of thought, he moved his feet and caught up with Fisher who was moving quickly to the wing.

The Timberwolves players have developed a certain tacit understanding with each other, and as soon as the martial arts moves, Marbury knows what he should do.

As Fisher moved to the wing, Marbury quickly moved forward and came in front of Rick Fox, blocking Rick Fox with one hand and looking at Fisher who was holding the ball.

Although Marbury is shorter than Rick Fox, as long as he can occupy the right position, he can also cut off the passing route between Fisher and Rick Fox.

At the same time, the tall and strong Wudao also stood in front of Fisher. Whether it was shooting or passing the ball inside, both routes were blocked by Wudao.

Seeing that Fisher was approaching the sideline with the ball, Rick Fox at the top of the lake quickly took two steps back, widening the distance between him and Marbury.

Rick Fox, who was pulling out, successfully got the opportunity to receive the ball. Realizing that his teammate was able to catch the ball, Fisher quickly passed the ball to Rick Fox at the top of the arc.

When Rick Fox successfully caught the ball, he was already nearly two meters away from the three-point line.

This position was very far away, and Marbury still stood inside the three-point line and did not move forward to chase Rick Fox.

Before the game with the Lakers, the Timberwolves had done a comprehensive investigation of the Lakers players, and all the players had some understanding of the individual abilities of the Lakers players. Marbury knew very well that Rick Fox did not have the ability to shoot three-pointers in that position.

In other words, even if Rick Fox has the ability to go beyond three-pointers, his position in the team is not enough to support him to be able to shoot this kind of lone wolf star shot in such a game situation.

Rick Fox is not the core player of the Lakers' outside shooting, and the Lakers coach on the sidelines will not allow role players of his team to make such an attempt.

Just as Marbury expected, Rick Fox, who had a clear opportunity for a long three-pointer, quickly approached Marbury's defense after the ball fell. As the basketball fell, Rick Fox's left hand quickly pressed against Marbury's body, intending to force his way through Marbury.

Classic big vs small.

Rick Fox was obviously very clear about what advantages he had when facing Marbury. With the help of his outstanding physical strength, Rick Fox successfully forced Marbury back and rushed to the free throw line.

But as he broke through, Garnett, who was guarding the basket, quickly moved up and instantly came in front of Rick Fox, raising his arms high and covering him completely.

At the same time, Marbury, who was chasing Rick Fox, came behind him and quickly stole the basketball from his hand.

Rick Fox, who advanced to the free throw line, was double-teamed by two Timberwolves.

Rick Fox tried to pass the ball to Robert Horry, who was the point guard at the time, but before the ball could be shot, Marbury had already made the steal.

A black hand quickly reached out from behind Rick Fox and hit the basketball accurately.

"So fast!"

The basketball was intercepted, but Garnett was quick to catch the ball. Fox was shocked when he saw that he had lost the ball. He didn't expect Marbury to adjust so quickly. He had just broken through when he caught up.

In fact, when facing Rick Fox's charge, Marbury had no intention of using physical confrontation. He already knew that Garnett could make up for him and was ready to turn around and steal the ball.

The Timberwolves have been together for nearly a year. The players have been working together for so long that they have already seen through their team's weaknesses.

There is no doubt that Marbury, who has a relatively poor physique, can easily become the target of the opponent's offensive rotation, and Garnett's presence can largely make up for this weakness of the Timberwolves.

If the opponent Marbury faced today was a player with very strong outside shooting ability, even with Garnett's help, he would not be able to stop the opponent from scoring. However, if the opponent was Rick Fox, the outside danger the Timberwolves would face would be much smaller.

Garnett successfully got the basketball and threw the ball directly to the frontcourt. At this time, Wu Dao on the wing had already pushed Fisher away, crossed the center line first, and got the ball in his hands.

On the other side, Eddie Jones had already started moving, and he rushed towards the advancing Wu Dao at full speed, trying to stop him.

But when Wu Dao was about to get to the Lakers' three-point line with the ball, Eddie Jones had just crossed the center line and was still several meters away from Wu Dao. Wu Dao was very fast, and Eddie Jones knew that he couldn't keep up with Wu Dao's fast break, so he slowed down.

Under the watchful eyes of the Lakers players, Wu Dao quickly broke into the Lakers' basket and even looked back to see if there were any Lakers players chasing him after he passed the ball.

There was an empty court behind him, so he slowed down his pace and adjusted his rhythm. After taking a big step, he jumped up and easily dunked the ball into the net.

It was a simple gliding slam dunk. In the eyes of fans, Wu Dao's slam dunk was effortless, lacking sincerity and not at all entertaining.

The Timberwolves fans who were aware of Wu Dao's abilities also booed, seemingly dissatisfied with Wu Dao's perfunctory dunk.

Whether the home fans are cheering or booing, it is actually a way of interacting with the players on the field. The interaction between fans and players is actually the same as the interaction between people. Only people with close relationships can joke.

Listening to the boos from the fans in the stands, Wudao had a bright smile on his face, not caring at all.

"Be serious! Budo, what's the point of this soft dunk!?"

"Where's your windmill? Where's your lever buckle?"

Some fans in the backcourt even stood up from their seats. Although they said sarcastic words, the smiles on their faces were quite bright.

In the Target Center, the atmosphere became even more heated because of the boos from the Timberwolves fans.

The rhythm of the first quarter of the game between the Lakers and the Timberwolves was firmly controlled by the Timberwolves players.

Wu Dao's personal condition is quite good. Whether it is shooting from outside the three-point line or shooting in the low-efficiency zone, he has a very good hit rate.

Moreover, under the guidance of martial arts, Marbury and Garnett often get opportunities.

The person defending Garnett was Eddie Jones. There was a big height difference between the two, and Garnett was also the kind of player who was good at turning around and shooting facing the basket. It was difficult for Eddie Jones to defend Garnett's offensive style.

For Marbury, it was more due to the terrifying personal influence of martial arts.

I don't know how the Lakers planned to defend Wu Dao. When Wu Dao received the ball on the outside and showed obvious offensive intentions, Fisher, who was at the top of the arc, would give up Marbury and pounce on Wu Dao, and double-team him together with his teammates.

And his movement often gives Marbury better open shooting opportunities.

Maybe the Lakers arranged corresponding defensive rotations when Marbury broke through, but they did not take more precautions against Marbury's outside shots.

In their opinion, the martial arts threat of one person defending him is greater than that of Marbury who is not defended by anyone.

However, to the Lakers' disappointment, Marbury's outside shooting was very good today, and he hit two open three-pointers in a row. This terrifying hit rate also forced people to change their defensive strategy and let Robert Horry in the interior help Rick Fox defend as much as possible.

But Robert Horry is an inside player after all. Even if he was told to help Rick Fox defend, he could not stand too high, otherwise Ben Wallace in the inside would be left open.

Although Wallace does not have the ability to shoot from mid-range, when Robert Horry pulls out from the inside, Wu Dao will feel safe and bold to attack directly from outside the three-point line with a pull-up shot.

Yes, Ben Wallace does not have the ability to shoot from mid-range, and there is no problem for Robert Horry to leave Wallace open appropriately.

But an inside player is not only responsible for offense, but more importantly, grabbing rebounds and protecting the rim.

Once Robert Horry is too far away from the south, even if Wu Dao misses the shot from the three-point line, the Timberwolves' offensive rebounding rate will increase significantly.

Although O'Neal is very strong, when grabbing rebounds, he has to deal with Stanley Roberts, a meat shield type inside player, and Ben Wallace, a spring monster. Even he can't cope with it for a while.

As the game progressed, the Timberwolves scored from multiple points, and the Lakers had no way to resist the Timberwolves' offense.

On the other hand, when O'Neal is restricted, the Lakers' offensive focus will naturally shift to the outside.

Eddie Jones and Fisher often got opportunities to shoot in the low-efficiency zone, but the basket at the Target Center might not recognize them, and the two players' outside shooting accuracy was quite low in the first quarter.

O'Neal was restricted in the interior and his scoring efficiency was not high enough from the outside.

At the end of the first quarter, the Timberwolves and the Lakers gradually widened the gap.

31: 26.

In just the first quarter, the Timberwolves were already leading the Lakers by five points.

If we only look at the scores in a single quarter, the Lakers' 26 points in a single quarter is not considered low in the playoffs. In a high-intensity game, it is not easy to score 26 points in a single quarter.

But these statistics are not good enough against the Timberwolves.

The Timberwolves are a team with "overflowing" offensive firepower. Their offensive efficiency can be said to be the most efficient in the league. Even in a game of this intensity in the playoffs, the Timberwolves still maintain their characteristics.

As the whistle sounded to end the first quarter, the Timberwolves' starters returned to their rest area amid the cheers of the fans.

Wu Dao and other main players brought such a big surprise to the Timberwolves fans. Before the game started, the fans were still worried about facing Shaquille O'Neal, but unexpectedly, when the two teams collided, it was the Timberwolves that had the advantage.

Although Wu Dao, the star player, is young, his influence on the court is no less than that of O'Neal.

And the fans can see that the Timberwolves are clearly the better team.

In today's game, if the Lakers have no way to deal with the Timberwolves' offense, then there is a high probability that the winner will be the Timberwolves.

(End of this chapter)