Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 38 I Love Basketball
As the main players were replaced and the tactics changed, the situation gradually tilted towards Nan'an. In terms of bench depth, Nan'an was a level stronger than Dongsheng, but thanks to Chen Fang's scoring, Dongsheng still led by 22 points at 18:4 until the end of the first quarter.

This quarter was so exciting that almost no one left. The stands were filled with noise, and the students were talking about Chen Fang's domineering dunk and sharp three-pointer.

Wang Zhen and his friends ran to the substitutes' bench and threw a bottle of water to him. "Chen Fang, come here, drink the Brothers Magic Water and you'll be fully revived in one gulp!"

Chen Fang took it with a smile, and it felt cold to the touch.

"We just bought it from the convenience store. It's still cold," Liu Jun explained.

Looking at Wang Zhen with beads of sweat on his forehead, Chen Fang was moved and unscrewed the bottle and drank it in big gulps.

"I got a point, so you get one!"

"Of course!" Wang Zhen waved goodbye and returned to his class.

After regaining his composure, Chen Fang began to arrange the tasks for the second quarter: "The tempo still needs to be fast, we need to advance with the ball, pass the ball more, and shoot when there is an open position. Confidence comes from shooting, not training."

"Hu Fei, Huang Jian, you two should prepare for the first few minutes."

"Chen Fang, don't worry, we can hold on." Huang Jian assured.

But this guarantee must be backed by strength.

Two minutes later, Chen Fang grabbed Yue Gang, who was anxious to get up, and said, "It's not time yet."

"But we've already caught up." Yue Gang said impatiently.

"If we replace them now, everyone will lose confidence. We must give them a chance," Chen Fang explained.

Yang Shan dribbled across half court, and Huang Jian provided screen for him. The latter took the opportunity to press from the top of the arc to the free throw line. Nan'an switched defense quickly and immediately filled this gap.

Hu Fei slipped from the baseline to the wing, responding to Yang Shan who was surrounded.

Pass the ball, shoot, and hit.

"Beautiful!" Chen Fang jumped up from his chair.

This is what he wants to see, everyone is looking for movement, looking for open space, setting screens and breaking through, and finally making a shot.

Nan'an seemed to have been brought into the rhythm. The ball was quickly served from the baseline, and five players quickly crossed the half court. After several passes, they also scored a mid-range shot and tied the score again.

Dongsheng chased Nan'an's retreat and tried to make a fast break. Yang Shan rushed to the basket alone, but his momentum was poor but his technique was poor. His layup hit the rim and went out. Nan'an turned around and made a fast break.

There was an uproar in the stands as Nan'an took the lead for the first time.

Yue Gang looked at Chen Fang frequently, but Chen Fang did not move.

Fortunately, this trust was rewarded.

Huang Jian screened Yang Shan again at the top of the arc, then moved down to receive the pass from Yang Shan to attract a double-team, and then passed the ball back to Yang Shan who was unguarded.

The latter took the ball and shot it, hitting the target.

"Shan! Good job!" It was Yue Gang's turn to get excited, waving his fists and shouting.

Looking back, Nan'an fought back fiercely. Relying on the advantage of tonnage, Yao Qiwei took on Liu Feng, causing the latter to commit a foul and free throws from both sides.

beep!
Nan'an applied for a substitution and all the main players returned.

Five up, five down!

"Let's change too!" Chen Fang was very decisive.

Chen Fang, Xue Chong, Yue Gang, Xia Wen, and He Lang.

This lineup is guaranteed in terms of height and speed.

Seeing No. 21 return to the court, shouts suddenly rang out from the stands, gradually turning into one voice.

"Chen Fang, Chen Fang, ride the wind and waves!"

Chen Fang was a little surprised. He didn't expect that the slogan Wang Zhen came up with would actually have a market.

But he had no time to daydream, because a pair of eyes were staring at him closely.

It’s Yue Zang.

"Hey! Your opponent is me!" Xue Chong blocked Yue Zang's sight.

Pushing him away with his hand, Yue Zang expressed his disregard for Xue Chong with his actions.

"Heh." Xue Chong gritted his teeth and sneered.

After making one free throw, Yue Gang grabbed the rebound and passed it to Chen Fang.

Chen Fang dribbled the ball across half court and asked Xue Chong to cover him, but the next second, he suddenly changed direction to the left wing.

Zhang Hansheng failed to keep up with the sliding step, but Yue Zang gave up Xue Chong and made up for him.

As soon as he saw the switch of defense, Chen Fang passed the ball to Xue Chong in an open position with a shake of his hand. The latter dribbled forward and made a jump shot.

Maybe it was because he rested for too long and his touch was not there anymore, so the basketball hit the rim and bounced out.

Liu Ziheng grabbed the rebound, but was immediately delayed by Yue Gang. As soon as he was delayed, Chen Fang came up.

"Be careful!" The other players on the Nan'an field shouted at the same time, obviously still remembering Chen Fang's cut ball clearly.

Liu Ziheng subconsciously raised the ball high, which was the best choice for tall players to protect the ball, but Chen Fang was equally clear. When he saw Liu Ziheng raising the ball, he jumped up and poked the ball down with his hand from bottom to top.

After landing, Chen Fang jumped up again at an extremely fast speed, grabbed the basketball that was still in the air, then looked back, identified the distance to the three-point line, dribbled the ball with a step back, jumped outside the line, and shot.

There were bursts of exclamations from the stands, and the climax came when they saw the ball go through the net.

Xu Yi, who was sitting at the highest point, jumped up excitedly. This was too powerful. In just one or two seconds, he stole the ball and made a shot in one go. Before you could even think of anything, he gave you the result.

Excited!

Countless classmates in the stands shared the same sentiment as Xu Yi.

No. 21 Chen Fang scored as soon as he came on the court, which was exactly in line with their vision of a star player.

Everyone who comes to watch the game is not here to see your mistakes, constipated offense, or boring attack and defense. They are eager for highlights and hope that there will be constant excitement to stimulate them.

Obviously, Chen Fang No. 21 greatly satisfied them.

"Chen Fang Chen Fang, ride the wind and waves!" The slogan rang out again, quickly and in unison.

"After this game, Chen Fang is definitely the number one star of our Dongsheng High School!" Wang Zhen was excited.

"Of course, there will be more girls to share with in the future!" Liu Jun shouted.

"Your brain is really dirty, but I like it! Haha!" Zhen Xin laughed.

The three brothers stood up with their arms around each other and cheered for Chen Fang together.

On the court, Nan'an had the ball. Yue Zang, under the pick-and-roll of his teammates, went straight to the basket from the wing, confronted his native Yue Gang, and scored two points with his strong physique.

After scoring, Nan'an pressed the entire court. Dongsheng, who was unprepared, made a mistake and Zhang Hansheng made a three-pointer from the outside.

It missed, but it was Yue Zang who jumped out from the crowd and made a tip-in in the air.

They scored 4 points in a row and tied the score again.

Dongsheng 32:32 Nan'an.

The scene immediately became intense, both sides were getting excited, Yue Zang felt his mind becoming clearer, he kept one thing in mind, as long as No. 21 scored, he would catch up.

"Zhang Hansheng!" Qian Yong seized the opportunity and gave instructions in person.

"Go and nail No. 21. Wherever he goes, you go."

"Got it!" Zhang Hansheng promised, pounding his chest.

It suddenly became very difficult for Chen Fang to get rid of him. Zhang Hansheng followed him throughout the court, and Yue Zang was always on defense. In two rounds, Dongsheng failed to succeed, and Nan'an, led by Yue Zang, scored another four points and overtook the score.

The noise in the stands suddenly died down, and even the Dongsheng players were a little confused.

Chen Fang put his hands on his hips and looked up at the sky. The sky was still blue, but he felt bitter in his heart.

Because I realized that my understanding of small ball is still too immature, and my efficiency will be reduced when I am being guarded.

Without investing manpower, it is difficult to create space in the frontcourt.

Dongsheng is not a warrior and does not have five strong points. This tactical simulation has too many fatal weaknesses.

"Pause!" Make adjustments decisively.

"Attack the position!" Chen Fang said helplessly but firmly in front of the whole team.

"I'll explain it again during the halftime review. Now let's change tactics."

"Liu Feng, Xue Chong, Yue Gang, Yang Shan, and me. Yang Shan, you control the ball, Xue Chong helps me cover, Captain, you go to the top of the arc and the wing, Liu Feng, you go to the restricted area."

No one objected. At this moment, they knew very well that it would be difficult to launch a quick attack after Chen Fang was pinned down.

"We have to keep changing. Xue Chong, you hang on the wing. Once I pass you the ball, you have to rush in and do damage."

Seeing the Dongsheng players on the court, especially Liu Feng, Qian Yong smiled. As he expected, Dongsheng was forced to change its formation.

Then let’s see what level you are at positional warfare.

The tactics of positional warfare are all initiated at the top of the arc. Through high-post pick-and-roll, the point guard will break through and pass the ball to the wing shooter, or give the ball to the forward to go alone on the strong side.

If there is a center who is capable of facing the basket and backing up, the ball will be given to him first in positional battles.

In the past, Dongsheng would fall into a disadvantage when facing a team that was stronger than itself in positional battles.

The reason is that there is no strong point, or in other words, no continuous scoring point.

Yue Gang's height is of mixed quality, as are his weight and skills.

Xue Chong’s strength lies in breakthroughs, but once he faces opponents who are as mobile and strong as him, his scoring ability is greatly weakened.

The remaining Yang Shan and Hu Fei have baskets but no body and skills, so they can only be used as artillery, and the premise is that someone needs to provide them with ammunition. A lineup like Dongsheng is actually a microcosm of countless campus teams. Due to the narrow selection of materials, it is inherently insufficient in terms of tactical execution. In addition, the lack of theoretical knowledge of grassroots coaches makes this level of competition unwatchable and not conducive to market operation and promotion.

This is why Chen Fang wanted to reform his tactics, in order to avoid positional warfare, as Dongsheng’s innate conditions were too poor.

But with the return of his jump shot skill, Chen Fang has the ability to break through.

This is why he is so confident in changing the formation.

Yang Shan dribbled the ball across half court, Chen Fang stepped forward and asked for the ball, then turned around and faced Zhang Hansheng.

Chen Fang dribbled the ball between his hips, and rushed to the direction where his opponent dared to step up with one foot. This was the cross attack method that became popular ten years later.

Whether it is your left or right foot, as long as your defensive posture is one front and one back, your center of gravity will change, and the direction of the attack front foot will make it difficult for the defender to adjust the posture by turning the hips to achieve a breakthrough effect.

Zhang Hansheng now has two choices, either to keep retreating or to wait for his teammates to come to assist in defense.

But both of these options require game experience, and most players will choose to take the initiative to grab the ball.

As soon as Zhang Hansheng stepped with his right foot, Chen Fang moved. The two of them took steps almost at the same time, but the outcomes were completely different.

After getting rid of him, Chen Fang took the initiative to face Yue Zang who came forward to defend. He did not slow down, pushed the ball with small jump steps, and when Yue Zang came to half a meter in front of him, he made a cross step and changed direction to eliminate Yue Zang.

It seems simple, but those are the most effective actions after reading the defense. Only senior experts know the offensive talent of No. 21.

But in the eyes of ordinary people, Chen Fang passed two people, moved left and right, and made an S-shaped breakthrough route. The students in the high stands had a huge visual impact and exclaimed in surprise.

After passing Yue Zang, Chen Fang paused for a moment, and when Yue Zang, who was chasing him, approached him, he threw the ball and took the initiative to physically confront Yue Zang. Then, with the force of the recoil, he took a sideways step back and jumped up, ready to shoot.

Chen Fang maintained his shooting posture after landing, and only put down his shooting hand when he saw the ball go into the basket. He looked at the stunned Yue Zang and pouted his lips.

Chen Fang would not say why he took the initiative to seek confrontation. Because he was afraid of Yue Zang's jumping ability. If he jumped directly, he might be blocked from behind.

But for Yue Zang, he really tried his best on this ball. How could this No. 21 be so flexible and accurate?

Affected by this, Yue Zang wanted to play a response ball in the next round, but his jump shot was interfered and hit the front frame. Yue Gang took the basket and heard Chen Fang yelling: "Throw it!"

With a start, Yue Gang threw the ball forward.

A red and white figure rushed out. Zhang Hansheng tried hard to chase after it, but gave up after a few steps because he found that their speed was not at the same level at all.

Chen Fang rushed up at full speed, almost like an afterimage. Xu Yi on the podium stood up immediately and watched in shock as No. 21 caught the basketball falling from the air with one hand, then took three steps and lifted the ball into the basket.

"This speed...!" Xu Yishi specializes in track and field, specializing in 50-meter and 21-meter sprints, but he is very sure that No. is definitely faster than him.

The entire race was 28 meters long. From Chen Fang's starting point to the time he scored, it should be a little over 21 meters. Xu Yi felt as if it was just a blink of an eye and No. had finished the race.

"It's so fast that even a dog can't catch up." The teammates next to him were amazed.

Dongsheng 36:36 Nan'an.

The two teams tied again.

At this point, both sides are very clear that they have to play a star-studded game. Nan'an relies on Yue Zang, and Dongsheng relies on Chen Fang.

Whoever can defend better has a greater chance of winning.

Qian Yong was thinking quickly about countermeasures.

"Ouch!"

The huge exclamation pulled him out of his thoughts. His first reaction was to see if he had scored again. When he looked carefully, he saw that he had scored again.

Just now, Chen Fang provided cover for Xue Chong, and after attracting the attention of two people, he left Xue Chong out.

The latter took the ball, stopped quickly and made a jump shot.

Xue Chong was extremely excited when he saw the ball go in. It felt so good to shoot the ball over someone.

Hugging Chen Fang: "I am what I can do!"

"Of course!" Chen Fang pushed Xue Chong away and signaled him to return to defense quickly.

Nan'an's pace was very fast. Yue Zang was eager to catch up with the score. He ignored his teammates' open space and missed the jump shot. This time, Chen Fang grabbed the rebound and launched another fast break. He only dribbled the ball once and then spotted the passing path. He made a long pass to Xia Wen who was on the fast break with just the right amount of advance time.

The latter made a layup and the stands cheered.

Dongsheng led by four points again.

40: 36.

"This game was really exciting!" The school leaders on the rostrum were also smiling. As leaders and former teachers, they were, to some extent, as proud of the players on the field as the students present.

"Our Dongsheng students have always been excellent!" said the old principal Qi Jianzhong with great satisfaction.

"Fight inside!" Qian Yong could no longer sit still. He stood up and signaled to his disciples.

Yao Qiwei made continuous demands. As a center, he felt very frustrated in this game. The fast-paced shuttle run made him at a loss. He was out of breath and felt anxious at the same time.

So when the tactical focus was shifted to him, he became extremely jealous.

Liu Feng was knocked away and watched the opponent score.

"Ah!" A sigh came from the stands.

Nan'an tied the score again.

"This turn-based system is too...!" Wang Zhen was speechless.

"Chen Fang is having a hard time!" Several brothers felt uncomfortable looking at Chen Fang with his hands on his hips and breathing heavily.

"I can't help you!" Liu Jun shouted.

The second team also had the same emotion. Bai Ye, Lou Qing and Ge Yuan clenched their fists tightly, wishing they could get on the court immediately, shoot three goals in a row and suppress Nan'an.

Chen Fang looked up at the time and saw that there were twelve seconds left before the end of the second quarter.

"Hit the ball!" he yelled.

The first time, I received the ball from the baseline and slowly moved forward.

The stadium fell silent, and everyone realized that this ball would determine whether Dongsheng would enter the second half with a lead.

"Kill him!" Xu Yi stood up and suddenly yelled.

"One goal!" more students shouted.

Finally, all the voices converge into one.

"Chen Fang, Chen Fang!"

The shouting of five thousand people gave people goose bumps, but Chen Fang seemed not to hear it. He waved his hand to signal his teammates not to provide cover and to move away.

Zhang Hansheng was about to step forward, but saw a figure that had taken the lead and stepped forward.

It’s Yue Zang!
The two men were two meters apart, staring into each other's eyes without any avoidance.

Chen Fang moved the ball very slowly, using his hips and back to dribble the ball. But Yue Zang knew that perhaps in the next second, a flash of lightning would appear.

But you have to defend yourself because that is your responsibility.

As the core, it must be undertaken.

Suddenly, Chen Fang accelerated his dribbling, and he moved the ball to the left with a step. When Yue Zang slid to catch up, he turned his hips to the right. The change was so fast that even though Yue Zang was extremely alert, he was still caught off guard. He lowered his center of gravity, spread the distance between his feet, and at the same time swept his hand low, trying to disrupt the interference.

But Chen Fang had already stepped inside and cut into his frontal defensive area. The two men were instantly shoulder to shoulder. Yue Zang could even clearly see the sweat hairs between Chen Fang's temples with his peripheral vision.

Passing is not like cooking, two shakes are enough.

Taking a step forward and looking at the orange basket, Chen Fang grabbed the ball and jumped up, using his favorite finishing shot.

Three point jump shot!

He jumped so high that even Yue Zang, who turned around to make amends, had to look up to see the back of his head.

He jumped so high that even the students in the stands felt as if he was flying in the clouds.

He jumped so high that even the school leaders who had been holding the podium could not help but stand up.

Shake your wrist, press your fingers, and attack.

The basketball was thrown in a low arc and hit the basket.

"brush!"

Everyone held their breath and then burst into the loudest cheer since the show started.

Chen Fang landed on the ground and stood there side by side with Yue Zhan, watching the basketball go into the net.

"I'll be waiting for you in the second half!"

Chen Fang patted Yue Zang on the back and walked towards the bench with firm steps. Behind him were his teammates running towards him, and around him, in the stands, were his classmates jumping around.

The sun was about to sink into the mountains. The last ray of afterglow passed through the recess in the stands and miraculously shone onto the court.

When the golden light shone on Chen Fang's face, the boy couldn't help but stop. He raised his hand to cover his eyebrows and looked towards the recessed space in the stands. The half orange sun was smiling at him, just like the basketball was smiling at him.

Chen Fang also laughed.

I love basketball because at this moment, I feel my life is meaningful.

Through so many painful nights, it was basketball that gave Chen Fang the strength to live, and it was the little bits of joy on the court that kept his broken heart from collapsing.

Even after being reborn, Chen Fang's first thought was basketball.

Basketball is my life.

I am very sure.

(End of this chapter)