The longest river

Chapter 66 Chinese Kung Fu Appears in the NBA
"The loser has to be the other person's sparring partner for a week?" Yang Shuai added a prize before the game officially started.

Miller nodded; he needed a practice partner to retrieve the ball during his extra training sessions.

The two players used a three-pointer to take the lead, and Miller eventually got the first offensive opportunity.

Yang Shuai kicked off the game and immediately began close marking.

Without Curry in this era, Miller would be the best three-point shooter. If Miller also had a system, his three-point ability would definitely be 95+.

If you prevent Miller from taking a three-pointer, then you've already won half the battle.

Yang Shuai thought so, but Miller's breakthrough was faster than he expected.

Although Miller looks frail, his explosive power, or rather his core strength, is by no means lacking.

Fortunately, after Yang Shuai improved his lateral movement speed, he was able to keep up with Miller's pace.

However, after making one step forward, Miller immediately opted for a mid-range pull-up jump shot.

"Shh!"

The basketball hit the net.

Although known for his three-point shooting, Miller's season average three-point attempts have never exceeded six per game due to the limitations of the era, which is less than half of his total attempts.

Of his remaining shots, more than half were mid-range jumpers.

And with this kind of playing style, he had a shooting percentage of over 50% in 4 out of the 8 seasons he played.

"You have no idea how good I am at one-on-one." After making the shot, Miller pouted and shook his head at Yang Shuai.

Don't let Miller's refined appearance fool you; he's a trash-talking machine, the kind of guy who dared to criticize Jordan even when he was a rookie.

Yang Shuai retreated slightly by half a step during his second defensive play, but only by half a step.

However, after taking just this small step, Miller executed a sweeping motion with three threats, and then immediately pulled it up.

Yang Shuai quickly lunged forward, but Miller still managed to get the shot off before he could defend.

Miller's jumping ability is average; the key to his becoming a super shooter is his fast release speed and strong mental fortitude.

Of course, it also needs to be accurate enough.

"Shh!"

The basketball went into the net again.

You really can't give him even a fraction of a step.

"Ah! Looks like you still need to go back and practice more!" Miller was clearly getting motivated too.

Yang Shuai's expression was extremely serious at this moment. Although it was difficult for him to defend against an All-Star like Miller, he believed that defense was something that required pushing one's limits to grow.

Miller continued his attack, and Yang Shuai once again closely marked him.

Miller used the same tactic, breaking through and then stopping abruptly for a mid-range shot.

This time, Yang Shuai kept up with Miller and interfered with his shot.

But he still couldn't stop Miller from making the shot.

Moreover, in the next possession, Yang Shuai focused intently and finally forced Miller to stop his drive. But after stopping the ball, Miller managed to make a sideways, leaning-back shot!
It felt like if you couldn't block Miller, you couldn't stop him from making the shot.

What Yang Shuai didn't know was that Miller was born with hip deformity and underdeveloped leg muscles, and he needed assistive devices to walk during his childhood.

But it was precisely because of that that he developed an unconventional ability to balance.

4:0.

With just one more point, Miller will win this one-on-one match.

Yang Shuai hasn't earned a single point yet.

"You're still too young." Miller was ready to accept the loss.

But at that moment, Yang Shuai suddenly realized something.

Miller launched another attack, and this time Yang Shuai first stayed close to him, and then switched to a sideways position after Miller started to break through.

He directly vacated a path for breakthrough.

Miller then drove to the basket.

However, the moment he made his move, Yang Shuai appeared in mid-air.

Miller's comment about being young gave Yang Shuai an idea. Since he couldn't stop Miller's shot no matter what, he decided to let Miller give up shooting altogether.

This tactic worked, and the consecutive points made Miller overlook Yang Shuai's physical attributes.

He was forced to switch to a layup.

However, just like Pierce, whom Yang Shuai had encountered before, due to limitations in his physical talent, although he dodged the block, the basketball slid directly over the rim.

Yang Shuai's defense was finally successful!

Miller's eyes showed a hint of surprise at this moment.

Yang Shuai is indeed very young, but he has a strong learning ability.

Yang Shuai's eyes gleamed with fervor after he gained possession of the ball.

That fervor sent a chill down Miller's spine.

Then, Yang Shuai didn't shoot a single three-pointer. Despite Miller's defense, he used his physical attributes and various techniques, such as spin moves, to score layups one after another in front of Miller.

Judging from the matchups between the two players, Yang Shuai did underestimate Miller's one-on-one ability, or more accurately, his offensive ability in one-on-one situations.

But he did not underestimate Miller's defensive abilities.

Although Miller's core strength was stronger than expected, his physical weakness was too great, and Yang Shuai had a firm grip on him.

Moreover, Miller clearly underestimated Yang Shuai's one-on-one offensive ability.

Yang Shuai's performance in the one-on-one match against Johnson was just the tip of the iceberg, or rather, due to his limited ball-handling skills, he didn't have the opportunity to showcase those one-on-one techniques in official matches.

But now, Miller is experiencing it.

After Yang Shuai scored his fifth goal with a turn and a step-back move, he turned the tide and won the one-on-one match.

Right after scoring his fifth goal, Yang Shuai made the same shrug and spread-hands gesture as Jordan towards Miller.

And with a smug look on his face, he kept talking: "The great Mr. Reggie Miller is going to be a sparring partner for a high school student!"

"Negative energy from Reggie Miller +618".

"Negative energy from Reggie Miller +748".

"Won't you get into trouble for provoking him like that?"

After Yang Shuai finished his one-on-one match with Miller and returned to the other half of the field, Di Francesco, who had been observing from the shadows, spoke up to give him a reminder.

"who cares!"

Yang Shuai didn't care.

He and Miller are both shooting guards and are competitors. Once he truly develops his skills, he will directly replace Miller!

The following day, the Pacers hosted the Knicks in a rematch at home.

The match was full of tension from the very beginning.

The desire for revenge after being eliminated last season couldn't be vented at home, so their anger was naturally considerable.

This became especially evident after Yang Shuai came on as a substitute.

The Knicks players made all sorts of moves towards Yang Shuai.

They lost their last home game because Yang Shuai came out as a surprise player, and more importantly, Yang Shuai also defeated Oakley.

A newbie dares to be so arrogant; they're going to teach him a lesson tonight.

However, they clearly underestimated Yang Shuai's temper.

After being shoved hard from behind by Starks, Yang Shuai turned around and wrestled with Starks.

It's more accurate to say that Yang Shuai used his size advantage to pin Starks to the ground.

Upon seeing this, the fans at the scene immediately stood up, pumped their fists, and shouted, creating a truly exciting atmosphere.

In this era, NBA games had a looser defensive stance, a higher level of physicality, and fights were common occurrences.

It's hard to say whether they came to watch the game or the fight.

It's also worth mentioning that Indiana is a stronghold of the KKK (Kuomintang) Party. Although it's a small city, the local people are quite fierce.

However, the referees were all seasoned veterans. They had already sensed that something was wrong and tightened their rulings. They reacted quickly and stopped the other players from both teams immediately.

Yes, they ignored Yang Shuai and Starks, who were already entangled, and instead stopped the others.

After all, whatever happens over there is only a matter between two people, but if other people can't be controlled, then it becomes a fight.

After the other players on both sides were brought under control, the referee then went over and separated Yang Shuai and Starks.

In reality, it just meant pulling Yang Shuai off Starks.

Yang Shuai is fine, but Starks is in a bad situation.

When Yang Shuai pinned him down, his first reaction was to try to struggle, but Yang Shuai hit him directly in the face.

In the end, he simply covered his face with his hands and became the one who took the beating.

The referees reviewed the replay and issued their rulings: Yang Shuai and Starks were both ejected, while the others were not penalized.

Having been ejected in his 12th professional game, Yang Shuai will likely be making headlines again after the match.

Of course, unlike before, this time it's negative.

However, Yang Shuai didn't care too much. If he backed down after the Knicks had messed with him tonight, they would only retaliate even more severely the next time they faced each other.

As he walked into the players' tunnel, fans on both sides cheered for him.

In this era, only tough players are respected.

Once back in the locker room, Yang Shuai changed into a training uniform and went straight to training.

He first went to the weight room to work out his strength, then went to the training hall to practice his defensive footwork, and then did his daily shooting practice.

After he finished training and returned to the locker room, he had just taken a shower when the rest of the Pacers team also returned to the locker room.

The first half is over now.

Judging from the smiling faces of his teammates when they came in, the Pacers should be in a good position at halftime.

Miller walked straight toward Yang Shuai after entering.

“If you get fined by the league, I’ll pay it for you,” he said directly, seeing Yang Shuai’s puzzled look.

A big question mark appeared above Yang Shuai's head.

Dude, have you forgotten that I signed a multi-million dollar contract with Reebok? I have my own money!

However, he didn't publicly embarrass Miller; he simply nodded.

Of course, don't expect him to say thank you or anything like that.

"Remember to train together after the competition," he simply reminded the other person.

Upon hearing this, his teammates immediately cast puzzled glances at him.

This sounds like Miller and Yang Shuai have a very good relationship.

They agreed to isolate Yang Shuai together, but in the end, Miller, the leader, betrayed them first?

"Negative energy from Reggie Miller +886".

Miller glared at Yang Shuai before sitting back down in his seat.

But his stool seemed to be getting hot right now, making him shift his position around.

Fortunately, Brown went into the locker room and began to review the first half of the game and plan the tactics for the second half.

The others then shifted their attention from Miller to Brown.

Somewhat to Yang Shuai's surprise, the Pacers led the Knicks by double digits at halftime!
Back in New York, the Pacers only managed a draw against the Knicks thanks to his unexpected contributions.

However, he then thought that Starks was the Knicks' leading outside scorer and also the primary defender against Miller. Starks' departure would definitely be a greater loss for the Knicks than for him, a substitute player.

Did he inadvertently complete the exchange of pieces in this move?

All things considered, the Pacers really need him.

So that's why Miller paid the fine for him?

Considering Miller's treatment when he went to New York, it is quite possible.

The Pacers ultimately defeated the Knicks at home to complete their second consecutive win of the season, a feat they have achieved in many years.

However, the focus of the report by the well-known New York media outlet "New York Today" the next day was not this, but the fight between the two teams.

The headline of the news article was: "Chinese Kung Fu Appears in the NBA."

(End of this chapter)