Basketball miracles

Chapter 224 [“Turtle-Style” Triple-Double]

The Heat were still using the box-1 strategy, with four players clustered around the paint for zone defense, while Wade primarily guarded Iverson on the perimeter.

After a crushing defeat, can the 76ers' coaching staff come up with a strategy to break through the zone defense?

The answer is no. The 76ers' strategy remains the same: players spread out and pass the ball to Iverson for isolation plays. Iverson doesn't like pick-and-rolls and prefers to finish his offense through drives and passes, cuts, or face-up isolation plays.

With his playing style, how can he break a zone defense? When the opponent is man-to-man, his scoring efficiency isn't much higher either.

Iverson used a series of fakes to force his way past Wade on the right, but couldn't continue his drive to the basket because Eddie Jones and Brian Grant were waiting for him ahead, and they weren't marking him.

Iverson knew Snow's mid-range shot was unreliable, with a success rate of less than 45%. So he didn't pass, and his pull-up jumper missed under Jones' interference.

Grant boxed out Kenny Thomas, and Xiao Tu and Coleman grabbed the rebound after positioning themselves. Xiao Tu then turned and made a fast break, easily getting past Coleman.

Xiao Tu's whirlwind pedaling wasn't in vain; his speed was slightly faster than during the Summer League. His main advantage was a quick first step, which gave him a powerful feeling in his legs.

As Salmons retreated on defense, he ran towards Xiao Tu. Xiao Tu, without slowing down, dribbled the ball with his left hand to his right, then dribbled behind his back with his right hand before passing it back to his left to complete the move. When he advanced to the right corner, only Snow was in front of him.

Xiao Tu gathered the ball, took three steps, jumped to attract the defense, and gently tossed the ball to the middle. Odom followed up with a jump alley-oop, and slammed it down with his left hand for a score! 5-0.

Xiao Tu, with his keen eyes and ears, sensed openings everywhere. Odom and Eddie Jones were open, and Wade only had Iverson by his side. He chose the most spectacular way to score.

The 76ers' loyal fans were still booing, but the noise was noticeably quieter than before.

Many people who watch basketball games want to see spectacular dunks, and this kind of alley-oop is not common with the 76ers.

The 76ers were on offense. Iverson received the ball on the perimeter and, seeing Wade take two steps back, suddenly attempted a three-pointer, but missed. The ball's arc was very flat and bounced quite far, and Odom grabbed the rebound.

Odom immediately launched a counter-attack, dribbling forward but failing to break through, he drew Salmons' defense. Xiao Tu then made a quick run down the right flank, shaking off Coleman and receiving a pass.

Snow stood in the penalty area, trying to draw a charge from Xiao Tu, but Xiao Tu received the ball, took a step, and passed it to the right corner. Jones was open and easily made a three-pointer, and it went in! 8-0.

The game was like a replay of the preseason game between the two teams. The Heat started with an offensive surge, dominating the home team.

The only good news for the 76ers is that there's also a Lakers vs. Mavericks game today, featuring a star-studded lineup, so it won't be nationally televised. If it were, the 76ers would embarrass themselves in front of an even larger audience.

The Heat's commentators were praising Xiao Tu to the skies, as if he were already a star and would definitely be selected for the Eastern Conference All-Star team this season.

The 76ers finally found their rhythm on offense. Iverson drove to the left, beating Wade and drawing Odom's help defense before passing to the perimeter, where Salmons hit a three-pointer from the left 60-degree angle. 8-3.

Wade's primary focus was defending right-side drives, but Iverson proved he could also penetrate from the left, catching Wade off guard. The weakness of zone defense in the paint is that it leaves the perimeter open; it doesn't matter if Heat players leave their man open, Riley said the key is to tightly guard the paint.

The 76ers players also tried to crouch down and defend near the paint, which is currently the most popular defensive tactic in the NBA, but that didn't work, and Xiao Tu called for a screen.

Grant moved to the perimeter to block Salmons, Xiao Tu dribbled the ball to the side, took a step back to the right and made a three-pointer.

This was another wide-open shot, exploiting Coleman's inability to defend and his slow movement. Coleman did try to contest this time, but he didn't jump; he just stretched out his hand, and the distance was quite far.

Xiao Tu's shot was as effortless as in training, with perfect rhythm and graceful movements, the ball swishing into the net! Swish! 11-3.

Even in regular Heat practice games, they wouldn't give Xiao Tu so much space to shoot. The 76ers' defense has been terrible this season, and the defensive system built by Larry Brown has completely collapsed.

The Heat players are more relaxed now. Playing like this, they're not only guaranteed to win, but it's likely to be another big victory.

The 76ers were on offense. Iverson's jump shot against Wade missed, Thomas grabbed the offensive rebound, and scored on a second-chance opportunity over Grant. 11-5.

The Heat's weakness in rim protection was also exposed. Thomas, at 201cm, could still score with great force, while Grant, at 206cm, is now a floor-bound player who can't jump high enough.

Grant was a super strong man when he played for the Trail Blazers. In the 1999 playoffs, he was elbowed in the right eye by Malone and needed six stitches. After receiving treatment on the sidelines, he continued to play with a bandage on his face.

Now, only his hairstyle looks stiff; his little braids are quite unique.

The 76ers gradually found their offensive rhythm, but they were unable to catch up in the score.

Every possession for the Heat involved Xiao Tu; his drives and passes created open looks for his teammates to score easily. Some viewers suspected that it wasn't the 76ers' defense that was terrible, but rather that Xiao Tu's passing was too flashy; he always seemed to find open spaces.

During the game, Coach Ford called a timeout, switching from man-to-man defense to zone defense, with Coleman positioned on the baseline and perimeter players interfering with Xiao Tu's shots and double-teaming him to limit his drives.

Xiao Tu reduced his shot attempts, creating opportunities for his teammates, and Wade and Odom also scored a lot of points.

The Heat led by 11 points, 35-24, after the first quarter.

肖途打满整节，5投4中，三分球3中2，得到10分4篮板6助攻。

The 76ers were able to keep the score close mainly because they had home-court advantage.

In the first quarter, the Heat only had Grant receive a clear foul on his hand while receiving the ball under the basket, earning him two free throws. Wade was clearly fouled by Iverson on a fast break, but the referee didn't call it, allowing the steal.

On the 76ers' side, Iverson was awarded 4 free throws, making only 2. Thomas was awarded 4 free throws, making 2. Coleman was awarded 2 of 2 free throws.

Their performance was a headache for fans; they couldn't even make accurate free throws.

After Xiao Tu left the field, he sat down next to Riley to rest. He was used to home-court bias and star player bias, so he wasn't angry at all.

Riley asked, "How did you feel in your first regular season game?"

"I feel like I have everything under control. I'm sure I'll put up a triple-double again today and lead the team to victory."

Riley laughed, "So confident? Didn't I give you unlimited shot attempts? How come you only took 5 shots in the first quarter?"

"I want to help my teammates find their rhythm first. I'll only go in if they really can't make shots. If I take a lot of shots in the first half and then my hands get cold, and they also don't dare to shoot in the second half because they didn't take enough shots in the first half, that would be bad."

Riley nodded. "Good, you can play like this from now on."

Upon hearing Xiao Tu's explanation, his teammates immediately felt that their leader was extremely reliable.

The game gets harder to score as it goes on, especially in the final quarter when the score is not widened. Every possession is a crucial shot, and role players really don't dare to take shots carelessly.

Xiao Tu played this way on purpose, racking up triple-doubles in a "turtle-like" fashion. For him, assists became increasingly difficult to rack up as the game progressed, and core players who consistently passed the ball at crucial moments might be criticized for shirking responsibility.

The game was played according to Xiao Tu's rhythm, and this benefited all the Heat players.

The 76ers' bench looked strong, with Aaron McGee and Willie Green scoring consecutively, going on a 10-2 run to cut the deficit to just one point.

Riley made no substitutions or called a timeout, simply letting the players play according to the tactics. Alston orchestrated the offense, with John Wallace and Samaki Walker scoring 4 points to stabilize the situation.

These two players lack individual ability but have extensive game experience; they're passable as substitutes. Walker, in particular, was the Lakers' starting power forward in 2002, winning a championship with the team and averaging 6.7 points, 7 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game in the regular season.

Xiao Tu rested for 5 minutes before returning to the court with Wade, and Ford quickly substituted him back with Salmons. The team lacked a small forward, and he dared not let a short shooting guard primarily guard Xiao Tu; he knew the guard wouldn't be able to stop him.

The problem is that Salmons couldn't defend either, so he had to play through the pain. If Glenn Robinson hadn't been sidelined with a long-term injury, Salmons would never have started; his ability is only good enough to be a substitute.

Xiao Tu knew that his opponent's defense was weak, and he was particularly well-prepared today, making it a good opportunity to rack up stats.

He dribbled in the middle and went one-on-one, then took a big step and turned around to get past Salmons cleanly, before switching to the left low post and shooting a 45-degree fadeaway jumper for a score.

Then Xiao Tu led the team on a counterattack, dribbling behind his back twice to get past Salmons, drawing McGee's help defense and passing the ball to Odom, who cut through the middle to receive the ball and drove to the basket for a left-handed dunk!

Odom is difficult to defend even at small forward; he has a height advantage and exceptional explosiveness. Before halftime was even over, he already had two dunks worthy of being selected for the day's top five plays.

When Wade completed a one-handed dunk on the fast break, the gap between the two sides widened to 13 points.

Heat fans watching the live broadcast were thrilled; the team finally had a superstar. Whenever Xiao Tu was on the court, he consistently led his teammates to score, racking up explosive individual stats.

(End of this chapter)