Basketball miracles

Chapter 225 [Magic Ball, Big Victory]

The Heat led by 17 points in the first half, with their offense coming from multiple angles.

In the second half, Iverson continued to score inefficiently against Wade's one-on-one defense. He couldn't penetrate to the basket against the zone defense and could only rely on jump shots. His only efficient scoring method today was stealing the ball and launching a fast break.

When Iverson gets into the low post, it's the situation fans are talking about: facing a triple team... He didn't force every shot; he passed the ball out. His teammates did well this quarter, making quite a few jump shots, and McGee and Coleman both hit three-pointers.

On the Heat's side, Wade and Eddie Jones' shooting percentages began to decline.

Wade had the ball stolen from him three times by Iverson today, which made him seem less confident on offense. Jones, on the other hand, missed three open shots, a disappointing performance.

Heat fans watching on TV felt that Jones wasn't just not cut out to be a leader, but also seemed unsuitable as a role player. He faced very little defensive pressure, his missed shots were purely due to a lack of ability, and his ball-handling and off-ball play were both inefficient.

Jones knows he's not good enough, so he doesn't fight for the ball. Without possession, his average is just over ten points per game.

With Xiao Tu on the team, Heat fans no longer expect Jones to deliver a superstar performance, greatly reducing the pressure on him this season.

Xiao Tu can become a star player just by his passing awareness, but if he wants to ensure the team wins, he still needs to play superstar-level plays more often.

Teammates' low shooting percentage is something Xiao Tu has absolutely no control over. Wade isn't a star player anymore; he didn't play as well as he did in the preseason today. He lacks experience and was quite nervous.

A player's mentality can affect their performance. Many players are incredibly strong in training, but they can't perform at their full potential on the field.

The team's outside shooting was inaccurate, so the opponent's formation became even more compact, focusing on defending drives rather than shots. The 76ers players were quick on their transition defense, and with the support of their home crowd, they gradually found their offensive rhythm and narrowed the gap.

Pat Riley called a timeout, substituting the ice-cold Jones with Alston to add another playmaker. He also instructed the players to spread out, creating one-on-one opportunities for Xiao Tu.

Xiao Tu returned to the court and chose the simplest Harden-style play, receiving the ball on the perimeter and taking on Salmons one-on-one.

Riley said he could hit me however he wanted, so he wouldn't hold back.

He waved for his teammates to spread out, then proceeded to test the waters with a series of crossover dribbles. Salmons unconsciously took a step back, and Xiao Tu immediately stepped back with his right foot, launching a three-pointer from the right side at a 60-degree angle.

Salmons is also 201cm tall, with an unknown wingspan, but he doesn't look very long. Xiao Tu, with a 221cm wingspan and a fadeaway jump, created space for Salmons, who couldn't even block his eye; he could only jump and slightly interfere.

Xiao Tu made the shot despite the defense; he had a good touch.

His first shot wasn't anything special; the audience was stunned in no time.

Because Xiao Tu played the same way in the next round, and played the same way for four consecutive rounds, making 2 out of 4 three-point attempts.

The audience thought he was crazy; they had never seen anything like it.

Although Xiao Tu missed two shots, his three-point shooting percentage was still around 50%. As long as the opponent doesn't double-team him and Salmons is far enough away, he'll keep shooting relentlessly.

Riley was also surprised on the sidelines, but he didn't stop Xiao Tu from doing so. Core players have certain privileges, and besides, why was Xiao Tu scoring with this kind of play, and even having a higher shooting percentage than his teammates?
Salmons had never seen this kind of "Moreyball" style of play before, and cold sweat dripped down his forehead. He couldn't block Xiao Tu's jump shot; whether it went in or not depended entirely on the opponent's shooting touch.

In the next possession, Salmons unconsciously shifted his weight forward, anticipating that Xiao Tu would take another jump shot, and tried to defend him closely.

Before he could even get close, Xiao Tu dribbled between his legs and suddenly changed direction towards the middle, breaking through with the ball in his left hand. He used his rhythm to get past Salmons in one step, then on the second step, he gathered the ball at the free-throw line, accelerated, took two big steps, and jumped up, slamming a left-handed dunk before Thomas could come to help defend!
Xiao Tu's dunk earned him some applause. Some Philadelphia fans couldn't help but applaud Xiao Tu; he looked incredibly strong, much stronger than Iverson.

During this period, both teams' key players kept taking shots, with Xiao Tu making 3 of 5 shots and Iverson making 1 of 5 shots.

Both players had smooth dribbling and flashy skills. Xiao Tu had a high shooting percentage, while Iverson's shots were basically all misses.

Just as many people were thinking this, Iverson suddenly launched a three-pointer from the left 60-degree angle, but missed again, and Xiao Tu grabbed the rebound.

That's incredibly bad! Many viewers in front of their TVs are wondering how the 76ers ever won when Iverson was so inconsistent.

The answer is that the 76ers won by relying on defense, which kept their opponents' shooting percentage even lower, and then won by a narrow margin.

Xiao Tu seems invincible today, continuing his one-on-one play.

He received the ball on the perimeter of the middle lane, dribbled between his legs repeatedly, passed the ball from his right hand to his left, and cut inside from the left side, close to Salmons. Salmons quickly moved to the side, thinking he had caught up this time, but Xiao Tu paused with a step, dribbled behind his back with his left hand, passed the ball to his right hand, cut inside to the right, gathered the ball at the free-throw line, took three steps, and forced a layup down the middle!

Salmons was almost faked out and couldn't defend him. Coleman was right under the basket on the right side, but his jumping ability was too poor, and his jump didn't have much of an effect. The Heat players were full of admiration; Xiao Tu's individual ability was too strong. He could easily beat them one-on-one; it was unreasonable.

Iverson finally passed the ball, and Snow missed the shot against Alston's defense. Xiao Tu continued his one-on-one attack, driving hard past Salmons but was held back and missed the shot, calmly making both free throws.

Near the end of the third quarter, Grant moved to the perimeter to block Salmons. Xiao Tu broke through the middle with the ball, used a Euro step to cross Thomas, jumped and made a right-handed layup. Coleman was too slow to help defend and failed to jump.

Xiao Tu's aggressive attack stunned the 76ers, leading his team to widen the score gap again, with a 18-point lead of 83-65 after three quarters.

他单节得到16分，三节32分9篮板12助攻1抢断1盖帽。他距离三双只差一个篮板球，助攻是超额完成任务。

The 76ers' offense was intermittent, scoring only 20 points in the quarter, 10 of which came from free throws.

In the final quarter, Xiao Tu continued to play, while Salmons was on the verge of collapse from being overwhelmed. Seeing Salmons covered in sweat and looking dazed, Ford simply let him sit down and rest, and put the 196cm Aaron McGee at small forward.

The Heat's commentator, broadcasting the game, immediately remarked that the 76ers had fielded an unusual lineup with three guards on the court: Iverson, Snow, and McGee. He argued that this couldn't possibly stop Xiao Tu, as McGee was too short.

When Xiao Tu saw that McGee was guarding him, he started using the "Moreyball" style of play, having his teammates spread out without needing screens, and then faking a few moves on the perimeter before stepping back for a three-pointer.

麦基在2000-01赛季达到了个人生涯巅峰，场均11.6分4.1篮板5助攻1.4抢断，当选了最佳第六人。但他在76人一直是打替补为主，攻强守弱。

With this blunder, Xiao Tu faced only slight interference when he took a shot, and he kept hitting three-pointers even when facing the defense.

When Ford brought Salmons back in, the Heat were already up by 29 points.

What's even more problematic is that Iverson got carried away today, competing with Xiao Tu in three-point shooting, and taking a crazy number of shots from beyond the arc. Xiao Tu was making his shots, while Iverson mostly missed.

Xiao Tu seized the opportunity to grab three more defensive rebounds, making it a triple-double.

With 5 minutes and 28 seconds left in the final quarter, Xiao Tu drove to the basket after a pick-and-roll, drawing a foul from Coleman.

Xiao Tu calmly made both free throws, and Riley substituted him during the dead ball situation, leading the applause for him from the sidelines.

肖途出战36分钟，22投15中，三分球13中8，罚球6中6，狂砍44分12篮板14助攻2抢断1盖帽。

He shot 68.2% from the field and 61.5% from three-point range, a phenomenal performance in his first game!

Many 76ers fans applauded Xiao Tu, having already turned against him in the opening game. If Xiao Tu had played the entire fourth quarter, he could very well have put up a 50+ point triple-double.

Riley stopped Xiao Tu from racking up points, and the 76ers players panicked, starting to double-team him off the ball. If he continued playing, things would get messy, and the game would lose its flavor.

In the opponent's home opener, the Heat should at least give them some face.

Iverson played for another four minutes, leading his team to narrow the gap. Although the team trailed by 31 points in the final quarter, he displayed an unwavering spirit and a determined look that moved many people.

艾弗森出战43分钟，25投9中，三分球11中3，罚球8中5，砍下26分4篮板11助攻4抢断，还有3次失误。

At first glance, reporters thought Iverson's double-double was pretty good, but upon closer inspection, they realized his free throw percentage was about the same as Xiao Tu's three-point percentage.

The Heat won by a margin of 21 points, 110-89.

Five Heat players scored in double figures, but no one outside the starters did. Wade also contributed 24 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists, though his performance in the second half was mediocre.

格兰特表现不错，5投4中，罚球6中5，得到13分7篮板。

Xiao Tu discovered that Grant's mid-range shot was incredibly accurate, with a shooting percentage comparable to Garnett's legendary jump shot. He seemed likely to develop a three-point shot as well, but he was nearing the end of his career and had no chance to improve.

After the game, Xiao Tu shook hands with Iverson and greeted him.

Iverson acknowledged Xiao Tu's ability and felt that he was a major obstacle on his path to winning the championship.

Xiao Tu had no particular thoughts; he probably wouldn't encounter Iverson on his path to the championship...

(End of this chapter)