Basketball miracles

Chapter 228 [So infuriating to read]

The Celtics' interior players were clearly not going to defend pick-and-rolls, so how could Xiao Tu be lenient? He kept taking one-on-one shots on the perimeter and shooting three-pointers whenever he had the chance.

Wenbeck came out to defend once, and Xiao Tu used a Euro step to break through and score a layup.

In the first 3 minutes, Xiao Tu made 3 of 5 three-point attempts and also completed a layup.

The Heat led 13-6, with Xiao Tu scoring 11 points.

O'Brien called a timeout in frustration, his heart pounding. He thought the rookie on the other side was crazy; even Antoine Walker, who was traded to the Mavericks in the summer, wouldn't dare shoot like that from the outside.

In the 2001-02 season, Walker averaged 8 three-pointers per game and was known as the "King of Abuse." Last season, he remained unchanged, averaging 7.5 attempts per game, which was a major reason why the Celtics traded him.

Xiao Tu was even more outrageous; he took five outside shots right at the start of the game, while the rest of the Heat didn't take any.

If there are no restrictions, how many points would Xiao Tu score in the entire game?

The first thing O'Brien did after the timeout was to substitute Vin Baker, who was dazed on the defensive end, and bring in the much more mobile 211cm center Tony Battie.

The Celtics have a lot of big men, including the 211cm white center Reeve LaFrentz sitting on the bench.

Nowadays, teams often employ a twin-tower strategy to tightly defend the paint, and power forwards around 205cm tall are considered too short. Therefore, for most teams, having taller players collapse into the paint is a difficult tactic to break down.

Xiao Tu, on the other hand, has a future-oriented playing style, preferring to use "targeting tactics" against slow-moving big men, targeting them until they are eliminated.

He's never understood those star players who only know how to play one-on-one. They shoot from every position, but their efficiency against defensive specialists is abysmal. Maybe they think that missing shots everywhere against strong opponents makes them seem more well-rounded?
Xiao Tu only likes to shoot from positions he's confident in; he avoids positions he's not yet proficient in. If his opponent has an obvious defensive weakness, he'll target that weakness until the opponent is out of the game, then switch to another weak point to attack.

After the timeout, the Celtics first "disabled themselves" by substituting Vin Baker, their low-post offensive weapon who scored 4 points. The newly introduced Battier is a tall, thin center, weighing 104 kilograms, the same as Xiao Tu, and his ball-handling offensive ability is practically zero.

He was the 5th overall pick in the 1997 draft, an absolute overestimation at that pick. The Nuggets were utterly disappointed after developing him for a year and traded him to the Celtics.

The Celtics' passing was tight, and their players hesitated to shoot three-pointers like Xiao Tu did. With the 24-second shot clock almost up, Pierce attempted a step-back mid-range jumper from the left 60-degree angle, but it missed due to Jones' interference.

Xiao Tu easily grabbed the rebound, but the 211cm tall Blunt didn't try to grab the offensive rebound and went straight back on defense.

Most teams' strategy is to prioritize speed on defense, play a low-profile defense, and grind down the floor on offense. If Xiao Tu hadn't joined the team, the Heat would definitely have followed this approach, and their high defensive efficiency was further amplified by the players' mobility and quick transitions.

In the half-court offense, Xiao Tu first passed the ball to Wade, then set a screen for Wade, blocking Mike James.

Who says small forwards can't set screens for others? Can't I screen for someone even shorter?

Xiao Tu, having played power forward for the Lakers for a year, is experienced and has excellent screen timing and quality. Wade's speed allows him to easily shake off the defender, and Calderic Brown is hesitant to leave Xiao Tu open for the pick-and-roll, leaving Wade unguarded.

When Wade gets going, he becomes one of the most dangerous guards in the entire league. He drove to the right, used a Euro step to get past center Blunt, and scored a layup. 15-6.

Coach O'Brien's expression was blank.

Ah, this...

Before the game, O'Brien believed the Celtics' advantage was their height; having more big men would allow them to better defend the paint and attack the basket. Now it seems that their excessive height has become a weakness.

Wade's speed is astonishing. He twists his body to make a layup, and the big man can't react at all. He's blown past in one step.

The Celtics also ran a pick-and-roll offense. Odom blocked James's drive, and James passed the ball to the high post. Battier caught the ball and made a mid-range jumper. 15-8.

Wade is still too short; he can't block shots from big men from a distance, he can only interfere.

The Celtics like to stockpile big men who can shoot, but Battier can only shoot when open; he's hesitant to shoot if there's someone in front of him. He seems solid, but his stats are terrible; his rookie season average of 8.4 points per game was his career peak.

In the Heat's half-court offense, Xiao Tu set a screen for Wade again.

Wade had an opportunity to exploit the mismatch against Brown, but the Celtics had big men near the paint, making it difficult for him to penetrate and giving him no confidence to shoot. He dribbled to the right, drawing Brown's switch, and then passed back to Xiao Tu in the middle.

Xiao Tu had a chance to exploit a mismatch, and James became his defender. Wade and Xiao Tu had developed some understanding, knowing that passing the ball to him was always the right move.

Xiao Tu faced a triple threat, dribbled twice between his legs after the ball fell to the basket, then behind his back before stepping back with his left foot, and launched a jump shot over the 188cm James in the middle. His vision was unaffected, and he sank another three-pointer! 18-8. James' height of 188cm is all hype; he's offensively strong but defensively weak, and has long been a substitute. If his teammates don't double-team him, he's completely helpless in these situations.

O'Brien, watching from the sidelines, looked like he wanted to curse.

Another three-pointer! All you can do is shoot threes, can't you do anything else?

Why don't you try a mid-range shot? Do you dare to back down big men in the low post? Are you even capable?

O'Brien has long had great confidence in the Celtics' defensive system; last season, they held Kobe to 17-for-47 shooting, squandering his chances in the low post. But today, Xiao Tu only drove to the basket and shot threes, avoiding direct confrontations with the big men.

Since you guys don't defend three-pointers much, why shouldn't I shoot more?
Just because current superstars like to shoot long two-pointers and inefficiently attack in the low post, should I follow suit?
Laugh to death!

Pierce took a big step and turned to the left low post, forcing a fadeaway jump shot that missed under Xiao Tu's long arms interference, and Odom grabbed the rebound and launched a fast break.

Xiao Tu won the race against Pierce, and after receiving the ball, he passed it to Wade on the left wing. Wade had a clear physical advantage and forced a layup against James, but he missed.

Wade's performance was so bad that Xiao Tu was speechless, wasting an assist from him. Fortunately, Odom grabbed the offensive rebound and easily scored on the second-chance opportunity.

Despite his 213cm height, Blunt was not good at rebounding and disliked physical contact and positioning. He was selected 25th overall in the second round of the 1997 draft but did not enter the NBA until 2000, mainly due to his poor defense.

In the latter part of the first quarter, Celtics players began to double-team Xiao Tu, causing him to reduce his shot attempts and pass the ball to his teammates.

Just like in the last game, he needs to rack up enough assists and rebounds as quickly as possible.

The Heat led 33-20 in the first quarter thanks to their outside shooting advantage.

肖途单节9投6中，三分球6中4，罚球2中2，得到18分4篮板4助攻。

Eddie Jones also hit a three-pointer, scoring 7 points in the quarter, a decent performance.

Wade had a poor performance, scoring only 4 points on 2-of-5 shooting and failing to attempt any free throws. After making two shots, he suddenly lost control, lacking confidence in his shooting, and quickly picked up two fouls, leading to his substitution for rest.

In the second quarter, Xiao Tu went to the bench to rest, and Wade was substituted back in to lead the bench lineup's offense.

Riley's substitution, designed to create a time difference and give Wade more ball possession, seemed reasonable. However, Wade's performance was even worse when leading the team alone; he drove into crowds, missed mid-range shots, and went 0-for-3.

The Celtics, led by substitutes Eric Williams, LaFrentz, and Vin Baker, quickly caught up.

The Heat's bench players were clearly outmatched; without Haslem, they wouldn't have been able to secure the defensive rebounds.

Alston controlled the ball steadily, scoring 2 points with a layup and assisting Malik Allen for 4 points with two mid-range jumpers.

However, the streetball king's touch was also average, and he missed three-pointers when he tried to shoot from the outside.

With the starters back in the second half, Xiao Tu led the team to stabilize the situation. Wade couldn't score against backup point guard Marcus Banks and quickly got called for his third foul, becoming a foul troublemaker for no reason.

The Celtics' defensive strategy worked. They double-teamed Xiao Tu on the perimeter, assigned two big men to guard the paint, and allowed others to shoot jumpers. Wade's weaknesses were fully exposed: he hesitated to shoot from mid-range when he had the opportunity, and he lacked decisiveness when driving to the basket.

In a parallel universe, Heat coach Stan Van Gundy would encourage Wade to practice his mid-range shot and build confidence through more shooting in games. Now, with Riley as coach, all he wants to do is substitute Wade for a rest.

Wade's current ability is not comparable to Xiao Tu's, and the coach is unlikely to let him take more shots in the game in order to win.

In the second half, the Heat still couldn't stop the Celtics' strong offense, and their poor rim protection began to show. Xiao Tu didn't play as smoothly as in the previous game, often mismatching against bigger players, and the Celtics players deliberately wore him down.

The Celtics scored 30 points in this quarter, taking the lead in one fell swoop.

The Heat trailed 77-79, but the Celtics, with home-court advantage, were in higher spirits.

Only two Heat players, Xiao Tu and Eddie Jones, scored in double figures. The Celtics, on the other hand, had a balanced attack, especially their bench players who outscored the Heat, and their big men all had high shooting percentages.

The Heat's overall physical disadvantage has become apparent, and they are facing a precarious situation.

(End of this chapter)