Basketball miracles

Chapter 229 [The Devil's Home Ground Unleashes a Powerful Move]

In his second regular season game for the Heat, Xiao Tu began to feel that the road ahead in 2003 was a bit difficult, but fortunately it wasn't the most difficult one.

Wade's lack of experience made him nervous, and it was inevitable that he would underperform. Xiao Tu knew that his discomfort was only temporary, and once Wade developed into a star, the Heat's overall strength would be very formidable.

In the final quarter, the Celtics started the offense. Mike James made an off-ball movement on the left side, and Vin Baker screened for him against Alston. Mark Blunt passed the ball from the middle, and James received it at the left 60-degree angle and made a three-pointer. 77-82.

The fans in the stadium applauded loudly. The home team was only leading by 5 points, but they had gained momentum and looked like they were about to win.

Pat Riley assigned Xiao Tu to lead the offense, while Alston moved to the right three-point line to orchestrate the attack. Xiao Tu switched to off-ball movement, making off-ball runs in the middle, and Grant screened Pierce.

Pierce weighs 107 kilograms, isn't fast, and isn't good at going around screens. The Celtics' defensive strategy right now is man-to-man, meaning the big men have to switch on pick-and-rolls. Xiao Tu ran to the right corner, received a pass from Alston, and took a pull-up jump shot.

Blunt was slow to switch on defense and rushed forward to make a slight challenge. Xiao Tu responded with a three-pointer from his preferred position. 80-82.

After scoring, Xiao Tu clenched his right fist to celebrate; it was his 33rd point.

He's under a lot of pressure right now, because the Celtics are a terrible team, and it's not fair to fall behind against such a bad team.

The Celtics were on offense, with Vin Baker posting up on the right side, and Haslem coming off guard. The Heat also changed their defensive strategy, switching to man-to-man defense.

Haslem had limited playing time yesterday, but he was full of energy and played aggressive defense. Xiao Tu primarily guarded Pierce, while Eddie Jones primarily guarded the 203cm Eric Williams, effectively limiting the Celtics' scoring options.

Wade was sitting on the sidelines, looking grim.

When the score was close, Riley no longer trusted Wade, knowing that he would be left wide open when he had the ball on the perimeter, and missing shots would be demoralizing. At this point, the Heat were preparing to slow down and play a half-court game, making it difficult for Wade to utilize his strengths.

The Heat's fast breaks were unsuccessful today; Wade and Odom's shooting percentages were too low. Instead of continuing with chaotic fast breaks, they should stabilize and pass to Xiao Tu to improve his shooting percentage.

VinBeck was pushed away from the basket, took two steps, turned and shot towards the middle, but missed due to Haslem's interference, and Grant grabbed the defensive rebound.

At this point, a significant change occurred on the court: Xiao Tu stopped focusing on grabbing rebounds and instead went out to defend Pierce.

Although Haslem is only 203cm tall, he is very strong and has good mobility. Riley is happy to give him opportunities, as last season's starter Malik Allen is almost out of a place on the Heat.

Xiao Tu continued his off-ball movement, receiving the ball in the right corner after a screen. This time, Pierce chased down to defend, and Xiao Tu faked a move, dropping the ball to his left and taking a step. Pierce followed up with a lateral movement, and Xiao Tu dribbled behind his back with his left hand to his right hand, driving to the baseline to get past him.

He used his rhythm to completely get past Pierce, took three steps to draw Vin Baker's help defense under the basket, and passed the ball to the left side. Haslem received the ball openly and scored with a layup. 82-82.

Xiao Tu delivered his 8th assist, leading the team to tie the score.

Riley applauded Haslem from the sidelines. The newcomer worked very hard and cooperated well with Xiao Tu. Signing him to a two-year low-salary contract was a great deal.

The pressure is back on the Celtics players; Xiao Tu's individual ability is too strong. Xiao Tu received the ball twice in the corner in the final quarter, a position that's difficult to double-team.

NBA teams are reluctant to defend the corner; this position is often like a landmine, and nobody wants to stand there.

The Celtics were on offense, and Pierce felt he should step up and respond. He faked a move at the rim, dribbled between his legs, passed the ball to his right hand, pulled it up, took a big step, turned, and hit a fadeaway jumper at a 45-degree angle to his left.

This is a common technique used by Pierce; the movement often creates space and the release point is very high.

Xiao Tu was too familiar with this combo to fall for it. He anticipated Pierce's shot as he turned, jumped forward with all his might, and blocked Pierce's jump shot.

Miami TV broadcast the game, and the commentators praised Xiao Tu's defense, saying he not only had long arms but also good awareness.

Pierce retrieved the basketball but didn't attempt another attack, instead passing it out. Xiao Tu's arms were too long, and his strength was no less than Pierce's; he knew that forcing a shot would yield no good results.

With the 24-second shot clock ticking down after several passes, James attempted a mid-range jumper, which missed under Alston's interference. Xiao Tu grabbed the defensive rebound, his 10th of the game.

The Heat went into half-court offense again. This time, Xiao Tu received the ball outside the three-point line in the middle, and Grant came out to screen for Pierce. The Celtics' defense immediately broke down; they couldn't double-team on the perimeter, and they had a big man who had to come out to defend the pick-and-roll.

Blount moved too far out, and Xiao Tu dribbled the ball to the left side, entering the three-point line. He took a step, dribbled behind his back with his left hand, and passed the ball to his right hand, changing direction towards the middle. His movements were smooth and unpredictable, giving the impression that he was bouncing and leaping past Blount, before scoring with a three-step layup in the middle. 84-82.

Wenbeck was right under the left side of the basket, but he couldn't jump to help defend, and Xiao Tu scored his 35th point.

Xiao Tu's main scoring methods are long-range shooting and drives to the basket; he's not only highly efficient at scoring but also adept at assisting his teammates. Wenbeike had a good offensive performance today, but he was a defensive liability on the court.

In the Celtics' half-court offense, Pierce was relentlessly guarded by Xiao Tu, preventing him from getting a shot off. At this point, the Heat's defensive weakness was Alston, but the Celtics players couldn't contain him; James was similar in size to him.

Williams was in excellent form today, hitting a pull-up jumper over Jones. 84-84.

During the Heat's half-court game, the home fans booed in unison.

TD Garden is a notorious intimidating home ground, where fans use boos and noise to suppress the visiting team, especially during crucial moments when they disrupt the visiting players' concentration with their collective shouts.

Wade sat on the sidelines and swallowed hard. He was underperforming in this atmosphere, and the audience was getting nervous.

From now on, every shot is crucial. A true rookie can't maintain a calm mindset. Xiao Tu is a fake rookie; he's already played in the Finals.

Xiao Tu received the ball again outside the three-point line in the middle, and Grant came out to screen. This combination was difficult for the opponent to defend. Xiao Tu's dribbling was smooth, and he got rid of Pierce and forced his way to the basket against Blunt, drawing Williams to double-team him.

Xiao Tu jumped up and smoothly passed the ball to the right corner. Jones finally acted like a captain today, receiving the ball in an open position and hitting a three-pointer! 87 to 84.

Jones went 3-for-6 from three-point range today and also helped Xiao Tu rack up an assist. This is Xiao Tu's 9th assist, and he's about to get another triple-double.

When they returned to defense, Xiao Tu and Jones clapped to celebrate.

Jones's initial reservations about Xiao Tu had vanished. With Xiao Tu on the team, even if he only played a role, he was more comfortable than last season.

Jones is eager to win and wants to win the championship; time is running out for him to realize his dream.

On the defensive end, Jones also worked hard, not giving Williams any more scoring opportunities. He's a three-time NBA All-Defensive Second Team selection, so he's got some skills, and he did a good job defending Pierce today.

The Celtics' perimeter players were all shut down, and the ball was passed to Vin Baker to post up Haslem.

Vinbeck was in good form. He turned towards the middle, faked out Haslem, stepped forward, and scored under pressure, drawing a foul in the process.

However, Vin Baker missed the free throw, only managing a 2+0, making it 87-86.

Xiao Tu grabbed another defensive rebound, his 11th.

In the Heat's half-court offense, Xiao Tu first had his teammates spread out, then received the ball on the left side beyond the three-point line. Facing a triple threat, he chose his driving route with a single glance.

At the crucial moment, Xiao Tu prepared to unleash his ultimate move, using a spectacular dunk to boost the team's morale.

He feinted a drop shot with his right hand, then made a strong drive to the middle, gathered the ball in front of the free-throw line, took three steps, and then two more steps to reach the basket before jumping with all his might.

He grabbed the ball with his right arm raised high, his body fully extended, and slammed it home over Pierce with a powerful dunk. He practices this move frequently, and even Haslem struggles to defend against it. He doesn't need physical contact; he dunks using his wingspan.

Pierce followed Xiao Tu all the way into the paint, and only when Xiao Tu jumped did he realize he wasn't just good at defending and keeping up, but was about to be in trouble. The two were the same height, but their physical attributes were vastly different. Pierce couldn't block the shot, and it was too late to foul; he could only watch helplessly as Xiao Tu slammed the ball into the basket!

Xiao Tu scored his 37th point, bringing the score to 89-86.

He didn't jump very high, but his dunk was beautiful, instantly silencing the Celtics' home crowd. He raised his left hand and made a gesture of listening intently in celebration.

Heat fans watching the live broadcast on TV were very excited; Xiao Tu's playing style was incredibly entertaining.

Even if the Heat lose today, Xiao Tu's fan base will explode. His stats are phenomenal, and he's not far from achieving consecutive 40+ point triple-doubles.

(End of this chapter)