Basketball miracles

Chapter 237 [Irreconcilable, Passionate Clash]

On November 2, the Heat players flew to Dallas on a private jet.

The next day, Xiao Tu invited Wade and Haslem to go out for lunch. They chose a popular Texas barbecue restaurant known for its oak and hickory wood smoking.

The three of them ordered a table full of grilled meat, with beef brisket and beef ribs as the main dishes. The restaurant also provided complimentary desserts and sauces.

Xiao Tu eats very casually, with a good appetite and no dietary restrictions. Now, the media likes to praise his self-discipline, which makes him a little embarrassed.

Some players get criticized for "lack of self-discipline" when they go out to eat, but it's actually because they're bad at playing basketball.

Nobody criticizes star players for anything they do. When Barkley first entered the league, he was incredibly fat, but people still bragged that he grew muscles from eating donuts. Conversely, players who aren't good at basketball can eat boiled chicken breast with salad, water, and juice every day and still not get any praise.

Wade, in a bad mood, asked Xiao Tu, "What's your secret to adjusting your mindset? I always get nervous when I go on the court, and then my mind goes blank. What do I do?"

Xiao Tu took a sip of water and smiled, "I just feel confident we can win, there's no need to be nervous. Take today's game for example, all of the Mavericks' forwards are strong on offense but weak on defense, what about them could possibly make me nervous?"

"..." Wade felt this was a personality issue.

In Wade's view, the Mavericks were incredibly strong, boasting five star players, just as the media had claimed. Xiao Tu, however, spoke with an air of absolute certainty, completely disregarding the Mavericks' established stars.

Haslem asked with a smile, "Do you think I can perform well in this game?"

"Yes, just play the same way as last game. I'll draw double teams and pass to you. Try to set a new scoring record this game, get 20+ points."

Wade sighed, "And what about me?"

"Be more aggressive on fast breaks, and I'll pass you the ball. Go for it! If you can't score more than 20 points, I'll treat you to a big meal after the game. You can choose any place you like."

"Really?"

"It's simple, you'll see once you try. I didn't pass you the ball much last game because Billups is a very strong defender. Today is different, Nash definitely won't be able to stop you," Xiao Tu said casually.

Nash is 188cm tall and weighs only 82kg, with a very low vertical jump of only 65cm during physical tests. His physical attributes perfectly fit the definition of an "average person".

Nash was rejected by over thirty American universities before finally being accepted by Santa Clara University. The reason given by the universities that rejected him was his poor defense. While talent isn't everything, it is talent that matters most on the defensive end.

No matter how bad Wade's condition or how nervous he was, Xiao Tu didn't believe Nash could defend him.

Xiao Tu didn't mention the idea of ​​the two players teaming up to pad their stats; it's no longer necessary. As long as the Mavericks players can't defend him, his teammates will be happy to pass him the ball. Riley will also arrange things this way, firmly establishing Xiao Tu as the core player.

His playing style is incredibly advanced; no one on the Heat can match his scoring efficiency. In an era where some players are called "superstars" despite having a true shooting percentage of less than 50%, Xiao Tu has managed to get his true shooting percentage close to 70% by relentlessly shooting three-pointers.

During the team's afternoon practice session, Xiao Tu focused on practicing three-pointers, believing he could get many easy shot opportunities.

That evening, everyone waited in the visiting team's locker room for the game to begin. Riley arranged a core-player strategy and man-to-man defense. He assigned Xiao Tu to guard Michael Finley, the Mavericks' captain.

In their last game, the Mavericks beat the Jazz 127-102 with a two-guard starting lineup. Today, Finley will most likely be the small forward.

Coach Nelson's arrangement wasn't a "scientific experiment"; it was simply because they were short of players on the perimeter.

Josh Howard, a late first-round pick, sprained his ankle in Game 2 against the Warriors and will be out for 2-4 weeks. An unintelligent ankle injury is like this: you can't just stomp your feet a couple of times on the court and then dunk over the basket.

In the home team's locker room, Don Nelson, after giving a pep talk, frowned and stared blankly, clearly in low spirits. His conflict with owner Mark Cuban had deepened to the point of near irreconcilable differences.

Cuban bought the Mavericks for $2.85 million in 2000. Don Nelson, who served as head coach and general manager, was worried that he and the entire coaching staff would be fired by the new owner. Their relationship was not very pleasant from the beginning.

During last season's playoffs, Cuban and Don Nelson had a major conflict.

Led by Don Nelson, the Mavericks advanced to the Western Conference Finals. Dirk Nowitzki injured his knee in Game 3 and missed Game 4. The Mavericks trailed the Spurs 1-3, and the team doctor believed Nowitzki could play in Game 5, but Nelson firmly refused. Nowitzki then requested to play, but Nelson refused again, leading Mark Cuban to storm out in anger.

Don Nelson stated that he has a responsibility for Nowitzki's entire career. Nowitzki is still young and shouldn't have risked serious injury to play. Ultimately, the Mavericks were eliminated by the Spurs 2-4. This summer, Cuban offered Nelson a 3-year, $1532 million contract extension, a truly disgusting offer. Not only is it rounded up, but the contract term is only three years—neither short nor long.

This contract is still a full head coach contract; previously, Don Nelson had a $350 million head coach contract and a $160 million general manager contract. This is equivalent to Cuban effectively removing Don Nelson from the general manager position. What's worse, Cuban promoted Don Nelson's son, Don Nelson Jr., to the general manager position.

The Mavericks players weren't chatting either; newcomers Jamison and Walker hadn't integrated well into the team. Adding Finley, the three of them, due to overlapping positions, had all gone from star players to role players, and while they didn't say it, they were clearly unhappy.

Both teams' players entered the field on time, and Xiao Tu received a lot of applause, gaining fans all over the world.

Dirk Nowitzki is the most popular player on the Mavericks. He averaged 25.1 points and 9.9 rebounds per game last season, becoming a super scorer.

During a live broadcast on TNT radio, the two commentators discussed the talent show.

Charles Barkley said, "I don't understand why Sebastian Shaw was only selected in the second round, and before him, the teams ahead of him were all selecting forwards."

Teammate Kenny Smith laughed, "The Mavericks drafted Josh Howard, who is quite good, but he's nowhere near Shaw's level. Shaw could potentially become the scoring champion in his rookie season, something even Jordan never did."

Barkley said, "The Mavericks have serious defensive problems this season, and I have a feeling that Shaw's stats today will be amazing."

Smith agreed. "The fans are in for a treat today; both sides are sure to go at it."

The Heat's starting lineup remains unchanged: Wade, Eddie Jones, Xiao Tu, Odom, and Brian Grant.

The Mavericks' five players are: Nash, Tony Delk, Michael Finley, Antoine Walker, and Dirk Nowitzki.

Xiao Tu couldn't help but laugh when he saw the Mavericks players standing on the court.

As expected, the Mavericks started with two guards, and their defense looked incredibly weak. Shooting guard Delk is only 185cm tall, with a build similar to Nash.

Today, Xiao Tu's desire to rack up super stats is perfectly aligned with the right timing, location, and personnel. Even if other teams are weaker overall, they won't be able to match the Heat's offense like the Mavericks. With slower half-court sets and fewer offensive possessions, it will be much harder for Xiao Tu to rack up stats.

Odom won the jump ball and passed it to Xiao Tu. The Mavericks players retreated very quickly on defense, and Xiao Tu was unable to launch a fast break.

He dribbled the ball to the three-point line in the middle and waved for a screen from Finley. Grant, who hadn't even run to the basket but was waiting to screen for Xiao Tu, immediately moved to the middle to block Finley.

Xiao Tu dribbled the ball to the right, where Silver Horn King, with his messy long hair, was guarding the rim near the penalty area, leaving Walker to defend. Walker wasn't slow, and at 206cm tall and 111kg, he had a decent build, but his round face and big butt made him look fat.

Xiao Tu attempted numerous three-pointers in the first quarter of his first three games, which prompted the opponents to tighten their defense. Even without watching the video, the Mavericks coaching staff, just by reading the news, knew they couldn't allow him to shoot threes.

Xiao Tu dribbled the ball with his left hand and passed it to his right hand into the three-point line, attracting Walker to move laterally. He then dribbled behind his back with his right hand towards the middle to get past Walker, followed by a step-back fadeaway jump shot.

Walker and Finley, who were chasing him, both jumped but couldn't block the shot. The ball went in! 2-0.

It doesn't matter if Xiao Tu can't shoot three-pointers; his mid-range shot is actually not bad either, and he's very reliable once he creates space.

In a half-court set by the Mavericks, Nowitzki went out to set a screen, Nash drove to the right, drew Grant's switch, and then passed the ball to the middle. Nowitzki faced Wade and made a high-post jump shot. 2-2.

In the Heat's half-court offense, Xiao Tu stopped using screens and directly took the ball outside the right three-point line to isolate and attack Finley, who is 201cm tall and weighs 102kg.

He dribbled between his legs repeatedly, feigning a drive to draw Finley's weight back before gathering the ball and taking a step-back three-pointer with his right foot. The right 60-degree angle was a position Xiao Tu had focused on practicing, and he made the shot over Finley's defense. 5-2.

Xiao Tu can create distance by using rhythm to get a shot off, while Finley can't block the shot if he jumps a little slower, as his wingspan is only 208CM.

Nash ran a pick-and-roll, and Wade went around the screen from the inside, intending to defend the drive but not the shot. Nash took a step to the side and jumped for a three-pointer from the left side of the middle, and the ball swished through the net. 5-5.

Both teams had high shooting percentages at the start, engaging in a passionate offensive battle.

(End of this chapter)