Basketball miracles

Chapter 66 [Fighting the 76ers, just a regular pig]

After a two-day rest in Los Angeles, the Lakers resumed their NBA regular season games. The Lakers faced another important matchup: an away game against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Media outlets predict this will be a classic matchup in the paint, with the 76ers being one of the teams most likely to end the Lakers' winning streak.

自从1982年摩西-马龙加盟，76人一直是夺冠热门，并且在1983年总决赛4比0横扫湖人夺冠。

上赛季，卫冕冠军76人队的状态下滑，在常规赛取得52胜30负排名东部第二，比62胜的凯尔特人落后了整整10场。季后赛首轮，76人队被正处于上升期的新泽西篮网队以3比2爆冷淘汰。

This season, the 76ers' roster has been improved again as they selected Charles Barkley with the fifth overall pick.

Barkley went on a binge-eating spree to avoid being drafted by the 76ers, gaining weight to 305 pounds and suffering from poor performance. Ironically, he was still drafted by the 76ers, and the team had no intention of trading him, so he's been dieting ever since the preseason.

This 198cm tall fat guy can shoot mid-range shots and attack hard, and his performance is not bad, but because of his excessive weight, he usually comes on as a substitute.

The 76ers have a chance to break through in the Eastern Conference this season and are the second seed in the East, second only to the Celtics.

Their core player on the perimeter is Julius Erving, a 198cm tall small forward and a superstar who is already in his decline.

The renowned Dr. J, now weighing only around 90 kilograms, is a slender Black man nearing retirement at just 34 years old. However, he still averages 20 points per game, making him the team's second-leading scorer.

The most eye-catching matchup between the two sides is Xiao Tu vs. Barkley.

The 23rd pick versus the 5th pick – all media outlets unanimously agree that Xiao Tu is the stronger player. Previous high-drafted centers hadn't been able to contain Xiao Tu, and this short, stocky guy seemed even less likely to beat him.

Barkley's image has improved considerably since the start of the season, but he's still viewed negatively by the media. He's losing weight quite quickly, thanks to the encouragement of team leader Malone. He's currently down to 127 kilograms, a sturdy, overweight man.

The coach has recently started starting Barkley and is focusing on developing him. If Bobby Jones, who is 206cm tall and weighs 95kg, were to start, he definitely wouldn't be able to stop Xiao Tu.

The media hype surrounding the power forward matchup is also due to the fact that both players are known for their toughness.

During the 76ers vs. Celtics game on November 10, Larry Bird got into a fight with Dr. J Irving because of his rambling.

Two star players were fighting, and Barkley, that idiot, actually joined Moses Malone in trying to take sides, the two of them grabbing Bird by the throat from both sides. Seeing his chance, Irving, quick as lightning, punched Bird, stunning him.

When the Celtics players rushed up, Barkley pretended to be nonchalant and hid to the side. Malone was brutally pinned to the ground and rubbed into the ground by a group of Celtics players, men on top of men, a whole bunch of big men.

The most amazing thing is that the referee didn't penalize anyone and let the game continue. When interviewed by the media after the game, Barkley nonchalantly said, "I went to break up a fight."

In short, everyone thinks Xiao Tu is very brave, but Barkley is no pushover either. Xiao Tu has committed quite a few fouls, but he has never gotten into a fight, while Barkley is the only rookie to have been involved in a brawl so far.

After reading the pre-game news, Xiao Tu became even more convinced that playing basketball required toughness, and the same applied to rookies.

Even a rookie with negative news is better than one with no news; being famous despite being controversial is still fame. A spineless coward who doesn't respect his seniors will gain nothing but be bullied by them.

Having lived two lives, Xiao Tu has never heard of anyone in the NBA making the news for respecting others. On the contrary, some veterans frequently make the news for constantly shouting, "You must respect me."

Xiao Tu is going up against Barkley today, but he can't get excited before the game.

He'd rather face off against Moses Malone. Barkley's reputation is too low right now; he's not a prodigy, just an ordinary guy. Beating him wouldn't be big news.

Xiao Tu unconsciously began to underestimate his opponent. After fighting Olajuwon, he was absolutely confident that he could suppress Barkley.

In the visiting team's locker room, Pat Riley emphasized the pick-and-roll offense. "Seb sets a screen for Irwin, and Irwin takes the opportunity to jump and shoot, then drives to the basket, draws help defense, and passes the ball. I think their power forward is a weakness; Barkley is only 198cm tall, and he has a hard time blocking shots."

"Seb, you need to cut to the basket more often and take full advantage of your height. As long as Moses Malone is drawn away, the 76ers aren't very strong at rebounding. Kareem, look for opportunities to play inside passes and don't try to outplay Malone."

"James (Worthy), you need to be aggressive on offense today. You have a size advantage against Irving, he definitely won't be able to stop you." Riley knew Worthy's abilities, and the team needed him to take more shots today.

Worthy nodded expressionlessly. The coach gave him the ball, and he looked unhappy. Actually, Riley's preferred play was for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to run a pick-and-roll with Johnson. This would give Johnson and Worthy easier opportunities to drive, leaving the 76ers' paint area vulnerable.

The 76ers' starting lineup only has Malone, who is over two meters tall, making their rim protection a significant weakness. But Riley knew Kareem Abdul-Jabbar didn't want to run pick-and-rolls, and even if he set up plays, Abdul-Jabbar might not execute them well, which made him unhappy.

It's common in the NBA for star players to refuse to follow the coach's instructions, and the coach usually has no choice but to compromise. How much do NBA coaches actually earn? Their status is far lower than that of superstars.

Multiple media outlets have stated that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's tactical impact is inferior to that of Xiao Tu, and Pat Riley actually agrees. Abdul-Jabbar only knows one style of play, and when countered, he can't adjust, and he rarely draws fouls. Defensively, his rim protection is average; he's too thin and slow.

Riley will gradually reduce Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's ball possession. Abdul-Jabbar will be 38 years old next April, and it's time for him to make way for younger players.

Even at the 76ers' home court, Xiao Tu received some applause when he appeared, showing more popularity than Barkley.

Xiao Tu has both talent and a good image, attracting the attention of a large number of female fans, something Barkley could never do.

Barkley's current stats are nowhere near Xiao Tu's; he's averaging 12.3 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 2 assists per game.

This was the first time Xiao Tu had seen Barkley, a future Hall of Fame superstar, up close. He had a serious expression and an imposing presence... but he didn't seem intimidating at all; in fact, he looked a bit comical.

Xiao Tu thought Barkley looked funny; he had a round head, round eyes and mouth, and dark circles under his eyes, making him look like a panda.

Because of his large size, Barkley's face was chubby, and his buttocks were unusually large. If Xiao Tu had to describe him in one word, the first thing that came to mind was "Kardashian".

No, even Kim Kardashian didn't have such a big butt after surgery!
Given Barkley's appearance, it's no wonder 76ers fans lack confidence in him. Many protested during the draft, believing the general manager must have been insane to select him.

Barkley was also sizing up Xiao Tu, and the more he looked, the more inferior he felt.

Why is it that we both play basketball, but he looks like a movie star, while I look... like this?
Why can he jump better than me, even though he's so fair-skinned? Did he have a genetic mutation?
Fuck, I'm going to teach him a lesson today. If I get the upper hand against him, I should be able to make a name for myself in one fell swoop, right?

Barkley's stats were average, but he was very confident. He believed he simply wasn't taking enough shots and that the coach wasn't giving him enough touches. Defensively, he wasn't a liability either, as he could defend Malone's post-up game and his strength was second to none.

Barkley consistently shines in team practices, earning frequent praise from the coach. Today, he started and matched up against Xiao Tu, believing himself to be the team's secret weapon.

If Barkley had studied Xiao Tu's playing style before the game, he wouldn't have been so optimistic.

The Lakers made slight adjustments to their starting lineup: Johnson, Michael Cooper, James Worthy, Xiao Tu, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

76ers starting lineup: Maurice Cheeks, Andrew Toney, Kyrie Irving, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won the jump ball, and the game began.

As the Lakers spread out their formation in positional play, Barkley immediately noticed Xiao Tu's difference.

Xiao Tu's positioning was too far out; he was setting screens for his teammates beyond the three-point line. If it weren't for his height, he would be mistaken for a guard. Barkley, despite his short stature, never played like that.

Many interior players, seeing Barkley's height, would love to go back to the low post to receive the ball and back him down. Then Barkley could use his strength advantage to keep his opponent firmly outside the paint, surprising everyone.

Now that Xiao Tu has withdrawn from the perimeter, Barkley is clearly uncomfortable watching him and doesn't want to follow him out at all. He's not good at defending face-up offense, and his height disadvantage makes it difficult for him to block jump shots.

He hesitated whether to switch onto Magic Johnson, the point guard who was also taller than him, and quickly got rid of the 191cm shooting guard Tony after a pick-and-roll.

Barkley didn't switch on defense; the coach had instructed him to closely guard Xiao Tu, emphasizing that it was crucial for winning. He also didn't want to allow his assigned guard to score too many points by switching onto him.

Many interior players have this mentality; they don't like switching on defense, which is why the pick-and-roll was a major weapon in the 8s and 90s. The Jazz had a poor roster, and their core players had average physical talent, yet they still made it to the NBA Finals twice thanks to their pick-and-roll offense.

Johnson drives to the basket and scores, Moses Malone is a step too slow to help. 2-0.

(End of this chapter)