Where the noise did not reach

Chapter 33 Life is an explosion
One of Duke's biggest mistakes in the first half was not anticipating that TTU would play Xu Ling at point guard. And this point guard did not fulfill the traditional playmaking role—he immediately launched a series of personal attacks, scoring 10 points in a row.

After Xu Ling scored 10 consecutive points, Duke called a timeout. Another mistake by Mike Krzyzewski was misjudging Xu Ling's ability to withstand pressure.

At the start of the game, Duke disrupted TTU's offensive rhythm with a double-team on the flanks—a good tactic, given the limited space and vision on the flanks.

But when Xu Ling initiates the attack from the top of the key, the situation changes. Unless the opponent has five "Durant"-like monsters with height, wingspan, and excellent mobility, it's impossible to completely block the passing lanes at the top of the key.

Just as Knight had hoped, Xu Ling's sustained individual threat drew a complete tilt from Duke's defense, which in turn activated his teammates.

The biggest beneficiary was sophomore guard Allen Voskull, who came off the bench for Jarius Jackson and enjoyed the tactical advantage.

Voskull is a classic example of a player who "has no NBA future but is extremely useful in the NCAA." He can dribble, is unstoppable from beyond the three-point line, and can even shoot very long threes. As long as someone on the team can draw the defense's attention, he can provide consistent scoring.

However, while Duke lacked a solution for TTU's perimeter duo, they still had Josh McRoberts, a former number one high school player in the nation, as a safety net.

McRoberts' presence was very noticeable in the final minutes of the first half. He did everything he couldn't do after entering the NBA—high post offense, a kaleidoscope of low post offensive skills, strong rebounding, and superb rim protection.

It was thanks to McRoberts' performance that Duke didn't get crushed by TTU like Niagara University did.

But the advantage has already been established.

半场结束，徐凌以19分6篮板4助攻的数据率领红色袭击者队以46比38的比分领先蓝魔。

"Eli! Eli! Charge! Charge! Charge! Charge! Charge!"

The TTU fan club's shouts were deafening.

Xu Ling nodded at them from a distance, without responding further.

During halftime, Bob Knight gave an interview to ESPN.

The reporter couldn't help but bring up Xu Ling's repeated provocations against Khrushchevsky: "What do you think of Eli's behavior? Why didn't you stop him?"

Knight said expressionlessly, "I told him he could do whatever he wanted."

If Xu Ling were there, she would definitely say, "666, this guy is blatantly lying."

The NBA general managers present were all discussing Xu Ling's performance in the first half.

Some teams have been tracking Xu Ling for months, but when Xu Ling performed better during March Madness, they couldn't help but compare him to other rookies who were being closely watched.

Oden is unfathomable, but his performance in most games is like an hourglass, showing only so much each time.

Durant is hailed as the greatest rookie of all time, but that's just a statistical assessment. In reality, Xu Ling's stats had already caught up with his by the end of the season. Moreover, the latter showcased much more of his game.

“The question now is,” Kevin McHale said to those around him, “how much of what he showed in college can he bring to the NBA?”

Coincidentally, SuperSonics general manager Sam Presti, who was also immersed in scouting rookies, raised a similar question: "A few years ago, Adam Morris looked like Larry Bird returning from the void, but in the end, he was just a shadow cast by Bird."

“Sam,” said his colleague, “Elek doesn’t have diabetes.”

“I know, but the current sample size isn’t enough.” Presti’s question was not that he didn’t believe Xu Ling had great potential, but where did that potential place him in the 2007 draft class? Top five? Top three? Or top two?
The top five is one thing, the top three is another, and the top two are completely different levels.

If he's in the top two, it means he's completely surpassed Kevin Durant. But even Greg Oden can't be said to have completely surpassed Durant. If Xu Ling has surpassed Durant, then is there really a gap between him and Oden?

In the locker room at halftime, Knight praised all the players' performances, except for Jarius Jackson.

"JJ, I'm tired of criticizing you, really tired of it!" Knight's voice was filled with anger. "I really want to thank you for your contributions over the past four years, but you have to step up when we need you most! I can't accept that one of the best players I've ever coached is a coward!"

Hearing these words, Jackson's teammates could feel the raging anger surging within him. He seemed desperate for an outlet.

"I'll keep you in the starting lineup, but remember, you owe this team a lot!"

Knight's typical "bullying motivation" approach reminded Xu Ling of what Rockets legend and sideline ball prodigy Zhou Qi once said during a game commentary: "When playing basketball, what I hate most are those teachers who only have half a bucket of knowledge but are actually coaches!"

Isn't Knight just a teacher? The difference is that he's not just half-full of knowledge, but a lot, a lot of knowledge. Perhaps it's because he has so much knowledge that his brain is often filled with it, which leads to his endless stream of misdeeds.

Then, Knight began to seriously plan the tactics for the second half, declaring, "Only by completely destroying Josh McRoberts can we achieve total victory. Remember, tonight's team advancing to the Sweet Sixteen is the Red Raiders!"

The locker room immediately erupted in excitement.

Pat Knight and Chris Beard were equally fired up.

Beard, in particular, exclaimed excitedly, "This is what coaching is all about!"

Xu Ling didn't feel any excitement; instead, he jokingly thought that if Coach K had Beard's talent for flattery, his relationship with Knight would probably last a long time.

At the start of the second half, Red Raiders captain Jarius Jackson seemed to go berserk, playing extremely aggressively on defense.

Of course, being aggressive doesn't necessarily mean being good at defense, but that's the attitude Knight wanted.

An intimidating aura can cause opponents to make mistakes.

Duke University's pass was intercepted, and Xu Ling dribbled forward. Just past half-court, Jackson had already positioned himself in the frontcourt.

Xu Ling passed the ball directly to him.

Jackson hit a three-pointer in transition.

Then came Duke's response: Josh McRoberts was moved to the high post, and Knight's plan was to have Xu Ling guard him. This was exactly the same strategy the Rockets used a few years ago in the playoffs, where McGrady guarded Nowitzki.

Their underlying logic is the same.

Instead of having a terrible inside player pretend to be a matchup, it's better to let someone with real talent give it a try.

This arrangement precisely proves that Knight saw through Josh McRoberts's outwardly tough but inwardly weak nature.

Xu Ling forced McRoberts further and further out of position, either making him shoot like Nowitzki or attacking with the ball, but McRoberts was unable to dribble under the intense defensive pressure.

Xu Ling saw through his subconscious intention to pass the ball.

"Snapped!"

Xu Ling intercepted the ball, and Duke's half-court offense once again turned into a defensive posture due to a mistake.

"Eli steals the ball, TTU's counterattack is coming! Three-pointer from beyond the arc, Jarius Jackson... KO!!!"

"It's him again! Jarius Jackson has woken up from his slumber, hitting two consecutive three-pointers to extend TTU's lead to 14 points!"

"Duke requests a timeout!"

"Eli, great defense! That's the best defense I've ever seen!" Knight yelled, holding his clipboard. "They're out of options! Keep pressuring them, they'll eventually come for McRoberts! Watch out for his low-post offense!"

Since arriving at Texas Tech University, Xu Ling hadn't seen Knight so fully engaged in a long time.

He was coaching before, but compared to tonight, his energy and decision-making were on a completely different level.

Perhaps it's because of Duke, perhaps it's because of Coach K's encouragement, or perhaps it's because he realizes that a fourth national championship is no longer out of reach. In any case, his current demeanor will remind the older generation of Indiana University of the 80s, which was his peak period.

Mike Krzyzewski doesn't have many adjustments to make. This Duke team is significantly different from the other Duke teams he has coached in that it lacks a leader to guide the team forward.

Once suppressed, or if the offense and defense go cold, he can't count on anyone to step up and carry the team forward.

Therefore, in such situations, we can only try to assign the most confident person to receive the ball.

The person from Duke is Josh McRoberts.

By entrusting the crucial moment of victory or defeat to an unreliable person, Duke's fate was not hard to predict.

Krzyzewski numbly finished making the final tactical arrangements, then watched the players step onto the field.

He dared not hope for any good outcome, because that heavy feeling bound him like cold iron chains. Then he couldn't help but wonder, what's the difference between me now and Coach Knight after 1993?
Knight had long since left behind his prime in the 80s, and the greatest era in Duke history, the 90s, had passed by more than a decade ago. An invisible dilemma lay before Krzyzewski.

He wanted to win again, which would surpass Knight's number of national championships. But what would that bring? To become "the greatest coach in modern NCAA history"? Would that honor bring him true joy? Would Coach Knight be proud of it? No, that pride was long gone.

Both Knight and Krzyzewski knew perfectly well that the key to the rift lay in their desire to become "the greatest coach." If Krzyzewski wanted to ascend that unique throne, he couldn't bear the label of "disciple," as that would diminish his greatness. Therefore, with every step Duke took to reach the top, he deliberately emphasized his differences from Knight, doing everything he could to escape the shadow of that mentor.

It is this one-way division that has led to the current situation.

He touched Knight's biggest sore spot—loyalty. Knight certainly wanted to be the greatest college coach in history, but he could accept if someone surpassed him. He would be even happier if that person was his protégé. Knight's only wish was to hear Krzyzewsky humbly admit at his coronation: "Without the general, I could not have reached where I am today."

This is the honor Knight deserves, but Shashevsky refused to give it to him, for which Knight will never forgive him.

The game restarted, with a 14-point difference, no more, no less, yet it felt like an abyss between the two teams. This attack was crucial.

Texas Tech's defense was impenetrable, with even Jarius Jackson effectively shutting down his opponent. After failing to create any openings on the perimeter, Duke could only pass the ball to Josh McRoberts, pinning their hopes on a one-on-one play inside.

This was the moment Xu Ling had been waiting for.

Like a cheetah that has been lying in wait, he observed and discovered McRoberts' fatal weakness—once the attack begins, all his attention is focused on the paint. This is a deadly habit, giving Xu Ling, a defender as cunning as a fox, an opportunity to strike.

McRoberts turned, feinted, and positioned Daryl Dora, attempting to use a strong inside attack to carry the Blue Devils and prolong the game. However, the instant he released the ball, TTU's number 1, the ghost in his jersey, silently appeared behind him. He leaped into the air, even exceeding McRoberts' release point, and with a crisp, loud thud, cruelly slammed the basketball, which had just left his hand, to the ground!

"What a brilliant block! Eli completely buried Josh McRoberts' offense!"

"TTU's counterattack!"

Xu Ling shot forward like an arrow. Martin Zeno quickly dribbled the ball, forming a three-point fast break formation. Reaching the three-point line, he made a quick cross-court pass, the ball flying towards Xu Ling. Standing in his way was DeMarcus Nelson, the most physically gifted player among Duke's starters.

Xu Ling, ball in hand, leaped with all his might, like a cannonball. His stronger physique gave him an absolute advantage the moment of contact, like an unshakeable war god, shoving Nelson aside. He roared, a sound like a howl from the depths of hell, his right arm, veins bulging, gripping the basketball, aimed at the rim and slammed it down with thunderous force!

explosion!

The basketball went in, the rim trembled, and the air hissed.

This wasn't just a dunk; it was an absolute explosion.

This blow not only DeMarcus Nelson, but also the Duke Blue Devils' season.

PS: Chinese esports fans have really suffered this year.

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(End of this chapter)