The longest river

Chapter 135 50+ points in a single game!

Yang Shuai was substituted by Bird with two minutes left in the first quarter.

This is one of the few games since the previous game against the Lakers where he did not follow the "staggered travel" rotation.

It's clear that while Bird was a coach who preferred fixed rotation times, he wasn't entirely inflexible.

Yang Shuai was in top form during the 10-minute game, hitting 4 three-pointers and scoring 18 points in a single quarter.

Thanks to his outstanding performance, the Pacers led the Trail Blazers 28-20 at the end of the first quarter.

However, this Trail Blazers team is indeed very talented. Although Bird replaced Miller back into the game at the beginning of the second quarter, they began to catch up under the leadership of Clifford Robinson and Gary Trent.

With four minutes left in the second quarter, the Trail Blazers had narrowed the gap to two points.

It was at this moment that Yang Shuai was replaced by Bird.

The biggest difference between this quarter and the first quarter is that there's an extra Miller on the court.

Bird's statement that "even if Miller only scores 3 points, the player guarding him will stick to him" was too conservative. Even if Miller misses a single three-pointer, the Trail Blazers will not dare to give him any space to shoot threes.

Moreover, Miller values ​​winning and losing the game more than statistics. Knowing that he was not shooting well tonight, he and Yang Shuai took the initiative to switch tactical positions, and he moved to the weak side to play a diversionary role.

Yang Shuai shook off Ryder on his first possession and created a three-point opportunity.

Jackson arrived with a well-timed pass, and Yang Shuai received the ball and launched a three-pointer.

"Shh!"

With another swift stroke, the knife fell!
This is his fifth three-pointer tonight!

Portland, it's raining nonstop!

The Pacers' bench erupted in cheers.

Due to his tactical role within the team, Yang Shuai doesn't get many opportunities to shoot at the start of the game, which also means he rarely has the chance to deliver a game that explodes from the very beginning.

His career high against the Heat was largely due to "traveling during off-peak seasons".

But tonight seems to be a very different night.

Moreover, with Yang Shuai's three-pointer, the Pacers' morale returned, and with their help defense, they successfully disrupted Wallace's low-post offensive run.

However, the Trail Blazers' retreat defense was still very quick, and both sides switched back to half-court offense.

At Carlesimo's signal, the Trail Blazers continued to double-team Yang Shuai off the ball.

Jackson passed the ball to Jermaine O'Neal again, and O'Neal made his mid-range shot once more.

Bird, unusually, clapped at this moment.

His decision to start Jermaine O'Neal was bold, but as Yang Shuai said, the key to its success lies in whether O'Neal can make the shots.

Although there were some problems at the beginning, things seem to be moving in a positive direction now.

In the crucial moment, it was Sabonis who stepped up for the Trail Blazers.

Sabonis backed down Davis in the low post, shaking him off, and then, facing O'Neal's help defense, passed the ball directly to Wallace. Wallace received the ball and ignited the crowd with a powerful two-handed dunk.

While Jermaine O'Neal can fill the offensive role for Schmitz, he cannot replace Schmitz's protection of the paint, especially against a heavy center like Sabonis.

Just then, the referee suddenly blew his whistle. Wallace had deliberately bumped into O'Neal after his dunk and spat in his face, almost causing a conflict between the two.

This guy has a really bad temper.

No, if you include Ryder, this Trail Blazers team has a pretty big temper.

Yang Shuai made the technical free throw.

With the score at 30-34, the situation on the court remained extremely tense.

However, the Trail Blazers' defense encountered a major problem at this point.

Without double-teaming Yang Shuai, he can shoot three-pointers from the outside, and he's accurate every time; but if you double-team Yang Shuai, Jermaine O'Neal can punish him from the mid-range.

Moreover, with Miller on the court, they also dared not mobilize their defensive forces on the weak side.

When Yang Shuai received the ball again beyond the three-point line, the Trail Blazers opted to switch on defense. Wallace helped defend Yang Shuai, while Ryder switched to defend Jermaine O'Neal.

The Trail Blazers had already tried this defensive method in the first quarter, and this time Jermaine O'Neal had already pulled away before Yang Shuai could signal him.

Yang Shuai got another chance to play against a bigger opponent, but Wallace pressed him hard this time, clearly not wanting to give him any more opportunities.

Seeing this, Yang Shuai decisively used a series of crossovers to shake him down.

He had a good outside shooting touch tonight, but he's not a shooter who relies solely on three-pointers.

This dribble was decisive, and the rest of the Trail Blazers had no time to help defend. In the end, Yang Shuai faced the Trail Blazers' last line of defense, Sabonis.

It has to be said that Sabonis is the anchor of this Trail Blazers team on both offense and defense.

Moreover, his choice fully demonstrated his basketball IQ. He knew that Davis's mid-range ability was unstable, and Yang Shuai's pass made the game half successful.

But Yang Shuai made the same choice as in the first quarter: to drive to the basket over him.

No, it was even more exciting than the play in the first quarter, because Yang Shuai made a drifting, dodging layup after contacting him.

The ball hovered on the rim for a moment before finally rolling into the basket.

This shot perfectly showcased Yang Shuai's physical abilities, drawing gasps of amazement from the crowd.

Even Paul Allen, who was in the private box, couldn't help but stand up.

He immediately remembered that Yang Shuai's draft comparison was Drexler.

After seeing the goal, Yang Shuai turned around and made a "calm down" gesture by pressing his hands down towards Wallace.

This helped Jermaine O'Neal regain his composure and also allowed him to score a point against his opponent.

He likes these hot-tempered guys the most; they're all top-ranked players.

Seeing this, Carlesimo immediately called a pause.

After the timeout, Ryder was immediately substituted off, and Gary Trent came on.

After trying various defensive methods without success, they resorted to a relentless, rotational approach against Yang Shuai. Yang Shuai knew Trent; he was a rookie from the same draft class as Yang Shuai, and drafted higher, the 11th overall pick.

Of course, besides that, Yang Shuai also saw a player named Gary Trent Jr. when he watched basketball in his previous life. He seemed to be a player drafted by the Trail Blazers. He wondered if the player was his son.

Trent's offensive contribution is significantly less than Ryder's, especially since he lacks outside shooting, which allows Yang Shuai to confidently leave him open to double-team Sabonis in the paint.

The Trail Blazers' first possession after the timeout ended in failure.

However, this timeout was primarily focused on defense.

Trent also demonstrated his defensive value, keeping up with Yang Shuai when he first ran out of the three-point line.

However, the Pacers' spacing strategy wasn't a pin-down tactic, so Jermaine O'Neal quickly moved up to the high post to act as a second screen.

Using Jermaine O'Neal's screen, Yang Shuai quickly cut to the basket, and Jackson's pass followed immediately.

Moreover, this time Davis effectively blocked Sabonis, and Yang Shuai received the ball and scored a 1-on-0 play, directly executing a two-handed reverse dunk.

There was an uproar at the scene.

Yang Shuai scored 8 points in a row after coming on in the second quarter.

Can't stop it, can't stop it at all!
At halftime, the Pacers led the Trail Blazers 56-45.

Yang Shuai made 6 three-pointers in the first half, scoring 31 points, more than half of the team's total score.

The Trail Blazers tried Ryder, Trent, and even Robinson to defend him, but none of them could contain Yang Shuai's performance.

This performance prompted the home commentator to exclaim, "Tonight, the only one who can limit Hansen Young is himself!"

Of course, Portland fans also had mixed feelings at this moment. Having already been tormented by Yang Shuai last season, they were starting to wonder if they would go and block the Pacers' bus again after the game.

Returning for the second half, Yang Shuai continued to play Miller's role on the offensive end, using pick-and-rolls to create three-point opportunities.

When he caught the ball and shot another three-pointer, all the fans' eyes were focused on the spinning basketball.

Just as the home commentator said, the only one who can limit Yang Shuai's performance is himself.

After the halftime break, will Yang Shuai be able to regain the same hot shooting touch as in the first half?

"Shh!"

The sound of the basketball going through the net provided the answer.

It's not a consumable item!

Tonight is destined to be an extraordinary night for Yang Shuai.

After scoring, Yang Shuai patted his chest and pointed to the sky.

While rainy days in Portland are annoying, it's actually a lucky place for him.

In this quarter, Yang Shuai made three more three-pointers, scoring 11 points in the quarter.

By the end of the third quarter, his personal score had reached 42 points!
As he left the field, his statistics were displayed on the big screen.

18投14中，三分球11投9中，罚球6罚5中，42分5板2助攻2抢断1盖帽2失误。

This shooting percentage stunned everyone. 42 points on 18 shots—is that even humanly possible?!
Perhaps we should really rub salt into Yang Shuai's hands; they're so hot they could be used to cook!

However, in terms of score, the Trail Blazers trailed the Pacers by only 8 points, 76-84.

Although Ryder was completely shut down by Yang Shuai tonight, Sabonis had a clear advantage in the paint.

Moreover, Sabonis is different from O'Neal. He is not a pure offensive player, but an offensive playmaker. If you dare to double-team him, he can revitalize the entire Trail Blazers' offense in no time.

So the Pacers' interior defense was thoroughly ravaged tonight.

When the final quarter came, Carlesimo went completely berserk, directly mobilizing defensive resources on the weak side to limit Yang Shuai.

However, Miller quickly issued a punishment.

His shooting touch might not return anytime soon, but his scoring ability won't suddenly disappear.

After he scored 4 points with a layup and a floater, Carlesimo immediately became quiet again.

Yang Shuai's performance did not disappear due to the Trail Blazers' extreme defense during this period.

Portland fans even got to witness Yang Shuai's crazy performance in the final quarter of last season's playoffs.

One was a step-back three-pointer from the three-point line, and the other was a three-pointer from the right side, more than a meter away from the three-point line.

Yang Shuai doesn't start by shooting three-pointers from extremely far away; rather, he shoots further and further away as he finds his touch.

In the end, Yang Shuai made a logo three-pointer, a move he had only performed in the All-Star Game!

With his three-pointer sinking the ball, the fans in the arena were utterly devastated.

Even Paul Allen, who was in the VIP box, couldn't help but applaud him.

The Trail Blazers deserved to lose tonight.

Yang Shuai's crazy performance completely ruined the game.

With three minutes remaining in the game, the Pacers had extended their lead to 20 points.

At this point, Caleimo finally gave up the struggle.

Both sides substituted their key players off the field one after another.

Yang Shuai then waved goodbye to Ryder.

Just then, Yang Shuai's stats for tonight were displayed on the big screen again.

24投17中，三分球16投12中，罚球6罚5中，51分6板3助攻2抢断2盖帽3失误。

Yang Shuai scored his first 50+ points in his career!

And next to this score, there is a sign that reads "New Record".

Yang Shuai became the youngest player in NBA history to score 50+ points.

(End of this chapter)