Basketball miracles

Chapter 109 [We Have to Go For It Even If We Have to]

The Celtics took the first possession, and the spectators immediately saw the matchups on the court.

As predicted by experts before the game, Xiao Tu was tasked with guarding Larry Bird.

Pat Riley values ​​defense as much as offense. Since Xiao Tu was so effective at defending Bird in the All-Star Game, he won't have anyone else do that job today.

Michael Cooper did a good job defending Bird last season, but that was a mismatch. At just over 80 kilograms, Cooper can't play power forward and can't match up against him for extended periods.

As long as Xiao Tu can reduce Bird's scoring efficiency and protect the defensive rebounds, the Lakers will undoubtedly win even if they score fewer points themselves. Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar can score, and they have a wealth of experience against the Celtics.

Under these circumstances, Xiao Tu felt no pressure.

Bird felt the intensity of the defense in the first possession, and Xiao Tu began a "death grip." Bird's crossover attempt failed, and Xiao Tu's lateral movement was so fast that he easily blocked Bird's path.

Bird crashed into Xiao Tu's arms and couldn't continue dribbling, so he quickly protected the ball and looked for teammates. After a few passes, Ainge forced a jump shot, which missed under Cooper's interference, and Xiao Tu easily grabbed the defensive rebound.

Bird tried to grab an offensive rebound, but Xiao Tu firmly blocked him outside the paint. His rebounding awareness was useless; judging the direction the ball bounced out was pointless, and he was so squeezed that he couldn't even jump.

Even if Bird could jump high, he couldn't get the ball. He couldn't even jump half a meter with all his might, unlike Xiao Tu's light leap.

Xiao Tu passed the ball to Johnson to set up the defense, and it felt no different from when he was matched up against Bird in the All-Star Game.

I could handle it with my physical strength, but Bird was still as slow and deliberate as ever.

He didn't hold back at all in the All-Star game; no matter how seriously he played, this was his style of play.

Xiao Tu and Johnson ran a pick-and-roll in the middle, and Bird was the Celtics' primary defender on him.

Today, Bird couldn't find any reason to have Maxwell primarily guard Xiao Tu; the opponent's repeated challenges were common knowledge. If Bird avoided the matchup again, everyone would think he was afraid of Xiao Tu.

Johnson dribbled past Dennis, broke into the paint, drew Parish's help defense, and just before they collided, bounced a pass to the right baseline, where Kareem Abdul-Jabbar caught the ball and easily banked it in for a basket. 2-0.

The Lakers play a similar style in every game, and opponents know their tactics but can't break them. When Xiao Tu stands on the three-point line, no power forward dares to easily switch to defend a pick-and-roll.

Dennis Johnson, standing at 193cm and weighing 84kg, was selected as an All-Star and is a decent combo guard in terms of physical strength. However, he is still physically inferior to Magic Johnson, and it becomes difficult for him to catch up and defend after being screened.

The Celtics couldn't defend Johnson well in the Finals, even when the Lakers weren't using pick-and-roll plays at all. Last season, no one screened for Johnson; he drove to the basket with the ball.

The Celtics were on offense, and Xiao Tu continued to guard Bird closely, which proved very effective. This kind of defense is very tiring, but Xiao Tu was confident that his stamina was better than Bird's and that he could wear him down.

The Celtics' tactics involved Bird opening up the scoring and then leading his teammates to score from multiple positions. He was a rare "big core" player, which was very advanced in the 80s.

Bird's stats this season have reached their peak, with all statistics setting new career highs. He is currently averaging 29 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game, with a field goal percentage of 52.6%.

Had the Lakers not been on track for a record-breaking regular season record, Bird would undoubtedly have defended his regular season MVP title. His stats were indeed much better than Magic Johnson's.

Xiao Tu guessed that Bird wouldn't pass the ball this time. Bird was in his prime and couldn't back down against the rookies. He had to bite the bullet and put up impressive numbers.

Bodela received the ball beyond the three-point line, faked a move, and then drove hard to the basket. Xiao Tu was fooled by the initial fake but didn't lose his balance, quickly closing in from the side.

Bird was technically skilled and often drove to the basket against ordinary players. But as soon as he made physical contact with Xiao Tu, he immediately felt a counterforce pushing him outwards, shifting his center of gravity.

Bumping into someone feels like hitting a wall; it's not a pleasant experience. Xiao Tu's action was quite forceful, and the referee wouldn't call a defensive foul unless there was a clear foul by his hand.

Bird, with his experience, used a change of pace to create some space between himself and Xiao Tu, taking three steps forward. He didn't dare to rush to the basket for a layup, but instead took a step out, stepped back, and turned sideways to shoot a jump shot from the right baseline.

Bird's shot resembled a flip shot, quickly avoiding the block. However, Xiao Tu jumped extremely high, effectively interfering with Bird's movement, and the ball bounced off the rim. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was boxing out on the other side, and Xiao Tu quickly grabbed the rebound.

Lakers fans applauded enthusiastically, with many finding Xiao Tu's defense very entertaining; he really made the MVP suffer!

Xiao Tu wears Adidas, but when he gets excited, his mouth turns into a Nike mask. You can shoot, but you can't get into the paint.

If you shoot like that against the defense and still manage to get over 40% shooting percentage, I'll be impressed.

The Lakers executed a pick-and-roll in their half-court offense, and Johnson's failed drive resulted in a lob pass to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the low post on the right side.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar calmly executed his move on the weak side, dribbling two steps before turning and hooking the ball towards the baseline. Robert Parish was in position but couldn't block it, and the ball swished through the net. 4-0.

Bird was positioned too far out to help defend the paint, and he was worried that Xiao Tu would cut inside, so he focused his attention on one person.

Heinson exclaimed, "Shaw didn't take the lead at the start; he just created opportunities for his teammates by spreading out the defense. The Lakers' three stars have such great chemistry; no team can break through their inside-outside combination."

Stockton chuckled, "If the Celtics play defense like this the whole game, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will definitely score a lot of points. Shaw can wait until Abdul-Jabbar rests before taking more shots; there's no rush."

Xiao Tu stood on the outside watching Jabbar's one-on-one fight, not in a hurry at all.

The only ones who will be anxious are the Celtics players, as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is very skilled in one-on-one situations and has a high shooting percentage.

The Celtics are on offense. Dennis pulls up for a jump shot over Magic Johnson on the left and makes it 4-2.

The Lakers' offense followed the same pattern. This time, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar received the ball in the low post on the right side, dribbled a couple of steps, and Xiao Tu squeezed through Bird in the middle to cut inside. Abdul-Jabbar drew the center's defense, turned, and passed the ball to Xiao Tu at close range.

Xiao Tu caught the ball with both hands very steadily, took a big step and took off in the penalty area, slamming it down with his right hand. 6-2.

Many spectators spontaneously jumped up from their seats, and cheers poured down from the stands like a tsunami!

Bird's constant following of Xiao Tu into the paint was futile; he didn't jump or foul prematurely, fearing foul trouble. The team can't do without his primary playmaker, otherwise their offense will suffer.

Even Bird, with his floor-bound style, couldn't stop this play. James could only give Xiao Tu a hard push from behind to try and cripple him.

The Celtics were on offense, and Bird received the ball at the high post, only to be closely marked by Xiao Tu. Unable to break free with his back to the basket, Bird tried to dribble outwards, but Xiao Tu followed and stayed close behind.

Anyone with poor physical abilities would find this kind of tenacious defense incredibly frustrating. When someone's every movement is half a beat slower than the defender's, it's impossible to shake them off.

Bird had no choice but to pass to a teammate and then make off-ball runs to look for opportunities. With his speed, it was even less likely that he could get away without the ball, unless Xiao Tu was distracted and missed his man.

The ball didn't return to Bird's hands. With the 24-second shot clock expiring, Parish's mid-range jumper near the free-throw line missed. Xiao Tu leaped high under the basket, grabbing the rebound with a one-handed grabbing motion.

Without pausing after landing, Xiao Tu made a long pass with one hand to the sprinting Johnson. His timing was perfect; Johnson used his body to push past Dennis and get away from him.

The ball flew over Dennis's head and into the three-point line. Johnson caught the ball on the right side, took three steps, and completed a two-handed dunk. 8-2.

The fans applauded again; it's not common for Xiao Tu to make a long pass to assist Johnson.

Stockton exclaimed, "Great! Shaw's assist showed impressive passing ability. He's becoming more and more well-rounded; he's not just good at scoring and rebounding."

Heinson sighed, "When Bird saw his teammate miss the shot, he immediately got back on defense, giving Shaw a lot of space to comfortably pass the ball to his teammates."

Stockton laughed and said, "I think Bird made the right choice. If he goes for the ball and Shaw passes it to a teammate, then it'll be a race against him."

Heinsson remained silent. Everyone knew the outcome of the race between the two: Xiao Tu could easily shake off Bird without the ball. In contrast, Bird seemed to be walking the ball.

The Celtics legend didn't know how to comment. He hoped the Celtics would win, but he increasingly felt that the Celtics would have a very difficult time winning today, with a chance of less than 30%, or even lower.

At this moment, Bird scored against Xiao Tu, receiving the ball on the left low post and turning to shoot a floater towards the middle, avoiding a block. He had a way to create a scoring opportunity with his skills, but being far from the basket and still unable to shake off the defense, he missed again under heavy interference.

Worthy grabbed the rebound, and the Lakers firmly took control of the game.

(End of this chapter)