Basketball miracles

Chapter 135 [Playoff Super Triple-Double]

Xiao Tu was exceptionally excited today, feeling like he was omnipotent.

He dominated the court even without any superhuman buffs, which made him feel even more accomplished. This proves that he is inherently very strong and has developed practical skills, not just physical advantages.

As long as the ball gets to Xiao Tu, even if he doesn't score, he can still assist his teammates. He's figured it out; he knows how to play the game correctly, not just by physically overwhelming his opponents.

At 5 minutes and 43 seconds, English missed a jump shot from the left side at a 60-degree angle, and Xiao Tu grabbed the rebound, his 19th.

No one on the Nuggets was contesting offensive rebounds; as long as the ball bounced towards Xiao Tu, he could easily grab it.

English looked utterly helpless as he returned to defense. He felt desperate, yet he couldn't deliberately slow down the pace and avoid shooting.

Who slows down the pace when they're behind? The Nets did that in the regular season, and that's incredibly embarrassing. English is a star player; he can't afford to lose face like that.

Magic Johnson then scored two baskets, consistently finding easy scoring opportunities. The Nuggets' defensive focus remained on Xiao Tu, and Johnson faced lax defense after pick-and-rolls, allowing him to directly attack the basket.

With the Lakers leading by more than 20 points, Pat Riley substituted Johnson and Worthy, leaving only Xiao Tu on the court to lead the bench. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar didn't play a single minute in the final quarter, effectively clocking out as a spectator.

Fans see this as a clear sign that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is about to enter his "retirement period." He needs to focus on making the most of his limited playing time and avoid constantly pushing himself too hard.

Nuggets coach Doc Rivers still fielded four starters, hoping to minimize the loss and limit Xiao Tu's performance.

What stats Xiao Tu will put up is the final suspense of the game. If he manages a triple-double, everyone on the Nuggets will be scorned.

They will be more embarrassing than the Nets. Xiao Tu's super performance in the Western Conference Finals is far more impressive than his regular season performance.

At 4 minutes and 40 seconds, during a Lakers half-court offense, Xiao Tu received the ball beyond the three-point line after a screen, and Wayne immediately stepped up to provide close defense.

Even when Xiao Tu is beyond the three-point line, the defender doesn't dare to let him easily pull up for a shot.

Xiao Tu shielded the ball with his back to the basket to facilitate the attack, and passed it close to Scott, who was making a run down the left flank. Scott immediately turned and shot, scoring despite TR-Dunne's interference!
This play wasn't particularly impressive; Scott's shooting percentage was also low, going 1-for-3 against Dunn's defense. However, it was Xiao Tu's 10th assist, making it very important.

Scott is good at reading people's expressions. After entering the game, he took three shots directly after receiving a pass from Xiao Tu, just to give him an assist.

In Xiao Tu's opinion, Scott's approach was perfectly reasonable; he's a true brother.

When the Lakers' home DJ passionately announced that Xiao Tu had completed a triple-double, countless home fans stood up, applauded, and cheered.

The last time Xiao Tu had a breakout performance was in an away game, which was a bit of a disappointment for Lakers fans who couldn't be there in person. Today, that disappointment was made up for, and many people were planning to keep their ticket stubs as souvenirs, having witnessed a miracle.

This is a statistic a player can brag about for a lifetime: the first 50+ triple-double in the NBA playoffs!

The Nuggets players' mentality completely collapsed, affecting their offense. Their star player, English, missed another mid-range shot under pressure, and Xiao Tu grabbed the defensive rebound, his 20th of the game.

Backup center Kupchak doesn't try to grab rebounds, he just boxes out players. Right now, Xiao Tu is being matched up against the 198cm tall Knight, who is giving it his all for the offensive rebound, but Xiao Tu manages to push him so hard that he only jumps 30cm.

The two were vastly different in strength; Knight was only the size of a shooting guard. He was considered strong in the 80s, a size bigger than Jordan of the same height, but he couldn't compare to a beastly power forward like Xiao Tu.

Knight is the Nuggets' most well-rounded player; even the seemingly ethereal English wouldn't dare try to match up against Xiao Tu. This team truly doesn't play defense; their chances of winning a championship are zero.

Xiao Tu's performance wasn't over yet. After Michael Cooper ran a pick-and-roll with him, he brought the ball to the right side. Xiao Tu cut to the right low post, received the ball with his back to the basket, leaned against Knight, turned towards the baseline without jumping, and faked a shot.

Veteran Isaiah had five fouls and was exhausted, so he had to leave the game to rest. Knight was at a disadvantage in terms of physical ability in every aspect. He was already afraid of Xiao Tu's fadeaway jump shot, and was directly faked out and sent flying.

Xiao Tu jumped forward, collided with Knight, and forced a shot off the backboard, drawing a foul in the process. He made the free throw, completing a 2+1 play and scoring his 53rd point, exceeding his target.

Knight was knocked away in mid-air, and even with a foul on his hand, he couldn't be held back. Xiao Tu fully utilized his strength advantage on this play.

Knight, thoroughly outplayed, started to lose his temper and tried to retaliate against Xiao Tu with a layup, only to be blocked and lose his balance, falling off the line. Knight was incredibly accurate against Cooper, but against Xiao Tu, he was practically asking for a block. He thought he had successfully shaken off Xiao Tu, but Xiao Tu was right beside him, ready to use his jumping advantage to block the shot.

Cooper retrieved the ball and launched a fast break, advancing to the frontcourt and passing to Mike McGee. McGee, who rarely passes the ball, chose to be selfless this time, drawing the defense before launching the ball high into the air inside the penalty area.

Xiao Tu followed up from the middle, caught the ball with both hands and slammed it down, jumping to the highest point where his head was level with the rim, completing an alley-oop dunk!

He pulled on the rim, kicked off the ball in mid-air, and landed with a roar and a pump of his right fist, eliciting another round of screams and cheers from the fans!
Xiao Tu is a recognized handsome guy, but his playing style and celebration moves are the most intense and passionate in NBA history.

He scored his 55th point, leaving the Nuggets completely stunned; even coach Doc Rivers forgot to call a timeout.

Doug Mo knew that calling any number of timeouts wouldn't help; the best defender was already on the court.

With the game nearing its end, Xiao Tu was still able to head-on dunk with a powerful alley-oop. How do you defend against someone like that?
This is a monster! You won't find another one like it in the entire league!
For the next minute or so, Xiao Tu was heavily guarded and had little impact, managing only one defensive rebound. Interestingly, after securing the rebound, he called a timeout himself.

He felt it was time to take a break, and Riley didn't hesitate to immediately substitute him, no longer forcing a 60+ point game.

The game was already garbage time, and Xiao Tu was only playing to pad his stats. His timeout was a form of self-protection; the Nuggets players were seething with resentment, wanting to put up a real fight with him.

The reason no one took action was because Xiao Tu's intimidating presence was too strong. The Nuggets players only dared to approach him if they ganged up on him; if one of them tried to do it alone, it would feel like suicide.

The applause from the fans in the stadium lasted for a long time. Xiao Tu waved to the fans and high-fived his teammates as he left the field. His performance today was perfect, and everyone was his fan.

Riley didn't need to devise any tactics; he could just send Rambis in and let him do whatever he wanted.

Both teams' substitutes played until the end of the game, with the Lakers defeating the Nuggets 147-124 to take a winning start to the Western Conference Finals.

In the final quarter, the Nuggets' defense was poor and their offensive efficiency was low. Their two key players, English and Knight, didn't shake hands with the Lakers players and stormed off to the locker room.

They are destined to have a sleepless night. They feel that decades from now, fans will still talk about this game and discuss how Xiao Tu, who was still a rookie, put up a super triple-double.

肖途全场出战40分钟出头，28投20中，三分球6中4，罚球11中11，得到55分21篮板10助攻2盖帽。

His field goal percentage is as high as 71%, and he makes all his free throws, a terrifyingly high percentage.

While both players achieved 50+20+10, Xiao Tu's scoring efficiency in this game was significantly higher than that of Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor. Experts were astonished by the game, as he attempted fewer than 30 shots.

While Chamberlain scored high points frequently, he averaged over 30 field goal attempts per game in five seasons. Xiao Tu's 28 field goal attempts today represent a new playoff high for him.

Xiao Tu's outstanding performance earned him a Gold Chest reward. A regular playoff victory would have earned him a Silver Chest, but exceptional performances would elevate his historical ranking.

If a star player rarely has a breakout performance in the playoffs, they'll definitely be criticized as a bust. True strength lies in performing well in crucial games. Xiao Tu's playoff performance is better than his regular season performance, and there are hardly any doubts left.

魔术师约翰逊出战36分钟，10投7中，罚球3中2，得到16分5篮板18助攻1抢断。他的数据也挺漂亮，但和肖途比算不上什么。

贾巴尔只打了22分钟，12投8中，罚球2中1，得到17分2助攻。

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who is 218cm tall, failed to grab a single rebound in this game, setting a remarkable record in his career.

The two superstars scored less than Xiao Tu combined in this game, and fans feel that it's time to change the Lakers' leader.

掘金一边，英格利什36分4篮板4助攻，奈特23分6篮板3助攻。

The Nuggets had six players score in double figures, as usual, with multiple players contributing. However, they were outrebounded by 16 and their shooting percentage was worse than the Lakers, making their crushing defeat understandable.

(End of this chapter)