Basketball miracles

Chapter 142 [They've gone berserk!]

Larry Bird is under even more psychological pressure than McHale right now because he's the Celtics' leader and has to step up and lead the team to score. The Lakers' double-teaming strategy was very successful in the first quarter, and Bird's performance on offense was mediocre.

KC Jones won't assign Bird to primarily guard Xiao Tu, not only to allow Bird to focus on offense, but also because he knows Bird can't defend him. Even in the regular season, their matchups, especially the fast breaks, were a nightmare for Bird.

If Bird had been able to defend, he wouldn't have committed such a vicious foul and ended up in the hospital after being punched by Xiao Tu.

On the defensive end, Xiao Tu looked at the worried-looking McHale with boundless confidence, feeling as if golden flames were burning within him.

No one can stop him from putting up incredible numbers today; he's unstoppable.

Forget about those two Celtic guys who can't even jump high, even if the opponent is a cosmic emperor who can transform three times, he can still crush them today! Because he's already a Super Saiyan.

When Xiao Tu first joined the Lakers, he often fantasized before bed about a closely contested and incredibly close Finals game against the Celtics. In the end, he hit a buzzer-beating game-winning shot, securing a narrow victory and helping his team win the championship.

Now he feels that he was too naive.

Where did this idea of ​​an evenly matched contest come from? My strength doesn't allow it.

In the NBA of the 80s, the main tactic was to spread out the floor and let star players take turns playing one-on-one; all teams did the same. Those incredibly advanced, lost-to-the-path tactics that some fans fantasize about in the future simply don't exist.

If the Celtics coach dares to have McHale guard me the whole time, I'm going to challenge for 60 points today!
I'm going to break the NBA Finals single-game scoring record!

Xiao Tu's source of power is not anger, but ambition! Ambition drives him to become stronger and stronger, and he will never be satisfied!
The Celtics players passed the ball around the perimeter several times, but still couldn't penetrate the paint. Only Danny Ainge had a good shooting opportunity, receiving the ball on the right baseline and hitting a mid-range jumper over Magic Johnson. 25-14.

Riley's defensive strategy was clear: tightly guard the star players and leave role players open for mid-range and long-range jump shots. Johnson left Ainge some space to double-team Bird, and when he rushed out to defend, he could only provide slight interference.

The Lakers were on offense. Johnson's drive failed, so he lobbed the ball to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the right low post. Abdul-Jabbar turned and hooked the ball towards the baseline, but after a slight contact with Parish, he stumbled and couldn't jump, and the ball bounced off the rim.

Parish grabbed the rebound and passed it to Dennis to initiate a fast break, then passed the ball to Bird in the left corner. Bird received the ball and attempted a jump shot for a three-pointer, but missed due to Worthy's interference.

The ball bounced far to the right, but Kareem Abdul-Jabbar failed to box out, and Parish grabbed the offensive rebound. Parish faked a shot, then turned and attempted a fadeaway jumper, but it missed under pressure. This time, Xiao Tu secured the rebound.

Several players were crammed into the penalty area and couldn't jump high enough, but Xiao Tu's leap stood out from the crowd. He passed the ball to Johnson to launch a counter-attack, and Johnson took a step and made a long pass to Scott, who was making a run down the right flank.

Scott shook off Dennis without the ball, caught it, took three steps, and slammed it home with his right hand! 27-14.

McHale was too far from the basket to help defend Xiao Tu. Bird jumped slightly behind Scott, but still couldn't block the shot.

Despite Scott's lack of status with the Lakers, spending most of his two seasons as a substitute, he was actually the fourth overall pick in the 1983 draft and possessed outstanding physical attributes.

If Scott had started his career on a bad team, it wouldn't have been difficult for him to average 20 points per game, given his physical attributes and skills.

Besides Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the Lakers' other four starters all possessed a clear advantage in athleticism. If the two teams were to engage in a fast break battle, the Celtics would undoubtedly lose.

In a half-court offense, after a few passes on the perimeter, McHale called for the ball at the right low post at a 45-degree angle, and Bird lobbed it to him.

Since the start of the game, McHale has only taken one shot, which was blocked. He wanted to try and force his way past Xiao Tu, otherwise, the frustration in his heart was suffocating him.

McHale isn't a blue-collar player; he once scored 56 points in a regular season game. He wasn't willing to be dominated by Xiao Tu throughout the game, so he had to score! If his stats looked better, even if the team lost, the defeat wouldn't have been so humiliating.

McHale received the ball just outside the penalty area, lowered his center of gravity, and headed it twice with his back to the goal... still just outside the penalty area.

In this round, Xiao Tu deliberately defended with his body upright, neither of his arms raised, and a contemptuous smile on his lips. Whenever a reporter snapped a close-up photo, it became a classic moment that fans discussed for a long time.

Dude, put some effort into it, I haven't even moved.

Kun Kun's Iron Mountain Lean looks stronger than yours.

Seeing that his physical approach wasn't working, McHale started using technical skills, faking left and right with his shoulders while dribbling, then turning and shooting a fadeaway jumper towards the middle. Xiao Tu thought this could be considered a jump shot, but McHale jumped at most 30cm and didn't have much bounce. He was light and floaty, usually relying on his height and wingspan to create space for his shot.

Then McHale witnessed a terrifying scene he would never forget: Xiao Tu leaped up and down, catching the ball he had thrown in mid-air with both hands.

Stockton yelled, "Block! Shaw has done this kind of defense more than once this season!"

Heinson didn't know how to comment. Looking at Xiao Tu's physical attributes, McHale's choice to attack was a mistake.

It's so sad, I feel so sad for you.

Even the home team's data recorder didn't know how to record the data. Was it a block or a steal? After a brief moment of thought, he recorded both, as recording only one wouldn't highlight Xiao Tu's prowess.

Countless home fans screamed; witnessing such a highlight made the ticket price worthwhile, no matter how expensive.

Xiao Tu landed, dribbled past the bewildered McHale, and advanced to the frontcourt before passing to Johnson. Just as Johnson was about to accelerate and force a breakthrough, Ainge quickly fouled him, decisively avoiding a free throw.

Ainge had no choice but to foul; McHale was stunned, dazed and unable to get back on defense in time, resulting in a 3-on-3 situation in the frontcourt. If he hesitated even slightly at that moment, a Lakers player might have dunked again.

The live TV broadcast showed a replay of Xiao Tu's block and defensive play, leaving viewers in awe.

Xiao Tu's judgment was accurate, he didn't fall for the fake, and his jumping speed was amazing, leaping more than half a meter higher than McHale. Celtics fans were cursing the referee at this point, believing Xiao Tu's play was goaltending and that there was biased officiating at the Lakers' home court.

Worthy inbounded the ball, which was then passed to the right side. Johnson passed it to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the low post. Xiao Tu made a cut, and Abdul-Jabbar, with his back to goal, observed his teammates' runs and passed the ball between Parish and Ainge to the middle.

Xiao Tu received the ball, took a big step and drove to the basket, jumped up with both feet and slammed the ball into the hoop with his right hand, despite the physical contact with McHale! 29 to 14.

Xiao Tu scored his 16th point, completely unleashing his scoring prowess!

McHale would have two fouls and have to sit out if he committed another foul, so he didn't dare to foul directly. He jumped up and was two heads shorter than Xiao Tu, and was dunked on.

McHale was knocked out of bounds and landed on his backside. Xiao Tu landed and passed by him, clenching his fists and roaring. The cameraman gave him a close-up shot.

This goal will definitely appear frequently in Xiao Tu's highlight reels in the future; it's a dunk over someone in the Finals! The roar from the stands was like a tsunami lifting the roof; the fans went wild.

KC Jones called another timeout in frustration, as Xiao Tu completely outmaneuvered McHale in less than a quarter. If the Celtics continued playing like this, they wouldn't have any chance of winning and would likely suffer a very humiliating defeat.

A rookie was playing like a maniac in the Finals; the Celtics were utterly humiliated. Of course, Xiao Tu wasn't just any rookie; he looked like Superman!

Stockton said, "I simply can't believe Shaw started the game with a perfect 16-point shooting night, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks. If the Celtics hadn't double-teamed him, he would have put up another incredible number of stats today."

Heinsson remarked, "He's off the ball most of the time, so opponents can't directly double-team him. Once he gets the ball in the penalty area, double-teaming him is also difficult to achieve."

Stockton said, "Shaw has already won the All-Star Game MVP, and if he wins the Finals MVP as well, he'll almost have a Grand Slam this year."

Heinson said, "He had the upper hand against Bird twice during the regular season, and he performed even better against McHale today. He's already set to have a double-double. Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar can't match his stats."

KC Jones emphasized the double-teaming tactic from the sidelines, instructing McHale, "You have to stay calm, don't fight Shaw. Go out to the three-point line and pull him out, don't let him help defend, understand?"

McHale nodded with a worried look, knowing he was unlikely to put up any impressive stats today. His forte was post-up offense, and attacking Xiao Tu was proving too difficult.

Without data, his popularity would definitely plummet after the match.

McHale has shown star potential in this year's playoffs, averaging 23 points, 10 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 2 blocks per game in the first three rounds, with a shooting percentage as high as 58%. Some experts believe that his scoring ability is comparable to Bird's, and that he is a seriously underrated interior star.

It now seems this expert was deliberately trying to discredit Bird. McHale, who is no less skilled than Bird, was almost brought to tears by Xiao Tu in the first quarter.

(End of this chapter)