Basketball miracles

Chapter 226 [Back to Back! The Treatment of a Terrible Team]

At the Heat's post-game press conference, Xiao Tu became the focus of attention.

He proved himself in just one game, just like in the preseason, carrying the Heat on his shoulders.

When reporters asked Xiao Tu to share his thoughts on the victory, he said, "I played a near-perfect game today, and I was in superb form. My teammates also performed exceptionally well. We've already developed some chemistry, and we'll be able to gel as well as we'd like faster than expected."

Of course they have a tacit understanding; when their teammates are having a bad day, they spread out and let Xiao Tu play one-on-one.

This tactic can be executed as long as the teammates aren't idiots and don't necessarily stick close to Xiao Tu. The only person close to Xiao Tu is Brian Grant, who frequently pulls out to set screens on the perimeter.

During the counterattack, the rest of the Heat only needed to run to open spots, and organizing the passing was Xiao Tu's job, which was equally simple.

Xiao Tu wouldn't criticize his teammates. He felt that his starting teammates were quite capable, at least in terms of athleticism and fighting spirit.

Even if the substitutes are only average and not very capable, Xiao Tu thinks it's only fair. If these guys played really well, they wouldn't be getting such low salaries. Except for him, a second-round pick, whose salary is dirt cheap, but he's doing the work of a superstar.

The Heat's role players will be decent in the future, as long as Xiao Tu, the time traveler, has some say.

Moreover, the substitutes weren't all useless. Alston played for a short time, scoring 6 points and 4 assists, making 1 of 2 three-point attempts.

Judging solely by his catch-and-shoot three-point ability, Alston is quite good. Last season with the Raptors, he averaged 1.1 three-pointers per game with a 39.2% success rate. When Xiao Tu draws double teams and passes the ball, Alston gets more easy shooting opportunities, making him an excellent shooting option.

The reporter asked, "You recorded another triple-double today. You've been consistently achieving triple-doubles in the preseason. Do you have any secrets to that?"

Xiao Tu casually replied, "No, I just suddenly had a breakthrough. I can score myself and also see my teammates' movements. I was quite good at rebounding back in college."

He couldn't explain why he had suddenly become such a great playmaker, and could only offer vague answers. If fans think it's because his teammates at Harvard were terrible, they're partly right.

The reporter asked, "You must be very excited to lead your team to a big victory against the Eastern Conference powerhouse 76ers today?"

Xiao Tu shook his head and said calmly, "No. We won more games in the preseason than that. We are clearly stronger than the 76ers. This victory was expected."

Xiao Tu didn't mention the number of free throws, but the gap between the two teams was indeed obvious. The Heat, who scored more points in the paint, only had 17 free throws, while Wade, who relied on drives to the basket, only had 3. The 76ers, who scored mainly from jump shots, had 30 free throws, making only 16 – a shooting percentage that left fans speechless.

A local reporter asked, "What's your opinion on the 76ers' star player, Allen Iverson?"

"I can't comment because I didn't play against him; that's a question for Wade," Xiao Tu said, deflecting the question directly.

It's really hard to evaluate Allen Iverson. He has too many fans and is extremely popular, so his opponents have to say nice things to avoid controversy.

Xiao Tu wanted to praise Iverson, but felt it would be too insincere and couldn't bring himself to do it.

Allen Iverson's field goal percentage has been around 40% in every season, with a consistent tendency to miss shots. He primarily shoots two-pointers, with a mid-range shooting percentage of less than 40%.

Iverson's total field goal attempts plus around 10 free throws resulted in a scoring average that was almost equal to his field goal attempts. If the Heat had a superstar like that, Xiao Tu would demand a trade in the summer without hesitation, anywhere would be fine with him.

Xiao Tu would offend Iverson by speaking his mind, which is completely unnecessary. Iverson has always been an idol for Black people in American slums, a politically correct superstar. He always acts like a mob boss when he goes out; the power behind him is terrifying.

Allen Iverson is known as a "fighter" not only because of his performance on the court, but also because he went to prison and fought against white people.

On February 14, 1993, Allen Iverson and several high school friends got into a fight at the Loop Bowling Alley in the Hamptons, Virginia, which escalated into a brawl involving more than 50 people. During the incident, a white woman was injured by a chair, and Iverson was charged as the perpetrator.

The presiding judge initially sentenced Iverson to 15 years in prison, suspended for 10 years, for "disrupting a public disturbance and causing disability." However, due to insufficient evidence, the verdict was overturned and the sentence was reduced to 4 months in prison.

Because of Iverson's background, if people of other races say anything unpleasant, Black people might accuse him of racial discrimination.

Xiao Tu won't gain anything by supporting Iverson. At most, befriending him will just mean taking a bunch of black thugs to casinos for high-stakes gambling and throwing money around at strip clubs.

Wade spoke very eloquently in the interview, reiterating that his idol is Iverson, that he chose the number 3 jersey because of him, and that his playing style is also modeled after him...

In his interview, Pat Riley mainly praised Xiao Tu and Wade. He especially praised Xiao Tu for having to shoulder heavy responsibilities as the core player in his rookie season, saying it was tough on him.

At the 76ers' press conference, Iverson had a somber expression throughout because a reporter asked him about training.

With Larry Brown gone this season, there's probably no one on the team to keep Allen Iverson in check. His preseason form was terrible, with a shooting percentage below 40% in every game, and only 36% in the opening game. Xiao Tu had a great day, putting up superb stats and earning a Silver Chest.

He immediately opened all the previous brass treasure chests, which contained rewards such as fruit, training auras, and daily necessities. He immediately opened the silver treasure chest, which contained a reward unrelated to basketball: a top-grade wild bear paw.

Consuming bear paws is believed to have nourishing and strengthening effects, dispel wind and dampness, and warm the middle and replenish deficiencies. It also helps promote tissue repair and enhance immunity.

Xiao Tu won't be using it anytime soon, as his lotus incarnation is directly immune to disease. He's just satisfying his appetite; there's no need to use such high-grade ingredients, and he doesn't know how to prepare them yet.

I can't possibly watch the Hong Kong movie "The Chinese Feast" and learn how to do "Searching for the Bear in the Snow" and "One Palm to Rule the World," can I?

Hmm, my cooking skills are supposed to be mystical, but they actually seem pretty good.

The Heat started the season with a back-to-back game and traveled to Boston that night.

This is the treatment a bad team receives; the league didn't have any faith in the Heat when scheduling the games.

Good schedules are always prioritized for strong teams with many star players; the rest are given more flexible schedules. Because no matter how bizarre the schedule is for bad teams, no fans will question it; nobody cares.

The Celtics are aiming for a winning start in the opening game. Media outlets believe the schedule is very favorable for the Celtics, as the Heat have fewer players to rotate and their players are at a disadvantage in terms of stamina.

The Heat players had just won their opening game and were all in a state of excitement; few of them got a good night's rest.

The next morning, Xiao Tu got up at 9:30 and ate breakfast and read the newspaper in the hotel lobby. His first career triple-double of 40+ points did not make the headlines in sports news.

The media mainly questioned Iverson's performance, believing that the 76ers' defense had deteriorated after losing renowned coach Larry Brown, and didn't mention Xiao Tu's triple-double much.

The news report was written as if the 76ers' poor defense allowed even a rookie like Sebastian Shaw to put up a triple-double, rather than praising Shaw's incredible stats.

Xiao Tu didn't know what the media in other places were saying; all he could see today were Boston newspapers. It was insane.

Despite Iverson's poor shooting performance, the media continues to praise him. The general idea is that everyone else on the 76ers is useless, so Iverson needs to take more shots and handle the ball.

The term "ball control" will become very popular in the future. Some fans genuinely believe that if Iverson didn't take more shots, the other 76ers players wouldn't even be able to get the ball out. He took more shots because he was the most reliable player on the team, and even in the entire league, and this reliability isn't measured by shooting percentage.

So how do we measure it? It's simple: whoever shoots the most is the best, regardless of accuracy.

The media focused their coverage on the Lakers.

The Lakers easily defeated the Mavericks 109-93 in their home opener.

The five-star Mavericks had no defense at all, and coach Don Nelson was forced to start 201cm power forward Danny Foster and bench Antawn Jamison.

Last season, Foster was just a fringe player for the Warriors, playing 17 games and averaging 3.5 points and 4.3 rebounds.

As a result, none of the five star players performed well, and the Mavericks could only rely on offense without fast breaks, with four of their forwards overlapping in position.

Basketball experts showered the Lakers with praise, saying that the Lakers' stars won the game easily without even putting in any effort.

The Lakers had a balanced attack, with six players scoring in double figures. The best performer was new signing Gary Payton, who racked up 21 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists, and 2 steals, shooting 50% from the field.

O'Neal played only 32 minutes, scoring 16 points, grabbing 9 rebounds, and dishing out 5 assists, displaying selflessness.

Karl Malone nearly had a triple-double with 15 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists.

Devin George, Derek Fisher, and Brian Russell also scored in double figures. The Lakers have incredible roster depth and move the ball very well.

Kobe's absence from the opening game gave the Mavericks a star player, which was a major reason why everyone favored the Lakers.

Kobe underwent knee surgery in Eagle County, Colorado this summer, and then he was involved in a lawsuit.

(End of this chapter)