Basketball miracles

Chapter 39 [Even Jesus can't keep you, I'm telling you]

Freddie hung up the phone and reported his work to Madonna truthfully.

Madonna was furious again. "How could you possibly have contacted him so quickly? It's only been five minutes! You didn't actually contact him at all; you didn't want to invite him, did you?"

Freddie explained, "Chris is Shaw's roommate, and I have his contact information."

Madonna paused for a moment, then asked, "Who is Chris?"

Eastwood.

"Oh, it's him."

Madonna was still angry and called Chris over to ask what had happened. "You're Shaw's friend, didn't you tell him about me? I invited him to star in the music video, why did he refuse?"

Chris Khan said, "He's usually too busy to listen to music, and when he has time, he goes out to practice basketball. I think... he's probably not interested in making music videos."

"My songs are playing everywhere now, and he doesn't even want to appear on camera with me? Doesn't his girlfriend think he's out of touch with the times?" Madonna has become incredibly popular this year, and her ego has inflated a little.

"He doesn't have a girlfriend, all he does is play basketball. He's so good because he trains so hard. I can vouch for him, he's really too busy, he's flying to Detroit tonight."

Madonna licked her lips and put on a smiling face: "So when is he coming back?"

"I'll be back after the game against the Pistons, probably late tomorrow night."

“Okay, when he gets back, I’ll go to his door and talk to him myself. I don’t believe he won’t agree.” Madonna laughed. “You lead the way, Eastwood.”

"My name is Chris Ford."

“Okay, Eastwood.”

"..." Chris hadn't expected Xiao Tu to be so charming; Madonna seemed to be completely devoted to him.

Madonna is that kind of individualistic person; once she sets her mind on something, she has to do it. If she can't do it, she'll find a way to do it. Years ago, she impulsively dropped out of college and flew to New York alone to pursue her musical dreams, arriving with only $35 in her pocket.

Impulsive paranoiacs are more likely to succeed than normal people, and Xiao Tu was unaware that he was being targeted.

That evening, Xiao Tu flew with the team to Detroit, where they faced the Pistons from the East.

Xiao Tu would never play for the Pistons; he felt uncomfortable as soon as he arrived in Detroit. It was too dark here, the city was dirty and chaotic, and the people were dark-skinned. As far as the eye could see, it was a sea of ​​black.

Detroit is the largest city in Michigan and the fourth largest city in the United States. However, Detroit is now showing signs of becoming a "ghost town".

As competition intensified in the automotive industry and globalization progressed, Detroit's manufacturing sector gradually lost its competitiveness. Simultaneously, mismanagement of the city's finances and racial issues exacerbated its decline. High unemployment and poverty drove many residents out of the city, leading to population loss and rising crime rates.

This is the highlight match of this round, not only because both sides have star players, but also because their coaches are very capable.

Before coaching the Pistons, Chuck Daly was a failed coach. He only served as head coach of the Cavaliers in the 1981-82 season, with a winning percentage of 22% in 41 games, before being unsurprisingly fired.

In 1983, he became the head coach of the Pistons. Against all odds, he led the underdog Pistons to become a strong team in the Eastern Conference with a winning percentage of 59.8%.

The game kicked off on time the next day at the Pistons' home arena, the "Silver Dome".

Before the starting players came out for the jump ball, Bill Laimbeer, the 211cm Pistons star center, walked up to Xiao Tu and said menacingly, "Kid, if you dare to dunk today, I'll kill you."

Xiao Tu glanced at Lambiel a few times. He was a white man with a refined appearance, not very muscular, and only slightly taller than him. He didn't seem intimidating.

Lambiel was known for his tough defense and dirty play, as well as being a master of trash talk. He enjoyed provoking his opponents with trash talk, making them angry and uneasy. Due to his frequent injuries, Lambiel earned the nickname "The Axe-Wielding Rascal".

Xiao Tu stared into Lambiel's eyes and smiled, "Then you'd better succeed this time. If I don't die, even Jesus can't save you, I'm telling you." "..." Even someone as cunning as Lambiel was stunned for a moment. He could tell that Xiao Tu was truly unafraid of him and was mentally prepared for a fight.

Laimbeer is actually a smart player who uses his brain. He didn't want to get into a fight with Xiao Tu and both of them foul out. He's the only tall player on the Pistons; if he goes off the court, who will guard Kareem Abdul-Jabbar?
Whether he's provoking his opponents or committing vicious fouls, his aim is always to intimidate them and win the game. If he's not aggressive enough, his defense won't be good enough; frankly, he's exploiting loopholes in the rules where there's no malicious intent.

The Pistons' power forward position is their weakness; they knew before the game they couldn't defend it, which is why Laimbeer came to intimidate Xiao Tu. Starting power forward Dan Laundfeld is 203cm tall and weighs 97kg—how can he possibly contend with Xiao Tu?
Laimbeer wasn't even matched up against Xiao Tu. Even if he was primarily responsible for guarding Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, he might not be able to stop him. How could he possibly have the energy to help his teammates with defense?
He was just bluffing, trying to put psychological pressure on Xiao Tu.

Xiao Tu was genuinely prepared for a fight in this game and would focus on attacking the basket. Since entering the league, he has been cultivating a tough-guy image for himself; in the NBA, no tough guy is immune to fighting.

He's selective about his opponents; fighting with a good-natured star would damage his image. He considers Laimbeer the best rival—notorious—and believes that if they fought, the fans would definitely side with him.

By attacking Lambiel, Xiao Tu was both forceful and on the side of justice; it was self-defense. President David Stern wouldn't blame Xiao Tu for his roughness; he would only feel even more disgusted with Lambiel.

Moreover, he was confident he could beat Laimbeer. Laimbeer was a floor-bound white center whose explosiveness was far inferior to his.

In a parallel universe, the 198cm tall Barkley completely dominated a fight with Laimbeer, leaving him bruised and battered. Afterwards, the 76ers owner paid Barkley's fine, and he became a model of "eliminating a menace for the people."

The two had different mindsets, with Xiao Tu's momentum clearly in control. They were speaking quite loudly, which surprised both teams' players.

The Lakers players wanted to applaud Xiao Tu; he was truly tough and didn't need veterans to impart their experience. He clearly didn't need anyone's help, and no one could bully him on the court.

Pistons players are worried that in a few years, Xiao Tu will become even more ruthless than Laimbeer.

Lakers starting lineup: Magic Johnson, Byron Scott, James Worthy, Shaw, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Pistons starting lineup: Isaiah Thomas, John Long, Kelly Tripka, Laundfield, Laimbeer.

The Pistons' "Bad Boys" team was not officially formed. Joe Dumars, an important outside scorer, was a rookie in 1985, Dennis Rodman was a rookie in 86, and Rick Mahorn, the team's primary scorer, had not yet joined the team.

This Pistons team is much weaker overall than the Lakers, relying mainly on their perimeter players for scoring. "The Smiling Assassin" Isiah Thomas is the team's core player, and he and Magic Johnson are the main focus today.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won the jump ball, giving the Lakers the first possession.

Xiao Tu set a screen for Johnson on the perimeter. After the screen, Johnson dribbled past the 185cm tall Thomas. Johnson drove to the right, drawing Laimbeer's attention before passing to Xiao Tu, who was cutting inside from the middle.

Johnson used his peripheral vision to observe his teammates' positions and made the perfect passing timing.

Xiao Tu forcefully broke free from Laundfeld's pull, received the ball and charged forward, taking a big step and jumping with both feet inside the penalty area, powerfully slamming the ball into the basket with his right hand! 2-0.

This thunderous dunk silenced the Pistons' home court, and the Lakers took control of the game from the away game!

Xiao Tu's fighting style is like Cheng Yaojin's three-stroke axe attack; those who haven't seen it before are basically unable to defend against it. He likes to engage in physical battles, and opponents who are physically weaker than him are left dumbfounded.

32岁的劳恩德菲尔德上赛季在老鹰队场均能砍下18.9分9.9篮板2.5助攻1盖帽，本赛季因为伤病状态严重下滑。拼身体，他都未必能拼过湖人板凳席上的科特-兰比斯。

His grab on Xiao Tu was too forceful; a strict referee could have easily called a foul. Even so, he couldn't stop the cut and was forcibly pushed aside by Xiao Tu.

Laimbeer left Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the baseline, but Abdul-Jabbar was a step too slow to jump and couldn't even commit a foul. In the first possession, the Pistons' two big men experienced firsthand what it meant to be outmatched in talent.

The goal was followed by something even more exciting. Instead of celebrating with his usual chest-pounding roar, Xiao Tu spread his hands and looked around as if searching for someone.

Everyone knew he was looking for Lambiel; he didn't utter any nonsense, and his silence spoke volumes.

I dunked! Where are you, Laimbeer?
Didn't you say you wouldn't let me dunk and that you were going to kill me?

(End of this chapter)