Basketball miracles

Chapter 48 [Are you kidding me?]

In the first five minutes of the first quarter, the Lakers led 16-10, with Xiao Tu scoring no points but grabbing 4 rebounds.

His tactical role is crucial, and even when he doesn't score, he's still very noticeable on the court.

After setting a screen, he positioned himself on the perimeter, preventing Olajuwon from retreating to the basket to defend. Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scored repeatedly, creating excellent one-on-one offensive opportunities.

The two star centers appear to be similar in physique, but Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is not afraid of players like Ralph Sampson at all, and he dislikes physical confrontations with strong players. He can move freely against Sampson, maintaining a perfect offensive rhythm, making it much easier for him than when he plays one-on-one against Xiao Tu in practice.

Rockets coach Bill Fitch knew Sampson's weaknesses and didn't dare to match him up against Xiao Tu. He was too skinny and unstable, and definitely wouldn't be able to stop Xiao Tu's inside cut.

On the defensive end, Xiao Tu was even more effective, consistently keeping opponents outside the paint and reducing their shooting percentage. Olajuwon couldn't gain an advantage in physical duels with him, and his exceptional ability to grab offensive rebounds couldn't be fully utilized.

Hakeem Olajuwon is currently averaging 5 offensive rebounds per game, outperforming second-year player Sampson. Even so, Xiao Tu's rebounding ability is still superior.

The Rockets are a team that doesn't shoot three-pointers; their twin-tower strategy involves taking shots as close to the basket as possible. This results in short rebounds for Rockets players when they miss, as the rebounds don't bounce far, which is advantageous for the defense.

When Xiao Tu focuses on the defensive end, he's a super rebounding machine with no weaknesses. Hakeem Olajuwon was also a rebounding expert, but he couldn't jump as high.

Hakeem Olajuwon had a poor start, scoring 2 points and grabbing 1 rebound, shooting 1-for-3 with low efficiency.

Coach Fitch called a timeout and made a substitution, bringing on 191cm point guard Lionel Hollins, who replaced Lucas II.

The Rockets executed a play, with McRae cutting along the baseline to receive the ball and scoring a layup. 16-12.

The Lakers were on offense. Xiao Tu first set a screen for Magic Johnson in the middle, then ran to the right corner. This move caught the Rockets off guard. Olajuwon and Hollins double-teamed Johnson, who then passed the ball to the corner.

Xiao Tu received the ball and had an open three-pointer. Olajuwon couldn't catch up and the ball went in cleanly! 19-12.

Stockton shouted, "Three-pointer! Shaw made a three-pointer on his very first shot of the game!"

Heinson laughed, "An inside player running to the corner to shoot? I've never seen anything like that before. I think only Shaw would play like that in basketball. So casual."

Stockton laughed, "If he can maintain his shooting percentage, no one can stop this kind of offense, and there's no way to double-team him in the corner."

After scoring, Xiao Tu ran to the sidelines and gave Pat Riley a high-five. He wasn't just practicing his three-pointers from the middle; he was also quite accurate with those from the right corner. Riley knew he was open and ready to capitalize on that, so he set up plays for him during the timeout.

In future basketball games, the two corners will be crucial shooting spots, and all teams will incorporate them into their tactics. These two positions are closest to the basket for three-point shots, making it easier to spread out the defense. The NBA three-point line is 7.24 meters, and the corner is 6.7 meters.

In the 80s, the corner was an abandoned position. Few players took shots from that spot, and the defense didn't bother with it.

Everyone agrees that "the closer you are to the basket, the more accurate your shot." Even if someone occasionally stands in the corner, it's to be ready to start a baseline drive to the basket at any time, not to receive the ball on the perimeter and shoot.

When Hakeem Olajuwon saw Xiao Tu's goal, he had absolutely no interest in imitating it and was thinking, "Are you kidding me?"
Rockets coach Fitch also believes that Xiao Tu is just playing recklessly, and that Riley's decision to allow him to shoot three-pointers is excessive indulgence of a rookie. He warned that if Xiao Tu develops bad habits in the future, he will be ruined.

Rockets offense: Shooting guard Lloyd isolates against Byron Scott and hits a pull-up jumper. 19-14.

As the Lakers attacked, Xiao Tu continued to screen for his teammates, positioning himself outside the three-point line in the middle of the court.

This time, Olajuwon didn't dare switch to guard Johnson. Johnson dribbled down the left flank and successfully broke through, drawing Sampson's help defense before passing the ball to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the baseline.

Hakeem Olajuwon showed good defensive awareness, retreating to try and block Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Abdul-Jabbar, holding the ball with one hand, faked Olajuwon out of the air and hooked the ball to Xiao Tu, who was cutting into the middle.

Xiao Tu received the ball and leaped up, but Sampson rushed over to help defend, creating a head-on confrontation. The Rockets' strength lies in their twin towers; both players consistently put up numerous blocks and average double-digit rebounds, giving them a significant advantage in the paint.

After taking off, Xiao Tu slightly turned his body, raised his left arm to wedge Sampson's arm, and then slammed his right hand down the dunk!

Xiao Tu was half a head shorter than Sampson but jumped higher and was stronger. The two collided in mid-air, and Xiao Tu knocked Sampson out of bounds, then slammed the ball into the basket with his right hand! 21 to 14. Sampson landed unsteadily and sat on the ground, unfortunately becoming the backdrop for the game.

Xiao Tu landed steadily, pounding his chest and roaring, exuding domineering power.

The fans in the stadium all stood up and cheered, and the noise level inside the stadium was like that of an airplane taking off.

Stockton exclaimed, "My God, Shaw dunked on Sampson, who is 224cm tall. Is he planning to single-handedly defeat the Rockets' two number one draft picks today?"

Heinson exclaimed, "He's truly versatile, capable of playing inside and outside, and he delivers amazing dunks every game. When he saw Sampson standing under the basket, he didn't even try to hide; he just charged straight at him."

Stockton said, "Jack Nicholson, the Oscar winner in the front row, seemed to want to rush in and give Xiao Tu a high-five, and Xiao Tu waved back."

Nicholson is already a die-hard fan of Xiao Tu; they have each other's contact information, and the two have even had lunch together. The only time Xiao Tu ever had lunch with a fan was with a male fan, and that even made the news.

After another minute, Olajuwon finally grabbed an offensive rebound and tried to dunk it back. Xiao Tu jumped up and pulled Olajuwon and the ball down from the air with both hands.

It's difficult for Xiao Tu to block Olajuwon's dunk, but it's easy to foul him to stop him. The key is to be ruthless!
Hakeem Olajuwon was furious, but he didn't intend to get into a physical altercation with Xiao Tu. The cheers from the Lakers' home crowd put immense psychological pressure on him.

He discovered that Xiao Tu's upper body strength was terrifying, like that of a peak Moses Malone, as brutal as a foul.

Hakeem Olajuwon earned two free throw opportunities, at which point Riley substituted Kurt Rambis for Xiao Tu. He wanted Rambis to tire Olajuwon out so that Xiao Tu could lead the team's offense in the second quarter.

The Lakers needed an inside offensive option in the second quarter. Previously, Rambis and Kupchak's inside partnership had performed terribly, getting dominated against all teams.

Xiao Tu was matched up against Hakeem Olajuwon, and both of them were very uncomfortable, with no easy opportunities to score.

Hakeem Olajuwon missed both free throws amid boos from the fans, delivering a poor performance.

In the latter part of the first quarter, Hakeem Olajuwon had an easier time against the 203cm tall Rambis, making three shots and scoring 8 points and grabbing 3 rebounds in the quarter.

The Lakers led by a small margin, 31-26, after the first quarter.

The game became less exciting after Xiao Tu left the field, and there was much less applause from the audience.

Even if Magic Johnson played the entire quarter and delivered numerous brilliant passes, it couldn't match the shock and excitement that Xiao Tu's dunk brought to the fans.

Despite trailing by a small margin, Olajuwon had a bad feeling. His playing time and Xiao Tu's playing time were different, and he didn't think his teammate could stop him in the second half.

Riley arranged it this way intentionally; if it works well, he can try this substitution method again in the future. He never considers the game to be a one-on-one match and doesn't like watching players and opponents go toe-to-toe.

He doesn't like making fixed substitutions; he can make adjustments based on the opponent's lineup. Today, Xiao Tu is very suitable to lead the substitutes.

Xiao Tu needs impressive stats to contend for Rookie of the Year, and the Lakers' management and coaching staff are happy to help him pad his numbers. Today, he absolutely cannot have worse stats than Hakeem Olajuwon.

In the second quarter, the Lakers' five players were Michael Cooper, Mike McGee, Larry Spriggs, Bob McAdu, and Xiao Tu.

With Xiao Tu playing center and veteran McAdu, a player with considerable scoring ability, returning from injury, the Lakers' lineup boasts a strong offensive force, offering scoring options both inside and outside, while also spacing the floor.

Rockets coach Fitch is accustomed to making predictable substitutions. The substitutions include Lucas II, Mitchell Wiggins, Robert Reid, Jim Peterson, and Sampson.

He arranged for a star center to lead the bench players, both capable of contributing on both ends of the court. If this year's third-round fourth overall pick, power forward Jim Peterson, were to match up against Xiao Tu, it would be tantamount to forfeiting the game.

This is exactly the matchup Riley wants to see; he believes Xiao Tu can beat Sampson one-on-one. It wouldn't be interesting if the Rockets coach assigned a substitute to defend Xiao Tu.

(End of this chapter)