Where the noise did not reach

Chapter 127 Anyone who dares to stop my team, I will end their life!
Jaffaroni's adjustment was to replace the inaccurate Josh Howard with Trevor Ariza, who had a stellar second quarter.

However, it was Jason Kidd who helped the team break the deadlock after the timeout.

Kidd backed down Rondo in the low post and hit a jump shot after a post-up, barely stopping the bleeding for his team.

But this was merely a flash in the pan. The Celtics' defensive intensity did not decrease in the slightest.

Garnett dominated the paint, grabbing offensive rebounds and scoring on second-chance opportunities. Pierce also found his rhythm, hitting a three-pointer.

54:44.

The Grizzlies' defense was already crumbling under the Celtics' relentless pressure.

The North Shore Garden was transformed into a surging green ocean, with waves of cheers rising higher and higher, boiling over the home team's defensive feast.

The Celtics taught Xu Ling a lesson in the cruelest way possible—he relied too much on shooting.

When a true playoff-caliber team starts playing at full intensity and engaging in physical contact, even a historically great shooter like Stephen Curry will inevitably experience dramatic fluctuations in his shooting percentage, let alone him.
The intensity of competition in the NCAA is simply incomparable to that.

Looking back at all his highlights since his rookie season—against Kobe's Lakers, against LeBron's Cavaliers, and even his explosion in the last five minutes of the All-Star Game—they all have one thing in common: the opponents either only have one or two strong defensive players who cannot effectively limit his pick-and-roll offense, or they simply don't have any decent defense at all.

Moreover, most teams don't play defense with all their might during the regular season.

But the playoffs are a battlefield where you can't joke around.

Being taught a lesson by a top team like the Celtics before stepping onto that brutal stage is by no means a bad thing.

But must the price of this growth be a crushing defeat?

The Grizzlies have not yet secured a playoff spot. If they suffer a crushing defeat to the Celtics at this point, will the team's already fragile morale crumble completely?
When Pierce sank that three-pointer, his smugness was undisguised. Recalling Xu Ling's sharp words in the first half, he couldn't help but shout, "It's time to teach this arrogant brat what respect is!"

The score is now 54-44, with the Celtics leading by 10 points.

Ariza did not make an immediate impact after coming on.

The Grizzlies were unable to break down the Celtics' defense.

Are they going to fall here? Just like the Rockets with their 22-game winning streak, just like the Hornets a few days ago, is there really no team in the West that can beat the Celtics, except for the Mavericks?
Xu Ling stood at the baseline, ready to serve.

He glanced at the scoreboard, then at Pierce who was celebrating wildly, and then gave Kidd a barely perceptible nod.

Kidd understood immediately.

He knew better than anyone that when ball possession and attack were completely shut down, the only way out was to run, to run without stopping.

The Grizzlies inbounded the ball from the baseline, and Kidd dribbled across half-court, maintaining a steady pace.

This time, Xu Ling did not linger or wait on the flank.

He suddenly started moving, first feigning a move towards the baseline to draw Pierce's attention, then making a sharp counter-run, using a solid screen set up by Milicic at the top of the arc to penetrate the penalty area.

The run was extremely sudden, and Pierce was completely blocked by Milicic.

Rick Perkins must have realized the danger and immediately collapsed to help defend the basket.

But just as Xu Ling made his cut, Kidd's bounce pass was delivered like a precision-guided missile.

Xu Ling received the ball and jumped without hesitation.

Perkins leaped to block, but Xu Ling made a clear contact in the air, leaning against Perkins and using his excellent core strength to pull off a small layup, avoiding the block and flicking the ball towards the backboard with his hand.

The basketball bounced off the backboard and went into the net!

54 is better than 46!

And the referee also called a defensive foul on Perkins, which is an And One!

Finally, a breach was torn in the Celtics' impenetrable defense.

Perkins was still complaining to the referee that he hadn't made any extra moves, but Xu Ling stood silently at the free throw line.

Xu Ling then scored the penalty.

54 is better than 47
Xu Ling returned to defense, ignoring Pierce's presence.

Pierce's face darkened as he yelled at his teammates, "Watch out for his off-the-ball movement! Don't let that kid cut in so easily again!"

Momentum, such an elusive thing, can influence each other.

At the start of the second half, the Celtics' defense suffocated the Grizzlies, who missed several shots. Now, Xu Ling broke through the Celtics' defense with his off-ball movement, and the Celtics, returning to offense, were unable to respond to this play.

Garnett's turnaround jump shot missed due to Milicic's interference. Xu Lingchong grabbed the rebound.

Then, Xu Ling still didn't hold the ball, but passed it to Kidd.

Once in the frontcourt, Xu Ling seemed tireless, constantly weaving between the baseline and the wing, using screens from Warrick and Ariza to move from the strong side to the weak side. Ray Allen and Pierce, who was responsible for help defense, were overwhelmed by this continuous screens.

In that split second, Xu Ling got an extremely brief open space at a 45-degree angle on the right.

Kidd's pass arrived immediately.

Xu Ling received the ball, got up and shot.

Garnett tried his best to help defend, but he was a step too late.

"Shh!"

Hit again!

The score was 54 to 50, with the difference reduced to just 4 points.

Xu Ling scored 6 points in two clean and decisive off-ball attacks, quickly narrowing the gap.

The Celtics were forced to call a timeout.

“I thought after that finger wag, I wouldn’t be surprised by anything Eli anymore,” Mike Breen said in amazement. “But this young man’s ability to adjust tonight has once again exceeded everyone’s expectations. When the Celtics blocked his ball-handling routes with their toughest defense, he immediately switched to off-ball mode and responded to the Celtics with pure basketball IQ!”

The Celtics continued to adjust their defense.

This time, they made personnel changes.

Rivers first substituted Ray Allen, who was relatively less active tonight. This can also be interpreted as the Celtics believing that defense is more important right now. Therefore, they would rather temporarily put aside Allen's offense and bring in a player with better defense.

Their fourth-year defenseman, Tony Allen, quickly stepped onto the court.

This player, who can only shine as a key rotation player at present, has already made a name for himself in the league and is a recognized defensive expert.

Xu Ling glanced at the other person; he knew perfectly well who the Celtics were targeting by suddenly sending in this renowned defensive expert.

However, has Tony Allen now become that great defender, just lacking playing time?

Xu Ling will find out soon.

After the timeout, the Celtics scored through Garnett's strong attack inside, making it 56-50.

Xu Ling felt Tony Allen's defensive intensity from the very first round of their match—it was pure pressure.

Allen simply bent down, arms outstretched, his gaze fixed intently on Xu Ling's eyes. Those eyes were like two dark magnets, staring at the man while simultaneously searching for every subtle movement of his opponent.

The ball is still in Kidd's hands.

Xu Ling attempted to run according to the planned tactics, circling around to the baseline from the weak side before rushing out to cover the screen—but as soon as he started moving, Allen forcefully bumped him. It wasn't a foul, but it was perfectly timed.

That force seemed to be telling him, "Don't think you can get around it easily."

Kidd then waved for the inside players to go and set a screen.

Milicic stepped forward to block him, but Xu Ling took the opportunity to break free.

But Tony Allen was incredibly fast; he practically brushed past Milicic's body, just like the shadow of the cover.

The moment Xu Ling received the ball at the 45-degree angle again, Tony Allen's face was already in front of him.

Allen's defense was successful; he effectively marked Xu Ling in this possession. However, the problem lay with his teammates. The others didn't follow the expected movement patterns, and Trevor Ariza on the weak side cut in through the back door like a shadow assassin.

Kidd successfully used Xu Ling's interference to send a through pass to Ariza.

Ariza scored with a powerful drive.

Ariza's teammates on the sidelines cheered for him.

Xu Ling was observing Allen while retreating on defense, and coincidentally, Allen was also observing him.

There was no communication between the two.

In just one possession, Xu Ling knew that Tony Allen was the Celtics' best perimeter defender, and compared to him, Pierce was just a paper tiger borrowing Garnett's intimidation.

Unfortunately, Tony Allen played for the Celtics, and there was another Allen on their team, whose presence made it impossible for him to rise to the top.

This resulted in the player, who already possessed defensive skills, having to spend most of his time on the bench.

However, the aftermath of Ray Allen's departure will also impact the offense, as the Celtics will no longer be able to attack the paint at will.

Because their point guard Rajon Rondo is a disastrous shooter, Kidd basically doesn't need to worry about him as long as he doesn't have the ball. Now, Ray Allen has been replaced at shooting guard Tony Parker. This player has excellent defensive skills, but his offense can only be described as dismal. Don't be fooled by his shooting percentage; it's basically achieved by catching easy baskets. His normal offensive level is like his 30% three-point shooting percentage, which is completely incapable of relieving the pressure on the star player.

Garnett wanted to go one-on-one, but Xu Ling immediately moved into the paint to help defend.

Garnett passed the ball back to Tony Allen, who jumped up and missed a three-pointer.

Then, the Celtics' defense successfully pressured the Grizzlies, preventing them from launching an offensive offensive.

Ultimately, they will have to solve the problem through individual play.

Xu Ling cuts out, receives the ball, and turns to face Tony Allen.

"Tony, shut that bastard down! He can't beat you!"

Pierce yelled loudly.

Tony Allen's defense is undoubtedly excellent, but he doesn't get much playing time with the Celtics and lacks experience playing against star players.

This is where Xu Ling's hope for breaking the deadlock lies.

Allen remained close to Xu Ling, his defensive movements resembling high-intensity anaerobic exercise, yet remarkably consistent.

Xu Ling tried to create a difference in pace, pretending to slow down and then suddenly accelerating.

But Allen wasn't fooled at all. He had already figured out the rhythm and simply stepped back slightly, blocking the path. However, when he tried to move sideways, he found himself running into Warrick's screen.

Just as Garnett was about to arrive to help defend, Xu Ling tossed the ball into the air.

Milicic blocked Perkins.

Under the basket, Trevor Ariza, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, leaped into the air and slammed home an alley-oop dunk.

"！#@￥@#%￥"

56 is better than 54
The two teams are only 2 points apart.

With only minutes left in the third quarter, the Grizzlies once again closed the gap on the score.

Tony Allen's face was so dark it looked like it could drip water.

He came on to lock down Xu Ling, but ended up becoming the backdrop for the opponent's attacks for two consecutive rounds—which is quite a blow for a player who prides himself on defense.

"My problem, Tony!" Garnett yelled at Allen as he got back on defense. He was referring to his slow help defense, but Allen knew the real reason was that he was caught on a screen, giving Xu Ling space to handle the ball.

The Celtics were on offense, and Pierce tried to get back at Ariza one-on-one, but his turnaround jumper missed again due to Ariza's interference. Xu Ling secured the rebound, giving the Grizzlies a golden opportunity to take the lead.

Kidd controlled the ball steadily past half-court, but instead of rushing to attack, he held up one finger.

Everyone understood the gesture—to pass the ball to Xu Ling.

Xu Ling positioned himself on the left side of the three-point line, and Tony Allen immediately clung to him like glue.

His defensive stance was lower, and his eyes were even more ferocious, as if he wanted to devour Xu Ling alive.

"Don't even think about trying to pull any tricks this time!" Allen whispered.

Facing Tony Allen, who had just lunged at him, Xu Ling unexpectedly used an explosive crossover, passing the ball from his right hand to his left, and his body weight swayed dramatically, his shoulders almost parallel to the ground.

Tony Allen reacted swiftly, immediately shifting sideways to block the left flank. But in the instant his weight shifted, Xu Ling pulled the ball back sharply with his left hand, simultaneously turning his body swiftly to the right.

This is not pure speed, but rapid, continuous shaking.

Tony Allen's center of gravity was completely fooled by the sudden change of direction and turn. He tried to adjust, but it was too late to move. He could only watch helplessly as Xu Ling brushed past him and rushed into the basket.

Garnett and Perkins were both positioned under the basket, but Xu Ling stopped outside the paint, gathered the ball, and took a close-range jump shot from the left side at a 45-degree angle, which went in off the backboard.

56 is better than 56
The score is tied!

The commentator's exclamation mingled with the boos from the audience.

Xu Ling retreated under the watchful eyes of the Celtics coaching staff. Rivers and Thibodeau had to admit that this rookie star had broken through the Celtics' defensive cage in his own way. He activated his teammates and successfully used their feedback to his own advantage, ultimately defeating Tony Allen on offense.

Maybe Allen didn't lose, but he certainly couldn't stop Eli Xu tonight.

With two minutes left in the third quarter, the Celtics made an emergency substitution to bring Ray Allen back in, finally avoiding the embarrassment of playing three against five on offense.

As expected, the sharpshooter lived up to expectations, hitting a three-pointer right from the start to stop the bleeding for the team.

However, that double-digit lead from not long ago has now vanished like a dream.

The final whistle blew to end the third quarter, and the scoreboard showed 60-60.

The two teams remained neck and neck, with the Celtics failing to break down their opponents with their signature defense in this quarter.

All the focus eventually returned to Xu Ling.

His personal duel with Pierce is no longer the focus; what truly matters is the outcome of this East-West rivalry.

But for the Grizzlies, the most important thing is that playoff spot.

They must make the playoffs. Otherwise, all their efforts throughout the season will be in vain, and all of Xu Ling's high-profile words and actions will become fodder for ridicule from Nike-affiliated media.

Since he's been called the greatest rookie since Tim Duncan, since Adidas has dubbed him the "son of the future," and since some have compared him to rookie Michael Jordan—then leading his team to the playoffs is the bare minimum for all this hype.

If even Carmelo Anthony can do it, you can't possibly not, right?
Therefore, Xu Ling's will is simple: anyone who dares to stop my team, I will end their life!
(End of this chapter)