Where the noise did not reach

Chapter 145 It's Time to Go Back to Hell
Jason Kidd walked in the middle of the group, a burning sense of shame rising in his chest.

That takedown, that irrational foul on Pargo, played like a slow-motion, shameful scene replaying in his mind.

He, a veteran who has played in the league for many years, was driven to lose his composure by a role player and the noise of the entire arena.

Kidd silently walked to his locker, not sitting down immediately, but vigorously wiping his face and neck with a towel, as if trying to scrub away an invisible layer of grime. He could feel the gazes from his teammates, filled with concern, doubt, and perhaps even a hint of disappointment.

Disappointed?

They certainly have reason to be disappointed.

When the four-team trade took place, the basketball world hoped he would transform the Grizzlies in the same way he transformed the Nets.

He only achieved a small fraction of those astonishing expectations.

Because it is now 2008, he is no longer the same person he was back then.

Kidd's gaze involuntarily drifted to Xu Ling in the other corner of the room.

The young man sat calmly, sipping his sports drink, his face showing no trace of the excitement he had felt after scoring 24 points and single-handedly pulling the team back from the brink of defeat.

It was he who, in the moment when he was out of control and the team was about to collapse, forcefully turned the tide with a series of attacks and a "boo" gesture that enraged the entire arena.

Kidd felt a mix of emotions.

Was it jealousy? Perhaps a little. That youthful, impetuous, and fearless sense of control was something he could never find again at his age.

But Kidd's feelings for Xu Ling were more of an almost astonishing recognition, and a genuine sense of gratitude for being saved.

Xu Ling did what he should have done but failed to do—stabilize morale and take control of the situation. He wasn't using brute force, but rather courage and skill to break down the opponent's will.

Kidd always seeks to control the situation through experience and rule-based confrontation, while Xu Ling chooses to create fear directly in an away game filled with malice.

This place may be hell, but it is also the Hornets' hell.

Xu Ling excels at playing in this kind of environment.

Xu Ling conveyed this message to every teammate through his performance: We're not finished yet.

Mark Jaffaroni stood in front of the tactics board, on which were drawn some simple running lines, but his eyes were somewhat unfocused.

Xu Ling's superhuman performance of 24 points in the first half pulled the team back from the brink of defeat, but how long can this flame of individual heroism burn?
Jaffaroni glanced furtively at Kidd in the corner, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He knew that if Kidd couldn't regain his form in the second half, or even continued to be a problem on the court, then no matter how valiant Xu Ling performed, he probably wouldn't be able to withstand the Hornets' stronger teamwork.

Suddenly someone spoke up.

"Jason."

Xu Ling walked up to Kidd. Unlike the others, he didn't offer any comforting or probing looks. Instead, he picked up a bottle of energy drink and handed it to him.

“We need the real Jason Kidd,” Xu Ling said clearly. “We need your defensive anticipation, your vision to control the overall situation, and the experience you’ve gained over more than a decade of professional career.”

"As for that barking wild dog—he's not worth your time. It's time to regroup, old man."

Kidd took the drink but didn't say anything. He wasn't a talkative person, which was one of his biggest problems early in his career.

Imagine a key point guard who doesn't speak on the court and uses sign language the whole time; how can his teammates follow his instructions?
For years, he forced himself to speak, and eventually it became an adaptive control behavior. He subconsciously believed that he had paid too high a price to overcome this weakness, and that all of you had to listen to him. But now, he remained silent.

Xu Ling smiled nonchalantly and said, "I'll take that as a yes."

After saying that, Xu Ling turned and walked back to his seat.

Some things are best left unsaid.

For a proud veteran like Kidd, excessive consolation would only make him feel humiliated. What he needs is not sympathy, but a chance to prove himself again, and the trust of his teammates.

Jaffaroni took a deep breath. He knew that Xu Ling had done what he was supposed to do, and now it was his turn as the coach to give a speech.

He clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention.

"I think you all know why we've been able to hold on until now!" Jaffaroni pointed at Xu Ling without hesitation, "It's Eli! If it weren't for his 24 points in the first half, if it weren't for his repeated three-pointers, this game would have been over in the first half! It was he who earned us this precious second-half opportunity!"

Jaffaroni's tone shifted, his voice becoming more stern: "But! Guys, we can't expect to win this war by ourselves! This is the playoffs! This is Game 5! The New Orleans will be going to go even tougher on Eli in the second half, and he needs your help! Look at our defense in the first half, it was a complete mess! We let Chris Paul play like a Disney park visitor, we let David West score on pick-and-rolls! What did we put into defense besides Eli? Where was your determination? Where was your resilience?"

In fact, the Grizzlies' defensive problems began to improve after Xu Ling hit consecutive three-pointers in the second quarter, which was the key reason why they were able to enter the second half with a tie. However, Jaffaroni was still not satisfied.

Because, defensively speaking, the Grizzlies are definitely superior to the Hornets, but tonight they were outplayed by their opponents, which is completely unacceptable.

After he finished speaking, Jaffaroni could clearly feel the players' emotions rising, so he turned to the tactics board, vigorously erased all the messy lines on it, and drew a clear defensive matchup diagram.

"Listen up! In the second half, we need to bring the intensity back to the level of the first game! The referees were very lenient tonight; they allowed contact! So let's give them contact! Give them the intensity, until they can't breathe!"

The subsequent arrangements were no different from before.

Starting in the second half, Xu Ling was matched up against Paul on the defensive end.

Kidd will be matched up against the Hornets' shooting guard.

But Josh Howard no longer has to face David West as directly as before. After several games, West has figured out Howard's defensive style and is now playing with more and more ease, which has forced the Grizzlies' coaching staff to change their defensive strategy.

Based on assistant coach Joger's suggestion, Jaffaroni replaced Radmanovic with Warrick, who had committed too many fouls in the first half, as the starting power forward in the second half.

Radmanovic, as a European center, has a soft playing style, poor rebounding, and likes to shoot three-pointers from the outside. Fortunately, he's fairly quick on his feet. Therefore, if West wants to run a pick-and-roll with Paul, Radmanovic can decisively rush out to help and switch. Conversely, if West wants to cut to the basket, Howard should block his cutting space, and then Radmanovic should guard Peja on the perimeter.

This setup effectively countered all of West's pick-and-roll tactics. Unless West could dominate Radmanovic in the low or high post, he had no chance of performing as well as before. After the entire strategy was set up, even Kidd, who had always underestimated Jaffaroni, was speechless.

Right now, this is the best adjustment for the Grizzlies.

Jaffaroni tossed down his pen, his gaze sweeping over every face, and finally said, "Guys, it's time to go all out! Let's show those damn New Orleans what real defense is!"

The crowd responded vehemently.

Finally, Jaffaroni felt like a real coach, and he did indeed win the players' support in this half.

This gave him another feeling: maybe I never lost control of the locker room?

“Let’s go!” Xu Ling said. “It’s time to return to my beloved hell!”

The Grizzlies' roster changes caught the attention of Doug Collins after they were announced at the scene.

"Vladimir Radmanovic," Collins said, "He didn't play well in this series. When he couldn't hit threes, he became a player with no defense, no rebounding, poor pick-and-roll, and no threat under the basket."

Kevin Harlan asked on behalf of the audience, "Does this mean the Grizzlies still need his three-pointers to get things going?"

“Maybe,” Collins chuckled, “but that would require them to take a huge risk.”

The Grizzlies had possession of the ball at the start of the third quarter.

Kidd immediately passed the ball to Xu Ling.

Xu Ling immediately pulled up for a three-pointer after receiving the ball, hoping to regain his shooting touch from the first half.

Unfortunately, this choice was still a bit too radical.

boom!
The shot missed, and there wasn't even a chance for a rebound; the basketball bounced out of bounds.

"Alright," Kidd shouted, "Let's start the defense!"

"Eli is going up against Chris Paul on defense!"

"This scene is all too familiar to the fans!"

"Yes, Memphis ultimately had no choice but to send Eli to deal with Chris!"

Harlan and Collins quickly shared their on-the-spot analysis, while Paul rushed forward and easily evaded Xu Ling's defensive lead.

Xu Ling's long arms loomed over Paul like a shadow.

Unlike when he was defending Kidd, Xu Ling's height, wingspan, and mobility put real pressure on Paul, making it impossible for him to control the game as easily as before, and requiring him to be more careful with every dribble.

Paul did not act rashly, but waved for West to come forward and provide cover.

A high-quality pick-and-roll was executed as expected, and Xu Ling was slowed down by West's solid build.

In the past, Paul would have used this momentary opening to cut in, or bounce the ball to West who was cutting down the court.

But this time, the script has been rewritten.

Just as Paul shook off Xu Ling, Radmanovic, who was originally guarding West, did not collapse the paint as usual. Instead, he stepped forward without hesitation, closely followed Paul, and executed a decisive switch.

Xu Ling, on the other hand, used his excellent reaction and speed to quickly get back into position and entangle West, who was trying to bounce to the three-point line.

Paul no longer had a clear path to break through, but rather Radmanovic's outstretched arms.

He tried to pass the ball back to West, but Xu Ling's defensive positioning made the passing route risky.

With the shot clock ticking away, Paul was forced to pass the ball to Peja on the weak side.

As soon as Peja received the ball, Josh Howard's defense was equally impenetrable. His long arms and agility made it extremely difficult for Peja to shoot.

Peja's forced jump shot missed the rim due to severe interference.

"Excellent defensive rotations!" Doug Collins immediately saw the key. "The Grizzlies showed a completely different level of discipline on their first defensive play of the second half! They completely broke down the Hornets' pick-and-roll offense with their switching and quick rotations!"

Kidd grabbed the rebound and was about to launch a fast break when he noticed that the Hornets players had mostly retreated to their own court. He then gestured to his teammates to calm down and play a more structured, half-court game.

The noise from the away crowd came from all sides, disturbing everyone's concentration.

Kidd's mentality was no longer as volatile as it was in the first half.

Xu Ling made a double screen along the baseline and received the ball at the top of the arc.

Maurice Peterson clung to him tightly, while Paul's help defense was constantly focused on him.

Xu Ling did not launch a strong attack, but instead waved for Radmanovic to come up and provide cover.

European big men who can play in the NBA generally have a wide range of skills. While not everyone is as flamboyant as Vlade Divac, they are all adept at basic playmaking and facilitating.

Radmanovic received the ball from Xu Ling hand-off, and Xu Ling cut past him to get past Peterson. Radmanovic flicked his wrist and delivered a simple pass, which Xu Ling received and drove to the basket.

Chandler's help defense was a beat too slow, and he could only watch helplessly as Xu Ling made a simple reverse layup in mid-air, avoiding the block.

"Eli scores the first goal of the second half! The Grizzlies have regained the lead!"

(End of this chapter)