Where the noise did not reach

Chapter 21 Diamonds and Rust (13) (Thanks to Purple Night for the generous donation)
The ongoing hype surrounding Xu Ling and Kevin Durant has made this highly anticipated game between Texas Tech University and the University of Texas a nationally televised event.

With the game halfway through, the score was 46-42, with Texas Tech leading by 4 points. Xu Ling and Durant lived up to expectations, delivering an extremely exciting first half.

However, in the eyes of all the viewers, Xu Ling's performance was clearly superior.

数据显示，徐凌半场11投8中，高效砍下20分、6篮板、2助攻、3抢断；而杜兰特则是15投9中，贡献了22分、5篮板。

Despite Durant's higher score, this seems to be his only real "advantage." Xu Ling, on the other hand, not only played extremely intelligently but also demonstrated remarkable versatility, combining on-ball and off-ball play effectively. His outstanding defensive performance was particularly commendable.

While Durant's scoring and efficiency appeared impressive, a significant portion of his performance came in mismatch situations. Against Xu Ling's tight defense, Durant's performance was inconsistent. Conversely, Xu Ling repeatedly scored over Durant, undoubtedly exposing Durant's defensive weaknesses.

However, even if Durant's performance is slightly inferior to Xu Ling's, it won't have any negative impact on him. His poor physical strength, lack of core strength, and significant room for improvement in defense are well-known facts.

Xu Ling merely amplified these "old problems," but this will not shake the scouts' evaluation of Durant.

Xu Ling, on the other hand, was able to take advantage of these problems.

Isn't exploiting your opponent's weaknesses a basic tactic in a game? No, that's only when both sides are evenly matched and have equal talent.

Even if you know Durant's weaknesses, it's usually very difficult to contain him.

But Xu Ling did it.

When his initial pressure proved ineffective, he changed his defensive approach, putting Durant at a disadvantage in his matchup.

To correct this situation, the University of Texas, for the first time ever, designed a large number of screens and pick-and-rolls for Durant to cut inside, and used a lot of rotations to slow down Xu Ling's defense.

Ultimately, both players delivered excellent performances in the first half, but Xu Ling's performance garnered greater praise.

As ESPN commentator Dan Shulman put it, "Geniuses like Greg Oden and Kevin Durant typically only emerge once every five years. What's special about this year is that two exceptional talents emerged from the same draft class. Since the millennium, KD has been selected first overall in every draft except 2003, and it's a real privilege to see a player like him compete in college basketball—so when we see KD being dominated by Eli on the court, it's unbelievable. But, baby, that's college basketball; you never know who's going to suddenly come out and knock you down!"

“Yes!” Dick Vitale exclaimed excitedly. “These two are the hottest rising stars in the Big 12, they’ve received a lot of attention and hype, and tonight, their performances have far exceeded all that hype, especially Eli! If I were Chad Ford, I would immediately put Eli in the top ten of mock draft predictions after the game! After this first half, you absolutely cannot convince me that there are eight college players in the world better than Eli!”

Without a doubt, Xu Ling was the big winner in the first half.

Right in front of the United Spirit Arena, NBA legend "Logo" Jerry West and his assistant Laura Grantra are sitting.

"TTU's number 1 really stole the show!" Grandella exclaimed.

West didn't say anything.

“But didn’t we come to see Kevin Durant?” Grantra asked. “Jerry, what do you think?”

What do I think?
The 69-year-old LOGO man originally did not want to come to watch the game.

Yes, he knew Durant was the kind of genius who only comes along once every ten years, and he also believed that Oden would be the next big star, but such a judgment did not require him, who was hailed as the greatest team builder in NBA history, to make it; the talent of those two was just that obvious.

He didn't need to come to the site to investigate. To be honest, what the Grizzlies needed most was to ask a wizard to act as a medium for the team and pray for good luck in the draft lottery a few months later.

But why did I still end up here?

West stared intently at the sidelines, where TTU's number 1 was being interviewed. He was considered the most arrogant player in the NCAA, because he wanted to be the modern-day Jordan. But he never responded to the cheers of the crowd. So, was he an arrogant and irresponsible jerk of a star?

West didn't know, because they were dozens of meters apart, and he couldn't judge a player's character from that distance, but he did find the same aura in the other player.

He successfully defended Durant from the start, then led the game with his offense, and finally used his defense to make Durant seem almost invisible for a time. If the Longhorns coaching staff hadn't found a solution in time, the first half would probably have ended in a complete victory for number 1.

West noticed that player number 1 used a variety of defensive techniques when guarding Durant. While these techniques were still somewhat immature, the details were rough, and some were even completely ineffective, how many young players would think as deeply about the essence of the game as he did?
Every time number 1 lost a defensive possession, West would see him standing there blankly, reflecting on his actions. Then, his defense would improve in the next possession.

West has seen many players whose offensive curve gradually rises, because basketball is ultimately a sport about who scores more points, but how many players can adjust their thinking on the court like he does to make their defensive effectiveness show an upward curve?

As for his attack, there's no need to elaborate.

The fact that he held his own against Durant on offense is roughly equivalent to him having one of the top five offensive firepower in the country.

Moreover, unlike some scoring kings who rely on the competitive environment and team system of college, number 1's offense seems fully capable of being realized in the NBA.

“Well, that’s my opinion,” West said. “TTU’s number 1 might be better than Rudy.”

Grantra was startled.

Elijah is better than Rudy? Such an assessment actually came from Jerry West?
"Jerry, are you serious?"

Grantra wants West to recall what they gave up to get Rudy Gay—they traded Shane Battier, West's favorite Grizzlies player!
West had neither a good nor a bad impression of Xu Ling; he simply used the system's evaluation criteria to observe each young player.

He only gave a rough assessment of TTU's number 1 tonight, and that was the result.

“That’s right, he’s already a better player than Rudy.” And West left out the question—I don’t think Rudy will ever play like him.

Analyzing whether a player is mediocre requires an extremely long process. You need massive amounts of statistical data and match samples to overturn every possibility and finally conclude: Okay, he's useless, let's not waste our time on him!
But how do you evaluate a good player? Or rather, a great player?
West made his decision after watching Kobe's 15-minute tryout back then, but tonight he's already watched half the game and knows there's no need to watch any more.

Durant is a true genius, and TTU's number 1 is like a shining gem that attracts the LOGO man.

He resisted the feeling of being drawn in, but somehow an impulse compelled him to stay and keep watching.

In the distance, Celtics general manager Danny Ainge had already left, clearly having seen what he wanted to see.

Why should I stay here?
West's thoughts went unheard, and the second half of the game was about to begin.

Coach Rick Barnes clearly made some tough remarks in the locker room. From the start of the second half, the Longhorns' attitude underwent a fundamental shift.

They no longer simply dribbled the ball across half-court and looked for Durant; instead, they began to execute strict tactical discipline.

Core point guard DJ Augustin became the initiator of the offense. Utilizing his small, agile physique and speed, he frequently executed pick-and-roll plays with the big men in the paint. On the first possession, Augustin used a screen to drive straight into the paint, drawing Xu Ling's instinctive help defense—in that instant, Augustin flicked his wrist, delivering a precise bounce pass to the cutting center, Darian James, who easily scored a layup.

This is a clear signal: the Longhorn Bulls are no longer letting Durant's solo play dominate the offense.

In the next possession, they repeated their tactic. Augustin broke through, and TTU's defensive formation collapsed again. This time, the ball was passed to Justin Mason, who was lurking in the corner. Mason didn't hesitate and sank a three-pointer.

Less than a minute into the second half, the Longhorns took the lead thanks to a team offensive play!

These two successful offensive plays were like a bucket of cold water poured over the heated atmosphere at United Spirit Arena. TTU's defense began to hesitate; they dared not double-team and help defend Durant and Augustin as recklessly as they had in the first half, because the other players on the Longhorns had proven they could punish open looks. This, in turn, created the most valuable strategic space for Durant—he no longer needed to face the strongest defensive pressure every time, and could even use off-ball movement, taking advantage of his teammates' distraction, to find mismatches or catch-and-shoot opportunities. He gained breathing room and more freedom of choice.

Coach Bob Knight was yelling from the sidelines, extremely dissatisfied with the team's poor defensive communication. But he didn't panic and immediately made counter-adjustments.

He didn't send Xu Ling to chase down Augustin or rush the outside shooters, because he knew that locking down the opponent's ace was all the opponent was doing to free Durant from Xu Ling's suffocating defense.

Therefore, Knight gave Xu Ling a clear instruction: "Keep your sights on Durant, don't let go!"

Moreover, Texas Tech did not allow Xu Ling to immediately respond with individual offense, but instead used him as a tactical pivot and off-ball threat.

Knight, acting on the spot, moved Xu Ling's receiving position to the elbow area of ​​the free-throw line. Durant was on high alert, ready to face his one-on-one attack. But after receiving the ball, Xu Ling only faked a shot and then passed it to Martin Zeno, who had cut out from the baseline using a double screen. Zeno caught the ball and shot, and Durant's attention was drawn to Xu Ling, causing him to be a beat too slow in switching defense.

Swish!
TTU quickly regained the lead!
In the next round, Longhorn continued to let Augustin break through, but not every break through resulted in a good outcome; this time they made a mistake.

On Texas Tech's next offensive possession, Xu Ling feigned a move to the weak side, then suddenly made a reverse cut straight to the basket. Simultaneously, point guard Dora's pass bypassed several defenders and landed precisely in Xu Ling's hands. Durant was left half a body length behind and could only watch helplessly as Xu Ling, after a mid-air collision, finished with a reverse layup.

This set the tone for the start of the second half. The Longhorns tried to liberate Durant with teamwork, while the Red Raiders insisted on operating the system around Xu Ling and had him continue to put maximum pressure on Durant on both offense and defense.

Five minutes into the second half, the score was like two wild beasts trying to bite off each other's throats, constantly fluctuating between tying and alternating leads, with neither side able to deliver a truly decisive blow.

With the Longhorns' offensive clock running out once again, the ball inevitably returned to Durant's hands at the top of the key after a few hurried passes.

Xu Ling was like a shadow clinging to him, arms outstretched, center of gravity extremely low, giving no room for a breakthrough or shot.

Left with no other option, Durant had to rely on his amazing talent to forcefully pull up and shoot a high-arc backward jump shot over Xu Ling's long arm that was completely blocking his face, even with his body extremely leaning back and almost losing his center of gravity!
Bang... Swish!

The ball bounced off the front edge of the rim and luckily went in.

The Longhorns are in the lead again.

After scoring, Durant landed heavily, staggering before regaining his balance. This lucky goal brought no joy; instead, it seemed to ignite the humiliation and anger that had been building up throughout the game. The frustration of being clearly contained from the start, coupled with the increasingly active opponents and his own growing lethargy, and the near-total shutdown he had just experienced—all these emotions instantly overwhelmed his reason.

Durant roared at Xu Ling, who had just landed, and unleashed a torrent of trash talk: "See?! You fucking can't stop me! No matter how hard you try, keep harassing me like a mad dog!"

Xu Ling didn't speak, but just glanced at him expressionlessly; he had seen that look of emotional breakdown before.

Unfortunately, it was in an unhealthy movie—the Italian stud, Rocco, known as the emperor of the industry, once pushed his opponent to the limit in one of his works, forcing her to beg for mercy, and Rocco slapped her hard and said: "That's not a safe word!"

That's what Durant looks like now.

He is a genius of his generation who is arrogant and overconfident. If it weren't for Oden overshadowing him, he would have been the number one pick in the NBA draft. No matter how humble he may seem, how could he accept that a dark horse that has only recently emerged is able to completely suppress him in the game?

This humiliation and setback is enough to warp anyone's mind.

Xu Ling reached out for the ball from beyond the three-point line on the right side.

The ball was in their hands, and their teammates quickly cleared one side.

"Get back! Let him hit!" Knight yelled from the sidelines.

Xu Ling faced Durant and started with a triple threat step, which Durant held his breath and focused.

Xu Ling suddenly made a lightning-fast explosive drive to the right, his first step was as swift as lightning, and after gaining half a body length, he immediately used his body to lean against Durant and forcefully cut into the basket! Durant tried to interfere with his long arms, but Xu Ling jumped steadily after the contact, and in the air, he did a small reverse layup to avoid the block, and easily scored with his right hand.

After scoring, Xu Ling passed by Durant on his way back to defend, his voice low but scathing: "Keep going, I'm waiting for your next lucky shot."

With his senses restored, Durant demanded the ball and pulled up for a three-pointer.

"boom!"

"Is this all you have?"

Xu Ling asked.

"Stop talking nonsense!" Durant roared.

Xu Ling then received the ball again from the same spot.

This time, Durant defended even tighter, fearing another drive. Seeing this, Xu Ling quickly changed his crossover dribbling rhythm several times, then suddenly faked a shot. Durant, wary of his drive, slightly shifted his weight.

In that instant, Xu Ling gathered the ball, pulled up for a jump shot, and released the ball in one smooth motion, without the slightest hesitation.

"Shh!"

Looking at the almost distorted expression on the other's face, Xu Ling asked calmly, "Now, who looks more like a furious but helpless mad dog?" Durant didn't ask for the ball again, but after several rounds of one-on-one play, his teammates couldn't find the tactical feel they had at the start of the second half. Their half-court offense also failed, and Texas Tech launched a fierce counterattack. Martin Zeno passed the ball to Xu Ling, who then passed it to Jarius Jackson. The captain hit a three-pointer, and the score difference was no longer close, suddenly widening to 6 points.

The Red Raiders maintained a tight 6-point lead, while the Longhorns intensified their defense after a timeout, causing both teams' shooting percentages to plummet.

The intensity of the game gradually surpassed that of a typical regular season game, as if it were the final moments of the March Madness tournament. Every physical contact felt like a wrestling match, with the thud of muscles and the tearing of jerseys filling the air. The battle for position under the basket turned into a pure physical brawl, with elbows, shoulders, and even chests becoming weapons in the fight for space.

The point difference did not continue to widen, but it also failed to narrow, remaining at a 6-point gap. In the last few minutes, it seemed as if there was a heavy burden when shooting, resulting in a series of missed shots, turnovers, and airballs.

With 80 seconds left in the game, it seemed that as long as Texas Tech maintained their momentum, victory was assured.

The Longhorns were on offense, but after several passes, they couldn't find a comfortable shooting space. With less than 5 seconds left on the shot clock, the ball was forced back to DJ Augustin at the top of the key, facing a formidable TTU defender. Time was running out!

At this critical moment, Augustin made a convincing fake move to create a little space, and without any hesitation, he launched himself up from a step away from the three-point line! His body even leaned back slightly, as if he were using all his strength to release the ball!

"Uh-huh!!!"

80 is better than 77!

"DJ! Augustin! He made it! God! The Longhorns are still alive! The deficit is only 3 points!"

The pressure instantly shifted back to the leading Texas Tech.

At this point, there were 45 seconds left in the game.

Knight called a timeout and laid out a solid offensive strategy aimed at running down the clock and finding the safest scoring opportunity.

The match resumes, and TTU serves from the front court.

The ball was safely served to Xu Ling, who controlled it steadily, maintaining control of the rhythm, and scanning his teammates' movements.

He successfully stalled the attack until the last 10 seconds before launching his attack.

Suddenly, Xu Ling sped up and executed a handoff pass with Jarius Jackson at the top of the key.

After passing the ball, Xu Ling quickly moved to the wing, intending to draw away the defense and create one-on-one space for Jackson.

However, facing tight defense, Jackson did not get the expected shooting opportunity. His dribbling seemed hesitant, and the Longhorns' defensive rotations were extremely quick, blocking his driving and shooting routes.

With little time left on the shot clock, Jackson had no choice but to pass the ball back to Xu Ling, who was moving toward the baseline.

This was a risky pass. Xu Ling was moving, but Durant had already anticipated the passing route and dove to intercept!
In a flash, the basketball grazed Xu Ling's fingertips and rolled straight out of bounds!
"Beep—!" The referee blew his whistle and pointed to TTU's frontcourt baseline.

A fatal mistake! Possession changes hands!
A huge gasp and sigh erupted from the United Spirit Arena as the Longhorns saw a glimmer of hope for a comeback!
Jarius Jackson held his head in his hands, looking utterly dejected. Xu Ling remained expressionless. It was indeed a crucial, damning mistake, mainly because he and Jackson didn't have enough chemistry and didn't know each other's most comfortable offensive style.

But the game isn't over yet.

At this point, there were 25 seconds left in the game.

The Longhorns have possession of the ball and they have a chance to tie the score.

The University of Texas decisively called a final timeout to set up the most crucial attack of the game.

TTU still holds a 3-point lead.

Knight gestured on the whiteboard, explaining the details before shouting, "They'll probably still have to rely on Kevin Durant to solve the problem in the end. Eli, everything's on your shoulders tonight! Hold this ball, and we'll win!"

Xu Ling said, "Coach, you are really good at putting pressure on me at inappropriate times."

"Enough talk!" Knight roared. "Let's go!!!"

The clock ticked down like an inverted hourglass, silently eroding the Longhorns' hopes. The Longhorns executed an extremely patient tactic, but their offense was repeatedly thwarted by TTU's ironclad defense. As time ticked away, despair spread across the Longhorns' bench.

Just as the shot clock was about to expire, amidst the chaos, DJ Augustin managed to control the ball, which was about to go out of control, and in the last moment, he desperately found Durant, who was being tightly guarded by Xu Ling.

Durant almost stumbled as he received the ball a step beyond the three-point line. The instant he received the ball, Xu Ling had already stuck to him like a ghost, giving him absolutely no space to shoot.

The entire audience stood up in unison.

There is no time.

Durant suddenly changed direction with a crossover step, but Xu Ling's lateral movement was as fast as lightning, precisely blocking his position; Durant subconsciously took a step back, but Xu Ling followed closely, his long arms completely blocking his view.

All tactics have failed; all that remains is innate instinct.

With only 6 seconds left in the game, this universally acknowledged super talent, backed into a desperate situation, chose the most unreasonable answer. Leaning against Xu Ling, he drifted backward, his body leaning extremely back, almost parallel to the floor, and with astonishing core strength and touch, he hurled the ball high towards the basket!
The arc of that shot was ridiculously high, as if it was going to pierce through the roof of the arena.

Xu Ling's block was flawless; his fingertips almost grazed the bottom of the basketball. But this play had nothing to do with defense; it was all about fate.

"God bless America!!!" someone shouted hoarsely from the sidelines.

Knight stood on the sidelines, clenching his teeth, as if he could hear his own heartbeat.

80 is better than 80!

With the team at a significant disadvantage, Durant hit the game-tying shot!

After scoring, Durant landed heavily, barely staggering, and instead took a large step forward to face Xu Ling, who had just been guarding him. All the frustration and humiliation he had accumulated throughout the night, suppressed and dominated, transformed into ecstasy, culminating in a hoarse roar: "Did you see that?! You can't stop me! You never can!!"

The Longhorns' bench erupted in celebration, with players rushing onto the field as if they had crawled back from the brink of hell.

There are 4.8 seconds left on the clock.

Texas Tech has one last chance to make a play.

Knight instinctively rushed to the scorer's table to request a timeout and set up a throw-in play in the attacking third.

But the moment he lifted his foot, he saw Xu Ling.

Xu Ling didn't look at Durant, who was roaring in front of him, nor did he show any frustration or urgency. He didn't even listen to Knight's instructions. He simply rushed to the baseline, practically "snatched" the basketball from the referee's hands, and then made a move that stunned everyone in the arena, including Knight himself.

Instead of immediately passing the ball to his teammate, he caught the ball with one hand, stopped at the baseline, calmly glanced at the timer, and then gestured to Knight: Don't pause!
He then passed the ball to his teammate Daryl Dora, who was standing outside the baseline, and quickly stepped onto the field.

4.8 seconds.

The hustle and bustle of the entire arena seemed irrelevant to him. He didn't roar or panic; just like in practice, he turned around to receive the ball passed to him by Dora and dribbled forward with an almost leisurely pace.

"What is he doing?!" Longhorns head coach Rick Barnes yelled in alarm. "Stick close to him! Delay him!!!"

The two Longhorn Bulls players who were closest to the scene suddenly realized what was happening and rushed over to try to stop them.

But Xu Ling's pace didn't change at all. With just a light behind-the-back dribble and a change of rhythm, he slipped through the gap between the two defenders like a slippery eel. The whole process was smooth and effortless, without wasting a single second.

Two seconds passed, and he had calmly dribbled the ball across the half-court logo.

Kevin Durant, the man who had just hit the game-tying shot, quickly returned to defense, spreading his long arms like a wall of sighs that suddenly rose from the ground, blocking the three-point line.

Last second.

Xu Ling didn't slow down or attempt a breakthrough. From a full two large steps (about 8-9 meters) away from the three-point line, as if he'd practiced it a million times, he abruptly stopped, gathered the ball, and took off!

This choice was so absurd, so insane, so far that Jerry West in the audience instantly had his pupils contract.

Durant's all-out effort to block the shot was futile. Xu Ling's jump height and release speed were nothing like those of a player who had just experienced a full game of intense competition.

The moment the basketball left my fingertips, the final whistle ripped through the air with a piercing whistle.

The ball traced an extremely high rainbow in the air, seemingly carrying all hope, and its flight lasted as long as a century.

"My God!!! Eli Xu—he shot! It's a three-pointer from the far reaches of space! At least nine meters away!!" Dan Shulman's roar was almost hoarse. "Time's up—the ball's still flying! Still flying—!!!"

"Whoosh!!!!!!!!!!!"

A louder, more lethal slap on the net than Durant's shot had just made exploded!

"He did it!!! The ball went in!!! God is my witness, you are witnessing history! The Red Raiders hit a buzzer-beater! Eli Xu responded to Kevin Durant's game-tying shot with an incredible long-range three-pointer to kill the game! He beat the Longhorns and Durant! An unbelievable shot!!!"

The entire stadium fell into a moment of utter silence, which was then completely swallowed up by the roar of the TTU bench and the gasps of the entire audience.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

"From today onwards, Eli Xu will be an unmissable name in the world of basketball!"

—Associated Press, by reporter Jim Litke, January 16, 2007

"Texas is lucky to have Kevin Durant, a once-in-a-decade talent, but this night belongs to Eli Xu of Texas Tech."

—ESPN reporter Andy Katz, January 16, 2007

"If you haven't included Eli Xu in your lottery predictions, you're making a professional mistake."

—Sports Illustrated, by Grant Wahl, January 16, 2007

"The last genius Bob Knight found emerged like a shooting star; Eli Xu's Logo Shot game-winner shook the college basketball world."

—Fox Sports, by Jeff Goodman, January 16, 2007

"When Kevin Durant cornered Texas Tech, the Chinese at TTU resolutely pulled the trigger."

— Greg Anthony, commentator for CBS Sports, January 16, 2007

An excerpt from a CBS Sports article: "Eli Xu didn't let Durant 'lose the game,' he just forced the talented player to be perfect or he would be overtaken. Durant had already played like a number one draft pick, but Eli was just waiting for him to slip up at the last moment, and then he would strike the winning blow. This kind of game requires both brains and touch, and he has both."

Post-match highlights
When Xu Ling escaped from his teammates' wild celebrations and arrived in front of his coach looking like a complete fool, he didn't receive praise, at least not immediately.

Knight gritted his teeth and said, "If you ever stop me from calling a timeout and making that stupid game-winning shot again in a crucial moment, I'll kill you!"

Xu Ling nodded.

“But I have to admit you threw a damn good pitch!” Knight laughed. “Well done.”

　Although I have a history of not updating regularly, believe me, as long as I have a backlog of chapters, I will definitely try my best to add extra chapters for the climax. Okay, enough chit-chat, hand over your votes, don't force me to kneel down and beg you.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)