Where the noise did not reach

Chapter 86 Thank you, big guy

Marc Jafaroni walked to the sidelines with a serious expression. Halftime ended with them trailing by only 3 points.

Facing a Kobe Bryant who was on a killing spree, this should have been a fortunate outcome.

But he couldn't relax at all.

Looking at the scoreboard, Jaffaroni knew that they might be drifting further and further away from the basketball he had initially envisioned. He had once dreamed of transplanting the "seven seconds or less" offense that swept the league from Phoenix to Memphis.

How wonderful was that smooth, unrestrained, and breathtakingly beautiful attack?

But now he has to admit that this team may never be able to play that kind of basketball.

And this has nothing to do with whether or not you have Steve Nash.

A team's system is rooted in its core. Xu Ling isn't a ball-dominant player like Kobe Bryant, but he's also not the kind of selfless offensive player in the SSOL system who's content with off-ball movement, quick cuts, and catch-and-shoot. He needs rhythm, he needs to read the game, he needs to have the ball in his hands and control the situation—even if it's only for two seconds. His playing style is intelligent and efficient, yet it naturally and inevitably creates its own rhythm.

Jaffaroni was torn: he knew Xu Ling's value better than anyone—this young man was delivering a 26+6+6 halftime performance under Kobe's wrath, almost single-handedly keeping the team close in the score. But on the other hand, he couldn't ignore the slight regret in his heart: Xu Ling was good, even too good, so good that he was destined not to become "a member of the system".

He is not the wind on the water, but the river itself.

Powerful, yet it can only surge in its own direction.

It's like a Japanese film that's advertised as tranquil and artistic on the cover; once you see Masahiro Tabuchi's face as the lead, you know it's definitely not the film you initially expected.

Of course, we cannot make this judgment on behalf of Masahiro Tabuchi's fans. The actor in this case could be anyone you've blocked, my friend, you know what I mean.

Jaffaroni walked to the locker room door, opened it, and Xu Ling's voice came through.

“They want us to lose control, they want us to run at their pace.” Xu Ling wiped his sweat with a towel. “But we won’t let them have their way. We’ll grind it out one possession at a time, just like we do. Kyle,” Xu Ling looked at Lowry, “bring the ball across half-court and give it to me. You go to the corner and be ready to catch the ball and shoot or cut to the basket.”

“Paul,” Xu Ling then turned to Gasol, “you run pick-and-rolls with me at the high post. If Andrew doesn’t come out, you take a mid-range shot. If he does come out, you roll to the basket, and I’ll find you.”

"As for defense," Xu Ling paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone, "Kobe is mine. You guys just need to guard your own men and grab every damn rebound! Tell them, this is Memphis!"

Therefore, Jaffaroni doesn't need to say anything; he just needs to follow the 60 million man's wishes and clarify the team's playing style, which is to give him the ball.

Jaffaroni had no objection.

The second half began with the whistle, and the two teams switched sides. Kobe's eyes were even colder than in the first half, like a Black Mamba who had decided to stop toying with its prey after being slightly offended. On the first possession, he leaned against Xu Ling on his left side and reached out for the ball.

Fisher's pass was precise and accurate. Kobe received the ball, felt Xu Ling's defensive weight on his back, and after two powerful post-up moves, he suddenly turned towards the baseline without warning and unleashed a dramatic fadeaway jumper!

"Shh!"

63 is better than 58
Kobe asked coldly, "How many times do you think you can respond to me?"

“I’m happy to do it as many times as I want,” Xu Ling replied.

Upon hearing this, Kobe let out another sarcastic snort. He no longer regarded Xu Ling as a newcomer whose reputation exceeded his abilities. Although he still had many shortcomings, he was already quite threatening, and he would do his best to suppress him.

Xu Ling dribbled the ball across half-court, and Kobe immediately closed in.

That unexpected long-range three-pointer in the first half was enough to make the Lakers extremely wary of his shooting range.

"So far in the game, we can say that Eli and Kobe are evenly matched, which is a great feat for a rookie!"

"That's right, and it was Eli who withstood the pressure from Kobe that prevented the Grizzlies from collapsing under the Lakers' offensive onslaught in the first half!"

Harlan and Collins exchanged words, but in the end, the conversation turned to Xu Ling and Kobe.

Should we fight again? Can we persevere any longer? Will a victor ultimately emerge?

Xu Ling did not rush to attack. He steadily controlled the ball outside the three-point line and observed Kobe's defensive posture.

Kobe lowered his center of gravity, and his outstretched arms almost completely blocked all of Xu Ling's driving routes.

Time passes by second by second.

Suddenly, Xu Ling moved!
He started with a very quick crossover, slamming his right foot off the ground, as if to break through from the right. Kobe's center of gravity subconsciously shifted half a point to the right.

In that instant, Xu Ling quickly pulled the ball back, dribbled behind his back to his left hand, and his whole body was like a fully drawn bow, instantly passing through the gap on Kobe's left side!

The explosiveness and speed of this step far exceeded Kobe's expectations. By the time he turned around to chase back, Xu Ling had already taken a half-body lead and was driving straight to the basket!

Upon seeing this, Bynum immediately came over to help defend, blocking Xu Ling's offensive route like a high wall.

In a flash, Xu Ling didn't slow down at all, but just as he jumped, he gently slipped the ball under Bynum's arm.

The ball was heading straight for Pau Gasol, who was completely unguarded!
The Spaniard visibly hesitated when he received the ball, seemingly not expecting Xu Ling to see him in that situation. But muscle memory allowed him to complete the move, scoring with a layup.

FedExCamp cheered for every brilliant moment of Xu Ling's performance, their cheers drowning out Gasol.

The Spaniard was momentarily stunned and couldn't help but look at Xu Ling. But Xu Ling seemed to have done nothing, quickly returning to defense and clapping and shouting, "Defense! Let's hold this ball!" Gasol couldn't believe he would be encouraged by a rookie who had been in the industry for less than half a year.

"Yes, keep them at bay!"

Gasol also yelled out.

Kobe's eyes were sharper as he called for the ball again. This time, he chose to attack facing the basket, using a series of crossover steps and shoulder fakes that were so realistic they made people dizzy. But Xu Ling held his breath and was not completely fooled, staying in front of Kobe the whole time.

With little time left on the shot clock, Kobe forced a jump and launched a fadeaway jump shot.

Xu Ling jumped with all his might to interfere, successfully turning the opponent's powerful shot into a block.

When someone who keeps scoring despite playing irrationally finally seems to be returning to normal, you should cheer for your relentless efforts.

Xu Ling turned around and saw that Gasol had already grabbed the defensive rebound and then passed it to Xu Ling.

It's clear that the Spaniard looked much more active than in the first half. Although we don't know what changed about him, it's a good thing.

Gasol's energy has returned, just like those teammates who were mute for half the game in an FPS game suddenly start calling out enemy positions: "Eli, I'll set a screen for you, Andrew can't stop your drive!"

"Let's do it that way!" Xu Ling shouted in response.

Xu Ling advanced to the frontcourt, and Kobe quickly closed in. Without hesitation, Xu Ling waved for Gasol to come up and set a screen.

The Spaniard's solid screen blocked Kobe, and Xu Ling instantly broke free. The player who switched onto him was Bynum, who had been extremely dominant in the paint that night.

But this is also a golden opportunity for the smaller to take on the bigger!

Xu Ling dribbled between his legs rapidly and unpredictably, making Bynum's tall frame appear somewhat clumsy, and he could only sway to Xu Ling's rhythm.

Suddenly, Xu Ling made a sudden stop and pretended to shoot. Bynum was immediately fooled and jumped up, only to find that it was just a fake move. Xu Ling then ducked and passed by the jumping Bynum, and scored with a layup.

62 is better than 63
The Grizzlies narrowed the gap to just 2 points.

Xu Ling turned to face the furious Kobe and said softly, "Bring on whatever tricks you have up your sleeve. Don't disappoint me."

If the purpose of trash talk is to provoke the opponent, then Xu Ling has undoubtedly succeeded.

In the next possession, Kobe came back strong. He used Odom's screen to shake off Xu Ling by half a step, received the ball, and immediately pulled up for a three-pointer.

"Rookie, your defense is half as good as your talkativeness, okay?!"

Kobe immediately started yelling back after scoring.

The air was thick with a competitive atmosphere that made everyone scream. The world's best players were giving it their all against the rookie of the year, but that still didn't guarantee victory. The game wasn't over yet, the executioner's blade hadn't fallen, and nothing was predetermined.

As the game progressed to this stage, the off-field noise became less important. The Eagle County controversy, the hype from Nike and Adidas, the verbal battles between fans, and even Roderick Craig, the catalyst for the world war, were all less important than Xu Ling's response.

Xu Ling lowered his center of gravity, and his dribbling rhythm became unpredictable.

Kobe remained as steady as a rock, his gaze sharp and unwavering, completely unaffected by the swaying.

Suddenly, Xu Ling executed a sharp crossover, driving hard from the right. Kobe quickly moved to close in, and the two collided violently, the thud of their muscles hitting each other even reaching the front row.

Xu Ling leaned against Kobe, dribbled the ball two steps inside the three-point line, stopped abruptly, faked a pass, and pretended to jump—the whole sequence of movements was executed in one smooth motion!
Kobe didn't fall for the fake; he simply raised his arms high to block out the space.

But it was an incredibly realistic Buddhist feint! Xu Ling instantly shifted his weight back, and like an arrow, he swept past Kobe's left side, heading straight for the paint!

Bynum, who was helping on defense, rose up like a giant tower, completely covering the basket!

At the critical moment, Xu Ling showed no fear, leaped into the air, and used an extreme layup to dodge the block. With his amazing core strength, he switched the ball to his left hand in mid-air and threw it out in an almost contorted posture.

The basketball bounced twice after hitting the backboard and finally rolled into the net!
"Beep!"

The referee blew his whistle and pointed directly at Bynum, calling a defensive foul!
"And one!"

Xu Ling's teammates roared with excitement.

"Bullshit! I didn't even touch him!" Bynum instantly erupted in fury, wildly gesturing and roaring at the referee, "Are you blind? I didn't foul him at all!"

Bynum continued his relentless roaring. His outburst was so sudden that even Kobe couldn't stop him in time, and Bynum had already charged towards the referee, spitting almost onto the referee's face. This excessive reaction immediately drew another sharp whistle! The referee didn't hesitate to make a "T" gesture—a technical foul!
Xu Ling leaped to his feet, clapped his hands loudly, and shouted mockingly at the emotionally distraught Bynum, "Thanks, big guy, keep it up!"

Bynum went completely berserk, howling and almost lunging at the referee, as if preparing for an octagon fight. At that crucial moment, Kobe quickly stepped forward, pulling him behind him and sternly shouting, "Calm down! You're not a rookie anymore, don't let that bastard number 1 beat you!"

Bynum, looking aggrieved, continued to argue: "But I didn't foul at all!"

Kobe interrupted him bluntly: "Stop talking nonsense!"

(End of this chapter)