Champion, please stay!

Chapter 18, Section 18: The Despicable Elementary School Student and the Shameless Senior College Student
With 13 minutes and 44 seconds left in the game, Curry cut in, received the ball, and passed it to Lofdale, who caught it on the baseline and made a floater, making it 36-31, extending the Wildcats' lead to 5 points!
Just as Yi Shui was getting into the swing of things and preparing to crush the elementary school student in a one-on-one fight to narrow the gap again, Calhoun called a timeout!
And they even replaced him!

He approached the head coach, but before he could even complain, Calhoun said to him, "Go sit down. Didn't you notice that pitcher was wearing you down?"

Consumption?
Yi Shui focused his attention on his physical condition. After calming down, he realized that he seemed even more tired than when he finished the first half of the game the day before yesterday!
Looking back now, he was putting all his effort into one-on-one battles, competing with Curry, while Curry's playing style has always been to cooperate with his teammates. After Curry stuck to him on one of his drives, Curry almost never tried to one-on-one with him again. Combined with the head coach's reminder... that despicable elementary school student!
Calhoun saw Yi Shui obediently sit down and wipe his sweat. It was so convenient to talk to players with brains; you didn't need to rack your brains, a single sentence was enough.

Yi Shui's body is starting to rest, but his mind is becoming anxious instead—he might not even be able to beat Curry, so how could his teammates?

After the timeout ended, he was even more confused when he saw the teammates who had been substituted in. If these guys went on, their backsides would probably get ripped open by the opponent!

But seeing the team's two strongest shooters, Frostowski and Robinson, spread out to the sidelines, and Yad and Omocaro, two high jumpers, directly pressing into the three-second zone on both sides of the offensive zone, and Dyson driving past Curry at the top of the arc and hitting a pull-up jumper just outside the free-throw line... Yi Shui clapped his hands hard and shouted, "Great shot!"

Yi Shui guessed the head coach's strategy. Sure enough, when it came to the defensive round, his teammates defended very simply, one-on-one, and switched when there was a pick-and-roll... Then Frostowski, who switched to the basket, was beaten by the opposing substitute center Nelmes and scored with a layup.

On the other hand, Dyson missed a two-pointer, and Yad took a step forward and burst into the air, scoring two points with a putback dunk over Nelmes!

With his teammates scoring two goals in quick succession, Yi Shui breathed a sigh of relief, leaned back in his chair, and couldn't help but glance at the head coach.

What happened to the principle of prioritizing defense?

...

Curry, who was repeatedly outmaneuvered by Dyson, must be wondering: What happened to the defensive coach we were promised?
Curry never intentionally tried to wear down Yi Shui. Leading the team's offense and making good use of teamwork to make his game easier is his style of play. However, Calhoun's statement is not wrong.

Due to the lack of individual ability among their role players, the Wildcats have a decent defensive floor but a low ceiling. When facing opponents with strong individual abilities, they often rely on a war of attrition in offense. Once the opponent's star players get tired and their offensive performance fluctuates, they use a more consistent offense combined with team defensive coordination to gain an advantage.

Seeing that the opponent called a timeout and substituted both their offensive spearhead and defensive anchor, Curry thought the time to extend their lead had come, but he didn't expect the opponent's adjustments to be so drastic!

Yi Shui played for less than 14 minutes, making 5 of 8 shots, including 2 of 4 three-pointers, plus 1 of 2 free throws, for a total of 13 points and 2 assists. Curry already thought he was being very aggressive, but compared to this guy named Dyson in front of him, he felt that Yi Shui's play was simply too reasonable.

Moreover, the Husky's twin towers in the paint seemed certain they wouldn't receive the ball, so they kept their eyes on the basket, ready to crash it. This forced their interior players to crouch under the basket to box out, making it impossible for them to implement a zone defense against Dyson. Conventional help defense was useless; this guy always seemed to have a way to get the ball out. When the wings advanced to double-team at the high post, Dyson wasn't stupid and simply passed the ball to the wings. Both of the stand-up shooters on the wings were quite accurate!
In terms of offensive firepower, Dyson's approach is definitely not as effective as the simple combination of Yi Shui's main attacker + Robinson's support + Yad's rebounding. The Husky's offensive efficiency has declined compared to before the timeout, but the decline is far less than Curry expected!
As the season progressed and the Wildcats rotated more substitutes, their offense actually declined, but usually less than their opponents, giving them a firepower advantage.

In the six minutes following the timeout, the Wildcats outscored the Wildcats 12-11, extending their lead to just one point.

However, Curry and his teammates were not discouraged. After all, the opponent was a top league team, and it was normal for them to withstand their offensive during the rotation phase. It was just that the way they responded was different from what they expected, until Dyson received the ball with 3 seconds left, rushed to the center circle, and hit a buzzer-beating mid-court jumper...

The referee confirmed that the countdown only ended after the ball left Dyson's hand, and the three-pointer was valid!
The Huskies narrowed the gap to 3 points at halftime, with the score at 45-48!
After the whistle blew, teammates rushed onto the court to high-five and hug Dyson. Regardless of their usual relationship, at this moment, Dyson was their good brother on the court.

Dyson tilted his head back, pouted, and high-fived his teammates... Only Yi Shui swatted a mosquito that no one else could see.

Feeling slighted by being ignored, Yi Shui consoled herself: 'Oh well, at least this guy narrowed the gap; I won't hold it against him.'

Dyson, who refused to high-five Yi Shui and breathed a small sigh of relief, actually had mixed feelings. He had taken 7 shots in the last 6 minutes, including one buzzer-beater in the final seconds, and he was exhausted! If he hadn't wanted to prove that he was no worse than Yi Shui, he really didn't want to move when he received the ball in the last 3 seconds. How did that guy manage to take more than 30 shots in a game?
As for Yi Shui's ball-handling and attacking style of play today, which lasted 13 minutes, he only took 8 shots. Dyson didn't count them; his mind was full of Yi Shui's exaggerated 32 minutes and 31 shots the day before yesterday...

Calhoun noticed the small details between Dyson and Yi Shui, but he wouldn't interfere. Having been a head coach for over twenty years, he knew that some players, even after four years as teammates, wouldn't have a better relationship, and might even get worse. As the head coach, intervening wouldn't help; it might even make things worse. So, instead of doing anything unnecessary, he decided to find a way to make good use of these relationships.

这不，这次就起到了奇效！戴森的表现远超他预期！7投4中、其中三分球2中1，拿到9分！
Defense first is indeed Calhoun's coaching philosophy, and he is genuinely not good at team offense.

But when it comes to creating the right one-on-one opportunities for star players, he is definitely one of the best coaches in the NCAA!
Moreover, he doesn't adhere to a fixed strategy. When he decided to send out Dyson, his idea was simple: since defense is unstoppable, he might as well temporarily ignore defense and maximize Dyson's offensive firepower.

...

After halftime, the Husky players' expressions and demeanor were completely different from when the game had just started; their desire for victory was even stronger than before!
Back then, they thought they would teach the arrogant minor league teams a lesson. Now, they see this game not just as a warm-up, but as a battle for face!

This opponent truly has the ability to defeat them!
Yi Shui, Frostowski, Osterly, Yad, and Thabeet came onto the field.

Yad, who played the full first half, continued to play. He has many weaknesses that give the coaching staff a headache, such as his defense, which has not improved at all even in his junior year. However, the coaching staff also likes his strengths, such as his stamina and ability to withstand rough grass. Last season, as a sophomore, he was already able to play an average of 34 minutes per game, and even played the full game when there was a chance to win.

On the other side, Curry had already adjusted his mindset after being blown out by Dyson's buzzer-beating three-pointer in the first half, and led his teammates back onto the court, determined to fight back against the opposing team.

The second half began, and the Wildcats continued to build their team offense around Curry. On the other hand, Yi Shui did not adjust his playing style and continued to attack with the ball as he did in the first half.

During the halftime break, Yi Shui carefully considered the Wildcats' "wear and burn strategy" and changed his perspective. If the opponent could use their team to wear him down, why couldn't he wear down the opponent's team?
Despite disliking Dyson even more after the "mosquito swatting incident," his teammate's performance in the first half made him agree with Clark's statement that "he will be your super sixth man." With a "super sixth man" on the bench who could lead the second unit's offense, Yi Shui couldn't help but play more aggressively. Under his leadership, the Husky team's offense was even more ferocious than in the first half!
However, the Wildcats, who fielded their new starting lineup, withstood the Husky's fierce attack with their powerful offensive firepower!
With 7 and a half minutes left in the second half, Calhoun called a timeout to substitute Yi Shui.

During this period, Yi Shui did his best, scoring 8 points and 1 assist. Frostowski on the wing, Thabeet under the basket, Yad who rushed the rebound, and Ostri who assisted in the point guard all performed very well, but they still only narrowed the gap by 1 point, bringing the score to 60-62.

Taking the towel handed to him by Johnson Bird and sitting down, Yi Shui felt a sense of resentment, a resentment at being unable to defeat his opponent single-handedly.

He vigorously wiped the sweat from his hair with a towel, his resolve unwavering—if he wasn't strong enough, he would train harder.

Now, let's focus on the game!
Yi Shui still has the resources and mindset to fight back, but Curry on the court has already started playing like his life depended on it!

With 14 minutes and 33 seconds left in the second half, Curry assisted backup point guard Bryant Barr on the wing to hit a three-pointer, putting the Wildcats back in the lead at 76-75. The Huskies called a timeout!

Curry was pleased with forcing the opponent to call a timeout when he saw Yi Shui, a substitute on the opposing bench, take off his training uniform. This time, Curry cursed inwardly—shameless senior! He actually sent his substitute to wear me down. No wonder you missed out on Rookie of the Year by a few votes!
Although he himself felt it was nothing special... he not only won the Southern Conference Rookie of the Year award, but also won the Southern Conference Player of the Year award as a freshman.

...

Yi Shui was unaware of the resentment in the elementary school student's heart, and even if he did, it wouldn't matter. What's shameful about having good teammates? Anyway, he didn't think so. Those who disagreed with him could ask Kobe, Garnett, and the future LeBron James.

After the timeout, Yi Shui, Price, Johnson Bird, Yad, and Thabeet entered the game.

The Husky team is on offense. They inbound the ball from the center line, and Price receives it and passes it to Yi Shui, who has returned to the court.

Yi Shui looked at the opposing substitute point guard Aaron Bond, raised an eyebrow, and called out to Price, who had just pulled away after passing the ball.

Price was surprised. Did Yi Shui want him to attack? Well, he was overthinking it. He saw Yi Shui make a screen gesture towards him.

With his high basketball IQ, he immediately understood Yi Shui's thoughts, glanced sympathetically at Curry, and ran back to stand in front of the opposing guard.

Curry was confused at first, but when he saw Price leading Bond toward the sideline after Yi Shui used a screen, he knew exactly what was going on.
He charged straight at Yi Shui, ready to fight this guy... He was once again completely outmaneuvered, but at least his defense was more imposing than before.

The Wildcats' zone defense remained aggressive, but by this point, forwards Sander and Lofdale had both played for nearly 30 minutes. With relatively average stamina and talent, their footwork had noticeably slowed down, and they failed to effectively contain the well-rested Yi Shui.

Yi Shui drove straight to the basket and scored a layup over Meno!

The Huskies have taken the lead again, 77-76.

Turning back, Curry used a screen to get past Yi Shui, used the rhythm difference to shake off Yad who was switching defense, and pulled up for a jump shot on the right side of the free throw line... It was a little short, but fortunately the ball bounced on the front edge and fell into the basket, turning the score back around from where it had just been overtaken.

库里的个人得分也提升到了28分，20投11中，其中三分球5中3，外加4中3的罚球！继续领先23分的易水5分。

It was the Husky team's turn to attack again. The Wildcats adjusted their defensive formation according to what they had agreed on during their retreat, in order to counter Yi Shui's targeted attack on Curry.

But Yi Shui didn't set a screen, and Johnson Bird, who came up from the baseline, didn't set a screen for Yi Shui either. Instead, Yi Shui passed the ball to Johnson Bird and stood next to Sander who came out, and barely held on!
Johnson Bird broke through using a screen, and the 193cm tall Bond was completely overpowered. Sander quickly chased after Johnson Bird, and the Wildcats' zone defense set up for Yishui also surrounded Johnson Bird. Before the zone defense could close in, Johnson Bird stopped and lobbed the ball to the right at a 45-degree angle...

The Wildcats' defensive focus was on the opposing team's 206cm small forward who was charging forward, and they ignored Yi Shui, who had spread out after the playoffs!
Yi Shui receives the ball at a 45-degree angle on the right side, and his skill 'Iron Wall' activates! He's on fire after executing a screen, and it's triggered! He felt great from the moment he jumped! The kind of feeling you get when you're guaranteed a basket in practice!

After throwing the ball, he landed and immediately turned around to Curry, who was looking at him, and blew the gun at him.

Curry turned his head like a deer to look at the basket, just in time to see the ball falling through the rim... This time he cursed out loud, and it actually went in!

With 9 of 17 field goals made, including 4 of 9 three-pointers, plus 4 of 5 free throws, Yi Shui's personal score increased to 26 points, making it 80-78, with the Husky team taking a two-point lead!
When it was the Wildcats' turn to attack, Curry used a screen to prepare for a sneaky attack, but as soon as he got the ball after going around the screen, he saw Yi Shui completely ignoring Lofdale cutting in and rushing towards him around the cones. He wanted to pass the ball, but the image of Yi Shui showing off after shooting the ball flashed through his mind. On a whim, he jumped and slammed a three-pointer to the right...

Curry can usually make shots like that, but tonight, for various reasons, he didn't get a break for even a second of game time, and he felt like he was going to mess up the moment he took the shot!

Sure enough, the ball only grazed the front of the rim! Thabeet screened Sanders, and Johnson Bird secured the defensive rebound!
Curry stumbled after landing before regaining his balance and tried to stick close to Yi Shui to prevent him from receiving the ball and launching a fast break. But when he turned around and didn't see anyone, he suddenly felt something was wrong. When he turned around again... that bastard had already crossed the center circle!
This distance means that as soon as he made his move, that guy rushed straight to the front!

Seeing Yi Shui rush into the three-point line and receive a long pass from Johnson Bird that spanned the entire court... a primary school student exclaimed: What kind of royal family style of play is this? Did this bastard save that Hall of Fame coach's life? How dare he play like this?
But that bastard made the right bet; he really missed.

易水现场2000多名球迷的嘘声中飞身战斧式劈扣将球砸进篮框，28比28，他得分终于追上库里了，同时还帮助球队以82比78取得4分领先优势！
On the home team's bench, Wildcats manager McGillop sighed deeply; the game was over!
Requesting monthly votes! Requesting recommendation votes!
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(End of this chapter)