Champion, please stay!

Chapter 45. Ruthlessly Destroying Flowers!

As Yi Shui stepped onto the free-throw line, he heard the fans' shouts and felt a moment of exhaustion. How did it all become 'BIG'?
As a man, he was quite happy to be called "big brother" by others.

But if he enters the NBA, he'll definitely become popular in China. One day he'll return home in glory, only to be greeted by fans on the street who call him "Brother Bi"? Just thinking about that scene is despairing.

I just hope that the media in China, which are still relatively discerning, can give him a proper nickname.

Upon receiving the ball from the referee, Yi Shui cleared his mind and calmly scored the penalty.

9-3, the Huskies lead by 6 points!
It was Tigers' turn to attack again. Rose's eyes were fixed on Yi Shui, but his gaze seemed to pass right through the tall guard in front of him.

He's going to score! He's going to tear through the defense and put the ball in the basket!
Since entering university, he has not lost a single game and has achieved a 29-game winning streak. Including the warm-up games, he has won 39 games in a row. He has never been pressured at the start of a game. He finds it hard to accept this situation!
Rose once again blew past Yi Shui and bypassed Yad's defense to penetrate the paint... Once again, he found himself in a situation where Thabeet was guarding him in front and Yi Shui was chasing him from behind.

But he didn't stop. He sprinted all the way to the baseline, turned around abruptly, and entered the three-second zone along the baseline. Without slowing down, he took two steps, used Thabeet to block Yi Shui's pursuit, grabbed the ball, jumped, and made a reverse layup behind Thabeet... and it went in!
As Rose landed, amidst cheers from the fans, he took a high step, pounded his chest, and roared, "Even if you all come together, you can't stop me!"

After yelling, he rushed out of the paint and bumped chests with his teammates who were retreating on defense.

Yi Shui, who had failed to defend, was speechless. Rose's two consecutive high-speed changes of direction were too exaggerated! Especially the change of direction on the baseline, which was completely different from what he knew as a drive in and a corner along the baseline. It was a right-angle change of direction while maintaining speed!

That ability to change direction is absolutely amazing!
But when Yi Shui thought of that scene, he felt a phantom pain in his knee.

Also, the New York fans are shameless. They were cheering for his dunk and 2+1 one, and they immediately turned against him. What's the point of wearing this home-colored jersey? I suggest to the head coach that he wear the away jersey for the next game.

Yi Shui ran forward and saw that the confusion on the opposing players' faces had vanished. He thought to himself that Rose was truly a genius at leading a team, and his playing style was so inspiring!
He ran directly to the right at a 45-degree angle once again. The opposing team was showing signs of gaining momentum, so he decided to push them down!

Momentum is the Tigers' winning formula. Not only does he think so, but the coaching staff also attaches great importance to this during the team's preparation phase.

His solution was the same as the coaching staff's – give him the ball!
Yi Shui received the ball leaning against Rose, turned around and continued to break through. Rose pushed off the ground and stepped back, but Yi Shui stopped a step inside the three-point line!

As Rose lunged forward, Yi Shui had already completed his ball-gathering and jumping motion, launching a long two-pointer over Rose who was jumping to block... and it went in!
Yi Shui really liked this kind of opponent who relied on physical defense. The opponent was full of weaknesses in terms of rhythm, and he could make his half-baked rhythm-based offense look amazing.

Looking at Rose, whose expression remained firm but whose shoulders slumped involuntarily, Yi Shui said, "Two-point shot, no need for all that trouble, just raise your hand and it'll go in."

When Rose was mocked for not shooting, he retorted, "You've only played two more years than me. I'll definitely shoot better than you in two years!"

"I look forward to that day."

Watching Yi Shui turn and run back to the back field, Ross sensed the sarcasm in the other's tone. He was annoyed, but he knew he had to control his emotions and not let his anger cloud his judgment. He couldn't let this guy get away with it.

He received the serve and moved to the frontcourt to continue his attack!

As the opposing Husky team, the Husky team's sense of momentum is very important to the Tigers, and as the Tigers' ball-handling core, Rose naturally understands this even better.

The opponent responded as soon as he scored, so he has to respond again!
When Rose bent down and quickly dribbled the ball towards Yi Shui, the fans in the stadium got excited and cheered loudly.

One-on-one matchup between star players!

This is a scene that is not often seen in the NCAA!
The fans' feedback fueled Rose's excitement, prompting him to change direction and drive forward!

Continue to break through to the baseline and change direction at a right angle!

Thabeet was mentally prepared, but Rose's speed was just too fast. By the time Thabeet tried to move his feet, Rose had already turned and started moving. If Thabeet then moved forward or reached out to block him, it would be a foul.

Giving an opponent enough space to move towards the baseline is a fundamental rule of defense under the basket.

The "Twin Towers," who ranked first and second in the Big East league's blocks list, could only watch as Rose made a reverse layup on the other side of the basket.

Rose responded again, and his teammates went wild with excitement.

But after his initial excitement, he felt immense pressure. That guy was heading towards the 45-degree angle again! Another one-on-one! He had no choice but to follow, because he was the league's best defensive player.

He started to wonder why Yi Shui wanted the ball at that angle. This wasn't the optimal one-on-one position for a player who could combine drives and shots… 'Was he intentionally creating an opportunity for a double team on the wing, so he could more easily pass the ball after a one-on-one play?'

If Rose had paid even a little more attention when looking at Yi Shui's information, he would have known that Yi Shui liked to play one-on-one there simply because that was the most accurate angle for shooting.

As expected, Yi Shui continued to demand the ball and go one-on-one. Rose tried to front him but failed, and immediately straightened his position. He did not lose his position because of the fronting, but it was not effective. He was still fooled by two fake moves by Yi Shui, and Yi Shui easily broke into the paint!
This time, Rose didn't go to cover Robinson. Instead, he tried to double-team Yi Shui with Roberts. As long as he could force Yi Shui to get the ball out of play, even if the opponent scored, he could still have the upper hand in terms of momentum!
But! Rose, who was chasing, saw Roberts being knocked aside by Yi Shui... How brutal! What happened to the technical style?
Sensing Rose's intentions, Yi Shui used the simplest and most direct method to break through the danger of being double-teamed and blocked in the mid-range, and went straight into the paint. However, Roberts' blocking still gave center Shawn the opportunity to move into position.

Yi Shui charged forward to close range, stopping just before Sean could close in, grabbed the ball and raised his hand... and the opponent flew away!
Yi Shui stepped out with his right foot, jumped up with both feet, grazed Sean as he leaped, and threw a high, powerful shot that found the target!
13 to 7, the score difference is still 6 points!
Yi Shui had noticed this long ago. Sean's stats showed he was 208 cm tall, but he was at most 5 cm taller than him, and his arms were short. Their height and wingspan were almost the same... High kicks and high punches really work!
Rose, who had been following closely, preparing to chase and contest the shot in hopes of getting a block, was completely numb.

'I worked so hard to score a goal, and this guy just drove straight in, tossed the ball over the center forward's head, and it was in?'

Minor league champions rely on their 'specialties', like the Davidson Wildcats, who excel at attrition warfare. With a more consistent team offense and Curry's shooting, they took off during the qualifying rounds this season, only to be overshadowed by the Tigers, who have consecutively defeated the top league champions.

The Tigers' "specialty" is their aggressive offense, overwhelming opponents with their momentum; in other aspects, they are mediocre, especially in defense.

Rose didn't think that poor defense would have any impact on them. He would drive to the basket, his outside partners would make the shots, and his inside teammates would finish the plays. That was enough to defeat any opponent.

But now, he deeply understands what it means to have defense that may not be needed for a long time, but cannot be absent.

Faced with Yi Shui's simple, brutal, yet powerful style of play, their small, insignificant attacking force was simply no match! The opponents were playing like it was nothing!

Upon receiving the serve, Rose slammed the ball down and advanced towards the frontcourt.

He must move forward!
The longer the battle between star players goes on, the less he can afford to lose!

If you give up on direct confrontation early on and try to connect the whole team, even if the 'fear of battle' affects morale, as long as your teammates can score, the impact will not be significant.

But now he and Yi Shui have already had several rounds of one-on-one combat. The attention of the audience in front of the TV, the fans at the stadium, and the players on the field is all on their duel. If he wins, their momentum will be boosted to the maximum, and they will have a chance to play with the same overwhelming momentum as in the previous games. But if he loses... it is impossible for him to lose!
The Tigers haven't lost a single game this season!

Upon arriving at the frontcourt, Rose had cleared his mind of all distractions and exuded an indomitable aura that deeply influenced his teammates and made the opponents feel his sharp edge.

Break through! Tear apart all defenses!
Zone defense is a powerful weapon against penetrating players, but tonight, apart from the first possession on the second possession when Rose intended to pass the ball from the very beginning, the Huskies' zone defense never worked. It wasn't that they didn't want to play it, but Rose was too fast. Unless they blocked the middle in advance, Rose would have already penetrated to the shooting position before they even moved into position.

Even Yad, the fastest center on the Husky team, could only barely prevent Rose from making a straight drive into the paint, allowing Rose to make another crossover and create an opportunity for Yi Shui to keep up with Rose.

Rose reached the baseline again, and Thabeet was desperate to defend him. He could only stretch out his hand to prevent Rose from shooting directly after his crossover at the right angle... Suddenly, he got hit in the back...

Rose once again slipped across the baseline, jumped, and attempted a reverse floater... but as soon as he tossed the ball out, his eyes filled with terror. He had been so focused on getting around Thabeet to shoot that he only noticed the large husky head in front of him after the ball was released. Yi Shui had somehow arrived first and was already jumping up to wait for him!

He tried to grab the ball back, but it was too late. He could only watch helplessly as Yi Shui's long arms reached for the basketball...

"Snapped"

"bang"

Yi Shui slammed the ball against the backboard and grabbed it, blocking and stealing the ball in one fell swoop!
Upon landing, Ross saw Yi Shui turn around to launch a counterattack and immediately pounced on him, grabbing him in the arms.

Given the Tigers' poor overall defense, they definitely wouldn't be able to react in time, so he chose to commit a tactical foul!

Although he made the most appropriate defensive choice, he still didn't know how Yi Shui ended up there until he looked up and saw the replay on the big screen.

Yi Shui had just followed him into the paint, but once they got close, he ignored him and charged straight at Thabeet, bumping into him. Then he spun 360 degrees around Thabeet to the right and ended up on the other side of the basket...

He had a direct shot opportunity on the right sideline of the three-second zone, and Thabeet couldn't defend that far, but he didn't notice! He was focused on how to avoid Thabeet's interference after changing direction... Who would have thought that this guy would defend like that?

He often saw gamblers taking shots on offense, but gamblers on defense taking shots by jumping around cones in advance to wait for a block... he had never heard of such a thing.

But that's exactly what happened to him today!
The Huskies continued their attack, possession in the backcourt.

After a series of fierce attacks and defenses, Yi Shui was also a bit out of breath. The short-term exertion was too great. If it weren't for the fact that he had been pushing himself to the limit every day for the past two months and had broken through to the top of the university, that block just now might have been difficult.

But he still chose to continue to ask for the ball and go one-on-one. He managed to get past Rose, but facing Roberts' early move to block him and Shawn's movement before he even broke through the basket, it would be difficult for him to continue scoring. However, he didn't have to force himself to make this shot. Before Roberts could close him down, he grabbed the ball and flicked it to his right.

Robinson received the ball on the sideline and launched a three-pointer... He didn't disappoint Yi Shui, and the open shot went in cleanly!
With the Huskies leading 16-7, the Tigers extended their lead to 9 points, prompting the Tigers to call a timeout!

...

Ever since the game against the Amazing Team, the Tigers have been unstoppable, crushing their opponents in the opening stages and securing victory in one fell swoop.

But tonight they hit a brick wall! They failed to break through the opponent's defense once again, and were instead forced to call a timeout.

Yi Shui shone brightest at this moment for accomplishing this task!
开局4投4中，其中三分球1中1，加上1中1的罚球，拿到10分2助攻2盖帽，把4分1助攻的罗斯按在地板上摩擦！

Rose didn't play well? Not at all. Even in those two plays where he was blocked, he still showed many highlights.

But fans at the stadium and those watching on TV could see it, and those who didn't understand after their teammates or commentators analyzed it—Rose is currently completely countered by Yi Shui!

Yi Shui is much larger than Rose, and in terms of speed, as long as his teammates help slow him down, he can keep up with Rose. His shot-blocking instinct is exaggerated for a perimeter player...

Lacking a long-range shot, a pull-up jumper, and a floater, Rose could barely shake off Yi Shui's defense, except for his incredible crossover ability to attack the basket from the baseline.

Even this move was met with a bloody blow from Yi Shui.

In the previous nine games, Rose displayed dazzling talent, but at this moment, his brilliance was completely overshadowed by Yi Shui!
However, people still have high expectations for the Tigers in terms of the game itself.

After all, the Tigers have been too dazzling in this All-Round Championship. Top teams led by lottery talents such as Mayo, Griffin, and Jordan Hill have all been defeated by the Tigers.

The Husky team was hailed as a 'model of comeback' after completing their regional stage of the competition.

The Tigers were dubbed 'Kings' during the qualifying stage, the kings of comebacks!
Their journey to becoming a seeded team in the division was completely different from that of the Gonzaga Bulldogs two years ago. With Adam Morrison, the Bulldogs were already highly anticipated in the division stage, and many people had long predicted that they would perform like that. The Tigers' emergence, however, was truly groundbreaking.

Every time the Tigers faced a new team from the top half of the league, people said their comeback was about to end, but they always managed to defeat their opponents.

Now, they have completely changed people's perception of them. Even though they are in a very unfavorable situation and are down by as many as 9 points after just a few minutes of play, people believe that they can turn the tide.

However, after the timeout, the Tigers were outscored 16-10 by the Huskies!

With half of the first half gone, the score was 32-17, with the Huskies leading the Tigers by 15 points before a timeout!
It wasn't that Yi Shui continued his rampage.

Yi Shui didn't even go to match up against Rose anymore, but instead focused on guarding Roberts off the ball and on team defense. He also stopped being the main offensive option, and the Husky's main offensive option became substitute Ben Spencer.

The opposing wing defense is poor, and the center who protects the rim is too fast to handle, which is perfect for Spencer, who relies on speed.

It's not because the Tigers have lost their edge since returning from the timeout!

When Rose was no longer facing Yi Shui's defense, his offense was like a highway, and he could easily lead the team to execute excellent tactical plays. However, his most impactful phase was spent in the back-and-forth between him and Yi Shui.

Most importantly, they were suppressed at the beginning, and the momentum they had always shown to everyone, which seemed capable of tearing everything apart, disappeared!

Without the added imposing presence, a tiger is nothing more than a weak and easily bullied kitten in front of a husky!

...

After extending their lead to 15 points, the Huskies gave the Tigers no further hope.

In the latter part of the first half, Dyson came on to replace Spencer as the main offensive point. Yi Shui completely slacked off on offense, resting with his hands on his hips and focusing on defense, trying to hinder the opponent's team offense as much as possible. Dyson led his team to a score of 19-21, leading the Tigers 51-38 into halftime.

After halftime, the Tigers regained their momentum and played well... but Yi Shuiyan hit a three-pointer from Rose and then drove into the paint against Roberts's tight defense to deliver an alley-oop pass to Yad, effectively stopping the opponent's momentum.

The Huskies were unable to replicate their terrifying start, scoring 16 points in 6 possessions, but they held on against wave after wave of comebacks led by Rose and Roberts, steadily maintaining their double-digit lead!

With 17 minutes and 3 seconds left in the second half, Rose drove past Price and scored a layup off the backboard, drawing a foul from Yi Shui who was helping on defense. He made the free throw, bringing the score to 68-77, narrowing the gap to 9 points. With 03 minutes left, there was still a chance!
But then, after setting a screen for Johnson Bird, Yi Shui triggered the "Iron Wall," turned around, and started moving at top speed. Roberts, who was switching on defense, didn't even have time to pull him back and could only watch helplessly as Yi Shui cut in, received the ball, and made a layup, drawing a foul from the opposing backup center, Hashem Bailey!
Yi Shui made the free throw, making it 80-68, and the point difference was back to 12 points!
Rose painstakingly changed direction and made a tough shot around the cones to score a 2+1, only to be easily countered by Yi Shui's "simple shot" once again!
After this round, the Tigers' pent-up energy completely collapsed.

In the final two and a half minutes, the Tigers only managed one three-pointer from McArthur, without scoring any other points.

The match ended on time at 9:53 p.m.

21投12中，其中三分球7中4，加上8中7的罚球，易水狂轰35分，外加7板6助攻2抢断4盖帽，率领哈士奇队以85比71大胜老虎队！终结老虎队29连胜！

As the final whistle blew and the fans roared and screamed, Rose looked blankly at Yi Shui and saw a scene that made him want to tear his hair out... This guy somehow produced a rose, blew on it, and threw it to the screaming female fans on the sidelines!
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(End of this chapter)