The longest river

Chapter 17 Killing Pierce
"Negative energy from Paul Pierce +210".

Ok?
Yang Shuai was slightly surprised after hearing the system notification in his mind.

Is Pierce's mood really that unstable?
But the other person didn't seem too emotional.

Although he had some doubts, he didn't think too much about it. At least his judgment was correct: Pierce was a good candidate for gaining points.

Yang Shuai continued the attack.

Having noticed Pierce's weakness in lateral movement in the previous play, he used a series of crossovers to get past Pierce and drive to the basket for a layup.

"Am I too strong, or are you too weak?" Yang Shuai turned around and continued his trash talk.

Five-star high school student, is that all?

"Negative energy from Paul Pierce +250".

Pierce's expression was rather unpleasant.

He now seemed to understand why Yang Shuai dared to make the bet with him; this guy's physical abilities were much stronger than they appeared.

With a stern face, he continued to pass the ball to Yang Shuai, and this time his defense was more agile than before.

He continued to use his arm to limit Yang Shuai's three-point attempts, but after Yang Shuai passed the ball, he retreated in advance to create distance and prevent Yang Shuai from breaking through again.

Yang Shuai did not hesitate when faced with this defensive approach, and immediately opted for a mid-range jump shot after a sudden stop.

"Shh!"

With a crisp sound, the basketball swished through the net.

Previously, mid-range shooting was Yang Shuai's weak point, but that has been improved in past training.

Yang Shuai made a "3" gesture to Pierce, and the score was now 3-0. If two more balls were scored, Pierce would have to be his "ball boy" and fetch the balls for him.

However, to Yang Shuai's surprise, this time there was no system notification in his mind, and Pierce did not seem frustrated or angry. On the contrary, he seemed exceptionally focused.

Yang Shuai's consecutive points did not break Pierce; on the contrary, it seemed to ignite his competitive spirit.

Yang Shuai continued his attack, and Pierce continued to use the same defensive method as before.

However, this time when Yang Shuai took a mid-range shot, Pierce rushed forward to interfere with Yang Shuai.

Yang Shuai's shot missed this time.

The mid-range shot is a powerful weapon in this era because, compared to the three-pointer which is restricted by guards and the drive which is blocked by defenders occupying the space under the basket, it is easier to create space for a shot.

However, the mid-range shot is also the most difficult skill to master, because in order to shoot without interference, you must be proficient in a series of basketball techniques such as sudden stops, turnarounds, drifting, step-backs, and step-ups.

Possession changes, Pierce's offensive possession.

Despite Pierce's superior strength, Yang Shuai did not use a guarded stance, but instead maintained a defensive distance of about half a step. This was to prevent Pierce from passing him in one step and also to prevent Pierce from shooting three-pointers.

Of course, the reason he dared to do this was because he knew he had a speed advantage after the previous few rounds.

Pierce dribbled the ball and initiated a triple threat, then glanced at the basket before choosing to drive to the left.

He couldn't get past Yang Shuai, but he actively sought out Yang Shuai to contest the play, using his physical advantage to put himself in a favorable position during the breakthrough.

As he advanced to the vicinity of the free-throw line, he raised his elbow of his auxiliary hand and pushed outwards, then used the momentum to take a step-back jump shot to the outside.

This series of actions successfully created space for him to shoot from mid-range, and Yang Shuai's lunge to block the shot was not enough.

"Shh!"

With a crisp sound as the ball went into the net, Pierce's shot swished through the net.

"When you missed that shot, you were already out of options." Pierce seized the opportunity to retort to Yang Shuai after making the basket.

"Are you sure you want to say something like that right after scoring a goal?"

In the past six months, Yang Shuai has not only rapidly improved his personal skills, but also his trash-talking skills.

Pierce continued his attack, and Yang Shuai also showed a higher level of defensive focus.

However, Pierce continued to showcase his mid-range skills.

This time, during a breakthrough, he faked a jump shot with a sudden stop, then turned and scored another basket with a step-back layup.

Yang Shuai did not jump easily, and even tried to chase down Pierce for a block, but he was unsuccessful.

Pierce's previous feints were realistic enough. Although they didn't shake Yang Shuai, they successfully shifted his center of gravity. Moreover, he was using his hips to block Yang Shuai and sense his defensive position when he was taking steps up and down.

"And now?" Pierce asked Yang Shuai.

"I thought you were in the lead," Yang Shuai said defiantly.

However, he showed complete focus during this defensive play.

Pierce's performance in those two offensive possessions exceeded his expectations, especially his mastery of mid-range skills, which is something an eleventh-grade high school student shouldn't possess.

However, that should also be the key reason why Pierce was able to become a five-star high school student.

Pierce continued to hold the ball, and this time Yang Shuai was not easily fooled by the fake.

After two rounds, he realized that Pierce's physical attributes were average and that his main offensive strategy was to use his physical advantage and feints.

As long as he doesn't fall for fakes, it won't be easy for Pierce to beat him with forced shots.

As it turned out, Yang Shuai's judgment was correct. After Pierce dribbled the ball three times, he still couldn't get a shooting space like before. Finally, when he managed to take a shot, Yang Shuai seized the opportunity and blocked it directly.

"Game over!" Yang Shuai, high on his game after landing, raised his arms at Pierce.

"Negative energy from Paul Pierce +300".

The system notification sounded in my mind again.

Pierce's face darkened.

Yang Shuai continued to hold the ball, and at this point, Pierce not only raised his arms, but also started to make more subtle contact moves.

As the one-on-one duel intensified and the trash talk continued, the intensity of the competition between the two players reached a new level. However, Pierce's defensive strategy remained the same as before: preventing drives and allowing shots, giving Yang Shuai some space for mid-range shots.

Yang Shuai seized an opportunity during a sudden stop and opted for a mid-range shot, and Pierce saw the chance and pounced forward.

However, Yang Shuai's next move was completely unexpected by Pierce.

He didn't actually shoot a mid-range shot, but instead quickly gathered the ball and turned around with a step-back maneuver!
Pierce couldn't catch up and could only watch as Yang Shuai scored a layup.

The way he looked at Yang Shuai changed.

Yang Shuai actually knows this trick? Or is he just learning it on the spot?

4:2.

Yang Shuai got the chance to kill the game.

At this point, neither of them exchanged any more trash talk; instead, they focused all their attention on the confrontation.

Yang Shuai broke through with the ball again, and Pierce maintained his defensive position, this time guarding against Yang Shuai's step-up and step-down movements.

However, Yang Shuai changed his tactics again this time, choosing to turn around and jump shot when he stopped abruptly.

Pierce's physical disadvantage was exposed on this play. After Yang Shuai jumped, he could only stand there and watch Yang Shuai shoot.

However, Yang Shuai's shot failed to go in.

He had never practiced these things before, and the reason he was able to learn and use them in a short time was entirely because his core strength and explosive power were sufficient to support him in doing so.

However, basketball skills are not something that can be mastered overnight simply by having good talent; they require a lot of training.

Pierce breathed a sigh of relief.

The previous up-and-down steps weren't very obvious, but this slightly awkward turn shows that Yang Shuai is learning and applying what he's learned on the spot.

So even though the shot didn't go in, Yang Shuai's amazing ability to replicate the shot was enough to give him a real scare.

Possession of the ball changed hands again.

Pierce directly adjusted his offensive techniques this time, switching from face-up to back-to-the-basket offense.

Yang Shuai's opinion of Pierce has completely changed now.

It's important to know that basketball skills are the hardest to master. The amount of hard work Pierce put in to master so much in his eleventh year is unimaginable to most people.

Back-to-the-basket moves allow Pierce to better utilize his physical strengths, making it much harder for Yang Shuai to defend this type of shot compared to his previous face-up game.

Pierce hit a fadeaway jumper with a back-to-the-basket spin move, bringing the score to 3-4.

If they score just one more goal, the score will be tied.

Pierce still had possession of the ball.

He continued to choose to post up, and this time Yang Shuai seized the opportunity to flash out from the side and make a flying block.

The defense was excellent, forcing Pierce to raise his shooting angle, and the basketball barely cleared Yang Shuai's fingertips.

This was an extremely difficult move.

"boom!"

The basketball hit the rim.

However, after bouncing up, he actually fell back down and slid into the basket!
This goal had an element of luck involved.

Pierce roared with excitement after seeing the ball go in.

Luck is also part of ability, and he has a strong heart in crucial moments.

If he had hesitated even for a second, the ball would have been blocked again.

In the deciding point, both players began to pant.

The physical exertion from a short, continuous burst of energy is not necessarily less than that from a longer period of exertion.

Pierce continued to use his back-to-the-basket move, while Yang Shuai continued to defend from the side.

Pierce dribbled to the free-throw line, then turned and attacked the basket from Yang Shuai's side.

This sudden change of choice was all about surprise, and he still cleverly chose to use his buttocks to block Yang Shuai.

However, having already learned his lesson, Yang Shuai did not fall for it again. He dodged Pierce's fat buttocks with a sidestep, and then launched a counterattack, leaping towards Pierce's attack.

Pierce was forced to opt for a reverse layup in mid-air.

His reaction was quick enough, but his physical talent wasn't enough to support him in making such a difficult move while on the move.

The basketball slid right off the rim.

Pierce's game-winning shot failed!
The opportunity came to Yang Shuai again.

Yang Shuai held the ball with one hand at the three-point line, while Pierce still used his hand to raise his arm and made small movements, but with greater amplitude than before.

Yang Shuai also used his assisting hand to push Pierce away forcefully.

The two refused to back down, and a tense atmosphere began to fill the air.

Yang Shuai pushed Pierce aside and then broke through, driving to the free-throw line before using a Euro step to swing the ball over Pierce's head. He then drove into the paint, took a deep breath, and leaped with all his might.

Pierce didn't have time to jump, so he used a small movement to push Yang Shuai sideways in mid-air.

Yang Shuai's body was pushed slightly away from the basket in mid-air, but he did not lose his balance.

After a pause in mid-air, he turned his right hand to change the dunk into a layup.

The basketball spun in the air, tracing a small parabola before falling straight into the net.

Yang Shuai has delivered the game-winning shot!

(End of this chapter)