The longest river

Chapter 61 Lightning-Fast Slap in the Face

The ball was still in play, and Yang Shuai was sitting on the technical table waiting to go on.

The camera focused on the scorer's table, where the Knicks were in a great mood due to their lead. Marc Ebert, who was talking animatedly in the commentary booth, immediately turned his attention to Yang Shuai.

"Larry is clearly panicked; he actually sent that high school student!"

As the media personality who was least optimistic about Yang Shuai during the draft and also least optimistic about Reebok signing him, Mav Albert naturally wouldn't miss such an opportunity.

"Hanson Young delivered a spectacular dunk in the game against Chicago, but he did not get a chance to play in the next two games."

Meanwhile, ESPN's Mike Brin, a guest commentator, picked up some materials to explain things to the audience. He is a very objective and fair commentator.

"A high schooler who can only dunk? He needs to go to college to learn how to actually play basketball, not to appear in adult games." Albert's words were as sweet as honey.

"He also hit a three-pointer in the game against the Bulls. He played for 3 minutes but scored 5 points," Brin continued.

Albert shook his head. If Yang Shuai really had the ability, why would Brown only give him 3 minutes of playing time?

"Indiana will lose tonight's game quickly. Trading Mark Jackson for a high schooler will prove to be the dumbest decision in their team history."

Albert has already predicted the outcome of tonight's game.

"beep!"

Just then, a short whistle blew from the sidelines, and Yang Shuai came on to replace Eddie Johnson.

Perhaps due to excessive excitement, Yang Shuai failed to control his foot properly when he received the ball at the baseline and made a feint to break through, resulting in a foul for stepping out of bounds.

"This kick will cost Reebok hundreds of thousands of dollars."

As the slow-motion footage appeared on the big screen, Albert couldn't help but burst into laughter and joke.

A chorus of jeers erupted from the crowd.

Vaccaro's promotion of Yang Shuai helped increase his popularity, but it also put Yang Shuai under the magnifying glass of the outside world.

On the other hand, Starks received the ball after a high pick-and-roll and made a mid-range shot.

Yang Shuai tried to snatch it but failed.

The cheers from the fans in the stadium grew louder, and there were even whistles mixed in.

"I don't understand why anyone would give a high school student a multi-million dollar contract. He can never be the next Michael."

Albert became more and more excited as he spoke.

If it weren't for the occasion, he would probably have emphasized Yang Shuai's status as an Asian player.

The pressure swept over Yang Shuai like a flood, as if it could overwhelm him at any moment.

However, Yang Shuai's face did not show any emotional change under the camera.

Having made game-winning shots at both the NSAA and Nike training camps, his mental fortitude is not lacking.

"Defend! Defend!"

The point difference on the court had reached double digits, and the cheers of New York fans rang out in the arena.

They lost to the Pacers in Game 7 last season, and now that the Pacers are weak, it's the perfect opportunity for them to get revenge.

Amid the cheers of the fans, the Knicks' defensive intensity increased rapidly, and Scott's mid-range shot was contested and missed the basket.

Fortunately, Schmitz had a height advantage under the basket and grabbed the offensive rebound.

The Knicks' defense collapsed, and Schmitz passed the ball to the weak-side corner.

Yang Shuai got another three-point opportunity.

The Knicks' strategy of using Oakley to defend Ewing against Schmitz shows that they are very familiar with the Pacers and their defense is very targeted.

They knew that apart from Miller, the other Pacers players were inconsistent with their three-point shooting, so they opted for a defensive strategy of double-teaming on the strong side and leaving the weak-side corner open.

The fact that McGee, Johnson, and others failed to punish them in time only strengthened their resolve to adopt this defensive strategy.

This can be seen from the fact that Yang Shuai was able to receive the ball in the bottom corner right from the start.

However, Yang Shuai then discovered an opening under the basket. He was eager to rush in and make a powerful dunk, but because he was thinking too much, he didn't pay attention to his feet and made a mistake.

This time, upon receiving the ball again, he didn't hesitate and immediately launched a three-pointer.

The Knicks' players on the court naturally couldn't know much about a bench player like Yang Shuai. At most, they knew, as Brin had said at the beginning, that he had dunked on Rodman. No player immediately went to help defend, which was an excellent opportunity.

The basketball spun through the air, tracing an arc, and then...

"Shh!"

Hollow pocket!

Yang Shuai seized this opportunity.

The shouts at the scene stopped abruptly, replaced by a commotion.

"He's definitely more than just a dunker."

Brin put down the data in his hand and then gave a very objective conclusion.

Albert, who had been preparing to deliver another sarcastic remark, stood by with a stiff expression.

No one expected that Yang Shuai, who made such a basic mistake as stepping out of bounds in the previous round, would actually hit a three-pointer in this round.

Even top shooters need time to find their rhythm when they first step onto the court. But clearly, just like in the opening game against the Bulls, Yang Shuai's 45-minute pre-game shooting practice paid off.

He is ready.

After a brief silence, Albert let out an exaggerated laugh, then shrugged:

“Mike, one wide-open shot from the corner doesn’t prove anything. You know, even in Las Vegas casinos, slot machines occasionally spit out coins.”

Yang Shuai's timely three-pointer boosted the Pacers' morale, and they finally stopped the Knicks' offense.

After Scott dribbled the ball up the court, he immediately called for a weak-side pin-down play.

Yang Shuai made a very quick run, and he successfully created an opportunity by taking advantage of Schmitz's cover.

Scott's pass came at just the right time.

This was a very successful tactic.

Yang Shuai received the ball and immediately launched another three-pointer.

The decisiveness of this action surprised not only the Knicks, but even the Pacers players.

It's not just because players with this style of play are rare these days, but also because not everyone has the guts to come off the bench and keep shooting three-pointers.

Especially under a coach like Brown who dislikes three-pointers the most, once you're labeled as a "reckless shooter," you can forget about ever playing again.

“This is the choice of a high school student, he…” Albert couldn’t help but speak up.

"Shh!"

But before he could finish speaking, with a crisp sound, the basketball pierced the net once again.

Yang Shuai hit two consecutive three-pointers!
The scene was in an uproar, and Albert was completely dumbfounded.

This is practically Eren versus Marley, a lightning-fast slap in the face!
Even Brin, who was standing next to him, couldn't help but laugh, but he immediately realized that it was inappropriate for him and could only cough twice to cover it up.

With Yang Shuai hitting consecutive three-pointers, the point difference on the court instantly returned to 4 points.

That's why three-pointers have become increasingly popular as basketball has evolved; they're just too fast at closing the gap.

As the point difference rapidly narrowed, the Pacers' morale reached its peak.

They thwarted another Knicks offensive run.

However, Yang Shuai did not get another chance to make a shot like before.

It wasn't that there was a problem with his positioning, but rather that the Knicks started using their familiar guard defense on him.

This defensive approach makes it very difficult for perimeter players to receive the ball and shoot, and is a key factor limiting the production ceiling of three-point shooters in this era.

Schmitz's strong attack under the basket failed, and the Pacers' offensive run ended in failure.

Fortunately, Davis also missed his three-pointer in response.

Both teams missed another attack, and the game entered the final half minute of this quarter.

Scott and Schmitz ran a pick-and-roll and drove into the paint, but the Knicks' defense collapsed very little during that stretch, forcing him to raise his shooting arc.

Although the ball managed to dodge the block, it bounced off the right edge of the rim.

But just then, a figure leaped high into the air and snatched the ball over everyone's heads.

A commotion erupted at the scene, because Yang Shuai had once again grabbed the rebound!
This moment instantly brought to mind for fans the images of Yang Shuai dunking over Rodman that appeared in newspapers.

Yang Shuai is not only good at shooting, he is also very good at jumping.

There were just too many people under the basket, so Yang Shuai had no chance to shoot after grabbing the rebound.

However, Yang Shuai didn't seem to intend to do that, because as soon as he got the ball, he ran to the three-point line.

With only a few seconds left in the first quarter, Yang Shuai's unexpected and extremely fast decision caught the Knicks players behind him off guard.

Yang Shuai rushed to the three-point line. This time, he paid special attention to the position of the sideline. After taking a step to the three-point line, he quickly turned around and shot.

This shot was quite difficult, but Yang Shuai fully demonstrated his core strength, maintaining a very standard shooting posture after turning and jumping.

The ball flew from his hands, and the red light on the sidelines lit up just as it reached its highest point.

This was a buzzer-beating three-pointer.

The fans in the stadium held their breath, and even Albert looked tense.

Surely Yang Shuai won't score again?!
Then soon another commotion broke out at the scene.

Because the trajectory of this ball after it falls looks very straight!
"Shh!"

When the sound of the basketball swishing through the net came through the loudspeaker, the crowd erupted in uproar.

Yang Shuai hit that buzzer-beating three-pointer!
What a huge heart!

Moreover, after sinking the buzzer-beating three-pointer, Yang Shuai immediately turned to the audience on the sidelines, put his right index finger to his lips, and made a "shush" gesture.

Madison Square Garden was in an uproar.

Albert's face had never looked so grim.

Yang Shuai's slap wasn't just a lightning-fast retort; it was as if he wasn't satisfied with slapping the left cheek, so he slapped the right cheek as well. Then, perhaps worried that the symmetry would make it hard to tell the difference, he slapped the right cheek again!

(End of this chapter)