The longest river

Chapter 73 James's Fantasy Moment

"Negative energy from Jim Jackson +500".

When Yang Shuai uttered the most damaging words in the calmest tone, Jackson clearly broke down.

He clenched his fists, trying to refute, but after trying for a long time, he couldn't utter a single word.

Yang Shuai did not defeat him, but it is also true that he chose to run away because he was afraid of losing to Yang Shuai.

This scene left the Pacers players all looking on in shock.

Jackson's current reaction suggests that he was not only utterly defeated by Yang Shuai, but also forced to flee in disarray?!
It seems that Yang Shuai's ability to dominate Eddie Johnson and easily defeat Stackhouse has become quite reasonable.

Although Jackson wasn't an All-Star, he was definitely much stronger than those other players.

"See you on the field!"

Jackson gritted his teeth, uttered a harsh remark, and then quickly left.

"Jim's team is still quite strong."

After Jackson left, the Pacers continued walking towards the training facility, and Scott reminded Yang Shuai at that moment.

One-on-one matches are part of the game, but they are by no means the whole game.

Jim Jackson's one-on-one ability isn't that strong because of his dynamic talent, but that will be weakened in a match.

Conversely, his shooting ability and his ability to break through and finish are enhanced with tactical support.

"Don't worry, I know what's going on."

With improved defensive skills and a month of studying puppy footwork, Yang Shuai now has full confidence in his defense.

In the evening, Yang Shuai arrived at the stadium an hour and a half early, as usual, to warm up with shooting practice.

However, before he even started training, he saw three children waving frantically at him from the audience.

Who else could it be but LeBron James and his teammates?
I didn't expect these guys to arrive so early.

Just as he was warming up with a shot, the three little guys came down to the sidelines.

After the warm-up was over, Yang Shuai went over and greeted them.

James then proudly introduced his two friends.

The fatter one is called Diego Holm, and the one with a lighter skin tone is called Maverick Carter. All three of them are from Akron.

"Hansen, can you sign some autographs for us?" Carter, the oldest among them, asked right after James finished his introduction.

After Yang Shuai nodded, Carter took out a pen and then had others take out the ticket stubs and hand them to Yang Shuai.

Yang Shuai couldn't help but take another look at the other person, because James had mentioned the other person's name before.

This guy is pretty smart.

Scott had previously explained to him some common NBA merchandise, such as autographed jerseys, autographed shoes, and autographed trading cards.

Not many people know that autographed tickets can be circulated.

After signing his name and reminding them to be careful, Yang Shuai went back to the locker room to prepare.

Half an hour before the start of the game, he returned to the field with his teammates.

The City Square stadium was already packed to capacity.

The NBA regular season has 82 games, which is quite long. For fans who have bought season tickets, not every game can attract them to attend in person.

Just like the Pacers vs. 76ers game before, games that can draw huge crowds are usually those with hype.

The hype surrounding tonight's game was already visible on the big screen during the pre-match warm-up.

Yang Shuai and Jackson each occupied half of the screen.

After the commotion started, Yang Shuai looked up and saw many fans holding up his posters and KT boards in the stands.

As seen during the daytime events, with increased playing time and improved performance on the court, and of course, Reebok's promotional efforts, he now enjoys considerable popularity in Indiana.

After the pre-match warm-up, the game between the two sides quickly began.

The Mavericks were in great form tonight, especially Jackson, who received a pass from Kidd and hit consecutive three-pointers, helping the Mavericks take an early lead.

Scott's earlier warning was correct; Jackson is significantly stronger in official matches than in one-on-one situations.

With about nine minutes left in the first quarter, the score was tied at 25.

The Mavericks, with their excellent offensive firepower, put up a close fight against the Pacers.

Both sides began to rotate their players.

It was at this moment that Yang Shuai was called up from the bench by Brown.

As Yang Shuai got up and walked toward the technical table, cheers erupted from the audience.

At this point on the court, Kidd and Mashburn had been substituted off to rest, while only Jackson remained on the court.

The truth behind the Mavericks' internal turmoil, which the outside world has been eager to know, is actually quite ordinary: it's nothing more than a struggle for ball possession.

Three exceptionally talented high-draft picks, each vying to be the leader, and none willing to concede to the others, naturally lead to a fierce competition, since ball possession is tied to stats, and stats are tied to contracts.

This led to them not passing the ball to each other, and instead attacking as soon as they got the ball. As a result, not only did the team's performance decline, but their own shooting percentage and assist numbers also dropped significantly.

Mavericks head coach Dick Motta was unable to resolve their conflict and could only resort to staggered travel.

However, this arrangement means that Yang Shuai will be competing against Jackson.

That's naturally the part that fans are most looking forward to.

Upon seeing Yang Shuai enter the arena, a glint of light flashed in Jackson's eyes, like a hunter who had been waiting for a long time finally getting his prey.

He was on fire from the start tonight, confident he could dominate Yang Shuai. The Mavericks went on offense, and Jackson immediately reached for the ball, signaling for a one-on-one opportunity.

Seeing Jackson's choice, Yang Shuai also calmed down and adopted the posture of a hunter.

Jackson initiated a breakthrough, changing direction to the right and driving towards the basket.

Having experienced the one-on-one matchup before, Jackson was well aware of Yang Shuai's defensive capabilities, so he chose the safest way to score: driving to the basket and using a fake move to complete a close-range shot.

Yang Shuai was completely helpless against this tactic.

However, once he actually started to break through, he quickly realized something was wrong.

Yang Shuai moved his feet faster, which made his opponent stick even closer to him during the retreat.

To create more space for himself and get a better shot, Jackson opted for a crossover dribble after driving to the free-throw line.

However, at the very moment he changed direction, Yang Shuai suddenly stepped forward to confront him.

"Snapped!"

The next second, Yang Shuai directly stole the ball from his hands!

Amid Jackson's astonished gaze and the watchful eyes of the Mavericks' teammates, Yang Shuai, having made the steal, charged forward with the ball.

Cheers erupted from the fans, who hadn't expected Yang Shuai to steal Jackson's ball in the very first possession!
Yang Shuai sprinted down the court, pulled the ball up with his right hand, and unleashed his signature tomahawk dunk.

"Oh!"

With a muffled thud, the City Square stadium erupted in cheers.

“Oh~”

James made a megaphone gesture with both hands in the stands, then let out an excited, strange shout.

Yang Shuai was also slightly excited after landing. He put his hand behind his ear and once again made a "listening" gesture.

Listening is a versatile gesture; it can be used to mock away fans for their low volume when they boo, or to signal home fans to cheer louder when they cheer.

Jackson's face looked extremely grim.

"Give up, you can't score against me one-on-one."

Moreover, Yang Shuai fully demonstrated his desire for points, turning around and "kindly" reminding Jackson.

"Negative energy from Jim Jackson +358".

Jackson, his face grim, asked for the ball again.

Yang Shuai said he couldn't play, but he was determined to prove Yang Shuai wrong.

Of course, more importantly, only by scoring against Yang Shuai in a one-on-one confrontation can he prove that the so-called story is fabricated.

Jackson still used the drive-to-the-basket approach, but this time he didn't try to change direction easily.

After breaking through to the basket, he used his signature fake move to turn and lay up the bar.

Yang Shuai did not have a chance to block his shot.

As he watched the basketball hurtling towards the backboard, Jackson couldn't help but smile.

His choice in the previous round wasn't wrong, but he overlooked the fact that Yang Shuai was someone who could improve.

He has now reassessed Yang Shuai's defensive abilities, and Yang Shuai still can't stop him.

But just as the corners of his mouth turned up, he suddenly felt a shadow loom over his head.

Yang Shuai's improvement compared to before is not just in lateral movement speed, but also in defensive experience.

Knowing he couldn't block Jackson head-on, he chose to jump after Jackson had already made his shot.

Although that would put him at a slight disadvantage, his jumping ability and height and wingspan are enough to support him in completing a successful defensive play.

"boom!"

Amidst the gasps of the fans at the stadium, Yang Shuai made a counterattack, delivering a spectacular block!

That massive block sent LeBron James into a frenzy in the stands.

Yang Shuai played that ball so damn well!
However, this is not the end.

After securing the rebound, Yang Shuai passed the ball to Scott and immediately sprinted towards the frontcourt.

It might be hard to believe, but Yang Shuai, who just made a block, was actually the first person to rush to the front during the Pacers' fast break!

When Yang Shuai rushed to the three-point line, he was already nearly a meter ahead of the defender behind him.

Every fast break I played at Cleveland High School was worthwhile.

Scott then delivered the pass.

The pass was a bit too far forward, but Yang Shuai still managed to grab it while running, then rushed to the free-throw line and leaped high...

"Oh!"

A gliding plus version of a tomahawk dunk slammed the ball into the basket.

The City Square stadium erupted in cheers.

From a chase-down block to a fast-break dunk, this was a play worthy of being selected as one of today's top five plays!
Moreover, after landing from the dunk, Yang Shuai turned around and shrugged and spread his hands towards the spectators on the sidelines.

James couldn't contain his excitement this time and stood up, shouting repeatedly.

It's no exaggeration to say that watching tonight's game made him want to play basketball right away.

He even fantasized that Yang Shuai on the field right now was himself!

(End of this chapter)