Basketball miracles

Chapter 31 [Who are you?]

In the Lakers' half-court offense, the two continued to run pick-and-roll plays.

This time, Steve Johnson closely guarded Xiao Tu, positioning himself too far out and failing to switch on the pick-and-roll. Magic Johnson dribbled past Wittley and drove towards the basket, drawing help from Kelsen before passing the ball to the left side of the basket. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar received the ball, took a step, and easily banked it in for a score. 4-0.

This type of drive-and-kick assist has the highest shooting percentage, is the Lakers' winning formula, and is also where Magic Johnson's value lies.

Stockton said, "Since the start of the season, no team has been able to stop the Lakers' pick-and-roll offense. When Shaw is on the perimeter, the power forward has to stay close, and most guards can't stop Magic Johnson."

Heinson nodded: "Regardless of whether the interior players switch on defense, either Magic Johnson or Shaw can attack the basket."

There aren't many physically imposing guards in the NBA; players over 1.9 meters tall are usually quite thin, including Michael Jordan. Waitley was also an undisciplined player, underperforming on both ends of the court; his main role was dribbling the ball across half-court.

In the Bulls' half-court offense, this time Ulrich took the ball and went one-on-one.

Ulrich, a 206cm small forward with impressive physical attributes, had no advantage against Worthy. He forced his way to the basket for a layup, barely managing to avoid the block but missing the target, and Xiao Tu secured the defensive rebound.

Xiao Tu immediately passed the ball to Johnson to initiate a fast break. Johnson quickly advanced to the frontcourt but couldn't shake off the defense, and the others also got back on defense. Apart from center Kelsen, all the Bulls' starters were Black, and their athleticism was quite good.

In the 80s, the athletic ability gap between Black and white players was enormous. For many white players in the league, their limits were merely a warm-up for Black players. This made Xiao Tu stand out even more; the media had already reported that he had no Black ancestry.

Seeing that Steve was retreating quite far on defense, Johnson turned and passed the ball to Xiao Tu, who was outside the three-point line in the middle.

Xiao Tu deliberately slowed down to create distance from the defender, then immediately pulled up for a jump shot after receiving the ball. Steve simply reached out his hand, showing no intention of jumping at all.

This kind of opportunity is actually a huge open position.

Xiao Tu's extra practice on three-pointers has yielded significant results; his release rhythm is perfect, and the ball swishes through the net! 7-0.

After scoring, Xiao Tu clenched his fist in celebration, and the home crowd applauded enthusiastically.

Fans don't care whether Xiao Tu relies on his teammates' assists; they just see that he can score and has a high shooting percentage, so they think he is extremely strong.

He can dunk and shoot jump shots; isn't that a symbol of being a well-rounded player?
Making three-pointers can also boost team morale and lead to faster scoring. Xiao Tu is currently averaging one three-pointer per game, making him the team's leading three-point shooter.

Heinson said, "Shaw hit a three-pointer, and it was another assist from Magic Johnson."

Stockton said, "Shaw is the big man who loves to shoot threes. He tries to shoot from the outside almost every game and makes quite a few. Magic Johnson is happy to pass him those kinds of passes because the Bulls' defense is very loose."

Heinson exclaimed, "If Magic Johnson can maintain his attendance rate this season, his assists will definitely break the record. He's consistently around 15 assists per game, showing great consistency."

The Bulls are on offense. Jordan dribbles past Cooper one-on-one, fakes out several shots, and then pulls up for a jump shot on the left baseline, making it 7-2.

Jordan couldn't shake off the defense, and being far from the basket, scoring wasn't easy. His celebration was understated; he simply clenched his fist.

Lakers fans also gave Jordan some applause; a game is only exciting when the two rookies go toe-to-toe. Many people don't want to see a one-sided game, even though the Bulls are weak.

The Lakers were on offense. Johnson drove to the basket for a layup, but missed due to Steve's interference. The offense wasn't over yet; Xiao Tu cut inside and grabbed the offensive rebound.

The Lakers' tactics were simple and effective: once the 208cm tall Steve helped defend Johnson, the paint became empty. Jordan retreated aggressively to grab rebounds, but was easily knocked away by Xiao Tu.

After landing, Xiao Tu immediately jumped again for a two-handed dunk. Steve, who had turned around, had significantly less jumping ability but decent strength. He grabbed Xiao Tu's shoulder and pulled him down. The referee blew the whistle, and it was a foul, with free throws.

Riley led the applause from the sidelines. Xiao Tu had been playing brilliantly for the second consecutive game, and it looked like he was about to record another double-double. He told Xiao Tu to focus on the offensive end, and Xiao Tu really did score a lot of points and play the game he wanted.

Xiao Tu dribbled the ball a few times to find his rhythm and then calmly made both free throws. 9-2.

Free throws are something Xiao Tu practices every day, and his current 80% accuracy rate is just passable. A low free throw percentage is the worst thing a player can do, because it's the simplest way to score—shooting when uncontested.

On the Bulls' offense, Jordan dribbled the ball on the right wing, quickly changed direction to get past Cooper, drew Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's help defense, and then passed the ball. Jordan really didn't want to be a stat-padder; he wanted to lead his teammates.

Kelxin received the ball in the middle and started moving, taking a big step to attempt a one-handed dunk. Xiao Tu, having left Steve's help defense on the baseline, leaped up from under the basket, arriving first despite being behind.

Korsin is slow and has poor jumping ability; at 211cm tall, he gives the impression that he can only barely dunk.

Xiao Tu landed his right hand precisely on the basketball, using the same single-handed force, but his strength completely overwhelmed Korxin, slamming him down along with the ball. Korxin staggered upon landing, too surprised to even try and grab the ball.

Johnson picked up the ball, turned and launched a fast break, but was grabbed by Witley, and the referee blew the whistle for a foul.

The cameraman gave Xiao Tu a close-up shot, showing him punching his right fist in celebration of a block under the basket. The contrast between him and the stunned Kelxin was striking, and Xiao Tu looked incredibly powerful.

Korchin is a typical white player of this era, with slender limbs and almost no visible muscle definition. He can only appear tough by growing a beard.

他今年28岁，是生涯第七个赛季，巅峰的1982-83赛季场均14分8.7篮板1.9助攻。他和明星内线都较量过，一时竟想不出有谁的身体素质强过肖途。

He was still in disbelief as he scrambled back on defense; he rarely suffered such a setback. He suspected that Xiao Tu might surpass Moses Malone in the future—he was practically a monster!

Heinson exclaimed, "Shaw delivered another spectacular block; he's the most outstanding player on both ends of the court today."

Stockton said, "Shaw is probably the most explosive player in NBA history. Jordan is also very athletic, but he was clearly at a disadvantage in physical confrontations with Shaw, and even his dirty tricks couldn't stop Shaw from jumping."

The two men weighed 20 kilograms more. It would be a miracle if Jordan could withstand that weight difference; it wasn't his job.

In a Lakers half-court set, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar attempted a low post-up on the left side, but his hook shot went wide, and the Bulls finally managed to defend it.

Jordan grabbed the rebound and launched a fast break without waiting for his teammates. Facing a double-team from Johnson and Cooper, he forced a layup but missed. Witley lacked shooting range, and even when open on the perimeter, Jordan didn't pass him the ball.

Jordan wasn't just playing recklessly; it was a calculated move. The Lakers had Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a 218cm tall giant, and the highly mobile Shawn Yue, who could dominate the paint. Once the Bulls went into half-court sets, it would be difficult for him to create easy scoring opportunities.

Unfortunately, the Bulls also struggled with fast breaks, with limited offensive options. Their two interior players weren't running aggressively enough to keep up with Jordan. Steve Rogers was decent last season, but he's become quite lethargic this season.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar once again called for the ball in the low post and attempted a turnaround shot, but it missed. Even the best players have off nights; Abdul-Jabbar couldn't force his way to the basket and relied on his skill and height advantage.

Because of their different playing styles, Xiao Tu's popularity in Los Angeles is now comparable to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's. Fans are eagerly anticipating his rapid transition to a more prolific shot-taking role, hoping he will become the Lakers' new interior pillar.

During the Bulls' offense, Steve backed down the ball on the left low post, trying to isolate Xiao Tu, and even started trash-talking. "Kid, you can't guard me."

While maintaining his guard, Xiao Tu politely asked, "May I ask who you are?"

"..."

Sometimes, the truth can hurt more than a lie.

Xiao Tu genuinely didn't recognize Steve Johnson; it was a completely unfamiliar name. He didn't know many players in the 80s, and hadn't made a conscious effort to learn about them after time-traveling.

He treats anyone he has no recollection of from his past life as a nobody, and is full of confidence when facing them.

After receiving the ball, Steve backed down and turned towards the baseline. He believed his quick turn would create an opportunity, so he used his back to Xiao Tu and took a shot inside the penalty area.

Xiao Tu seized the opportunity and jumped up, delivering a clean and decisive block to Steve with his right hand. The ball bounced out of the penalty area and was picked up by Worthy on the same side.

Stockton yelled, "Great shot! Shaw keeps getting blocks! He's really excited today!"

Heinson said, "I think he's very excited every game, and he's definitely the toughest rookie this year."

(End of this chapter)