Basketball miracles

Chapter 67 [The Trump Card]

Moses Malone must be careful when helping on defense; if he gets into foul trouble, the 76ers will undoubtedly lose. Magic Johnson knows this, so he's determined to drive to the basket and try to draw fouls from Malone.

Xiao Tu may not have any statistics to show, but he can still learn something from watching Johnson's offense. Players on the court need to be observant and attentive to their surroundings, and try to make the right choices.

Today, the Lakers players should try to attack the basket as much as possible and relentlessly attack Malone, the key player in their offense.

The 76ers were on offense, but their players made several passes on the perimeter without finding a breakthrough opportunity.

Michael Cooper started and is the Lakers' best perimeter defender. He effectively guarded the 76ers' sharpshooting guard Andrew Tony, using targeted one-on-one defense.

Moses Malone drove hard against Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but his jump shot, coming right up against him, missed. As soon as he landed, he jumped again to grab the offensive rebound. Malone used the same method to dominate Abdul-Jabbar in the 1983 NBA Finals.

Xiao Tu was faster than Ma Long, taking off from the side and snatching the ball from the air with his right hand, making a "snap" sound as he brought his left hand up.

Xiao Tu retreated as soon as he saw Ma Long go one-on-one, preparing to secure the defensive rebound. Ma Long is known for his speed and ability to jump repeatedly, but his shooting accuracy is not good.

Xiao Tu passed the ball to Johnson to initiate a fast break, and the team charged up the court together. Johnson dribbled past half-court and, seizing the opportunity, passed to James Worthy, who forced his way past Irving for a layup. 4-0.

If Xiao Tu were Worthy, he would have taken more than 20 shots today. His height and weight advantage is obvious, allowing him to bully Irving with the ball.

Beating up superstars will boost your popularity, right?

Kyrie Irving was once incredibly athletic, one of the NBA's first generation of "Air Jordans," and a regular season MVP. Many, including Michael Jordan, consider him an idol. He also excelled defensively, earning multiple All-Defensive Team selections.

The soon-to-be 35-year-old Owen has shown signs of fatigue this season. Even heroes grow old; no one can stay young forever.

The 76ers were on offense, but after several passes on the perimeter, there was no open shot. Barkley called for the ball in the low post and tried to isolate.

Barkley's larger size and bigger buttocks gave him a clear advantage in post-up play. In a parallel universe, after Moses Malone left, Barkley was known as "the one who protects the city with his buttocks."

He was indeed very aggressive, forcing Xiao Tu to retreat repeatedly. His footwork was equally smooth; after turning towards the baseline, he took another step forward, using his back against Xiao Tu to force a shot off the backboard.

Barkley thought the shot would go in because he often blocked his opponents' jumps. But Xiao Tu didn't lose his balance. He jumped up behind Barkley and delivered a solid block, sending the ball bouncing away.

Barkley's strength wasn't enough to overwhelm Xiao Tu, and his turning speed wasn't fast enough to shake Xiao Tu off.

Xiao Tu deliberately stepped back, giving Barkley space to turn towards the baseline. Any player unfamiliar with him would likely get blocked if they forced a shot like that.

Dominique Wilkins played the same way before, getting used to using his body to bully his opponents, and he couldn't make adjustments when facing someone with a better physique.

Players who rely on their physicality tend to have simple playing styles, but they occasionally make mistakes in anticipation, and Shaquille O'Neal was no exception. In his first matchup against Yao Ming, he was blocked three times in a row before he finally snapped out of it.

Barkley was stunned for a moment after being blocked, and when he turned to defend, Xiao Tu had already broken free off the ball on a fast break. Johnson dribbled from the right side to the three-point line, passed directly to Xiao Tu who was following up in the middle without getting past his opponent. Moses Malone quickly retreated, and the two became one-on-one.

Malone was on high alert and prepared to commit a foul.

Malone didn't understand why Johnson didn't dribble past his opponent himself; in a four-on-four situation in the frontcourt, Johnson had the greatest physical advantage. Unless, of course, he believed Xiao Tu could score in a one-on-one situation.

When Xiao Tu received the ball, he couldn't help but reveal a Nike smile.

Come on, I'll show you something amazing today!
One-on-one, no one can stop me! Not even Moses Malone!

Xiao Tu dribbled at high speed, and Ma Long mistakenly thought he would engage in a head-on confrontation, so he kept his distance and retreated.

As Xiao Tu approached Ma Long, he took a small step to the left with the ball in both hands. Ma Long, thinking he was about to break through, immediately followed suit and shifted his defensive weight. As Ma Long's weight shifted, Xiao Tu quickly took a large step to the right and jumped up with his right foot.

Xiao Tu's second step was even more powerful, completely clearing Ma Long and jumping a great distance before finishing with a powerful right-hand slam dunk! 6-0.

Xiao Tu landed, clenched his fist, and roared. The Lakers took the initiative and their morale soared.

The 76ers' home fans were stunned. Some fans couldn't help but applaud Xiao Tu, whose goal was absolutely spectacular! Malone was also stunned, not understanding what happened before he was completely outmaneuvered.

Xiao Tu used the Euro step for the first time in an official match, and he felt incredibly satisfied.

He practices this move often, but it can only be used on fast breaks. He used it once in practice, and no one on the Lakers could stop him, so Johnson passed the ball to him without waiting for him to be open.

Xiao Tu's tactic didn't work well in positional warfare; the restricted area was full of people, a characteristic of that era.

Only Lakers players in the NBA have ever seen the Euro step; it's a surprise attack. After Malone shifted his weight, he couldn't even foul Xiao Tu to stop him.

Matthew Lioney is a white player with average athleticism who, even at his peak, could only play as a substitute in the NBA, averaging 18.9 points and 3.4 assists in 29.4 minutes per game using his Euro step. Xiao Tu has exceptional explosiveness, making this move even more powerful.

Considering that Matthew Liones only joined the Warriors in the NBA in 1989, this move will undoubtedly become Xiao Tu's signature technique. It probably won't be called "Euro Step," as it has absolutely nothing to do with Europe.

Xiao Tu isn't afraid of others learning from him; without someone to teach him, the Euro step is hard to learn.

The basic Euro step is easy to understand, but it requires precise timing and body coordination. Many people in the NBA will know how to do it in the future, but only a handful will be truly proficient.

The 76ers are on offense. Malone runs a pick-and-roll with his teammate, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar switches onto the guard and retreats to the paint, teaming up with Magic Johnson to double-team the opponent. Cheeks passes the ball to Malone, who scores with a jump shot from the high post. 6-2.

The 76ers opened for business, but Malone's ordinary jump shot and dunk were unremarkable and failed to boost morale. The home fans only gave him a few rounds of applause.

The Lakers' offense also involved a pick-and-roll, with Johnson driving to the right and hitting a pull-up jumper just inside the three-point line. 8-2.

Barkley followed Xiao Tu without defending the pick-and-roll, and even the 191cm tall Tony couldn't block the 206cm tall Magic Johnson despite going around the screen; he could only slightly interfere.

If you put a 185cm tall point guard like Cheeks on the court, he'll be even less effective at defending, since NBA guards are generally short.

Johnson's jump shot accuracy was inconsistent, but he still put up impressive double-doubles in the 1983 Finals. If his scoring ability had been stronger, the 76ers might not have won that year.

Xiao Tu can provide cover by standing on the outside and watching his teammates perform, allowing him to recover his stamina on the field while waiting for an opportunity.

76ers coach Cunningham shook his head on the sidelines, yet dared not let Barkley actively switch onto Johnson. Xiao Tu's catch-and-shoot percentage was higher; many teams had experienced this firsthand.

The 76ers were on offense. Irving dribbled the ball and isolated Worthy, then turned and shot on the left low post, but missed due to interference.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar boxed out Malone, preventing him from immediately charging forward, focusing on positioning rather than grabbing the rebound. Xiao Tu secured the defensive rebound after a physical confrontation with Barkley, executing another stylish "one-handed swoop," as Barkley couldn't reach his height.

In terms of both physical attributes and athletic ability, Xiao Tu surpasses Barkley. Barkley's only advantage is his large buttocks; in terms of appearance and demeanor, Barkley would rather not have this advantage.

After only a few rounds, Xiao Tu felt that he had already won today; the 76ers were not strong at all.

Xiao Tu controls the game by controlling the rebounds. Although he doesn't score many points, he prevents Malone from playing to his strengths and easily dominates Barkley.

Barkley was just a supporting player on the court today. Xiao Tu followed the coach's instructions and didn't take the lead in attacking or compete with Barkley, so the opponent was practically invisible.

In a parallel universe, Barkley never made an All-Defensive Team throughout his entire career. His defensive effort was commendable, but his ability fell short. Interior defense isn't just about jumping ability and strength; smaller power forwards are inherently at a disadvantage.

Barkley possesses a solid lower body and excellent defensive ability, along with a strong ability to box out. Even Xiao Tu wouldn't have an advantage against him. However, Xiao Tu doesn't post up and back down opponents, and after setting screens, he doesn't rush to cut inside, forcing Barkley to make a choice.

Barkley doesn't switch on pick-and-rolls, allowing Magic Johnson to penetrate sharply. If he dares to switch, Xiao Tu will immediately cut to the basket, receive the ball, and attack the rim or grab offensive rebounds.

The combined power of the Lakers' Big Three is greater than 3, creating many easy shot opportunities.

On the defensive end, Xiao Tu also knew how to limit Barkley, so it wasn't difficult for him.

Barkley's signature post-up game from his college days isn't working anymore, and Xiao Tu is also very strong and unafraid of physical contact. Barkley also struggles with pick-and-rolls; his screens are of poor quality…

(End of this chapter)