Basketball miracles

Chapter 69 [He Should Have Been the Top Scholar]

In the second half, Cunningham fielded the same starting lineup that started in the first quarter.

After much deliberation, he concluded that Barkley's athleticism was closest to Xiao Tu's, and that he should be able to limit him. This proved true, but conversely, Barkley found himself even more difficult to defend against by Xiao Tu, becoming a mere decoration on offense and unable to receive passes.

Pat Riley's adjustment was very simple: have Xiao Tu set screens for his teammates and stand on the perimeter to draw the defense. Magic Johnson, James Worthy, and Byron Scott were the main offensive force.

Magic Johnson combined drives and passes with shots, drawing Malone's help defense after a drive before passing the ball to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

If Xiao Tu receives the ball in the middle and has no chance to shoot, he can receive the ball in the high post and support the team by passing to Scott and Worthy who are making runs. If these two also don't have a chance to shoot, they can lob the ball to Jabbar in the low post.

Riley allowed his players freedom on the counter-attack, while implementing some coordinated plays in positional play, resulting in predictable runs and minimal passing errors. Even when they couldn't create open spaces, they at least created one-on-one opportunities for their teammates.

Xiao Tu and Worthy's cuts to the basket are very threatening, and the Lakers' offense already shows the beginnings of a future passing and cutting strategy. The difference is that they lack three-point shooting options and their formation isn't spread out enough.

The 76ers' offense was ineffective, relying mainly on Irving and Cheeks for scoring.

Kyrie Irving is very strong in one-on-one situations with the ball, and his scoring depends mainly on his shooting touch. Cheeks, at 185cm, is no pushover either; Riley didn't even allow Johnson to guard him.

Moses Malone's shooting percentage dropped as he was effectively contained. Xiao Tu engaged in physical battles with Barkley in the paint; when Barkley pushed out, Xiao Tu maintained a two-step distance, ready to drop back into the paint to help Kareem Abdul-Jabbar defend Malone.

Xiao Tu's perspective on the game differs from that of most players; in the second half, he focused his attention on Ma Long.

Many believe that Xiao Tu and Barkley, being rookies of the same year, should be compared in terms of skill level. However, Xiao Tu completely looks down on Barkley, seeing him as an unpopular, overweight player whose dominance wouldn't be news.

The real news would be if my stats beat Malone's and I could shut Malone down like a blacksmith.

Malone has won both the regular season MVP and Finals MVP, and is currently a top-five superstar in the league. My dominance over him proves that I was a top-five superstar in my rookie season.

Under Xiao Tu's targeted defense, Malone had an incredibly difficult time. He could use his strength to push into the paint against Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's one-on-one defense, but once inside the basket, he would be double-teamed, making it difficult to get a shot off and unable to grab offensive rebounds.

Both Malone and Barkley attempted mid-range shots from outside the paint, creating space for their shots, but their accuracy wasn't very high. Currently, both players' mid-range shots are at a "can-shoot" level; they can score, but their efficiency is lacking.

Malone, in particular, has a mid-range shooting percentage of less than 40%. He also belongs to the type of "traditional big man" who lacks a jump shot and playmaking ability, but excels at strong attacks in the low post.

If a center takes a lot of shots with a shooting percentage of less than 40%, he's more dangerous than the future legendary blue-collar center Ben Wallace, because Wallace took fewer shots.

Xiao Tu scored 8 points in the third quarter, including three mid-range shots and a windmill dunk on a fast break.

Barkley was completely ineffective on the defensive end. Xiao Tu stopped posting up and reduced his cuts. When Barkley encountered a pick-and-roll and went to help defend Johnson, the latter immediately passed the ball. Xiao Tu's pull-up jumper had a high release point, and he couldn't catch up with his own man in time.

Malone guarded Xiao Tu for a while, then switched to guard Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The result was that Malone was overwhelmed and Abdul-Jabbar began scoring.

Facing Xiao Tu, Ma Longtou was in a real bind. Xiao Tu didn't compete with anyone; he mostly stood on the sidelines watching the excitement. But you couldn't ignore him because his catch-and-shoot jump shot percentage was very high.

Xiao Tu now believes he is better than Ma Long. This is not arrogance; Ma Long has a hard time scoring.

Malone lacked flashy footwork, his passing was average, and his offensive skills were limited. He didn't have a difficult shooting form and rarely dunked with power. His basketball philosophy was to put the ball in the basket, and if he couldn't, he'd get the ball back.

On the defensive end, Malone and Barkley are similar in that they excel at top-of-the-line defense, but are somewhat weaker at defending face-up offense and helping defense. This is because Malone is 208cm tall with a 208cm wingspan, and his hands are small for a man over two meters tall.

Ma Long became a superstar because of his physical attributes, but whether it is athletic ability or static talent, he is clearly inferior to Xiao Tu.

NBA interior superstars in the 80s all had physical and technical flaws; there were no all-around players. Xiao Tu was second to none.

At the end of the third quarter, the Lakers led 105-71, and the game had entered garbage time.

Both teams fielded their substitutes in the final quarter, and many Philadelphia home fans left early, unable to bear watching any longer.

The Lakers starters chatted on the bench, occasionally applauding their teammates on the court, appearing very relaxed. Malone and Irving, on the other hand, seemed restless on the bench but didn't leave early. Xiao Tu played 30 minutes, shooting 10-for-15 from the field, 1-for-2 from three-point range, and 8-for-8 from the free-throw line, scoring 29 points, 15 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 3 blocks.

约翰逊出战30分钟，16投10中，罚球3中3，得到23分5篮板15助攻2抢断。

沃西出战28分钟，11投8中，罚球4中4，得到20分2篮板4助攻。

贾巴尔出战27分钟，8投6中，罚球3中3，得到15分3篮板5助攻2盖帽。

Four of the Lakers' five starters had breakout performances, with the team scoring over 30 points in every quarter. The 76ers simply couldn't defend them, and they couldn't out-score them on offense.

摩西马龙16投7中，罚球7中3，得到17分10篮板2助攻，投篮命中率仅43.8%。

Xiao Tu fouled Ma Long twice in the third quarter, making only 1 of 4 free throws, seemingly having some mental issues.

巴克利10投5中，罚球4中4，得到14分8篮板3助攻，表现中规中矩。

In the battle of the interior players, the Lakers completely outclassed the 76ers.

Reporters considered this big news; Xiao Tu was the best performing center for both teams today. Previously, his victories over players like Olajuwon were merely against rookies, but today he defeated a renowned center superstar in the league, repeatedly giving Malone a hard time.

From another perspective, if Xiao Tu were selected by another team, he wouldn't be at a disadvantage playing center against Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, as he would completely out-rebound his opponent.

Some reporters believe that Xiao Tu's performance in his rookie season has already secured him a place in the top ten of the league, making him a superstar. No one in the paint dares to claim a guaranteed win against him; even a floor-bound Larry Bird would have a tough time gaining the upper hand against him.

Reporters don't care whether young players can withstand the pressure of excessive praise; their goal in publishing news is to attract attention, and they'll say whatever is most appealing.

Xiao Tu is not afraid of being praised to the point of exhaustion; he will only get stronger, and it is impossible for his performance to decline in the short term.

In the final quarter, the Lakers' bench continued to dominate the 76ers. Shooting guard Michael McGee had a standout performance, scoring 12 points in the quarter and making both of his three-point attempts.

Influenced by Xiao Tu, the Lakers' perimeter players occasionally attempt three-pointers. Scott, Cooper, and McGee can all shoot them, but McGee was on fire today.

The Lakers won 137-95, completely dominating the 76ers on the road.

When the 76ers lost to the Celtics in November, the players at least showed some fighting spirit, even punching Larry Bird. Today, losing to the Lakers, they didn't even show a shred of temper.

The 76ers were behind from the start and never led the game; the players saw no hope of winning.

Some Celtics players were too trash-talking, and the 76ers players had a reason to be angry. The Lakers were different; their players didn't like to talk trash. They were there to play basketball, and the 76ers lost fair and square.

At the 76ers' post-game press conference, everyone marveled at how incredibly strong this Lakers team was.

Coach Cunningham said, "The Lakers are the strongest team, with no weaknesses, and I predict they will win the championship this season. They have too many scoring options, and with Magic Johnson orchestrating the offense, they are unstoppable."

The reporter asked, "How would you rate Sebastian Shaw's performance?"

Cunningham said, "His talent is unparalleled, he's a monster. He's probably the fastest and most athletic player in NBA history, better than Irving and Malone. Note that I'm not talking about now, but comparing him to their peak."

This is the highest praise Xiao Tu has received so far. Kyrie Irving was the first superstar to "play above the rim." He pioneered artistic basketball, bringing hang time and flying motions from the ABA to the NBA.

Not only the coach, but also the fans can see that Xiao Tu is more impressive in dunking.

When asked to comment on Xiao Tu, Moses Malone exclaimed, "Xiao is faster than a guard, and his change of direction is so fast I can't believe it. He's one of the strongest players in the league right now, playing a crucial role on both ends of the court. He deserves to be the number one pick; all the scouts have misjudged him."

Dr. J, Kyrie Irving, said, "The Lakers are going to dominate the league. I can't believe Shaw is not even 19 years old yet, and I can't imagine how strong he will be in the future."

(End of this chapter)