Where the noise did not reach

Chapter 27 The Difficult-to-Satisfy Person
The first half of the game was perfect for Texas Tech.

They essentially achieved all their pre-match goals, with Xu Ling dominating Brandon Rush and no longer fighting alone like he did in their first game against Kansas.

Knight devised many tactics for him, allowing him to handle the ball extensively, and his strong presence made opponents defend him heavily.

However, Xu Ling remained clear-headed, attacking when he had the opportunity and passing when he didn't. Jarius Jackson and Martin Zeno, among others, found their rhythm and made contributions in both outside shooting and inside penetration.

Before the game, Knight's biggest concern was the interior players. After a poor start, they showed a good performance thanks to Xu Ling's encouragement and motivation.

On the contrary, the University of Kansas has talent, but no way to use it.

At halftime, the Red Raiders led 44-36 by 8 points.

徐凌的大头照搭配他的数据统计打在大屏幕上：14分6篮板4助攻1抢断1封盖。

“Greg Oden is the most talented freshman, Kevin Durant is the most offensively gifted freshman, and Eli…” Dick Vitale gave him extremely high praise, “He is the most influential freshman on both ends of the court! In this half, he haunted the Wildcats like a ghost! He was on offense, he was on defense, he was orchestrating the offense, and oh my god, he even protected the rebounds in the paint, he was everywhere!”

Back in the locker room, Knight praised everyone's performance but didn't forget to give them a heads-up: "We still have the second half, a full 20 minutes! We need to maintain our lead until the end. If we mess up in the second half, the first half will have been meaningless! Keep doing the right things and stay calm!"

Knight spouted some platitudes that were absolutely correct for a coach, but he was so busy giving pep talks that he forgot to remind himself that he was the one most likely to lose control in TTU.

Just a few minutes into the second half, the pace of the game visibly changed.

The referees started whistling more frequently, especially regarding Texas Tech's defense, where they seemed particularly "sensitive." Physical contact that was tolerated in the first half was now being called often. The players began to play more cautiously, hesitant to close out on defense, and the pace of the game slowed down.

The University of Kansas noticed this and quickly adjusted their tactics, repeatedly driving to the basket and drawing fouls to get to the free-throw line, narrowing the gap from 8 points to 4 points, forcing Knight to call a timeout early.

After the pause, Texas Tech tried to speed things up again, but trouble ensued.

Xu Ling made a brilliant turnaround during a fast break, and just as he was about to accelerate to attack the basket, Brandon Rush suddenly reached out and pulled his right arm from behind. The interference was so obvious that even the spectators on the sidelines could see it clearly.

But the whistle did not sound.

Xu Ling, who lost his balance, touched the ball out of bounds, and the referee simply made a "ball out of bounds" gesture with a blank expression.

A chorus of boos erupted in the arena. Even Dick Vitale in the commentary booth couldn't help but frown and say, "Wow, that play... I have to say, if that's not a foul, we'll have to redefine what 'physical contact' even means."

Knight on the sidelines completely lost control.

He rushed to the sidelines, arms outstretched, his voice hoarse: "Are you fucking blind? He pulled him down! That's a foul! That's a damn foul!"

Xu Ling was about to step forward to stop the rampaging Old Deng, but he was a step too late.

Knight grew increasingly angry, and he roared at the referee who had missed the call, "Joseph Morris, I've put up with you for over a decade! Why don't you just do me a favor and resign?!"

Naturally, no referee could tolerate such an insult.

Knight's outburst did not bring him any immediate benefit; instead, he was shown a yellow card by the referee, receiving a technical foul.

“F@#￥#@￥”

Xu Ling blocked Knight.

"Let me go!" Knight roared. "I'm going to teach him a lesson on how to be a good referee!"

Xu Ling couldn't imagine what would happen if he let Knight go.

Fortunately, Knight's teaching assistants rushed over and subdued him.

The University of Kansas was awarded two technical free throws, and Brandon Rush stepped to the line and made both, bringing the score to 44-42.

However, according to the rules, possession of the ball still belongs to Texas Tech.

The referee signaled for the ball to be served again from the baseline, and play continued.

But the atmosphere had changed.

Although they didn't lose possession, the two points they conceded, the coach's anger, and the uncertainty brought about by the whistle's intensity were already quietly eroding the rhythm and emotions of the Red Raiders.

Knight stood by the coaching bench, his face ashen, his teeth clenched. He knew, of course, that the most important thing was to control his emotions, but he couldn't bear the thought of his team's favorable situation turning in their favor due to a change in the referee's decisions.

Looking at that damn referee, Knight said to his son, Little Knight, "Pat, you better hold me back, or I'll be tempted to rush up and punch that bastard!"

Little Knight, of course, dared not slack off in the slightest.

On the court, Xu Ling took a deep breath. He knew that his opponent's momentum had been building, and if he didn't find a way to suppress it, the score would be reversed in just a few rounds.

While defending the throw-in, Mario Chalmers trash-talked, "You TTU guys are centuries away from winning the Big 12 championship!"

Hundreds of years?
Xu Ling gave a slight, cold laugh.

Young people are like the sun at eight or nine in the morning; they are fighting for every moment. Who wants to wait hundreds of years?
Xu Ling received the ball, glanced at Brandon Rush in front of him, and felt a surge of energy burning within him. This was a critical moment. Most teams that were reversed did not lose their morale at the moment of the reversal, but rather felt that the situation was hopeless before the reversal even happened.

But that kind of thing won't happen to TTU.

"Eli dribbles, breaks through, WOW!!! What elegant footwork he used to shake off Brandon Rush!!!"

Moreover, the moment Xu Ling dribbled into the basket, Julian Wright had already retreated, preferring to foul rather than allow Xu Ling to score.

Xu Ling felt the broken cylinder, but threw the ball toward the basket as the referee blew the whistle.

The basketball flew toward the rim as everyone watched, hit the front edge of the rim, bounced once, then bounced again, before finally falling into the pocket.

"And one!!!"

"It was Eli who stepped up at the crucial moment and stabilized the team's morale!"

"Listen, the whole audience is cheering for him!"

"Give us an echo, Eli, do you see? The Lone Star State is resounding for you!"

No response.

Xu Ling stepped up to the free-throw line, made the free throw, and then quickly retreated on defense.

The game must go on, but some could sense that the game, which had been firmly in Kansas's control since the start of the second half, was turning into chaos.

Knight yelled from the sidelines, "Keep the zone defense, let them shoot threes! They can't make them, they're cowards!"

As if to prove Knight right, the Kansas University team, which had been passing the ball back and forth, finally had Mario Chalmers force a three-pointer.

The basketball bounced off the rim with a "bang," and before anyone else could react, Xu Ling had already leaped into the air and firmly grasped the ball in his right hand.

"If you want to become a Big 12 champion, start running!"

Xu Ling shouted, and his teammates responded loudly. The atmosphere on the field climbed from a low point to a high point in just two rounds.

“That guy…” Knight thought he was immune to Xu Ling’s maturity beyond his years, but when he witnessed the other stepping up in the face of adversity, rallying the team like a true leader and regaining control of the game, he still felt a surreal sense of disbelief. “Does he just know how to lead a team by nature?”

Xu Ling's teammates sprinted down the slope at full speed.

Julian Wright blocked Xu Ling at the top of the arc, beyond the three-point line.

However, TTU does not only have Xu Ling as its firepower point.

Xu Ling raised his hand and passed the ball to the left.

Martin Zeno received the ball, broke through to disrupt the Wildcats' defense, and passed it back to Jarius Jackson, who was already ready on the perimeter.

Jackson, whose limelight was completely overshadowed by Xu Ling, was once TTU's best player.

For his opponents, simply containing him would make defeating TTU easy.

But now, Xu Ling has become the player who can attract the opponent's attention while still making consistent contributions. Jackson spent some time finding his place, and finally, he found it.

That is to feel at ease under TTU Jordan's wing and contribute one's strength without reservation.

When he realized this, he was still one of the nation's top outside scorers.

"Shh!"

Jackson hits a three-pointer.

The point difference quickly widened from 2 to 8 points. The University of Kansas had no choice but to call a timeout.

A composed Knight made an extremely wise judgment during the timeout: "Well done, kids, you played well! They're going to put pressure on us like they did at the start, believe me, they'll be even rougher. Don't be afraid, fight them! Real men don't back down in this situation. Stick to our defensive setup, let them shoot threes, control the pace of the game. As long as we're in our rhythm, they can't make a dent!"

After the timeout, the game changed exactly as Knight had predicted. With Kansas unable to execute its positional offensive strategy, strengthening physical play and wearing down TTU's touch became the optimal solution.

As long as TTU's shooting percentage drops, they can fully utilize their athleticism to launch numerous defensive counterattacks.

Basically, all teams that are stronger in talent but weaker in skill will do this when facing similar situations.

The pace of the game slowed down dramatically, with the University of Kansas seemingly wanting to play every possession to its fullest potential.

However, their slow and drawn-out attack does not mean they are very patient.

In reality, the University of Kansas's patience stemmed from TTU's outstanding defensive performance.

Xu Ling had Brandon Rush completely under his control, like a net spread across the sky.

As the main offensive weapon on the outside, Rush was completely ineffective against Xu Ling.

Julian Wright possesses the greatest talent in the game, but his rough technique makes it impossible for him to work effectively in confined spaces.

So in the end, Mario Chalmers had to clean up the mess.

Jackson wasn't a great defender, but with zone defense, the only thing he needed to worry about was the opponent's shooting.

Chalmers dribbled for a while to create space, then hit a three-pointer at the buzzer.

The ball gave the University of Kansas a sigh of relief, but TTU's counterattack was faster than they expected.

Knight's earlier shouting at the referee didn't only have negative effects.

The referees have tightened their standards considerably compared to before.

Shooting under high-pressure defense is difficult, and Xu Ling dribbles into the basket, drawing a foul.

After inbounding the ball from the sideline, Xu Ling used a fake Buddha move to shake off Rush, then jumped up and forced his way past Rush to shoot, but missed. However, Rush committed a shooting foul.

He drew two fouls from Rush in one possession, which was Kansas's fourth foul in the second half, and also Rush's fourth personal foul.

"Brandon, you can't foul anymore!"

A teammate reminded him.

The coaching staff at the University of Kansas were even more anxious. They dared not substitute Rush, but were also worried that he would foul out, so they switched Julian Wright and Rush on defense.

"Ju-Ju!" Chamos shouted Wright's nickname, "Let those first-year bastards know their place!"

Xu Ling asked with a smile, "Why don't you do this yourself?"

Chamos retorted defiantly, "It's none of my business!"

Xu Ling, whose free throw percentage is close to 90% this season, made both free throws.

Then came a two-minute scoring drought, with Kansas missing several shots in their half-court offense. Xu Ling missed a catch-and-shoot opportunity after a tactical run, and Daryl Dorra missed a strong drive to the basket.

The frantic atmosphere of not being able to score was taking a toll on the players' energy.

Chalmers took a deep breath and called for a screen, mismatching against Xu Ling. It was a bad switch, but this mismatch also meant that Jackson, the worst defender on the TTU court, was facing Wright, the most talented player on the court.

Chamos's desire to pass the ball was written all over his face; his intention was so obvious that even the fans on the sidelines were yelling, "Eli, don't let him pass the ball to Wright!"

Xu Ling's defense shifted from close marking to tight marking. Chamos tried to pass the ball, but his path was blocked. By the time he was forced to collect the ball, the game was effectively over.

He looked around, as if the ball in his hand was a hot potato that needed to be dealt with as soon as possible.

It was this mindset that made Xu Ling realize that if he gave Chamos a chance to pass the ball at this moment, Chamos would grab it like a lifeline. The instant Chamos passed the ball, Xu Ling's hand would appear, grab the ball, and in just a moment, possession would change hands.

"Eli stole the ball from Chamos!!!"

The commotion at the scene was like exploding lava, deafening. Chalmers, his eyes bloodshot, desperately chased after them. But did anyone believe he could stop TTU's Number One?

No, there's no one.

Even his closest family and friends, and even everyone in the world who still trusts him—at this moment, no one believes that he can stop that red figure that moves like the wind and lightning.

"Just like that, kill that damn bastard!"

Knight swung his fist forcefully.

Xu Ling suddenly stopped the moment he stepped onto the three-point line. Chalmers, unable to adjust his body to stop abruptly, slid forward like a motorcycle with malfunctioning brakes.

Xu Ling spread his left hand as if asking, "What kind of etiquette is this?", then gathered the ball and lazily launched a three-pointer.

“Swish!!!!!!!!!”

"Thank you for your trouble," Xu Ling said. "Unfortunately, I am not a person who is easily satisfied."

As Xu Ling was getting back on defense, Knight roared from the side, "You've already faked him out, why are you still shooting threes? You should have just driven in and dunked! Dunk that fucking dunk!"

"Coach, you can argue with the referee as you please, so why can't I shoot a three-pointer as I please?" Xu Ling said to himself, "Besides, I made it."

Knight stood there, stunned, until Xu Ling had run far away, then turned back to the teaching assistants and said, "I really hate that bastard!"

But they can't live without that bastard.

Judging from the timing, Xu Ling's three-pointer was not the decisive score.

That shot extended TTU's lead, but Kansas still had time.

However, in retrospect, this was indeed a round that changed the course of the game.

All of Kansas's problems stem from two points: they can't solve Xu Ling's defense in the frontcourt, but they are powerless to deal with Xu Ling's offense in the backcourt.

Brandon Rush was completely outmatched. Julian Wright's rough offense and defense were of little use in positional warfare. Without consistent outside firepower, he couldn't break through TTU's zone defense. While his offense was failing to penetrate, he was also powerless against Xu Ling on the defensive end.

A dozen seconds later, Xu Ling drew a double team and passed the ball to Jackson, who hit another three-pointer.

Then, Wright drove to the basket with all his might, drew a foul, and went to the free-throw line.

Back in the frontcourt, Kansas University was too focused on Xu Ling, which allowed Martin Zeno to exploit a weakness and drive straight to the basket, drawing a foul.

Time was running out, but the score gap was widening.

With five minutes remaining in the game, TTU was already leading by 18 points, essentially securing the victory.

The atmosphere on and off the field was filled with excitement, but Xu Ling seemed unsatisfied.

The University of Kansas is preparing to replace its key players.

Xu Ling received a pass from his teammate on the outside and made a convincing fake shot, which caught Julian Wright off guard.

Darrell Arthur came to help defend, and Xu Ling leaped up, his shoes drawing a beautiful arc on the floor as his body completed a 360-degree spin in the air, like an aerial dancer shaking off Arthur's defense.

Standing under the basket, Brandon Rush was like a moth drawn to a flame. He never expected Xu Ling to shake off Arthur's defense in such a way. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and a mere, harmless touch cost him his final foul. Xu Ling's layup, on the other hand, was like an impromptu poem. The ball gently spun around the rim before slowly rolling into the basket.

"OHHH MAMA MIA!!! Eli Xu scored the goal of the year in the final minutes of the match! What a magnificent move! My God! The stadium has completely gone wild!!!"

This momentous occasion was a death sentence for the University of Kansas.

They substituted their key players.

Xu Ling did not forget what he was supposed to do.

A give-and-take relationship is the greatest justice in the world.

Just as Mario Chalmers was about to leave the arena, Xu Ling walked briskly past him, but then deliberately stopped: "Goodbye, I hope to see you again at March Madness. However, it seems that winning the BIG 12 championship won't require hundreds of years of waiting."

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(End of this chapter)