Basketball Terminal

Chapter 92 Bomb
After the All-Star break, the Nets welcomed Kyrie Irving back, and Levi returned to the bench. He had no objection to this; starting against the Mavericks in the last game, his performance was certainly exciting and energetic, but it exhausted him. One or two games might be manageable, but playing like that for many consecutive games, or even an entire season, would be absolutely unsustainable.

The NBA's packed schedule and high-intensity competition make physical endurance extremely important. In recent years, the number of games, the amount of running, and the speed have all increased, placing greater demands on physical fitness and endurance.

Fortunately, the All-Star game came after the Mavericks, allowing him to rest and recuperate. Aside from dating, doing an interview, and a trip to Atlanta, Levi spent the rest of his time training his physical conditioning. Everything else could wait; without adequate physical fitness, everything else was in vain.

He started controlling his sugar intake, giving up carbonated drinks and alcohol, never touching cigarettes, and trying to eat less of delicious but unhealthy foods. He followed the diet plan given by the team's trainer, adjusted his sleep schedule, and stopped staying up late.

As for abstaining from sex... Li Wei swore that he would never tolerate gambling or drugs and would never get involved in anything that would be detrimental to a player's development!
Currently, the Nets have achieved an impressive 11-game winning streak, the longest in the league, and are currently on a hot streak. The team's longest winning streak is 14 games. Before the game, when asked by reporters about his thoughts on the team attempting to break this record, Nash stated in an interview, "We don't care about past victories, we only care about the present, and doing our best in every game."

A standard answer is actually difficult to give. People are always influenced by the past; those past experiences are part of the present. Consecutive victories are exhausting, and motivation and team cohesion gradually decline. It's like playing poker; you might feel great after a lot of consecutive wins, but you always need to rest. Otherwise, if you lose all your momentum, you'll have to rest for much longer.

Li Wei was an exception; he had only recently entered the NBA and was still enjoying himself, so how could he possibly feel fatigued? In the away locker room at Toronto's Amalia Arena, a relaxed atmosphere permeated the air. Two hours before the game, Nets players were listening to music, chatting, and laughing; some were actually reading, others were playing on their phones—there was virtually no pre-game tension.

Post-holiday blues: first day back at work, and on a business trip no less—who wouldn't get distracted? Li Wei was one of them. He was watching the Nets vs. Raptors game from February on his phone. All three of their stars were there, yet they still lost. Their defense was terrible; the Raptors shot 50% from the field and 40% from three-point range.

At that time, Harden had just been traded to the Nets, and Li Wei was still trying to get into the G League. In just over a month, Li Wei was already thinking about how the Raptors should play, so that he could help the team win and also have a standout performance himself.

"I came off the bench in the first quarter, ran a pick-and-roll with Harden, and scored 4 points. I continued to play in the second quarter, grabbing rebounds under the basket and scoring another 4 points. In the third quarter, I tried to make a three-pointer. As for the fourth quarter... let's see if there's any room to play freely. That's how I've already scored in double figures."

Li Wei was planning how to score points during the game. Scoring remains the best metric for measuring a player's performance; basketball is a scoring game, after all. For a player to maintain consistent and efficient scoring, a certain level of planning is essential.

Good pre-match planning helps players stay focused during the game, determine what tasks to perform at different times, maintain a good rhythm, and play more easily.

"The Hawks" Bob Pettit once said, "Offensive rebounds are worth 8 to 12 points to me every night. Then I'll get another 8 to 10 points from the free-throw line. Then I'll hit a few jump shots, and a great night is coming my way." Michael Jordan and Jamal Crawford have also said similar things, emphasizing that high scoring requires a good plan.

It's easier said than done. If scoring were that easy with a simple plan, everyone in the NBA would be a star. Li Wei's current goal is to score in double figures every game. Scoring in double figures on rebounds is much easier, so averaging a double-double would look quite impressive.

An hour before the match, the players went onto the field to warm up, and thousands of spectators were there to watch the game. Near the field, an Indian man with a white Sikh turban on his head shouted at Levi, "Viktor, Viktor!" Levi went over, not recognizing the man, and asked him what he wanted.

"Do you know me?"

"You're a Raptors fan."

"That's right, that's right. My name is Nav Bukhari, a huge Raptors fan! Nice to meet you."

This Indian man named Bukhatir is a well-known die-hard Raptors fan. He has been watching Raptors games courtside since the team's founding in 1995, maintaining a record of never missing a Raptors home game until the special circumstances of 2020. When the Raptors won the championship in 2019, he became the first fan to receive an official NBA championship ring.

"I watched your interview, and your story is truly moving! Your care for your brother and family is admirable!" Bukhari's praise made Li Wei feel undeserving, and he could only say, "Thank you for basketball."

"That's right, thanks to basketball. Victor, what's your highest single-game score so far?"

"21 points" was the score Levi achieved against the Kings.

"How about we make a deal? If you score over 21 points tonight, I'll give you a car!"

Buhatil started his business selling cars and is now a major Hyundai dealer in Canada. He's not a super-rich man, but he's certainly wealthy. He spends over $30 annually on tickets to invite young minority fans to the stadium for games.

Li Wei shook his head and said, "I score to help the team win the game, not to win the car. My job is defense and rebounding. Scoring is not my job, and I can't focus on scoring."

"So here's a challenge. If you can do it, the car is yours to choose from. If not, I'll wait for you next time you're in Toronto! This challenge is permanent! Good luck, buddy! Hahaha!"

Li Wei later asked Nash and learned that this Bukhatir was quite famous, having become a celebrity by watching basketball. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame last year and will officially become one of the first members of the Super Fan Hall this year, leaving a significant mark on NBA history. Li Wei felt more admiration for this Indian man. Persistence in anything, even a simple hobby like watching basketball, can accumulate into remarkable achievements over a long enough period. So, if your achievements aren't high enough, try to prolong the time and accumulate more data—that's also a way to make a name for yourself in history.

The game started promptly at around 7 PM. Kyrie Irving returned for the Nets, while Jeff Green missed the game due to knee soreness, and Blake Griffin remained on the injured list. The starting lineup consisted of DeAndre Jordan, Tobias Harris, James Harden, Jaylen Brown, and Kyrie Irving. The Raptors' starting lineup was Kyle Lowry, Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, Fred VanVleet, and Ken Birch.

Perhaps due to a break of more than a week, both sides were slow to get into the game, trading baskets for three rounds before the first goal came two minutes into the game. Kyle Lowry drove to the basket, drawing a double team, and passed to Pascal Siakam, who cut into the middle and made a floater to open the scoring.

In the previous game between the two teams, Siakam scored 33 points with a 57% field goal percentage, making him the top contributor to the Raptors' victory over the Nets. Tonight, he is also the primary target that Li Wei needs to guard on the defensive end. In Li Wei's opinion, guarding Siakam may be more difficult than guarding Doncic.

Pascal Siakam is a typical statistic monster: lean, tall, and with a long wingspan. He's faster than his opponents at power forward and taller than them at small forward, making him a type of player that Levi finds particularly troublesome on defense. Technically, he excels at using his back-to-the-basket game, leveraging his height and wingspan to dominate players in his position. His ball movement doesn't require anticipation; he only has a few moves, but even if you know them, it's useless—he simply uses his stats to overwhelm you.

After Kawhi Leonard left Toronto in the summer of 2019, the Raptors' regular season record did not decline sharply, but remained at a high level. Pascal Siakam's growth and performance played a key role in this.

Against this type of player, Armament Haki and one's own defensive skills are more effective. Levi sat on the sidelines, carefully observing Sika's offensive patterns and mentally simulating defensive strategies. Watching countless videos is no substitute for watching up close on the sidelines, because there are so many details. And watching up close is still no substitute for actually playing against him.

With a little over six minutes left in the first quarter, the Raptors led the Nets 17-9, but the Nets' post-holiday blues were more pronounced, with their offense completely out of sorts at the start. When the offense falters, the Nets' defense becomes vulnerable to fast breaks. They rely too heavily on the stability of their 3-2 zone defense, which is designed for half-court offense.

Of the 17 points conceded, 8 were due to the Raptors' fast breaks directly penetrating the paint. To be honest, seeing this, Li Wei felt uneasy. He wasn't afraid of grinding out half-court sets, but this kind of fast penetration, if the guards didn't slow it down, would be very painful for the interior defense.

"That lazy Harden is playing defense with his eyes down again." Li Wei couldn't stand it anymore. He knew it was almost his turn to play, and if Harden continued to play defense with his eyes down, he would have a hard time on the defensive end.

The game was officially paused. Nash gave Levi a look, signaling him to take off his shirt and get back on the court. The two had great chemistry now; Levi knew exactly when to step in. Whenever the defense wasn't going well, he'd be there to clean up the mess for these guys with multi-million dollar salaries.

When Harden saw that Li Wei was about to enter the game, he grinned and thought to himself, "Damn it, it's dawn. My human shield has finally arrived."

After the timeout, Li Wei immediately came into play, setting a screen with Harden on offense, cutting to the baseline, receiving a pass, and hitting a mid-range jumper! This is a small tactic that Li Wei and Harden have been practicing frequently in recent training sessions. After the basket, Li Wei was delighted; it seemed like he was in good form today, and maybe he could even score more than 21 points?

Whether it's a car or not isn't important; the key is to prove yourself.

On the defensive end, Li Wei's impact was immediate. He anticipated VanVleet's drive down the middle and his attempt to pass to Birch for an alley-oop, cutting along the baseline. Li Wei positioned himself in advance, jumping to intercept Birch and disrupting the attack. If Harden had been guarding that play, he would have simply watched helplessly, perhaps shrugging and asking his teammates what happened.

The Nets launched a counterattack. Li Wei received the ball in the middle and immediately passed it to Irving without hogging possession. Irving dribbled against Lowry, but his jump shot missed. Irving hadn't found his rhythm yet, and Li Wei didn't have time to grab the offensive rebound, quickly retreating on defense. The Raptors had already launched a counterattack, with Anunoby and Siakam spreading out on the wings.

Harden remained leisurely, watching as VanVleet was about to accelerate with the ball. He drove inside, but Li Wei collapsed, leaving Harden alone in the paint. VanVleet passed the ball to the wing, creating easy open looks. Li Wei made a decisive move, giving Harden a push in the waist from behind. This push shifted Harden's weight forward, propelling him towards VanVleet who was about to accelerate.

He's a human bomb! He collided head-on with VanVleet. Harden is quite the actor. He didn't know who pushed him, but the moment he collided with VanVleet, he immediately spread his arms wide, dramatically fell to the ground, and then shrugged at the referee. Who cares? He just shrugged first.

The referee thought for a moment and actually called a charging foul on VanVleet, which led to a strong protest from Raptors coach Nurse, who said it was a blocking foul and that someone had pushed Harden from behind! Seeing Nash standing motionless with his arms crossed, Li Wei thought to himself, "Coach, say something! What are you doing posing like this during the game?"

On the basketball court, even when there's no reason to argue, they'll still try to stir things up. It seems Nash still hasn't fully embraced the coaching role; he's too concerned about saving face.

After reviewing the replay, the referees confirmed that Harden had committed a blocking foul, and possession was returned to the Raptors. However, they had already lost their fast break opportunity, and Harden, guessing that it was Li Wei who pushed him, said, "You actually pushed me?"

"I was worried you'd get too tired running back to defend, so I sped you up. Next time, let's coordinate better and I'm sure we can stop it."

Harden rolled his eyes at Li Wei, as if to say, "I'm using you as a human shield, and you're using me as a cannonball?" But Li Wei's move actually temporarily halted the Raptors' fast break momentum, slowing down the pace of the first quarter and gradually returning the game to the Nets' usual rhythm.

(End of this chapter)