Basketball Terminal

In Chapter 95
In the NBA era that Li Wei played in, scoring was much easier compared to the Yao Ming era. With shooting ability, the ability to keep up with the pace of offense and defense, good physical attributes, and some tactical understanding, scoring ten or more points in a big team like the Nets was a frequent opportunity.

These days, a game can easily score 110 or 120 points, sometimes even 130 or 140. Role players might score a dozen or so points, and occasionally they might score 20 points. The Nets are the league's highest-scoring team and have the most open offense, which is advantageous for Li Wei's scoring.

In the NBA during Yao Ming's era, scores were mostly in the 80s and 90s. Scoring over 100 points meant the home team had to give out hamburgers to the fans – something that would bankrupt you today. Against teams like the Spurs and Pistons, 60 or 70 points was considered normal, roughly equivalent to half-court scores today.

In the final moments of the third quarter, Li Wei drove to the basket again, grabbed an offensive rebound, and, overpowering Watanabe Yuta, launched a right-handed floater. The ball spun around the rim and fell in, scoring two more points.

Watanabe is a small forward who is more of a three-position player. Although he is listed as 6 feet 9 inches (206 cm) tall, he only weighs 215 pounds. Levi is more than ten pounds heavier than him. In addition, Levi is stronger in static confrontation.

The ball went in, bringing Li Wei's score to 20 points, and the Nets led 83-79 at the end of the third quarter, heading into the fourth. On the sidelines, Indian fan Bhuhatir shouted at Li Wei, "One more point, one more point, buddy! Come on! The car is waving at you!"

He scored 20 points without even realizing it, with very high efficiency. The Raptors didn't target Levi well enough tonight; he's still in his rookie season. More importantly, Nash set up plays for Levi, and with the help of those plays and his teammates, he successfully capitalized on his scoring opportunities.

The game continued in the fourth quarter. Li Wei went to the bench to rest, while Watanabe Yuta remained on the court. He ran a corner cut to the basket, received a pass from Siakam, and successfully dunked! Like Li Wei, Watanabe has worked his way up from the Development League and has been in the league for three years. He has something to offer for his ability to establish himself.

When Watanabe went undrafted in 2018, he played in the Summer League for the Brooklyn Nets. Sitting on the sidelines, Li Wei thought, "Watanabe, go back and put a Naruto manga in your bag. If you could learn ninjutsu, your performance on the court would definitely be better than mine."

The situation remained tense. Li Wei knew this game would definitely go to the very end, so he made sure to drink plenty of water, rest, and prepare for the final showdown. The Raptors were a mid-tier team in the league; their offensive and defensive tactics were quite strong, but they lacked a top-tier star.

Back in the era of the "Trash Brothers" and Lowry DeRozan, they played exceptionally well in the regular season. They just consistently faltered in the playoffs until the arrival of a superstar like Kawhi Leonard, which finally led them to a championship.

The Nets' four-point lead was quickly caught up by the Raptors. Nurse constantly adjusted his tactics, and the Raptors players reacted very quickly, adapting to the situation on the court. The two teams were tied at 90-90, and then at 98-98.

The Nets' role players played very well in this game. Besides Levi, Shamet and Harris all had solid offensive performances. On the other hand, Irving and Harden, perhaps due to lack of rest during the All-Star break, had a less impressive offensive output. They focused more on creating opportunities for their teammates, passing and assisting.

This is a sign that the Nets' chemistry is gradually improving, the players' understanding between each other is getting better, and the players are becoming more selfless, willing to distribute ball possession according to their form and performance on the court, rather than insisting on taking so many shots every game as a star player.

Shamet drove to the basket for a layup, giving the Nets the lead, but VanVleet responded with a three-pointer, putting the Raptors ahead with five minutes remaining. Nash called a timeout, and Levi knew it was time to enter the game in this crucial final moment.

Nash pulled Levi aside and said, "Your job is to keep an eye on Siakam and not give him easy scoring opportunities under the basket, especially to protect the defensive rebounds." Levi nodded to indicate that he understood. He didn't take Bukhari's 21-point challenge to heart, nor did he think that he had to score another basket when he went up, which would make it 22 points.

In crucial moments, every opportunity is precious, and defense becomes even tighter. Playing with the sole purpose of racking up points can easily lead to problems. Focusing on defense and winning the game is the right approach.

Of course, if Li Wei thinks that the team collapses in the fourth quarter and falls too far behind in the last minute, making a desperate layup to earn two points is not out of the question!
The timeout ended, and the two teams entered the final five minutes, with the score tied at 100-101, the home team Raptors leading by one point. Both teams showed their true colors. The Nets spread out on offense, with Levi setting a screen for Harden, and the Raptors opting to switch on defense.

Harden, playing with a smaller player against a bigger one, dribbled rhythmically against Siakam, stepped back, and launched a three-pointer, which went in! Harden, who had been quiet for most of the game, hit the go-ahead three. On defensive possession, Levi tightly guarded Siakam; in crucial half-court sets, the Raptors frequently used back-to-the-basket offense on Siakam.

VanVleet passed the ball to Levi, who rushed in and delivered another long spear strike, successfully intercepting the ball from behind! In this match, Levi did a great job managing his stamina, resting when he needed to and letting others play when he needed to, saving his energy for the final moments.

The ball was passed to Harden, the Nets launched a counterattack, Irving dribbled past the defender, drove to the basket, dodged in mid-air, and launched a high-arcing floater that went in! The game entered a superstar moment, and no one from the Raptors responded.

Lowry's layup missed, but Levi successfully contested it and grabbed the rebound, his 11th of the game, bringing him to double figures. On the fast break, Harden and Bruce Brown executed a pick-and-roll, with a bounce pass to Brown, who drove to the basket and scored with a layup, giving the Nets a 7-0 run over the Raptors. Nurse called a timeout.

The timeout didn't have much effect; both teams were fatigued, the defensive intensity increased, and tactics became less effective, requiring star players to rely on individual ability to solve problems. However, Siakam, who had played his best against the Nets in the last game, was hampered by Levi's tenacity and struggled to perform.

Receiving the ball was difficult, and even after receiving it, backing down the defender was still difficult; he couldn't push the defense, so he could only turn and shoot, relying on his touch, but it missed. Li Wei grabbed the rebound, and Harden and Irving initiated a fast break. Harris received the ball in the corner and quickly launched a three-pointer, which went in! A 10-0 run widened the gap to 9 points. The Raptors were stunned. They were playing well before, going back and forth, so why did they suddenly become so serious? The Raptors didn't give up; VanVleet hit another three-pointer, putting up a desperate fight. Irving's mid-range jumper missed, and the Raptors countered. Lowry drove to the basket and passed to Siakam cutting down the middle. Li Wei followed up with a block, but on the last attempt, his height and wingspan were a bit too short; he blocked the ball but hit Siakam's hand, resulting in a foul.

Siakam was having a real headache. Being targeted by Levi was like being haunted by a ghost. No wonder Doncic had such a hard time against him; where did this monster come from? He made both free throws, narrowing the gap to 4 points. In today's NBA, a 20-point lead in a quarter isn't secure; a few three-pointers and a fast break can quickly close the gap.

In positional play, to stabilize the situation, Li Wei and Bruce Brown once again used a high-post double screen tactic with Harden. Li Wei first screened for Harden, then screened for Bruce Brown, and then retreated to the outside. Harden cut in beyond the three-point line and passed the ball back to Li Wei.

Li Wei received the ball, adjusted his position, and the Raptors' defense shrank to the vicinity of the three-second zone, leaving Li Wei wide open. He even had time to glance at his feet to see if he had stepped on the three-point line before releasing the shot. He glanced at the trajectory and was certain it would go in.

Li Wei raised his hands in celebration as the ball went in, bringing his score to 23 points and setting a new league scoring record! The Nets' bench erupted in jubilation, with Durant dancing for Li Wei. Even though Bukhari was a Raptors fan, he still applauded Li Wei's three-pointer, shouting, "You did it! You did it, kid! Get ready to pick a car!"

This three-pointer helped the Nets extend their lead and laid the foundation for their victory in the game.

Although the Raptors' offense picked up in the final stages, their defense was breached by the Nets' wide-open shooting. Harris and Irving both hit consecutive shots, neutralizing the Raptors' counterattacks. The score was 118-110, with the Nets securing their 12th consecutive win thanks to a late surge in the fourth quarter.

Li Wei delivered an efficient performance, racking up 23 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, and 2 steals. His scoring and shooting percentage were the highest on the team. He not only fulfilled all the pre-game plans but exceeded them by 100%. His All-Star week was well worth the rest, and he was in excellent form.

Because of his outstanding performance, Li Wei was once again selected as the best player of the game and gave a sideline interview. Bukhari came over to congratulate Li Wei on successfully completing the breakthrough challenge and scoring 23 points. He asked Li Wei what kind of car he wanted, offering to deliver it to Brooklyn. Of course, not just any car would do, because Bukhari was a dealer for Hyundai Motors in South Korea, so Li Wei could only choose from Hyundai vehicles.

Without any hesitation, Li Wei, with reporters as witnesses, readily accepted the offer to choose. Taking the tablet handed to him by Bukhatir, Li Wei swiped around; Hyundai offered a wide variety of models, primarily targeting the North American market with large sales and ownership. To Bukhatir's surprise, he expected Li Wei to choose an expensive sedan or SUV from a sub-brand, but Li Wei pointed to an H1 Starex mid-size commercial vehicle and said, "I want this car, thank you."

"Oh, Starex, it's a mid-size car? Did you pick this out for yourself?"

"No, this is for my mother. Her laundry truck needs a replacement."

Bukhatir was deeply moved. He was a man with a very deep affection for his mother. When he was 16, he promised her that he would never smoke, drink, or perm his hair... no, he meant he would never cut his hair and would be a devout Sikh. After so many years in the United States, Bukhatir, who has achieved great success, is almost 70 years old. His mother has long since passed away, but he still keeps his promise, never cutting his hair and always wrapping his head in a turban.

Bukhatir promised the vehicle would be delivered within a week and offered to cover a year's fuel costs. The two shook hands and posed for photos in front of the cameras, and the story quickly spread through the media, earning Levi much praise and a new car and a new friend. Back in the locker room after the interview, Levi ran into Mr. Cai and David Levi.

"Well done, young man, you've completed Bukhar's challenge," Levi said, shaking Li Wei's hand.

"Do you know?"

Joe Tsai and David Levy exchanged a smile. Tsai said, "There isn't a single celebrity associated with the NBA that David Levy doesn't know. Besides, this is Canada."

Li Wei understood. This was an off-court marketing campaign orchestrated by David Levy in cooperation with Bukhari. Steve Nash's increased tactics and shot attempts during the game were probably also at Cai's behest. He was completely unaware of this; fortunately, his luck and skill were both on point, and he completed the challenge.

Joseph Tsai smiled and patted Li Wei on the shoulder, saying, "I trust David's professionalism; your performance was very satisfactory. Keep up the good work! Turner TV's interview program is waiting for you. Young man, you must seize opportunities and strive for more."

Li Wei agreed, exchanged a few pleasantries with owner Cai and David Levy, and returned to the locker room. He wasn't particularly happy, though he knew the NBA couldn't function without marketing and business operations, and he had actively worked to increase his visibility. But being truly in the thick of it, surrounded by such powerful figures, the feeling was truly complex.

Li Wei encouraged himself: in sports, ability comes first. Like tonight's challenge, without ability, you won't get enough points; no amount of hype will help. You have to be able to use your abilities when given the opportunity. There's still a very long way to go before you can truly control your own destiny.

(End of this chapter)