Su Xi’s offense shattered Coach Ellis’s plans.
The ga continued.
Auburn University was still avoiding Su Xi’s defense. Levin passed the ball to Daniels and quickly started running.
Daniels went one-on-one on the wing. He had just finished his spin when Su Xi double-tead him. He took a quick shot... CLANK.
No good.
Craig grabbed the rebound.
He passed to Su Xi.
Su Xi brought the ball past half-court and ca to the top of the arc. This ti, Coach Ellis demanded intense defense from Levin.
Levin lowered his center of gravity, trying to track Su Xi’s movents.
He thought Su Xi’s drives were all about power.
But the mont Su Xi jab-stepped, a powerful burst of explosiveness erupted, forcing Levin back on his heels. Su Xi quickly changed direction, baiting Levin into shifting his weight up, then seized the opportunity to spin... His spin was sowhat similar to Levin’s, leading with the upper body... which demonstrated his impressive flexibility.
Su Xi blew past Levin.
Levin’s eyes were still staring blankly in the other direction.
Su Xi drove into the paint. Kilingsworth quickly raised his arms to help on defense. Su Xi stopped short in front of him... though he slightly overshot his spot, a sign of his other underdeveloped talents.
But he quickly went into an upward pump fake.
Kilingsworth jumped.
Su Xi spun with the montum. The move wasn’t pretty, but it was effective. He laid the ball into the basket with his left hand... SWISH!
Su Xi scored another two points.
The entire Madison Square Garden Arena erupted with excitent.
"Su! Su! Su!"
Many fans were loudly chanting Su Xi’s na.
In front of their TVs, even more fans were surprised: ’Turns out Little Sheep Su Xi’s offensive skills aren’t bad at all. His jab step even has a hint of Caron in it, and that last spin felt like a knock-off Kobe move.’
"Has Syracuse University finally decided to unleash its secret weapon?"
Old Barry said with admiration on CBS Sports.
Jim Boham was as excited as if he’d drunk several bottles of rum. His face was flushed red with excitent as he pumped his fist and shouted towards Su Xi on the court, "Jack, great job!"
His teammates around him were the sa.
After returning to the court, Su Xi had quickly beco the team’s stabilizing force, a savior-like presence.
So-called leadership qualities and core status are forged in critical monts like this.
Su Xi was calm.
’I even feel a little regretful. If it weren’t for McNamara’s injury and our lack of periter offense, I’d still want to put all my energy on defense. Defense is my ’source of power’—my talent fusion accelerates by defending other talented players.’
’When I’m defending a talented player, they actively use their own talents. As they unleash them... it causes the talents within to resonate with the rhythm of my active defense, increasing the fusion speed. When I’m on offense, I’m the one initiating, and the opponent is just passively defending... so it doesn’t have the sa effect.’
Thanks to Su Xi’s previous diligent and active defense, he now possessed a unique strength talent in the NCAA, an above-elite explosiveness talent, and a near-elite flexibility talent.
Although his talents in other areas were still far behind, it was more than enough to handle most NCAA-level gas.
Carron Anthony looked at Su Xi with great emotion. The better Su Xi perford on offense, the more indebted he felt. His agent, Bill Daffy, had previously told him that he would talk to Su Xi and have him focus on defense to help Caron shoulder the defensive load.
’And Jack actually did it, sacrificing his own stats. He only brought out his offensive talent now, in this dire mont.’
Antonio was extrely moved.
But what he didn’t know was that when Bill Daffy had approached Su Xi, Su Xi didn’t have much of an advantage with his offensive talents. They had only surged recently.
Therefore, Su Xi didn’t understand Antonio’s gratitude.
’What’s all this about? I’m just playing my ga, and suddenly you’re treating like so great benefactor.’
The ga continued.
The ball went to Auburn University’s Kilingsworth. Kilingsworth bumped Hakeem out of the way, but as he went for the layup, he was bothered by Antonio, who ca over to help.
Su Xi crashed the paint, boxed out Robinson, and secured the rebound.
Then, Su Xi brought the ball past half-court. He used a quick crossover to get past Levin. Levin’s defense was diocre; only his flexibility talent could be considered top-tier. He couldn’t stop Su Xi at all.
Daniels ca over to help. Su Xi took one more dribble inside, then passed the ball out.
Josh Peis caught the ball and shot... a three-pointer, good.
He was a decent shooter when he had enough ti to prepare.
The ga continued.
Daniels drove to the basket, finally breaking Auburn University’s scoring drought.
But it was too little, too late. Once Su Xi’s devastating drives established a strategic advantage, they had to double-team him, which left other Syracuse University players open.
The offensive threat Su Xi posed to Auburn University was far greater than McNamara’s.
After being double-tead, Su Xi passed the ball to Antonio.
Antonio’s powerful offensive firepower was unleashed.
Antonio picked apart the wing defense, scoring again and again.
Auburn University, who had previously eliminated a No. 2 seed, failed to continue their dark horse run. They were overturned by Syracuse University.
The point differential grew wider and wider.
In the end, the ga beca completely one-sided.
The final score was 88-62.
Syracuse University won by 26 points.
Auburn University’s run ended in the Sweet Sixteen, which was still a record for their program.
So, they had nothing to be too upset about.
In his post-ga interview, Coach Ellis had high praise for Su Xi: "Their team’s number 33 changed the course of the ga. He stifled our chemistry with his defense. Just when we thought he was only a defensive player, his devastating drives caught us completely off guard. He killed us."
Su Xi finished the night with a career-high 17 points, along with 9 assists, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals.
In the NCAA, that was a superstar stat line, the stat line of a two-way superstar.
In so ways, it was even more eye-catching than Carron Anthony’s 27 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists.
Anyone who watched the ga would think that Su Xi saved the ga in its mont of crisis, while Carron Anthony rely rode the montum and put the icing on the cake.
Which is more important: saving the day or putting the icing on the cake?
Larry Bird believed in saving the day. After watching the ga tape, he was absolutely certain that Su Xi was the point guard he wanted.
Moreover, he had already started trying to acquire a pick sowhere in the middle of the first round.
Scout Terry said that was a bit unnecessary.
Larry Bird insisted that Su Xi was a perfect fit for the Pacers and that they had to be more proactive to be safe.
At that mont, he even thought... ’Little Sheep Su Xi better not be this eye-catching from now on. If he plays this well in the Elite Eight, the Final Four... he won’t be a secret anymore.’
’At that point, we might not even be able to get him with a mid-first-round pick.’
In today’s league, there aren’t many point guards who can bang with big n down low, and who are willing and able to do the dirty work. What’s more, in this ga, Su Xi also showed off his offensive talent, and his playmaking was above average as well.
Phil Jackson also watched the tape Kobe had given him.
He frowned and said nothing.
Jackson wasn’t interested in point guards.
"But we already have Fisher," Phil Jackson said. "I think Fisher is twice as good as him."
The Zen Master patted Kobe’s shoulder. "I think you and Shaq should have a good talk. You’ve already proven that together, you’re unbeatable. Why not go for a fourth, a fifth, a sixth championship?"
Kobe’s expression didn’t soften. He thought Phil Jackson was on O’Neal’s side.
"I knew you were bad at scouting rookies. I’ll go talk to Dr. Bass," Kobe said to Phil Jackson in disappointnt. "You only know how to work with established superstars."
That comnt struck a nerve with Phil Jackson.
Kobe at this ti was blunt and outspoken, not known for his high EQ.
That was why Phil Jackson preferred the more personable and playful O’Neal.
...
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