"You’re a soft-ass coward, just like your teammates. You got no balls."
"You’re all weak as hell. All you know is how to hit soone from behind."
Jeff Graves scowled and spewed trash talk at Su Xi. He was still fuming about being turned into a joke on the last play when Su Xi blocked him with one hand.
Su Xi looked up and asked him, "You think you’re strong?"
"Strong enough to crush you, Little Sheep Su Xi," Graves said nacingly. "You dare face head-on?"
"Be patient. You’ll get your chance," Su Xi replied coolly, then walked over to help Craig off the court.
Graves was dismissive and disdainful, shouting at Su Xi’s back, "All talk and nothing else!"
BEEP!
The sound ca from the scorer’s table as Craig was helped off the court. Syracuse University brought in Jeremy McNeil, who stood at only 203 cm. McNeil had an impressive high school resu, having won an Adidas All-Arican championship and reaching a national high school ranking of 35th.
After enrolling at Syracuse University, he beca a starter in his first season. But he was soon sidelined by injuries and subsequently lost his starting spot to Craig. Now, with Craig injured, he was getting another chance.
He was considered a decent help defender with strong shot-blocking ability.
However, his ability to create his own shot was weak, as was his one-on-one post defense.
Plus, he didn’t have a consistent jump shot.
"With this substitution, Syracuse’s paint, which was already at a disadvantage, will beco even weaker," Jim Nantz told the television audience on CBS.
After the inbounds pass, Su Xi stuck close to Miles, even using his words to encourage him: "Co on, Aaron. Where’s that speed? I want to see you fly."
Miles was goaded into action. He gritted his teeth and pushed his speed to the absolute max.
As his speed surged, Su Xi, as expected, fell a step behind.
But the smile on Su Xi’s face grew wider. He could feel the super speed talent within him being pulled intensely, on the verge of leveling up its fusion.
Miles drove inside the three-point line, stabilized his footing, and instead of continuing forward, quickly passed the ball to Collison.
Although Collison would develop into a blue-collar player in the NBA, in the NCAA, he could do it all.
He hit a crossover, slipped into the paint, and laid the ball in with his left hand. It was all one smooth motion.
Hakim Warrick was completely unable to stop him.
On the sideline, Jim Boham was burning with anxiety. He gestured to his players, signaling for them to trap early and not let Collison get the ball easily.
Just then, Su Xi said to Carron, "Set a screen for next ti. We’re attacking the paint."
Anthony nodded.
Duanni brought the ball to the top of the arc and then passed to Su Xi. Su Xi tried to drive from the wing with a crossover, but Hinrich didn’t give an inch—his defensive quality was high.
Anthony ca up to set a screen. Su Xi used it to cut into the paint. The switched defender, Langford, was strong, but he couldn’t handle Su Xi. Su Xi used a bull-like jump-stop to shove him aside and force his way to the basket. Then, he jumped, faking a layup. Graves rushed over, wanting to block Su Xi head-on.
But Su Xi saw the opening and passed the ball to the side. Carron Anthony, having shaken Hinrich, aggressively cut to the basket. He caught the ball, exploded upwards... BOOM!
He slamd the ball through the hoop with both hands.
The Super Do Arena erupted.
Carron Anthony showcased the offensive instincts that made him the NCAA’s number one talent.
Graves glared at Su Xi with resentnt. "Didn’t you say you were going to face head-on?"
"Don’t be in such a hurry."
Su Xi replied elegantly, "You need to build up so more strength first."
The hot-tempered Graves flew into a rage. Steam was practically snorting from his nostrils.
’He must have been born in the year of the Ox,’ Su Xi thought. ’A big black bull with cornrows.’
’Stubborn as a bull, with a temper to match.’
As his mind wandered to this, Su Xi couldn’t help but crack a smile.
He looked up and saw Miles’s face.
"What are you standing around for? Speed up."
Su Xi urged Miles on.
The mont Miles got the ball, he took off like a shot. Su Xi gave chase relentlessly. He was half a step slow, but at the instant they crossed half-court, the fusion of his super speed talent increased from 70% to 71%.
’Just as I thought. Competing against talented players in a real ga is the fastest way to increase fusion.’
Su Xi was figuring it out. A player like Miles, whose speed was sowhere between excellent and top-tier, could raise his stats to the brink of the elite level.
Miles was a smart player. He shook Su Xi, drove inside the arc, and the mont he drew the help defense, he quickly dished the ball to Hinrich on the other side. Hinrich gave a pump fake, got past Duanni, and then passed again to Collison. Collison used a spin move to get around Hakeem and laid the ball in with his right hand.
He was showcasing his all-around offensive skills.
In front of him, Hakeem looked like an immovable wooden post.
"Syracuse University’s problems in the paint are getting more and more serious," Billy Parker chid in on the topic.
The ga continued.
It was Su Xi and Anthony working together again. After a pick and roll, Su Xi passed to Anthony, who continued to attack the basket. When he was trapped by Collison and Langford, he quickly passed the ball out.
Hakim Warrick caught the ball and shot from beyond the three-point line... SWISH!
It was good.
Hakeem had NBA-level three-point range, so his percentage was even higher from the NCAA three-point line.
While posting up Collison under the basket, a new idea began to form in Su Xi’s mind.
The ga went on.
Thanks to Carron Anthony’s powerful offensive firepower, Hakeem’s outside shooting threat, and Su Xi’s bull-like charges into the paint, Syracuse University surprisingly wasn’t trailing by much at the end of the first half.
41-43.
Only a 2-point deficit.
In the first half, Carron Anthony had 15 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal. Hakeem had 9 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block. Su Xi had 8 points, 5 assists, 2 rebounds, 3 steals, and 1 block.
They were Syracuse University’s Three Musketeers. Without them, Syracuse might have already suffered a systemic collapse.
The University of Kansas’s stats were also concentrated between Collison and Hinrich. Collison put up a super stat line of 15 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, and 1 steal. Hinrich also contributed with 6 points, 7 assists, 2 rebounds, and 2 steals. In addition, Graves’s 3 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks were also eye-catching.
Su Xi sat on the bench, chugging a sports drink. This was the most exhausting ga he had ever played. On offense, he shouldered the heavy burden of being the battering ram, repeatedly driving straight into the paint to create openings for the team and give Carron better one-on-one opportunities. On defense, he was frantically chasing Miles’s every step.
The effort on both ends of the court was draining his stamina.
The good news was that his super speed talent fusion had increased from 69% to 74%.
He had basically reached the limit of what Miles could help him improve. Miles’s own speed talent, converted into a nurical value, floated around 85%.
"Jack, Carron, we have to keep pounding the paint. If we can wear down their bigs, we can take the lead," Coach Jim said, holding a tactical board. He kept ’threatening’ Su Xi and Anthony: "Right now, so many NBA stars, scouts, execs, legends, and brand sponsors are watching you. You don’t want to go to the NBA empty-handed, do you?"
His words were ant to motivate the two players who were surefire draft prospects.
Su Xi didn’t like this kind of "threat-based motivation." It made him uncomfortable.
But he didn’t say anything. Unity was the most important thing right now. Besides, he was exhausted and needed to rest.
He had already told Assistant Coach Vincent that he needed to rest for a few minutes.
Even with his incredibly strong recovery ability, he was having trouble holding on.
BEEP!
The whistle blew, and the second half began.
Su Xi remained on the bench as Anthony took the court with Josh Peis, Duanni, Hakim Warrick, and McNeil.
On the first possession of the half, Kirk Hinrich hit a 3-pointer, extending the lead.
Without McNamara, Syracuse University was missing a consistent scorer. If McNamara were playing, Kansas would be under imnse pressure to defend the periter.
Now, they dared to focus their defensive efforts heavily on Anthony.
Especially with Su Xi also off the court, Syracuse University lacked a powerful battering ram.
Duanni passed the ball to Anthony, moved to the side, and watched as Anthony went into isolation.
Anthony was double-tead by Langford and Hinrich. His turnaround jumper missed, and the rebound was grabbed by Graves.
Then, Langford used a screen from Collison to get into the paint, strolling in as if no one was there for an easy layup.
The University of Kansas was in a fantastic position.
Their fans were making a huge amount of noise in the Super Do Arena, creating the atmosphere of a championship team.
"If they don’t put Little Sheep Su Xi in now, Syracuse University is going to lose its last chance to win," Billy Parker said, sounding a little upset. His bias had been clear from the start of the ga; he liked Little Sheep Su Xi and wanted Syracuse to win.
Coach Jim glanced at Su Xi, then signaled for the team to slow the pace.
Duanni brought the ball past half-court and passed it to Anthony. Anthony forced his way to the basket and drew a foul.
This gave Syracuse University a mont to breathe.
But Su Xi keenly noticed that as Anthony landed, he shook his arm and then touched his own shoulder.
He had collided hard with Graves just now; he might have tweaked his shoulder.
SWISH!
CLANG!
He made one of two free throws, seemingly confirming Su Xi’s dreadful suspicion.
"Syracuse University’s only chance to win is if Carron goes on a scoring tear," Jordan said to Bird. "Although I’m high on Carron, that’s going to be really difficult. Right now, all of Kansas’s defensive attention is on him. His teammates are too weak, and Little Sheep Su Xi doesn’t have true tactical-breaking power."
Bird’s expression was serious. This ti, he didn’t casually agree.
Just then, Collison once again schooled Hakeem with his excellent spin move, finishing with a fadeaway jumper.
Coach Jim quickly said to Su Xi, "Go, sub in for Josh Peis."
Su Xi walked to the scorer’s table. After checking in, he walked toward Duanni. "We’re swapping. You go get so rest."
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