hotmtlnovel Chapter 20 The Ball Doesn't Lie
Chapter 20 The Ball Doesn't Lie
2008年11月27日，晚7:30。
Auburn Hills Palace, Michigan.
Knicks vs. Detroit Pistons.
The ghost of the "Bad Boys" seemed to still linger in the air above the arena, filled with the smell of engine oil and the rusty smell of old-school basketball.
Before the game even started, Rasheed Wallace's signature roar echoed throughout the arena during warm-ups, attempting to intimidate the visiting New Yorkers.
Li Xiangbei calmly tied his shoelaces, even taking the time to joke with Randolph next to him: "Zack, your butt will be very useful tonight."
……
First section. Track and field stadium.
This was not a normal positional battle; for Li Xiangbei and Richard Hamilton, it was a marathon.
Hamilton was like a slippery eel, tirelessly weaving between the baseline, the paint, and the three-point line. He used Prince and Rasheed's towering figures as cover, making frantic off-ball runs.
"Trying to shake me off?" Li Xiangbei sneered.
Li Xiangbei didn't even look at where the ball was; all he could see was the guy wearing the transparent mask.
Hamilton bypassed the first cover and accelerated. Li Xiangbei followed closely behind.
Hamilton bypassed the second cover and abruptly stopped and ran in the opposite direction. Li Xiangbei braked simultaneously like a shadow and turned to follow.
The first quarter lasted 8 minutes.
According to the data statistician on the sidelines, the two ran nearly 3000 meters around half the field in just a few minutes!
Hamilton finally couldn't take it anymore. During a dead ball situation, he braced himself on his knees with both hands, his chest heaving violently, and his transparent mask was now completely fogged up.
"Damn... is this kid a robot?" Hamilton thought in horror. Usually at this point, the defenders would be panting and unable to keep up.
But when he turned his head, he saw Li Xiangbei standing next to him, not only breathing steadily, but even doing high leg raises as a warm-up exercise!
Richard.
Li Xiangbei looked at Hamilton, who was panting heavily, and pointed to his mask.
"Is there an oxygen tank in your mask? You look like you're about to run out of breath. If you get tired, blink, and I can ask the referee for a timeout so you can rest for a bit."
Hamilton was so angry he wanted to curse, but he was now conserving his energy even for speaking.
This physical dominance was directly reflected in the accuracy of the shots.
In the first quarter, Hamilton, known for his running and shooting, only made 1 of 6 shots, scoring 2 points under Li Xiangbei's relentless defense. The Pistons' most prized tactical engine was effectively shut down.
……
There are 4 minutes left in the second quarter.
Seeing that their perimeter offense wasn't working, the Pistons' "bad boy" mentality began to awaken. They decided to use physicality and solve the problem with physical methods.
Li Xiangbei used Randolph's screen to drive into the paint.
The one guarding the basket is none other than "The Roaring God" Rasheed Wallace.
Facing Li Xiangbei's leaping motion, Rashid didn't even aim for the ball. Instead, he stretched out his thick arm and, in mid-air, ruthlessly pulled Li Xiangbei, ball and all, down!
This was a vicious foul that could have started a fight!
"Bang!!"
Li Xiangbei lost his balance and crashed heavily to the floor with a dull thud.
A gasp rippled through the audience. That looked painful; it could easily have been a concussion or a fracture.
The Knicks' teammates roared and charged forward, with Randolph leading the charge, eager to fight Rasheed to the death.
however.
Before the two sides could even start pushing and shoving, the figure lying on the ground quickly got up!
[Steel knee pads: Shock absorption complete.]
[95% injury/illness exemption: in effect. Pain level: mild.]
Li Xiangbei was not only unharmed, but he didn't even flinch.
He rammed right into Rashid Wallace's chest, their noses almost touching.
"Old man."
Li Xiangbei stared into Rashid's fierce eyes, a mocking smile playing on his lips.
"Is that all the strength you have? Didn't you eat breakfast? Or did your milk in Detroit expire? This isn't even enough to tickle me."
Rashid was stunned. He had used all his strength in that shot; an ordinary defender would have been on a stretcher by now. Was this kid made of iron?
"beep--!"
The referee then realized what had happened and gave Rashid a regular defensive foul (the standards were more lenient back then, and no flagrant foul was called).
Rashid instantly flew into a rage, spitting at the referee: "That was a good play! That was manly defense! You cowardly referee!"
Li Xiangbei stepped up to the free-throw line.
First penalty. "Swish!" It went in cleanly.
Second penalty.
Looking at Rashid, who was still rambling on and on, Li Xiangbei suddenly had a bold idea.
He deliberately tightened his wrist, and the basketball slammed into the front edge of the rim.
"when!"
Rashid was about to shout the classic "Ball Don't Lie" to mock Li Xiangbei for missing the free throw.
But before he could even open his mouth, a red figure had already rushed in from the free throw line!
Li Xiangbei predicted the trajectory of the ball and, using his explosive power, leaped high into the air before Rashid could react, catching the rebounding basketball with one hand!
Through Rashid's head!
"boom!!!"
Successfully scored on the putback!
As soon as Li Xiangbei landed, before Rashid could speak, he roared:
"Ball Don't Lie!!!"
These four words were like a heavy hammer blow to Rashid's head.
Stealing lines?!
Is he still trying to steal the line after the deduction?!
Rashid was furious and charged at Li Xiangbei, intending to attack him. The referee reacted quickly and issued Rashid a technical foul.
"This is provocation! He's provoking me!!" Rashid was held tightly by his teammates, like a wild beast out of control.
Li Xiangbei stood at the free-throw line, preparing to take the technical foul free throw, and made a "shh" gesture towards Rashid.
"Quiet down, old man. The ball doesn't lie; it says you can't stop me."
……
The last 3 minutes of the fourth quarter.
The match turned into a complete meat grinder. The score was extremely ugly, with both sides struggling and missing shots.
At this point, another "villain" from the Knicks stepped forward.
Zach Randolph.
Randolph was perfectly suited to positional warfare, which required neither speed nor physical strength.
He used his massive rear end to repeatedly push aside the Pistons' interior defense, then used a seemingly clumsy but actually soft touch to put the ball in under the basket.
"Good shot! Zack!" Li Xiangbei gave him a high five.
"Hehe, I told you, my ass is useful tonight." Randolph grinned, his face trembling with muscle.
In the commentary booth, Jeff Van Gundy exclaimed, "Look at these two! Li Xiangbei and Randolph! They're like two painless bandits, dismantling this sophisticated Detroit car into parts! This is the true spirit of New York basketball!"
……
The last 30 seconds.
Knicks 89: Pistons 88.
One point difference. Pistons have possession.
Chauncey Billups, the clutch player with a "big heart," is dribbling the ball and running down the clock.
The entire audience stood up.
Li Xiangbei remained close to Hamilton. Hamilton was already exhausted and his steps were unsteady, but he kept running.
8 second left.
Billups got going. He seemed to be going for a one-on-one, drawing the Knicks' defensive focus.
Just then, Hamilton suddenly made a run, creating a step of space for himself.
Billups' eyes lit up, and with a flick of his wrist, he passed the ball over.
This is a golden opportunity!
Hamilton catches the ball, adjusts, and jumps. This is the rhythm he's used for ten thousand shots.
"We won," Hamilton thought.
however.
A dark figure, accompanied by a whistling sound, suddenly appeared from the side!
In the final moments, Li Xiangbei abandoned his prediction of Billups' help defense and instead placed all his bets on this comeback!
He was like a hunting cheetah, stretching his body in the air, his fingertips reaching out as far as possible.
The basketball had just left Hamilton's fingertips the instant.
"Snapped!"
A very slight, crisp sound.
Li Xiangbei's middle fingertip brushed against the bottom of the basketball!
This tiny disturbance can be fatal.
The basketball changed its spin trajectory, drawing a short arc in the air.
"Three things to avoid!"
They didn't even get a chance to play against the Nets.
"beep--!"
The final whistle blows!
Hamilton landed, staring in disbelief at the ball that hadn't even touched the air. He turned to look at Li Xiangbei, who was now slumped on the floor.
"How...how is this possible?"
……
Post-match interview.
Li Xiangbei remained the focus of the entire game. Although he only scored 18 points tonight, his defense was superb. Hamilton went a complete 3-for-15, shooting utterly lost.
A Detroit reporter asked with some ill intent:
"Lee, tonight you not only shut down Richard, but you also stole Rasheed's classic line. What do you think the Detroit fans and players will think? Are you humiliating this city?"
Li Xiangbei took the towel handed to him by a staff member, draped it over his shoulder, and wiped the sweat from his face.
He looked at the reporter with a calm yet sharp gaze.
"Humiliation? No, this is competition."
Li Xiangbei stood up, preparing to leave.
"As for what the people of Detroit think..."
He glanced back at the scoreboard: 89:88.
"I think Detroit's engine needs a major overhaul. This car can't outrun me."
After saying that, he left with a dashing silhouette and disappeared into the shadows of the players' tunnel.
Behind him, Rashid Wallace was slamming a chair in the locker room, cursing, "That bastard! Those are my lines! Those are my trademarks!!"
new York.
Bill Duffy watched Li Xiangbei's back on TV and excitedly dialed a phone number.
"Kevin (the owner of Under Armour), are you ready? Lee's signature shoe, the 'Rogue 1,' is ready to be released. I've even thought of the GG tagline."
"What?"
"Just use that line—Ball Don't Lie."
at the same time.
A system notification sounded in Li Xiangbei's mind.
[Congratulations, host! Hidden mission completed: Marathon Running.]
[Reward: Steel Lungs (S-Rank) equipped. Your cardiopulmonary function has surpassed human limits.]