"Hey, man, that was so cool! You stole the ball from that damn little guy twice. I couldn't love you more."
Cameron Anthony returned to the bench and excitedly high-fived Su Xi.
Before Su Xi went to guard Victor, Syracuse University had been powerless against the Cowboys' offense, especially unable to lock down that little point guard who was as slippery as a loach.
But then... Su Xi went over and shut him down, forcing two steals that were converted into a dunk by Anthony and a three-pointer from McNamara.
It was a huge relief.
"What made you think to go guard Victor?" Jim Boham asked Su Xi.
Su Xi answered honestly, "I wanted to see if he was a genius, and if he could give me a challenge."
Huh?
Jim felt like he couldn't keep up with Su Xi's way of thinking. Although Su Xi had acted unusually for a long time now, he never expected him to be this strange. 'Could it be that what he said on the American Cable Network came from the heart? Does he really want to test himself against geniuses?'
Jim looked at Su Xi, suddenly feeling like he didn't understand his star pupil at all.
'What kind of weirdo is there like that in the world?'
"You did very well just now. Keep defending him," Jim ordered. "We need to solidify our current position."
Su Xi nodded. "Yes, sir!"
Soon, the whistle blew, and the game resumed.
Victor brought the ball past half-court again. This time, Su Xi proactively moved out to the top of the three-point arc to pressure him early.
After having the ball stolen from him twice in a row, Victor's confidence was shaken. He didn't dare show off his moves in front of Su Xi anymore, and he was afraid of the physical confrontation with the powerful Su Xi.
He played to avoid Su Xi.
When he played avoidantly, his talent was diminished, and his agility became far less effective.
He finally managed to get past Su Xi, but as soon as he reached the free-throw line, he couldn't wait to pass the ball to Sanders, as if it were a hot potato.
This move nullified his tactical purpose. Coach Sutton had hoped he would use his offense to drive the team's attack, not just be a common ball-mover.
Sanders tried to post up Anthony but missed the turnaround jumper. Hakeem grabbed the rebound and passed it to Su Xi.
"That's the effect of good defense." Larry Bird stretched, very satisfied with Su Xi, including his proactive approach.
Taking the initiative wasn't just for defensive purposes; more importantly, it was to instill fear in Victor.
Great defenders are masters of psychological warfare.
Victor was weak, a far cry from Iverson. Even if Iverson got stripped ten times, he wouldn't pass the ball; he'd just keep fighting relentlessly. That fighting spirit is Iverson's greatest weapon.
Otherwise, how could he have won the most scoring titles of the post-Jordan era at a height of under six feet?
Su Xi brought the ball into the frontcourt.
Sanders came over to defend him again.
Coach Sutton hadn't given up on his 'Tian Ji's Horse Race' strategy.
Su Xi observed his teammates' tactical positions, then gestured to Cameron Anthony and McNamara from the top of the arc.
They quickly started running, setting crossing screens.
Meanwhile, Su Xi lowered his head and suddenly accelerated. His explosiveness was superior to Sanders', so he gained half a step of separation on his first move. He then used his strength to push against the side of Sanders' body, driving inward. Su Xi's skilled ball-handling allowed him to pull off such a simple and brutish move.
Sanders fought while giving ground.
Just as Su Xi drove to within a step of the free-throw line, he suddenly stopped, stepped back, and turned, tossing the ball directly to Cameron Anthony, who was curling over from the side. Su Xi's body naturally screened Tony Allen, who was in pursuit.
SWISH!
The ball fell through the net.
Actually, this play had another variation. If Su Xi hadn't screened Tony Allen and Allen had pursued him, Anthony would have continued driving deeper. If he had an opportunity, he would score himself; if not, he would pass the ball out to the top of the arc, because Su Xi would then screen Victor for McNamara, who would be running over from the other side.
This play utilized Su Xi's 'power' role.
His screen quality was good... at the NCAA level, he could block most smaller guards.
"He's fitting more and more into our Pacers system." The smile on Larry Bird's face grew wider. He could see the possibility of Su Xi feeding the ball to Reggie Miller, whose off-ball movement was legendary. The man could run a peak Michael Jordan ragged and still hit a three.
To have a smart player feeding him the ball, one who could also set screens...
Just how effective would Reggie Miller be?
Thinking of this, Larry Bird felt that his current starting point guard, Tinsley, didn't have the same team awareness as Su Xi.
"If we only plan on picking him at the 40th pick, isn't that too risky?" Larry Bird asked the scout, Terry.
Terry immediately sat up straight, extremely excited inside. He said, "If other teams are scouting him, that pick is indeed a little insecure."
Larry Bird was lost in thought.
If the 40th pick wasn't enough, they would definitely have to move into the first round. Using a first-round pick to gamble on a suddenly rising Asian guard with rather obvious flaws was indeed a bit of a risk. He would need to convince more of the management. Unless Su Xi could deliver an even more eye-catching performance.
The game continued.
Victor was completely controlled by Su Xi. Su Xi used his strength and explosiveness to make the already hesitant guard even more timid. He lost his fighting spirit, like a pheasant stripped of its feathers. There was no need to compare him to a phoenix like Iverson; on this court, he had completely faded into obscurity, becoming utterly unremarkable.
Coach Sutton's strategy wasn't working.
He adjusted his tactics, having Sanders and Tony Allen force the offense.
But their ability to attack was clearly weaker than Cameron Anthony's and McNamara's, not to mention Hakeem was also an elite NCAA scorer who could play inside and out.
After Su Xi took over the point guard position, he fulfilled Coach Sutton's wish. Except it was Syracuse University that was firing on all cylinders, from the wings to the paint, from the free-throw line to the top of the arc... The Cowboys' defense was repeatedly broken.
The point differential continued to widen.
At the end of the first half, Syracuse University led by 11 points.
Su Xi had 6 points, 4 assists, 3 steals, 1 rebound, and 2 fouls in the first half.
Cameron Anthony was the leading scorer with 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 assist.
He was undoubtedly the superstar.
But from a tactical standpoint, it was Su Xi who had dismantled Coach Sutton's plan.
Coach Sutton's gaze towards Su Xi was complicated. He couldn't figure out where Jim Boham had found this monster. He didn't seem that strong, yet he targeted the Cowboys' every weakness.
His strength could push Sanders away.
His explosiveness was greater than Tony Allen's.
On defense, he could even strip the ball directly from Victor.
The Cowboys' three core players had been run through with a single sword.
After that, Cameron Anthony attacked with a vengeance.
With Hakeem and McNamara clearing out the sides,
the Cowboys were powerless to turn the tide.
Five minutes into the second half, after the lead had swelled to 19 points, everyone agreed the game was over.
Coach Sutton subbed out his three core players, who could no longer jump-start the offense.
Coach Jim also began to pull his starters frequently.
But he kept Su Xi on the court because Su Xi was about to get the first double-double of his career. He was only one assist away.
Jim wanted to help Su Xi achieve it. He really liked Su Xi, even though Su Xi's strange personality was hard to figure out, and he sometimes disobeyed orders. But... he liked who he liked.
At that moment, no one noticed that Kobe Bryant's wife, Vanessa, had disappeared from the courtside.
...