Chapter 24: Magical Shots vs. Invincible Mid-Range Shots
After the timeout, Team B attacked. Bibby wanted to rely on himself immediately after receiving the ball in the frontcourt. He made a two-point shot with a step-back step during the breakthrough...
Beautiful move, but it didn't go in!
"This is a damn weird pair of physical fitness!"
Bibby quickly retreated. In this game, he was tormented by Kobe and Hamilton, two opponents with excessive physical strength. Thinking of so many scouts watching, Bibby felt that his future was affected!
Just when Bibby was feeling anxious, Zhang Hao, the new force who had just come on the court, stole the ball from Odom who was advancing and passed it to Kobe who was leaning against him on the left side of the three-second zone!
Zhang Hao leaned forward and slapped the ball away. Bibby quickly grabbed the ball. At this time, Zhang Hao rushed directly to the front court.
Odom quickly retreated and followed Zhang Hao at the first opportunity. Bibby seized the opportunity and passed the ball to Zhang Hao when Zhang Hao rushed into the three-point line. Zhang Hao received the ball and slapped it, then accelerated again, passed Odom before Odom could get close to him, and then slammed it in two steps!
Seeing this scene, Bibby couldn't help but let out an "Oh", and the fans at the scene also gave a deafening cheer!
The dunk itself was not beautiful, but Zhang Hao seized the moment when Odom came forward and wanted to explode backward but had no strength left, and went straight to the basket to complete a slam dunk.
This time, it is not only difficult, but also extremely entertaining!
At this moment, many fans kept shouting "Slam Dunk King".
Bibi's mood immediately improved a lot, and this emotion was getting stronger!
"Who cares if there's a future or not? Losing will affect your future even more. Just play well!"
Bibby and Zhang Hao, who ran back, high-fived to celebrate and focused on defense.
Although Kobe was unstoppable after he got into his best form, it was partly because Kobe played better and partly because other players' stamina began to decline and Kobe played for so long without any impact... But the more this was the case, the better they had to play!
Bibby tried his best and didn't want to have any regrets in this last important game in high school!
Originally, Bibby had no intention of competing with Kobe in terms of individual performance. He wanted to show his characteristics as a team player, but as the game went on, he was brought into that mood by Kobe's unique temperament.
When his confidence returned, Bibby's thoughts became clear all of a sudden, and he immediately realized the problems he had encountered before.
The reason why Team A chased points so aggressively was not only because Team A played well in the second half, but also because Team B had problems of their own. Of course, these problems were caused by Team A.
Dunking is the most morale-boosting way to score points. Zhang Hao’s teammates also experienced the same situation as Bibby, that is, positive emotions were strengthened!
And this... Zhang Hao knows why!
"Bronze Medal: Slam Dunk Master. Effect triggered. For the next three rounds, the players on the host's team will have their enthusiasm greatly increased."
In the first half, the effect of this medal was demonstrated once, but the effect was not obvious at that time because the enthusiasm and morale of the whole team were very high. Now, at this critical moment, the effect of this medal was truly demonstrated!
Positive emotions and high morale cannot make you know what you don’t know, but they can make it easier for those who know to perform better!
When the players of Team A returned to the frontcourt to attack, they found that the opponent seemed to have undergone some changes, which could be seen from their eyes!
Obviously, the "invincible mid-range shooting king" reversed the team's declining morale with a beautiful counterattack dunk after coming on the court!
"Morale is high? Then I'll suppress you again!"
Kobe is also full of fighting spirit!
Team A was on the attack, and Marbury had a headache after dribbling the ball to the frontcourt. Zhang Hao came back, and he was the most affected!
Zhang Hao and Garnett, one is on the outside defense and the other is on the inside defense. Zhang Hao's outside help defense is actually average, but he can at least defend the opponent's pitcher's catch and shoot. If the outside is defended, the best way is definitely to cut to the inside, and the inside is the key to defense. Garnett showed the strongest defense among all high school basketball players in the United States.
In addition, the presence of Zhang Hao and Garnett greatly restricted Marbury's breakthrough passes. This was truly the most professional assist defense of cutting off the passing route that Marbury had ever faced in his basketball career, and he had no experience in dealing with it.
At this time, Kobe took the initiative to ask for the ball, and Marbury did not take it lightly. He immediately gave the ball to Kobe, who had the best performance in the past period of time. After all, Marbury only played a supporting role in the second half.
Kobe received the ball and rushed into the paint, facing Zhang Hao who was double-teaming him from the outside. He turned around and entered the paint, facing Garnett's help defense and a one-on-three layup...
It was almost certain that Kobe couldn't see the basket when he shot, but he still threw the ball in!
Strong waist and abdominal strength and incredible touch...a magical ball!
Generally speaking, this ball can easily undermine the confidence of defensive players. This was not Kobe's first magical ball in this game. In fact, he had one in the first half and the third in the second half. In the first half, Team B was playing very hotly and was not affected too much. But in the second half, when Team A was frantically chasing points, Team B was hit hard by Kobe's first two magical balls.
It was because of this that Bibby thought, "Is there such a big gap between me and a 16-year-old high school student?"
But this time, Garnett yelled as he ran to the front court: "Don't worry, that kid is just lucky. I don't believe he is so lucky every time. Don't worry, attack slowly and slow down the rhythm..."
When Kobe was playing, it was this kind of magical ball that made his opponents despair the most. In high school, he relied on such offensive plays frequently to lead his mediocre teammates to win the Pennsylvania High School Basketball League championship. He also broke several Pennsylvania records held by Chamberlain in his senior year. His father Joe Bryant would go on TV to brag about how great his son was, and it was not a random boast. With Kobe's outstanding performance as the foundation, Kobe could have the same level of attention as Garnett at the age of 16.
He often breaks down his opponents' confidence when the game is tense, and his key singles played a similar role when they were frantically chasing points tonight.
This is the powerful ability that he often uses to lead the weak Lower Merion High School to win in high school games, but this time, Kobe didn't even feel that the opponent was discouraged at all!
It was Team B's turn to attack. Team B calmly used Bibby and Garnett's pick-and-roll to pass the ball. Garnett passed the ball to Corey Benjamin, who then passed it to Zhang Hao, who relied on Bibby and Garnett's defense to break away from Hamilton. Zhang Hao made a jump shot from the left side of the free throw line!
Even Corey Benjamin was not impatient. He passed the ball to Zhang Hao quite calmly during this attack!
As for Zhang Hao's mid-range shooting ability, when facing the pursuit and defense of these current high school opponents, he runs, receives the ball and shoots. As long as he receives the ball, he will most likely make the shot because the defense really can't keep up.
It's not that he can make a shot easily even if he is interfered with, but it's difficult for the opponent to really interfere with him. He has a lot of room for adjustment. After the adjustment, it's difficult for the opponent to really interfere effectively based on their defensive experience and habits!
He couldn't do it originally, but his shooting accuracy has improved to the top level in the NBA, so these things have become easy.
Zhang Hao has been training every day for some time. Due to his personal playing style, he mainly practices shooting and is in good shape now!
This was the first time in Kobe's life that he was suppressed by a pure shooter who hardly held the ball, and this situation made him even more motivated.
For a moment, the scene became that the entire Team B created mid-range shooting opportunities for Zhang Hao, while Team A tried their best to create space for Kobe to play one-on-one, and also tried hard to shoot after receiving the pass.
What is the purpose of the game? Of course, to win.
How to win? This is simple, just score more points than your opponent.
How do you score? Shoot!
Zhang Hao greatly underestimated his own edge as the top NBA player… Even if he was at the edge of the top, he was still a top NBA-level mid-range shooter with real power in high school games!
He always thought that it was the team that motivated him to play better, but in fact, it was his teammates who played better based on his superb shooting ability, and it was he who used shooting to drive the team's offense!
The fact that his teammates saw him returning to the game as a lifeline is proof of that!
However, they gave the opponent too many opportunities. Team A had already played well, but there was nothing they could do about it. Team B did not have the ability to defeat the opponent in one go.
Now, the situation has entered a stalemate, and it depends on which side's morale collapses first.
Kobe has now entered a mode similar to that of a venomous snake with bared fangs, bringing a strong sense of oppression to his opponents, because he not only looks strong, but is really strong!
Led by Kobe, Team A's morale was high. They had caught up to this point, so their morale was naturally high. They felt that if they gritted their teeth and waited for Zhang Hao to start missing shots continuously, they would have a chance.
Theoretically, Team B, which lacks the ability to attack, is more likely to lose morale, because Zhang Hao is just a pitcher! He cannot bring the ability to attack that Team B desperately needs. Rahim is only good at inside attack, Bibby was tossed around, and Garnett is strong but not good at attacking. As long as Zhang Hao is not so accurate, the situation will change in the direction that is favorable to Team A.
Also, Zhang Hao just shoots, which seems too bland. His shooting is impressive, but Zhang Hao is just in a temporary team. It's hard to keep the passion for a long time with his bland playing style. Look at those NBA teams with mid-range shooting kings. Even the Bulls played very boringly in the tense stage of the game. But NBA teams are definitely different from the temporary high school team.
Look, Kobe made consecutive difficult shots, and even if he missed, he looked very passionate. When Zhang Hao made consecutive shots and was blocked, Garnett seized the opportunity to pass the ball to the player who cut in. It would have been fine if it had gone in, but this time he didn't. Rahim's layup was too powerful, and Team B was obviously disappointed!
Looking back, Kobe passed the ball to Marbury for a layup, and it seemed that Team A was about to suppress Team B again!
Zhang Hao reached the frontcourt. This time he did not run immediately. Instead, he patted Garnett on the shoulder when passing by him and pointed at the basket.
Looking at Zhang Hao who started to run around aimlessly again, Garnett didn't understand at first. But after observing Zhang Hao's running route, Garnett, who was good at analyzing the target area from the running route, immediately understood - this guy is really bold!
Garnett is a very passionate player and is always ready to pass the ball.
Finally, Zhang Hao found an opportunity to cut in, circumvented Hamilton and rushed to the basket!
Garnett immediately asked Bibby for the ball, and after receiving the ball, he immediately accelerated, attracted the opponent's attention, and pushed the ball to the left side of the basket.
When Zhang Hao rushed in, someone finally reacted, and it was someone Zhang Hao didn't expect - the 206-cm Odom!
This time, Odom suddenly focused, keenly analyzed his opponent's intentions, and retreated immediately.
But the ball has already flown over, and Zhang Hao jumped towards Odom with the momentum of riding a tiger!
As for Odom, he only predicted Zhang Hao's cutting route and made up for the defense, but he didn't expect that Zhang Hao would dare to jump towards him and dunk!
When the thought "This senior is so bold" popped up in Odom's mind, his eyes went dark...
Odom, who only focused for two seconds and was distracted for most of the quarter, was dunked by Zhang Hao!
"Bronze Medal: Slam Dunk Master, the effect has been triggered..."
When Zhang Hao pressed on Odom's head and slammed the ball into the basket, subtitles floated by!
At the same time, the referee blew the whistle, Odom committed a defensive foul, and the goal was valid and a penalty was added!
Amid the cheers of the fans, teammates on the field rushed up to celebrate with Zhang Hao by bumping chests with him. Teammates on the sidelines were also shouting and even stepped onto the field.
Zhang Hao came to the free throw line, shot smoothly, and made the free throw!
69 to 64, this time with 2+1, Team B expanded its lead to 5 points!
With this dunk, Zhang Hao boosted the morale of their Team B!
Afterwards, Team B continued to use Zhang Hao's accurate mid-range shots to launch attacks, no longer thinking about how to play beautifully, and their first goal was to win the game.
The play was not bad. Although the mid-range shot was mediocre, Zhang Hao's dunk served as a very good embellishment!
Fighting...
Instead, it was Team A that first thought, “Can we really turn the tables?”
Gradually, Team B regained the initiative!
The fans were just watching the fun. When it came to the crucial moments, every goal would make the fans cheer. Kobe did conquer many fans present with his personal performance.
Anyone who has seen Kobe play can tell that he has a bright future.
And Zhang Hao really made this place his home court.
Moreover, his performance was so terrifying that he used his actions to make the fans present believe one thing - a pure pitcher can also defeat the opponent!
Kobe didn't want to admit defeat! He didn't want to admit defeat! With 1 minute and 19 seconds left, Kobe made two consecutive steals and scored 7 points, helping Team A catch up to 74 to 77. In addition, Team B's next three-pointer did not go in!
Of course, Team A gave the ball to Kobe, who had already scored 30 points and 8 assists. Kobe, naturally, was extremely confident in his abilities. Facing Corey Benjamin's defense, Kobe continued to play one-on-one. When Zhang Hao immediately went up to double-team the other members of Team B, they were worried that Kobe would pass the ball to Hamilton, but Kobe still chose not to pass the ball.
He wants to do it himself!
He believes in himself more!
However, if confidence is not matched by strength, it is arrogance.
This time, Kobe's step-back three-pointer to tie the score was missed due to interference from Zhang Hao's superior physical condition, who was obviously a size bigger than him!
Garnett grabbed the ball, and when he saw that the "gambling-style" defense was successful, Zhang Hao immediately ran down the court. Garnett had been prepared for the three-part curse that would follow if Hamilton hit a three-pointer after Kobe's pass to tie the score, but he didn't expect that Zhang Hao actually made the right bet. The 16-year-old kid named Kobe didn't even pass the ball in this situation.
Garnett seized the opportunity and sent a beautiful long pass. Kobe forced a fadeaway shot and then slipped backwards when he landed. Zhang Hao rushed to the frontcourt with no one chasing him, or perhaps Team A had no motivation to chase him. Zhang Hao received the ball and jumped with one step inside the free throw line!
Amid the exclamations of the fans at the scene, Zhang Hao jumped up from close to the free throw line and slammed the ball into the basket!
This dunk made the fans who watched the live broadcast or video of Zhang Hao's dunk contest feel that it was better than his dunk from the free throw line during the dunk contest!
Although he didn't step on the free throw line, it was more entertaining to watch because it was a real game!
There are 8 seconds left, 79 to 74, Team B leads by 5 points, and the victory is locked! There is no chance for the opponent to commit a tactical foul!
Why is it so easy to turn the tables in NCAA games?
Because for ordinary fouls, if the number of fouls reaches the limit and free throws are taken, the second one will be taken only after the first one is made. A tactical foul is an ordinary foul, which means a tactical foul at the last moment. As long as the first free throw is not made, it is considered a successful defense.
In fact, Team A, which was composed of a group of high school students, had no concept of tactical fouls at that time, but Zhang Hao played it safe. Not only did he score two points, he also used his physical advantage to make a dunk from the free throw line. From the score to the morale, he defeated the opponent in all aspects and secured the victory!
Team A stopped struggling, the ball was passed, and Marbury lasted until the end of the game. On Team B's side, when the scene of Marbury not advancing appeared, everyone gathered together to celebrate, and the four players on the sidelines also rushed in!
The referee did not stop it. This happens every year and will become a scene in the highlights. After the last 8 seconds, the referee blew the whistle to end the game and made a gesture to indicate that Team B won!
Zhang Hao, who was celebrating with his teammates, was even happier when he found out that he could live three more days.
As the key to victory, Zhang Hao successfully conquered his teammates with his strength in this game!
Is there any benefit in winning? Actually, for some people, there is no benefit. Of course, there is no harm in losing, such as Bibby, Abdur-Rahim, and Corey Benjamin, three high school graduates who have received full scholarships.
But winning makes me happy!
A man's happiness is always so simple...
Some were happy and some were sad. On the other hand, Kobe looked at Zhang Hao. He discovered Zhang Hao's unusualness the day before the training camp started, but he just liked to compare his own strengths with the opponent's strongest point. He never thought that Zhang Hao would be the one who decided the victory or defeat in the elite competition.
Zhang Hao, who was celebrating , suddenly felt like a thorn in his back.
Following the uncomfortable smell, Zhang Hao saw Kobe...
The two looked at each other, as if someone was telling them: This will be the opponent you can't avoid!
