Chapter 512: Unstoppable
"Doug, I have a suggestion for you. You need to send at least three players. Otherwise, none of you can stop me!" Yang Mo chuckled and loudly reminded Doc Rivers. Although they were rivals, Yang Mo had always been a friendly person. Of course, the premise of being friendly was that the opponent didn't provoke him, and he didn't dislike him. Obviously, Doc Rivers was neither of those two.
Doug Rivers was speechless at Yang Mo's suggestion. "This guy, will he die if he doesn't act so arrogant? He's really a bit annoying!"
Even someone like Doc Rivers, who admired Yang Mo so much, found Yang Mo's words annoying. The hostile Boston fans were quick to boo and express their anger. Amidst the boos, some sharp voices kept coming: "Pierce, kill this guy!" "Rondo, steal his ball!" "Beat this Chinaman!"
In response to these sharp voices, Yang Mo raised the corner of his mouth in contempt, turned his head and gave his response: "Your hopes will definitely be dashed, because the Celtics' once best perimeter defender is now wearing a Knicks jersey!"
Although Yang Mo's words were intended as a response to the fans who were causing the noise, the real target was Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo. After all, they were the ones Yang Mo had despised or ignored! Therefore, they immediately felt the anger blazing from within, and they vowed to teach Yang Mo a lesson.
As Yang Mo crossed half court with the ball, Paul Pierce, his eyes blazing, pressed forward, using his powerful body to create obstacles for Yang Mo, attempting to stop him. At the same moment, Rajon Rondo, watching from the sidelines, saw Yang Mo's pace slowing down due to the physical struggle with Paul Pierce and quickly attacked, attempting to steal the ball from Yang Mo with his long arms.
Unfortunately, Yang Mo is no longer the same old Wuxia Amon. A year ago, he couldn't even dribble the ball properly, but now he can do it with ease. Moreover, even in the face of high-intensity physical confrontation, he is not affected at all.
With his absolute advantage in physical strength, Yang Mo forced Paul Pierce to retreat step by step. At the same time, he dribbled the ball freely. Rajon Rondo on the side was like a mouse with its neck hanging, unable to steal the ball at all, looking extremely wretched.
Yang Mo advanced with impressive style, while the two defenders, one retreating and the other timid and cowardly, were completely powerless to stop him. Yang Mo's words really hit the mark.
Seeing Yang Mo strolling through the double-team like a leisurely stroll, Doc Rivers on the sidelines could only smile wryly and shake his head. He knew Yang Mo had suddenly become very strong, but he hadn't expected Yang Mo to become so strong. Now, he suddenly had a feeling that even LeBron James couldn't do this?
Paul Pierce also felt this. Almost every time he faced the Cavaliers, he was directly matched up against LeBron James, but LeBron James had never given him such a strong sense of pressure. Although James was taller and had a greater penetration, his pressure was not as impenetrable as Yang Mo's.
When Yang Mo easily brought the ball to one step outside the three-point line, he suddenly took a step back, breaking the wrestling pattern with Pierce. Before Pierce could react, he turned abruptly and swiftly bypassed Rajon Rondo who was waiting for an opportunity to sneak up on him.
When Yang Mo spun past, although Rajon Rondo saw Yang Mo's steps, he was unable to stop Yang Mo's body. He could only watch Yang Mo run past him, and then watched Yang Mo leave like a jet kart!
To Rajon Rondo, Yang Mo's swerving form resembled a jet-powered go-kart, but to his teammates in the paint, it was a sprinting cannon. No one wanted to be hit, because there was no guarantee such a ferocious turn wouldn't end their careers. They could only move out of the way, and then... bang!
Yang Mo declared the Celtics' double-team defense a failure with a powerful, one-handed dunk. His one-handed dunk shook the entire rim. When he landed, he spread his arms and glided upcourt like a glider, exuding the pride of a victor.
The Bostonians were extremely angry about this. They hated Yang Mo's arrogance. However, they really couldn't defend Yang Mo. This guy's arrogance actually succeeded!
"Doug, I told you a long time ago that double-teaming doesn't work." Yang Mo returned to half court and reminded Doug Rivers again: "If I were you, I would just give up on defense. You know, a star player of my level can't be stopped."
Yang Mo's words were both arrogant and sincere, and he spoke the truth. But Doc Rivers was still reluctant. While abandoning defense and isolating Yang Mo was a good way to save energy, the side effects were immense. This guy could shoot at such a high percentage even under double-teams. If he abandoned defense, who knows if he could score 100 points in a single game? He had seen him score 101 points in the rookie game, his scoring consistency was considered the best in the league at the time. And back then, he was only good at three-pointers and dunks.
Doc Rivers didn't want to repeat Stan Van Gundy's mistakes, and similarly, he didn't want the Celtics to repeat the Magic's mistakes. However, now the Celtics seem to have entered the Knicks' rhythm, or in other words, they have stepped into the trap set by Yang Mo.
Back in half court, the Celtics got easy shooting opportunities through careful movement and patient pick-and-rolls, and they made the shots.
However, the Knicks players had no regrets about this goal; they even accepted it calmly. They knew Yang Mo would definitely score again. This quarter was meant to be a rest period for them, so they had no worries and no defensive pressure. They just let it go.
Sure enough, at halftime, Yang Mo easily responded with a three-pointer. Although the Celtics still used a double-team, they were really unstoppable.
At this moment, Doc Rivers had only two options. One, deploy a three-man defense. Two, abandon defending Yang Mo. The potential side effect of the first option was that even three Celtics wouldn't necessarily be able to stop Yang Mo, and their defensive system would be completely shattered, turning their airtight defense into a porous sieve. The second option also had the side effect of abandoning defense. What if Yang Mo went berserk? This guy wasn't like other scoring prowessers, who would only go berserk for a few minutes or even a dozen. This guy could absolutely go berserk all night, maintaining his scoring touch at a terrifying level.
Doc Rivers hesitated, unable to make a decision, while Yang Mo had his way on the court. The double-teams from Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo only gave him a tickling level of trouble. The only thing that could hinder his scoring was his touch. However, tonight, his touch was extremely hot.
drop!
When the score was trailing by 19 points, Doc Rivers finally called a timeout.
He felt it was too difficult. He had originally thought that Yang Mo was the only strong scoring point for the Knicks. However, he hadn't expected Yang Mo to be so strong. He could actually take on the entire team single-handedly and even gain the upper hand. Now, he had to change the concept of double-teaming, because it was a useless defensive structure that had to be broken.
"Next, let's triple-team him! Kevin, replace Glen Davis. If you become the third defender, you must stop Yang Mo from rushing into the penalty area. As soon as he slows down, the three of you must quickly surround him, steal the ball or block his pass. Don't let him shoot or commit a foul!"
After hesitating for more than ten minutes, Doug Rivers finally made the decision. Unfortunately, there were less than three minutes left in the second quarter.
"If I'm not mistaken, the Celtics will definitely increase their defense against me next. And this is your chance. Gallinani, did you enjoy the rest just now?" Yang Mo asked calmly at the other end of the court.
"Very cool!" Gallinani smiled.
"Very good, your three-pointers will come in handy next. You have to make at least two or three." Yang Mo patted Gallinani on the shoulder, then turned back and made arrangements: "Tracy, and Tony, you also have to pay attention to receiving my passes. And Anthony Randolph, you have to pay attention to the situation in the sky at all times. My basketball will appear above the penalty area unnoticed."
"Okay, no problem," everyone responded in unison. Their strength had already recovered to around 70% or 80%. The game had been so satisfying for them. They didn't have to defend or attack, just walk around the court. Who made the Celtics not use a fast break?
Of course, Yang Mo actually preferred the Celtics to play fast-break tactics. First, the Celtics were a bunch of veterans, and if they got tired of running, they were doomed. Second, the Celtics were difficult to defeat in a positional battle, but when they got moving, Yang Mo was confident he could defeat them in a matter of minutes.
However, although the Celtics did not play fast breaks, they still fell into Yang Mo's trap.
And just at this moment, beep! The whistle sounded, the timeout ended, and the game continued!
