Chapter 528: Each Has Its Own Plan
Kevin Durant was unable to match Yang Mo's verbal battle and was defeated. However, he became more aggressive in his running, attempting to get shots through frequent sprints. However, he was no faster than Yang Mo, and was even taller than her. How could he possibly be better at running?
Not only could he not outrun Yang Mo, but he couldn't even use his height advantage to stop Yang Mo. So, he could only watch the basketball pass back and forth .
In the end, Derrick Rose hit a mid-range shot. His defender, Xiao Guo, had given his all, but the gap was clear. Although Yang Mo claimed his talent was no less than Rose's, it was purely a pep talk. In terms of true talent, Xiao Guo was at best a poorer version of Derrick Rose, barely able to make ends meet.
When the Chinese team organized the serve, Iguodala immediately stuck to him. He actually started to defend closely even when he was off the ball, and Rudy Gay on the side also looked like he was ready to double-team him at any time.
But unfortunately, Iguodala is not Yang Mo, and Yang Mo is not Kevin Durant. How could Yang Mo be so helpless under his close defense? He easily squeezed past Iguodala and easily received the serve.
After receiving the ball, Rudy and Gay, who had been assisting, quickly closed in. But Yang Mo wasn't a fool, and wouldn't wait for them to close in. He immediately activated his quick-attack mode, charging forward. His speed and power pushed Andre Iguodala aside, and he sprinted upcourt with the ball. Gay and Iguodala pursued him relentlessly, and when they were breathless, Yang Mo automatically stopped one step outside the three-point line.
Without hesitation, the two men immediately executed their double-team. Yang Mo was waiting for them to double-team him. When they closed in, Yang Mo, without hesitation, passed the ball to the corner three-point line. Ju Mingxing, who had been lying in wait, caught the ball and shot... bang! The three-pointer missed, and the American team grabbed the rebound.
Yang Mo was not disappointed with the result, nor did she complain about Ju Mingxing missing the ball. Instead, she encouraged him: The arc of your shot is very good, just use a little more strength next time.
It is impossible for Yang Mo to treat these young men with the same standards as professional players. After all, they are still children and she must be more patient with their growth.
After grabbing the rebound, the US team quickly launched a fast break, while the Chinese team quickly recovered their defense. Under Yang Mo's leadership, the Knicks have become a run-and-gun team, and their coaching staff is well-versed in fast breaks. When the US team launched a fast break, the Chinese team, deeply influenced by the Knicks coaching staff, naturally reacted with ease and quickly ran. Young players may not be experienced, but they are the most active runners.
The American team's athleticism was impressive, and they quickly found some offensive positions. However... their point guard was Derrick Rose. Derrick Rose was good in every way, except for his decisive passing and limited overall vision. Compared to Yang Mo's effortless and deadly passing, Rose was much more sluggish.
So, this fast break actually hesitated for nearly two seconds outside the three-point line before Rose sprinted into the paint, ready to attack the basket directly. But... Yang Mo had already caught up with him. The moment Derrick Rose leaped high, Yang Mo swooped down from the sky like a hawk stalking a rabbit, snatching the basketball from his hands and quickly launching a counterattack.
Yang Mo's block was silent, but his running was like a cheetah pouncing on its prey. He rushed into the penalty area in an instant, and then made a fierce dunk... Boom!
The US team's coaching staff was helpless. Yang Mo's individual ability was simply too strong. They had once thought that the only player capable of silently catching Derrick Rose from behind was LeBron James, but Yang Mo could actually do it. He was roughly the same height as Derrick Rose, yet he even had a slight advantage in explosiveness and jumping ability. It was terrifying.
Coach K even sighed: "This guy is completely out of his league with the other players. He's a complete dominatrix. Even players like Derrick Rose suffer under his watch. How can anyone compare to him?" Why did God create a player like him? Was he created to surpass Michael Jordan?
Coach K had previously thought Yang Mo was at most on LeBron James' level, but now he realized the severity of his mistake. Yang Mo's understanding of basketball and his ability to grasp timing surpassed James by a billion light-years. From that moment on, Coach K no longer considered Yang Mo a player; he began to think of him as a head coach. He felt that this game would become a battle of wits and courage between him and himself, not a duel with the puppet coach, Stein.
The game then reached a stalemate. Yang Mo's double-teaming had limited his shots, and while he consistently delivered excellent assists, his teammates couldn't guarantee every shot would go in. On defense, the US team consistently capitalized on their individual strengths to create impressive isolation plays. Yang Mo was powerless to stop them. After all, his focus was entirely on Kevin Durant. He'd promised to keep Durant from scoring more than five points, so he absolutely couldn't let him get away with it. He didn't want to be slapped in the face.
The two teams fought evenly, a move that clearly caught the American team by surprise. It also delighted the Chinese fans. They had initially assumed Yang Mo's declaration of championship victory was just a slogan, but Yang Mo actually did it, and even led the American team by four points. This clearly defied all expectations. After all, aside from Yang Mo and Yi Jianlian, the Chinese team consisted entirely of young, post-90s recruits, many of whom had never even played in the CBA. To even tie the American team was truly incredible.
Soon, the second quarter ended with the two teams tied at 41:38, and the Chinese team entered halftime with a three-point lead.
"We can't go on like this. We must find the key to victory. Team USA has never been humiliated like this before. We were knocked out by a team whose average age is no more than 18. This shows that our Dream Team is a joke. We must show our muscles in the second half. We must let them know how tough Team USA is." Coach K shouted excitedly while holding the tactical board during halftime. Obviously, he was angry about the fact that he was behind in the score. He felt that he could not afford to lose face.
"Next, we have to go all out. We have to keep sprinting into their inside line and use our athleticism to break down their defense. I believe no one on this planet can stop the American team's breakthrough. Derek, Russell, Andre, Kevin, and Tyson, the five of you will partner up and play next. I only have one request for you: Break through! Break through! Break through! You must create fear in those little guys."
"But...what about Yang?" Iguodala asked doubtfully, "Should we give up on defense?"
"I'll leave him to you to defend for now. Let's break down their defense first." Old K said with great certainty. He believed that the best defense is offense, and that before you can secure your own defense, you must first secure your own defense.
Old K deployed an aggressive strategy, while Yang Mo, speaking with remarkable ease, said, "Kids, they've been running fast breaks for over a quarter now, and I don't think they're playing very well. So, let's give them some more points. Xiao Chen, Xiao Guo, Gao Shang, and Li Mu, follow me. As soon as you get on the court, start running like crazy. As long as you can get into position, my ball will definitely land in your path."
"But what about the defense when these few of us go on the court?" Gao Shang said with some concern. He didn't have much confidence in his own defense, and similarly, he didn't have much hope for the defense of the other three.
"Defense? Who said we have to defend? We should focus all our energy on offense from now on. Defense is the top priority!" Yang Mo assigned the task very readily.
As soon as Yang Mo said this, the other four players breathed a sigh of relief. None of them particularly liked defense, and they would definitely be happier if they could focus all their energy on offense.
And just then, beep! The whistle sounded.
