Chapter 62

In the Wachovia Center, the game between the 76ers and the Heat had already reached the middle of the second quarter.⊙頂頂點小說，

Recently, the team had relied heavily on the bench firepower, and "the Chinese kid" Chen Mu, after coming onto the court, did not unleash his usual offensive firepower. Instead, he first made an impact on the defensive end.

Although it was clear to everyone that Chen Mu's defense still had many shortcomings, such as being overly focused on the ball, occasionally being distracted by the basketball and missing his defensive target; lacking defensive skills, relying solely on talent and instinct; and not knowing how to stick to the opponent's steps, making him easy to be fooled by fake moves, and so on.

From a professional perspective, Chen Mu's defense was not even a half-finished product. Any offensive power forward who was not at a significant physical disadvantage could thoroughly dominate Chen Mu.

However, sometimes the "momentum" on the court was a very mysterious thing.

At the beginning of the game, the Heat's ace penetrator, Wade, was unstoppable, quickly scoring double digits.

After Chen Mu came onto the court, Wade even scored a spectacular 2+1 against him, impressing the crowd.

But after that, the "momentum" gradually shifted.

On the court, Wade once again got a chance to break through. After an aerial confrontation with Iguodala, relying on his incredibly strong upper body muscles and superhuman balance, Wade still found a sliver of offensive space and lobbed the ball towards the basket.

Behind Iguodala, a yellow-skinned figure suddenly leaped up, extending a giant hand and fiercely swatting the ball away, interfering with Wade's layup and sending the ball out of bounds.

"Damn!"

After landing, Wade couldn't help but curse, feeling a bit frustrated.

This Chinese kid, who was often called a defensive sieve, was helpless against strong inside attacks and was easily toyed with by big men. However, against small, quick penetrators, he unexpectedly played a significant role.

With his excellent mobility and astonishing jumping speed, Chen Mu's defensive impact began to show.

In an era where the mobility of big men had not yet reached the level it would in the future, Chen Mu's defensive style was relatively rare. Saying he was a defensive specialist like Marcus Camby might be an exaggeration, but in terms of defensive influence, he was a step above a sieve.

"Once he jumps, he jumps again, and the third time, he still jumps. But if you're not decisive, even if you make him jump a hundred times, he can still jump on the 101st attempt and interfere with your offensive route."

Chen Mu's defense could be summarized in this one sentence.

For shooters and dominant big men, Chen Mu's defense was like an ATM machine; the basketball was their bank card, and how much they could withdraw depended on their determination (black shell!).

However, for penetrators like Wade, who were clearly better at breaking through than shooting from outside, Chen Mu became a persistent problem.

Chen Mu's defense was not yet at the nightmare level, not even a significant trouble. But his endless energy and infinite jumping ability were like a fly that couldn't be swatted away.

After receiving the ball again, Wade chose to take a long two-point shot. The ball hit the rim and was grabbed by Chen Mu, who then easily passed it out.

With continuous interference, Wade's shooting touch began to decline, and his unreliable long-range shooting started to fail.

For a shooter like Wade, who relied heavily on rhythm, it was even more important than for pure shooters like Korver or Ray Allen.

Breaking through to drive the offense, inside play to open up mid-range shots, and once the touch was on, three-pointers could also be made—this was Wade's consistent offensive strategy.

For most defenders, stopping Wade's breakthrough was an impossible task. After consecutive successful penetrations or drawing fouls, Wade would find his rhythm and start a ruthless offensive spree.

But today, Wade's rhythm was completely disrupted by this rookie Chinese kid.

"Timeout!"

The 76ers, led by Allen Iverson, scored another point, and finally, Pat Riley, who had been sitting on the sidelines, couldn't hold back any longer and called a timeout.

"Chen, not bad!"

Back on the bench, Cheeks' anger was somewhat suppressed. The score on the court showed that the 76ers had regained the lead, 29-26, a 3-point advantage.

Like the game against the Pistons, the pace of this game was also very fragmented, with both teams focusing on set plays. Clearly, both sides were wary of each other's fast breaks and were very active in retreating to prevent easy scoring opportunities.

In the continuous set plays and grueling tug-of-war, Chen Mu's lack of ball-handling and one-on-one skills began to show. On the offensive end, Chen Mu had not performed well and had yet to score.

However, on the defensive end, Chen Mu's performance gave Cheeks a glimmer of hope, so he did not immediately substitute him.

"Keep moving, maintain pressure, don't let them pass easily, and isolate their offense in one corner, forcing them into one-on-one situations!"

Cheeks' defensive strategy proved successful. Although the Heat had Wade, a scoring machine, his efficiency had significantly decreased under Chen Mu's interference.

As long as the pressure was maintained and the Heat's offense was split, the 76ers had a chance to drag the game to the end.

"If they dare to make a wide pass from the weak side, Andre, you know what to do, right?"

Beside Cheeks, Iguodala nodded heavily: "It's on me!"

"If Riley's rotation doesn't change much, they'll bring in Shaq next." Cheeks looked at the game clock: "Webber, you'll be the primary defender against Shaq. Don't let Shaq get a one-on-one opportunity against Chen Mu; the strength difference is too great, and Chen will be overpowered."

Webber nodded and patted Chen Mu's shoulder, indicating that Cheeks was just making the best decision based on the situation, not showing any bias against Chen Mu.

"But Chen, don't be complacent. If Andre doesn't steal the ball, Wade will get a weak-side breakthrough opportunity. You'll need to use your long arms to interfere and stop him!"

"No problem!" Chen Mu nodded confidently.

The timeout ended quickly, and the players returned to the court. Chen Mu looked up and indeed saw the massive fish walking onto the court.

"Shaquille O'Neal, what a behemoth!"

Standing 7 feet 1 inch tall and weighing 325 pounds (147.4 kg), O'Neal also possessed explosive power and agility that belied his size.

The great Shaquille O'Neal, the most ferocious inside beast in basketball history, was in the twilight of his career but still could not be underestimated.

"Remember my instructions. If you play recklessly and lose, I don't know what I'll do!"

On the sidelines, Pat Riley, with his oiled-back hair, frowned, his deep-set eyes revealing nothing.

Who else could be better suited to lead a team of veterans than the master tactician Pat Riley?

The game resumed, and the Heat attacked. From the start, the 76ers' players noticed a significant change in the Heat's tactics.

Wade no longer held the ball for one-on-one plays but quickly moved to the weak side, becoming a piece in the corner, pulling on the 76ers' defensive nerves.

On the strong side, White Chocolate Williams calmly controlled the ball, his eyes scanning the court, seemingly waiting for something.

At the top of the key, 3D player James Posey suddenly cut in, with Udonis Haslem stepping out. Chen Mu took a step forward to block Posey's path, preventing him from receiving the ball and attacking the basket.

Haslem moved to the free-throw line, and Williams quickly passed the ball. As Haslem received the ball, Posey made a reverse cut to the three-point line. Chen Mu was about to chase him, but Iguodala shouted to switch back to normal defense.

Posey ran past Haslem, taking Iguodala out of the paint. Haslem found a brief opening. Webber, who had been defending O'Neal on the strong side baseline, saw this and quickly moved to block, shouting for Chen Mu to switch positions.

"Whoosh"

Just as Webber and Chen Mu switched, Haslem passed the ball to the strong side three-second area. Chen Mu turned to look at the ball and saw a massive figure in front of him.

O'Neal received the ball, facing Chen Mu's back.

The Heat's intricate passing and cutting play was complete.

"So this was their goal, to have O'Neal post up against me...!"

Chen Mu was startled, finally understanding that Wade's movement, Posey's cut, Haslem's step-out, and the reverse cut with Posey...

Everything was to draw the 76ers' other players away from the three-second area, leaving the defensively weak Chen Mu to face the mighty Shaq alone!

O'Neal showed no mercy. After receiving the ball, he used his back to push Chen Mu, who was like a toy, easily to the basket. He then lifted his left hand and made a small hook shot, the ball easily going through the hoop.

"Well done! Well done!"

As the Heat retreated to defend, Pat Riley clapped and shouted on the sidelines, then glanced at Chen Mu, a smile forming on his lips.

"Chinese kid, aren't you very mobile and a great jumper? I have a hundred ways to get the ball to O'Neal, and at least fifty of them will put you in a one-on-one situation with him. In the face of such a significant strength difference, I want to see how you can still jump...!"

Pat Riley, the master tactician, who had led the Lakers to a glamorous offensive style and the New York Knicks to the darkest and most iron-blooded defense in NBA history, was just beginning to showcase his extraordinary basketball wisdom.

"...Hey"

On the court, Chen Mu looked at O'Neal's massive back as he retreated, smiled, wiped the sweat from his face, and muttered to himself: "This is getting more and more interesting...!"

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