Chapter 63

"Shaq, it's Shaq receiving the ball again, challenging the young Chinese player in the post!"

On the court, the game was fiercely contested. After the Heat made a substitution, they brought in their starting center, Shaquille O'Neal. Under Pat Riley's brilliant tactical deployment, the Heat's veterans, whose individual skills were on the decline but whose basketball IQ had reached the peak of their careers, began to play their roles.

Every movement, every touch, every decision, and every action had a specific purpose.

All these purposes combined to form Pat Riley's short-term strategy:

Pass the ball to O'Neal, let him attack Chen Mu in the post, and devour him alive!

"What... what a tremendous force!"

Chen Mu's waist was crouched very low, his left hand almost horizontally in front of him, bracing against O'Neal's incredibly broad back. Although his right hand was symbolically extended to prevent O'Neal from passing, everyone could see that O'Neal would not pass the ball again in the next few minutes.

"Bang!"

Upon reaching the basket, O'Neal suddenly turned to the right with a speed that didn't match his massive body. As he reached Chen Mu's side, he lightly grabbed Chen Mu's waist with his right hand, cleanly and neatly positioning Chen Mu behind him, then jumped and slammed the ball with both hands.

"No...!"

The fans were almost wailing, many covering their eyes, unable to bear to watch the scene on the court. This was the third shot O'Neal had made against Chen Mu since he entered the game. For three consecutive possessions, the Heat had perfectly executed their tactics, toying with the 76ers' already shaky defense.

All defenders were lost in the endless off-ball screens and pick-and-rolls. By the time they reacted and rushed to their defensive assignments, O'Neal and Chen Mu were already mismatched in the paint.

Although for an interior player, a 4-on-5 mismatch isn't a true mismatch. But when one 4 is Chen Mu and the other 5 is O'Neal, calling it a mismatch is an understatement.

"It's simply a massacre."

The commentator on the sidelines looked grim, feeling very concerned about the 76ers' situation. He shook his head slightly and said, "The young Chinese player, in the latter part of the first quarter and the early part of the second, used his mobility and explosiveness to effectively limit Wade's penetration. But when O'Neal started to dominate him, it all became meaningless."

"Against a player like Shaq, defensive techniques, positioning, and jumping ability are all trivial. Unless you have a super-strong body that can match his strength and agility, you can't stop this man-eating shark!"

On the court, the 76ers were on offense, but their defense was being continuously exploited, making their offense somewhat anxious. Iguodala's hurried mid-range shot missed, and the ball bounced high off the rim.

"Chen! Rebound!"

A teammate shouted, and Chen Mu had already rushed to the paint. The ball's landing point was flashing before his eyes, and the offensive rebound was within reach!

However, between Chen Mu and the ball, a massive figure suddenly appeared. Though his steps were not fast, his body was so large that it almost filled the entire key, leaving Chen Mu no chance.

"Slap"

O'Neal easily grabbed the rebound. As he turned to pass, he pretended to just notice Chen Mu, passed the ball, and grinned, "Yo, isn't that the Chinese kid? You're on the court too? Here to watch my offensive and defensive show? Hahaha!"

Although Chen Mu knew O'Neal's words weren't malicious, just a playful personality, they still stung. Unfortunately, his strength wasn't enough, so he stomped his foot in frustration and went back on defense.

"Haha, Shaq, aren't you being a bit too harsh? This Chinese kid might be completely demoralized by you in this game, losing all confidence."

On the court, Wade had already penetrated the key and won two free throws. O'Neal and Haslem, who hadn't yet reached the frontcourt, started chatting.

"Hey, what are you talking about? Am I that kind of person??"

O'Neal's eyes twinkled, and he joked, "I just saw him growing too fast, worried he might get arrogant, so I decided to teach him a lesson, ha~!"

Wade made his first free throw, and Haslem moved to the top of the key to replace White Chocolate, preparing to fight for the offensive rebound.

Beside Haslem, Chen Mu was panting heavily. After three consecutive possessions of intense post play with O'Neal, his stamina was severely drained. But Haslem, beside him, was not even out of breath, looking completely fine, with plenty of stamina.

"This Haslem, he should have been my matchup. Now, he's always just a decoy, leaving the ball to O'Neal and Wade, not using up any stamina at all."

Chen Mu glanced at Haslem with some dissatisfaction, just about to complain in his mind, when a thought suddenly struck him, making him pause.

"Swish"

Wade's second free throw was also successful. Chen Mu quickly moved to Allen Iverson's side and whispered, "Allen, on the next play, we run their tactics!"

"What...?"

Iverson's big eyes blinked, then he immediately understood. He reviewed the Heat's offensive tactics in his mind, then smiled, instantly grasping Chen Mu's intention. "Got it, leave it to me!"

In the frontcourt, Iverson directed his teammates to their positions, standing at the top of the key and shouting, "Use their moves!"

The 76ers players were momentarily stunned, but as professional players, the Heat's tactics, though complex, were not difficult to replicate after seeing them three times.

On the right side of the key, Webber quickly moved to the side. At the top of the key, Iguodala drove to the paint, and Chen Mu moved up to the free-throw line, setting a screen for Iguodala.

"What are they doing?!"

O'Neal was also stunned by this setup. Before he could react, Iguodala had already moved back to the top of the key, getting an open look thanks to Chen Mu's screen.

Pope, a defensive stalwart, easily got around Chen Mu's screen. At the same time, Iverson passed the ball smoothly to Chen Mu.

"Udonis!"

O'Neal shouted, his years of experience giving him a sense of Chen Mu's plan. He pushed Haslem, urging him to step up in defense.

But Chen Mu had already cleanly and decisively taken a mid-range shot.

"Swish"

The ball went in, and the Wachovia Center, which had been quiet for a long time, erupted in cheers.

"Good job, Chinese kid! You hit them back with a mid-range shot!"

"Defensive issues? Make up for it with offense!"

"Go! Go!!"

"Yes...!"

Chen Mu clenched his teeth, his right fist clenched and raised slightly, his eyes full of determination.

"...This Chinese kid...!"

On the sidelines, Riley's eyes turned sharp, his expression suddenly serious. He frowned, watching Chen Mu return to defense, feeling a bit worried.

On defense, the Heat continued their previous offensive strategy, passing the ball to O'Neal for the fourth time.

In the post, Chen Mu and O'Neal were in a physical battle. Chen Mu's hands were fully extended, using his chest to brace against O'Neal's back, as if ready to block a bullet.

O'Neal showed no mercy, pushing to the basket and then flipping in a hook shot.

"Fourth shot! The fourth consecutive shot against the Chinese kid! The Big Shark is unstoppable!"

The commentator shouted anxiously, but on the 76ers' next possession, their performance shocked him.

"Move! Move!"

Iverson's eyes sparkled. The 76ers mimicked the Heat's offensive tactics again, with Chen Mu receiving the ball at the free-throw line, ready to take a mid-range shot.

This time, Haslem was more alert, moving early to defend at the free-throw line. His height similar to Chen Mu's, he raised his hands high, interfering with Chen Mu's shooting path.

In the paint, O'Neal, who had clearly watched the 76ers' game against the Pistons, knew Chen Mu liked to use a mid-range fake to shake his defender, then either drive or move to shoot. He took a step back to the key, preparing to defend Chen Mu's next move.

But all of this was within Chen Mu's expectations.

"Whoosh"

The moment O'Neal stepped back, Chen Mu's ball disappeared.

Near the baseline, Webber, who had been waiting, easily caught the ball. Taking advantage of O'Neal's inability to quickly defend, he took a mid-range shot.

The ball went in.

"Wow!!!"

For two consecutive possessions, the 76ers used the Heat's tactics to counterattack, executing beautiful plays. The home fans let out a collective cheer, their shouts ringing out again.

"Great pass!"

Webber and Chen Mu high-fived, the two interior players with good mid-range shooting using a variation of the Heat's tactics to give their opponents a taste of their own medicine.

"Ah, I see..."

Coach Cheeks, who had been about to scold his players for not following his tactics, immediately understood Chen Mu's plan after seeing the results of these two possessions.

"This Chinese kid has great insight. If he retires, he might make a good assistant coach, ha...!"

The Heat attacked again, passing the ball to O'Neal, who immediately began his bulldozer offense without hesitation.

After four consecutive successful one-on-one plays, anyone would continue to attack with individual plays until the 76ers couldn't take it anymore and replaced Chen Mu.

Webber and Chen Mu, however, seized on O'Neal's mindset and made a bold choice.

The moment O'Neal received the ball, Webber immediately let go of Haslem at the free-throw line and double-teamed O'Neal.

Chen Mu, while continuously extending his hands in defense, also carefully adjusted his defensive position. This time, O'Neal's ball position was closer to the baseline, and Chen Mu's defense was more focused on the top of the key.

This subtle change gave Webber a chance to steal the ball!

"Slap!"

A quick hand sliced through, and O'Neal's ball was directly cut away. Before the Heat players could react, the 76ers began a fast break.

"Back! Back!!"

Wade shouted, rushing back on defense. The 76ers, however, didn't rush, but slowed down the pace, executing the same tactical play in the frontcourt.

Chen Mu received the ball at the free-throw line. This time, Haslem in front of him was a bit hesitant.

Pass? Shoot? What will the Chinese kid choose?

"Swish"

Without hesitation, Chen Mu took the shot, the ball going through the net. Haslem turned around to see Chen Mu's smug expression.

"In China, we call this 'using their own methods against them'...!"

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