Chapter 88

The 2005-2006 NBA regular season was nearing its end, and inside the Washington MCI Center, a match between two Eastern Conference teams was underway.

From the start of the game, the Wizards' core player, Gilbert Arenas, unleashed his full power, demonstrating explosive strength and scoring 14 points in a row, putting the 76ers in a difficult position.

In previous games, the 76ers' performance had declined. After a grueling Western Conference road trip, the entire 76ers team was severely drained, leading to poor results in subsequent games, and their chances of making the playoffs were slipping away.

During this period, the team's key bench player, super sixth man Chen Mu, also fell into a slump. He had several games with poor shooting, and his dominance on both offense and defense significantly decreased.

This wasn't because Chen Mu's skills had declined, but due to two reasons.

First, Chen Mu's offensive repertoire was limited, with only mid-range shooting being reliable. When the opposing team made targeted defensive adjustments, applying tight man-to-man defense and setting traps, Chen Mu often struggled to score.

Previously, Chen Mu's outstanding performance was largely due to the presence of Allen Iverson and Webber, who drew defensive attention, allowing Chen Mu to be overlooked and find open shots.

As the regular season neared its end, every game became crucial, and defensive strategies became more efficient. It was natural for Chen Mu's offensive efficiency to drop.

Second, the long regular season took a significant toll on players' stamina. At the beginning of the season, Chen Mu's energy and rapid improvement impressed everyone, and he delivered several standout performances.

However, as the season progressed, stamina became Chen Mu's weakness. He had never experienced such a long and continuous schedule, and his energy was gradually drained, often leading to strong first halves followed by poor second halves.

In this game, Chen Mu faced the same predicament.

The game had reached the latter part of the third quarter. Due to Chen Mu's unconventional tactics in the late second quarter, the Wizards became more cautious on offense, and Arenas' efficiency dropped.

Chen Mu also began to suffer from the consequences of the team's defensive strategy.

"Chen, get in the game."

During a dead ball, with the score 67-68 in favor of the Wizards, coach Cheeks made a substitution, and Chen Mu prepared to enter the game.

Stepping onto the court, Chen Mu felt a strange weakness in his legs and arms, and his mind was somewhat scattered, making it hard to focus.

"Am I reaching my stamina limit...?"

Watching the players sprinting around, Chen Mu felt his limbs heavy, his speed and jumping ability reduced, and he struggled to keep up.

Due to Hunter fouling out early in the game, Chen Mu was brought in earlier. In the first half, he played for 18 minutes.

Additionally, defending Arenas for a period of time further drained his energy, making it difficult to maintain his first-half offensive efficiency.

"Chen!"

On the offensive end, Allen Iverson passed the ball to Chen Mu. Chen Mu turned around and saw that Haywood was a step away, so he decisively took a mid-range shot.

No, the jump height was off!

Chen Mu's smooth and accurate shooting was mainly due to his training with Jordan in the virtual camp, which honed his machine-like shooting form.

With his stamina down, Chen Mu, whose mid-range shooting wasn't exceptionally high, began to struggle. The ball hit the rim and bounced out, and Haywood grabbed the rebound.

Taking the ball from Haywood, Arenas started a fast break. After crossing the half-court line, he glanced at the paint and had a thought.

"The Chinese kid... seems to be running out of stamina."

Making a quick decision, Arenas and Jamison exchanged a glance and set a high screen.

Jamison moved to the three-point line, and Arenas took advantage to drive to the basket, accelerating near the free-throw line and heading straight for the hoop.

Webber, wary of Jeffries' shooting range, stayed at the baseline, and Chen Mu immediately left Haywood to defend the basket.

"Beep"

The two players made contact, and Arenas struggled to release the ball. The referee blew the whistle, calling a foul on Chen Mu.

"Huff... huff... huff..."

Just from the first play, Chen Mu felt exhausted, gasping for breath.

At the start of the game, Chen Mu wouldn't have been so easily fouled by Arenas, but in that moment, Arenas put in extra effort, moved faster, and released the ball earlier, forcing Chen Mu to reach out and commit a foul.

Arenas made both free throws, then calmly retreated on defense, his eyes fixed on Chen Mu, who was about to inbound the ball. A new strategy formed in his mind.

On the offensive end, Iverson and Webber set a high screen. Chen Mu quickly moved to the side, and after a series of passes, Webber's back pass delivered the ball to Chen Mu.

"Shoot!!!"

Chen Mu hesitated upon receiving the ball. Haywood's defense had a gap, and he could have taken the shot, but after missing his previous attempt, he was hesitant. Iverson, anxious, shouted.

This hesitation allowed Haywood to close in, and Chen Mu reluctantly passed the ball, reorganizing the offense.

"What's wrong with the Chinese kid?"

Haywood was also surprised by Chen Mu's performance, noticing his heavy breathing and realizing the issue.

The Chinese kid's stamina was a problem, and his threat had significantly decreased!

Understanding this, Haywood's defense became more aggressive, focusing on preventing Chen Mu from breaking through and tightly guarding his shots.

Over a few possessions, Chen Mu got several shooting opportunities, but Haywood's defense was tight, and Chen Mu's rhythm was disrupted. After several misses, the Wizards capitalized on the rebounds and extended their lead.

"Defend!"

Another missed shot by Chen Mu, and Iguodala shouted, starting to retreat on defense. Arenas, with the ball, made a quick move to the three-point line and then executed a long-awaited pull-up jump shot.

"Swish"

The ball went through the net, and Arenas, who had missed several shots and committed turnovers, let out a sigh of relief, raising his arms in triumph.

The crowd erupted in a wave of cheers, almost lifting the roof off the arena.

"Chen, what's wrong? Be decisive on offense!"

Iguodala, worried, shouted at Chen Mu as he was about to inbound the ball, trying to boost his spirits.

"I know... I know."

Chen Mu, panting, felt a tightness in his chest.

Logically, even with the third-quarter playing time, Chen Mu had only played about 21-22 minutes, far from his average of 28 minutes per game, so he shouldn't be so exhausted.

However, in the first and second quarters, Chen Mu had almost no rest, and the continuous high-intensity play left him breathless.

On the offensive end, Chen Mu's consecutive misses frustrated Iverson, who decided to take over, driving to the basket and taking a mid-range fadeaway jump shot.

"Chen, rebound!"

Webber shouted. Iverson's shot was rushed and short, hitting the front rim and likely to land near the free-throw line.

This area was Chen Mu's favorite for offensive rebounds, where he often created chaos and grabbed many rebounds.

But this time, Chen Mu's legs felt heavy, and his steps were slow. Before he could get into position, Jamison grabbed the rebound.

Passing the ball, Jamison quickly moved past Chen Mu, who turned to chase.

At the three-point line, Jamison suddenly stopped, causing Chen Mu to take an extra step inside. At that moment, Arenas' pass arrived, and Jamison immediately took a three-pointer, which went in.

"Boom!!!"

The DJ's shout echoed throughout the arena, and the fans stood up, cheering for their team.

"Trouble, they're heating up...!"

On the bench, Cheeks saw the problem and Chen Mu's stamina issue. Looking at the substitutes, he was unsure what to do.

Hunter, who had just entered the game in the third quarter, was fouled by Daniels and now had four fouls, making it risky to play him again.

Li Nailong, Safir Randolf, and James Thomas were not effective, with better defense but worse offense than Chen Mu.

Webber had also played a lot, averaging 38 minutes per game this season, which was his limit. He needed a rest at the start of the fourth quarter.

What to do? Should he continue to trust Chen Mu, or try other players?

Cheeks was uncertain.

In the next possession, the 76ers missed another shot, and Arenas drove to the front court, passing the ball to Butler on the weak side.

The opening offensive play!

Chen Mu immediately recognized the strategy and moved to defend.

Butler used the body contact to his advantage, suddenly lunging forward and colliding with Chen Mu before taking a fadeaway shot.

"Beep!"

The referee blew the whistle, and the ball, after bouncing, went through the net.

"And one!!!"

The DJ's shout and the fans' cheers combined into a deafening roar, almost knocking the 76ers players off their feet.

"Damn...!"

Chen Mu cursed himself for not being careful. Knowing that Butler was good at drawing fouls and had used this tactic on Hunter at the start, he still fell for it, resulting in a three-point play.

Panting outside the key, Chen Mu was about to go for the rebound when he heard Cheeks' voice.

"Substitute! Substitute!!!"

Li Nailong came onto the court, and Chen Mu, like a zombie, returned to the bench, sitting down, unable to move.

"This is the toughest part."

On the court, Butler made the free throw, and the Wizards' three stars combined to extend their lead to 80-72.

"Once you get through this, break through yourself, and your rookie season will be perfect."

Cheeks, unusually, did not scold Chen Mu for his poor performance. Instead, he said, "You've had explosive performances, standout games, and the determination to climb step by step. Now, you just need to overcome this stamina bottleneck."

Chen Mu, still panting, asked, "Coach, what do you mean...?"

"Rest well in the first half of the fourth quarter. If you can recover some stamina, I want you to get back on the court and fight."

Cheeks' eyes shone with determination. "The 76ers are a team that never gives up. We need warriors, but we also know when to make choices. I can't let you end your rookie season in such a poor state. If you're too exhausted, take a week off."

"Once you're ready, come back to the battlefield and fight to the end...!"

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By the way, I just checked the Three Rivers list, and we're tied for last. I'm crying t-t.

I'm shamelessly asking for Three Rivers votes. I don't need many, just enough to improve our ranking a bit. Thanks, everyone!

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