Chapter 91

"Bro, this shot is for you...!"

On the court, Allen Iverson, like a swift bolt of lightning, snatched the backcourt rebound from the midst of the opposing team and then completed an almost impossible task all by himself.

From snatching the rebound in the backcourt, to turning and starting to dribble and break through, then using his incredible skills to shake off the defender, and accelerating in the frontcourt, he finally scored with a one-handed slam dunk.

For Iverson at his peak, this series of actions might not have been difficult, and in a game, he would do it at least once or twice.

However, all the fans knew that in the 2005-2006 season, although Iverson had the highest average points per game in his career, his impact and physical condition had clearly declined.

Whether it was speed, jumping ability, reaction time, or ball-handling skills, Iverson at this point was a step away from his prime.

If you carefully watched the games from 2000 to 2001, Iverson's MVP season, and compared them with the games from this season, it wouldn't be hard to notice that Iverson's offensive choices had changed significantly.

From a relentless MVP who charged into the paint with every ball or dribbled at top speed to find openings, to a scoring expert who relied more on mid-to-long-range shots and mid-speed dribbles to create contact and draw fouls. Over these years, the effort and sweat Iverson put into competing in the NBA with his 6'0" (183 cm) height were hard for outsiders to imagine.

In this game, which seemed to be a less important regular-season match, Iverson once again pulled out his long-forgotten skills, gritting his teeth and giving it his all for a full-court solo performance. The purpose was to reassure the rookie on the bench, who was restless and eager to play despite his injury.

"We've got this, sit tight and wait for us to come back victorious!"

Iverson's dunk further ignited the fighting spirit of the 76ers on the court. Everyone was shouting loudly, cheering for the team.

After this crucial score, the 76ers took the lead on the road, 97-96, with a one-point advantage!

The game time was down to less than half a minute.

As expected, the Wizards called a timeout. Eddie Jordan quickly drew up a play on the whiteboard, setting up the final offensive play that would decide the game.

The 76ers players also came off the court, listening carefully to the defensive strategy laid out by Larry Brown.

"Based on past experience, although the Wizards' regular tactics focus on penetrating the paint, in critical moments, they heavily rely on Arenas' individual play."

Larry Brown was a typical workaholic. Although his coaching skills weren't considered top-notch, the number of game videos he had watched and the strategies he had analyzed were no less than those of any renowned coach.

"Moreover, in such situations, Arenas usually chooses to play individually. In the last minute of games where the score difference is within three points, the probability of Arenas passing the ball after receiving it is very low."

As he spoke, Brown drew a circle at the top of the whiteboard and placed a magnet representing Arenas.

"His shooting ability is strong, and his range is wide. We can't let our guard down. Andre, you go to the top to defend him. Allen, you defend Caron, and Kyle, you follow."

The tactical setup wasn't overly complex. Brown emphasized that Iverson should always be ready to help defend, as statistics showed that even if Arenas was forced to pass, his primary target was Jamison, not Butler.

"Everyone understand? If you understand, let's cheer for ourselves!"

Brown rarely played this psychological game, but he gathered all the players together. Just as everyone was about to speak, Hunter quietly moved to the center and pushed Chen Mu into the middle.

"Steven, what are you doing...?"

Hunter didn't say anything, just smiled at Chen Mu. The other players also understood Hunter's intention:

Although Hunter was on the court during the critical moments, it was Chen Mu who played the most crucial role in the 76ers' ability to reverse the game and secure a win on the road.

"Come on."

Iguodala put his arm around his young teammate Chen Mu, encouraging him with a smile, "That's just how Steven is, don't fuss over this."

"...Okay."

Chen Mu looked at Hunter with gratitude and then extended his hand, overlapping it with his teammates' hands.

"1, 2, 3, get it!"

Get it.

Get this win!

The timeout ended, and the referee began urging the players to take the court.

Before going on, Iverson turned and gave Chen Mu a deep look.

Chen Mu was initially stunned but then reacted, mimicking Iverson's earlier gesture, pointing at Iverson and then lightly punching his own chest.

"Hey..."

Iverson smiled, his large eyes filled with complex emotions, and extended his fist in the air.

Chen Mu immediately understood Iverson's meaning and also extended his fist. The two lightly tapped fists in the air, and then Iverson walked onto the court without looking back.

This was a unique默契 (rapport) that Chen Mu and Iverson had developed over dozens of games, a special move they used to celebrate each other's good plays.

This seemingly simple fist tap contained a unique mental connection between two players who felt they had met too late.

The indomitable spirit of "fighters."

The game resumed, and as Brown had predicted, Arenas held the ball at the top of the key, occasionally glancing at the clock to determine his offensive strategy.

"They want to run down the clock and increase their success rate. If they score, they'll play full defense; if they miss, they'll immediately use the foul tactic!"

Iguodala immediately understood the Wizards' strategy and didn't give Arenas time to wait, quickly stepping up to apply tight defense.

Arenas bent down, increased his dribbling speed, and after a few physical confrontations with Iguodala, suddenly took a step back.

Iguodala was taken aback and quickly moved to intercept. Just as he stepped forward, Arenas dribbled again and slipped past him from the side.

"Cross-over move!"

Chen Mu, watching from the bench, was startled. The move Arenas had just used was one of Iverson's signature moves, using a change in center of gravity and rhythm to create the illusion of a quick stop and shot, followed by a sudden acceleration to bypass the defender.

This move required a player to have exceptional ball-handling, passing, and dribbling skills, as well as the ability to make quick jump shots to deceive the opponent and create space.

Arenas possessed all these skills.

However, as mentioned earlier, this move was also one of Iverson's signature moves.

Just as Arenas was making the move, Iverson suddenly appeared from nowhere. Almost the moment Arenas had passed Iguodala, Iverson emerged from his blind spot, quickly extending his hand and cleanly stealing the ball.

"Damn!"

Arenas cursed himself for being careless, quickly turned around, and saw that the backcourt was empty. If Iverson were to take the ball through, the MVP would control the pace and time, using his speed and dribbling skills to stall the Wizards and run out the clock.

"Beep!"

Arenas had no choice but to foul, sending Iverson to the free-throw line.

"There's hope!"

Seeing Iverson make both free throws, Chen Mu's heart finally relaxed.

The rest of the game was uneventful. Arenas missed a three-point attempt, and the 76ers got the ball. After making two more free throws, although the Wizards' Jamison hit a desperate three-pointer, the time ran out, and the game ended.

101-99, the 76ers came from behind to win on the road, and the players and staff celebrated and began to leave the court amidst cheers.

Brown shook hands with Eddie Jordan, ignoring the boos from the crowd, and quickly walked into the players' tunnel.

Back in the locker room, the 76ers, who had been struggling recently, let out a collective sigh of relief. After a round of celebrations, the "drunks" and "sex fiends" gathered to organize their "second half" activities.

"Chen."

Sitting in a corner of the locker room, watching his teammates' smiles, Chen Mu was about to get up to take a shower when a staff member handed him the game statistics.

"Thanks."

Taking the statistics, Chen Mu almost didn't dare to look.

In this game, although Chen Mu played a significant role in the critical moments, especially with that "cramp block," which greatly boosted the team's morale.

It was also because of Chen Mu's injury that the 76ers' fighting spirit was fully ignited. After that, Iverson's solo performance, Iguodala's determination, Hunter's slam dunk, and Webber's all-out battle made everything seem natural.

For Chen Mu, this was undoubtedly the best win of the season. In this game, he felt for the first time that the 76ers were fighting as a team.

Whether it was the starters or the bench, the frontcourt or the backcourt, whether they were competitors in the same position or partners in different positions, all the players were united in this game, fighting together without any reservations.

However, reflecting on the game, Chen Mu was also very clear that this was perhaps the worst statistical performance of his entire rookie season in the 76ers.

The opening foolish foul, the targeted defensive strategy by the Wizards that reduced his rebounds, the physical exhaustion in the second half, the consecutive missed shots, passing errors, and missed crucial offensive rebounds, as well as his consistently poor performance in defending post players.

Considering all these factors, Chen Mu knew his statistics would be very poor. After hesitating for a long time, he took a deep breath and opened his eyes to look carefully:

Jersey number: 5

Name: Mu

Position: Power Forward/Center

Playing time: 24 minutes

Shooting: 3 out of 9

Points: 6

Offensive rebounds: 3

Defensive rebounds: 4

Total rebounds: 7

Assists: 2

Steals: 1

Blocks: 3

Turnovers: 3

Fouls: 3

...

Seeing the more detailed advanced statistics, Chen Mu couldn't bear to look further and quickly put away the statistics sheet, covering his eyes with one hand and sighing deeply.

"Yo, +17 plus-minus?!"

Just as Chen Mu was lamenting that his average statistics would drop again, Webber's voice sounded from the side.

"Huh...?"

Chen Mu opened his eyes in confusion and saw Webber pointing to the plus-minus column on the statistics sheet, smiling, "The highest plus-minus in the game, looks like you were our key to victory today, ha ha!"

"Really...?!"

Chen Mu was surprised and took out the statistics sheet again to look closely, indeed seeing a "+17" in his plus-minus column.

My impact... is really that big?

Chen Mu couldn't believe the number he saw and was still in a daze when Webber's large hand landed on his shoulder.

"Remember what I told you? Statistics might not be comprehensive, but they don't lie."

Webber smiled and patted Chen Mu's shoulder meaningfully, "Call your agent and ask him. You'll be busy this summer after the season ends~"

At the same time, in Philadelphia.

On Billy King's desk, a confidential document had just been opened and read.

"The shareholders' thoughts are really hard to predict..."

Glancing at the "guidance" on the team's future operations in the document, Billy King sighed with a bitter smile, "Match any offer, huh? Is this Chinese kid really that good...?"

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