Chapter 4

As Yang Mo's mind was constantly speculating, the referee blew the whistle... beep!

After the whistle sounded, Olajuwon immediately jumped... slap!

The basketball was easily passed to Kenny Smith because Yang Mo didn't even jump... he was still lost in thought.

At the same time, Kenny Smith had already quickly brought the basketball to the front court and then passed it to Clyde Drexler, who was making a fast cut to the basket for a layup. From Olajuwon gaining possession of the ball, to Kenny Smith receiving it, and finally to Drexler cutting to the basket for a layup, the entire offensive play was smooth and fluid, the tactics simple and sharp, clean and efficient.

After the goal, Yang Mo finally snapped out of his thoughts. As soon as he came to, Penny Hardaway had already run over angrily and asked rudely, "Shaq, what are you doing?"

"..." Yang Mo was speechless, still in shock, or rather, he hadn't yet accepted the fact that he had become Shaquille O'Neal.

He still thought it was just a dream, a dream so vivid that he could see the face of every supporting character!

Running quickly to the half-court, Yang Mo habitually stood outside the three-point line. Although his basketball idol was the ferocious Shawn Kemp, due to physical reasons, his style of play was destined to be limited to the three-point line. Over time, his three-point shooting became more accurate, and he naturally became a three-point shooter.

Strangely, Yang Mo had a very good bone structure, but he lacked the strength to fill his muscles, which was why he had been repeatedly rejected by professional teams.

Hardaway didn't know why the "Shaq" suddenly moved to the three-point line, but he still passed the ball to Yang Mo, planning to make a backdoor cut and receive a pass from Yang Mo to attack the key.

However, as soon as he passed the ball to Yang Mo, even before he could make the cut, Yang Mo shot. It was quick, decisive, and his attitude was that of a seasoned three-point shooter.

Thud!

The ball hit the rim and missed by a hair.

Seeing this, Yang Mo couldn't help but swing his arm heavily. He muttered to himself, "If I had used a little less strength, it would have been better."

As he swung his arm, the entire crowd booed. The Orlando fans couldn't understand why a player with a free-throw percentage of less than 40% would choose to shoot a three-pointer with over ten seconds left on the shot clock. They thought their "Shaq" had gone completely crazy, that their "Shaq" had been transformed from a ruthless ruler into a kite-like woman.

"Bro, are you kidding me?" Hardaway ran over and shouted at Yang Mo angrily.

Yang Mo was stunned by the words. His mind was still muddled, so he simply ran away. He was now plotting how to quickly figure out Shaquille O'Neal's strength. Only by understanding it could he make a three-pointer.

Well, Yang Mo still hadn't equated himself with Shaquille O'Neal.

At this point, the Rockets were playing a dual-point guard lineup, which was essentially a small run-and-gun lineup: Olajuwon, Robert Horry, Drexler, Kenny Smith, and Sam Cassell. This lineup had almost everyone with the ability to attack independently, and their offensive range was quite extensive. However, it inevitably suffered from the common problem of run-and-gun teams: a lack of rebounding protection.

Yang Mo was not at all concerned about Olajuwon's increased range. He remained in the key, clearly showing that he was willing to let Olajuwon shoot from outside the key: getting Olajuwon to shoot from outside the key was already a successful defense.

After a few passes between Kenny Smith and Sam Cassell outside the three-point line, the ball was finally passed to Olajuwon near the free-throw line. Neither of these point guards could find a way to break through the Magic's defense and cut to the key, as Yang Mo was standing there, ready to block any intruders.

Olajuwon received the ball, but Yang Mo remained unmoved, with a look that said, "I'm waiting for you in the key to block your shot." Olajuwon could see the challenge in Yang Mo's expression, but he was past the age of reckless bravery. So, he chose to shoot... swish!

The ball went in without any doubt, as Yang Mo had given him no defensive pressure.

"What's wrong with Shaq today? Shooting from outside the three-point line on offense and retreating to the key on defense, he's not right at all!" the commentator said in confusion, voicing everyone's doubts.

Back in the front court, Hardaway no longer passed to Yang Mo. He shook off his defender and made a mid-range shot.

After the ball changed hands, back in the half-court, Yang Mo still deeply rooted himself in the key. His idea was to guard the key and prevent others from running wild in it. As for their outside shooting, he didn't care. Shooting wouldn't kill anyone.

Yang Mo's idea was correct. The Rockets' coach, Rudy Tomjanovich, who was old and experienced, also saw through Yang Mo's strategy. So, he quickly signaled to the point guard, Kenny Smith, to attack the inside and create a foul. If he could get O'Neal to foul out, the game would be over.

Yang Mo wanted to create a no-fly zone in the key, while the Rockets wanted to resolve everything inside the key.

Chapter 4: The Weak and Strange Shark

The conflict arose, and thus, the battle began.

When Kenny Smith brought the ball to the front court, he immediately pulled Olajuwon to the three-point line. Since Robert Horry had been floating around the three-point line, the key was suddenly empty. Fortunately, O'Neal was still guarding the key, or it would have become a no-man's land.

After Olajuwon was pulled to the three-point line, Kenny Smith immediately used him for a solid screen and then quickly cut into the key. After shaking off his defender, he didn't hesitate and cut straight to the key.

When Kenny Smith made his rapid cut, Yang Mo couldn't help but be stunned. Having never played in a professional league, he had never seen such a high-level突破者.

Kenny Smith wouldn't give Yang Mo time to be stunned. He suddenly accelerated and rushed forward... thud, their bodies immediately made contact.

Yang Mo, caught off guard by this sudden collision, didn't suffer physically, but he was psychologically unprepared. He instinctively took a step back and forgot to raise his hands.

As Yang Mo stepped back, Kenny Smith naturally advanced in mid-air. After a slight pull-back in mid-air, he suddenly lunged at Yang Mo's upper body and shot... beep!

As the ball passed over Yang Mo's eyes, which were tilted at a 45-degree angle, the referee blew the whistle.

Swish! The ball went in, piercing the hearts of the Orlando fans! After the ball went in, the entire crowd groaned and booed. The boos were of various kinds: 30% for the referee, 30% for Kenny Smith, and 40% for Yang Mo.

Yes, most of the fans thought that Shaquille O'Neal shouldn't have been so easily fouled. He should have used his giant hand to block the ball to the front court, which would have been more in line with the dominance of the "Shark."

"Shaq, did you go to a brothel last night? Your legs and hands are so weak, you don't look like a shark, you look like a soft lobster. Haha!" Kenny Smith couldn't resist taunting Yang Mo arrogantly after scoring.

"Just wait!" Yang Mo clenched his teeth, vowing to block Kenny Smith.

However, at that moment, he still hadn't realized that he had become Shaquille O'Neal, the shark with monstrous strength and explosiveness.

"Shaq, show him some color, let him know your strength," teammate Anderson quickly ran over and whispered to Yang Mo.

"Okay, no problem," Yang Mo nodded.

At that moment, Kenny Smith missed his free throw, and Yang Mo pushed Olajuwon away to grab the rebound. As he grabbed the rebound, Yang Mo suddenly understood something: "Why is my strength so much greater? I pushed Olajuwon away so easily."

Yang Mo was still thinking when he reached the front court. Upon reaching the front court, he immediately rushed into the key, jostling for position with Olajuwon. He found that his strength was indeed formidable, and Olajuwon posed no threat to him. So, he reached out for the ball.

However, Hardaway ignored him, as Yang Mo's performance had been so poor that he was afraid of a turnover if he passed the ball. So, he took the initiative to attack. After a flashy dribble move, he stopped and shot... the ball went in with a swish, his touch was good.

"Next time, pass me the ball and see what happens," Yang Mo said to Hardaway as they retreated on defense.

Hardaway hesitated for a moment and said, "Okay, but you have to score. Don't be a soft shrimp."

"Okay," Yang Mo agreed. He had now figured out the strength he possessed, so he readily accepted the challenge.

Back in the half-court, when Kenny Smith brought the ball to the front court, Drexler reached out for the ball, and the ball was quickly passed to him. After all, Drexler was the Rockets' key outside player, and no one would dare not pass to him when he asked.

After receiving the ball, Drexler immediately called out his old college teammate Olajuwon, used a screen to get past his defender, and, despite his age, still had excellent athleticism.

In a moment, Drexler had already cut into the key. After two quick steps, he leaped high, and in an instant, he was gliding toward the basket like a real-life "Slipstream."

Whoosh!

As Drexler's right hand held the ball and moved through the air, the airflow changed with it.

Seeing this, Yang Mo quickly took a step to the left, waiting for Drexler to get close, and then he would jump up and use his giant hand to block the "Slipstream" that should have been sent to the repair shop.

However, as Drexler approached the basket and Yang Mo was about to jump, Drexler suddenly made a mid-air pull-back and quickly switched the ball to his left hand. This caught Yang Mo off guard, as his defensive focus was already on the left side, and he couldn't adjust in time.

Thus... boom!

The basket made a light sound, and as Yang Mo turned his head, Drexler had already landed from the basket.

His nickname was "Slipstream," and he didn't have the function of a bomber. So, his dunks were always graceful, or rather, for show.

But, even this showy dunk, Yang Mo couldn't accept.

"To the air above your head, it must be very fresh, as it hasn't been polluted by your saliva."

After landing, Drexler couldn't resist giving Yang Mo a harmless smile and a taunting remark.

"Unfortunately, it's now polluted by your dirty mouth!" Yang Mo retorted, though he had wanted to tear Drexler apart a second ago, he had now calmed down.

Drexler thought Yang Mo would at least glare at him, but unexpectedly, Yang Mo's eyes were as calm as autumn water.

"Why am I more afraid of him when he's like this?"

Drexler muttered to himself, feeling as if he had fallen into an ice cave under Yang Mo's calm gaze. Yes, it was like being enveloped by an unpredictable and unbearable conspiracy.

"Damn it, anyone dares to defecate and urinate on my head! I'm not a piece of dough, damn it!"

Yang Mo roared in anger and ran quickly back to the half-court. No one understood what he said because it was in Chinese, but everyone could hear the extreme anger in his "yelling."

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