The Best Point Guard-Chapter 36 - 35: [It’s Actually This Simple]

He felt he had benefited immensely from these flawed strategies.

In the past, he rarely took a comprehensive view of the whole situation. Now, with Coach Jim’s guidance, he finally had a basic, systematic understanding. He was taking his first step toward becoming a true point guard.

That’s why his gaze toward Coach Jim was filled with gratitude. ’To develop me, you actually kept using the wrong plays on purpose.’

If Jim knew what Su Xi was thinking, he would have had a breakdown. ’I was clearly trying to suppress you! I wanted you to have a rude awakening and stop fantasizing about the NBA. You can’t handle it.’

Jim glanced at Su Xi, who was watching the court with a calm, captivated expression.

He sighed. ’Alright, I give up. Jack, you win.’

He really couldn’t hold out any longer. Although crushing Su Xi’s NBA ambitions was important, winning was more important. This was a single-elimination game, a match that would determine the final outcome of their season. The difference between the Sweet Sixteen and the Elite Eight was night and day.

Just as he was about to call a timeout and make a substitution...

Calls echoed through the arena: "We want Little Sheep Su Xi! We want to see Little Sheep Su Xi! We want Little Sheep Su Xi on the court!"

At first, the shouts were scattered, but more and more people joined in.

It gradually turned into a unified chant: "Little Sheep Su Xi! Little Sheep Su Xi! Little Sheep Su Xi!"

Su Xi frowned, a little embarrassed.

He hadn’t liked that nickname from the very beginning.

He preferred the nickname Cameron Anthony gave him: Lil-Goat. A goat sounded much stronger and more powerful than a sheep.

But he couldn’t just tell several thousand people to shut up.

Jim wanted to cover his ears. The timeout he was about to call got stuck in his throat... A rebellious streak stirred within him.

This rebellion led to disastrous consequences.

McNamara, matched up against Steve Levin, forced a drive. He wanted to open things up for Anthony. He drove to the free-throw line, came to a hard stop, and shot a step-back jumper... The arc was beautiful. He was finally finding his rhythm.

But just as the ball reached its apex, his left foot gave way slightly as he landed, and he sprained his ankle on the spot.

Although he cleverly went with the momentum and fell, the impact of gravity and acceleration still left him sprawled on the floor, crying out in pain.

McNamara was injured!

Jim Boham’s face instantly stiffened... McNamara was their number two scorer on the perimeter, Cameron’s right-hand man. When Cameron’s shot was off, he would often go solo and carry the game.

Now, he was injured.

Syracuse University was down by five points.

Jim was filled with regret. He knew it was all his fault. He shouldn’t have played political games in such a crucial match, shouldn’t have deliberately suppressed Su Xi to make him listen. Not only did it fail to work, but he had taken it too far, pushing the game to the brink of disaster and getting McNamara injured... He was overcome with self-blame. He had never hated his own foolish arrogance so much.

"Auburn University is this year’s number one dark horse. After knocking out the number two seed, the number three seed is about to be finished off as well."

The CBS commentator said on TV, "The team play centered around Daniels, Levin, and Kilingsworth is just too complementary, too powerful. I don’t think Syracuse University has any way to crack it."

"Even though the fans in Madison Square Garden Arena are chanting for Little Sheep Su Xi, pinning their hopes on him is a mistake. They’d be better off praying McNamara isn’t seriously injured and can return for the second half!"

As the commentator, Old Barry, was speaking, the team doctor had the staff bring in a stretcher. McNamara’s left shoe was cut open, his ankle was immobilized with an ice pack, and he was lifted onto it... The sight sent all the Syracuse University fans’ hearts sinking to rock bottom.

McNamara definitely wasn’t coming back.

Syracuse University was out of chances.

"I’m going in."

Su Xi stood up and walked over to Jim Boham, his eyes firm.

Jim Boham hadn’t expected Su Xi to step up at a time like this. The team’s morale was shaken, and many had lost confidence after McNamara’s exit.

"I have a way to beat them," Su Xi continued.

’Hm?’

Jim Boham raised his eyebrows, thinking, ’I don’t even have confidence, and you do?’

"You just had me observe their movements from the sidelines. I studied them carefully, and I realized they aren’t unbeatable," Su Xi said. "Besides, I don’t want McNamara to go to the hospital and spend a long, agonizing offseason blaming himself. He’s a sensitive and kind person. If we lose, he’ll definitely feel like he dragged everyone down by getting injured."

"I’m going to carry his part of the load."

Su Xi said with great earnestness.

His words moved everyone.

Sincerity is always the ultimate weapon.

The players emerged from the shadow of McNamara’s injury, their despair turning into a motivation to fight back. McNamara was a good guy; he didn’t deserve to end the season with regrets. If Jack really had a way to break Auburn University, everyone was willing to give an extra ounce of effort.

This was the biggest difference between college basketball and the pros.

Although every team has internal conflicts to some degree, unlike the pros... the sense of belief and unity in college basketball is stronger. It hasn’t been tainted by commercialism. Players aren’t divided into different classes, there’s no contract competition for the same position, and they certainly wouldn’t fight tooth and nail over a single stat.

Everyone was united in their pursuit of victory.

Jim Boham was moved. He said, "Alright, Jack. It’s time for you to prove yourself."

Su Xi nodded forcefully.

He then explained his tactical ideas to Jim Boham, stressing that he could execute them.

Boham was surprised, and his teammates were even more shocked.

’Jack is really going to do *that*?’

BEEP!

The whistle blew, and the game resumed.

Little Sheep Su Xi, summoned by the New York fans, finally took the court.

At that moment, the mood in Madison Square Garden Arena was somewhat somber.

McNamara’s departure and the team’s deficit had left them dejected.

Syracuse University’s lineup was now: Duanni, Su Xi, Anthony, Hakeem, and Craig.

Auburn University’s point guard, Levin, brought the ball past half-court. Syracuse University had set up in a zone defense. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Moreover, this 2-3 zone was very strange. Hakeem and Su Xi’s positions seemed to be switched.

Levin spotted this and quickly passed the ball into the paint to Kilingsworth.

Kilingsworth got the ball, with Su Xi moving up to defend him.

Although Kilingsworth was considered short for an inside player, he still had a slight height advantage over Su Xi.

His back-to-the-basket skills were crude.

But now he had a mismatch against a guard.

He turned his back, forcefully bumping Su Xi. His frame was one and a half times as thick as Su Xi’s, and his weight was exactly 1.5 times Su Xi’s.

Theoretically, Su Xi shouldn’t be defending him one-on-one.

But when Kilingsworth used about seventy percent of his strength to push back... THUD!

Su Xi, who had already established his position, only budged back a tiny bit.

A surprised look crossed Kilingsworth’s face.

Su Xi, however, couldn’t suppress a smile.

Kilingsworth’s strength was immense, far greater than Anthony’s.

That single impact directly raised Su Xi’s super strength talent fusion from 86% to 88%.

Kilingsworth immediately increased his force to ninety percent and bumped him again... THUD!

This time, Su Xi was uncontrollably pushed back a step.

But, his super strength talent fusion rose again, jumping straight to 89%.

He was just one step away from 90%.

Once he hit 90%, a quantitative change would become a qualitative one. It would be a whole new world.

At that point, Su Xi would enter the realm of true power players. Even in the NBA, he could be considered a strongman.

However, Kilingsworth seized the moment to turn... He had a similar problem to Kwame Brown. Kwame Brown had butterfingers and loved to daydream on the court. Kilingsworth’s problem was his decision-making; his every offensive move defied conventional thinking.

Who would have thought he’d turn at that moment?

He was actually trying to jump up for a dunk.

He had a Shark O’Neal living inside his heart.

Luckily, he didn’t enter the 2001 NBA draft. With Jordan’s unique talent for drafting, he might have actually picked him.

If that had happened, only one person would have been truly happy: Kwame Brown.

Kilingsworth didn’t get off the ground. Su Xi stuck to him, giving him no room to jump. He subconsciously hopped one more step... Everyone stared, dumbfounded.

BEEP!

The referee called him for traveling.

He was furious and slammed the ball hard onto the floor.

The referee wasn’t having it and gave him a technical foul.

Madison Square Garden Arena erupted.

The fans started chanting: "Little Sheep Su Xi! Little Sheep Su Xi!"

"He stopped him?"

Jim Boham was dumbfounded on the sideline, in disbelief. ’The way to break Auburn University’s chain-like attack was a simple 2-3 zone? Su Xi could actually hold his own against Kilingsworth?’

’Does this mean... he can really play in the NBA?’

’He’s actually more versatile than McNamara?’

’The NBA doesn’t need a skinny white point guard who’s good at scoring.’

’But a point guard who can hold his own against big men? They would definitely take a chance on that.’

「...」