basketball never sleeps

When did Chapter 342 arrive?

"Mo intercepted Ben Wallace's long pass with pinpoint accuracy and immediately delivered a five-goal-level defensive performance. Haha, looking at how completely Mo had it under control, I really wonder if he has some kind of superpower to predict the future!" Hubie Brown, who was in charge of commentating on today's game, laughed.

After failing to receive the ball, LeBron James had to chase after Ben Affleck on a fast break. He wanted to give Ben Affleck a death stare, but his high level of desire to win at the start of the game forced him to learn to chase back like a leader.

After Mo Wen's aerial interception, LeBron James knew he was likely to become the background character in Mo Wen's highlight reel. Although it was Ben Wallace who failed to pass the ball well, he would still be included in the frame by both the side cameras and the baseline cameras.

He knows those sons of bitches reporters all too well.

However, it's not over yet. As long as he can chase after him and deliver a spectacular block when Mo Wen throws the ball, everything will be reversed. Mo Wen's prophetic steal will become a testament to his never-give-up spirit.

A-Z is very fast and he is confident that he can catch up with Mo Wen. His straight-line speed and acceleration on the court are enough for him to catch up with any ball handler, even though Mo Wen's dribbling ability has been touted by experts, media and predecessors as a mythical skill similar to Jordan's fadeaway jump shot.

The entire audience and fans watching on TV noticed this scene and held their breath.

Mo Wen, of course, also noticed the footsteps behind him. Unlike a normal fast break, the Cavaliers players who had failed to keep up with the fast break had also quickly established a defense in the backcourt. All the Cavaliers players were subtly moving towards the basket, while Ben, who had just made a passing mistake, didn't have time to blush. Instead, he adopted a steady defensive posture under the basket, like a hungry tiger waiting to slide tackle.

With a wolf in front and a tiger behind, passing the ball might be the best solution in this situation. So, Mo Wen, known for his rationality and basketball IQ, naturally slowed down as he stepped inside the three-point line, grabbed the ball, and flicked it to Ray Allen on the side.

The baseline camera followed Mo Wen's hand gesture and looked at Ray Allen, but the basketball didn't appear in the viewfinder; instead, there was Reed rushing over to cover.

"He can't pass the ball!" X2

Ben Wallace, who was guarding the basket, and LeBron James, who was chasing him, made the same judgment just now.

They all know Mo Wen well, and they know that Mo Wen will choose to make the game easier by passing the ball in most situations. But unlike Nash, who believed in absolute rationality due to his limited personal ability, Mo Wen does not shy away from using his personal ability to solve some unnecessary high-difficulty balls, expand his influence, and thus force the opponent to devote more defensive resources to him.

Moreover, as a recognized passing master, if Mo Wen really wanted to pass the ball, he would never have made such an obvious passing motion.

Both of them made the right bets. Ben stepped forward to prevent Mo Wen from using his classic throw, and A-Zhan's toes were about to step on Mo Wen's heels.

The cheese sandwich between the two buns is already cooked.

squeak--

The rapid swishing sound of shoes against the court floor.

Mo Wen stopped and made a shot, his slightly raised aim, his slightly retracted elbow, and his feet firmly planted on the floor all indicating that he wanted to take advantage of the space difference before Ben Wallace could defend him.

The next second, the shadows of the two muscular men loomed over Mo Wen, one after the other, like a tightly closed net that blotted out the sky.

only……

Oh.

A soft laugh came from the stadium.

Having successfully completed his prayers, Mo Wen casually flicked the ball to the side, took a step to the side, and then jumped up again.

Snapped!

A crisp clapping sound rang out on the court as LeBron James and Ben Wallace exchanged a romantic glance in mid-air.

But there was no tenderness or affection in their eyes, only fear and confusion as to what they were doing next.

Swish!

It was just an ordinary two-point shot, but the entire KeyArena erupted in cheers comparable to when Mo Wen came on stage.

"Look what Mo did! He intercepted Ben Wallace's pass, then used a fake pass to fool Reed, and finally used a fake move to shake LeBron and Ben Wallace up together—it's worth mentioning that Ben and LeBron really have great chemistry. Just now, the timing and height of their jumps were amazingly synchronized. I even thought I saw them high-five each other in mid-air!" Sir Alex Ferguson exclaimed excitedly in the TNT commentary room.

"There's no way around it, he's the best player currently active, the only one after Michael Jordan who's flawless on both offense and defense." Kenny Smith chimed in, shrugging his shoulders in agreement.

"Mo is undoubtedly the best player in the league right now, but after Michael Jordan, Kenny, tell me the truth, how much sponsorship did AJ give you?"

"20? Oh no, no, I just love Michael. Get lost, Charles."

After landing, neither Ben Wallace nor LeBron James said anything. They both did their jobs. According to the theory of relativity in the Rift, neither of them did anything, so the two of them, who had nothing to do, naturally got into the offensive round.

As a return gift for A-Zhan's "respect," Mo Wen also stood respectfully in front of A-Zhan.

However, LeBron James did not feel Mo Wen's feelings because Mo Wen was too far away. This respectful defensive distance should have been between Ben and O'Neal, not between the current best and second best (self-proclaimed) players.

That's right, Mo Yan Shuangying Wen is betting again that A Zhan's gun is out of bullets.

LeBron James is somewhat glad that he listened to his teammates and practiced his three-point shooting extra last summer, otherwise he might have faced the same predicament as in last season's Finals.

As for how much extra training he did?

To put it simply, Arenas, who primarily developed his three-point shooting skills, only practiced 100,000 three-pointers in the summer, while he practiced a full 10,000!

boom!

LeBron remained calm and composed. This wasn't his problem; it was a matter of probability. Through training, his three-point shooting percentage had improved to 34% this year, exceeding the league's average for guards.

Ray Allen was lucky enough to grab a long rebound, but his attempt to push the fast break failed. With Zydrunas Ilgauskas not in the starting lineup, the Cavaliers' defensive speed was top-notch.

After setting up his position, A-Zhan wanted to stick close to Mo Wen and prevent him from receiving the ball, but his size made him unsuitable for guarding a top-class off-the-ball player.

Without calling a screen, Mo Wen simply went to the baseline to set a screen for Millsap and cut inside, leaving James directly behind Mo Wen. Ray Allen saw the opportunity and passed the ball over, and Mo Wen once again faked a shot.

Having just been tricked, A-Zhan didn't fall for it this time, and then he did.

Mo Wen made his move in a rather hasty and careless manner, and A Zhan, like a dutiful spectator, failed to provide the slightest interference.

Bang!

The basketball bounces off the backboard and goes into the basket.

4:0

Seeing LeBron James merely raising his hands symbolically, Ben Wallace didn't say anything but just sighed. For some reason, that familiar defensive gesture was starting to look more and more like a French military salute.

A-Z was a little sullen after being tricked again. Basketball, such a pure sport, has been ruined by people like you who play mind games!

During the Cavaliers' offensive possession, facing Mo Wen's respect, LeBron James resolutely aimed for the basket and took another shot.

The basketball bounced off the back of the rim and flew out, but probability was still at play.

Mo Wen was not surprised by the result. James' three-pointers are just that reliable. Although the shooting percentage may not look high, he actually takes them when he is wide open.

The most important thing in defending LeBron James' three-pointers is not to put pressure on him, because if you put pressure on him, he really won't shoot.

The Heat's LeBron James was arguably the most accurate player of his entire career, with over 85% of his shots being wide open from three-point range.

Stress? I can't eat a single bit!

Back to the Supersonics' turn, Mo Wen wanted to continue playing with A Zhan, but Gibson couldn't bear to see his boss continue to be humiliated. He seized what he considered a good opportunity and decisively flanked from the flank.

Having long since developed a spider-like sense of perception, Mo Wen had no intention of playing cards with them. While dribbling between his legs, he twisted his wrist and pushed the ball back to Ray Allen on the outside.

Reed moved over to help, but Ray Allen didn't force a shot. Instead, he passed the ball across to Gay in the corner without stopping, and Gay made a jump shot.

7:0

Mike Brown didn't call a timeout, and the ever-reliable LeBron James didn't ask for the ball again this time, but instead tried to run into the paint to disrupt the formation.

Mo Wen also had no way to stop a 2.03-meter tall, 110-kilogram strong man from squeezing into the paint when A-Zhan was backing down without the ball.

With Reed unable to receive the ball due to Gay's entanglement, Gibson found Varejao to set a screen and made a crucial three-pointer, giving the Cavaliers a much-needed breather.

Back in possession of the ball for the SuperSonics, Mo Wen was still thinking about what kind of "torture device" to use against LeBron James, but then he saw LeBron James, who had defended him for three rounds, approach Gay again, reaching his loyal corner.

Mike Brown, standing on the sidelines, seemed to snap out of a daze when he saw Reed standing in front of Mo Wen and shouted:

"We've switched formations to T6, changing to a zone defense. Watch out for your assigned player!"

Commentator on the sidelines: "...LeBon, when did you arrive?" Guy asked Ajam in surprise.

A-Zhan did not respond; his expression was serious as he diligently guarded the bottom corner.

He didn't switch his opponent because he felt his defense was ineffective; rather, he had planned it beforehand and only intended to defend for three rounds.

Last year in the finals, he avoided facing Mo Wen and received a lot of criticism. So today he learned his lesson and faced Mo Wen for a few rounds right from the start. Regardless of his performance, as long as he created a primacy effect and left people with the impression that he was facing Mo Wen, that would be enough.

Of course, if the score between the two teams doesn't widen at the end of the game, he will go back to guard Mo Wen, take on his responsibility as the leader, and make up for the recency effect.

It sounds like he's slacking off, like a primary school student only doing the first three and last three pages of their winter break homework, but that's all the energy and stamina he has. As the starting point of the Knights' offense and the main fast-break spearhead, he can't and shouldn't waste a lot of energy and stamina on the game with Mo Wen.

As for Reed, who was tasked with defending Mo Wen, and Gibson, who was also tasked with mismatching against Ray Allen, those were necessary sacrifices.

On the court, Mo Wen drew the defense's attention with a one-on-one move against Reed and passed the ball to Millsap on the outside. Millsap panicked and tried to get past Varejao, but since he didn't have the familiar sweet spot in the corner, he thought he could dribble two steps inside and shoot in the open.

Just then, Ben displayed his amazing mobility, breaking through from the inside and interfering before Millsap could shoot.

After successfully disrupting the shot, Ben tried to get back inside for the rebound, but Tyson, being bigger and no pushover, grabbed the rebound first and dunked it in.

9: 3.

Mo Wen glanced at Ben Wallace; the speed with which he helped defend just now made it hard to believe he was a 33-year-old veteran center.

To be fair, the Cavaliers' defensive environment was indeed suitable for Ben Wallace to perform. Reed couldn't guard anyone, Gibson, like most skinny perimeter players, had inherent weaknesses, LeBron James generally didn't leave anyone open but also didn't act as the lead defender, Varejao could barely help relieve the pressure on him, and Coach Mike Brown also liked to play zone defense.

Overall, the stage is very large.

On the contrary, defensive teams like the Bulls, which focus on one-on-one defense, not only fail to bring out Ben Wallace's value, but also amplify his weakness in defending stretch big men.

However, Mo Wen, who has a future-oriented perspective, still has reservations about the Cavaliers' decision to give up Gasol in order to strengthen their interior defense.

Ben is very tough inside, but on offense...

During the Cavaliers' offensive possession, because Mo Wen and Gay were tightly guarding LeBron James and Reed, Gibson, fearing a turnover, hesitated to pass the ball easily. Fortunately, Ben Wallace seemed to be open in the paint.

Ben Wallace, who received the ball, was a little confused. "I didn't need the ball either!"

Tyson's solo performance made Ben Affleck realize that it was his turn to shine.

He remembered his coach telling him that if he didn't want to play inside, he could just dribble around to draw double teams and then pass the ball out—it was called something like an inside-out tactic.

Ben Wallace kept faking out but couldn't get double-teamed, while the SuperSonics' perimeter players either tightly marked their opponents to prevent them from receiving the ball or followed them closely, forcing the Cavaliers players to use even more rapid movement.

Ben's extensive experience with mistakes taught him that this pass was not easy.

But the time to turn back was fast approaching, and with no other options, Ben could only make a desperate gamble.

He used a special skill he only used when he played guard as a child—

Tyson had prepared seven contingency plans, including Ben Affleck throwing a discus with all his might to draw a foul, using a strong arm to drive to the basket and force a layup, taking random shots and then grabbing the rebound...

But what he saw was Ben Wallace making a turnaround jump shot with a shoulder feint right in front of him.

Impossible, absolutely impossible!

Even if he didn't believe it, Tyson still showed respect and interfered with Ben Wallace's jump shot.

then……

Swah——

The ball didn't hit the backboard or the rim; it went into the net and fell down.

"Wang Defa?"

"Gaode!"

"Are you kidding me?!"

At that moment, the same exclamation arose from the stadium, the stands, and the commentary booth.

What did he see? Ben Wallace, despite Tyson's defense, smoothly executed a fadeaway jumper from the edge of the paint and made it—a clean swish!

Who is Wallace? This year, his free throw percentage is the lowest among all starting lineups, at 43%.

Even Mo Wen's three-point shooting percentage is worse.

You slicked back your hair into a cornrow and wore a number 3 jersey just to invite the gods, didn't you?

Mo Wen was alright; he just smiled. He knew that Ben Wallace's early skill set included a mid-range shot, and when he was with the Pistons, he could really hit a mid-range shot when Ben was pushed to his limits.

While his shooting percentage was somewhat like Mamba's, it wasn't as completely unreliable as Shaq's.

However, as Ben became too focused on teamwork (and too lazy to practice), he gradually sealed away this double-edged sword that couldn't distinguish friend from foe.

Although Da Ben was also a little dazed and incredulous, his strong mental fortitude allowed him to maintain a calm demeanor.

Yes, this is my daily routine.

A-Zhan also took the initiative to give Ben a high-five, looking very excited.

If I can make a mid-range shot like that, are you scared yet?!

The Cavaliers are definitely going to win this game!

beep-

The whistle blew to end the first quarter, marking the end of the first quarter.

Good news: the Cavaliers held the SuperSonics, who usually like to widen the gap in the first quarter, to under 30 points.

The bad news is that the SuperSonics still have a significant lead over the Cavaliers, 29-20.

Ray Allen had a cold shooting night, taking 5 shots in the first quarter but only making 1 three-pointer, scoring 5 points from free throws.

Fortunately, Mo Wen was in good form and faced Reed and Gibson, who didn't put much pressure on him, so he easily scored 15 points and also provided 3 assists.

The Cavaliers' score barely exceeded 20 points mainly because LeBron James' performance was mediocre.

When Mo Wen saw that A-Zhan wasn't actively going to face him, he handed him over to Guy, and Guy, imitating Mo Wen, also gave A-Zhan plenty of "respect".

If LeBron James was unlucky at the beginning, then the psychological pressure was too great. He failed to capitalize on four open three-pointers in the first quarter, losing his spatial threat. His pick-and-rolls also failed to be effective because Gay had more space to screen him. James barely rested in the first quarter but only scored 6 points.

As for Gibson and Reed, they naturally couldn't perform at their usual level when facing top perimeter defenders like Mo Wen and Ray Allen.

After receiving the first quarter's statistics from the statistician, and seeing the column for Mo Wen, A-Zhan couldn't help but bite his nails.

Who the hell traded Bibby away? (End of Chapter)