Chapter 71: Battle in the Paint
After the timeout, USC anticipated UConn's substitution, bringing Kemba Walker off the bench for shooting guard Craig Austrie.
With this change, the pressure intensified on USC.
UConn adopted a dual point guard tactic, enhancing ball movement, and Kemba Walker posed a tougher defensive challenge compared to Craig Austrie.
However, USC now faced a challenge with only DeMar, Gibson, and Daniel on the perimeter. DeMar hadn't been assigned to exclusively defend AJ Price, and it was Gibson's first time defending a small forward. Given his speed, Gibson could only do so much and couldn't effectively support Daniel on defense.
Now, all eyes were on Daniel to contain Kemba Walker.
"Daniel, can you handle it? If not, we'll need to switch in Dwight," Coach Tim pressed for a definitive response from Daniel.
"Coach, I've got this!" Daniel responded firmly, understanding the gravity of the situation.
After the timeout, University of Connecticut adjusted their lineup as USC anticipated.
At the three-point line, AJ Price passed the ball to small forward Jerome, who struggled against Gibson's defense and quickly passed to Kemba Walker.
Daniel, tasked with shadowing Walker since his entrance, trailed slightly in speed but managed to stay close as Walker attempted a tentative breakthrough. When Walker accelerated, Daniel matched him step for step, effectively blocking his path to the basket.
At this stage of his career, Kemba Walker lacked the experience and strength he would later develop. Faced with Daniel's tight defense preventing any clear drive, Walker opted for a step-back jumper. Despite Daniel's effort to contest the shot, the ball bounced off the rim and dropped through.
Score: 4-2.
The basket left Daniel feeling disappointed, but Lian Dao, recognizing his effort, touched Daniel's head as he received the ball.
"You're doing great, just keep it up. Leave the rest to me!"
Daniel had executed perfectly on that play, with a touch of luck contributing to his success—though as they say, luck favors the prepared.
Moving forward, if Daniel maintained his defensive intensity, Kemba Walker wouldn't find it easy to maintain his shooting accuracy.
Back on offense for Southern California, Lian Dao faced a double-team but opted not to force a shot. Instead, he passed to Gibson inside, but Vucevic's attempt was blocked on a second effort by Thabeet.
Fortunately, Gibson snagged the rebound and fed it back out to Lian Dao at the perimeter.
With only small forward Jerome defending him, Lian Dao confidently launched a three-pointer over his outstretched arm.
Score: 7-2.
It was Lian Dao's first three-pointer of the game, a shot that felt both satisfying and indicative of his resilience.
Shortly after, AJ Price broke free from DeMar on the perimeter and drained a three-pointer of his own.
Score: 7-5.
The game continued with both teams exchanging baskets, but Southern California managed to maintain a slim lead of about four points.
At this moment, tensions flared inside the paint.
Hashim finally saw an opening near the basket, while AJ Price rushed the ball up the court on the outside.
As Hashim went for a layup, Lian Dao's swift hand slapped directly at Hashim's shooting hand.
Early foul!
Lian Dao's interruption disrupted Hashim's layup form, causing the shot to miss.
Hashim, visibly irritated by Lian Dao's defensive move, retaliated by bumping into Lian Dao with his shoulder before walking away.
Seeing this, Gibson stepped forward, questioning Hashim's actions, sparking a heated exchange between the two players.
The crowd erupted with boos and whistles, cameras capturing every moment as tensions escalated.
With the game at the semi-finals, emotions were bound to run high.
The referee intervened swiftly, issuing verbal warnings to both sides to diffuse the situation.
Verbal warnings were serious; USC was now on the referee's radar, any further incidents would not go unpunished.
Lian Dao acknowledged the defensive foul calmly.
"I'm good," he reassured Gibson, who had been a supportive figure since Lian Dao's arrival at USC.
In truth, Hashim's emotional outburst played into Lian Dao's strategy; distractions like these created openings for USC.
At the free-throw line, Hashim missed both shots, revealing cracks in his mental game.
Southern California secured the rebound.
As Hashim returned to defend, Jim Calhoun signaled him from the sideline to regain his composure.
On USC's next possession, Lian Dao assisted Daniel with an outside three-pointer that rimmed out.
Yet, displaying his hustle, Lian Dao grabbed the offensive rebound over Hashim.
In a powerful move, Lian Dao drove to the basket for a dunk despite Hashim tugging on his jersey.
"Beep!"
"Bang!"
The basket counted, plus the foul!
2+1.
"Unbelievable!"
Jeff's commentary was filled with amazement.
"Indeed, Sickle's athleticism is truly underestimated. We often hear about LeBron James' physical prowess, but from that play, it's clear that Sickle's athleticism is right up there with the best," Mike Brin chimed in, marveling at Lian Dao's dunk while being tugged by a 221cm center forward like Hashim.
Lian Dao confidently sank the free throw.
18:11.
In the next play, Hashim was taken out to the perimeter by AJ Price for a high pick-and-roll.
This is where big players shine, excelling in setting high-quality screens for pick-and-roll plays.
It resembled the high pick-and-roll tactics used by the Rockets' MM duo.
Knowing Hashim lacked three-point shooting skills, he rolled towards the basket, with Lian Dao already positioning himself in the paint.
AJ Price swiftly passed the ball to Hashim.
Still annoyed by Lian Dao's previous play, Hashim aggressively drove towards the basket, aiming for a forceful dunk.
But he underestimated Lian Dao's defensive strength.
Lian Dao rose up and swatted the ball away, overwhelming Hashim, who ended up sitting on the floor.
Lian Dao secured the loose ball and immediately passed it to Daniel.
Daniel quickly found DeMar streaking down the court.
"Bam!"
DeMar unleashed a thunderous dunk.
This emphatic attack left Hashim acknowledging Lian Dao's dominance.
From then on, Hashim avoided direct confrontations with Lian Dao.
Instead, he received the ball outside the paint, executing a turnaround jumper. Lian Dao struggled to contest the shot, unable to match Hashim's turnaround and slight fadeaway.
"Swoosh!"
Hashim finally scored his first basket of the game.
20:13.
"Ah!"
Hashim clenched his fists and let out a roar.
After holding back for so long, he finally released his frustration.
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
-- Power
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