Chapter 79: The Art of Trash Talk
Lian Dao received the basketball from Vucevic and quickly scanned the court. Only Danny Green stood between him and the basket.
North Carolina's head coach, Roy Williams, had emphasized a tight, oppressive one-on-one defense. Tyler Hansbrough, their core inside player, was known for his excellent physical fitness, defensive sk
ills, and awareness. He was always ready to block breakthroughs and cuts near the basket, ensuring high frame protection efficiency. Additionally, North Carolina was one of the teams with the least fouls, thanks to Hansbrough's relentless effort in blocking out teammates for rebounds. Their defensive rebound rate was among the best in the league.
Danny Green, who later gained fame for his defense and three-point shooting, was already showing his defensive prowess. He had asked the head coach to let him guard Lian Dao alone.
Lian Dao knew he had to take the first shot himself, as his teammates had no openings. Roy Williams emphasized off-ball follow-up from the outside, instructing North Carolina players not to risk steals that could leave opponents open. This strategy made North Carolina's defensive turnover rate the lowest in the NCAA, rarely allowing open three-pointers.
When Roy Williams saw Southern California's unchanged lineup, he knew they would struggle to get assists. Teams playing against North Carolina often had to rely on tough mid-range shots after breaking through their steel defense formed by Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington, and Danny Green.
Lian Dao assumed a triple-threat position, knowing it was his best option. Danny Green kept a cautious distance, aware of Lian Dao's ability to drive. He maintained the optimal defensive space, enough for most players, but not for Lian Dao.
Lian Dao faked a shot, prompting Danny Green to move forward. Seizing the opportunity, Lian Dao dribbled, spun, and passed Green. Danny Green quickly recovered, but Lian Dao then pulled the ball back, took a step back, and shot.
The ball sailed through the air and swished through the net.
"Swish!"
The scoreboard lit up: 3-0.
Despite scoring the first goal, Lian Dao felt the pressure intensify. Danny Green was relentless, sticking to him like glue, making it difficult to shake him off.
Lian Dao's opening three-pointer ignited the USC fans.
"Oh, Sickle with the familiar opening three-pointer, seems like a USC ritual," Barkley remarked from the commentary booth.
For this game, TNT had sent Barkley and Kenny Smith as commentators. Barkley was thrilled to be commentating on the finals after missing the USC semifinal game.
"Charles, don't get too excited. The North Carolina defense is not that easy to break," Kenny Smith retorted, his favorite pastime being to temper Barkley's enthusiasm.
While they bantered, USC set up their defensive formation.
USC deployed a 3-2 zone defense, but instead of sticking strictly to zone or one-on-one defense, they dynamically switched between the two. USC's strategy focused on guarding the perimeter, recognizing that North Carolina's primary scoring threat came from outside shots.
North Carolina, however, took USC by surprise with their offensive approach. Roy Williams decided to exploit their inside game, using Tyler Hansbrough's presence to force USC to collapse their defense and create space for outside shooters.
Hansbrough, a versatile and agile player, proved difficult for Vucevic to contain. Despite Vucevic's rapid improvement, Hansbrough managed to score 6 consecutive points through mid-range shots and face-up attacks in the first three minutes, fulfilling his team's strategy to dominate the interior.
Recognizing the need for adjustments, Tim directed USC to tighten their defense and provide more help against Hansbrough, but he didn't call a timeout.
The scoreboard read 9:6, with USC still holding the lead.
Although Vucevic struggled to defend Tyler Hansbrough inside, North Carolina had no answer for Lian Dao's outside shooting. Lian Dao quickly responded with three three-pointers, making it clear that single coverage wouldn't work.
Both teams were cautious about using their two timeouts too early. Despite trailing by three points, Roy Williams stuck to his plan, keeping Danny Green on Lian Dao.
Lian Dao's three early triples brought his NCAA single-season three-pointer record to 181. He confidently dribbled while taunting Danny Green, "I'll make the 182nd three-pointer right in front of you!"
Danny Green was infuriated. Failing to stop the first three triples was bad enough, but now Lian Dao was adding insult to injury with trash talk.
Inspired by Larry Bird's earlier words, Lian Dao realized the psychological impact of well-timed trash talk. Although Danny Green wanted to retaliate verbally, he had no comeback for being bested three times in a row.
Lian Dao accelerated his dribble, then used a quick hesitation move to fake out Danny Green. Just like before, he pulled back and launched another three-pointer.
12:6.
"See? I told you I'd make another three-pointer. You can't defend me. Is your best defense even real?" Lian Dao whispered to Danny Green as he jogged back on defense.
Trash talk proved effective. Danny Green's frustration showed as his defensive moves became increasingly aggressive. Lian Dao's constant jabs aimed to unnerve him, pushing him toward recklessness.
Danny Green's focus on stopping Lian Dao's three-point shooting left him vulnerable. Anticipating this, Lian Dao used the opportunity to break through the defense, shaking up North Carolina's formation and creating scoring chances for his teammates.
While Lian Dao enjoyed draining threes, he knew relying solely on outside shooting could lead to tighter coverage. By mixing in drives to the basket, he kept the defense guessing and opened up the floor for USC's offense.
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