Capítulo 148: Hand-in-the-face' defense
Without the chance for even a contested layup, how could there be an offensive foul?!
Carlos soared over "Pocket Rocket" Lowry, completing a staggering dunk in transition, an almost demonic descent upon the court, delivering a visually explosive slam!
"Boom!"
The arena erupted with deafening cheers!
"Unbelievable!"
In the Mexican National Sports TV studio, Mario banged the table and roared, "Incredible, unbelievable, Carlos, a center, has such terrifying hops and burst that he can actually leap over Lowry. This... this is amazing!"
"Hehehe!"
Jose, also greatly amused, laughed heartily, "Yes, an ordinary center could never do this, but this is Carlos we're talking about. It exists! It's... legitimate!"
"Oh? Legitimate?"
Mario blinked, then chuckled, "Hey Jose, are you applying the praise we reserve for Kobe onto Carlos?!"
"Ah? Really? Hehe, just stating the facts."
On the court...
"Wow..."
Gustavo Ayon in the stands couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement, "A center leaping over a guard, even with the height advantage, is a visibly superhuman talent. And... that dunk, so cool! Carlos, you're incredible!"
Behind Gustavo Ayon, Shu-How Lin swallowed instinctively — Carlos's dunk had set a standard that even he, who entered the NBA the same year as Carlos, couldn't match.
"We Mexicans have produced a supernova, a rare talent that comes once in a century. Keep shining, Carlos."
And in front of Gustavo Ayon, on the Rockets' bench, he leaned back in his chair and covered his face, unable to hide his thrill and joy.
Indeed...
Anyone who saw Carlos leap over "Pocket Rocket" Lowry and execute the dunk would have their jaw drop, especially a compatriot like Gustavo Ayon.
"Way to go, Carlos!"
The aggressive and visually impactful dunk eroded Lowry's defensive momentum, with the uproarious cheers maximizing the home court advantage.
"Swish!!"
Yet, even amidst the frenzied home atmosphere, Kevin Martin, after a screen, sank an open three-pointer, returning the favor.
Give Martin enough ball-handling opportunities, this shooting guard averaging 24.5 points per game can score at will.
That three-pointer was crucial.
"Whoosh!"
Nash pushed the ball up the court, came to the top of the arc, and handed off to Carlos. As soon as Carlos caught the ball, Shane Battier stepped out laterally, appearing in front of Carlos.
"Battier!"
Carlos narrowed his eyes, a serious expression on his face.
Battier, known for his "hand-in-the-face" defense, is a famously tenacious defender, with refined skills that have troubled superstars like Kobe and LeBron.
Especially the "hand-in-the-face" defense.
Even without blocking the shot, even with less physical prowess, he could greatly reduce an opponent's scoring efficiency.
Facing Battier for the first time, Carlos was all in.
"Thump, thump, thump!"
Carlos rhythmically dribbled the ball, gradually lowering his center of gravity, and in a moment when he leaned his left shoulder, he burst to the left, pulling off an Iverson-style crossover.
"Whoosh!"
With a wide cross in front of him, he shook Battier off balance, took a quick step to the right, stopped on a dime, and pulled up for a jump shot.
"Stomp!"
But as he jumped, Battier, with his quick defensive reflexes, lunged from the side. And… his large hand went straight for Carlos's eyes.
"Whoosh!"
Carlos took the shot.
But… there was interference!
"Clang!"
Carlos didn't hit the shot.
Fortunately, Carter grabbed the rebound. Seeing that a second-chance play wasn't ideal, he passed the ball back out, resetting the offense with Carlos.
"Wow... true to his reputation as a defensive stopper, Battier's ruthless 'hand-in-the-face' defense seems to have Carlos struggling to cope!"
"Indeed..."
"It looks like Battier is doing this effortlessly. In contrast, Carlos seemed a bit rattled by that mid-range shot under 'hand-in-the-face' defense, resulting in a miss."
"Solid defense. Could it be... Battier is Carlos' nemesis?"
"Possibly. Many superstars have had trouble with his defense. Despite Carlos' immense talent, his lack of experience could indeed make him susceptible."
"Ah, come on!"
"No way, Carlos, come on!"
"How could it be just one offensive play? You're underestimating Carlos."
Battier's excellent defense had the home fans slightly worried.
On the court...
Carlos, having received the ball again, was also feeling the pressure.
"Sure enough, he's an experienced defender. His goal from the start wasn't to completely shut me down, but to limit me as much as possible. That's why he could keep up even after being shaken off and still manage to disrupt with 'hand-in-the-face' defense. Whether the shot goes in or not doesn't matter."
Carlos nodded, acknowledging Battier's defense. After all... it's practically impossible to completely shut down players like LeBron, Kobe, Tracy one-on-one.
So...
Maximizing disruption is the best defense.
"Thump, thump, thump!"
Carlos, with the ball at the top of the key, looked at Battier, a trace of combativeness in his eyes: "Smart defense, but since you never intended to block my shot from the start, then..."
"Whoosh!"
A feint step, Carlos pulled up abruptly, letting loose a quick release.
"Stomp!"
Battier went all out to cover, just like before, aiming to disrupt Carlos's vision. The ball flew from Carlos's hands, and then...
"Swish!"
It went right in...
"He scored with a hand in his face? Carlos got lucky there?!" a Rockets fan commented.
Lucky?
Unknown to Carlos, in the ensuing play, he pushed the ball up, and faced with the tenacious defense of Battier, he was one step away from the three-point line.
"Whoosh!"
Another unreasonable three-point attempt.
Against the 'hand-in-the-face' defense, the ball was released and, once again, a perfect swish from deep.
"This one was with hands in his eyes too, huh?!"
The earlier fan was astonished, about to comment on Carlos's luck again, when Carlos, at the right arc, faced Battier's defense.
"Swish!"
Yet another 3-pointer hit nothing but the net.
"How could this be?!"
The fan was dumbfounded, while a nearby Rockets fan twitched his mouth, cursing, "A center shooting threes with 'hand-in-the-face' defense so accurately! Carlos is just a jerk!"
"Hey, it seems... like the 'hand-in-the-face' defense isn't really affecting him."
"What's going on?!"
"Shhh!"
On the court, Battier was shocked, "What's happening? Why does the 'hand-in-the-face' defense have no deterrent effect on Carlos? No, how can he be so accurate?!"
Meanwhile...
In the Mexican National Sports TV studio.
Jose opened his mouth in amazement, exclaiming, "Facing the 'hand-in-the-face' defense of the defensive stalwart Battier, Carlos has gone 3 for 3 from the three-point line, scoring 9 points against the defense. One might think Battier's defense is ineffective."
"Hehehe!"
Mario smiled and said, "Even though 'President' Battier's 'hand-in-the-face' defense is strong... against absolute talent, it seems insignificant."
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