บท 21: A Battle of Wits and Skill
Anthony was feeling a bit rattled.
When he realized that Wang Chong's close pressure was genuinely confusing him and making it hard to dribble, the point guard for Syracuse University quickly snapped out of his own daze and rushed over to support Anthony.
Hearing his teammate's calls, Anthony hurriedly looked up, scanned the court, and, after confirming his teammates' positions, decisively chose to pass the ball.
It wasn't that he feared Wang Chong. He had simply been caught off guard by Wang Chong's aggressive defense and hadn't reacted in time.
While passing, Anthony already had a plan in mind. After putting some distance between them, he'd get the ball back as soon as possible, reset his position, and attack this guy again.
He could not tolerate this humiliation!
But Anthony wouldn't get the chance.
Just as he passed the ball to his teammate, a figure suddenly darted in from the side, tipping the basketball perfectly to disrupt the pass, then scooped it up and sprinted toward Syracuse University's backcourt.
Dwyane Wade!
Nicknamed "The Flash," Wade was exceptionally fast, especially at his peak.
After making the steal, Wade had a clear lead over everyone else, and the Syracuse guards simply couldn't match his speed.
Wade dribbled to just inside the free-throw line, took two steps, and leapt up, finishing the fast break with a powerful two-handed dunk.
The spectacular dunk drew cheers from the crowd on the sidelines.
This wasn't the NBA, where there were home and away fans; the NCAA finals were played in a completely neutral venue. Most of the spectators were just there to enjoy the game without any bias, allowing them to cheer and applaud any young player who performed well.
But Anthony's expression darkened.
Before the game, he was the only player getting all the attention and discussion from the crowd. Neither Wade nor Wang Chong from Marquette University could compare to him.
But as soon as the game started, Wang Chong and Wade teamed up to send him a message!
Anthony squinted slightly as he watched Wang Chong, who was smiling and high-fiving Wade as they retreated back to defense.
On the sidelines, the Syracuse University head coach saw this and silently thought, "This could be a problem."
To him, Anthony was almost the perfect player, with comprehensive skills and outstanding athletic ability. Apart from his lack of enthusiasm for defense, he had almost no weaknesses.
But Anthony, still a college freshman in his early twenties, was at an age where he could be reckless and fearless—prone to impulsiveness and eager to prove himself on the court.
Normally, this wouldn't be a problem, as Anthony could rely on his superior individual abilities to lead his team to defeat any opponent in their way.
However, the way Wang Chong defended Anthony in the previous possession showed him something different. Wang Chong might look unassuming, but he clearly had some skills! At least his defense just now was exceptional—beyond the NCAA level. Even in the NBA, it would have been praised as great defense.
Of course, one possession isn't enough to judge defensive prowess, but the Syracuse coach was still a bit worried. If Anthony got drawn into a head-to-head battle with this Asian guy and ended up getting neutralized, it would spell trouble.
Syracuse University on offense.
Anthony stood at the top of the three-point line with the ball, his eyes locked on Wang Chong in front of him.
After experiencing trouble the last time, Anthony played more conservatively now. If Wang Chong tried to press him again, he would be able to avoid it and keep the attack going.
But this time, Wang Chong didn't rush up to apply tight pressure.
The effectiveness of a move decreases when used repeatedly.
Wang Chong had to rely on the effect of his "Death Coil Badge" to guard Anthony, but the badge wasn't all-powerful, especially since it was only a basic-level bronze badge.
He didn't need to shut Anthony down completely; he just needed to limit his shooting percentage and scoring to an average level. Then, he could find opportunities to produce stats that were not inferior to Anthony's.
For this possession, Anthony decided to change direction, accelerate, and then attempt a mid-range pull-up jumper.
Although Anthony's speed wasn't the fastest among small forwards, it was still quick.
But Wang Chong wasn't slow either, and because of his height and wingspan advantage, he could afford to play slightly back on defense, giving him more reaction time.
When Anthony went for the mid-range jumper, Wang Chong stepped up just in time to contest the shot. Though he couldn't block it, his hand covered most of Anthony's vision.
The game had only just begun, and Anthony was clearly cold. The basketball clanked off the rim with a loud "clang" and bounced up.
The next moment, a dark, solid figure suddenly rushed in and grabbed the rebound before anyone else could react.
It was Hakim Warrick from Syracuse University.
In terms of rebounding ability, he was definitely the best among the ten players currently on the court.
After securing the offensive rebound, Warrick immediately went up with the ball for a putback.
The Marquette players around him hurriedly tried to contest the shot.
But everyone watched as Warrick, attempting a hook layup from one side, sent the basketball over the rim, missing everything on the other side.
This was the reason Warrick, despite his outstanding athletic talent and incredible leaping ability, always remained a blue-collar player in the NBA.
His offensive skills were lacking, and his free-throw shooting was notoriously terrible.
In the original NCAA final, the score between Syracuse University and the University of Kansas was extremely close until the very last minute.
Syracuse was up by three points, and Warrick went to the free-throw line. If he made even one free throw, Kansas would lose any chance of winning the game.
But he missed both free throws, giving Kansas the opportunity to tie the game and force overtime.
It was only because Kansas missed the potential game-tying three-pointer that Anthony's legendary career was able to begin.
Marquette University secured the defensive rebound and set up their offense.
Wade stood on the perimeter with the ball, his eyes catching Wang Chong's. The latter understood immediately and moved out from the paint to set a screen for Wade.
Seeing this, Syracuse University didn't dare to slack off.
Wade and Wang Chong's pick-and-roll was currently Marquette University's most effective and dangerous offensive tactic.
Not only did they need to guard against Wade's drive after the pick-and-roll, but they also had to be wary of Wang Chong's mid-range shot when he popped out after the screen.
But managing both was easier said than done.
Warrick, trailing behind Wang Chong, was forced to switch onto Wade after Wang Chong set the screen. Wade took advantage of the situation and made a decisive pass to Wang Chong, who was open at mid-range.
Facing a Syracuse University guard who was only 1.85 meters tall, Wang Chong didn't hesitate. He rose up for the shot, completely uncontested. The guard tried his best to jump and contest, but he couldn't reach Wang Chong at all.
The height difference was just too great!
End of this chapter
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Chugamc
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