Chương 29: Avenging Randolph!
The crowd gasped in astonishment.
This play even drew a foul from Rose. Pulling off a reverse layup in front of Rose was akin to showing off swordsmanship in front of a master.
Yet he made it, and got the and-one!
The usually reserved Rose raised his hand, admitting his fault. He acknowledged he let Jiang Lin break through and fouled him.
Gay and Randolph, the team's veteran leaders, rushed over to help Jiang Lin up.
"I declare you the winner of this round," Gay said, patting Jiang Lin on the back.
Raising his hand, aiming at the basket.
Free throw was good.
On the next possession, Rose caught the ball beyond the three-point line and used a triple threat position. Jiang Lin didn't buy it; Rose's career three-point shooting percentage wasn't great, and this season, it was only 31%. There was no need to guard him too closely; otherwise, with his muscle mass, a quick crossover could turn Jiang Lin into a traffic cone.
Rose, seeing the space, took a step and shot a three-pointer. Jiang Lin tried to contest, but the ball missed, and Gasol grabbed the rebound.
Gasol immediately made a signature one-handed outlet pass to Jiang Lin. Rose stayed in front of Jiang Lin, showcasing his elite physical talents.
Jiang Lin tried a crossover to shake Rose, but Rose matched him stride for stride, applying pressure with his body.
Jiang Lin used a behind-the-back dribble to create space, then added a between-the-legs dribble to steady himself and cross half-court under intense pressure from Rose.
But Jiang Lin's dribbling speed was too fast. Once in the frontcourt, it was his stage. A series of between-the-legs dribbles followed by a butterfly dribble created separation, and Jiang Lin pulled up for a jump shot.
This was one of his signature moves, relying on throwing off the defender's balance and shooting before they could react.
Rose lunged to contest, but Jiang Lin had already released the ball. The shot banked in off the glass, with Jiang Lin adding extra force on the shot.
After the shot, Jiang Lin looked at his hand. This one was purely about feeling good—his hand felt hot!
Seeing the shot go in, Rose's expression changed. What's going on?
This Chinese player in the No. 20 "JIANG" jersey was doing whatever he wanted against him??
Another layup, more flashy crossovers and sudden shots… Was Rose being used as a sparring partner?
"Wow, that was smooth!" The female fans, represented by Xiao Qi, were starry-eyed.
A back-and-forth with a superstar guard!
Who else could do that?
Moreover, Jiang Lin was getting the better of it!
Another two consecutive baskets. Jiang Lin's sudden pairing with the Grizzlies' starters left Thibodeau scrambling to adjust. He couldn't just put Butler back in to guard Jiang Lin now, as that would indirectly validate Jiang Lin. Plus, with Rose's pride, having the coach assign someone else to defend his man would mess with his head.
"Stay focused!" Thibodeau shouted to his team.
Tony Allen was still pumped, yelling, "Defense, defense, we're closing the gap!"
On the next play, Rose called for a pick-and-roll with Noah, using the strongest physical matchup to switch and attack the Grizzlies' big man. Rose banked in a shot over Randolph.
Coming back, Jiang Lin tried to spin past Rose, but Rose preemptively positioned himself. If Jiang Lin hadn't quickly passed to Tony Allen, he would have been forced to stop.
Tony Allen returned the ball to Jiang Lin, who faced a mini-trap from Hamilton and Rose. Jiang Lin dished it to Randolph inside, who muscled in for a basket against Boozer!
"It seems regular moves won't work on him!" After several unsuccessful attempts to beat Rose with basic dribble moves, Jiang Lin realized how terrifying Rose was at this point in his career. His playing style was too dominant, making reckless lateral movements that could easily injure the knees.
But still formidable.
However, Jiang Lin had a plan! This was just the tip of the iceberg.
Even this glimpse made fans feel it was incredible. Many fans tuned in to the live broadcast upon hearing the buzz.
An undrafted player, discarded by the Lakers, was pulling off an array of moves every time he took the court for the Grizzlies. And against such high-level defense, this rookie had no turnovers.
He was shining!
A beacon for Chinese players!
This time, as the Bulls ran a pick-and-roll, Jiang Lin went around the screen. Rose opted not to shoot and passed to the cutting Noah, who threw down a vicious one-handed dunk over Randolph!
Some fans even switched sides to cheer.
Rose and Noah celebrated loudly.
"Whoa…" This ignited the competitive fire between both teams. Randolph was beloved by the Grizzlies. He was a nice guy off the court, and everyone felt the sting.
Jiang Lin received the ball from Randolph and said, "Zach, I'll avenge you!"
Randolph was fuming, but this was competitive sports. As a ground-bound big man, he was prone to being dunked on.
But Jiang Lin's words brought a sense of security.
Coming back, Jiang Lin's expression changed, signaling for no screens as he slowly dribbled up the court. The horns formation spread the floor, indicating an isolation play.
Rose lowered his stance to guard Jiang Lin one-on-one.
Rudy Gay and the others cleared out, giving Jiang Lin the space for a one-on-one duel. He was the king of isolation, and they trusted him to avenge Randolph.
Fans couldn't contain their excitement.
An undrafted player vs. the first overall pick!
Hard work vs. talent?
"This is insane…" Commentator Ma Jian, explaining the strategy to fans, was in awe. In just his first game, the Grizzlies were clearing out for him, running a horns isolation. This showed immense confidence in him. If he were on the Lakers, he'd be subbed out immediately.
Wang Zixing: "The Grizzlies are fully committed to developing Jiang Lin!"
Then he realized why the Grizzlies were giving this 20-year-old Chinese player such opportunities…
Because this time,
he was simply dazzling!
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