noveldrama
Chapter 803 803 517 The Tragedy Announced in
Chapter 803 803 517 The Tragedy Announced in
?Chapter 803: Chapter 517: The Tragedy Announced in Advance_2 Chapter 803: Chapter 517: The Tragedy Announced in Advance_2 “`
But he was just the right match to go against Durant.
Like James, he could use his physique and strength to overpower Durant. Durant may have skill and speed, but neither was enough to shake off Artest.
Unable to get rid of him in an instant, Artest’s countermeasures would make him feel powerless.
At the start of the game, having had one of his plays shut down by the opponent, Durant already had an understanding of their style.
He knew he shouldn’t go head-to-head with Artest right now.
Seeing Durant pass the ball back to Livingston, Yu Fei nodded approvingly from the sidelines. It seemed he had learned from the last game.
There’s indeed no need to force plays against an immovable opponent.
Because the SuperSonics had a mature pick-and-roll system.
Durant returned to the perimeter.
Livingston then posted up Bibby beyond the three-point line.
It was like a dual-threaded attack: as Livingston backed down his man, Durant used Brown’s screen to shake off Artest and run to the top of the arc.
Livingston made the pass.
Durant caught the ball and hit a three-pointer.
Thus, the SuperSonics’ lead grew to 16 points.
The Lakers needed to keep attacking, but Durant, looking completely different from the first half, might just be able to hold off James’s second unit?
The SuperSonics’ coaches and players were optimistic for a while on the sidelines.
Then, James suddenly abandoned the game plan, drove with the ball to create defensive chaos, and assisted Miller for a successful three-pointer.
This was probably the match the League and the spectators wanted to see the most.
No one was playing poorly; Durant and James, as the protagonists of this stage, were both displaying their strengths.
However, as a core player, James outshone Durant.
He knew the SuperSonics would double-team him, so he was more active off the ball, and even with subpar performance in the post, he could still steadily drive the offense.
Durant had come to realize what he should and shouldn’t do in the face of a nemesis like Artest; he knew his role, but his impact on the team wasn’t as significant as James’s.
He was reluctant to accept this, but for the team, such a performance was already enough.
With four and a half minutes to go in the second quarter, James hit a dry land three-pointer, closing the gap to seven points.
The SuperSonics called for a timeout.
Coach Lu substituted the other starters back in and sent Alonzo Gee in to rest Durant.
Durant was very frustrated; he had given his all but still couldn’t maintain the lead.
“You’re not LeBron’s match right now,”
Yu Fei told Durant as he prepared to rest on the sidelines.
“I know,” Durant responded, “he’s more influential on the court than I am.”
“Don’t be discouraged,” Yu Fei said teasingly, “He’s first team, you’re no team, that’s to be expected.”
With that, Yu Fei returned to the court without looking back.
Although not selected for this year’s All-NBA Team, Durant believed he had the talent to be in the league’s top ten. Hearing Yu Fei’s last remark, he felt somewhat defiant, but the cheers welcoming Yu Fei back to Key Arena swept away his thoughts.
On the Lakers side, Kobe and the other starters returned as well.
Because of James’s resurgence, they were confident they could beat any team in this state.
A seven-point difference? Just three possessions to erase.
“LeBron, do you only exert yourself against our bench?”
As soon as Yu Fei got on the court, he immediately taunted James’s strategy of playing against the second unit.
James didn’t take it to heart.
Then, on Yu Fei’s first play back on the court, he called for a pick-and-roll with Chris Bosh, singling out Antawn Jamison.
Jamison was the Lakers’ weakest link in this lineup. In the first play, James didn’t double team Yu Fei after the pick-and-roll as he did in the first quarter; he let Jamison switch defense normally.
This on-the-spot misjudgment made Jamison look like a plaything easily manipulated by Yu Fei.
Jamison was faked out, and worse, he couldn’t control his center of gravity.
Yu Fei, beyond the three-point line, took off like McGrady did against the Spurs in that miraculous 35 seconds of 13 points against Duncan, brushing against Jamison in the same manner. The referee blew the whistle for a foul, and the shot, looking as if it had been affected, gently flew from his hand and traced a beautiful arc into the basket.
“Frye with a four-point play!!!”
The arena announcer’s scream threw Key Arena into uncontrollable frenzy.
As Yu Fei approached the free-throw line,
Cheers of “MVP” rose.
They didn’t mean to insult Kobe; rather, they couldn’t think of any other way to praise.
Yu Fei was their MVP, and in their eyes, the only MVP.
“MVP!”
The chant spread from inside Key Arena to the outside.
Down the corridors, along the commercial streets, and all the way to the main entrance.
Every Seattleite knew who the cheers were for.
People in front of their TVs couldn’t help but join in.
Those who couldn’t buy tickets could only watch the live broadcast on the big screens in the plaza outside the arena.
They, too, started echoing the MVP chants from inside.
The MCCAIT members stationed at the strategic points of Key Arena’s entrances and exits were angry that the public sentiment was so easily swayed.
Listen to this cheer; it’s as if the whole world is supporting Frye.
“Focus on more important things, citizens!” MCCAIT tried to take control of the situation with louder cries.
Every time they made a sound, the fans outside responded with an even louder “MVP” chant.
Since the SuperSonics became championship contenders, the playoffs season turned into Seattle’s basketball season.
Basketball would become the most important thing in Seattle during this time.
When Yu Fei performed well, the whole city looked up to him.
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