NABC Chapter 168
Chapter 168
Lin Feng didn't shoot, but dribbled to the right to break through. Sun Hao's lateral movement was slow, and Lin Feng got half a step past him. He drove into the paint, Liu Yang came over to help defend, and Lin Feng jumped up and passed the ball to Chen Hao in the corner in mid-air.
Chen Hao received the ball and, without hesitation, shot it directly.
Three points.
The ball arced high and swished through the net.
"Good shot!" Gao Yuan shouted.
Coach Li made a note in his notebook.
Three to four.
The red team is on offense. Zhang Lei dribbles the ball across half-court, facing Lin Feng's defense. His dribbling speed isn't fast, but his rhythm is very varied—a combination of fast and slow, sometimes left, sometimes right, like a snake swimming in water.
Lin Feng tried his best to keep up with his pace, but he was always a step behind.
Zhang Lei suddenly accelerated and broke through to the right. Lin Feng turned to chase, but Zhang Lei stopped abruptly, switched his weight to the left, and Lin Feng, whose center of gravity had already shifted, couldn't recover and stumbled.
Zhang Lei easily made a jump shot, and the ball went in.
Three to six.
Coach Li shouted from the sidelines, "Lin Feng, don't shift your center of gravity on defense! Keep your footing steady!"
Lin Feng wiped the sweat from his forehead and walked back to the backstage area.
He recalled the defensive principles Sun Jianguo had taught him—steps should be quick and short, center of gravity low, and eyes should be on the opponent's chest, not the ball. He took a deep breath and readjusted his defensive stance.
Zhang Lei dribbled the ball over again.
This time, Lin Feng's footwork was much steadyer, and he didn't follow Zhang Lei's rhythm. When Zhang Lei broke through to the right, he moved sideways; when Zhang Lei suddenly stopped and changed direction, he adjusted with small steps; when Zhang Lei accelerated again, he gritted his teeth and kept up.
Zhang Lei didn't shake him off and opted for a strong shot.
The ball hit the rim and bounced out.
Lin Feng turned and positioned himself to grab the rebound.
He dribbled the ball forward and passed it to Gao Yuan.
After receiving the ball, Gao Yuan made a long pass to Chen Hao, who was making a fast break, and Chen Hao scored a layup.
Five to six.
Coach Li nodded from the sidelines.
At the end of the first quarter, the White Team trailed by four points—12-16. Lin Feng scored two points, had one assist, and grabbed two rebounds. Defensively, Zhang Lei scored eight points, but Lin Feng did a decent job limiting him in later matchups.
In the second quarter, Coach Li made a substitution.
Lin Feng was substituted off the field and sat on the bench drinking water. He draped a towel around his neck and wiped the sweat from his face, leaving the towel soaked.
He watched the game on the field.
The Red Team's teamwork was more seamless—Sun Hao's dominance in the paint was overwhelming, and the White Team's center simply couldn't stop him. Liu Yang's speed and jumping ability were also overwhelming for the small forward position. Zhang Lei's playmaking and scoring abilities were both strong, making him the engine of this Red Team.
On the White Team's side, Gao Yuan's ball-handling and passing are good, but his scoring ability is average. Chen Hao has accurate shooting, but he's not good at attacking with the ball and needs someone to create opportunities for him. Their inside game is completely suppressed.
Ten minutes into the second quarter, the point difference had widened to twelve points.
Coach Li called a timeout and substituted Lin Feng into the game.
"Lin Feng, you guard Zhang Lei. Gao Yuan, you set up Lin Feng and Chen Hao more often. Don't force your way inside, just pull out and set screens."
The timeout ended, and Lin Feng returned to the court.
This time, when he was defending against Zhang Lei, he was much more composed. He no longer tried to predict Zhang Lei's every move, but instead focused on doing his own thing well—keeping his feet steady, maintaining his balance, keeping his arms outstretched, and keeping his eyes on his chest.
Zhang Lei couldn't shake him off for two consecutive rounds and had to pass the ball to Liu Yang.
Liu Yang beat Chen Hao one-on-one and scored a layup.
But at least Lin Feng didn't let Zhang Lei score.
On offense, Gao Yuan called for a screen, and Lin Feng received the ball under the screen, facing Sun Hao's switch defense.