Chapter 232: Chapter 44: Clever Ah Zhan, Arrogant Little Sheep Su Xi

The TNT reporter burst out laughing.

But in the end, Su Xi never told him what he thought about Jessica Alba walking the red carpet with his two All-Star MVP trophies.

The entertainment media was already calling this move "Jessica Alba’s Masterstroke"—the perfect way for her to stake her claim.

...

The media was hyping up the latest showdown between Su Xi and James.

However, Su Xi and the Pacers weren’t treating this as a high-priority game. The Pacers had already lost 11 games. This meant that if they wanted to challenge their franchise-best record and join the league’s 70-win club, they could afford to lose at most one of their next five games.

And this certainly wasn’t going to be that one loss.

"I’ll guard LeBron James," Su Xi volunteered in the locker room before the game.

Since the All-Star break, although Su Xi’s main Super Talent hadn’t seen substantial growth, his other talents had all improved. His ’Super Low Center of Gravity Rhythm Talent’ had reached 91% compatibility. With his strength and flexibility, Su Xi could now slice through defenses with a ferocity that, in some ways, even surpassed a prime Isiah Thomas.

His ’Super Clinging Defense Talent’ reached 95% compatibility, already surpassing the defensive prowess of a prime Gary Payton. Once Su Xi reached 100%, he could certainly make a case for being the greatest defender of all time. However, there were recent whispers from the league office about potential rule changes for the next season or the one after, making the game more favorable for offensive players. Many basketball experts swore that if the league changed the rules, James would become unstoppable while Su Xi would be exposed.

His ’Super Spatial Awareness Talent’ was at 87% compatibility, and while there was still a gap between him and a prime Magic Johnson, Su Xi was already second only to Jason Kidd on the assists leaderboard. His decisiveness and speed on the fast break made the Pacers’ offense more potent and relentless, and players like Reggie Miller and Little O’Neal benefited immensely.

It was true that if Su Xi were on a weaker team, he wouldn’t be able to have such a powerful impact.

But to say he wasn’t playing at an All-Star level would be complete bullshit.

The whistle blew, and the game began.

The home crowd in Indiana was roaring, their cheers echoing endlessly through the arena.

TNT introduced the starting lineups to the national audience. For the Pacers: Su Xi, Artest, Miller, Little O’Neal, and Foster.

For the Cavaliers: Tinsley, James, Jackson, Boozer, and Ilgauskas.

Ilgauskas used his superior height to win the tip-off against Foster. Tinsley brought the ball past half-court with Su Xi guarding him. When he passed to James at the three-point line, Su Xi immediately switched onto him.

On the TNT broadcast, Kenny Smith was still passionately criticizing Su Xi for his arrogance, saying that if Su Xi thought he had Rookie of the Year locked up, he’d better be prepared to get run over by James tonight.

He never expected Su Xi to get right in James’s face on the very first possession.

In terms of height and physique, the two weren’t even in the same weight class.

But when Su Xi swarmed him, using his quick hands to disrupt his dribble, James was instantly thrown off balance.

He tried to drive forward, but it wasn’t very effective. He managed to create a tiny bit of space, but Su Xi’s base was too solid and he was too strong. Harassed and unable to find an angle to penetrate, James was stuck.

He was forced into a pull-up jumper. CLANK!

He bricked the first shot.

"Could Pippen stop Jordan?" Su Xi asked James.

It was the first time Su Xi had spoken to James on the court since their falling out.

James froze for a moment, stunned.

Before he could react, Su Xi was already taking the outlet pass under the basket.

James instinctively moved to cover him.

James had poor defensive habits, but he possessed the physique of an elite defender. When he was fully focused, he was perfectly capable of blocking Su Xi’s path.

However, Su Xi’s handles were better, and his center of gravity was much lower.

After a couple of quick crossovers, Su Xi whipped a pass into the paint. The ball arrived just as Little O’Neal cut to the hoop. He caught it, rose up explosively... and SLAM!

He threw it down.

Boozer, as usual, was nowhere to be found on defense.

On the other end, James ran to the wing, and Su Xi shadowed him.

James was a positionally fluid player. He could play Point Guard, possessing a Point Guard’s vision and excellent passing skills. However, his handles were a bit lacking, and his ball security was subpar when pressured by an equal defender. He could play shooting guard, but his catch-and-shoot ability was average. His listed position was small forward, yet he lacked the complex and varied offensive arsenal of a true small forward. He was especially poor at isolating at the elbow and scoring from the toughest spots to open things up for his team.

While James hesitated, unsure if he should even ask for the ball, Tinsley drove from the wing and tossed up a shot in the paint.

The Pacers fans in the arena gave Tinsley a smattering of applause. They still had a soft spot for him, as he’d been part of many fond memories with the Pacers.

After the ball went in, Tinsley waved to the crowd in acknowledgment.

He wanted to return to Indiana, just like Kenny Anderson had. He just wasn’t a good fit in Cleveland.

But that was definitely not going to happen this season.

Back on offense, Su Xi ran a pick-and-roll with Little O’Neal. He drove into the paint, drew the double-team, and kicked it out to Reggie Miller, who had used an off-ball screen from Little O’Neal to get open in the corner. Miller shot the jumper... The play was executed perfectly, but the shot didn’t fall.

But Su Xi out-hustled Ah Ka, leaping up to tip the ball into the basket.

"You’re getting stronger and stronger, man. So damn physical," Boozer complained to Su Xi on the way back up the court. "Banging against you is like trying to fuck a rock. You’d end up bleeding."

Huh?

Su Xi was surprised by Ah Ka’s newfound literary prowess.

The game continued.

James brought the ball up, with Su Xi shadowing him defensively.

James tried to back Su Xi down inside the free-throw line and attempted a spinning post-move. Su Xi pulled the chair out from under him, and James fell flat on his butt. His back-to-the-basket technique was clumsy; he didn’t even know how to use his shoulder to feel out the defender’s strength, let alone how to shift their center of gravity.

The Pacers’ home crowd erupted in laughter, the arena filled with a joyous atmosphere.

However, the referee called a defensive foul on Su Xi.

Su Xi had no idea what he’d done wrong. He spread his hands, the picture of innocence.

James went to the free-throw line and made one of two.

The game resumed, and under Su Xi’s leadership, the Pacers’ offense ran with high efficiency, continuing to assert their dominance.

The Cavaliers simply weren’t in the same league.

Most importantly, Su Xi was locking down James, keeping him completely out of his rhythm.

He was proving to the entire world that this was how you guard the "Chosen One."

James was furious. He had all this strength but was completely unable to use it.

So, in the latter half of the first quarter, he started taking an extra step on his drives.

But the stone-faced, impartial referee caught him red-handed.

He was not happy about it and lost his temper.

He nearly got hit with a technical foul.

After that play, Su Xi went to the bench for a rest, with Kenny Anderson subbing in for him.

Artest took over the defensive assignment on James. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Artest’s defense was also effective; his strength and tenacity were enough to hinder James’s movements. However, when James started running the pick-and-roll, Artest’s mediocre ability to fight through screens was exposed.

James began to drive into the paint frequently, drawing fouls and creating scoring opportunities.

He managed to shrink the deficit, and his personal stats began to pile up during this stretch.

Then, Su Xi checked back in.

But just as he did, James went to the bench for a rest.

With James off the floor, Su Xi went on a tear. The lead quickly ballooned to double digits, and his own stats rose accordingly.

James checked back in after Su Xi had been on the court for five minutes, just as Su Xi himself was about to sub out for a rest.

They were like two factory workers on opposite shifts, one on days, one on nights, rarely crossing paths.

Su Xi hadn’t expected James to be so clever. ’This "avoiding rush hour" strategy is pretty high-level,’ he thought.

However, it couldn’t change the fact that the Cavaliers were far weaker than the Pacers.

The Pacers’ lead continued to grow slowly, and by halftime, the outcome of the game was already crystal clear.

"If the Cavaliers lose this game, their playoff hopes will take another major hit," Charles Barkley said near the end of the third quarter, with the Cavaliers trailing by 21 points.

"But LeBron’s putting up great numbers tonight. He’s got 20-5-5 before the third quarter is even over. Those are superstar numbers."