Hello everyone, I'm A-Du.

Chapter 8 The Jordan Rules

Both sides had high shooting percentages in the first few rounds, but Du Xiaoshuai wasn't in a hurry. He returned to the opponent's half and started attacking again.

Seemingly aware of the SuperSonics' tactics, the Trail Blazers loosened their defense on other players and focused their double-teams on Kevin Durant.

Durant wasn't going to play alone; he raised his hand and passed the ball to Swift under the basket.

With no one within a meter of her, Swift, standing at 2.16 meters tall, can still jump up and dunk even if her jumping ability isn't great, easily securing the dunk.

8-6.

First assist secured!

This assist left the entire Trail Blazers team scratching their heads, unsure whether to continue double-teaming.

The two sides continued to play a back-and-forth game in the following matches.

Durant was still firing on all cylinders, running off-ball when double-teamed, his ample stamina resulting in an incredibly high shooting percentage. His advantage lies in creating mismatches against everyone; once the ball is in his hands, even one-on-one defense is ineffective against the Trail Blazers' current roster, and he simply passes to them when double-teamed.

With his outstanding height and already wide field of vision, coupled with the badges from previous system settlements that further enhanced his vision, passing the ball after being double-teamed was incredibly easy, and his assists skyrocketed.

Of course, the SuperSonics couldn't stop the Trail Blazers either, mainly because the other players were too bad and there was no defensive tactical coordination. Often, a single pick-and-roll would get them past their matchup, creating a huge amount of offensive space.

At the end of the first quarter, the SuperSonics led 29-28 thanks to Durant's outstanding performance.

Du Xiaoshuai scored 14 points, 5 assists, and 2 rebounds; almost all of his points were related to him.

At the start of the second quarter, Jeff Green led the team, but the Trail Blazers didn't capitalize on their momentum and rested their starters on the bench. Even so, the SuperSonics were overtaken and fell behind by 5 points. It was a poor performance, so bad that even the referees shook their heads.

The SuperSonics clearly didn't prioritize the league this summer. This is related to the team's relocation; the management doesn't seem to care much about lower-level leagues anymore.

40-35, lagging behind in supersonic speeds.

Three minutes later, Blair waved his hand, and Durant and several key players were back on the field.

Right off the bat, Durant hit a long-range three-pointer from two steps away, forcing the Trail Blazers to have someone hanging around Durant almost every second for the next five minutes, with another player nearby ready to double-team him at any moment.

Scoring suddenly became difficult, and three minutes later, Du Xiaoshuai finally started getting free throws.

The Summer League has a personal foul limit of 10, which is almost double the 6 in the regular season. This means that players on the court hardly have to worry about fouling, and as a result, the intensity of the game increases as the game progresses.

Du Xiaoshuai got past Roy in the corner with an off-the-ball screen and came to the high post. When he received the pass, Aldridge, who was covering for him, was already in front of him.

Du Xiaoshuai made a shooting fake—Aldridge flew up—then he dribbled to the side, quickly released the ball, and just as it left his hand, Rodriguez's block almost poked his eyeball.

"Whoosh!" It hit the target again.

With less than a minute left in the first half, the Trail Blazers still led 48-51.

Blair angrily called a timeout and went to the referee to complain about the opposing player's dangerous actions.

The referee nodded, then shook his head, seemingly trying to explain something.

As the intensity of the game increased, his teammates' shooting percentage began to decline, and assists became increasingly difficult. What was most infuriating was that the Trail Blazers had unknowingly started applying the "Jordan Rules" to Durant.

Sitting on the bench, sweating profusely, Du Xiaoshuai glanced at the voluptuous player Doris waving to him across the table. Was his bravado in front of the older woman about to be humiliated?

He took a big gulp of mineral water.

"Tomatoes! I'll show you something new today!"

Returning to the court, Du Xiaoshuai displayed a gorilla-like rage, relentlessly harassing Rodriguez in the half-court, stealing the ball from point guard Rodriguez, and then cutting the length of the court for a powerful dunk.

50-51.

Next, Roy timed his shot and attempted a three-pointer, but fortunately it missed.

With 20 seconds left, Du Xiaoshuai had just dribbled the ball past half-court when Roy and Webster immediately double-teamed him.

Du Xiaoshuai dribbled between his legs, swaying left and right, swinging back and forth, changing his rhythm, and then took a step to squeeze through the two players. At this moment, Rodriguez also rushed over, and the three of them double-teamed him!

This is absolutely outrageous!

Du Xiaoshuai caught the ball with one hand, didn't even look, and threw it towards the backboard. He refused to believe that even if his teammates were bad, four people under the basket couldn't out-rebound two.

"Whoosh!"

53-51.

What f*ck?

Du Xiaoshuai walked past Rodriguez, looked up, and realized that the ball he had just carelessly thrown out seemed to have gone in!

Could this be the badge's extra 4% hit rate?

The packed stands erupted in cheers. Durant's performance so far has been no less impressive than the media hype yesterday, and this incredible shot ignited everyone's passion.

This ticket is an absolute steal!

"Kevin!—"

"Durant!—"

The fans chanted their names as a cheering slogan.

Only 14 seconds left.

The Trail Blazers inbounded the ball, and while the opposing team was watching the replay on the main screen, the point guard made a long four-point pass, which landed in the opponent's half of the court. Roy sprinted over like a leopard, ready to steal a layup.

After catching the ball bouncing off the ground, Roy dribbled once, entered the three-point line, and took one, two, three steps to make a layup!

The basketball was lifted up by the force, slid towards the backboard, and almost 100% fell into the basket along its trajectory.

"Screw your basketball dream!"

Behind Roy, a shadowy figure, like that of a demon king, suddenly appeared. Du Xiaoshuai leaped one step inside the free-throw line, like a bat with wide wings, his head level with the basket, looking down at the descending Roy. He slapped the rising basketball to the ground with his large hand, like playing volleyball.

"Wow—Kevin blocked Roy's layup, great job! Roy got the rebound again, he shot again, oh—! God, what did I just see? The ball was blocked by Kevin again, time is running out, only three seconds left, Roy got the ball again, decisively shot from the corner, no—! The ball was knocked out of bounds, whoosh—ding—halftime is over! Unbelievable, those last ten seconds were the most breathtaking basketball I've ever seen, Durant blocked Roy three times, until halftime was over! Three blocks in ten seconds!!! And their teammates are still savoring that incredible shot, my God.... This is the most incredible game I've seen this summer, the last time it was this incredible was yesterday, also a SuperSonics game, also by Durant, I declare from now on, I am your fan, your most loyal fan......."

The commentator, who had just noticed the Trail Blazers' moves, started talking non-stop like a machine gun.

Nearly all of the nearly 20,000 spectators and fans on the sidelines stood up and cheered along with the two players' movements, eventually erupting into a tsunami-like wave of sound, which was exceptionally enthusiastic.

Du Xiaoshuai returned to the rest area as if nothing had happened, and walked into the locker room in the tunnel amidst the excited celebrations of his teammates and coaches.

Roy stood there awkwardly, staring at the basket for a while, before being pulled into the tunnel by his teammates.

Inside the locker room, Blair, holding a clipboard, drew some notes and then said, "Since the Trail Blazers are using the Jordan Rules against Kevin, we'll run the triangle offense. When they double-team or triple-team you, spread out to the other side where they have fewer players, then counter-double-team and box out. Kevin, your strategy is simple: either attack the basket or pass the ball to Griffin and the others. Everyone, focus on creating space and grabbing rebounds, especially here..."

Looking at the confident old white man in front of him, Du Xiaoshuai felt that he could win a championship even if he coached a 30-year-old Michael Jordan...

In the second half, the SuperSonics scored their first basket. Durant dribbled past half-court, backed down against Roy, pushed himself to the three-point line, dribbled twice, then stepped back with a fadeaway jumper and made the shot.

55-51

So easy!

However, the referee only gave 2 points because the long, sickle-shaped foot stepped on the line again!

Shit!

Du Xiaoshuai, who returned after three quarters, has regained 8% of his stamina thanks to his terrifying recovery ability of 4 times, and his body is in great shape.

The Trail Blazers were on offense, and while the "Yellow Mamba" couldn't contain Durant, his mismatch offense wasn't often limited in the Summer League. After Durant was drawn away by Aldridge, he dribbled like an eel through the SuperSonics' defense for a low-post layup. This time, Durant was boxed out by Aldridge and couldn't get up to block the shot.

Griffin brought the ball back, and Du Xiaoshuai received it again after crossing the halfway line.

As his teammates took their positions, the Trail Blazers moved the taller Martel Webster over to defend him. Durant saw this, dribbled in front of his body, changed direction, and accelerated, getting past him in one step before he could react. Before Roy could help defend, he rushed into the paint and completed a one-handed dunk over the opposing center, Williams.

After the start of the third quarter, Du Xiaoshuai seemed tireless, making three of his four consecutive one-on-one attempts. Only after missing the fourth attempt due to a double team attack did he begin to pass the ball.

On the other side of the court, the teammates, wearing only thin jerseys, were almost catching a cold from the air conditioning. After receiving the ball, several of them gathered around the sidelines to go for a layup. They missed the first time, but it was okay, there were more people on their side, so they got the rebound. They threw it again, and finally it went in.

Durant stood there looking at Roy and rookie McRoberts, who were blocking his way, shrugged, and started trash-talking with an arrogant look on his face: "You guys think I'm Jordan, buddy."

"I think you are now." McRoberts's answer surprised Du Xiaoshuai.

Are there any players in the league who are this lazy?

Young man, your competitive spirit is no match for the league!

Du Xiaoshuai almost dropped his first trash talk.

"Thanks." Du Xiaoshuai grinned sincerely, his buck teeth hidden in his smile: "You'd better really think so. I'll kill this game the way Jordan did."

"We'll see," Roy said defiantly as he returned to the halfway point.

After trash-talking, Du Xiaoshuai was ready to go all out.

As the Trail Blazers attacked, Roy began to demonstrate why he's known as the "Yellow Mamba." Technically and in terms of awareness, Roy has indeed reached the top tier of shooting guards in the league. He executed a series of quick crossover dribbles, his footwork was unpredictable, and his rhythm changed rapidly. He rushed to the mid-range, suddenly stopped, shook off Durant, and then accelerated to break through, flying low to the basket for a quick shot.

Durant's center of gravity was slightly off, but he didn't lose his position, allowing Roy to break in. It was a perfect opportunity to shut him down, and as Roy went for a layup, Durant delivered a powerful block, slamming the ball against the backboard and then grabbing it with one hand. He then turned and launched a fast break.

The fans under the backboard gasped in amazement. A closer look at the block was simply a violent aesthetic!

Supersonics' offensive and defensive transitions were out of sync; aside from Jeff charging in, no one else could keep up.

Ignoring all that, Du Xiaoshuai dribbled the ball up the court at lightning speed. Roy, who had been blocked, and the Spanish speedster guard Rodriguez quickly chased after him, preparing to surround Du Xiaoshuai.

Du Xiaoshuai's strides lengthened again, like Usain Bolt in a 100-meter sprint, breaking through the defense, becoming one with the ball, rushing into the three-point line, taking a step to the free-throw line and taking off. The extra jump granted by the system made his body even more extended in the air. "Bang!"

57-51

A real-life Jordan-style free-throw line dunk!

The sidelines erupted in cheers once again.

With the score about to widen, Trail Blazers coach Monty Williams quickly raised his hand to lower the tempo.

But Durant was now really into the game. Forget the triangle offense, he just kept shooting as soon as he got the ball!

In the Summer League, apart from Aldridge and Roy, the Trail Blazers' roster wasn't particularly good. Aldridge couldn't keep up with Durant's speed, and Roy lacked the height and wingspan to defend either.

The two tried to double-team, but Durant's offensive initiation points were mostly outside the three-point line, making it difficult for Aldridge to pull out for help defense or double-team, otherwise the interior would definitely be lost.

The score began to fluctuate.

Because of the double-teaming on the perimeter, Du Xiaoshuai's shooting percentage began to drop, but he strangely dominated the offensive rebounds. Aldridge was surrounded by two defenders under the basket and was somewhat isolated.

However, with too much energy spent on offense, Durant started directing the defense with his hands on his hips, which greatly improved the Trail Blazers' scoring efficiency.

At the end of the third quarter, the SuperSonics led 90-88. Durant only rested for one minute, shooting 6-for-10 from the field, 2-for-3 from three-point range, and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line, scoring a whopping 16 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks in the quarter. Including his 14 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block in the first quarter, and 12 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 3 blocks in the second quarter, he had a total of 42 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists, 6 blocks, and 1 steal after three quarters.

At this point in the game, both coaching staffs, players, and spectators were getting a little carried away, playing so intensely and under immense pressure to win or lose.

In the fourth quarter, Jeff rested, and Durant requested to enter the game immediately. On the opposing team, Aldridge rested, and Roy led the team. With their interior pillar gone, Durant's pressure was immediately reduced.

Although there were still two outside players double-teaming him from time to time, without Aldridge, the opponent's ability to protect the rim was almost zero. As long as Durant attracted the double-team and threw the ball to the basket, his teammates could shoot, throw, or dunk the ball with almost no obstruction.

Mohammed Sini and Swift each ate two pancakes, forcing the Trail Blazers to call a timeout in less than three minutes.

At this point, Du Xiaoshuai had already accumulated 12 assists.

102-94

After the timeout, both teams substituted their starters. The Trail Blazers had possession of the ball, and Aldridge received it and drove into the paint. With a series of elegant and solid footwork, he seemed to transform into Duncan and scored with a layup.

96-102.

During the SuperSonics' offense, everyone's attention was focused on Durant, but this time Griffin passed the ball to Jeff Green after halftime. The neglected Green stood outside the three-point line and saw that the Trail Blazers only had one person helping defend from two meters away and were reluctant to assign someone to defend him one-on-one. So he jumped up and pulled up for a three-pointer.

"Whoosh!"

105-96. Jeff Green is never afraid of big games. This play showed the opponent that leaving him open in such a close situation will definitely come at a price.

The Trail Blazers had no choice but to shift their defensive focus to Jeff Green.

Although the SuperSonics conceded a point and Roy hit a three-pointer, Durant immediately felt the space was much more open on the next possession. He ran out of position haphazardly and then made another mid-range shot after receiving the ball.

107-99，还有8分分差。时间还剩5分40秒。

This point difference is a bit awkward for the Trail Blazers.

In a summer league, at this stage, surrendering would damage morale, but continuing would be too strenuous.

Roy and Adriano have their own pride; surrendering is out of the question. At worst, they can slack off and rest in the later league matches, but they must win this game.

But Du Xiaoshuai's sudden outburst turned the last two minutes into garbage time.

It was so sudden!

Du Xiaoshuai felt as if his body had regained its mobility, overcoming a bottleneck and becoming more comfortable when double-teamed.

Receiving the ball beyond the three-point line, facing Roy's long arms and Rodriguez's help defense, he seemed to return to simplicity, holding the ball with one hand, dribbling it between his legs, suddenly standing up and jumping slightly, leaning back, his eyes not even seriously aiming at the basket, the basketball was instinctively thrown out of his hand, and a second later there was a crisp "swish!"

In that instant, Du Xiaoshuai felt detached from worldly affairs.

On and off the field, they seemed to be seeing monsters!

110-99.

Aldridge's next low-post attack was fouled by Sini, and he made one of two free throws, giving the SuperSonics possession. Durant received the ball before even crossing half-court, and when he was two steps away from the three-point line, still in that transcendent state in his mind, he raised his hand and threw it at the basket again.

"Whoosh!"

113-100.

The Trail Blazers are really breaking down now. They haven't even gotten into position yet, and you've already finished your attack. You're playing even worse than the Suns!

Back in the backcourt, the Trail Blazers were ready to make a run, but just as Sergio Rodriguez was dawdling past half-court and passed the ball to Roy, Durant suddenly moved, his long arms like a snake cutting off the passing route. He then ran over, grabbed the deviated basketball, and sprinted back to half-court.

Sergio Rodriguez, the 27th pick in the 06 draft by the Suns, was a tall, fast, and physical point guard who was 1.91 meters tall. When Durant stole the ball from him, he rushed to the rescue, but the tall Durant completely dodged the opponent's entanglement with a behind-the-back dribble, accelerated into the frontcourt, and when everyone was chasing back, he raised his hand and made another Curry-style three-pointer.

"Whoosh."

116-100

"Beep—"

Trail Blazers coach Monty Williams called a timeout.

His teammates ran over to Du Xiaoshuai and celebrated with a chest bump, as excited as a simp who had been invited to go shopping by his goddess.

Du Xiaoshuai let his teammates bump into him, put their arms around his shoulders, and even pat his head. He returned to the rest area coolly, recalling the feeling of being detached from everything just now.

He knew that this was the final basketball experience and state that his soul and body had fully digested from the system.

After that moment, Du Xiaoshuai's basketball skills, understanding, and abilities had reached their peak in his previous life.

After that, the only way to improve is through hard training. But even with hard work, the improvement will be limited. It's not as good as performing well in intense competitions. After all, Durant's predecessor trained for twenty years and didn't squander his talent by playing online games at home every day. His talent has already been developed to the point where there's no room for further improvement.

The state of selflessness during a match will decline, and the state of performance will also decline if the hard work and improvement are not maintained.

Since the results will inevitably decline, Du Xiaoshuai has decided that he shouldn't train too hard in the future. The marginal benefits are not proportional, and it's easy to get injured, so it's not worth it!

Hmm—the perfect excuse to be lazy!

As the timeout approached, Monty Williams waved to Blair from afar, and the two tacitly switched to the bench. The game was entering garbage time, completely disregarding the plight of the nearly 20,000 passionate and frustrated fans on the sidelines...

Fans: Coach, we're furious! We've all taken our pants off, and this is what you show us?

"Get Kevin—we want to see Kevin!"

Blair was relaxed on the SuperSonics' side. After all, his team was leading by 16 points, and with only a few minutes left, it wouldn't be easy for the opponent to catch up.

The Trail Blazers coach doesn't want to take risks. The purpose of the Summer League is to train and refine tactics, not to risk everything. Their core players are injury-prone, and the team doctor has a terrible reputation. Last season, both of them missed more than 20 games and almost didn't qualify for the All-Rookie Team. Now, for a regular Summer League game, why push them to the limit at the last minute? Winning wouldn't be beneficial, losing would damage their confidence, and if they get injured, would he still be able to keep his job as the lead assistant coach?

It's not worth it at all!

This is good; it's intense but won't hurt you!

"If everyone is guilty, the blame lies with me," Monty, who chose to take the blame for the defeat, almost moved himself to tears.