thefictionvixens Chapter 80 The Silent Execution Squad
Chapter 80 The Silent Execution Squad
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Knicks vs. Atlanta Hawks.
Before the game, Madison Square Garden was still the same noisy arena of fame and fortune.
The DJ was playing Jay-Z's latest single, and Spike Lee, wearing an orange Knicks jacket, was chatting and laughing with his Hollywood friends on the sidelines.
However, when the lights for the home team's entrance were focused on the players' tunnel.
As is customary, the Knicks players will act like a group of kids just out of school, bumping chests, yelling, and there might even be one or two carefully designed, funny opening dances.
But today, there is nothing.
Li Xiangbei walked at the front, expressionless.
Randolph, Nate, Wilson... behind him, everyone had their heads down.
There were no high-fives, no interaction, not even eye contact.
They simply walked silently to the bench, quietly tightened their shoelaces, and then stood in the center circle, waiting for the jump ball.
On the away team's side, Hawks stars Joe Jensen and Josh Smith couldn't help but chuckle on the bench as they watched this scene unfold.
"Look at them, did these New York softies get beaten to tears by the Wizards?" Josh Smith mocked.
In the commentary booth, Mike Brin also sensed something was wrong. He adjusted his microphone and asked in a puzzled tone:
"The Knicks tonight... are weird. They don't seem to be playing at home?"
……
Game start.
After the jump ball, the Hawks went on offense.
Soon, everyone noticed the Knicks' unusual behavior.
This is not just a matter of coldness in expression, but a qualitative change in tactics.
The Knicks displayed an unprecedented "meat grinder-like half-court defense".
Wilson clung to Joe Jensen like a mad dog.
That was the part where Li Xiangbei had cursed him the most in the video room yesterday—leaking people.
Today, Chandler would love to stick himself to Joe Jensen.
Every pick and roll was accompanied by the sound of muscles colliding.
It wasn't the kind of malicious foul aimed at crippling someone, but rather a hard-fought confrontation that recklessly tested the limits of the rules.
Offensive end.
Li Xiangbei dribbled the ball past half-court.
He didn't even look at the basket; he just stood at the top of the arc, coldly surveying the entire court.
He doesn't even need to call out tactics.
He pointed his finger toward the baseline, and Nate immediately started a crazy backdoor cut.
His eyes glared at the inside, and Randolph immediately shut down Horford, taking his position.
This is a "puppet"-like operation.
Li Xiangbei flicked his wrist, delivering a lightning-fast bounce pass that accurately passed through two defenders and reached Randolph.
Randolph catches the ball, turns, and slams it home!
"Bang!"
After scoring, Randolph didn't pound his chest and roar as he usually does, nor did he celebrate.
His first reaction after landing was to immediately turn around, lower his head, and return to defense at full speed.
Because Li Xiangbei's words from last night kept echoing in his mind:
"Scoring a goal is no excuse for rest. If you're even one step slow in getting back on defense, you'll have to do ten extra sets of shuttle runs tomorrow."
That fear was more intense than the thrill of scoring a goal.
End of first quarter.
Knicks 24:14 Hawks
The Knicks' offensive pace wasn't fast, but the Hawks only scored 14 points in the quarter.
The entire audience held their breath.
……
In the second and third quarters, the Hawks tried to gain momentum.
Their super sixth man, Jamal Crawford, came on to try and break the suffocating rhythm with his unreasonable individual scoring.
The Hawks scored 5 straight points.
At this moment, Li Xiangbei made his move.
He didn't force a single shot throughout the game, nor did he try to take the ball and go it alone like he used to.
He only shows his fangs when his teammates run the play but miss, or when the Hawks are about to gain momentum.
[Guaranteed winning amount: 1/8]
Facing the Hawks' recent three-pointer that brought them within two points, Li Xiangbei dribbled past half-court and, with a blank expression, pulled up for a shot from two meters away from the three-point line.
"Whoosh."
After shooting, he turned around without even looking at the basket.
This is a silent form of "punishment".
Throughout the entire game, Li Xiangbei only took 8 shots.
All three-pointers, all made.
24 points.
no more, no less.
He focused all his energy on passing and defensive command.
He's like a commander with a god-like perspective, putting the ball in the hands of every teammate who runs into open space.
That kind of pass carries a strong sense of pressure—as long as you get into position, the ball will definitely arrive.
This is a silent pressure that says, "If you don't make a run, you'll be letting down the pass and will be punished."
……
The crucial moment of the fourth quarter.
A long backboard was deflected out of bounds.
If it were the old Randolph, he would have definitely watched them leave with a glance, or shrugged helplessly.
But today.
The 300-pound fat man recalled Li Xiangbei's cold gaze from yesterday and the words, "If you don't want to die, then fight for your life."
He gritted his teeth and rushed out!
He leaped into the air!
Randolph's massive body flew over the scorer's table, smashing over popcorn buckets and drink cups in the front row. Amidst the chaos, he managed to save the ball back onto the court in mid-air!
"My God!" Spike Lee exclaimed, his mouth agape, spilling his Coke. "Is this still the same 'rotten tofu' who only knows how to pad his stats?!"
The ball was recovered, and the Knicks scored on the counterattack.
In another round.
Gallinari suffered a severe cut above his eyebrow from Josh Smith's elbow while defending him.
Blood flowed down instantly, staining half of his face red.
The referee stopped the game.
The team doctor rushed over and gestured for him to leave the field to stop the bleeding.
Gallinari glanced at Li Xiangbei on the sidelines.
Li Xiangbei didn't speak, but simply nodded slightly.
There was a sense of approval in that look.
After processing,
Gallinari revealed a sinister smile.
"He's not dead yet! Continue!!"
He roared and returned to his defensive position.
At this moment, this is no longer a lousy team that only squanders its talent in nightclubs.
This is an iron-blooded legion!
Madison Square Garden erupted in the most deafening cheers of the season—not because of the game-winning shot, not because of the dunk, but because of this moving display of fighting spirit!
……
"beep--!"
The final whistle blew.
The final score was 105:82.
The Knicks won by a margin of 23 points.
The Hawks' overall field goal percentage was limited to an appalling 35%.
李向北数据：24分（8投8中），20助攻，5抢断，0失误。
This was a perfectly controlled situation.
Post-match interview.
Hawks head coach Woodson looked bewildered, as if he hadn't yet recovered from the shock he had just experienced.
"We prepared defensive tactics, we studied their run-and-gun tactics... but we were not prepared to fight an army."
Joe Jensen shook his head with a wry smile during the interview:
"This isn't the Knicks, it's Spartacus. That number 8... he's not a player, he's a finisher."
……
locker room.
There was no champagne, no celebration, no loud noise.
Li Xiangbei sat in front of his wardrobe and slowly took off his protective gear.
His teammates looked at him with awe.
Li Xiangbei stood up.
He looked around.
"That's more like it."
Li Xiangbei's voice remained calm, but everyone could hear the affirmation in it.
"Tomorrow morning at 9 o'clock."
He slung his bag over his shoulder and walked toward the door.
Don't be late.
Randolph muttered under his breath, "Damn, this is even more tiring than the playoffs... but I love winning."