My days of working at the NBA

Chapter 54 The Fury Spreads 3 Miles

The North Carolina head coach finally lost his temper and called a timeout.

When Hansbrough and others left the field, they seemed to have lost all their energy, walking dejectedly to the bench.

On the other hand, everyone in Missouri was in high spirits, giving each other high fives to encourage one another.

The contrast was stark; even the audience could see that the morale of the two sides was on completely different levels.

But Anderson didn't let his guard down at all. As soon as the players came down, he went up to them and said bluntly, "Boys, what's wrong? You think you've got this in the bag?"

The crowd, who were grinning broadly, froze instantly.

Anderson continued, "Don't even think that way. If you do, we're doomed."

He paused, then continued, "Do you know why we're in the lead?"

"Because in those few possessions, it was Duze who suppressed Hansbrough in the paint, giving us fast break opportunities. Coupled with those two free throws and possession, we built a 10-point lead. But such an unexpected event is actually a matter of chance. It's impossible for this kind of factor to exist throughout the entire game. The real challenge has not yet begun."

This statement proved prophetic.

The game has restarted.

The entire North Carolina team actively moved and roamed, finally creating an effective space for Ty Lawson.

Ty Lawson used his speed to easily score a layup, giving North Carolina their first point.

This point was like opening Pandora's box, instantly smoothing out North Carolina's previously disjointed offensive rhythm.

Green hits a three-pointer from the corner.

Ellington takes a mid-range shot.

Dion Thompson sneaks a shot under the basket.

They won all four rounds in a row.

In Missouri, however, the success rate was only 50%.

One of the points came when Duze set up Carroll, who made a run down the weak side, and Carroll easily scored.

But the situation wasn't that bad.

Anderson kept encouraging everyone on the sidelines, telling them to get into position, work hard on defense, and not let their guard down.

Sure enough, North Carolina's godlike touch also disappeared.

Or to be more precise, as Duzer's help defense range in the paint increased, it became increasingly difficult for North Carolina to score.

The first half has reached 11 minutes and 54 seconds.

Ty Lawson used a screen to launch another attack on the basket, moving at incredible speed, like a speeding little tank.

But when faced with Du Ze's interception, he obediently made a crossover dribble past him and then twisted his waist to lay up the ball.

This is Ty Lawson's signature move, and it has a very high success rate.

But he wasn't facing an ordinary person; he was facing Du Ze.

A prodigy with absolute anticipation, amazing jumping ability, rapid leaping speed, and explosive power.

So, as soon as the ball was released, it was brutally swatted away by Du Ze who was following up.

It went directly out of bounds.

This was Ty Lawson's first time facing Duze directly, and he seemed somewhat shocked after falling down.

So much so that when he went to retrieve the ball, he subconsciously pushed Du Ze, who was blocking his way.

Faced with such provocation, Du Ze naturally wouldn't let the opportunity to test his mentality slip by. He steadied himself and turned back with a smile: "You can't even push me? Did you skip breakfast this morning? Tsk tsk... Look at you, no wonder you're so short. Were you abused by your parents when you were little?"

Faced with such a potent poison, Ty Lawson's expression changed drastically, his wide eyes glaring: "Don't even mention my parents..."

Du Ze didn't back down at all: "Did I say something wrong? If you hadn't been abused when you were a child, how could you have grown as tall as a pile of cow dung? It's so pitiful. You played so well, but the mock draft only put you in the first round 29th pick. I really feel sorry for your childhood."

Ty Lawson is very short, about 180cm barefoot. In the NBA, this size is so short that it's no exaggeration to call him a three-inch nail.

But Ty Lawson is a guard from North Carolina!

Throughout his three-year college career, he has steadily improved, from averaging 10 points per game to 12.7 points per game, and now to 16.8 points per game, demonstrating the level of a top point guard.

In addition to averaging 16.8 points per game, he also has 6.6 assists, 3 rebounds, and 2.1 steals, with a field goal percentage of 53.2% and a three-point percentage of 40.9%. His overall stats are very impressive, making him one of the top guards in this year's draft.

As a result, he was only ranked 29th in the latest mock draft.

This is a huge underestimation, and there's even a voice in the market saying it's an insult to Ty Lawson.

Du Ze used this as a starting point, hitting the bullseye perfectly.

Ty Lawson, with a sullen face, didn't get angry. Instead, he retorted, "You're not much better. You can't even dribble properly. I don't know which team's general manager would be blind enough to draft a piece of trash like you at the end of the first round."

Similarly, Ty Lawson also knew Duze well and went straight to the point.

But Du Ze wasn't easily offended. He chuckled and replied, "Because I can cover you up until you cry and go home to your mother. That reason should be enough, right?"

The two were at loggerheads.

The referee quickly noticed something was wrong and rushed over to separate the two.

Du Ze, however, showed no sign of stopping. He pointed at Ty Lawson's large head and said, "Three-Inch Nail, I've thought of another possibility. Could it be that all the nutrients you ate as a child were absorbed by that big brain of yours? Because I feel like your head is full of shit..."

The referee warned, "Stop talking."

Du Ze then abandoned his attack stance, feeling smug and triumphant.

Ha, with such weak attack power, you dare to provoke me?

Feeling good now?

Feeling bad?

Ty Lawson was clearly furious, his teeth clenched in anger. He was obviously enraged by the barrage of criticism.

At this point, North Carolina's head coach, Williams, stepped in to defuse the situation: "He's deliberately trying to provoke you, don't fall for it."

Ty Lawson, who was so angry he was practically farting, calmed down a bit upon hearing this and turned around to indicate, "I know."

The game continues.

North Carolina still has possession of the ball.

He said he understood, but the anger in his heart had already spread far and wide.

Ty Lawson received the ball at the top of the key, and after a screen, he spotted Duze at the free-throw line.

He barely hesitated, and suddenly accelerated forward.

He turned around and passed Du Ze the moment he met him.

The road ahead was once again flat and clear.

Without hesitation, he leaped into the air.

This time, instead of choosing to lay up or dunk, he went straight for the basket and opted for a safer dunk.

However, when people are angry, they are prone to overestimating their own abilities.

Ty Lawson is only 180cm tall. Even with his amazing jumping ability and explosive power, his height is limited and his wingspan is not outstanding. Long-distance dunks are a very difficult thing for him.

Moreover, Du Ze also jumped up behind him.

When he jumped up, he was a head taller than him, and with Du Ze's long arms spreading out, a barrier was formed directly above his head.

wrong.

It's not just the barrier above your head.

After gliding, Ty Lawson's body had begun to fall, and his hand, holding the ball, just touched the barrier formed by Duze.

Then, facing Du Ze's super hang time, he was blocked again.

He didn't even touch the rim; he fell to the ground like a winter melon.