Chapter 165 Three-Point Competition! Jiang Chen: I Only Shoot Three-Pointers on Offense
Jiang Chen, who was sitting on the bench, raised his eyebrows.
Before Dampier had enough of the humiliation, another fearless individual jumped out.
The Mavericks were truly a team with all sorts of weird and wonderful characters.
They weren't particularly outstanding in ability, but they certainly had fiery tempers.
He looked towards head coach Phil Jackson, who also turned his gaze.
With just a glance, Phil understood Jiang Chen's intention.
The intense fighting spirit seemed to have materialized, enveloping Jiang Chen's body.
Seeing Jiang Chen like this reminded Phil of the young Kobe, who was also so arrogant and had such a hot temper. He wasn't convinced by anything on the court and wanted to challenge all opponents, no matter how strong or weak they were.
Kobe even challenged his teammates during training.
The most infamous incident was when he dominated his former teammate, Reid, who had an output of 19.3 points in his peak season, and essentially forced him into early retirement.
It was truly ruthless!
As long as someone was stronger than him, he wanted to defeat them.
Phil waved his hand and substituted Jiang Chen into the game during a dead ball.
"Dude, you finally got here. Otherwise, I would have had no rivals in three-point shooting in this game. I would have been so lonely!"
Terry said with a smile, his tone brimming with confidence.
"Senior, I can only say that you are as ignorant as Dampier."
"Now I declare that before Dampier comes back onto the court, my offense will consist solely of three-pointers."
Jiang Chen stated, his voice suddenly sharp, his eyes filled with a fierce intensity, and his expression mirroring Kobe's when he was enraged.
Not only Terry heard this, but also the Mavericks' bench players.
Josh Howard, Nowitzki, and others were skeptical and exchanged slight, disdainful smiles.
Only Dampier looked solemn, Jiang Chen's words about dunking on him twice echoing in his mind. He trembled all over, repeatedly questioning himself.
It can't be true, can it?
It can't be true!
But what if it was? Would he have to endure the humiliation of being posterized twice more?
Carlisle, standing on the sidelines, chuckled dismissively.
This Chinese player's three-point shooting ability was indeed amazing, but if he only used three-pointers as a means of attack, not only would his offensive approach become predictable, but his success rate would also be difficult to maintain!
If he truly only shot three-pointers as he claimed, it would actually benefit the Mavericks.
The Lakers attacked.
Jiang Chen held the ball and faced the Mavericks' substitute players. With a single glance, he identified the opponent's defensive weaknesses, like a leaky bellows, allowing openings everywhere.
Without elaborate technical maneuvers, he simply dribbled, pulled back, and launched a three-point jump shot.
Simple, direct, and effective.
The basketball traced a high arc.
Swish.
It dropped cleanly through the net.
Jiang Chen raised his hands and made an OK gesture.
"Dude, you have to defend as hard as you can! You can't give this Chinese player an easy chance to shoot a three-pointer."
Terry frowned, somewhat dissatisfied with his teammates' defense.
He wanted to challenge Jiang Chen!
But against such a defensive effort, what was the difference between this and an open look?
The teammate shrugged helplessly, indicating that he had tried his best, but his defensive skills were simply lacking.
This was a fundamental flaw in his game, not a matter of effort.
Mavericks offense.
After Barea dribbled across half-court, he passed the ball to Terry.
Terry, brimming with confidence, shot a three-pointer directly despite Vujacic's defense.
Swish!
Another clean swish.
After the shot, Terry pumped his arms up and down towards the audience, urging the fans to get rowdy, create noise in the arena, and disrupt the Lakers players.
The audience responded with harsh boos and jeers.
Jiang Chen dribbled the ball across half-court, and before the defender could close out, he stopped abruptly near the center court logo and launched an ultra-long three-pointer.
The basketball descended accurately into the basket like a falling meteor.
The stadium fell silent instantly.
The fans all displayed unbelievable expressions; this three-point shot was truly incredible!
"There it is again, Jiang Chen's mid-court logo three-pointer, which has become his signature move in every game!"
"Once again, it's easily a candidate for the top ten plays."
Mike Breen announced, unfazed.
Having watched Jiang Chen's games so many times, he was no longer surprised by such feats.
This was simply Jiang Chen's ability. It was relatively easy for him to make such a difficult three-pointer, so there was no need for astonishment.
However, some audience members were watching Jiang Chen's game for the first time. They were completely awestruck by the long three-pointer and even started cheering.
On the court.
The player defending Jiang Chen glanced at Terry with a helpless expression.
It's not that I don't want to defend!
But it's truly unstoppable!
Who would have thought that this Chinese player would shoot a three-pointer from beyond half-court?
Terry looked gloomy, feeling the pressure.
He naturally knew very well about this Chinese player who had been in the spotlight in the league recently.
But actually witnessing Jiang Chen shoot this kind of ultra-long three-pointer was a completely different experience.
Emotions such as shock and disbelief surged through him, causing him to feel a pang of regret.
Why couldn't I suppress my desire to show off?
This Chinese player won't really rely solely on three-pointers in the future, will he...?
Mavericks offense.
As the primary offensive option in the substitute lineup, Terry enjoyed unlimited offensive freedom during this stretch.
He caught the ball at the top of the key.
Jiang Chen rushed over immediately, and before Terry could make any offensive move, he used his tall frame to smother Terry.
At the same time, he utilized the skill [Hanamiya Steal] to snatch the ball.
Bang!
Quickly and cleanly, the basketball was dislodged.
After securing the basketball, Jiang Chen dribbled across half-court swiftly, stopped beyond the three-point line, and launched another three-pointer.
The Lakers' bench was already erupting with excitement. Kobe, Gasol, and others all stood up, raised their hands high, ready to celebrate.
However, the basketball bounced off the rim and missed its target.
Kobe and the others grinned sheepishly, their premature celebration falling flat, and then awkwardly sat back down on the bench.
All the players hustling back to the frontcourt converged on the basketball. Odom was a step ahead, securing the offensive rebound and passing the ball back to Jiang Chen amidst a heavy defensive presence.
Jiang Chen once again shot a three-pointer from an open look.
This time, immediately after releasing the shot, Jiang Chen landed, turned around, raised his hands high, and began jogging towards the frontcourt.
He didn't even glance at the basketball soaring through the air.
All the spectators present stared at him in astonishment.
Was he that confident?
He started celebrating without even looking back?
Before they had time to fully process it, the basketball hurtling through the air dropped into the basket like a guided missile.
The audience was shocked once more.
Good shot!
Turning around early to celebrate the basket – that move was truly audacious!
Kobe, Gasol, and the others on the bench were all stunned.
This guy made a three-pointer while showboating.
When they had tried to show off by capitalizing on Jiang Chen, they had missed the three-pointer.
Was it intentional...?