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Chapter 337 - 161. When you can make every shot, you just can’t stop shooting!_2

Chapter 337: 161. When you can make every shot, you just can’t stop shooting!_2

Sloan nodded with satisfaction, knowing he couldn’t count on Boozer to break open the game, but it was still good to have him chip in occasionally, preventing the opponent from pulling away.

Just as Sloan mentally praised the stability, Zhang Yang received a high pass, faked a shot to shake Kirilenko, who had moved up to guard him, dashed into the lane, grabbed the ball, and took two strides, making a throw shot past Boozer who reached out to interfere, and scored!

The difference was back to five points. It was Jazz Team’s turn to attack; Boozer again asked for the ball in the low post, backed down his defender, turned, and made a close-range jump shot... Score!

The fans at the venue got excited at that sight!

Of course, they weren’t cheering for the opponents; both teams had been grappling in defense, and with less than ten field goals combined in the first quarter, even though they were leading, they were tortured. Now, seeing Zhang Yang and the opponent shooting it out, how could they not get excited?

The fans chanted "Jack," "response ball."

Bobcats attacked, Rondo continued to play for Zhang Yang.

Zhang Yang also kept using Millsap’s screen on the wing. Deron preemptively moved to cut but Zhang Yang stopped his feet during the screen, turned around, and ran towards the left baseline... Ball to man!

Deron quickly turned to catch up, Boozer also rushed to mid-baseline, but both were a step slow, Zhang Yang received the ball, turned, and made a mid-range shot!

Kirilenko tried hard to cut off Rondo’s pass, but couldn’t!

If Zhang Yang were a three-point shooter, it might have been better; Rondo’s breaking near the three-point line counts as a long pass, with easier angles and force to read, Kirilenko could have been more effectively interfering. Rondo speeding up the release meant Zhang Yang might not have been in place yet, and the ball would have passed by; a slower release from Rondo, and the defending Deron could not say he would steal but could stick close upon Zhang Yang receiving the ball.

But Zhang Yang was taking mid to long-range shots, quick straight passes sufficed, and rookie Rondo’s vision was excessively good, Kirilenko felt even Deron couldn’t catch up, the passing angles were tricky, simply unstoppable.

And the receiver, Zhang Yang, was not just a shooter; Kirilenko moving up early for defense just meant being outplayed outright, not to mention the precision inside... He was helpless.

Sloan, already on the sidelines, felt powerless at a tactical level; Deron and Kirilenko had already made autonomous adjustments, which in his view were very good, but opposition Zhang Yang was also good at responding, and he scored.

The game suddenly entered a star shootout phase, Sloan was greatly troubled, but this was not the time to call a timeout blindly, as it would majorly affect the morale; all he could do was hope Boozer could keep scoring.

But his expectation was dashed once again...

Continuously targeted for two rounds, Millsap defended brilliantly this time, anticipating Boozer’s turning direction, and managed effective interference just as Boozer turned to make his jump shot! Boozer’s jump shot failed!

It was Bobcats’ turn to attack, Zhang Yang didn’t even use screens this time, running directly for the ball.

After a month of collaboration, Rondo and Zhang Yang had established a tacit understanding; seeing Zhang San’s increasingly arrogant demeanor, he knew he had to pass the ball early, tossing it to Zhang Yang during the move.

Zhang Yang received the ball left of the free-throw line, turned as Deron arrived in front of him, he jumped facing Deron, and scored again!

Four consecutive scores, his hands were blazing hot!

Deron was about to explode!

A mid-range shot, just two points, not greatly harmful, but, the opponent was completely ignoring his presence now, the affront was at a maximum!

On offense and defense switch, Deron decided to take it on himself.

Pick and roll? He waved Boozer away, since passing back out to a teammate who might miss didn’t appeal; he would do it himself!

Facing Rondo’s defense, Deron made a tank-like breakthrough, a sudden stop for a jump shot... unable to shake off Rondo, whose challenge impacted the jump, leaving the shot underpowered, and it fell short!

The ball hit the front rim and bounced out, Deron hurriedly lunged to catch it, not as fast as Rondo!

Rondo grabbed the rebound, turned, and dashed past Deron towards the frontcourt.

Deron desperately followed. Rondo charged into the lane from the middle, not going for a layup, but tossed a look-back-at-the-moon pass!

Deron, sensing trouble, jumped to intercept, but was a fraction late, didn’t stop the ball, regretted it, tried to escape, but before his feet hit the ground, the impact came, he was hurled out, falling outside the baseline... Zhang Yang followed up in the middle for an alley-oop slam dunk, scoring two points!

Sloan called a timeout, the score was 17 to 26, trailing by nine points!

Zhang Yang scored five consecutive baskets, totaling ten points!

Deron stood up, hearing the frenzied cheers of the fans, seeing the opponents arrogantly celebrating after the timeout, he was fuming! Chased back alone only to be played by the opponent, and getting slammed on, where were his retreating teammates? Where had they gone? All useless!

He completely forgot that it was his failed solo play that had given the opponent this counterattack opportunity.

The first time he took on Rondo one-on-one, he never expected this skinny beanpole to be so tough, fast, and sticky.

Angrier still, upon returning to the bench, he immediately faced a severe scolding from Sloan, criticising him for not using the pick and roll when it was available.

Sloan’s intended message was—whether or not there’s an advantage in going solo, playing the pick and roll could cause mismatches and make the game easier.

But all Deron heard was the scolding...

...

After the timeout, Sloan sent the starting lineup back on. He had initially wanted to keep rotating the core players to ensure defensive continuity, but with the opponent scoring ten points in just over three minutes, he had to bring the starters back early.

The Bobcats made no substitutions, Rondo, Zhang Yang, Gerald Wallace, Millsap, Muhammad continued to play.