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Chapter 741 - 315. Corresponding answer_2

Chapter 741: 315. Corresponding answer_2

In the ’98-’99 season, Iverson and O’Neal had the chance to compete for the scoring title because Jordan retired after becoming a legend.

Zhang Yang and James had the opportunity to vie for the scoring title because Kobe now had Kidd and Garnett as teammates, transforming into Rational Kobe and no longer contesting for the scoring title.

When all was said and done, even Iverson’s fans felt that Zhang Yang and Iverson were similar...

Perhaps, this was the reason why Nash, Kidd, and Ginobili often exploded when they faced the Nuggets Team in the past two years?

This season, Nash’s only time dropping over 40 points in a single game was against the Nuggets Team...

...

At 8:40 in the evening, Tuhang Stadium, the entrance ceremony began.

When Iverson made his entrance, he received cheers from the fans in the arena.

The Bobcats’ fans really liked the saying "Zhang Yang is like Iverson"; if Zhang Yang could win MVP in his fifth year like Iverson... the record for youngest MVP would be history, as Zhang Yang would only be 21 in his fifth year!

Although it’s difficult; strong as O’Neal and Duncan, with only one and two MVPs respectively, got theirs at the peak of their careers at twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. Iverson was the youngest among the active MVPs at 25 when he won it, but there’s no harm in hoping, right?

When it was the home team’s turn to enter, Iverson saw Zhang Yang as the last one to run out of the player’s tunnel... This kid is as cool as me!

Iverson loved praising rookies, but he didn’t love saying "So-and-so is a lot like me", preferring to say "Each player is unique".

But this time it was different; since last June, whenever the media asked him about the topic of Zhang Yang being similar to him, he acknowledged it, even Jordan’s retirement giving him a shortcut, Kobe stepping out of the scoring title race, these "common points" were what he mentioned in an interview after Christmas.

Once the entrance ceremony ended, Zhang Yang and Okafor, Iverson and Anthony each brought a few teammates to the scorer’s table to exchange greetings with the opponents.

After the greetings, Anthony grumbled to Iverson, "It was definitely right to bring our boys along, other people’s greetings are at most the top two or three guys, that kid, if he could, he would’ve called over anyone with a bit of fame in the team. With just the two of us, we’re completely overshadowed in terms of presence."

Iverson replied, "His idea is actually good; taking young teammates with talent to meet the core players from other teams. He knows they can’t keep all the geniuses on their team, so if those teammates get traded or they leave when their contract is up, what he’s doing can help those teammates blend in faster with the core players on their new team."

Anthony responded, "That’s true, but those who don’t know might think the kid wants to start a fight."

Upon hearing this, Iverson chuckled but didn’t make any excuses for Zhang Yang.

He could make excuses for Zhang Yang for anything else, but not for fighting.

Zhang Yang had a "record" in that area; him knocking Raja Bell unconscious was still considered one of the most violent acts in NBA history.

To slap and knock someone unconscious was bad enough, but a sneak attack was key...

At 9 in the evening, with Camby narrowly beating Okafor to win the jump ball, the game started.

Nuggets starting lineup: Anthony Carter, Iverson, Anthony, Kenyon Martin, Camby.

Bobcats starting lineup: Jarett Jack, Zhang Yang, Hill, Okafor, Muhammad.

Anthony Carter took the ball and quickly advanced. The Nuggets team also swiftly pressured, with the track team speeding up from the get-go!

Anthony Carter, nicknamed "Dummy," was a name given by the calculator.

After graduating from the University of Hawaii in ’98 and going undrafted, he got a 10-day contract from the Pistons, played in one game, and was cut, making him one of Hill’s former teammates.

In the summer of ’99, he tried out for the Miami Heat and with a bout of very hard, dumb effort, managed to touch the "hard-hearted" calculator, who gave him a 1-year, $300,000 non-guaranteed minimum salary contract.

The calculator never thought that his rare soft-heartedness would create an "inspirational figure".

Anthony Carter has stayed in the NBA until now, his ninth year, and at the age of 32, he was still starting, and it wouldn’t be a problem to play another three or four years. Eighty percent of his contemporaries have already left the NBA.

Anthony Carter’s abilities were quite ordinary, with career averages of 5 points and 4 assists, but he had one very big advantage — speed!

Even at 32, at 185 cm tall with short legs and a long upper body, he charged forward like he was riding whirlwinds, keeping up with Iverson as he dashed to the front court.

It was because of his short, quick legs that Anthony Carter caught the eye of George Karl and started in the first string.

However, the Bobcats were well-prepared and had positioned themselves properly.

Muhammad retreated into the paint, while Zhang Yang and Hill stayed on either side of the free throw line, with Jarett Jack a step inside the arc.

Iverson and Anthony Carter were much faster than their teammates. Carter stopped, refusing to go two against four.

By the time the other three players from the Nuggets Team reached the frontcourt, Okafor had already moved back to the right side of the paint to keep up with Kenyon Martin, and the three perimeter players had already spread out; the fast break from the start was well-defended.

Although the team’s defense had collapsed due to the loss of their inside and outside linking core and without building a new defensive system, Carlisle didn’t give up on defense. The emphasis on defensive positioning remained; the team defense might be weak, but fundamentals cannot be lost.

As the game settled into a half-court offense, Anthony Carter passed the ball to Iverson, who moved to the wing. With over eight years of effort in the NBA, he had solid fundamentals—35% three-point shooting, 37% for long twos, 38% for mid-range, 40% for close-range shots, and 58% at the rim, a balanced shooting performance across the board.

Zhang Yang stood at the top of the arc, defending Iverson.

Iverson displayed his signature butterfly step, dramatically pulling the ball back; Zhang Yang defended fiercely yet still got faked out a step to the right; Iverson dribbled quickly to the right, seizing the momentary gap and charging past the three-point line!

Zhang Yang turned and chased after him... too late; Iverson made a quick stop at the free throw line and his jump shot hit the mark!

Zhang Yang clenched his fist and beat his palm, knowing full well that Iverson would move to the right, but just unable to defend against it!

In the offense-defense transition, Jarett Jack advanced smoothly.

Both were offense-oriented teams, but there was a clear difference between the two, or rather, the Bobcats differed significantly from the other three of the four high-scoring teams. The Nuggets, Warriors, and Suns all played fast-break basketball.

In the off-season, Nenê was diagnosed with testicular cancer, had a testicle removed and was out for the season; George Karl simply gave up on defense, fully embracing the fast break.

Only the Bobcats focused on half-court play.

Zhang Yang moved to the frontcourt, shadowed by... Iverson.

With his current lean build, Anthony, who had excellent height and wingspan, was strong and quick on his feet, theoretically better suited to defend Zhang Yang. But his defensive enthusiasm was only apparent when facing James—in their career matchups, Anthony had won 6 out of 8 times, holding James below 20 points in 4 of those and below 10 points in one.

But when it came to defending others, Anthony let opponents score 111 points per 100 possessions this season, which was terribly bad; Iverson only allowed 105 points per 100 possessions.

When Zhang Yang arrived in the frontcourt, instead of heading to the high post as his teammates anticipated, he directly asked for the ball beyond the three-point line!

Coach Carlisle at the sideline: Why isn’t this kid taking advantage of his size to post up?

Hill: Could it be? No, it must be!

Iverson was surprised too; he had prepared to take a gamble and front Zhang Yang to prevent a post-up play, but this kid actually caught the ball at the three-point line to attack!

Iverson, puzzled, lowered his stance ready to guard the potential shot, prepared to be pushed away and stick close to affect Zhang Yang’s speed and create an opportunity for his teammates at the wing to double-team...seeing Zhang Yang begin to pull the ball back extensively...

Butterfly step! The same butterfly step he had just done!

The fans watching the game screamed in frenzy at the sight!

The bad boy pulling off a butterfly step right in front of "The Answer"!

The wide swings of the ball to the left and then to the right in the butterfly step are prone to make the defender jump, and it’s already infuriating when Iverson, who isn’t tall, does it. When Zhang Yang, a nearly two-meter-tall guard, does it... Iverson suddenly strikes, pressing in to reach for the ball.

Zhang Yang reacted immediately, quickly shifting the ball to avoid Iverson, stepped to the side, came in front of the basket, and released a three-point shot...

Iverson, who had rushed out to the three-point arc from the right, slammed on his brakes, turning his head to watch as the ball plunged straight through the net!

Professional photographers at the sideline pressed the shutter, freezing the scene—Zhang Yang landed maintaining his shooting form, the ball falling through the hoop, and Iverson’s body facing the other side, his head turned to look at the basket...

The image bore a striking resemblance to the moment Iverson first faced off against Jordan!