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Chapter 753 - 320. New Version of Little Emperor_3

Chapter 753: 320. New Version of Little Emperor_3

After the timeout, Rondo utilized Zhang Yang’s high position to receive the ball, which could attract a double team. He continuously made ’sneaky’ drives or off-ball cuts, shooting if possible, passing if not, always managing to get the ball to the right teammate.

James, after being continuously singled out by Zhang Yang, went crazy as well, leading his team in a fierce attack. However, this quarter, the gap between their firepower and their opponents’ was significant.

Thanks to Zhang Yang’s 11 points and Rondo’s 7 points, 3 rebounds, and 6 assists in the quarter, the Bobcats scored a whopping 39 points in the third quarter, winning the quarter by 10 points against the Knight, who had 29!

By the end of the third quarter, the Bobcats were leading the Knight by 7 points with a score of 101 to 94!

If it had been the opening game, facing such a painful defeat in the third quarter would have definitely collapsed the Knight’s morale.

But this time, the Knight did not break!

In fact, during their second encounter, the Knight’s ability to handle pressure had already improved significantly. Throughout the game, the Bobcats maintained a noticeable advantage, yet the Knight players fought tenaciously until the end, keeping the difference within 10 points and sustaining the hope of a turnaround, though they ultimately didn’t succeed.

This time, the situation for the Knight was much better than during their second encounter. During the first three quarters, they maintained an advantage for half the game—during the latter half of the first and throughout the entire second quarter, they were the ones in the lead. Naturally, they wouldn’t just give up because they were 7 points behind!

After the break between quarters, at the start of the final period, the Knight immediately dealt a harsh blow to the Bobcats when James started off by stealing the ball from Rondo and converting a fast-break 2+1.

Following that, the Bobcats missed a shot, and James broke through in a set play and passed the ball. On the wing, Daniel Gibson received the pass and hit a three-pointer, closing the gap to 100-101, rapidly reducing the deficit to just 1 point!

The Bobcats, caught off guard, quickly organized an offense, and in the next 5 minutes, they scored 13 points, but the Knight also scored 12 points, clinging tightly to the narrow margin!

Heading into the official timeout in the fourth quarter, the Bobcats were ahead by only two points with a score of 114 to 112!

During the official timeout, Carlisle made adjustments to the lineup and defense, emphasizing a few details about the offense that needed attention, quickly completing the adjustments.

He did not interfere much with the offense; tonight, their offensive performance was very strong; it was just a matter of not being able to defend effectively.

Their score might not look as explosive as when playing against the Nuggets Team, because the Knight’s defense was much better than the Nuggets’. Their offense tonight was actually very good.

He now directing the offense would likely not surpass the players’ own ability to adapt based on the actual situation.

Zhang Yang discussed briefly with his teammates who were about to take the field, then came to the sidelines, hands on hips, watching the big screen.

James had played 39 minutes, resting only for 4 minutes, shooting 22 with 12 makes, including 1 out of 3 three-pointers, along with hitting 5 out of 8 free throws, scoring 30 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block... only two points less than him, Zhang San, and even four more assists!

Felton, dressed in a suit, also came to the sidelines, arms crossed, watching the big screen, and said, "If I were playing, he wouldn’t have such a high shooting percentage."

Zhang Yang: "Boss, I’m also surprised that he could perform this well without you. I didn’t expect...emm..."

Standing by, Hill responded: "Jack, you’re still the same, not liking to talk badly about others behind their backs. It’s not just you; having watched basketball for so many years, I’ve also had a poor impression of James. Previously, ESPN said he had changed and improved, and I thought it was just for show and that he would soon revert, but in this encounter, I really felt his change."

Zhang Yang nodded and said, "He used to care about every stat, as if he wasn’t satisfied unless he captured all the stats himself. Although he could do everything, that way of playing negated some of the positive effects his brilliant performance brought. Now that he’s not so obsessed with stats, the necessary stats still come... it looks like we might have another formidable opponent in the future."

Hill: "A formidable opponent... perhaps."

Hill didn’t voice these thoughts; in his view, James still wasn’t as good as Zhang Yang, with bad defensive habits. While he appeared balanced in both offense and defense, the actual impact on the defensive end did not meet the level James’s defensive abilities should have.

But future things are uncertain, just like he hadn’t expected James’s offense to have such a significant change.

After chatting for a moment, Zhang Yang’s attention returned to another player’s stats on the big screen. Tonight, the best performer on their Bobcats team wasn’t him, Zhang San, who scored the most points in the game, but rather... Coach Rondo!

In three and a half quarters, playing 37 minutes, Rondo shot 10 and made 6, including 1 out of 1 three-pointers, and made 4 out of 6 free throws, scoring 17 points, 13 rebounds, 16 assists, and 2 steals!