No.1 in basketball scoring-Chapter 822 - 348. The Spring and Autumn Dream Awakened by a Slap_2

Chapter 822: 348. The Spring and Autumn Dream Awakened by a Slap_2

Zhang Yang stood up to leave. At that moment, Curry, who was celebrating the upset victory with his teammates, looked towards Zhang Yang. Zhang Yang clapped for Curry and gave a thumbs-up.

Seeing Zhang Yang’s thumbs-up, Curry grinned, showing his teeth.

Indeed, this NBA big shot his age came to watch him play, and he didn’t embarrass himself!

...

Watching Curry’s college game live fulfilled one of Zhang Yang’s small wishes.

The next day, Zhang Yang returned to his in-season mode, going to the gym early in the morning. With Mike Miller and the trainer’s help, he put in extra practice on chasing threes and chasing long twos.

He didn’t practice this during regular training time, sticking mostly to his original routine. Learning and extra practice were done in spare moments, like afternoon naps on game days or before team practice on training days. His current playing style remained his training focus.

In half a month, he had basically mastered this move, reaching the stage of improving accuracy.

This also made Mike Miller continually feel the impact of Zhang Yang’s talent.

Mike Miller could see Zhang Yang’s difference from McGrady more clearly. As a chasing shot expert, he noticed Zhang Yang genuinely learned the move, unlike McGrady who added style and relied on physical talent for execution. Zhang Yang had truly refined his fundamentals.

For Zhang Yang, over the past half month, he made another small progress. On the 14th, he received a notification after a game, his dribbling, stuck at 89 for over a year, finally improved to 90!

Of course, it wasn’t a huge leap that day; it was accumulated bit by bit since enriching his breakthrough skills, reaching an elite level just on that day.

Throughout the past half season, he felt progress in the details of his dribbling.

Now, he could boast, "I have Point Guard-level dribbling skills," even if just reaching the elite edge.

Extra practice, team meetings, and team training filled Zhang Yang’s morning. After lunch, during nap time, he routinely browsed news.

NBA news took a back seat since the first day of March Madness; today focused on the news from yesterday, the second day of March Madness.

Curry scored 44 points to lead his team in an upset victory against the group’s seventh seed, advancing to the round of 32 and making headlines.

Zhang San also caught some heat. His thumbs-up picture to Curry was captured... But why did Curry smile so abstractly?

Yesterday on the court, he completely didn’t feel Gold State LaVine smiling so goofy.

But there were many upsets yesterday. In Curry’s group, besides Gonzaga University’s Bulldog Team being upset, Vanderbilt University’s choir team, and Clemson University’s Tigers, both championship hopefuls, were upset together... Is the Midwest region hosting an anti-hegemony special?

Kentucky and North Carolina already advanced on the first day; today Zhang Yang saw more news about them. DeRozan and Harden hadn’t denied rumors about entering the draft after their freshman year. Harden was a top pick favorite, DeRozan projected mid-first round. With the 32-round advancement, more news was normal.

Under DeRozan, Joe Crawford, and Jodie Meeks’ leadership, University of Kentucky was placed sixth in the South group, defeating eleventh-seeded Saint Mary’s College 74-65 in its first match.

North Carolina, led by Harden, Tyler Hansbrough, Wayne Ellington, along with sixth man Ty Lawson, gained the East region seed team title, winning their first game against American University’s Hawks 115-57, a record March Madness point differential in the last 5 years. That was yesterday’s headline news.

After browsing news and taking a nap, Zhang Yang was awoken by Felton at 2:30, training resumed at 3.

He washed his face, lit incense for Guan Yu in Boss’s office, praying for DeRozan, Harden, and the recently met young students’ smooth journey in March Madness, then set NCAA matters aside, focusing on his game preparations.

Afterwards, he definitely won’t pay much attention to college games like the last two days, maybe just glancing at match reports and media evaluations of those college talents, keeping an eye on future opponents.

During training, Zhang Yang sensed heightened training enthusiasm from teammates; after nearly a month of trying, they finally found their rhythm, progress ignites training motivation.

After two rest days, on March 20, Bobcats resume regular season, facing Trail Blazers’ challenge at home.

Trail Blazers’ performance has gradually declined after All-Star weekends, shifting from aiming for 50 wins to maintaining a 50% win rate.

The match intensity of the season’s second half exceeds Trail Blazers’ current coping ability.

Being in the West, frequently facing the top nine West teams with base strength of 50 wins, they haven’t collapsed despite nearly a month of second-half games. Trail Blazers are still a team not to be underestimated.

Tonight, Bobcats suffered from underestimation issues.

Trail Blazers suppressed Bobcats for most of the regular time, leading 85-74 by 11 points entering the final quarter.

In the final quarter, trailing by 11, Bobcats were awakened, starting a counterattack. Trail Blazers tried resisting, but Bobcats’ firepower was fierce; at 11:30 in the final quarter, Zhang Yang stole and hit a chasing three-pointer, narrowing the score to 104-105, a 1-point difference.

In 11 and a half minutes, Bobcats scored 30-19!

That single-quarter score devastated Trail Blazers.

But the ones devastated were the teammates, not Roy and Blake!

Trail Blazers called a timeout; Blake and Aldridge executed a pick-and-roll, Blake passed, Roy received at high post and steadily hit a jump shot, extending the lead back to 3 points.

At 11:52, Trail Blazers led Bobcats 107-104.

Bobcats called a timeout for last attack, Zhang Yang received at midcourt and was just outside the three-point line when he got double-teamed by Blake and Outlaw, Zhang Yang passed to the left side at a 45-degree angle.

Felton caught the ball, faced Roy lunging for a block, and shot a three-pointer, helping Bobcats to drag Trail Blazers into overtime at 107-107!

In regular time, Roy scored 17 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists; Aldridge 18 points, 10 rebounds; Blake 15 points, 9 assists; Webster 14 points; Channing Frye 18 points; Outlaw 16 points. These ’03 players-led team let Bobcats feel the Youth Army’s vigor in the first three quarters.

Unfortunately, Bobcats were also a Youth Army, and the top one at that, eventually leveling the 11-point deficit and hitting a 34-22 single-quarter score in the fourth.

In regular time, Okafor scored 14 points, 10 rebounds; Felton 19 points, 6 assists; Zhang Yang 30 points with 13 points in the final quarter; Brad Miller 8 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists; Mike Miller 12 points; Hill 7 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists; Millsap 7 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists...

Entering overtime, Bobcats extended their final quarter offensive mindset, while Trail Blazers, only Blake and Roy didn’t get dazed, ending overtime with 13-6. Bobcats narrowly won 120-113, securing their 49th season win!

Zhang Yang scored 6 points, 1 assist in overtime, totaling 36 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 1 block the whole game. First three quarters were lackluster, but got the job done in the final quarter and overtime.

Even though they won, post-game, Felton and Hill gathered teammates in the locker room for a small meeting.

Felton spoke first: "Tonight I failed to control the game’s rhythm, we almost lost to the West’s tenth seed. We were too arrogant in the first three quarters tonight, I should take most responsibility; I know everyone feels happy about our recent progress..."

Zhang San squinted a few times, thinking it was either himself or Carlisle in charge...

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