Chapter 194: Chapter 21: [Chinese Derby, The Olympics Should Have 3 Chinese Players]

The San Antonio Spurs were last season’s NBA champions, with a strong roster and formidable power. Ever since Duncan entered the league, they had consistently been one of its top-tier teams.

Before the season began, David Robinson, Danny Ferry, and Steve Kerr retired. Speedy Claxton signed with the Golden State Warriors, Stephen Jackson signed with the Atlanta Hawks, and Steve Smith signed with the New Orleans Hornets. However, the San Antonio Spurs acquired Hedo Turkoglu and Ron Mercer in trades, while also signing free agent Robert Horry (who had won championships with the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers) and center Radoslav Nesterovic.

Coupled with the continued improvement of Tony Parker and Ginobili, the San Antonio Spurs were actually stronger this season than last.

However, the Pacers defeated them on the road.

Before the game started, Su Xi persuaded Rick Carlisle to use a dual point guard strategy and got Reggie Miller on board with the plan.

Miller had always been very supportive of Su Xi’s ideas. He liked Su Xi a lot and had high expectations for him, certain that only Su Xi could help him achieve his championship dream. Faced with the immense temptation of a title, he was willing to make any sacrifice.

The first thing Su Xi did upon starting the game was to hound Ginobili. Su Xi’s "love" for Ginobili ran deep.

Ginobili’s flexibility and coordination were maxed out. His drives were incredibly rhythmic, his shooting was crafty, and his passes were wildly imaginative.

In their past few matchups, Su Xi had struggled to contain the sophomore.

Popovich instructed Ginobili to isolate on Su Xi. At first, Ginobili scored several baskets in a row. On one play, he even sent Su Xi flying with a pump fake, then slithered into the paint with graceful steps and sank a left-handed floater.

However, during this process, Su Xi’s Super Coordination Talent improved by leaps and bounds, quickly soaring to 92.

As his coordination talent improved, Su Xi’s overall ability refined further. His Super Pestering Talent shot up to 95% thanks to the boost in coordination. The one-on-one defensive prowess Su Xi could now unleash had already surpassed Payton’s peak—and by a wide margin.

Ginobili started to struggle. Under Su Xi’s high-intensity, hounding physical pressure, his efficiency began to decline. The Argentinian’s dynamic offensive production faltered. As his efficiency dropped, Popovich quickly handed the offensive reins to their inside anchor, Duncan.

Duncan’s prowess was beyond doubt. He was highly efficient when isolating on Little O’Neal in the paint, and he drove the San Antonio Spurs’ entire offense from the inside out.

However, when Su Xi returned to the point guard spot, he and Ron Artest teamed up to lock down the perimeter. Su Xi also occasionally cut into the paint to decisively double-team Duncan, slowing the San Antonio Spurs’ offense.

Meanwhile, the San Antonio Spurs’ defense also ran into problems thanks to Su Xi’s relentless and disruptive play.

Popovich was a disciple of Larry Brown, so their defensive philosophies were similar. Their core concept was ’pressure’. The difference was that the pressure applied by Larry Brown’s Pistons was ferocious and rugged, punishingly physical.

The San Antonio Spurs were more sophisticated. They would typically funnel the perimeter ball-handler, focusing on sealing off the driving lane at the top of the arc and forcing the play towards the sidelines. Once the ball-handler drove baseline, the help defense would collapse, shrinking the passing lanes and preventing any easy passes. This forced the opponent to either take a tough pull-up jumper or attempt a long cross-court pass.

The San Antonio Spurs’ entire defensive system was built on Duncan’s powerful rim protection, as well as Bruce Bowen and Ginobili’s skill at corralling opponents with their footwork.

This defensive philosophy was top-tier, effectively limiting both slashers and spot-up shooters. In the future, Ah Zhan would suffer a major setback against this very strategy.

Logically, Su Xi and the Pacers’ style of play should have been completely neutralized. However, the result was the complete opposite.

Because Su Xi used the simplest, most direct methods to break it: the pick-and-roll and a relay-style assault.

Su Xi ran the pick-and-roll with Little O’Neal, using his superior strength to force an opening. Even when Duncan came to help, Su Xi had a chance to power through the double team. He frequently drove into the paint from the middle of the floor, wreaking havoc.

At the same time, Little Ao had the ability to punish opponents from mid-range. The San Antonio Spurs’ biggest weakness was defending the mid-range, which is why Kobe’s stats were always good against them. With Su Xi driving into the paint, Little Ao, Batty, Henderson, and others capitalized from mid-range, while Miller provided firepower from the perimeter.

Artest’s shooting touch was off tonight, but he played the role of Su Xi’s wingman perfectly. He would quickly trail the play on the wing, and together he and Su Xi created a tandem of powerful, crashing drives.

The San Antonio Spurs’ defense was stymied, and their offense went ice-cold in the second half.

Popovich was pragmatic to a fault. He simply subbed out all his starters, essentially throwing in the towel.

The San Antonio Spurs never cared too much about their regular-season record and didn’t want to expend too much energy. If a game seemed unwinnable, they would just pull the plug.

After conquering San Antonio, the Pacers continued to extend their league-best record.

Next, in Dallas, the Pacers secured another victory, though it was hardly noteworthy. The Pacers dominated the Mavericks from the opening minute. The Mavericks were powerless against Indiana’s physical play and quickly rolled over.

Su Xi had a modest performance with 15 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals, as the team didn’t need him to take over. The main focus of the game was reintegrating Kenny Anderson into the Pacers’ new offensive system.

The Pacers’ next stop was Houston.

This was Su Xi’s second time in Houston. The last time he was here, he had sung a song.

This time, the reporters all started to tease him.

"Hey, Jack. For this game, who’s more important to you, Yao Ming or Scarlett Johansson?"

A CCTV reporter was interviewing Su Xi at the Pacers’ team hotel. Before the interview officially began, he asked an off-the-record question, which immediately livened up the atmosphere.

Su Xi glanced at Huang Xiaoman, who was also smiling.

Huang Xiaoman’s tolerance always caught Su Xi by surprise.

Of course, she had her moments of jealousy. In Miami, she had clung to Su Xi every night until she suffered the consequences, leaving her so exhausted she could only lie in bed.

"Winning is what’s most important," Su Xi said, his expression turning serious.

Then, the camera started rolling, and the CCTV reporter began the official interview. He first congratulated Su Xi on becoming the all-time leading vote-getter in All-Star Game history, then moved on to some more professional questions.

What’s the difference between playing for the Pacers and playing for the Cavaliers?

"It’s easier playing for the Pacers; the winning percentage is higher." Su Xi didn’t elaborate on the topic. There were already too many analyses in the media and on the internet. As the person at the center of it all, he had no need to amplify the controversy.

You were traded right before the last Chinese Derby. This time, are you worried the Chinese Derby won’t happen again?

"Larry Bird already promised me he’s turning his phone off for the next two days," Su Xi said humorously. "The Pacers are on lockdown. Not even a fly is getting out."

"This is an Olympic year. Have you thought about joining the national team to team up with Yao Ming in Athens and achieve the team’s best-ever result? You know, many fans back home are hoping that you and Yao Ming, as two NBA stars, can lead the men’s team to its first-ever Olympic medal."

"Of course, I’d be very willing. If the national team calls me up, I’ll definitely play in the Olympics. However, I have to correct you on one point. We have another NBA star named Wang, who plays in Miami. I was in Miami for a week. He’s an extremely skilled player, and I think he’s perfectly suited for the Olympic stage."

"If Wang, Yao, and I all team up, I think there’s a great chance we could contend for a medal."

Su Xi said seriously.

He was completely oblivious to Huang Xiaoman off-camera, who was frantically waving her hands for him to stop. The reporter’s face also held an awkward expression.

At this time, Wang was still a figure who wasn’t really allowed to appear on domestic television.

However, Su Xi didn’t know the full, complicated story; he was simply speaking from a basketball perspective.

The reporter didn’t press the issue.

He then asked Su Xi for his expectations for the Chinese Derby, as well as its profound significance for Chinese basketball.

Su Xi couldn’t quite grasp the "profound significance for Chinese basketball." He just said that he would do his best to defeat the Rockets and would definitely bring out an even stronger Yao Ming.

Before the Chinese Derby, Su Xi only accepted an interview from CCTV.

As Su Xi played better and better in the NBA and his fame grew, his influence back in China expanded immensely. He was on track to surpass Yao Ming as the country’s biggest basketball superstar.

And it wasn’t just in mainland China. In Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, Su Xi’s popularity was exploding. He had become a phenomenon sweeping across East Asia, a trend straddling the line between sports star and idol. Some people liked him for his skills, some liked him for his good looks, and still others liked him because of his American girlfriends...

This was evident from the ever-increasing commercial offers from Japan and South Korea that Huang Xiaoman and Mike O’Connor were constantly bringing in.

"In reality, this is more than just a derby. It’s a head-to-head showdown between you and Yao Ming," Huang Xiaoman said. "I think the two of you have reached a tipping point in terms of your influence back home. You need a direct victory over him to pull ahead and solidify your position."

"Number one and number two. There’s a huge difference," Huang Xiaoman continued. "Everyone knows the world’s highest peak is Mount Everest, but how many people know the second highest?"

Su Xi nodded. Although he knew the second-highest peak was K2, there was no need to argue the point.

"I’m heading to Los Angeles in a bit," Huang Xiaoman said. "I’m meeting with investment funds from both China and South Africa. I’ll have at least one of them locked down for you before March."

Before she left, she emphasized one more time, "No matter how much they fight over you, remember that I’m your number one."

Su Xi had looked up the term, so he knew what she meant. He nodded quickly. "Of course. Absolutely!"

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