dmims Chapter 45 Ku saves the day from collapse, Chen supports the crumbling edifice!
Chapter 45 Ku saves the day from collapse, Chen supports the crumbling edifice!
From Li Xingchen's perspective, he was quite touched that Cole trusted him so much.
After all, he knew that blocking a dunk was risky, and it was normal to be called for a foul. Moreover, because the speed was too fast, the people below probably couldn't see it clearly.
In other words, Cole wasn't actually confident about this challenge; he only chose to carry it out without hesitation because of his trust in Li Xingchen.
But from Cole's perspective, this is perfectly normal.
Fans may have seen more of Curry's offensive performance, but as a coach, he was very clear about how much Li Xingchen contributed on the defensive end in today's game.
Even if the challenge fails and the opportunity to compete in this match is wasted, we must never let our defensive stalwarts on the team feel disheartened.
In the live stream, the chat was filled with people criticizing the referee.
"Seriously, that was such a spectacular block by Xingchen, can the referee please stop stealing the show?"
"It's the Golden State referees again! Wait, I think I've wandered onto the wrong set..."
"If this challenge is successful, the best defense of the day is probably a sure thing."
"Wait a minute, didn't we have a best defensive performance right at the start? And now we have another one before halftime? And both times it was Li who defended them, it's absolutely terrifying!"
"It feels like Ah Chen is defending Mitchell so well he's practically out of his body. Judging from the current state, it's going to be a 2-2 tie. Get ready for a crucial game."
"Hey, hey, hey, don't open the champagne halfway through the game!"
……
During the match, the referees reviewed the video footage from multiple angles and in all directions.
On the big screen at the home stadium, as well as in all the live streaming channels, the slow-motion replay of Li Xingchen's block was played clearly.
It landed cleanly, without touching Mitchell at all; the slap landed squarely on the basketball.
Flawless!
It's important to know that the requirements for challenging a judgment to be overturned are very strict.
The ruling will only be overturned if there is "clear evidence proving that no foul was committed".
Li Xingchen's block was impeccably clean.
With no other option, the referee declared Kerr's challenge successful, meaning Mitchell not only lost his free throws but also regained possession of the ball to the Warriors.
Because the referee delayed the whistle, Li Xingchen also secured the rebound after making the block, completely ruining the Jazz's fast break and leaving them scoreless.
The moment the referee announced the result of the challenge, the Chase Center erupted in a deafening roar of cheers.
On the other hand, the Jazz were already far behind, and after finally getting a chance to steal the ball and launch a fast break, it ended up like this.
So almost everyone on the Jazz team looked ashen-faced, and Mitchell's eyes were vacant, as if his soul had left his body.
Curry and Li Xingchen didn't care about all that. The best option at this time was to strike while the iron was hot, blow the game out of control, and finish the game early so they could save some energy and lay the foundation for their performance in the next game.
Curry continued to dribble and attack, but this time he didn't call for Green or Wiggins. Instead, he called for Li Xingchen to set a cross screen.
Because he also noticed that Mitchell seemed to be in terrible form due to the previous round's defeat, and he was now the best target for a breakthrough!
His opponent was Li Xingchen.
Sure enough, after the two players crossed screens, Mitchell lost focus and failed to coordinate his switch with Royce O'Neal, causing him to lose his position due to Curry's fake shot.
Coming to his senses, Li Xingchen had already received Curry's pass and was preparing to pull up for a jump shot in the mid-range area relatively close to the basket.
The reason he didn't cut directly to the basket for a layup was because Gobert was still positioned under the basket to guard the paint, and a layup there would have been a risk of being blocked. It was more reliable to take a mid-range shot.
Mitchell immediately became anxious. He was already a team culprit for his poor offensive performance today, but then he made such a big mistake on the defensive end by leaving his man open. How was he going to explain this to the coach and his teammates?
But people are more likely to make mistakes when they are in a hurry.
Seeing that Mitchell was not in any advantageous defensive position but still insisted on moving forward to interfere, Li Xingchen leaned against him and then threw the ball out.
"Beep—"
The whistle blows, a foul.
"Whoosh—"
Basketball in the net!
Two plus one equals!
Mitchell dejectedly stepped aside.
Li Xingchen walked to the free throw line with a faint smile.
He was actually overjoyed, as he had taken advantage of Mitchell's poor form today to deliver an outstanding performance on both offense and defense against him.
The amount of the next contract renewal will surely skyrocket, won't it?
However, because he was still on the field, Li Xingchen did not show too much joy and maintained his calm and serious demeanor.
When he took the free throw, a unified shout rang out from the crowd.
"MVP! MVP!! MVP!!!"
Hearing the fans' shouts, Li Xingchen was filled with mixed emotions.
Generally speaking, the MVP chants only come when the team's star player is shooting free throws. For example, in the Warriors, only Curry is usually entitled to receive these chants.
However, when other players perform exceptionally well, fans will make an exception for him.
Today, Li Xingchen deserves the MVP award.
On the defensive end, he fought hard to chase down the ball and made a powerful block to disrupt the fast break.
On the offensive end, they pressed their advantage, toughing down Mitchell to score a three-point play!
With a "swish," Li Xingchen's free throw went into the net smoothly.
His offensive and defensive plays not only widened the gap between the two teams to as much as 32 points, but also almost completely destroyed the Jazz's confidence.
Therefore, the Jazz were unable to close the gap until halftime.
After the second half, the Jazz's offense improved slightly compared to the first half. They stopped focusing on Mitchell and instead had Conley and Gobert run pick-and-rolls more often, using Gobert's advantage in the paint to create opportunities.
But on the Warriors' side, Curry's touch remained incredibly hot, making the entire Warriors' offense incredibly smooth and unstoppable.
Ultimately, with just over half of the third quarter remaining, the Warriors had already surpassed 100 points, with Curry leading the way with 40.
The Jazz only managed a paltry 63 points...
The outcome of this match is basically over.
After two more rounds, Snyder called a timeout, brought in a substitute, cleared the bench, and surrendered early.
Sometimes, the timing of surrendering early depends not only on the score difference between the two sides and the remaining time, but also on the players' condition on the court, the influence of home and away games, the overall trend of the series, and other factors.
Today, playing at the Warriors' home court, his own key players were completely out of sorts, and Snyder felt that continuing to play would only increase their fatigue.
Moreover, even if the Jazz lose this game, they will only be tied 2-2 with the Warriors, and they are not in danger of being eliminated.
After careful consideration, Snyder decided it was better to call it a day early, to avoid affecting the players' confidence for future games if they continued playing.
As a result, with nearly a third of the game remaining, Curry and Li Xingchen, along with other key Warriors players, were able to be substituted early to rest and enjoy another resounding victory in just three quarters.
In this do-or-die game for the team, Curry took the lead in offense and Li Xingchen in defense, and the two of them combined to create a resounding victory in just three quarters.
To turn the tide when all hope is lost, to save a collapsing edifice!