NBA: The God of Basketball Begins with Precise Scoring

Chapter 49: Defensive rebounding plays a crucial role again; the final show is about to begin!

Li Xingchen's strategy was very effective, and this was also due to his quick adjustments.

At the very least, no opponent should have clearly noticed that he had physical problems; otherwise, they might have taken advantage of him.

Of course, it's also possible that the intensity of the match was indeed quite high, and both teams' players experienced some physical fatigue, so his situation didn't seem particularly unusual.

Since the opponent did not notice this, Li Xingchen's strategy of reducing his shot attempts on offense was very effective. His shooting attributes were still there, and as long as he stood there, the opponent would not dare to give him an open shot. Therefore, he could perfectly achieve the effect of creating space without taking up his teammates' ball possession and shot attempts.

On the other hand, without the pressure of offense, he devoted himself to every defensive possession, and his defensive attacks became more aggressive. Almost every player on the Jazz team except Gobert had to avoid him.

Of course, Gobert himself didn't have much of a chance to face him.

In addition to his tenacious defense on the perimeter, he also worked very hard to protect the defensive rebounds.

Because the Warriors are a team that likes to have their centers and forwards box out opponents and then have their guards grab the rebounds, the Warriors' guards have a lot of rebounds. This is the main reason why Curry is sometimes jokingly called "Curry Center" by fans because of his many rebounds.

In just those eight minutes of the third quarter, Li Xingchen, with the help of his teammates, had already grabbed three rebounds.

His efforts finally paid off.

During a rebounding scramble, Green helped block Gobert's position, allowing Li Xingchen to gain an advantageous position first. He not only successfully secured the defensive rebound but also drew a foul from Bojan!

The Jazz had already reached their foul limit for this quarter.

In other words, Li Xingchen will get the opportunity to go to the free throw line and take two free throws because of this rebounding foul!

Bo Yang crashed into Li Xingchen with his entire body weight, and the impact caused Li Xingchen considerable pain.

But he was so engrossed in the game that he didn't care about the pain; instead, he felt excited and exhilarated.

He then high-fived Curry, Wiggins, Green, and others in turn.

In Tencent's live broadcast room, this pivotal game was hosted by Ke Fan and Guan Weijia, along with Warriors fans and the beautiful anchor Xiao Qi.

Ke Fan exclaimed, "Wow, our Xiao Li is really giving it his all! In the second half, when he didn't have many good opportunities on offense, he fought hard on defense and rebounds. Not everyone has that kind of fighting spirit."

Guan Weijia agreed, saying, "This is probably the type of player coaches like the most. They don't steal the spotlight on offense, but they work hard on defense. They can seize open opportunities and never miss any chance to fight for the ball; they have a lot of fighting spirit."

Ke Fan chimed in, "If they keep playing like this, the Warriors might not even know how to offer him another contract extension."

Guan Weijia nodded: "It's hard to say. Xiao Li is probably on a minimum salary contract after becoming a two-way player, which is only a little over a million US dollars a year. Back then, the Warriors probably didn't think much of him and only offered him a two-year contract, with the second year being a team option."

"Looking back now, we missed out on a promising talent by not offering him a long-term contract. If we wanted to renew his contract, I don't know how many times his salary would have to increase."

"Judging from Xiao Li's performance, the Warriors will most likely opt out of his contract this offseason and re-sign him to a long-term contract. Otherwise, it will be very difficult to keep him next year."

……

During the game, Li Xingchen naturally made both free throws, bringing his score to twelve points.

Since completing the last training mission and unlocking the scoring element of "ensuring a free throw percentage of no less than 80% in a single game", he has not missed a single free throw in the game so far.

Of course, this is partly due to his playing style; he doesn't actually get many free throw opportunities in each game.

The game continued, with both sides exchanging attacks, but due to the rapid depletion of everyone's energy, their offensive efficiency dropped significantly compared to the first half.

After three quarters, the score was tied at 76-76.

The score in the quarter was only 23-22, which is unbelievable in modern basketball; it was definitely a defensive battle.

From this perspective, Li Xingchen's two free throws accounted for a significant portion of the team's total points and successfully helped the Warriors erase the deficit, making them quite crucial.

In the final quarter, the score continued to fluctuate, with the two teams trading baskets.

The Battle of Tianwang Mountain was of paramount importance to both sides and could not be lost.

The more important and tense the situation, the more necessary it is to rely on key players.

Therefore, both the Warriors and the Jazz substituted their starting players back onto the court early in the fourth quarter, allowing them to engage in the final battle.

Unfortunately, there's a significant gap in skill between players. Even a starting player who's exhausted might still be stronger than a substitute at full strength.

So the head coach had no other choice but to field the starting lineup and fight, round after round, to see who could ultimately prevail.

This is no longer just a test of physical fitness and skills; it also tests the players' mentality and willpower.

Whoever fights to the very end will reap the final victory.

The crucial final five minutes were fast approaching.

Because the game was very close and the score was never pulled away in one go, neither coach used timeouts much.

However, with the game already at its most crucial moment, there was no way to save timeouts for the next game, so both coaches started calling timeouts frequently to implement more ATO tactics in order to improve their scoring efficiency on offensive possessions.

Of course, calling a timeout at this moment is also to give the players some rest time to relieve their physical stress.

Back then, Tyronn Lue even called two timeouts in a row during the Eastern Conference Finals just to give LeBron James a rest, which was quite a classic moment.

Before we knew it, the game had entered its final two minutes.

In the second half, Li Xingchen's offense went a little cold, while Curry's power remained undiminished, and he has already scored 38 points.

But his stamina seemed to be running low, as he missed his last two shots.

The Jazz seized the opportunity and finally gained a slight advantage.

103:100, leading by three points.

This was already the biggest point difference of the entire game, which shows just how close the match was.

Three points—not too many, but not too few either.

It's something that can be tied with just one three-pointer.

At this moment, only one minute and six seconds remain in the game.

Li Xingchen's score, however, remained at twelve points.

This time, he remembered very clearly that he still had four cents of credit left unused.

So, it's time for him to perform again.

Sure enough, after the timeout and he returned to the court, he received a scoring notification from the system.

To his surprise, the scoring method this time was something that had never been done before!

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This chapter is a bonus chapter for those who have invested 50 points. Your Majesty, I thank you for reading it every day! Your son kowtows in gratitude!