Chapter 16: Absolutely Thrilling!

Barea’s face was dark on the court. Since checking into the game, he had allowed Li Rui to sink two consecutive three-pointers, which was undoubtedly a failure of his defense. Avery Johnson also furrowed his brows, contemplating whether to make a substitution to adjust the defensive matchup.

This play had occurred because Barea’s defensive focus was drawn to Kobe, causing him to fail to restrict Li Rui’s initial movement. Even without Odom’s screen, Barea had lost his positioning; once Li Rui received the ball, he could easily pump-fake him into the air.

"My brother Rui's three-point shooting has been truly reliable these past two games."
"Look at that release and movement; he’s the model of a top-tier shooter. Amazing."
"His shot is like a textbook; why didn't I notice that before?"
"Sorry, I was too loud just now. Brother Rui can impact the game even without handling the ball."

Netizens were buzzing with discussion.

Barea brought the ball across mid-court, thinking about how to get it back. Li Rui hurriedly went over to defend, waving his long arms in an attempt to steal the ball.

"Slap!"

He missed the ball and caught Barea’s hand instead.

"Beep!"

A foul was called by the referee. Barea rubbed his forearm; this Chinese player’s defense was way too aggressive. Barea abandoned his plan to take him on one-on-one. The Mavericks took the opportunity to substitute, pulling Nowitzki and bringing in Diop.

The game resumed. With Nowitzki off the floor, the Mavericks’ primary scoring option shifted to Terry. Barea dribbled and handed the ball to Terry, then cleared out the space. Li Rui didn’t switch with Kobe, instead sticking with Barea; he could handle Barea, but it was hard to say if he could contain Terry.

"Rookie, take notes. I’m going to teach you how to play defense," Kobe called out to Li Rui as he passed by.

Li Rui instantly perked up, watching Kobe’s defensive movements intently. Kobe lowered his center of gravity and opened his arms, deliberately leaving a little space on Terry’s right side, seemingly baiting him. Terry fell for it, exploding into a drive against Kobe’s defense, taking a step to the right, and then finding space to pull up for a mid-range jumper.

Kobe, having anticipated this, quickly lunged forward and stretched out his long arms to contest.

"Clang!"

Terry’s shot was disrupted, hitting the rim hard. Odom grabbed the rebound.

"Damn, that’s elite."

Li Rui admired Kobe’s defense. He hadn't realized how strong Kobe’s defense was just by watching on TV, but playing alongside him, he could truly feel it. No wonder he had been named to the All-Defensive First Team nine times. This play wouldn't show up in any statistics, but Terry had simply been locked down by Kobe.

As Odom brought the ball up the court, Li Rui carefully replayed every move of Kobe’s defense in his mind, and he seemed to have a sudden realization.

[Ding! Through the personal instruction of a 9-time All-Defensive First Team player, the host's perimeter defense attribute has increased by 1 point.]

The sudden sound of the system startled Li Rui. What did this mean? Wow, can I improve just by watching others play defense? Li Rui’s perimeter defense wasn't bad; it was already at 80, and now it had risen to 81. So, the system’s attributes could be improved through such practical on-court learning? This was crucial.

Awesome. I hit the jackpot. I should learn more from Kobe, this guy is a treasure right by my side. Although he might keep yelling at me, if a few scoldings lead to improvement, Li Rui wouldn't mind.

Li Rui didn't get another opportunity for the rest of the first quarter, which ended with the score at 26-20. The Lakers had managed to narrow the gap slightly. Li Rui was quite satisfied with his performance. Standing on the sideline, he tilted his head back and drank water in large gulps.

"Li, I really envy you. You were so hot the moment you stepped on the floor, swishing two three-pointers just like that," Bynum said from the side. Unlike Li Rui, who made an impact as soon as he went in, Bynum currently felt like a liability.

"Andrew, don't be discouraged. Believe in yourself; you have the talent," Li Rui said, patting Bynum on the shoulder. Bynum was still in his growth phase; once he matured, he would be a vital pillar in the Lakers' interior.

"Thanks for the comfort, Li. You're a great guy," Bynum said gratefully. After being schooled by Dampier, Bynum had lost his pre-game confidence and was no longer as arrogant.

The second quarter began quickly. During the break, the Zen Master summarized the first quarter: "We were suppressed by our opponents in the beginning, but we played well afterward, especially with our perimeter shooting. We executed some great tactical combinations; that is what I want to see."

As he said this, the Zen Master glanced at Li Rui intentionally or otherwise. Heh, Li Rui caught the Zen Master’s subtle look and immediately put on a serious expression, nodding in agreement.

"Li, you did well just now. Next, we need you to hit more three-pointers. If you have an open look, shoot with confidence," the Zen Master continued. Young rookies needed encouragement to maintain their enthusiasm; the Zen Master was well-versed in the art of management.

"Yes, Coach," Li Rui smiled and nodded.

...

"Li Rui hit two three-pointers in the first quarter alone. These two shots are very important for the Lakers. If it weren't for them, they might have collapsed already."
"I think the Zen Master could arrange more plays for Li Rui to let him shoot."
"There is a gap in strength between the Lakers and the Mavericks. Only by fully opening up their offense will they have a chance."

Coach Zhang said with great passion. Based on Li Rui’s efficiency, two three-pointers in one quarter meant eight in four quarters; it was easy math. Coach Zhang didn't care if the Lakers won or not, as long as Li Rui’s stats looked good. Besides, the Lakers losing wasn't Li Rui's fault; a mere $300,000 annual salary couldn't carry that kind of burden.

The second quarter reached the 9:54 mark. Li Rui received a pass from Kobe after his drive at the 60-degree arc on the right side. Barea was still glued to him. Li Rui didn't pass the ball; he simply performed a quick shake, threw off Barea’s rhythm just enough, and decisively pulled up for a jumper.

Pushing off the ground, jumping, and releasing the ball at the apex.

Barea jumped as hard as he could, stretching out his short arms. It didn't have much effect; the height difference was too great to contest the shot. The rim looked like an ocean.

"Swish!"

The ball passed cleanly through the net. Li Rui hit his third three-pointer of the night. The fans at the Staples Center continued to cheer.

Coach Zhang shouted: "Shoot him! Just like that, shoot him! Right over his head..."

On the court, Barea felt hopeless. He felt like his playing time was going to be shot away by Li Rui. Li Rui’s three-point shooting was unreasonable; he was just relying on his height advantage to force the issue, and Barea had no way to stop him.

"Don't let him shoot like that!" Avery Johnson was speechless. Barea was active defensively, keeping Li Rui from even controlling the ball, but he couldn't stop him from scoring. What was the point of that?

The Zen Master continued to clap and smile on the sideline. He sat back in his chair, no longer needing to worry too much.

At 8:02, Terry attempted to pass to the interior, but Kobe anticipated it and completed the steal. The Lakers' fast break was on. Kobe drove down the right side, and Li Rui sprinted on the left.

"Fast breaks are a great opportunity to score."

Li Rui understood the value of that statement. Kobe on a fast break was incredibly intimidating to the Mavericks' defenders. Kobe drew the defense in at high speed, and Li Rui set himself outside the corner three-point line. Kobe fired a pass across the court to Li Rui.

As Li Rui caught the ball, he felt the defensive pressure. He faked a shot, completely sending the chasing Dampier flying out of bounds, then dribbled one step upward. His rhythm was fluid, and his footwork was silky.

He tilted his head to see where the Mavericks' second center had been faked off to. Seeing that he was in an absolutely safe position, he shot the three-pointer again.

Hand up, shot down!!

The ball rotated perfectly.

"Swish!"

Still crazy, still hitting. This was his fourth three-pointer of the night. After hitting the shot, Li Rui spread his arms and glided all the way back to his half of the court. This feeling of the hoop looking like an ocean was just fantastic.

Awesome!