He Ximeng's beautiful layup earned a gasp of surprise from the entire crowd!
When everyone was wondering if the first basket of the game would come from Duncan or Iverson, He Ximeng stepped up and stole the spotlight!
"Wow~ that core strength... quite impressive!" From the VIP seats by the sideline, Scarlett, a few years older than Keira, commented unreservedly on He Ximeng's move just now.
Iverson was caught off guard by He Ximeng, and his expression was quite dejected. He had watched Wake Forest's previous games and remembered that the number 4 point guard was a traditional pass-first point guard, not very aggressive... Today, was this an unusual act of defiance?
Iverson's competitive spirit was no less than Kobe's! If he deemed something a challenge, there was only one response: fight back!
Turning around, Iverson used his authentic "butterfly through flowers" move, feinting and shaking He Ximeng's ankles until they ached...
After getting past He Ximeng, Iverson drove directly into the paint, challenging the best defensive player in the nation, Duncan, head-on, and scored with a 360-degree spin layup!
This shot was another level up in difficulty from He Ximeng's previous one!
The game had just begun, and the intensity was already palpable!
"Spectacular! Spectacular! This game looks like it's going to explode!"
"The Chinese prodigy point guard challenging the best point guard in the nation!"
"Uh... wasn't this game supposed to be a showdown between Tim Duncan and Iverson?"
"Tim? Tim hasn't even shown his full capabilities yet! You focus on Simon's duel with Iverson first!"
...
"I'll score a few first..." As they passed each other, He Ximeng whispered. Duncan gave him a "whatever you want" look.
Turning around, He Ximeng dribbled outside the three-point line, directing traffic. He pretended to pass to Duncan near the post but suddenly pulled up and shot a three-pointer over Iverson!
Iverson's official registered height was 1.83 meters, but He Ximeng knew his actual height was less than 1.8 meters, around 1.78 meters. When guarding Iverson, he should never try to drive directly. If he had to drive, a post-up would be better, or ideally, using a teammate's screen. And, of course, exploiting the height difference to pull up for a shot over Iverson...
Iverson's defensive stance was low, and he habitually tried to steal the ball during a player's drive. It would be difficult for Iverson to block He Ximeng head-on...
He Ximeng had thoroughly analyzed Iverson's strengths and weaknesses. After all, in his previous life, he had watched Iverson transform from a college player into one of the league's strongest scorers, the "Little Assistant Coach" of Philadelphia...
After sinking the three-pointer, He Ximeng patted his chest over his heart and then pointed his index finger towards...
"Hey hey hey, did he point at the wrong place?"
"Wake Forest's number 4 player is pointing towards the VIP seats? What does that mean?"
The director quickly replayed the footage, zooming the camera towards the extension of He Ximeng's pointing finger...
There, Keira and Scarlett were waving at the camera with sweet smiles...
"Uh oh~ are we discovering something? Is Wake Forest's number 4 player, Simon, paying tribute to these two Hollywood starlets?"
"Scarlett and Keira are rising stars in Hollywood, with first-class acting skills and rapidly growing popularity..."
"So, Wake Forest's Simon is their fan?"
"Then the question is: Is Simon a fan of the sexy and charming Scarlett, or the pure and lovely Keira?"
...
In the broadcast booth, the two commentators, prompted by a shot from the director, immediately launched into a non-stop gossip session...
On the court, after being hit by He Ximeng's tough shot, Iverson turned around, feigned a drive, and made He Ximeng retreat repeatedly before pulling up from three-point range, attempting to return the favor with a three-pointer... But some skills are specialized! Iverson was clearly more adept at driving and layups than shooting threes...
Iverson's counter-attack was unsuccessful! The ball bounced off the rim. Duncan, out-muscling Oseola Harrell and Jerome Williams, firmly secured the rebound and immediately passed the ball to He Ximeng!
He Ximeng received the ball and sprinted down the sideline. Iverson tried to stick close to He Ximeng, using his physicality to force a turnover. However, He Ximeng anticipated this and used a quick stop followed by a spin move to get past him!
Iverson, undeterred, used his superior speed to catch up, attempting to steal the ball as He Ximeng drove to the basket!
Unexpectedly, He Ximeng didn't force a drive to the rim. Instead, he drove from the right side of the basket, emerged from the left, and passed the ball back to the middle with a reverse hand!
"Watch out for Tim!"
Iverson shouted a warning to his teammates under the basket, but it was to no avail!
Duncan, who had followed up in the middle, caught the ball and took flight! Oseola Harrell and Jerome Williams hadn't closed in yet, and could only watch as Duncan completed a powerful one-handed slam dunk over them!
"Wow! That was brutal!"
"Mr. Fundamental, dunking on two of Georgetown University's big men at the same time!"
"He's like a devilish presence..."
"An unstoppable flying demon!"
...
7:2, Wake Forest's offense was firing on all cylinders, both inside and out. A smooth start!
Iverson calmed himself down and used his penetration to deliver a brilliant pass to Oseola Harrell under the basket!
On the next possession, He Ximeng attempted a drive and kick to assist Duncan again, but his release was a half-beat too slow, and Iverson swiped the ball! Iverson blazed down the court and finished the play with a one-handed slam dunk!
With the ability to drive, pass, steal, and dunk... Iverson, with his all-around performance, gradually brought Georgetown University's offense into rhythm...
He Ximeng believed he had never underestimated Iverson, but facing him in person, his ankles involuntarily felt strained. Iverson was too strong! When Iverson was determined to drive, He Ximeng simply couldn't defend him...
He Ximeng honestly felt his defense wasn't bad. Especially his anticipation, which, with the boost from his previous life's experience, was at a league-topping level. In the previous few games, He Ximeng had repeatedly used his exceptional anticipation to frustrate opposing point guards.
But against Iverson, He Ximeng couldn't anticipate at all. Or rather, it wasn't that he couldn't anticipate, but that Iverson's changes were virtually unpredictable! He would constantly alter his next move based on the defender's actions...
With his unparalleled dribbling skills and unstoppable "butterfly through flowers" moves, Iverson repeatedly broke through He Ximeng's single defense. If not for Duncan's presence in the paint, Wake Forest's basket would likely have been abused by Iverson...
"I'll get past you like cruising down a morning street..."