Cui Tianci was still bewildered.
Zhang Tian'ai clapped her hands, "Simon, well said! I support you..."
Well, it's unclear if Zhang Tian'ai truly understood He Ximeng's words or was just mindlessly cheering him on...
He Ximeng shifted his gaze back to the court.
The Rookie Team's second possession, because Huangfu Yanlin passed the ball directly to Zhang Zhenpeng, and Zhang Zhenpeng was positioned further out, he couldn't directly initiate an offense.
Zhang Zhenpeng turned around to challenge Feng Chen head-on.
Feng Chen was the starting power forward for the Zhong team, standing 2 meters tall and weighing 92 kilograms. He was slightly lean but had good mobility, making him quite effective in help defense and blocking opponent drives.
However, what Feng Chen didn't expect this time was that Zhang Zhenpeng, like a small guard, executed a crossover dribble on him, throwing Feng Chen off balance. He then drove into the paint from the side. Facing the help defense from Yan Hui, Zhang Zhenpeng opted for a strong jump, attempting a layup...
"This guy's underestimating Yan Hui way too much!"
As He Ximeng finished speaking, Yan Hui leaped high and delivered a thunderous block to Zhang Zhenpeng, swatting the layup attempt out of bounds!
Having successfully blocked the shot, Yan Hui flexed his biceps towards Zhang Zhenpeng. He said nothing, but his meaning was clear: the paint still belonged to Yan Hui!
Slightly humbled, Zhang Zhenpeng toned down his arrogance a bit.
After the inbound pass, Zhang Zhenpeng again posted up Feng Chen. After drawing a double-team from Yan Hui, he passed to Huangfu Yanlin on the perimeter. Huangfu Yanlin, without catching the ball, immediately threw a cross-court pass to the open Zhu Ningzhen on the weak side. Zhu Ningzhen caught the ball and calmly tipped it in from close range!
This play showcased a beautiful three-man coordination between Zhang Zhenpeng, Huangfu Yanlin, and Zhu Ningzhen!
The teammates on the sidelines, including He Ximeng, applauded the trio.
2:1!
The Rookie Team continued to inbound the ball from mid-court. Fu Xinyuan also passed the ball directly to Zhang Zhenpeng.
After receiving the ball, Zhang Zhenpeng observed his teammates' positions. Just as he was about to dribble and initiate an offense, he saw Fu Xinyuan making a cut along the baseline, creating an opportunity.
Zhang Zhenpeng, without revealing his intentions, employed a feint. He pretended to pass to Huangfu Yanlin on the left but instead delivered a bounce pass directly to Fu Xinyuan on the right baseline.
Fu Xinyuan didn't dare to challenge Yan Hui directly under the basket. After receiving the pass, he opted for a pull-up jump shot, which swished through the net!
3:1!
Once Zhang Zhenpeng started orchestrating plays, Yan Hui's team found him difficult to defend.
However, Zhang Zhenpeng was not a point guard and didn't enjoy playing a pure facilitator role. His playmaking was more of a casual endeavor; scoring was his primary focus.
So, after making two good passes, Zhang Zhenpeng refocused his attention on the basket. He isolated Yan Hui at the three-point line and drove to the free-throw line. From a frontal drive, he turned his back to the basket and, before the double-team from Yan Hui could arrive, executed a fadeaway jump shot... This move had a bit of a Jordan imitation to it, but having seen Jordan's original and Kobe's graceful version, He Ximeng found Zhang Zhenpeng's fadeaway jump shot to be incredibly ugly...
He Ximeng, watching from the sidelines, shook his head repeatedly.
"That's my brother's favorite fadeaway jump shot..." Zhang Tian'ai asked He Ximeng cautiously, "What do you think is wrong with it?"
"The turn isn't fluid enough, the fadeaway jump isn't smooth, the mid-air release isn't graceful... and finally, he didn't even make it..."
Zhang Tian'ai had initially thought her brother's fadeaway jump shot was quite cool, but after He Ximeng's critique, she immediately felt it was full of flaws...
Zhang Zhenpeng's fadeaway jump shot hit the rim and bounced out. Yan Hui secured the rebound and passed it to Chen Feng, who was at the three-point line.
Chen Feng, with lightning speed, before the Rookie Team could react, passed the ball back to Yan Hui under the basket.
Yan Hui caught the ball, turned, and shot, scoring easily!
"Ref, they're cheating!"
"We weren't ready yet..."
The Rookie Team expressed considerable dissatisfaction with Yan Hui's team's score.
Third Master's face darkened, and he said sternly, "The referee didn't blow the whistle, so the game is still in play. Are you going to blame your opponents for your own lack of concentration?"
The Rookie Team fell silent.
"It's okay, it's just one basket. We'll get it back..."
He Ximeng, from the sidelines, reminded the young players not to get caught up in unnecessary emotions. Third Master was right; when you're on the court, you need to stay focused.
2:3, the Yan Hui team, having made a comeback, continued to inbound the ball.
Yan Hui used his individual prowess to draw double-teams from the Rookie Team, creating opportunities for his teammates.
Feng Chen made a bank shot, and Tang Chenfeng hit an outside three-pointer. Three-pointers are worth 1 point.
4:3!
The Rookie Team had conceded three consecutive baskets and was in disarray. Seeing that the Yan Hui team only needed one more point to defeat the Rookie Team...
Zhu Ningzhen, who had been quietly playing a blue-collar role, blocked Tang Chenfeng's layup during a critical moment, helping the Rookie Team regain possession...