Ming Hanfei didn't claim credit. Instead, he followed the rhythm of his usual training, dribbled the ball to the center, attracting the attention of Yuan Zhangyang, who was quickly retreating on defense. Then, he passed to Huangfu Yanlin on the left, who had already cut in!
Huangfu Yanlin caught the ball and drove to the basket for an easy score.
It was still a classic three-line offensive tactic! The tactic wasn't complicated, simple and direct, targeting the opponent's unstable positioning and their defense speed not keeping up with the offense's speed.
This wasn't the first time Zhuji Middle School had executed this tactic.
From the stands, their opponents silently assessed the threat level of Zhuji Middle School's tactic. If Changxing Middle School on the court were replaced by them, could they withstand the onslaught of Zhuji Middle School's tactic?
Changxing Middle School was being pressured on both offense and defense by Zhuji Middle School. Yuan Zhangyang, bewildered, asked He Ximeng, "Is this number 23 a freshman from your team's first year?"
"Yeah! A pure freshman, a rookie... no game experience. He's a bit loud right off the bat, makes you laugh, huh..."
Yuan Zhangyang almost spat out a mouthful of blood.
He Ximeng's words, filled with unconcealed pride, were unmistakable.
Yuan Zhangyang had initially thought that Changxing Middle School, after half a year of effort, could go toe-to-toe with Zhuji Middle School. Looking at the current situation, it seemed he had overestimated.
In an instant, Yuan Zhangyang's mind became chaotic. The greater the expectation before the game, the greater the despair now.
As the absolute core of Changxing Middle School, Yuan Zhangyang's disarray meant the disarray of Changxing Middle School.
In their subsequent offense, Changxing Middle School played very simply. They couldn't create reasonable scoring opportunities, and on defense, they couldn't contain He Ximeng's playmaking. After Zhang Zhenpeng's one-handed dunk, he continued to attack the basket and then hit a pull-up jumper off a superb pass from He Ximeng.
In just three minutes, Zhuji Middle School went on an 8-2 run against Changxing Middle School!
The first quarter wasn't even over, and Zhuji Middle School was already leading by 10 points, 20-10.
Changxing Middle School's head coach also realized that Yuan Zhangyang was not in form, so he substituted him out to rest and adjust before the end of the first quarter.
At the end of the first quarter, Zhuji Middle School led Changxing Middle School by 12 points, 24-12!
In the second quarter, He Ximeng adjusted the lineup again, bringing in Zhu Ningzhen and Fu Xinyuan, who hadn't played in the first quarter.
Zhuji's lineup was adjusted to: Center Zhu Ningzhen, Power Forward Zhang Zhenpeng, Small Forward Fu Xinyuan, Shooting Guard Tang Chenfeng, and Point Guard Chen Feng!
The core of this lineup's offense was undoubtedly Zhang Zhenpeng at the power forward position.
He Ximeng's intention was also very clear: besides himself and Yan Hui, he was preparing to establish Zhang Zhenpeng as the third core! The general idea was to borrow from the rotation model of the Miami Heat's Big Three.
Against opponents of moderate strength, the Big Three would lead the team in turns.
Against stronger opponents, the Big Three would pair up in twos and lead the team in turns.
During crucial moments of the game, or at the end of the game, the Big Three would combine, with the strongest lineup to finish the game or make a comeback.
This strategy had been repeatedly successful for the Miami Heat.
He Ximeng had also frequently used this mode of core players leading the team at different times during his coaching career. It not only maximized the balance of shot attempts among multiple core players but also allowed for different tactics to be built around different cores, forcing opponents to scramble to respond and adjust.
When Yan Hui led the team, He Ximeng instructed his teammates to focus on set plays and assist with fast breaks.
When Zhang Zhenpeng led the team, they would play a star-centric offense, utilizing Zhang Zhenpeng's excellent individual scoring ability to break through the opponent's defense.
When He Ximeng led the team himself, he preferred high-low pick-and-rolls and fast break tactics after missed shots.
Each of the three cores had their own focus. When all three were on the court simultaneously, He Ximeng would make real-time decisions based on the opponent's defensive arrangements, choosing the most reasonable and easiest way to score.
Changxing Middle School, without waiting for Zhuji Middle School's three ace players to be on the court together, showed signs of being crushed.
In the early second quarter, Yuan Zhangyang, having recovered his senses, entered his strongest mode and traded scores with Zhang Zhenpeng. As their positions were quite different, one playing point guard and the other power forward, they were essentially playing their own games on offense. You score a basket, I'll score one back. The deficit for Changxing Middle School wasn't widened, but it wasn't narrowed either.
After a period of intense back-and-forth scoring, He Ximeng substituted Zhang Zhenpeng out to rest and replaced him with the starting lineup centered around Yan Hui.
Yuan Zhangyang, having just unleashed a strong offensive burst, had consumed a significant amount of energy.
The head coach originally wanted to substitute Yuan Zhangyang out to rest, but the twin towers of Yan Hui and Feng Chen dominated Changxing Middle School's paint. Without Yuan Zhangyang, Changxing Middle School failed to score on three consecutive possessions, while Zhuji Middle School scored on a fast break and a forceful drive to the basket by Yan Hui.