In the previous four group matches, He Ximeng had consistently displayed the abilities of an outstanding organizer and precise passer, a traditional point guard.
However, He Ximeng's sharp drive just now clearly demonstrated to Liu Yudong: he was not just a traditional point guard…
"Interesting, interesting!" Liu Yudong's placid face finally showed a hint of a smile. "I originally thought the young kid, number 23, on your team would be the strongest scorer… Now it seems you have quite a bit of hidden strength…"
On Hangzhou Fourth Middle School's third offensive possession, the basketball was still passed to Liu Yudong with full force! This time, Liu Yudong did not shoot immediately upon receiving the ball. Instead, he chose to drive to the basket, attempting to attack the rim!
"You won't score at the rim!" Yan Hui braced himself, ready to confront Liu Yudong head-on. Unexpectedly, Liu Yudong faked a drive, drawing Yan Hui's help defense, and then executed a masterful inside pass, threading the ball through the crowd to a teammate behind Yan Hui… The center for Fourth Middle School received the ball under the basket and, with virtually no defense, slammed the ball in with both hands!
"This guy really hid his strength too!"
If He Ximeng had hidden his scoring ability in the earlier group games, then Liu Yudong had hidden his organizing skills in the preceding matches.
Liu Yudong was not merely a scorer! It was just that his scoring prowess was so overwhelming that other teams assumed he could only score… In fact, his playmaking and interior passing abilities were also top-tier for a power forward…
Neither team could defend the other, and the score kept seesawing.
Because Zhuji Middle School focused most of its defensive attention on Liu Yudong's individual offense, the Liu Yudong of the first quarter, after scoring 4 points, made a sharp turn from scorer to organizer, continuously using his threatening presence to create scoring opportunities for his teammates.
Similarly, on He Ximeng's side, Hangzhou Fourth Middle School had initially concentrated its defensive focus on Yan Hui in the paint. However, He Ximeng, through numerous fake passes and drives, used his individual skills to help his team score.
The game situation suddenly became completely unfamiliar to the spectators in the stands…
Zhuji Middle School was no longer Zhuji Middle School, and Hangzhou Fourth Middle School was no longer Hangzhou Fourth Middle School.
"Is He Ximeng's scoring ability really that sharp? I recall his average score in the previous four games was less than 10 points?"
"Yeah! It's rare to see him attack so aggressively… Could it be that he was hiding his strength in the previous games?"
"I always thought Zhuji Middle School's strength was similar to ours…"
"The key is that number 23 for Zhuji, that rookie king, doesn't seem to have played yet…"
"Does this mean Hangzhou Fourth Middle School is in trouble this game?"
"Not necessarily! Liu Yudong is also acting strangely today! Since the start of the game, how many assists has Liu Yudong had?"
"He already has three assists!"
"That's right! Look at Liu Yudong's records from the previous group games, if I remember correctly, he didn't even have three assists in an entire game…"
"So you're saying…"
"No need to doubt! Both Hangzhou Fourth Middle School and Zhuji Middle School didn't go all out in their games against us…"
In the stands, the four teams that had already been eliminated gasped in disbelief after gradually seeing the true strength of Zhuji Middle School and Hangzhou Fourth Middle School revealed.
They had initially thought Group A was the "group of death," but unexpectedly, their own Group B was even more formidable than Group A… The true group of death was right here…
With just over half of the first quarter played, Zhuji Middle School called a timeout. He Ximeng suggested that "Third Master" implement adjustments. From the starting lineup, Yan Hui, Feng Chen, Wang Xian, and Tang Chenfeng went to the bench for a rest, while Qin Rui, Zhang Zhenpeng, Huangfu Yanlin, and Ming Hanfei came onto the court. He Ximeng remained on the court to direct operations.
He Ximeng aimed to ensure Zhuji Middle School's mobility through extensive substitutions, continuously wearing down the opponent's stamina.
Although Hangzhou Fourth Middle School guessed Zhuji Middle School's objective, they did not follow Zhuji's rhythm. The head coach remained unperturbed, sticking to his plan of using the starting lineup for most of the first quarter.
Zhang Zhenpeng finally had the opportunity to directly guard Liu Yudong!
After the timeout, Zhang Zhenpeng first executed a beautiful high-post pick-and-roll with He Ximeng! He Ximeng drove to the paint and, under the double-team of Hangzhou Fourth Middle School, passed to Zhang Zhenpeng, who was cutting down the middle. Zhang Zhenpeng caught the ball and took flight. Facing Liu Yudong's defense, he attempted a head-on dunk… But what Zhang Zhenpeng didn't expect was that beneath Liu Yudong's refined exterior lay a formidable core strength. In the aerial confrontation, Zhang Zhenpeng gained no advantage and was almost blocked by Liu Yudong…
Fortunately, the referee's whistle sounded in time, preventing Zhang Zhenpeng from an awkward landing.
The number one player in the Zhejiang region lived up to his reputation!
Earlier, while watching He Ximeng and Liu Yudong battle it out from the sidelines, Zhang Zhenpeng had thought it was nothing special. Because He Ximeng and Liu Yudong played different positions, they didn't directly confront each other. Even when there were occasional challenges, it was He Ximeng using his speed and skill to overcome Liu Yudong, meaning He Ximeng had been avoiding direct physical contact with Liu Yudong… One reason was He Ximeng's lack of confidence, and the other was that it was unnecessary.
Why would a point guard like He Ximeng directly face a power forward like Liu Yudong?
But it was different for Zhang Zhenpeng! Because in this lineup, He Ximeng directly put Zhang Zhenpeng on Liu Yudong, meaning a direct confrontation… In the previous group games, Zhang Zhenpeng had repeatedly provoked Liu Yudong from the sidelines… Zhang Zhenpeng wanted to defeat Liu Yudong and become the strongest high school student in the Zhejiang region… Well, He Ximeng was now giving him the chance…
As a result, their first direct confrontation after taking the court ended with Zhang Zhenpeng nearly being blocked and Liu Yudong committing a blocking foul.
Zhang Zhenpeng went to the free-throw line and made both shots, overall holding a slight advantage.
However, on the next possession, Liu Yudong took advantage of Yan Hui's absence, weakening Zhuji Middle School's interior defense, and initiated his back-to-the-basket offensive mode.
Liu Yudong's post-up game was clearly more steady and powerful than Zhang Zhenpeng's.
Zhang Zhenpeng couldn't withstand Liu Yudong's tank-like drive and quickly called for Qin Rui's help. He Ximeng also, at the first opportunity, dropped back from Hangzhou Fourth Middle School's point guard and snuck from behind Liu Yudong, attempting to steal the ball.
Unexpectedly, Liu Yudong saw through Zhuji Middle School's defensive switch. He didn't give He Ximeng a chance to steal the ball, nor did he give Zhang Zhenpeng and Qin Rui a chance to double-team. Instead, he quickly gathered the ball, used his footwork to establish his pivot foot, faked multiple times, and then executed a straight-arm jump shot, hitting the glass for the score.