Under a zone defense, Liu Yudong held an absolute height advantage on the perimeter. Whenever Liu Yudong's breathing became unstable and he needed to adjust his rhythm, he would often pause the inside offense and resort to outside jump shots. He would even directly take three-point shots over opposing players...
Because in a zone defense setup, the two high positions were typically occupied by guards. And the average height of Chinese high school guards was around 1.80 meters. Point guards would be slightly shorter, and shooting guards slightly taller. Therefore, in front of the 1.98-meter Liu Yudong, they were essentially at a disadvantage...
He Ximeng's objective now was to disrupt Liu Yudong's rhythm, denying him any opportunity to breathe or self-adjust.
During inside offense, Liu Yudong could still dominate Zhang Zhenpeng with his height, weight, and skills. However, when shooting from the outside, the 1.95-meter Zhang Zhenpeng could still exert some pressure on Liu Yudong... And with three-point shots, any slight influence would alter the basketball's trajectory, with greater distance leading to larger deviations.
Thus, He Ximeng's adjustment did indeed affect Liu Yudong's three-point shooting percentage.
This left Hangzhou No. 4 High School with two options: First, Liu Yudong continued to force the ball inside; Second, Liu Yudong ceded possession, allowing his teammates to shoot from beyond the three-point line.
Both options were forced, meaning the game's tempo was gradually slipping out of Hangzhou No. 4 High School's control...
Liu Yudong did not resign himself to fate on the court but actively adjusted. His choice was to pass to teammates beyond the three-point line, letting them attempt long-range shots to attack Zhuji Middle School.
However, not all players possessed Liu Yudong's feel for the game or his stamina.
Zhuji Middle School, with their ample rotations, had been maintaining a fast pace on fast breaks, causing significant fluctuations in the players' stamina. This had a considerable impact on shooters.
Furthermore, while Zhuji Middle School's overall defense had tightened somewhat, under He Ximeng's nearly month-long tutelage, they now had a clear understanding of the concept of "defensive elasticity." They knew how to quickly contract, and how to use footwork to quickly advance without easily jumping...
In summary, Liu Yudong created many outside opportunities for his teammates, but under Zhuji's determined interference, Hangzhou No. 4 High School only made 1 out of 5 three-point attempts!
While scoring 3 points, they were countered by Zhuji Middle School with 3 fast break opportunities, conceding 6 points...
In terms of the score, Hangzhou No. 4 High School began to fall into a passive state.
Hangzhou No. 4 High School's head coach quickly called a timeout, partly to give Liu Yudong a chance to rest and adjust, and partly to revise their offensive tactics...
He Ximeng was curious about how Hangzhou No. 4 High School's new tactics would unfold.
After the timeout, Liu Yudong returned to the low post. Facing Zhang Zhenpeng's primary defense and Yan Hui's help defense, Liu Yudong did not pass. Instead, he utilized changes in rhythm, leaned on Zhang Zhenpeng, and forced a shot. Not only did he draw a foul from Zhang Zhenpeng, but Liu Yudong, after adjusting his hang time, flicked his wrist as he descended, hitting the backboard for two points...
A beautiful 2+1!
"Huh? A foul trap?"
He Ximeng reacted immediately. With this play, Liu Yudong could have clearly forced a shot over Zhang Zhenpeng earlier. Yet, he deliberately left space for Zhang Zhenpeng to block and then actively extended his arm. Only after the referee's whistle did he "reluctantly" shoot... Was it truly reluctant, or a pretense?
"What do you mean by a foul trap?" Zhang Tian'ai, the curious one, asked.
"A foul trap is when the opponent deliberately exposes a weakness, making the defender think they can block the shot. But in reality, the main objective is to cause the defender to commit a foul, making them hesitant and unwilling to defend with full effort in subsequent plays..." Zhang Yide finally had an opportunity to showcase his professional knowledge and naturally wouldn't miss it.
"But, is my brother that foolish? Would he be led around by the nose like that?"
"The situation on the court is constantly changing! When the opponent uses this tactic specifically... especially when a master uses it, most players find it difficult to realize, and by the time they react, they've already fallen into the trap..."
"Tian'ai, how many fouls does your brother have now?" He Ximeng suddenly interrupted the conversation between Grandpa San and Zhang Tian'ai.
Zhang Tian'ai didn't need to check the record book, answering directly, "He had one foul in the first quarter, and now it's his second foul..."
"Zhang Zhenpeng!" He Ximeng called Zhang Zhenpeng to the sideline while Liu Yudong was at the free-throw line.
"I suspect No. 4 High School is trying to lure you into a foul trap... You already have 2 fouls. If you commit one more in the first half, I'll have to bench you... So, don't try to block Liu Yudong..."
Reminded by He Ximeng, Zhang Zhenpeng immediately understood why Liu Yudong's shot in the previous play was so peculiar.
"So, you're saying my defense is putting a lot of pressure on Liu Yudong?"
He Ximeng never expected Zhang Zhenpeng's first reaction not to be concern about falling into a foul trap, but rather excitement and pride that Ningbo No. 4 High School had devised defensive tactics specifically targeting him! This way of thinking was truly unconventional!
However, Zhang Zhenpeng's interpretation wasn't entirely wrong.
The reason Zhang Zhenpeng was targeted by Hangzhou No. 4 High School's tactics was that Zhang Zhenpeng was severely disrupting their offensive flow...
"Be serious, I'm not joking!" He Ximeng's expression turned stern. "Our team has no one else who can fill your role..."
"Don't worry, don't worry! I'll be careful..." The referee's whistle signaled the continuation of the game, and Zhang Zhenpeng waved at He Ximeng before quickly returning to his position.
Zhang Zhenpeng's attitude was somewhat flippant, but given the stakes of being benched, He Ximeng believed he wouldn't take it lightly.
Liu Yudong made the additional free throw, completing the 2+1.
Possession changed, and it was Zhuji Middle School's turn to attack. Chen Feng brought the ball up the court and then passed it to Zhang Zhenpeng beyond the three-point line. Yan Hui was positioning himself in the paint, ready to call for the ball... Hangzhou No. 4 High School's defensive attention shifted towards Yan Hui on the left, seemingly leaving a gap on the right...
Seeing an opportunity, Zhang Zhenpeng drove with the ball, intending to cut for a layup. Unexpectedly, Liu Yudong suddenly emerged, blocking Zhang Zhenpeng's path... Zhang Zhenpeng collided with him and stumbled to the ground...
The referee's whistle blew: Zhang Zhenpeng, offensive foul!
"Fake!" Zhang Zhenpeng protested loudly to the referee, unconvinced.
He Ximeng had expected Liu Yudong to continue trying to draw fouls on offense. He hadn't anticipated that Liu Yudong would be so adept at drawing fouls on defense as well...