Before the game began, Zheng Wu was prepared for a strong showdown with He Ximeng. However, he had never doubted the outcome of the match. Hui Pu Middle School's overall basketball prowess was formidable, not just in the Zhejiang region, but even in the Eastern region, few teams could withstand them. Ordinary teams couldn't even cope with Hui Pu Middle School's fast breaks, and if you added their full-court press, they would surely collapse.
However, what surprised Zheng Wu was that Zhuji Middle School not only withstood the double blow of Hui Pu Middle School's fast breaks and full-court press but also successfully counterattacked!
He Ximeng adjusted Zhuji Middle School's lineup to a pure forward lineup that Zheng Wu couldn't comprehend... This t/
As a point guard, Chen Feng still had a certain big-picture perspective. He also realized that while the five-forward tactic had its advantages, the five-peak tactic also had its disadvantages.
Especially with Zhang Zhenpeng, standing at 1.95 meters, being pushed to the center position to guard Yu Leping, who was 2.10 meters tall, the pressure would be immense!
"There is no perfect tactic in the world! Every tactic has its pros and cons. Trust your captain. Since he dared to make such an adjustment, there must be a reason, a trial made after careful consideration..."
Third Master spoke with great certainty, but in reality, he was unsure. If he were the one in command, he would never have thought of using a pure five-forward tactic to break Hui Pu Middle School's overall offense and defense. Even if he could think of it, Third Master asked himself, he wouldn't have the courage to field such a lineup as a trial against Hui Pu Middle School... If the attempt failed, Third Master would be accused of grandstanding, a consequence he couldn't bear.
But if Third Master let He Ximeng make the adjustments, there would be no such pressure. He could try anything; it would be best if it succeeded, and even if it didn't, it could be explained as supporting student innovation, and Third Master would still earn a reputation for nurturing talent.
However, for He Ximeng himself, the five-forward tactic was not unfamiliar. The future trend of the league was for big centers to pass and shoot three-pointers, and for small point guards to rebound and dunk...
Zhuji Middle School's five-forward lineup was a bit simplistic, but under the existing conditions, it was quite effective in dealing with Hui Pu Middle School's two tactical sets. As for the consequences of the reduced lineup, He Ximeng was aware. But facing Hui Pu Middle School, the biggest pressure was not letting them go on a scoring run. If it came down to half-court offense, although Zhuji was at a disadvantage in height, at least it could be guaranteed that the game wouldn't be decided by an opponent's run...
Indeed, the subsequent development of the game was almost exactly as He Ximeng had predicted.
Seeing that their fast breaks and full-court press were ineffective, Hui Pu Middle School returned to their regular tactics.
Although the big center Yu Leping successfully scored under the basket with assists from Sun Anhui and Zheng Wu, Zhuji Middle School was not idle.
He Ximeng used the speed advantage of his all-forward players to counter Hui Pu Middle School's signature fast break and began attacking them relentlessly!
On offense, Yu Leping was Hui Pu Middle School's advantage, but when the opponent was on a fast break and they were retreating, Yu Leping became Hui Pu Middle School's disadvantage...
The styles of the two teams had switched. If someone had just entered the gymnasium at this moment, they would likely be confused, unable to tell which team was Hui Pu Middle School and which was Zhuji Middle School.
Because Hui Pu Middle School was playing like Zhuji Middle School, and Zhuji Middle School was playing like Hui Pu Middle School.
This tactical mismatch and the chaotic game rhythm were generally advantageous for Zhuji Middle School.
Because Zhuji Middle School's tactical sophistication was not as high as Hui Pu Middle School's, He Ximeng, in order to make Hui Pu Middle School uncomfortable, was willing to make Zhuji Middle School uncomfortable as well... In any case, if everyone was uncomfortable, it would come down to who could last the longest...
In the fourth quarter, the game was generally in a state of chaos. But the overall rhythm was one of trading baskets, with the score not widening, nor was it being overturned.
Hui Pu Middle School maintained a slight lead within five points until the final minute of the game!
The final battle arrived, 77:75, Hui Pu Middle School leading Zhuji Middle School by 2 points.
Both teams had basically returned to their starting lineups from the beginning of the game.
Hui Pu Middle School's lineup was Yu Leping, Hu Yinqiu, Zheng Wu, Wu Hou, and Sun Anhui.
Zhuji Middle School's lineup was Yan Hui, Zhang Zhenpeng, Wang Xian, Tang Chenfeng, and He Ximeng.
Zhuji Middle School had possession. He Ximeng brought the ball past half-court and first called for a high pick-and-roll from Zhang Zhenpeng!
Zheng Wu and Sun Anhui switched defenders. Zheng Wu guarded He Ximeng, and Sun Anhui was drawn to the right by Zhang Zhenpeng. Zhang Zhenpeng signaled for the ball, wanting to exploit the mismatch and drive against Sun Anhui. He Ximeng didn't pass but instead called Yan Hui out for another high pick-and-roll. During the screen, he quickly cut to the inside... forcing Zheng Wu to switch with Yu Leping!
Yu Leping retreated to the basket, preparing to face He Ximeng's drive!
Yan Hui smoothly broke away from the entanglement and retreated to the left, preparing to roll down the lane to receive a pass.
Zheng Wu, caught between chasing Yan Hui and helping Yu Leping double-team He Ximeng, chose to double-team He Ximeng!
He Ximeng drove all the way to the basket. It seemed he was preparing for a strong layup. With his left and right, Yan Hui and Zhang Zhenpeng were already ready to crash the boards for a rebound... Unexpectedly, He Ximeng delivered a no-look bounce pass, precisely to Yan Hui who was rolling down the lane!
Yan Hui caught the ball and took flight, his rhythm perfect!
Yu Leping turned to try and block Yan Hui. Yan Hui was very tough, directly confronting Yu Leping head-on and delivering a powerful two-handed dunk over him!
This magnificent dunk made all the spectators realize why the center on the Zhejiang region's best lineup last year was not Yu Leping, but Yan Hui!
Yan Hui helped Zhuji Middle School successfully tie the score!
Now, the pressure was on Hui Pu Middle School.
Zheng Wu also did not expect Zhuji Middle School to have such resilient fighting spirit, refusing to give up and ultimately pushing the game to a critical moment.
Both teams had approximately one offensive opportunity each. If Hui Pu Middle School missed this possession, the initiative would completely fall into Zhuji Middle School's hands...