ctnovel Chapter 31: We're going to beat the champion!!
Chapter 31: We're going to beat the champion!!
"Double-team him, put pressure on him, don't let that guy take an easy three-pointer."
John Calipari yelled at the starting five from the bench.
After Zeng Zhen became the primary point guard, UCLA's offensive rhythm changed.
Zeng Zhen has long-range shooting ability. As long as he has space, he will finish the shot. He also has a high field of vision and can easily find open teammates.
This put Kalipari under pressure.
"OK!" Ross and Roberts nodded; they wanted to maintain this advantage.
Meanwhile, Ben Holland continued to emphasize a tactical approach centered around Zeng Zhen.
The pause ended quickly.
The University of Memphis's offensive.
After Rose dribbled the ball across half-court, and after a series of passes, the ball quickly returned to Rose's hands.
Zeng Zhen's defense may not be able to stop Rose in his prime, but Rose has not yet honed his skills in the NBA, his techniques are not yet mature, and he is far from his peak. In addition, Zeng Zhen's defense is a defensive style of continuously retreating and allowing three-point shots, which makes Rose feel very uncomfortable.
Zeng Zhen spread his arms, lowered his center of gravity, and remained focused on defending Rose's breakthrough.
Zeng Zhen has combined Rose's explosiveness with his own understanding of Rose's offensive characteristics. He knows how to position himself to make Rose feel uncomfortable.
"Spread out, give Derrick space, Derrick, break through him!" Kalipari shouted from the sidelines, and the Memphis University players spread out on the court.
Zeng Zhen waved his hand, signaling his teammates not to double-team him, as he could handle the one-on-one defense. Memphis University's outside shooting was very accurate today, and he was worried that Rose would draw the defense and pass the ball out.
"Derek, attack him!"
"Get him!"
"Teach him a lesson!"
The Memphis University fans at the scene continued to cheer for Rose. Almost all the fans knew about Zeng Zhen's remarks that he didn't respect Rose, and they were eager to see Rose teach Zeng Zhen a lesson.
With 7 seconds left on the shot clock, Rose didn't hesitate. He dribbled to the left, then accelerated and charged forward!
Zeng Zhen reacted extremely quickly, moving sideways immediately.
"Bang!!"
The two bodies came into contact.
Zeng Zhen's physical strength was not much worse than Rose's, and Rose was forced to slow down as Zeng Zhen entangled him.
Rose dribbles behind his back, adjusts to the right side, and then drives to the basket.
Zeng Zhen gritted his teeth and moved to block again, while Ross gritted his teeth, gathered the ball, and took a three-pointer to go straight for a layup.
Rose felt that even if he missed the shot, he would have a chance to draw a foul, but Rose underestimated Zeng Zhen's wingspan.
The two jumped almost simultaneously, just as Rose caught the basketball with one hand and was about to release it.
Zeng Zhen did not make physical contact with Ross, but instead extended his long arm.
*Smack!*
Zeng Zhenfen made a powerful slap!
Zeng Zhen blocked the ball.
"Buzz!!"
The shot clock has expired, and the referee has given possession of the ball to UCLA!
"ah!!!!"
Zeng Zhen let out a long, triumphant roar!
He was under immense pressure on this play, especially since he had been reiterating to reporters his statement that he would dominate all his opponents, including Rose.
If he were to be eaten alive in a one-on-one situation, he would be ridiculed.
On the contrary, if he manages to defend against it, it will boost his reputation!
[OMG, this guy actually defended it!]
[That wingspan, that reaction speed.]
Derek was pinned down by him.
To be fair, this newbie may be arrogant, but he's actually quite strong.
【Wow, it's been blocked!】
The Memphis University fans fell silent instantly.
Westbrook and Mbah a Moute came over to high-five Zeng Zhen in celebration.
"Well done!" Ben Holland cheered for Zeng Zhen from the sidelines.
Zeng Zhen glared angrily at Rose!
He had waited a long time for this day.
During UCLA's offense, Zeng Zhen dribbled the ball across half-court, and Rose immediately came to guard him.
"Pull it open!"
"Pull them apart."
Zeng Zhen signaled to his teammates to spread out, as he was going to play one-on-one.
Wasn't Rose the number one draft pick?
We're going to beat the top scorer!
"Derrick, stop him!"
"Go Derek!!"
Rose's fans continued to cheer him on, believing that he could definitely handle this arrogant rookie.
Rose lowered his center of gravity and swung his long arms to try and steal the ball.
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
Zeng Zhen used his body to withstand Rose's contact, then dribbled behind his back to pull the ball from the right to the left, followed by a crossover dribble to adjust to the right, repeatedly dodging steals.
Rose's hustle was indeed fierce, but the basketball seemed glued to Zeng Zhen's hands, swaying with the rhythm of his body.
Rose was too close. As Zeng Zhen adjusted his offensive rhythm, he accelerated and burst forward from the right.
After Zeng Zhen got past Rose, he didn't immediately attack the basket because Memphis University's help defense under the basket was in place.
Zeng Zhen chose to slow down, face up and back down, and instead used his body to block Rose who was chasing from behind.
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
After a series of physical confrontations, Zeng Zhen seized an opportunity and jumped up to shoot when Rose tried to steal the ball from behind.
"Snapped!"
"Beep beep!!"
"Whoosh!"
The car accident caused Zeng Zhen to fall to the ground; Ross was fully responsible.
Two points are valid!!
There will be additional penalties!!
"OMG!" The group of Memphis University and Rose fans watched this scene in disbelief.
Rookie Ross was completely outmaneuvered by Zeng Zhen.
Although a brief encounter of one or two rounds cannot truly prove that Rose is weaker than Zeng Zhen, the media will not let go of such good material for hype.
Memphis fans were quiet, while UCLA fans were celebrating!
Westbrook pulled Zeng Zhen up with both hands, then patted his butt: "Haha, man, I knew you could beat that guy to a pulp."
Westbrook knew Zeng Zhen's strength all too well. The two had fought one-on-one many times, and Westbrook had never been able to defend against Zeng Zhen's attacks.
Zeng Zhen's singles attack has too many variations.
Rose couldn't stop him.
"Hey, no problem." Zeng Zhen nodded and stepped to the free-throw line.
Ross looked at Zeng Zhen with some resentment in his eyes, but there was nothing he could do.
He felt that Zeng Zhen was more like a professional player than a college player, as he had a very strong control over his body and rhythm!
Zeng Zhen may seem impulsive, but he is actually quite shrewd and handles attacks very cleverly.
With Zeng Zhen making the free throw, the score reached 25-23.
After Zeng Zhen gained possession of the ball, UCLA quickly got into the game and scored consecutive points.
However, Memphis University continued to demonstrate their resilience in the following period. They increased the intensity of their entire team's defense, making it difficult for other UCLA players to score, and then consistently scored on offense through excellent teamwork.
The UCLA team as a whole was not in good form, failing to capitalize on some open looks, and relying more on the individual abilities of their star players to solve problems.
30 is better than 30
...
32 is better than 32
...
35 is better than 34
...
Both teams were mediocre in both offense and defense, and the score remained close, with neither side able to pull ahead.
With 33 seconds left in the first half, the score was tied at 38-38.
Zeng Zhen scored 14 points, 5 assists, 2 rebounds and 2 steals in the first half, becoming the leader of UCLA.
At this moment, Derrick Rose was still controlling the final possession for the University of Memphis!
Zeng Zhen went over again and took the initiative to confront him!