Basketball: The Path to the Extraordinary

Chapter 17 The Three-Part Symphony of Connecting Roads

Griffin's powerful dunk ignited the passion of the Oklahoma City home crowd, sending the entire arena into a frenzy. Fanatical supporters waved signs wildly, their cheers echoing like a tsunami.

Despite facing Griffin's powerful dunk, the experienced Wilkinson remained calm. His mental fortitude, honed through countless tense moments, was remarkable. After Lian Dao and Gibson regained their composure, Wilkinson quickly retreated on defense, displaying unwavering determination. In contrast, Vucevic might have been affected by psychological factors under such pressure.

For Lian Dao, this scene was nothing new. Before his rebirth, he had witnessed many players with extraordinary physical gifts—such as later stars Zion Williamson and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Their athleticism often even surpassed that of Griffin.

For USC, the point guard dribbled the ball across half-court and passed it to DeRozan. DeRozan quickly accelerated to get past the defender and took a jump shot.

His technique was fluid and natural, but his shot unexpectedly hit the edge of the rim.

This scene perfectly encapsulates DeRozan's next three offensive plays. In these three plays, DeRozan consistently lost his rhythm, missing all his shots, as if he had lost his touch.

As a result, the Oklahoma City team quickly scored 8 points.

The score became 11-3, with USC trailing by 8 points.

Lian Dao quickly realized that if they continued to use the same strategy, the game would slip away from them.

"Hey, DeMar, don't be nervous. Let me handle this. You focus on getting yourself in the right state," Lian Dao patted DeRozan on the shoulder, reassuring him.

Tim noticed DeRozan's struggle and immediately called a timeout. Instead of blaming him, Tim advised DeRozan to reduce his isolation plays and, like offering a bowl of chicken soup, reminded the whole team to return to tactics.

Lian Dao vaguely sensed DeRozan's problem. Under the watchful eyes of numerous media outlets and scouts, DeRozan was eager to prove himself. His early attempt at a long-range three-pointer fueled his desire to prove himself, but he overdid it. After missing his first shot, the more he forced his way through, the more distorted his shooting form became. His fourth attempt, double-teamed, was a desperate gamble that nearly turned into a farce.

During the timeout, Lian Dao stepped up again. Despite having previously hit a long-range three-pointer, the opponents didn't seem too worried about his scoring threat. In the current climate of college basketball, shooting from such a distance is considered neither practical nor reliable.

However, Lian Dao's subsequent scoring spree broke conventional thinking and sent a message to all coaches: innovation trumps tradition.

In the next few minutes, Lian Dao hit three consecutive long-range three-pointers, followed by two more baskets. Including his initial long-range shot, Lian Dao made four three-pointers within the first eight minutes, completely changing the course of the game.

In the opening possessions, USC teammates, especially DeRozan, focused on defense. Realizing his shooting touch was off, DeRozan shifted his focus to defense, successfully intercepting a pass from Oklahoma point guard Willie Warren to Austin Jensen. Meanwhile, Gibson blocked Griffin's shot on another possession.

After making defensive adjustments, DeRozan regained his form, hitting a mid-range jumper and a layup.

The other team members also performed exceptionally well.

During this period, the University of Southern California (USC) launched an impressive offensive, taking an 18-6 lead over the University of Oklahoma, and changing the score to 21-17, with USC holding the advantage.

The University of Southern California successfully turned the tide of the game.

At this moment, Lian Dao once again controlled the ball outside the three-point line.

Tony Krock glanced at head coach Jeff Capel on the bench, silently asking whether they should double-team Lian Dao. Jeff Capel had learned from previous USC games and film that Lian Dao was not only an excellent shooter but also a strong passer, so he hesitated. He was more concerned about Lian Dao's playmaking ability than his three-point shooting.

Jeff Capel then signaled to Tony to continue defending the lane alone.

Seeing Lian Dao sink a three-pointer, Tony felt frustrated and couldn't help but taunt, "Are you just a softie who can only shoot threes?"

Lian Dao smiled faintly, finding Tony's trash talk amusing, like the banter between elementary school students.

Lian Dao dribbled calmly and collectedly. Tony, wary of Lian Dao's dribbling and penetration abilities, dared not risk reaching out to steal the ball. He had studied the game footage and understood Lian Dao's strength—a hasty attempt to steal the ball would easily result in Lian Dao being easily bypassed.

Lian Dao set a trap, feigning a drive, but Tony didn't fall for it. Instead, he moved quickly, cutting off Lian Dao's path to the layup.

Lian Dao remained calm and composed, quickly taking a step back to create space, then smoothly dribbling back to prepare for a three-pointer. He was well aware of the limitations of his current driving layup, so he chose a shooting method with a higher accuracy rate.

Tony saw through Lian Dao's feint and reacted quickly, lunging forward to contest the shot. However, in the process of attempting to block, Tony unintentionally committed a foul—hitting Lian Dao's wrist just as he released the ball.

Before the referee blew the whistle, Lian Dao's shot went off target due to contact with the shooter's hand.

"Beep!" The referee immediately intervened.

"Not only can I shoot three-pointers, I can also draw fouls." Lian Dao shrugged with a wry smile and said to Tony, his expression carrying a hint of mockery.

"Damn it," Tony muttered, frustrated with Lian Dao's skills and strategies.

Lian Dao then made 2 of 3 free throws, making full use of the foul opportunity.

At this point, Oklahoma University head coach Jeff Capel could no longer sit still and immediately called a timeout.

Meanwhile, Tim continued to make supportive gestures, patting the players off the court on the shoulder as encouragement.

Off the court, Lian Dao sat on the bench, gulping down bottled water to stay hydrated. The intense match had left him breathless—the rapid retreat after each attack and the subsequent organization of attacks under tight defensive pressure had left him exhausted. Lian Dao wasn't born with exceptional physical abilities, and he deeply felt the pressure brought by the fast pace of the game.

Seeing that Liandao was exhausted, Jeff Capel opted for a double-team tactic, attempting to force Liandao into making a mistake.

Seeing Lian Dao drenched in sweat and panting heavily, Tim couldn't help but worry.

"Are you alright? Perhaps you should take a rest," Tim suggested with concern.

"I'm fine. It's better to keep playing than to sit on the bench," Lian Dao replied breathlessly. Despite being exhausted, he was determined to stay on the court.

Tim understood Lian Dao's determination. USC led 23-17, but in such a closely contested game, a six-point advantage was far from secure.

Back on the court, Lian Dao received the ball outside the three-point line.

Tony quickly signaled to Griffin to double-team Lian Dao. Lian Dao anticipated the defense and quickly passed the ball through the open space to Gibson, who was cutting to the basket. Gibson received the ball and leaped high, preparing to dunk.

However, Griffin reacted quickly, interfering with Gibson's dunk attempt. Despite Griffin's best efforts, Gibson's experience ultimately prevailed—he passed the ball to Wilkinson under the basket, who successfully dunked it for the score.

Effective teamwork broke through the double-team of the University of Oklahoma, demonstrating the tactical strength of the University of Southern California.

However, in the next offensive possession for Oklahoma City, Griffin drove to the basket and drew a foul from Wilkinson. This was Wilkinson's third personal foul of the game. According to NCAA rules, a player is ejected after accumulating five personal fouls.

Tim frowned when he saw Wilkinson committing too many fouls, but he hesitated to substitute him because he knew that Wilkinson's height and physical attributes were crucial to countering Oklahoma's powerful inside offense—especially since USC didn't have any other suitable center options.

Griffin calmly made both free throws, narrowing USC's lead to 23-21.