The Best Point Guard

Chapter 363: Chapter 110: Battle at Auburn Hills Palace

"You almost had me."

"Fuck you!"

The air was thick with pleasantries.

The hatred between the Pacers and the Pistons was irreconcilable. Every player glared at their opponents, and even the newcomer, Stephen Jackson, had joined the ranks in their shared animosity.

The physical contact was intense.

After a screen from a teammate, Prince finally managed to find an open shot. But just as he went up to shoot, Artest came flying in from the side and viciously pulled him down, ball and all.

"Fuck you."

It was an incredibly hard foul from Artest.

Prince stepped up to the free-throw line. SWISH! SWISH! He sank both shots.

"What the fuck does that prove, other than you picking up a foul? You piece of shit!"

Even after making both free throws, Prince didn’t forget to talk trash to Artest.

On the next possession, Su Xi drove into the paint and passed to Little O’Neal. Little O’Neal shook off Rashid Wallace and was about to go for a layup when Prince descended from behind, yanking Little O’Neal down out of the air.

The tension between the two teams was explosive.

The level of physical contact was even higher than in the Finals. The three referees were on high alert, terrified that the intense confrontations would escalate into an all-out brawl.

The guys on both the Pistons and the Pacers were a bunch of bruisers; not a single one of them was easy to deal with.

As a result, the referees’ whistles naturally became tighter.

The rhythm of the game was constantly interrupted by whistles.

Both teams’ shooting percentages were abysmal.

Even their free-throw percentages were plummeting.

Both sides were pouring too much energy into physical defense.

TNT commentator Kenny Smith couldn’t help but lament, "This kind of game is just plain ugly. If fans enjoy this, why don’t they just go watch a UFC fight?"

Even Barkley, sitting right next to him, was silent, which just went to show how unwatchable the game was. Both teams’ offensive efficiency had hit rock bottom.

The first quarter ended 18-16.

At halftime, the score was 39-36.

The Pacers were up by three.

"If the Eastern Conference Finals this year are between the Pacers and the Pistons, the ratings might drop to freezing," Kenny Smith continued his commentary during the halftime break. "You know, nobody likes watching a game this slow. It’s enough to put you to sleep."

He supported the league’s push for new policies, hoping it would encourage more offense, attract more fans, and grow the NBA’s pie.

Barkley quietly added, "Actually, there are still some fans who like to watch this kind of high-intensity defense. Being able to score against a defense like this is a better test of a star’s true ability."

"But Little Sheep Su Xi only scored 6 points in the first half," Kenny Smith argued eloquently. "This level of defense doesn’t showcase a superstar’s talent at all. Instead, it just averages everything out on the court, turning everyone into role players."

Barkley didn’t argue with him.

BUZZ!

The second half of the game began.

Su Xi ramped up his drives to the basket.

Right from the start, he charged to the basket, colliding with Ben Wallace in mid-air again, and forced the ball into the hoop.

Although Ben Wallace had tried his best to block the shot, he was still a step behind.

Su Xi was very strong. While he didn’t have the same raw power as Ben Wallace due to the difference in weight and bulk, his momentum combined with his explosive power was enough to let him get a stable shot off through contact, even if he stumbled a bit on the landing.

With Su Xi intensifying his attacks, the Pacers’ offensive advantage became clear.

The defensive gap between the two teams was minuscule; each had their own areas of expertise.

But on offense, the Pistons lacked a go-to guy.

If the Pacers’ victory over the Pistons in last season’s Eastern Conference Finals had an element of luck, this season was different. With the addition of Stephen Jackson and the rapid improvement of Su Xi’s personal skills, the Pacers were now half a step ahead of the Pistons.

Su Xi frequently threaded the needle, and the Pacers’ offense began firing on all cylinders, allowing them to pull away in the third quarter.

Larry Brown wasn’t a coach known for his quick in-game adjustments; he preferred to stick to a set plan.

This approach fostered strong discipline.

But in high-stakes games, discipline alone couldn’t guarantee victory.

At the end of the third quarter, the Pacers had built a 13-point lead, 65-52.

The double-digit lead made Su Xi feel like ’messing around’ a bit.

In the fourth quarter, he immediately initiated his one-on-one plan.

He went one-on-one against the Pistons’ perimeter defense from the crucial elbow area. The Pistons’ defense was tough.

Su Xi was having a great time.

Even though his shooting percentage wasn’t high.

But the super offensive talent he’d gotten from Kobe was stirring, ready to break through.

After about six minutes of this, just as the Pistons finally managed to tie the score, Su Xi’s super offensive talent successfully gained +1.

This made Su Xi overjoyed.

’You can always count on the Pistons,’ he thought. ’They’re like a Duracell battery—one quarter against them is stronger than five against anyone else. My super offensive talent hadn’t progressed in ages, and I got a point just from playing against them for a little while.’

After gaining that one point, Su Xi switched back to his previous attack mode.

The Pistons were caught completely off guard. Su Xi had suddenly switched from iso-ball to driving and playmaking. Their defense was still struggling to adapt, and the Pacers quickly re-established their lead.

The game was soon over.

88-79.

The home team Pacers won the game.

Su Xi finished the game with a triple-double—17 points, 10 assists, 11 rebounds, 4 steals, and 2 blocks—making him the biggest contributor to the Pacers’ victory.

This game once again proved that the Pacers were the undisputed top team in the East.

Even with the league cracking down on defenders with stricter officiating, the Pacers’ overall strength hadn’t declined one bit.

"They’re just a bunch of bitches. All they can do is run their mouths and scratch people with their fingernails."