NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 180 Slam Dunk King Posters Up to Slam Dunk King

Shelvin Mark dribbled the ball over and passed it to Jia Fei.

The player guarding Jia Fei was the opposing team's substitute defender, Darren Collison.

Collison isn't tall, but he's incredibly fast and energetic. In the Clippers' lineup, his role is similar to that of Bledsoe before him: providing passion, defense, and toughness in the backcourt.

Being entangled by Collison, Jia Fei was unable to break free as easily as he had in the first quarter.

Antich came up to cover, but Collison quickly squeezed through.

Jia Fei passed the ball to Captain Brand and moved to the strong side. He felt he needed to improve his back-to-the-basket skills, otherwise he would still encounter smaller players entangled with him, which would be very difficult.

A wing player needs to have post-up ability, otherwise the opponent will target you. If you just want to be a 3-and-D player, then you don't even need post-up ability, let alone ball-handling skills. But if you want to become an All-Star or even a superstar, post-up ability is essential.

The Heat lost the 2011 Finals largely because when the team assigned Wade to be the primary scorer, he lacked a consistent shooting threat and solid post-up skills against the opponent's zone defense and smaller guards. This made him look awkward even when facing players like Kidd and Barea.

These are all bloody lessons!

Brand backs down Griffin, but Jia Fei suddenly cuts in from the middle!

Brand passed the ball to Jia Fei, who was following up in the middle!

Once Jia Fei got going, Collison couldn't stop him; he had no choice but to take action!

"Beep beep beep—" The referee's whistle blew, and Collison was called for a foul on the hand!

Jia Fei went to the free-throw line and made one of two free throws, making it 35-37, with the Hawks leading by 2 points!

Collison dribbled the ball over and passed it to Crawford.

Crawford, facing Jia Fei with the ball, used Griffin's screen to attack the veteran captain. After a series of crossover moves, he pulled up for a mid-range jumper—and it sank!

A draw!

Jia Fei exclaimed that Crawford's dribbling was incredibly smooth, making him arguably the NBA's best streetball shooting guard. He added that while Alston and Marbury also came from streetball backgrounds, their streetball skills didn't quite match those of Irving and Crawford.

Shelvin Mark dribbled over, set a screen, and then passed to Jia Fei, who was moving on the left wing!

After receiving the ball, Jia Fei quickly started his strong drive against Collison, leaned against him with his auxiliary hand, and then took a mid-range shot – which went in smoothly!

The height and wingspan difference between the two is too great, and when Jia Fei makes a jump shot, Collison can only watch helplessly!

37-39, the Hawks have regained a 2-point lead!

Mike Breen exclaimed, "Jia Fei's ability to adjust is truly impressive! I noticed that he couldn't handle Darren's strong face-up attack earlier, so he switched to an off-ball approach. When he cuts to the basket or receives the ball near the free-throw line to shoot, Darren can't effectively contest his shot!"

Van Gundy disagreed: "Jia Fei's ball-handling ability is still insufficient compared to other All-Star guards, which is why I don't think he'll make the All-Star team."

Mike Breen laughed and said, "Jeff, you need to understand that Jia Fei is only 21 years old. What were those All-Stars doing at 21? Kobe didn't come into the league with all those offensive skills. LeBron only developed his post-up game in the last two seasons. James Harden still doesn't understand what defense is all about. You're being too harsh on Jia Fei!"

Van Gundy shrugged, neither confirming nor denying. He wasn't just harsh on Jia Fei; he had already been harsh on Yao Ming before he was harsh on Jia Fei.

Crawford continued to hold the ball, facing Jia Fei. This time, he didn't set a screen; he wanted to teach this arrogant Asian kid a lesson. He used his signature crossover, shifting Jia Fei's weight, and whether to shoot or drive, it was all under his control. Standing at 196cm, he possessed excellent speed and stride, making his crossover more pronounced than Iverson's.

Iverson's crossover wasn't as flashy as Crawford's; he always preferred to pull the ball back with his left hand and break through to the right. There's a saying that goes, "Iverson can use the same dribbling move to get past you a hundred times."

Crawford loves to pull the ball behind his back, which makes his dribbling even more unpredictable.

In his previous life, Jia Fei had watched far too many videos of Crawford dribbling. He particularly liked one of his moves: pulling the ball behind his back while moving and then taking a step-back layup. Back then, he would practice this cool dribbling move by himself for an entire afternoon on the basketball court, enjoying it immensely.

Facing Crawford's challenge, Jia Fei readily accepted. He lowered his center of gravity, remained unmoved by Crawford's feints, kept a close eye on his opponent, and planned his move carefully.

Crawford was surprised that Jia Fei was so calm and composed. This was not the composure of a 21-year-old. He did not act rashly, did not rush in, and was not easily fooled. He moved swiftly and his steps were fast and orderly. This was completely different from the frivolous and arrogant attitude he had shown when he mocked Griffin and his group.

Crawford found himself unable to shake off Jia Fei and was forced to the vicinity of the sideline!

With little time left on the shot clock, Crawford was getting impatient. He dribbled behind his back, leaned against his opponent, and opted for a strong pull-up jumper!

Unexpectedly, Jia Fei arrived late but arrived early, stretching out his long arm and almost blocking Crawford's jump shot!

It's worth noting that although Crawford is 196cm tall, he's like Durant, rarely getting blocked because he almost always shoots jump shots. Not only is his release point very high, but he also usually creates space before shooting.

To everyone's surprise, the ball missed!

Shelvin Mark grabbed the rebound and maintained control of the ball.

Coach Buden on the sidelines couldn't help but applaud. Jia Fei's defense was really good, and he kept improving. With a height of 201cm and a wingspan of 220cm, he also had such excellent lateral movement and speed, and his physical strength was also sufficient. He simply had the perfect conditions to be a perimeter defensive blocker!

Shelvin Mark dribbled the ball up the court and passed it to Antić in the high post!

With the help of Shelvin Mark's off-ball screen, Jia Fei suddenly chose to cut inside!

Antić took the ball and sent it forward!

Jia Fei received the ball, faced Griffin, made a dribbling step after a powerful shot, leaped high, and headed straight for the tomahawk!

Oh my god, I'm going to die! Let me have a peach!

Even the commentators Mike Brin and Jeff Van Gundy stared in astonishment. Holy crap, the dunk king dunking over the dunk king? Is this some kind of explosion?!

Griffin was not to be outdone, soaring high and using both hands to block Jia Fei's dunk!

However, Jia Fei was on the offensive, so he jumped earlier and exerted more force. His eyes were wide open, his gaze was fierce, his eyes were firm, and his tomahawk was full of power.

With a loud "Duang—", the basketball hoop shook violently, and the referee's whistle blew.

Griffin's massive body crashed backward to the ground, his balance disrupted by the impact of Jia Fei's fall.