God's hand behind the scenes

Chapter 21
After defeating the University of Minnesota at home, there were not many days left until Christmas 1996.However, before the Christmas break, Villanova University still has an NCAA game to play. They will go to Storrs, Connecticut to challenge the University of Connecticut Huskies, which also belong to the Big East.

This time Lee's task is also very heavy, because the opponent team has another excellent defender - Richard Hamilton.Hamilton is also a freshman who officially joined the team this year, but everyone knows that he was trained as the core of the team. Currently, Hamilton's scoring and playing time per game rank first in the team.

The University of Connecticut is known for producing shooters. Ray Allen, who was selected with the fifth overall pick in the first round this year, is the top shooter produced by this school.Hamilton undoubtedly inherited the mantle of his predecessors.Maybe his autonomous ball-handling offensive ability is not as good as Ray Allen, but when it comes to empty-handed running, catching and shooting skills, he may still be better than this senior.

So for Li, the test of this game is his physical fitness.Hamilton averaged more than 30 minutes per game this season, and his running distance on the field has also put most NCAA players away. If Lee is dragged down by his running, who knows where the game will develop?Losing is not out of the question.

But when Rappers found Li to talk to, he was surprised to find that Li had expected this situation. No, strictly speaking, it was Chang Wei who guessed the answer.Therefore, almost from the time of Li Gang's transition, Chang Wei has consciously strengthened his physical fitness. In Chang Wei's view, a perimeter defender who can't run to death is almost the nightmare of any offensive player.

Facing Hamilton this time, Chang Wei is not worried about Li. Although the former's physical fitness and endurance are rare, and he has put in a lot of effort in catching and shooting, he believes that Li is not a vegetarian. Stay in Hamilton's footsteps and interfere with his shot, and the game is at least half won.

Of course, during the official game, Li was about to run and vomit. He didn't know where the skinny defender on the opposite side got so much energy, and he was like a loach. No fancy but very useful mid-range scoring.Throughout the first half, Lee spent a lot of energy to deal with Hamilton. When the halftime whistle sounded, he collapsed on the ground, his jersey wet as if he had just been fished out of the water.

But after recovering in the locker room, he still insisted on continuing to defend Hamilton. In his words: "Can this be more painful than being punched in the body when I was practicing boxing?" ?”

Rappers had no choice but to agree to Lee's request, but to be more on the safe side, he pulled Erwin aside and whispered, "I need you to support Chris more in the second half, I'm afraid he won't be able to do that alone. Long……"

Erwin agreed very readily. He looked at Li, who was still covering his head with a towel, and was panting heavily. He nodded and said, "No problem, I will help him keep an eye on Hamilton. This is mine too." responsibility."

But the only thing they didn't expect was Li's stubbornness.Facing Erwin's kindness, he tactfully and resolutely refused, still like the first half, no matter whether it was a screen or something else, he looked for Hamilton, even if he ran to death, he couldn't let this guy relax shot.

But what Rappers didn't expect was that perhaps because of crossing the limit, Lee's performance in the second half got better and better, and he played smarter. Sometimes he couldn't keep up with Hamilton's footsteps, and he would predict The passing route of the opponent's ball holder, and then stuck in this direction, made Hamilton unable to receive the ball, which invisibly saved himself energy.

Li is like a sponge, taking advantage of the opportunity of confronting the strong to suck the nutrients for growth, and matures at a speed visible to the naked eye.He allowed Hamilton to score 15 points in the first half, but now 3 minutes into the second half, the opponent has not scored a point. This is his own victory.

UConn is strictly a Hamilton-only team, which has its pros and cons.The advantage is that when the players don't know how to play or the tactics are restrained by the opponent, they can just hand the ball to the star for single play; the disadvantage is that if the star is blocked, there will be no second person to stand up and lead the team win.

Now Hamilton has undoubtedly encountered a major crisis. For him, not being able to receive the ball for three consecutive offenses is an experience he hasn't had in a long time.But in the face of Lee, who spared no effort to block Lee like a mad dog, he felt helpless. As a freshman, Hamilton's experience in the NCAA field was not enough to support him to solve the problem by himself.

Coach Calhoun is also at a loss. He is used to letting Hamilton handle everything. When Hamilton is powerless, he can't react correctly.Villanova's tactic was simply to separate Hamilton from his teammates, but knowing the other's intentions doesn't mean there's a solution.

Hamilton is starting to get tired, for the first time this season.Although he is still running in and out of the opponent's defense, his legs are as heavy as lead. What's worse, he thinks that every time he runs is useless.So what if you run out of space?There is no way for teammates to pass the ball, and the open space is not open.

What shocked him was that the No. 25 player from Villanova University who had been competing with him throughout the game was still running desperately, and it seemed that nothing could arouse his interest except himself.Hamilton shook his head helplessly. As a master of running without the ball, he certainly knows that the opponent is not in a normal state, but in competitive sports, it does not matter whether it is normal or not. the meaning of its existence.

Calhoun also felt the frustration of his proud disciple. Indeed, it is unacceptable for anyone to be defeated by others in the field he is best at.Although Hamilton usually has a gentle personality, he is not immune to it on the basketball court. The freshman rookie who barely beat him on the opposite side has become a shadow in his heart.

There were 3 minutes and 27 seconds left in the game, but Villanova University had already led by 15 points. Calhoun sighed secretly and withdrew all the starters.

Rappers also replaced the starting lineup, but when the players on the field walked back to the bench, Li directly sat on the ground with his thighs in his arms. This guy fought so hard that he was already cramping...

(End of this chapter)