CHAPTER 56: CHAPTER 56: FOCUS ON BOTH OFFENSE AND DEFENSE!

Ignoring Towns lying on the cold floor, Koulistan passed the ball to Booker.

Booker and Zeng Xingyang quickly pushed forward. Ohio State University’s defense was very proactive and soon they were back on their home court.

Booker wanted to charge at Russell at the top, pushed through, but was forced out again by their forwards.

Booker passed the ball to Tyler Ulis.

The match entered a positional play, just then, Towns ran over with a face full of disappointment.

"Hurry up and screen, stop pretending." Zeng Xingyang scolded.

Tate was consistently confronting him, with a kind of confrontational resentment, hard to shake off.

Tate was getting anxious, Zeng Xingyang was his defensive assignment, yet on the court, he had a very strong presence, either scoring or blocking Russell.

He was eager to mark Zeng Xingyang, and then respond on offense himself, just to feel a bit more at ease.

Tate’s defensive ability was indeed strong, whether it was steals or blocks, he was top-notch in NCAA.

"Sigh, why don’t I have your luck."

Why did he fall on a bunch of big guys while Zeng Xingyang landed among beauties?

As Towns spoke, he also quickly shifted over.

"Bang!"

Tate tried to squeeze past Towns, but failed. Zeng Xingyang took the chance to fake a right side inner cut and then quickly shifted to the left.

Tate’s defense on the right side was a miss, Zeng Xingyang successfully cut in, Tate tried to switch to chase on the left, but his body center was too high, couldn’t keep up, slipped, and fell down.

"Bang!"

At this moment, Tyler Ulis, holding the ball at the top, passed to Zeng Xingyang.

After Zeng Xingyang received the ball, he attracted the defensive attention, stepping forward without pause, threw the ball towards the sky.

Towns from behind and Koulistan from the side both took flight almost simultaneously.

Koulistan was closer to the ball, caught it with both hands, then twisted to the front of the basket and slammed it in hard.

5-0.

Zeng Xingyang delivered an assist.

Tate lay on the ground watching this scene, feeling completely numb.

The arena erupted with cheers again.

If it’s a defender guarding the ball being shaken to the ground, occasionally one might see it; a defender without the ball being shaken down was a first for the fans.

Too embarrassing, Tate felt his face heat up, as Zeng Xingyang passed by Russell, he loudly exclaimed: "Trash like this can’t stop me, when will you come to defend me?"

Russell ignored Zeng Xingyang’s provocation and quickly went over to pull Tate up.

Tyler was completely played by Zeng Xingyang on both ends of the court, looking very passive.

If this guy cannot stop him, can he?

Russell didn’t have much confidence in his own defense either.

He might have underestimated Zeng Xingyang.

No wonder this guy’s fame is rising so quickly.

Russell decided to recover it on offense, he needed to prove that just now he was blocked by accident.

Russell dribbled to the frontcourt, initiating the passing.

After the ball circulated, it returned to his hands.

Zeng Xingyang’s defense had no real flaws, Russell couldn’t find a breakthrough opportunity.

Russell felt the pressure and thought attacking Zeng Xingyang directly was not wise.

Russell signaled for a screen inside.

Amir-Williams came up to screen Zeng Xingyang.

Towns decisively switched to defend Russell.

After the switch to Towns, Russell’s pressure eased.

Russell’s inside low-position dribbling was swift.

Russell’s dribbling center of gravity was low, Towns wanted to steal but couldn’t intercept.

Russell found an opportunity, gathered the ball and stepped from the right side to the left, another pause in rhythm, then soared for a layup.

Russell was good at catching timing discrepancies, Towns went for the block and hit the backboard, not the ball.

The basketball bounced off the backboard and fell into the basket.

5-2.

Although Russell scored over Towns, he provocatively looked back at Zeng Xingyang.

Towns immediately got more upset: "Give me that damned ball."

University of Kentucky’s offense.

Towns called for the ball inside, Booker got the ball on one side and passed it to Towns.

Zeng Xingyang roamed on the other side, tying up the defense.

Ohio State University now dared not relax guarding him, knowing from the game’s start that Zeng Xingyang was an assassin.

Any lapse in defense and he might deliver a deadly strike.

The rest of the University of Kentucky had relatively more space now.

Towns on the other side held Amir-Williams in a one-on-one situation.

Amir-Williams tried to push Towns out, but his center of gravity was too high, and Towns easily spun past him.

Ohio State University’s inside was left empty, Towns gathered the ball and stepped up for a quick slam dunk.

"Crack!"

7-2

"Ahh!!!!"

Towns howled at the sky.

When Towns got serious, it was hard for opponents’ inside players to limit him.

This was why Towns played much more relaxed than anyone else on the court, he had absolutely overwhelming skills and talent against the matchup players.

Ohio State University attacked once again.

Russell called for another screen with Amir-Williams, he still wanted to exploit Towns on this mismatch.

Russell knew despite Towns’ good talent, his defensive rhythm and attitude weren’t the best.

Russell used the screen to continue mismatching Towns, but this time, just as Russell attempted to change direction, Zeng Xingyang decisively abandoned defending Amir-Williams to double-team Russell.

Russell instantly found himself in trouble, unable to score.

Russell dared not pass the ball to Amir-Williams either, with Koulistan still lurking on Kentucky’s inside, given to Amir-Williams he might not finish.

Russell passed the ball to Sam Thompson on the outside.

Thompson adjusted his rhythm outside the right three-point line, catching the pass for a jump shot.

Though this Thompson wasn’t the same as the NBA Thompson, he was also good at threes.

The ball swished cleanly through the net.

"Swoosh!"

Right on target!!

7-5

This was Ohio State University’s one-star four-shooter tactic, holding Russell didn’t necessarily mean stopping their offense.

As long as the perimeter defense slightly relaxed, they could seize the opportunity to hit a shot.

"An excellent assist, DeAngelo delivered one." the commentator shouted.

"Switch defense faster." Zeng Xingyang called out on defense coordination.

This was the authority Calipari gave Zeng Xingyang, on the court to direct the team’s defense.

Typically, this kind of command is done by the inside players.

But Koulistan isn’t talkative, and Towns doesn’t seem reliable, so Zeng Xingyang had to do it.

The Kentucky Wildcats attacked again.

Booker dribbled to the frontcourt, Zeng Xingyang continued off-ball positioning on the other side.

Towns and Koulistan successively screened for Zeng Xingyang’s off-ball moves, and the moment Zeng Xingyang shook off Tate’s defense, he caught Booker’s pass.

Inside, Luo Wen and Amir together helped cover Zeng Xingyang.

His offense had put Ohio State University on high alert, defending with little regard for cost.

The trapping duo also tried to squeeze the passing lanes, defensive speed necessary to prevent any pass from getting out.

Zeng Xingyang chose to step towards the hoop, Luo Wen and Amir leaped to block this drive.

But Zeng Xingyang wasn’t intending to layup for himself, instead, he passed the ball around Amir’s waist to Booker at the opposite side’s 45-degree three-point line.

Booker saw an open shot, without hesitation, took a three-point jump shot.

"Swoosh!"

10-5

Zeng Xingyang completed a brilliant assist and Booker scored a three-pointer, once again helping University of Kentucky widen the gap.

Calipari clapped in approval, Zeng Xingyang unknowingly became an essential tactical focal point for Kentucky.

Apart from shooting threes, he deeply participated in the team’s coordination and defensive system.