Chapter Sixty-Four: An Unexpected Display of Dominance

The Trail Blazers took possession. Patterson kept moving, darting around the court in a flurry of aimless runs, and eventually found himself in front of McCarty. But as soon as the ball reached his hands, he realized just how tall McCarty was. At 208 centimeters, McCarty was naturally suited to play both small and power forward. Going up against the 196-centimeter Patterson was a breeze for him.

Seeing he had no shot, Patterson quickly passed the responsibility to Dixon. Perhaps he believed that as long as he limited his attempts and maintained a high shooting percentage, the coach would be satisfied. In reality, though, a player without real ability is useless to the team, no matter how high his shooting percentage. Some pseudo-fans often wonder, when they look at players’ stats, why coaches don’t give more shots to those with high percentages. Why did Kobe, who missed so many, still get to shoot so much? Wouldn’t the team score more if someone else took his shots?

The reason is simple: some players maintain a high shooting percentage precisely because they only shoot when the opportunity is perfect—otherwise, they pass. If they increased their attempts, those easy chances would disappear and their percentages would plummet. At first glance, this seems reasonable enough. But in a game, especially in the postseason when every possession is fiercely contested, true scoring ability becomes crucial.

Patterson passed to Dixon, but the shot clock was down to four or five seconds—no time for tactics. Dixon, with no other choice, had to take the shot himself. In his haste, it was a poor decision. Seizing the opportunity, Xinghui He leapt up and blocked the shot. After the block, Xinghui couldn’t help but smile; his leaping ability was average, and he rarely got blocks. To get one was a cause for celebration.

On the sidelines, McMillan shook his head and mentally marked Patterson with a cross. Looking at the stats after the game, Patterson would seem efficient and reasonable, but in truth he did little to help the team. He was sacrificing his teammates’ numbers to make his own look good. But the outcome of a game depends on the whole team’s performance, not the stats of one player.

The Clippers attacked and found themselves in a similar predicament. Cassell’s drive failed, so he passed to Brand. Brand wasn’t in a good position—Randolph had him well contained. In the same situation as Patterson, Brand chose to take responsibility and missed his shot. He was more willing to take the blame than Patterson, but the result was the same: a wasted possession.

Still, that doesn’t mean Patterson and Brand are on the same level. Judging a player’s value is a complex matter. Most casual fans just watch for fun. Otherwise, why would so many people love Westbrook?

The Trail Blazers attacked again. This time, Blake orchestrated from the top of the arc, waited for Dixon to break free, and delivered the pass. Dixon caught it and scored two points in one smooth motion. Xinghui He was a moment late and failed to keep up, but it was a small mistake—he’d catch up next time.

Now the Clippers attacked. Xinghui called for the ball and pulled up to shoot right over Dixon. He was taller, with a longer wingspan, and caught Dixon completely off guard. The shot went in—a three-pointer.

The first half dragged on with both sides trading baskets, neither side pulling away. Relying on their raw strength, the Clippers managed a 57-49 lead at the half, up by eight points. But after halftime, everything changed. The Trail Blazers came out firing with a 10-2 run, tying the game in an instant.

The Clippers' sudden collapse had many causes, but the most important was fatigue. This season, determined to win, the Clippers played conservatively, sticking to an eight-man rotation. The rebuilding Trail Blazers, on the other hand, used as many as eleven players in rotation. In the first half, the Clippers’ energy held up, but in the second, they faltered, while the Trail Blazers were still bursting with life.

Noticing this, McMillan urged his team to push the pace, running fast breaks with abandon. At one point, all five Trail Blazers sprinted around like lunatics, leaving Xinghui and his teammates too tired to chase. Their goal was simple: wear the Clippers down.

Then, a player named Charles Smith launched a three-pointer. Cassell, the nearest defender, was still two meters away. As Smith shot, Cassell simply stood and watched—knowing he couldn't close out in time and unwilling to waste energy.

On the surface, this approach saved stamina, but it sent a negative signal to the team. Seeing this, the other players’ fighting spirit waned. Once a team gives up, defeat is inevitable.

Xinghui pondered how to inspire his teammates. Should he go for a thunderous dunk or a deep three-pointer? Before he could decide, the Clippers completed a possession. Mobley casually launched a three and missed. Brand, exhausted, didn’t bother to fight for inside position. Mobley, equally spent, didn’t bother to drive. Xinghui, resigned, had no choice but to retreat on defense.

The Trail Blazers attacked. Xinghui called out to his teammates, “Defense! Hold the line!” Then he took the lead, springing into motion. Perhaps moved by his own leadership, the gods smiled upon him and he miraculously blocked Dixon’s shot again.

The ball hit the floor and the Trail Blazers scrambled for it. Patterson, hustling hard, grabbed it and put it right back up. In a flash, Xinghui used fifty rage points to buy a “Yao-style rejection” and swatted Patterson’s shot away. The ball bounced to Randolph, but with the shot clock expiring, he rushed his attempt. Like lightning, Xinghui appeared behind him and smacked the ball out of bounds, ending the Trail Blazers’ possession.

Landing, Xinghui glared at the Trail Blazers and roared, “Who else?” Unlike Feng Xiaogang’s signature shout, his voice was pure dominance, with not a trace of slyness.

Luckily, Xiahou Jie wasn’t on the Trail Blazers, or things might have turned violent. Xinghui’s roar left the Trail Blazers momentarily stunned; it was the first time they’d seen this side of him—so abrupt and commanding.

“Well done!” His teammates rushed to celebrate with him. That string of three consecutive blocks was simply overwhelming, the very image of toughness. Though the blocks only ruined one possession, with less impact than a steal, the display was so electrifying that it lifted the entire team’s spirits.

In that moment, every one of Xinghui’s teammates felt his indomitable will—none of them would give up now. They were all fired up.