Wang Yi's three-pointer had gone in, and it wasn't just the coach who felt relieved.
Every player on the team breathed a sigh of relief.
The Wizards went on the attack.
Wang Yi didn't pick up the opposing guard. Instead, he stuck with Hachimura Rui.
When the Wizards' backup point guard saw this, he waited for Hachimura Rui to get into position, then passed him the ball.
Hachimura Rui was 206 centimeters tall. Wang Yi was 192.
That was a full 14 centimeters' difference.
This was a perfect mismatch.
Duan Ran, commentating for Tencent NBA, looked puzzled.
"What's going on here? Wang Yi is choosing to guard Hachimura Rui?"
Zhu Fangyu said, "Well... I can understand Wang Yi's mindset. I was the same when I played. Whenever I faced players from that country, I'd get fired up. But you still have to consider the circumstances. You can't just rush in blindly. Hachimura Rui has solid fundamentals and a good post game. Wang Yi taking on a bigger player like this probably isn't a wise choice."
At the Verizon Center Arena, the 20,000 fans watched as Wang Yi matched up against Hachimura Rui.
They immediately began shouting in unison.
"Destroy him!"
"Destroy him!"
"Destroy him!"
The local commentator chimed in, too.
"That guy is way too arrogant. He actually said he came to conquer the NBA. Hachimura Rui needs to teach him a lesson."
The other commentator nodded repeatedly.
"Guys who run their mouths like that usually don't end well. Hachimura Rui has to destroy him and show him what the NBA is all about. He needs to make him realize just how lowly and insignificant he is!"
Hachimura Rui thought so, too.
When he saw Wang Yi guarding him, a faint, contemptuous smile appeared on his face.
"Class is in session, kid. Pay attention."
He didn't bother with any fakes.
Facing Wang Yi, who was 14 centimeters shorter, he simply rose up and shot from mid-range.
Wang Yi had already studied Hachimura Rui countless times.
He knew his habits inside out.
Before Hachimura Rui took a pull-up jumper, he always had a habit of glancing at the rim.
It was an extremely subtle movement. He didn't even need to turn his head; just a flick of his eyes.
Almost no one had noticed this tell.
But Wang Yi had found it after going through video footage again and again, and poring over player profiles time after time. He had even watched Hachimura Rui's early NCAA footage and training videos several times.
That was how he had uncovered Hachimura Rui's unconscious little habit.
Even Hachimura Rui himself had no idea he did it.
Just before Hachimura Rui rose for the jumper, Wang Yi caught the movement.
He immediately jumped and stretched out his left hand to block the shot.
Hachimura Rui had only just lifted the ball, preparing to jump.
Smack!
A sharp crack rang out.
Wang Yi swatted both the player and the ball right out of the air!
And his block was perfectly clean, with no body contact at all.
Hachimura Rui crashed hard to the floor.
The Wizards' backup point guard hurried over to grab the ball.
Wang Yi dove forward and cradled it in his arms.
Then he flung it along the floor toward the frontcourt.
Harrell sprinted downcourt, caught up with the ball, scooped it up, and slammed it down with both hands.
The spectators all froze.
Their gazes darted from Harrell to Hachimura Rui and Wang Yi.
That arrogant man from the East had actually blocked Hachimura Rui, who was more than a dozen centimeters taller?
It was hard to believe.
The two local commentators couldn't believe it, either.
"What happened to Hachimura?"
"Well... perhaps it was a fluke. We believe in Hachimura's ability. That was definitely just a fluke."
"Right, one fluke doesn't mean anything. Hachimura will surely destroy this guy next time."
By then, the score was tied.
Hachimura Rui got back to his feet, looking bewildered.
How had this guy blocked him?
That couldn't be possible.
The Wizards went on the attack again.
Wang Yi continued to guard Hachimura Rui.
This time, Hachimura Rui didn't shoot over him right away.
Instead, as soon as he got the ball, he turned his back to Wang Yi and faced him up in the post.
Then he used his body to overpower Wang Yi.
There was no way Wang Yi could hold off Hachimura Rui. The difference in their weight was too great.
Hachimura Rui leaned into him, and Wang Yi gave ground.
After three bumps, they were close to the basket.
That was already one of Hachimura Rui's favorite spots to attack from.
He could easily have turned and shot.
But against this Chinese player, he didn't just want to score. He wanted to dunk with authority.
So he leaned into Wang Yi again.
But this time, when he put his weight into it, he didn't meet Wang Yi.
He felt nothing behind him.
His balance instantly gave way. His feet stumbled, and he dropped straight onto his backside.
The ball slipped out of his hands and rolled away.
It turned out that Wang Yi knew he couldn't match Hachimura Rui's strength.
So this time, he'd pulled the chair out from under him.
The Lakers counterattacked and scored again.
The fans stared at Wang Yi in astonishment.
The local commentators were sounding a little down now, too.
"Well... Hachimura Rui doesn't seem to be in very good form."
"Is he... playing through an injury?"
The Wizards went on the attack again.
Their point guard saw that Hachimura Rui had failed twice in a row, so he hadn't planned to pass him the ball this time.
But Hachimura Rui had Wang Yi pinned behind him and was calling for the ball insistently.
The Wizards' backup point guard had no choice but to pass it to Hachimura Rui again.
This time, the fans weren't shouting "Destroy him!" anymore.
They watched Hachimura Rui intently.
After getting the ball, Hachimura Rui didn't dribble toward the basket.
He turned his back to Wang Yi and dribbled once.
Then he spun around and began to rise for a jumper.
But Wang Yi reacted incredibly quickly.
Hachimura Rui had nearly completed his turn and was just about to gather the ball when Wang Yi suddenly slipped around to his side.
He reached out and swiped hard at the ball.
Smack—
The ball was knocked away.
It hit Hachimura Rui's foot and shot out of bounds.
The referee signaled a Lakers sideline ball.
A wave of astonished shouts erupted from the crowd.
"Oh—"
"This... this guy's defense..."
"He's stopped Hachimura Rui three possessions in a row!?"
The commentators were stunned, too.
"This man from the East seems stronger than we expected. Especially on defense."
"I hope Hachimura doesn't get discouraged or let those three plays get him down. Against this player, he can use his height and shoot over him, without giving him a chance to touch the ball."
On the next possession, the Wizards didn't get the ball to Hachimura Rui. Beal took the shot instead.
Beal missed the three.
Hachimura Rui grabbed the rebound and went for a dunk.
The crowd erupted.
But before he could even jump, Wang Yi suddenly flew in from in front of him, and the tips of his fingers touched the ball.
Hachimura Rui's dunk was sent flying.
But he leaped high and grabbed the rebound.
Then he jumped again and tried to shoot.
Wang Yi jumped early once more and got his fingertips on the ball, changing its trajectory and sending it bouncing back into the air.
Hachimura Rui grabbed the rebound again.
After faking out two Lakers help defenders, he prepared to shoot once more.
But he had only just raised the ball. He hadn't even released it yet.
Smack—
A sound that pierced through the arena rang out.
The ball was swatted far out of bounds.
Hachimura Rui turned around in shock.
Wang Yi was staring at him, amusement in his eyes.
It was as if he were saying: Come on. Destroy me.
Before you continue