Block Your Shots Until You Don't Dare Shoot Anymore (Part 2)

In under two minutes, Wang Yi had shut down Hachimura Rui's offense five times, blocking him four times.

The last of these was a sequence where he blocked him three times in a row.

The live audience cheered loudly every time Hachimura Rui got the ball.

But whenever Wang Yi blocked him, they gasped in astonishment:

"Oh--NO!"

The commentators on the scene also cried out in surprise.

"Oh my god, how did he do that?"

"He actually blocked the much taller Hachimura player three times in a row, it's incredible!"

"I hope Hachimura player can rally and not let these three blocks affect his fighting spirit."

Unconsciously, the commentators' tone had shifted.

At first, they were convinced Hachimura Rui would dominate Wang Yi.

Then, they said Hachimura Rui was just having an off day.

And now, they hoped he wouldn't be affected by Wang Yi's multiple blocks.

On the Tencent NBA Live Broadcast Room's bullet comments, the majority had been cursing Wang Yi.

But after these three consecutive blocks, a third of the viewers had changed their tune.

"Blocked Hachimura Rui three times in a row, that's gutsy!"

"Awesome, Brother Yi, tough guy, few words."

"Just for these three blocks, and for who he dominated, I'm a fan now."

"But he's a Chinese athlete, so beat this country's athlete to death!"

"Brother Yi, just for locking down this guy, I forgive your previous arrogance."

Of course, many people were still unhappy with Wang Yi.

Haters would hate on anything.

But even the haters, who would criticize anything, had softened their stance a bit at this moment.

"These few plays were okay, just don't be so arrogant."

"Play more, talk less. If he keeps playing like this, he has some potential."

The atmosphere in the arena was somewhat subdued due to Wang Yi's three blocks.

On the contrary, the Chinese-American fans who had arrived earlier were now excited.

"Go Brother Yi!"

"Brother Yi, always supporting you!"

Their excitement stood in stark contrast to the surrounding Wizards fans.

Hachimura Rui looked at Wang Yi's confident face and thought fiercely:

"Kuso! I'm going to dominate you!"

At this moment, due to a dead ball, the Lakers had substituted James onto the court.

Vogel looked at James and Wang Yi on the court.

His eyes were filled with anticipation.

Wang Yi paired with James, this combination might actually work.

At this time, it was nearing the end of the second quarter.

Westbrook also entered the game.

After Westbrook inbounded the ball, he didn't pass to Hachimura Rui again.

Although Hachimura Rui needed encouragement right now, he had failed to score five times in a row and had been blocked four times.

It was generous enough that the coach hadn't taken him out; did he still expect to be the primary scorer?

Westbrook drove to the basket, but seeing the paint completely clogged, he quickly passed the ball to Beal in the left corner.

Beal passed again.

After a few passes, the ball found its way to Hachimura Rui once more.

Hachimura Rui was now near the free-throw line, facing Wang Yi, who was more than half a foot shorter than him. He could have taken a pull-up jumper.

But Wang Yi's four previous blocks had left him with a psychological shadow.

So, he didn't dare to shoot directly.

Instead, he trusted his solid footwork and post-up skills.

With his back to Wang Yi, after two steps, he turned and took a jump shot.

This time, Wang Yi ultimately failed to block Hachimura Rui.

Hachimura Rui watched as the ball flew past Wang Yi's fingertips and headed for the basket.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

However, just then.

Pak—

A crisp sound.

The basketball was once again violently swatted away.

At the same time, a burly figure flew in from Hachimura Rui's side.

It was James.

He had come to help defend when Hachimura Rui shot.

Wang Yi went over to high-five James, and they both exchanged a smile.

At this moment, player Hachimura was on the verge of tears.

I only get to take a dozen shots per game.

You guys have blocked me five times in a row, seriously, do you have to be like this?

This is just bullying.

Westbrook patted Hachimura Rui on the shoulder in comfort.

Then he went to inbound the ball.

This time, after the ball rotated a few times and landed in the hands of the open Hachimura Rui, Hachimura Rui didn't shoot immediately.

The previous few shots had left him with severe psychological trauma.

He felt like as soon as he shot, a figure would fly by and violently swat the ball away.

So he instinctively looked to the side.

In that moment of hesitation, Wang Yi had already reached him.

The commentator on the sidelines said:

"Very good, player Hachimura is facing the Lakers' number 1 again. Now is a good time to regain his confidence, go for it!"

"Player Hachimura, blow him up! Shoot!"

Hachimura Rui seemed to hear the commentator's words, his gaze intensely fixed on Wang Yi.

He roared in his heart, "Die—"

Then he faked a move, shaking off Wang Yi.

He was now only a meter from the basket, ready to dunk at any moment.

But he still instinctively looked back.

Seeing that Wang Yi had indeed been shaken off, he prepared to dunk.

But as he turned his head, Harrell had already reached the basket, raising his hands high, blocking the space between him and the hoop.

Hachimura Rui froze, and could only hold the ball up, faking twice more.

He faked out Harrell, but Wang Yi had already recovered to defend.

As soon as Hachimura Rui saw Wang Yi, he felt uneasy.

Finally, at a distance of one meter from the basket, facing Wang Yi, who was more than half a head shorter than him, he made a choice that baffled everyone.

He actually passed the ball.

Westbrook on the perimeter, seeing the time was running out, could only hastily attempt a three-pointer.

Bang—

The three-pointer missed.

The Lakers seized the opportunity and quickly pushed for a fast break.

This time, Wang Yi seized the chance to sprint down the court.

After receiving the ball, he laid it up with his left hand, adding another two points!

The atmosphere among the fans in the arena became even more subdued.

The two commentators on the scene were a bit stunned.

"What's wrong with player Hachimura?"

"This... player Hachimura's condition is off. He's afraid to shoot with an open basket. He doesn't even dunk when he can, what's wrong with him?"

In the Tencent NBA Live Broadcast Room.

Duan Ran, watching this, exclaimed in surprise:

"What's going on with Hachimura Rui? He's afraid to shoot open layups now, and even when he could dunk, he missed. Zhu, can you explain this?"

Zhu Fangyu, after all, was a former professional player.

Without much thought, he chuckled and replied:

"Hesitation! He's playing hesitantly! And the reason is simple: his confidence has been shattered."

"He had five previous attempts, with Wang Yi blocking four and James blocking one. He must have developed a psychological complex. Now, every time he goes up for a shot, he feels like someone's going to fly out of nowhere and block him."

"It's like the saying, 'Once bitten by a snake, you'll fear a well rope for ten years.'"

"That's why, for a professional player, confidence is extremely important. Building confidence is very difficult; it requires years of training and constant accumulation of on-court performance. But confidence can be destroyed in an instant."