As long as they won in the end, "there would always be learned scholars to argue my case."
Comments like "If you're so good, why don't you go out there and do it yourself?" and "Just tell me, which one of those wasn't a foul?" would also become the fans' best way to defend him.
Of course, that all depended on winning first.
If they lost in the end, those fans might immediately turn around and become the other edge of a double-edged sword, launching a verbal assault against him.
So for a player like Chen, who was both incredibly skilled and well-liked, drawing fouls didn't actually offer that much benefit.
All he had to do was win. That was enough.
As long as they won, there would naturally be people ready to tear into the other team after the game.
"Eight against five, and you still got killed? Do you even know how to play?!"
Back to the game.
After Embiid cut the lead back to nine with a pair of free throws, possession went back to the Knicks.
This time, Rose brought the ball over half court, then waited at the top of the key for Chen Xi to get into position and come up. Rose then handed the ball off to him.
After receiving the ball, Chen Xi once again looked to Harten for a pick-and-roll. Using his screen, he pulled out to the left side of the top of the key, forcing Embiid to step up and hedge hard.
Interestingly, perhaps because of a breakdown in their defensive communication and switching, the 76ers didn't choose to double-team Chen Xi right away.
That gave Chen the chance to take Embiid one-on-one with a mismatch, facing up.
And given Chen's temperament, he was bound to seize the